Skip to content
Lemma v1.1
Draft — this study is under active development. Content may change without notice; not yet peer-reviewed. See What Is the Perfect? for a completed example.

Resource Integration Status

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

This document tracks the integration of resources from /Resources/Theology/Lord's Supper and Meetings/ into the book chapters, with emphasis on original sources, quotes, and systematic organization.

Goal: Get close to original sources and thoughts, organize quotes by group, create TL;DR with appendices.

CHAPTER 4: ANTIQUITY - ✅ ENHANCED

Section titled “CHAPTER 4: ANTIQUITY - ✅ ENHANCED”

What Was Added

Section titled “What Was Added”

Enhanced Section 6 with Complete Quotes:

  1. Clement of Rome (c. 96 AD) - ✅ ADDED

    • Complete quotes from Chapter 40 and 41
    • Emphasis on order and proper authority
    • Full context and author information

  2. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 AD) - ✅ ADDED

    • Complete quotes from multiple letters
    • Bishop’s role in Eucharist
    • Unity emphasis
    • Full context and author information

  3. Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 110 AD) - ✅ ADDED

    • Complete quotes from Letter to Philippians
    • Apostolic continuity
    • Unity emphasis
    • Full context and author information

  4. Epistle of Barnabas (c. 100 AD) - ✅ ADDED

    • Complete quote on Sunday observance
    • Theological rationale for Sunday
    • Full context and author information

  5. Shepherd of Hermas (c. 150 AD) - ✅ ADDED

    • Quote on reading in assemblies
    • Elders’ role
    • Full context and author information

  6. Epistle to Diognetus (c. 150 AD) - ✅ ADDED

    • Quote on common meals
    • Apologetic perspective
    • Full context and author information

  7. Second Clement (c. 120-140 AD) - ✅ ADDED

    • Complete quotes on presbyters teaching
    • Regular assembly encouragement
    • Unity emphasis
    • Full context and author information

  8. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 180 AD) - ✅ ADDED

    • Complete quotes on Eucharist theology
    • Real presence understanding
    • Unity emphasis
    • Full context and author information

Status: ✅ Complete - All 13 early church sources now have complete quotes in Chapter 4

Next Step: Create Appendix B with all 13 sources systematically organized

CHAPTER 5: REALITY - ✅ MAJOR ADDITIONS

Section titled “CHAPTER 5: REALITY - ✅ MAJOR ADDITIONS”

What Was Added

Section titled “What Was Added”

1. NTRF (New Testament Reformation Fellowship) - ✅ EXPANDED

Section titled “1. NTRF (New Testament Reformation Fellowship) - ✅ EXPANDED”

Added:

  • Complete background and theological position
  • Three-phase meeting structure (detailed)
  • Key quotes from NTRF website
  • Meeting order and procedures
  • Significance and analysis

Quotes Added:

  • “First-century church meetings were characterized by ‘each one has’”
  • “Church meetings were not a spectator sport!”
  • “The prime directive was that anything said had to be crafted to edify”
  • More quotes on participatory worship

Status: ✅ Complete - NTRF now has major section with quotes

2. Early Pentecostals (1900s) - ✅ ADDED AS MAJOR SECTION

Section titled “2. Early Pentecostals (1900s) - ✅ ADDED AS MAJOR SECTION”

Added:

  • Complete background (Azusa Street Revival)
  • Meeting structure (completely Spirit-led)
  • Participatory worship (“each one has” pattern)
  • Women’s participation
  • Racial unity
  • Lord’s Supper/communion practices
  • Key principles

Quotes Added:

  • Frank Bartleman’s descriptions
  • William Seymour quotes
  • The Apostolic Faith newspaper quotes
  • Los Angeles Times reports
  • Meeting procedures and structure

Status: ✅ Complete - Early Pentecostals now have major section with quotes

3. China House Churches - ✅ ADDED

Section titled “3. China House Churches - ✅ ADDED”

Added:

  • Complete background and context
  • Detailed meeting structure (2-3 hours)
  • Time allocation breakdown
  • Participatory aspects (detailed)
  • Lord’s Supper practices
  • Examples of specific house churches
  • Significance

Status: ✅ Complete - China House Churches now have major section

4. Wesley Brothers - ✅ ADDED

Section titled “4. Wesley Brothers - ✅ ADDED”

Added:

  • John Wesley’s “Duty of Constant Communion” quotes
  • Weekly communion advocacy
  • Class meetings structure
  • Love Feasts
  • Charles Wesley’s hymns
  • Significance

Quotes Added:

  • “Let every one… communicate every time he can; like the first Christians”
  • “This is the food of our souls”
  • Class meeting descriptions
  • Meeting structure

Status: ✅ Complete - Wesley Brothers now have section with quotes

5. Charles Finney - ✅ ADDED

Section titled “5. Charles Finney - ✅ ADDED”

Added:

  • “On the Lord’s Supper” sermon quotes
  • Open communion practice
  • Participatory revival meetings
  • Anxious bench innovation
  • Significance

Quotes Added:

  • “One great and leading desire of this ordinance is to promote the progress of Christ’s kingdom”
  • Revival meeting descriptions
  • Participatory elements

Status: ✅ Complete - Charles Finney now have section with quotes

6. Major Denominations - ✅ ADDED FOR CONTRAST

Section titled “6. Major Denominations - ✅ ADDED FOR CONTRAST”

Added:

  • Eastern Orthodox analysis
  • Roman Catholic analysis
  • Anglican/Episcopal analysis
  • Lutheran analysis
  • Methodist/Wesleyan analysis
  • Summary: The Gap

Key Finding: Major denominations practice weekly communion but NOT fully participatory worship.

Status: ✅ Complete - Major denominations now have section for contrast

7. International Examples - ✅ ADDED

Section titled “7. International Examples - ✅ ADDED”

Added:

  • China House Churches (referenced)
  • African Independent Churches
  • Latin American Base Communities
  • Common patterns
  • Why it works

Status: ✅ Complete - International examples now have section

What Still Needs Enhancement

Section titled “What Still Needs Enhancement”

Plymouth Brethren - ⚠️ NEEDS MORE QUOTES

Section titled “Plymouth Brethren - ⚠️ NEEDS MORE QUOTES”

Current Status:

  • Has some quotes (Gibbs, Mackintosh, Kelly, Ironside)
  • But could use more direct quotes from Brethren writers

Action Needed:

  • Extract more quotes from Plymouth-Brethren-Writings/ folder
  • Organize quotes by author
  • Add to Chapter 5

SFMI - ⚠️ NEEDS MORE QUOTES

Section titled “SFMI - ⚠️ NEEDS MORE QUOTES”

Current Status:

  • Has Conference Orientation Script summary
  • But could use more direct quotes from SFMI materials

Action Needed:

  • Extract more quotes from SFMI-Writings/ folder
  • Add full Conference Orientation Script to Appendix C
  • Add more quotes to Chapter 5

APPENDICES - ⚠️ NEEDS CREATION

Section titled “APPENDICES - ⚠️ NEEDS CREATION”

Appendix A: Scripture Passages (Complete)

Section titled “Appendix A: Scripture Passages (Complete)”

Status: ⚠️ Needs creation

  • All relevant passages in full
  • Organized by: Jesus’s teachings, Pauline writings, Acts, Other

Appendix B: Early Church Sources (Complete Quotes)

Section titled “Appendix B: Early Church Sources (Complete Quotes)”

Status: ⚠️ Needs creation

  • All 13 early church sources
  • Organized by: Roman observers, Apologists, Church Fathers, Anonymous/Attributed
  • Full quotes with context
  • Author information
  • References for validation

Source Files Available:

  • All 13 files in Early-Writings-Pre-400AD/ folder
  • Each has complete quotes, context, author info

Appendix C: Modern Group Documents (Organized by Group)

Section titled “Appendix C: Modern Group Documents (Organized by Group)”

Status: ⚠️ Needs creation

Sections Needed:

  1. Plymouth Brethren

    • Quotes by author (Darby, Müller, Kelly, Gibbs, Mackintosh, Ironside)
    • Organized by topic

  2. SFMI

    • Conference Orientation Script (full text)
    • Quotes from materials

  3. NTRF

    • Quotes from articles
    • Meeting order details

  4. Early Pentecostals

    • Quotes by person (Parham, Seymour, Bartleman, etc.)
    • Organized by topic

  5. China House Churches

    • Meeting descriptions
    • Practices

  6. Wesley Brothers

    • Quotes from Wesley’s writings
    • Class meeting descriptions

  7. Charles Finney

    • Quotes from Finney’s writings
    • Revival meeting descriptions

  8. Other Groups

    • Additional examples

Appendix D: Historical Analysis

Section titled “Appendix D: Historical Analysis”

Status: ⚠️ Needs creation

  • Separation vs. Integration analysis
  • Historical development
  • From: Separation-Analysis-Complete.md

Appendix E: Practical Implementation Guides

Section titled “Appendix E: Practical Implementation Guides”

Status: ⚠️ Needs creation

  • Model 1: Two-Part Meeting
  • Model 2: Separate Meetings
  • Model 3: Integrated with Guidelines
  • Model 4: Sequential Structure

Appendix F: Additional Resources

Section titled “Appendix F: Additional Resources”

Status: ⚠️ Needs creation

  • Bibliography
  • Further reading
  • Related topics

SUMMARY

Section titled “SUMMARY”

✅ Completed

Section titled “✅ Completed”
  1. Chapter 4 (Antiquity): Enhanced with complete quotes from all 13 early church sources
  2. Chapter 5 (Reality): Added major sections:
    • NTRF (expanded with quotes)
    • Early Pentecostals (new major section with quotes)
    • China House Churches (new section)
    • Wesley Brothers (new section with quotes)
    • Charles Finney (new section with quotes)
    • Major Denominations (for contrast)
    • International Examples (new section)

⚠️ Still Needed

Section titled “⚠️ Still Needed”

  1. More quotes from existing groups:

    • Plymouth Brethren (extract more quotes)
    • SFMI (extract more quotes, add full script to appendix)

  2. Appendices creation:

    • Appendix A: Scripture Passages
    • Appendix B: Early Church Sources (all 13)
    • Appendix C: Modern Group Documents (organized by group)
    • Appendix D: Historical Analysis
    • Appendix E: Practical Implementation Guides
    • Appendix F: Additional Resources

  3. Systematic organization:

    • Organize quotes by group
    • Organize quotes by author within group
    • Organize quotes by topic

NEXT STEPS

Section titled “NEXT STEPS”

High Priority:

Section titled “High Priority:”
  1. Extract more quotes from Plymouth Brethren writings
  2. Extract more quotes from SFMI materials
  3. Create Appendix B (Early Church Sources - all 13)
  4. Create Appendix C (Modern Group Documents - organized by group)

Medium Priority:

Section titled “Medium Priority:”
  1. Create other appendices
  2. Organize quotes systematically
  3. Add more quotes where needed

Last updated: 2025-01-27