Authentic Gospel — Primitive Christianity

Jennens and Primitive Christianity
Handel wrote the beautifully inspiring score to the ‘Messiah’ oratorio. But it was Charles Jennens, who pieced together the biblical storyline into a powerful witness to the authentic gospel. When it was first performed in Dublin in 1742, the ‘Messiah’ met great resistance from the established church. It did not conform to traditional orthodox Christian views. Rather, it became merely a “tolerable curiosity.’ It was out of the mainstream of traditional Christian thought. Instead, it harkened back to the beliefs of the ‘primitive’ church — the first century church in Jerusalem. As a result, the lyrics were ‘mysterious’ to the public, as the people had not been taught these scriptures in their churches. What about our day, do we understand the gospel as taught by the original disciples?