We are interrupting our scheduled service....

Dr Alan Kreider in "The Patient Ferment of the Early Church" describes different ways a church service handled late comers...

Note the difference - since the secular society placed much honor upon the rich the church would have nothing to do with such - to the point that it had to show how to the followers of Christ how to treat the poor.

So contrasting

• for the rich...a brother/sister in Christ will give up their set. Especially if its a older person and a younger one that sits

• however for the poor - the bishop stops...gives up his seat. Make a scene.

The may not go over well in many places - in the US or other affluent areas but the early church knew the value in this. During this time much of the church would have been poor. The new hubris was good news to the poor (no special regard to the rich) AND good news to the rich (God who loves all gave all so you can join Him and not worry about the rust on earthly treasures).

"Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" James 2:2-4

Let those that have ears to hear....