The Two Ways

In early Christian teaching, one prominent theme of instruction was that of the "Two Ways." This appears in such early Christian writings as the Epistle of Barnabas and the Didache (both written somewhere around AD 100, give or take a few decades). The Two Ways are the way of life and the way of death, and a very strong contrast is made between them. The way of life begins with love for God and for our neighbor, and is often followed by teaching on the commandments of God (especially the Ten Commandments). The way of death is the way of sin, and often involves listing many sins that the Christian should avoid.

What I find intriguing about this is that it differs greatly form the way many of churches teach about the Christian walk. Too many teachers focus on the individual Christian and how he or she benefits from following Jesus. Much is made of our privileges as the children of God (sometimes far too much, as when we're told we can have everything we want if only we have enough faith!), and the focus is generally on the individual. If you don't believe this, go to a Christian bookstore or web site and look at the bestselling books about the Christian life.

The early church was a suffering church. Even when there wasn't persecution, life was hard for most in the Roman world, and particularly for those who refused to acknowledge Caesar as their lord. Becoming a Christian wasn't a step taken lightly. Yet the early church didn't promise a grand release from trials in this world or success measured in earthly terms . Instead, the church taught new believers about their responsibilities toward God.

Those responsibilities included love, faith, and obedience. Love and faith remain popular in our time (as they are in almost every age of Christianity), but obedience is definitely a harder sell in our culture. We like to do things our own way, and often bristle at any restrictions placed on us. Much of our political discourse centers around getting what people want for themselves, without thought for others. And if the law stands in the way of our desires, we seek to change the law, or simply ignore it.

Obedience, however, is a crucial part of our Christian experience. It is through obedience that we learn to be like Jesus, who was Himself obedient to the Father while here on earth. Obedience also teaches us discipline and self-control. Through obedience, we learn to do what God our Father has called us to do and to be the people He created us to be. When we live for self, we become what our stunted vision tells us we ought to be; when we obey God, we become what His omniscient plan says we ought to be. Which do you think will be more fulfilling?