05-The Early Days

As we have seen, the first believers were living in „the last
days‟ – as we are; further, we have seen that „the last days‟ are
marked by apostasy. So what was life like in the early ekklēsia?
In this chapter, I will set out how the New Testament records
the way in which this alarming picture of „the last days‟ was
played out in those early days, showing how the scriptural
warnings about „the last days‟ applied as much in the very early
days as they do now – and, consequently what we are to expect
in our time. The early ekklēsia lived surrounded by a sea of
various cultures – all hostile – and it was under constant attack,
both from without and from within.1 Let me prove it.