In my professional capacity I visited a Church that presented itself as ‘independent and non-denominational.’ As I recall, the people I met were genuine men and women of faith, their Church was impacting their community; and needing to expand and develop their facilities as a result.

But I am concerned. This approach to Church life is, I believe, unhealthy.

The town of Laish ‘had no dealings with anyone.’ It was far from potential help and support. Therefore it as vulnerable to external forces. See Judges 18.27-29.

God said that Adam should not be alone. God puts the lonely in families (Psalm 68.6). Community is God’s idea and God’s stated preference for mankind. We are not designed to go it alone. Loneliness is frequently stated as people’s number one problem. No wonder there is a mental health epidemic.

Churches are not meant to be alone. New Testament Churches all have some relationship with an apostle and his team, plus other Churches. None were to be independent. The apostle John grieved that he could not visit the Church led by Diotrephes (3 John).

There are several references to Churches supporting one another financially and materially. Partnership in the gospel (Phil 1.5) was Church supporting Church as well as Christian supporting Christian. Acts and the NT letters refer to lots of engagement between Churches. Inter-dependency was preferred above dependence.

The prophet Isaiah wrote these words:

 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
³ and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling^[a] together;
and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

Sometimes the scriptures just take my breathe away.

Several centuries being Christ’s arrival, Isaiah wrote of the coming ‘Branch,’ through Whom so much would change; promises be fulfilled concerning this world; conflict will dissolve into peace; danger replaced by safety.

The Hebrew word translated as branch is NETZER, the same root as Nazarene – Matthew records that ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’ (Matt 2.23) a direct and strong statement of the coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Both words imply Christ’s humanity and humility.

It is through Him that all the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Scripture has numerous themes designed to shape our thinking. How we think about and care for children is one example, an important example at that.

Historic incidents of cruelty to children

Moses was born in Egypt into a situation where Pharaoh had commanded that all Israelite male babies be put to death (Ex 1.16-22). The purpose was clear: to diminish the numbers of Israelites.

Fast forward to the birth of Christ. Herod, acting in the same spirit as Pharaoh, ordered that males younger than 2 years of age in and around Bethlehem were to be put to death (Matt 2.16). The gospel writer quotes Jer 31.15; “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” History indicates that, when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, according to Dr Alfred Edersheim, children, amongst others, were ‘piteously slaughtered’ to reduce his burden of removing them to Babylon. See my notes on Jer 40: www.biblenotes.org.uk/old-testament/Jeremiah/40/

Ancient cultures were well-known for mistreatment of children. In fact, Israel had set a standard far above that of ancient Gentile cultures. When Israel turned form God’s ways, one evidence was that she reverted to the introduction of child sacrifice, learned from the surrounding nations. 2 Kings 21.6 provides one example.

A better way!

Jesus Christ set an even higher standard. He did not merely criticise (whether implicitly or explicitly) common practice in Judea, He set a new standard, treating children as real people, with value and dignity.

The early Church, as it started to engage with Gentile cultures, followed this example. The Church council in Jerusalem referred to the common practice of exposure (infanticide); Acts 15.19-20. (Some Bible translations seem to obscure this!) See www.biblenotes.org.uk/new-testament/Acts/15/ with my comment: ‘We must conclude that, in this respect, the early Church stood apart from its host culture in relation to this practice.’

Christian catacombs are said to include the remains of children adopted by Christians, sometimes in large numbers – this is further evidence of Christians rescuing many who were discarded by others. Early Church history refers to this practice (e.g: Tertullian).

And Paul in 1 Cor 12.22 comments that those who seems to be weak are actually indispensable. Without over-thinking the wording here, we must conclude that children are, therefore, essential to the well-being of a local Church.