What Was the Apostles' Message? Understanding Early Christianity

What was the primary authority behind the message of the early church according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the primary authority behind the early church's message was Jesus Christ himself. He emphasizes that the apostles did not preach their own ideas or philosophies but rather "preached and taught in the name of Jesus." They were not giving their own wisdom or quoting human authorities like the Pharisees and scribes did. Instead, they were delivering a message that had been revealed to them by Jesus. The apostle Paul confirmed this when he wrote, "I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received." Their authority came directly from Christ, who had commissioned them and given them specific instructions about what to teach.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between true biblical inspiration and other forms of inspiration?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguishes true biblical inspiration from other forms by explaining that biblical inspiration is not merely the same as poetic or artistic inspiration. He quotes someone who claimed the Bible writers were "inspired in exactly the same way as I believe that Wordsworth was inspired and Browning was inspired," but firmly rejects this view. Instead, he defines biblical inspiration as "God-breathed" (quoting 2 Timothy 3:16), meaning that "God breathed it into these men." He references 2 Peter 1:21, which states that "prophecy came not in the old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Unlike artistic inspiration, which might simply be someone performing at their best, biblical inspiration involves direct divine revelation where God specifically gives the message and even the form of the message to the human instruments.

What evidence did the apostles have for their message according to the sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the apostles' message was based on firsthand evidence - "things which we have seen and heard." Their evidence included:

1. Personal time with Jesus - they had spent three years with him and knew him intimately
2. Witnessing his perfect life - they observed his character, compassion, and sinless living
3. Hearing his extraordinary teaching - teaching that even Roman soldiers said "never man spake like this man"
4. Seeing his miracles - turning water into wine, calming storms, healing the sick, raising the dead
5. Witnessing the Transfiguration (Peter, James and John) - seeing his divine glory revealed
6. Observing his death on the cross - hearing his words of forgiveness
7. Finding the empty tomb - verifying the resurrection
8. Multiple post-resurrection appearances - seeing him alive again, eating with him
9. Witnessing his ascension into heaven - seeing him taken up
10. Experiencing Pentecost - receiving the Holy Spirit as he promised

As Peter stated before his death, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables...but were eyewitnesses of his majesty."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the central content of the Christian message?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the central content of the Christian message as the person and work of Jesus Christ. The message centers on:

1. The identity of Jesus as the Son of God - not merely a man but "God in the flesh"
2. The purpose of his coming - "to seek and to save that which is lost"
3. The meaning of his death - not an accident but purposeful, "to give his life a ransom for many"
4. His resurrection - proof that God accepted his sacrifice, "delivered for our offenses, raised again for our justification"
5. Salvation exclusively through him - "there is no salvation in anybody but in this Jesus"
6. His future return - that he will "come back again visible in bodily form" as "king of kings and lord of lords"

The central message is that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." The apostles couldn't help but speak about these things because they had witnessed them firsthand and understood their world-changing significance.

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize that Christianity is based on historical facts?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes Christianity's historical basis to distinguish it from philosophies and other religions. He states, "The thing that differentiates this gospel message from every other teaching in the world tonight is this. That this is history." Unlike philosophical systems like Platonism or other religions based on human thinking, Christianity rests on specific historical events that happened in time and space.

This historical foundation is crucial because:

1. It makes Christianity verifiable rather than merely speculative
2. It means the gospel isn't just a set of ideas but reporting of actual events
3. It establishes that "there'd be no church but for these things"
4. It shows these events are "the attestations of his deity and of his divine saviorhood"
5. It means Christianity doesn't change with the times - "this is something once and for all"

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christianity isn't primarily about "your attitude towards this or your opinion about that" but about whether you've "accepted these things which the apostles had seen and had heard." The historical reality of Christ's life, death, and resurrection forms the non-negotiable foundation of the Christian faith.