Discussion Questions

Bercot says evangelical Protestants have “trumpeted” Sola Scriptura while adding their own sectarian traditions to Scripture; how does this accusation challenge the way modern Christians distinguish biblical conviction from inherited denominational tradition? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says evangelical Protestants claim to follow “Scripture alone” but also add their own church traditions. How does this challenge the way Christians tell the difference between Bible teaching and denominational tradition?

Irenaeus contrasted the divided Gnostic sects with Christians who “follow the one and only true God as our teacher” and “speak alike with regard to the same things”; what does this suggest about God’s desire for unity, truth, and shared understanding among His people? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Irenaeus said Christians were unlike the divided Gnostic groups because they followed the one true God and taught the same truths. What does this show about God’s desire for unity, truth, and shared understanding among His people?

Bercot compares Protestant divisions to Corinthian carnality and asks whether our communions are acceptable to God when the body of Christ remains divided; how should Paul’s rebuke in 1 Corinthians 3:3 confront the way churches today treat division as normal or unavoidable? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot compares Protestant division to the problem Paul rebuked in Corinth. How should 1 Corinthians 3:3 challenge churches today that treat division as normal or impossible to avoid?

Bercot admits that he initially “fought bitterly” against the historic evidence but eventually yielded because he found early Christianity “thoroughly biblical”; what fears, loyalties, or comforts might make serious Christians resist evidence that challenges their current theology? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says he first fought against the historical evidence but later accepted it because early Christianity seemed deeply biblical. What fears, loyalties, or comforts might cause sincere Christians to reject evidence that challenges their beliefs?

Bercot says that if the apostolic writings were contracts or deeds, he would examine the “course of performance” shown in second-century Christian writings; how persuasive is this legal analogy for understanding Scripture, and where might modern Christians be reluctant to apply it? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says that if the New Testament were a legal document, he would look at how second-century Christians understood and practiced it. How helpful is this comparison for understanding Scripture, and where might Christians be afraid to use it?

Bercot frames the issue as a possible “rude awakening” after death, either for the primitive Christians or for himself; how does this way of thinking challenge common evangelical assumptions about assurance, grace, obedience, and doctrinal accountability before God? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says someone may face a “rude awakening” after death—either the early Christians or himself. How does this challenge common evangelical ideas about assurance, grace, obedience, and being accountable to God for doctrine?

Bercot says his family committed to change together, even though some criticized them for moving too slowly and others called them extremists, and that “the only opinion we care about is God’s”; what would it look like in practical family, church, and personal decisions to care more about God’s judgment than about being seen as balanced, respectable, or safe? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says his family chose to change together, even when some said they moved too slowly and others called them extreme. What would it look like in family, church, and personal choices to care more about God’s opinion than about looking balanced, respected, or safe?

Bercot argues that simply saying “if everyone would just go by the Bible, we could all be one” has not worked because Christians cannot agree on what the Bible teaches; what does this force us to reconsider about the modern Protestant assumption that individual Bible interpretation is sufficient to preserve unity? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says it has not worked to simply say, “If everyone followed the Bible, we would all be united,” because Christians disagree about what the Bible teaches. What does this make us rethink about the idea that personal Bible interpretation is enough to keep Christians united?

Bercot says many Christians formed their entire belief systems without ever being given the opportunity to seriously consider historic Christianity; how should humility, repentance, and openness shape the way we examine beliefs that were formed before we knew the early Christian witness? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says many Christians built their beliefs without ever seriously learning about historic Christianity. How should humility, repentance, and openness shape the way we reexamine beliefs we formed before hearing the early Christian witness?

In the white rat experiment, the students’ preconceived ideas shaped what they thought they observed; what specific theological “tinted glasses” might we need to temporarily set aside in order to read both the early Christian writings and the New Testament more honestly? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In the white rat experiment, students saw what they expected to see. What theological “colored glasses” might we need to set aside for a while so we can read the early Christian writings and the New Testament more honestly?