Direct Answer
This possibility exposes the assumption that modern Western churches naturally represent New Testament Christianity better than the early post-apostolic church did. Bercot suggests that historical closeness to the apostles may matter more than modern readers often admit.
Support from Transcript
- Bercot says modern Christians may think “John could step right from the first century into our Western 21st-century churches and feel quite at home.” - He contrasts that with the belief that John “would find the second-century church to be strange and foreign.” - He responds sharply, “Now, who’s kidding whom?” - He argues that early Christian writings provide “historic evidence of how the primitive church understood Scripture.” - He says those writings helped him “truly see the New Testament itself.” - He frames the issue as one of moving away from “first-century Christianity,” not merely finding ancient Christianity strange.
Discussion Follow-ups
The transcript does not claim the second-century church was inspired or error-free. It argues that we should not automatically assume modern interpretations are closer to the apostles than early Christian ones.