Direct Answer
The transcript implies that taking these writings seriously could cost Christians comfort, denominational certainty, and attachment to inherited assumptions. Since the writings challenge both Catholic and Protestant traditions, engaging them honestly may require rethinking established beliefs and practices.
Support from Transcript
- Bercot says the early Christian writings "don't support many of the key teachings of today's Catholic Church." - He also says, "they don't completely fit any denomination." - He states, "The early Christians were neither Catholic nor Protestant in the modern sense of these words." - Their writings "contradict some of the major teachings of both the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church." - He says the post-Nicene church "simply ignored them" to a large degree. - He adds that after the Reformation, "the tenets of the Reformation were set in stone, and nobody was willing to change them."
Discussion Follow-ups
The personal and congregational cost would likely include humility, willingness to be corrected, and openness to truths that do not fit one’s existing theological identity.