Small group in a church.
Jesus, by his teachings and by the training he gave his disciples, created the church. The writer of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews urged Christians not to quit assembling together. Paul’s letters contain many descriptions and admonitions regarding “the body of Christ.” The history of the early church shows that the practical application of these principles was an energetic and indestructible social group which at various times came to dominate the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.
Where Christianity has gone, associations and organizations, often loosely modeled on the church, have abounded and flourished—for evidence, see the Encyclopedia of Associations and the International Encyclopedia of Associations. (As an aside, it is notable that some of the governments within the United States were based on organizational structures derived from various Protestant churches.)
Recent work by Australian and British sociologists at the University of Queensland and the University of Exeter has documented that belonging to good groups tends to improve mental and physical health. A number of studies shows that participation in groups is a higher factor in a favorable health prognosis than is the actual progress of a disease.
Among the researchers were Professors Alex Haslam and Dr. Catherine Haslam of the University of Exeter and Professor Jolanda Jetten of the University of Queensland. Not surprisingly, given the interlocking nature of truth, their findings tend to confirm the wisdom of the Bible.
