Re: The Early Christians: In Their Own Words

It is probably impossible to visualize how seriously the early Christians 
took the heroic service of the Spirit. The military equipment bestowed by 
the Spirit was a living reality, and not just a mere metaphor. The two 
basic principles of army life – the right to military pay and the 
injunction against economic and political involvement – aptly
characterized 
Jesus’ commission to his apostles. He stressed their right as soldiers of 
Christ to receive provisions for their service (although they remained
poor 
on principle) and commanded them to refrain from all business enterprises 
and the amassing of wealth and possessions. The rule of faith committed
all 
Christians to the apostolic and prophetic soldier****p of the Spirit. Non-
Christians were therefore called “civilians” or pagani, from which the
word 
“pagan” stems.