Introduction to FCCF Ministries
- James Collazo
- Jan 14, 2025
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 19
First Century Christian Fellowship (FCCF) Ministries exists to help believers know Jesus Christ more fully through Scripture understood within its first-century Jewish, historical, literary, and cultural contexts while remaining rooted in historic Christian orthodoxy. It values the witness of the historic church while affirming Scripture as the final authority for faith and practice. Founded in 2013, FCCF Ministries seeks to unite biblical study, church history, spiritual formation, and faithful discipleship so that believers follow the risen Christ with both heart and mind. Believers are encouraged to read Scripture within its original world, rediscovering the Jewish roots of the Christian faith.
FCCF Ministries is not a restorationist movement seeking to recreate the past. Rather, it is a renewal ministry that seeks to recover the apostolic faith through Scripture, informed by the witness of the historic church, and to apply that faith faithfully in the present.
FCCF Ministries proclaims Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture: fully human and fully divine, crucified, risen, and present with his people through the Holy Spirit. It affirms the historic Christian confession of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: one God revealed in three persons (see "Trinity: Jewish & Gentile Views"). The ministry emphasizes a living relationship with Christ that shapes worship, discipleship, and service. While historical study helps believers understand Jesus within his first-century setting, faith recognizes him as the risen Lord proclaimed by the apostles and worshiped by the church throughout the ages. FCCF Ministries provides resources for biblical study, church history, discipleship, and spiritual formation to help believers recover the apostolic faith, know Jesus Christ more deeply through Scripture, and grow in their knowledge of and devotion to him.
Introduction to First-Century Discipleship
FCCF Ministries employs the historical-grammatical method to understand Scripture within its historical and literary contexts. This approach developed through years of studying Scripture, visiting churches across various traditions, and learning from diverse expressions of Christian life in the pursuit of apostolic discipleship. Its goal is to encourage faithful discipleship rooted in historic Christian orthodoxy. Throughout history, believers have sought to distinguish apostolic Christianity from later innovations. In his Commonitorium, the fifth-century monk Vincent of Lérins articulated one of the most enduring expressions of this concern:
Moreover, in the catholic church itself, all possible care must be taken to hold the faith that has been believed everywhere, always, by all. For that is truly and in the strictest sense "catholic," which, as the name itself and the reason of the thing declare, comprehends all universally. This rule we shall observe if we follow universality, antiquity, consent. We shall follow universality if we confess that one faith to be true, which the whole church throughout the world confesses; antiquity, if we in no wise depart from those interpretations which it is manifest were notoriously held by our holy ancestors and fathers; consent, in like manner, if in antiquity itself we adhere to the consentient definitions and determinations of all, or at the least of almost all pastors and theologians (Lérins, Comm. 2.6; translation adapted).
Vincent was not suggesting that every tradition is equally ancient or authoritative. Rather, he urged Christians to measure new teachings against the consensus of the historic church while remaining grounded in Scripture. This commitment is reflected in the ministry's emphasis on recovering the apostolic faith through careful biblical study informed by the witness of the early church. Scripture describes the church as the body of Christ and as "the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). The church is a fellowship of believers committed to worshiping God "in the Spirit and in truth" (John 4:23). The church is one, holy, and apostolic, drawing believers from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Eph. 2:19–22; 4:4–6; Rev. 7:9). FCCF Ministries seeks not only to deepen believers' understanding of Scripture but also to equip them to bear witness to Christ in their communities.
Reading Scripture with First-Century Eyes
We often view the New Testament through the lenses of later periods, such as the Protestant Reformation (1517–1648) and the Enlightenment (c. 1715–1789), rather than through the Jewish and Greco-Roman world in which it was written. Because contemporary readers bring later theological debates and cultural assumptions to the text, Anglican biblical scholar N. T. Wright has encouraged Christians to recover the original setting of the biblical authors before asking contemporary questions. He observed, "For too long we have read Scripture with nineteenth-century eyes and sixteenth-century questions. It's time to get back to reading with first-century eyes and twenty-first-century questions" (Wright, 2009, p. 37).
Reading Scripture in its original historical and literary context does not diminish its authority or relevance. Instead, it enables believers to hear the Word of God as its first audiences heard it and then faithfully apply those truths today. Historical and literary context does not replace spiritual application; rather, it provides the foundation for faithful application. Believers are encouraged to read Scripture in its historical, literary, and cultural contexts, considering the meaning of its words, themes, and teachings within their original setting. Therefore, reading Scripture through first-century eyes helps believers understand Jesus' call more clearly and follow him more faithfully in every generation.
Heritage of Apostolic Faithfulness
FCCF Ministries aligns with movements throughout church history—including the desert fathers, the Franciscans, the Anabaptists, the Holiness movement, and Messianic Jewish renewal—in which believers have sought to recover aspects of biblical discipleship and the church’s apostolic heritage (see "Paleo-Orthodoxy & Apostolic Succession" and "Israel: Election & Identity"). Throughout Christian history, renewal movements have sought to recover neglected aspects of biblical discipleship. While none perfectly restored the apostolic pattern, each reminded the church of important biblical truths. Among these renewal movements, the Wesleyan revival particularly emphasized the integration of personal holiness, spiritual transformation, and active obedience to Christ. Wright described John Wesley's movement as one such attempt to hold together personal holiness, spiritual experience, and practical obedience. He wrote:
I suspect that the Wesleyan emphasis on Christian experience, both the "spiritual" experience of knowing the love of God in one's own heart and life and the "practical" experience of living a holy life for oneself and of working for God's justice in the world, might well be cited as evidence of a movement in which parts of the church did integrate several elements in the gospels, a synthesis that the majority of Western Christians have allowed to fall apart (Wright, 2012, p. 37).
FCCF Ministries does not seek to revive any single historical movement. Rather, it learns from faithful believers across the centuries wherever they reflected the apostolic witness preserved in Scripture. This approach resonates with Methodist theologian Thomas C. Oden's vision of paleo-orthodoxy, which encourages Christians to value the consensual wisdom of the early church as a faithful witness to apostolic Christianity while affirming Scripture as the final authority for faith and practice.
Rediscovering Christianity's Jewish Roots
FCCF Ministries embraces a "Messianic commonwealth" understanding of Scripture, recognizing the unity of Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ, the shared inheritance of God’s people, and God's faithfulness to his covenant purposes concerning Israel (Rom. 1:16; 3:28; Eph. 2:8–9). Paul declared that God has not abandoned the Jewish people and has included Gentiles in his plan (Rom. 11:25–26). The rediscovery of the Didachē and the Dead Sea Scrolls has contributed to renewed interest in the Jewish context of the Bible and early Christianity. We affirm the Jewish context of Scripture while rejecting any teaching that makes Torah observance a requirement for salvation.
During the twentieth century, biblical scholarship, archaeology, and renewed dialogue between Christians and Jewish believers led many scholars to reconsider the Jewish setting of Jesus and the apostles. Reflecting on this development, Reformed theologian Jürgen Moltmann remarked: "We stand today in a remarkable period of transition . . . the Christian faith is experiencing what I would like to call a 'Hebraic wave'" (in Wilson 1989, p. 125). While scholars differ on the significance of this trend, many agree that recovering the Jewish context of Scripture enriches biblical interpretation. FCCF Ministries embraces this renewed appreciation for Scripture's Jewish setting while remaining firmly rooted in historic Christian orthodoxy and the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Church as an Instrument of Peace
FCCF Ministries seeks unity between Gentile Christians and Messianic Jewish believers, emphasizing the shared inheritance in Christ. We follow a ministry of service and love, affirming Israel's calling (Rom. 11:29) and the unity of all believers in Christ (Gal. 3:28). We also identify with the one holy, universal church confessed throughout Christian history (Eph. 4:4–6). Christian unity is expressed not only through doctrinal confession but also through Christlike character. For centuries, believers have used the following prayer, traditionally attributed to Francis of Assisi, as a reminder that disciples are called to be instruments of God's peace. Let us pray:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is error, truth; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood, to understand, to be loved as to love. Because it is in giving that we receive, in forgiving that we are forgiven, and in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Although the exact authorship of this prayer is debated, its emphasis on humility, forgiveness, reconciliation, and sacrificial love reflects enduring biblical principles. Whether serving within the church or engaging the world, FCCF Ministries desires these biblical virtues of humility, reconciliation, and sacrificial love to characterize both our relationships and our witness.
Faith Delivered to Every Generation
Many Christian leaders have observed how the church's outward expression has changed across cultures and centuries. The following reflection, commonly attributed to Richard C. Halverson, a Presbyterian minister and a United States Senate chaplain, has circulated widely among Christian leaders. Although its precise origin remains uncertain, it offers an illustration of how institutions can gradually lose sight of their original mission:
In the beginning, the church was a fellowship of men and women centered on the living Christ. They had a personal relationship with the Lord, which transformed their lives and the world around them. Then the church moved to Greece, where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome, where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. Finally, it moved to America, where it has become an enterprise (in Dunnam 2005, pp. 31–32; Larson 1984, p. 50).
While this reflection intentionally simplifies a complex history, it warns that every generation must guard against allowing institutional success, cultural influence, or theological traditions to overshadow a living relationship with Jesus Christ and the church's apostolic mission. It reminds believers to continually return to the apostolic witness of Scripture. FCCF Ministries seeks neither nostalgia for the past nor innovation for its own sake, but faithful obedience to Jesus Christ in the present. The goal is not to recreate the first century as though later centuries have nothing to teach us. Rather, it is to recover the apostolic faith in every generation (Jude 3; 2 Tim. 1:13–14), applying the timeless truths of Scripture with historical understanding and faithful obedience. Whether through biblical study, historical research, worship, or daily discipleship, FCCF Ministries exists to help believers know Jesus Christ more deeply, love him more faithfully, proclaim him more clearly, and make disciples until he comes again (Matt. 28:19–20; Phil. 3:8–10).
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Holmes, Michael W., ed. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.
Irenaeus. Against Heresies. In Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.
Vincent of Lérins. Commonitorium. In Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 11. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1894.
Commentaries
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. 2nd ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2014.
Monographs
Beale, G. K. A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011.
Dunnam, Maxie D. Cultivating a Thoughtful Faith. Nashville: Abingdon, 2005.
Evans, Craig A. Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2010.
Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. 4th ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2014.
Juster, Daniel C. That They May Be One: A Brief Review of Church Restoration Movements and Their Connection to the Jewish People. Clarksville, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 2009.
Kelly, J. N. D. Early Christian Doctrines. Revised ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1978.
Larson, Bruce. Wind and Fire: Living Out the Book of Acts. Waco, TX: Word, 1984.
Oden, Thomas C. Classic Christianity: A Systematic Theology. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2009.
Osborne, Grant R. The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Rev. and expanded ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2006.
Rea, Robert F. Why Church History Matters: An Invitation to Love and Learn from Our Past. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2014.
Rosner, Jennifer M. Finding Messiah: A Journey Into the Jewishness of the Gospel. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2022.
Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language. 5th ed. Edited by Marshall Shelley. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2020.
Soulen, R. Kendall. The God of Israel and Christian Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1996.
Stern, David H. Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel: A Message for Christians. Rev. ed. Clarksville, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 2010.
Strauss, Mark L. Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2020.
Wilken, Robert Louis. The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.
Wilson, Marvin R. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.
Wright, N. T. How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2012.
Wright, N. T. Justification: God's Plan & Paul's Vision. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2009.
Wright, N. T., and Michael F. Bird. The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2019.
Wyschogrod, Michael. The Body of Faith: God in the People Israel. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000.
Edited Volumes
Danker, Ryan N., ed. The Faith Once Delivered: A Wesleyan Witness to Christian Orthodoxy. Alexandria, VA: John Wesley Institute, 2022.
Goldberg, Louis, ed. How Jewish Is Christianity? Two Views on the Messianic Movement. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.
McDermott, Gerald R., ed. Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity: Biblical, Theological, and Historical Essays on the Relationship Between Christianity and Judaism. Bellingham, WA: Lexham, 2021.
Reference Works
Bauer, Walter. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Revised and edited by Frederick William Danker. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
Dobson, Kent. NIV First-Century Study Bible: Explore Scripture in Its Jewish and Early Christian Context. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014.
Rubin, Barry, and David H. Stern, eds. The Complete Jewish Study Bible. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2016.
Online Resources
Cochran, Joey. "The Vincentian Vision of Classical Christianity."↗ Center for Pastor Theologians. September 28, 2022.
