A New Book

I have been reading a book titled "Reimagining The Church" by Frank Viola, it is proving to be a great read and a very thought provoking book on the form and function of the Church (a subject that I'm in passionate pursuit of).

Amongst the wealth of things that the book covers in the first few chapters there is one question that he asks that has really got me thinking about how I understand the bible when it comes to the church.

The question is basically: on what basis do we determine what teachings are meant to be normative and timeless in regards to church function and what is merely cultural adaptability?

This question has got my mind reeling as I try to think of a filter through which to approach the New Testament books (especially the book of Acts) to figure out what of their practices we should be continuing and which of them were simply due to their particular cultural setting.