Jumpstarter 7 of 10

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Question 7

Bercot says early Christians were not primarily known as “plain people” but for “their love for one another,” even though they practiced modesty; what assumptions about early Christian identity and witness is he challenging, and how would your community look different if you aimed to be known first for the same thing?

Another way to ask: Bercot says early Christians were known most for their love, not mainly for being “plain,” even though they were modest. What picture of early Christians is he challenging, and how would your community change if you wanted to be known first for love?

Direct Answer He is challenging the assumption that the church’s main public identity should be built around modest dress and other outward distinctives; instead, the transcript emphasizes that early Christians were chiefly recognized for love, with modesty as a secondary obedience.

Support from Transcript:

He affirms modesty is real: he’s “happy to be in a fellowship that pays attention” to 1 Peter 3:1 and he “believe[s]…very strongly” in the prayer veil.
Yet he says these are not “chief commandments” and “not…closest to [Jesus’] heart,” noting “Jesus Himself never even talked about” the head covering.
He contrasts labels: “we Anabaptists often refer to ourselves as the plain people,” but “no one referred to the early Christians as the plain people.”
He says early Christians were “noted for their love for one another,” not primarily for outward simplicity.
He argues modern perception is reversed: “The world doesn’t look at us as…people who really…help the poor…No, they look at us…[as] people who wear head coverings and dress differently.”

Discussion Follow-ups What ministries or habits would have to change so outsiders would naturally describe your church first by love rather than by appearance?

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Jumpstarter 7 of 10