Worship in the Early Church

by Ralph P. Martin

An introduction to the New Testament teaching concerning the early Christian principles and practices of corporate worship. Among the topics Martin considers are prayers and praises, creeds and confessions, preaching, offerings, and sacraments.

Genres: Theology, Church History, History, Christian

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1975

About the author

Ralph Martin (1925-2013) was a distinguished New Testament scholar and a significant figure in the post-World War 2 resurgence of British evangelical scholarship. Born in Anfield, Liverpool, England, his early education was interrupted in 1939 by the war, and he was conscripted to work in the coal mines of Lancashire. After the war he pursued ministerial training at Manchester Baptist College and in 1949 earned his B.A. at the University of Manchester. In 1963 he completed his Ph.D. at King’s College, University of London. In 1969 Martin joined the faculty of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he would serve as professor of New Testament from 1969 to 1988, and director of the graduate studies program beginning in 1979. He resumed his teaching there in 1995 as Distinguished Scholar in Residence. Throughout his academic career he stayed involved in preaching, teaching laypeople and other pastoral ministry. He was the author of numerous studies and commentaries on the New Testament, including Worship in the Early Church, the volume on Philippians in The Tyndale New Testament Commentary series, and 2 Corinthians and James in the Word Biblical Commentary, for which he also served as New Testament editor.

Reviews

[William Stapleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin, Ralph P. Worship in the Early Church. Grand Rapids, MI Eerdmans, 1974
‌
I. Introduction
Introduction to Ralph P. Martin
Context and purpose

II. Worship Practices in the Early Church
A. Exploration of worship practices in the early Christian communities
B. Examination of the components of worship, including prayers, hymns, and sacraments
C. Martin's approach to understanding the development and diversity of early Christian worship

III. Theological Foundations of Early Christian Worship
A. Discussion of the theological underpinnings that shaped early Christian worship
B. Examination of the relationship between worship, theology, and ecclesiology in the early church
C. Martin's insights into how early Christians expressed their beliefs through worship practices

IV. Liturgical Calendar and Festivals
A. Analysis of the liturgical calendar and the significance of Christian festivals
B. Exploration of the origins and evolution of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter
C. Understanding the role of liturgical seasons in shaping early Christian worship

V. The Role of Scripture in Worship
A. Examination of how Scripture was used in early Christian worship
B. Discussion of the lectionary and the practice of reading, interpreting, and preaching Scripture
C. Martin's perspective on the interplay between Scripture and worship in the early church

VI. Sacraments and Eucharistic Celebration
A. Analysis of the sacraments, with a focus on baptism and the Eucharist
B. Exploration of the theological significance and practices of baptism and the Lord's Supper
C. Martin's insights into the evolution of sacramental theology and practice in the early church

VII. Evaluation of Martin's Approach
A. Assessment of the strengths of Martin's research and argumentation
B. Critique of potential limitations or biases in Martin's perspective
C. Comparison with other works on early Christian worship and liturgy

VIII. Conclusion
A. Recap of key findings and contributions
B. Reflection on the lasting impact of "Worship in the Early Church"

Summary:
"Worship in the Early Church" by Ralph P. Martin is a comprehensive exploration of worship practices in the early Christian communities. Martin delves into the diverse components of early Christian worship, including prayers, hymns, sacraments, and liturgical seasons. He underscores the theological foundations that shaped these worship practices, emphasizing their connection to Christian beliefs and ecclesiology. Through a thorough analysis of the liturgical calendar, the role of Scripture, and the practice of sacraments, Martin highlights how worship was a central aspect of early Christian identity and expression.

Review:
Ralph P. Martin's "Worship in the Early Church" stands as a valuable contribution to the field of early Christian studies. Martin's meticulous research and systematic approach shed light on the rich tapestry of worship practices within the early Christian communities. His emphasis on the theological foundations of worship helps readers understand how early Christians not only practiced their faith but also shaped their beliefs through communal worship.

One potential critique is that Martin's analysis sometimes leans toward generalization of early Christian communities, making it seem as if there were one church style and one set of practices. Martin acknowledges diversity and variation in worship practices among different regions and theological traditions, but this is somewhat understated. In fact, similar to our current experience, even the earliest churches experienced a variety of different practices, styles, cultural adaptations and emphases.

Martin's work excels in its treatment of the liturgical calendar, sacraments, and the role of Scripture. Yet, some readers might seek a more in-depth exploration of the social and cultural contexts that influenced worship practices. Additionally, a comparative analysis with other works on early Christian worship could have provided a broader perspective and a more nuanced evaluation of Martin's approach. Any budding DMin students listening? Here is fodder for a dissertation if there ever was one.

"Worship in the Early Church" offers valuable insights into early Christian worship practices, adding significantly to our understanding of the foundational role of worship in shaping the identity and theology of the church.

[Samuel Muñiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

En este libro, Ralph P. Martin nos brinda un estudio exhaustivo que abarca aspectos bíblicos, teológicos e históricos de la liturgia en el primer siglo. A lo largo de sus páginas, se realiza un análisis profundo y, al mismo tiempo, accesible, explorando el origen, el desarrollo y la finalidad de la adoración en el cristianismo. A continuación, compartiré tres aprendizajes clave derivados de esta obra.
⠀ ⠀
En primer lugar, aprendemos que la adoración correcta es la consecuencia de nuestra comprensión de Dios y, por supuesto, de su obra en nosotros. Un dicho popular y técnico señala que “a mayor teología, mayor doxología”, es decir, que si deseamos intensificar nuestra adoración, debemos comprometernos a estudiar la Escritura, ya que en ella se nos revela quién es Dios y qué espera de nosotros.
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En segundo lugar, aprendemos que la adoración en el culto público es un acto corporativo. Todos los creyentes deben participar en la oración, la adoración y la predicación, así como en el servicio mutuo, las ofrendas y los sacramentos; algunos dirigirán, mientras que otros corresponderán. Por tanto, recordemos que Dios estableció un pueblo y una adoración para sí mismo, y no hay manera de que una funcione sin la otra.
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En tercer lugar, aprendemos que Dios participa activamente en su propia adoración. En el cristianismo, no solo se destaca la iniciativa divina para relacionarse con los seres humanos, sino también su presencia especial en medio de su pueblo. Dios ha prometido descender en la congregación de sus santos, una realidad que a veces pasamos por alto. Sin embargo, es crucial recordar que Dios nos asiste y, por tanto, podemos rendirle culto.
⠀ ⠀
En conclusión, el trabajo de Ralph P. Martin nos ofrece una detallada exploración de la liturgia en el primer siglo, al mismo tiempo que nos anima como iglesia a rendir culto a nuestro Dios de manera apropiada. En este sentido, es esencial comprometernos con el estudio de las Escrituras, colaborar activamente en cada segmento de nuestra liturgia y disfrutar de la presencia asistencial de nuestro Dios.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on a single quote in another work, I had at one time had high hopes for this work, but after reviewing its table of contents, my expectations waned. Still, when opportunity to purchase the book at a discount price (it was not available at my local library), I took advantage. Having now read it, my lower expectations were indeed correct. The work is a good summary of various views regarding worship practices in the early church as expressed by various scholars up through the early 1970s, but as with so much of our understanding of the practices, much is conjecture and much of the rest is implied by Scripture such that any devout reader of the latter is likely not to pick up much new here.

Martin largely notes just that--that we don't know for sure a lot about these practices. He summarizes views of others. I was, in part, particularly interested in his take on service organization and on the introduction of the eucharist into that service. He does see some connection between the eucharist and the Passover, but interestingly he claims that diaspora Passovers consisted only of bread and wine. Thus, there was no lamb at the Gospel Passover (to his point, the Scriptures don't reference the lamb, though, as with so much from this period, the historical evidence elsewhere may not be so conclusive as to say that lamb wasn't served as opposed to simply wasn't mentioned). The other major point one gathers from Martin's reading of worship practices is that they became more settled as Christians settled into their second century of being.

One nice thing is that Martin's survey did provide me with other areas that deserve more study on my part, such as focusing on the nature of Jesus's prayers outside of his model prayer.

[Adam Nesmith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book an odd and rather unsatisfying combination of surface level analysis of parts of Christian worship and thin academic conjecture. There certainly are better and more thorough resources on the subject of Christian worship. The book very rarely wrested extensively with important questions in a way that showed different alternative interpretations of the key aspects of Christian worship.

However, I think as a reference that bins different NT passages into different worship categories (prayer, giving, etc) it has some utility. The best parts were the sections tying NT worship to synagogue worship and it had an excellent chapter on giving.

[Lucas Bragança · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neste livro o autor tenta mostrar biblicamente as práticas litúrgicas na igreja primitiva como a adoração por meio de hinos e cânticos, o ministério da Palavra, a coleta de dízimos e ofertas e os sacramentos (do ponto de vista batista, apesar de que ele tenta fugir das discussões). O autor também relaciona essas práticas às práticas de origem no templo e nas sinagogas e tenta mostrar um (super resumido) desenvolvimento posterior. Um bom livro. Útil. Mas nada mais do que isso.

[James Kerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a fantastic book. However, it is a very quick read and gives some ideas to some other sources. I found the latter chapters helpful in speaking about the Lord supper and worship service liturgies from the first century.

[Joe Laughon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent intro into the topic but a bit too blinded by doctrinal assumptions that remain unproven but instead are woven into the book.

[Keith White · Rating 4 out of 5]

read it a long time ago .. . had some useful things

[David Blankenship · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, the negatives: the author's writing style is dry; one has to truly be interested in the subject matter for this to be at all interesting. And at times he makes assumptions that are not based on the text; for example, in speaking of the need for contributions for Jerusalem, he goes with the unfounded assumption that one can trace their need "to the voluntary 'communism'" that the early church had practiced that led to "no capital and no resources to meet the strain of the years ahead." (p.78)

However, there is much to commend in this book as he usually seeks to let the text speak for itself on various matters of the early church's worship. His insights on baptism, prayer, and preaching are in particular interesting to ponder.

[Finbar Tilderhaven · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're looking for an accurate, non-biased presentation of the 1st century Christian church's liturgical activities, don't bother reading this. All the evidence to support or even draw attention to the actual apostolic churches is ignored. It's as if Rome and Antioch didn't exist. Documentation is entirely selective, as is interpretation. I was bitterly disappointed with this publication. I can't say I ever thought highly of Eerdmans, but this crosses the line, because it's essentially fake history. You won't hear about Ignatius of Antioch, or Clement of Rome here. You will, instead, be led to believe that Justin Martyr and Irenaeus knew less about what a Christian liturgical ceremony meant than the 20th century megachurch pastors.

[Joshua Bocanegra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was very informative and enlightening. It was fascinating to read about the way songs and traditions were growing in the earliest days of the church, also fascinating to read the the way Paul spoke liturgically in his Epistles. This is a great book for anyone interested in an intro to church prayer and worship and and anyone interested in church history.

[Eric Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important information but very dry

[Jonathan Huggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just important info.

[Michael Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and readable work on many early church doctrines and practices. Excellent chapters on baptism and the Lord's Supper.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Willy Robert]

Bom...