Re: The Early Christians: In Their Own Words

From now on large m***** of people were involved. The same demands could no

longer be made on them as on the first Spirit-filled band. The question
now 
arose how to preserve and promote Christianity in this world, since the 
renewal expected from God was so long in coming. The emerging
institutional 
church concluded that it was her task to carry as much light as possible 
into all strata of humanity, even if this meant that the daylight of the 
Creator and his coming day was darkened by the dimness of cultic twilight.

Conversely, the emerging sects tried to carry on the clear, sharp fight of

the first Christians without dimming the light, even if, in their effort, 
the light of the world was hidden under the bushel of narrowness and 
separatism.