[crakjak]

Originally Posted by ChristopherHall

I think they would understand dancing for joy. Not sure about aisle running. I'm sure they'd be familiar with outbursts of praise like yelling Hallelujah. However....the concert like atmosphere of the local church would be lost on them. Throughout the book of Acts and for nearly the next 250 years Apostolic Christians mostly met in homes as a spiritual family...not large church buildings. Any musical accompaniment was most likely simple stringed instruments based on a reference in I Corinthians.

The preaching they were familiar with wouldn't be the virbrado filled tone of preaching we've grown accustomed too. The word "preached" in Greek is "dialegomai". It is a word we get our English word "dialogue" from. It brings the connotation of an expositional teaching that allows for questions and discussion. Sometimes to "preach" simply means to declare or reveal.

I believe they would most likely recognize a group of 15-20 people sitting in a living room of a brother singing as another brother played the guitar. Then there would be prayer and the teacher would teach on a passage of Scripture. There would be a period of listening and then there would be a period of discussion where questions could be asked and the congregants would learn essential Christian principles. Then if any were saved there would be repentance, prayer, infilling, and a walk to the riverside or poolfor baptism.

Well said Bro.