Church History: Chapter 2

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Church History Chapter 2

• A Church of Converts
• Widening the Circle of Jesus Followers

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The Original Circle Those who walked with Jesus

• Church began with Apostles and disciples who were
  closest to Jesus
• Jewish in beliefs
• Read Acts 1.12-26. Who are the 13 Apostles?

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The Apostles Short Bios
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Simon Peter

• Name changed to Peter by Jesus
• Means rock in Aramaic
• the church was built this first leader
• Hot-tempered, out-spoken, illiterate, angry
  moods, denied Jesus
• Married, fisherman
• Martyred by crucifixion upside down

5
James

• brother of John
• Called by Jesus the Sons of Thunder
• hot-tempered, passionate, out-spoken
• sons of Zebedee
• beheaded by Herod Agrippa I
• only martyred apostle mentioned in the Bible

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Andrew

• Brother of Simon Peter
• Fisherman
• First of all Apostles to be called
• 11 relationshipsin the background
• Most thoughtful, least contentious
• Martyred by lashing to an X shaped cross died
  after 2 days.preaching to passer-bys

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John

• Younger brother of James son of Zebedee
• Zeal, ambition, and explosiveness of his brother
• Died natural death near the end of the 1sr
  centuryoutlived others
• Patriarchal role
• the Beloved the one most loved.

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Philip

• Greek name.Jewish name never given in the Bible
• Probably a fisherman also
• Only mentioned in Johns gospel
• By-the-book, practical, pragmatic, process person
• One of the earliest martyrs
• Stoned to death in Phrygia (Asia Minor) 8 years
  after James

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Bartholomew

• Also known as Nathaniel
• Came from Cana in Galilee
• Introduced to Jesus by Philip
• Student of Old Testament (Torah) scripture
• Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Mt 1.46
• Pure heart not a hypocrite, authentic and
  sincere
• Faithful until the end
• Martyred by being tied in a sack and tossed into
  the sea (or crucified) 2 traditions told

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Matthew

• None more notorious a sinner than Matthew
• Referred to as Levi
• Tax collector.despised and vilified banned from
  the Temple and worship
• Knew the OTquotes more than Mk, Lk, Jn combined
• Became humble with great faith
• Martyred burned at the stake

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Thomas

• Brooder and worrywart anxious and pessimistic
• Has a twin who is never mentioned
• Devoted to Christ example of strength to the
  others
• Took gospel to as far away as India (said to be
  buried there near Madras, India
• Martyred by being run through with a spear (one
  who wanted to see the spear mark of Jesus)

12
James, son of Alphaeus

• Only his name is mentioned in scripture
• Is NOT the James who pens the epistle
• His mother, Mary, is a disciple and one of the
  woman who go to the tomb to prepare Jesus body
  for burial
• Stayed in the background
• Gospel to Syria and Persia (Iran)
• Martyred by either stoning or beaten to death or
  crucifixion

13
Simon, the Zealot

• Member of the Zealots a political party
  extremists, militant outlaws terrorists
• Firey, zealous temperament
• Believed to have been paired with Judas Iscariot
• Simon became a believer.Judas did not
• Took the gospel north and preached in the British
  Isles
• Martyred but no reliable record as to how

14
Judas, Son of James

• Judas means Jehovah leads
• Tender hearted, gentle, compassionate
• Not much known about Judas also known as Lebbaeus
  Thaddaeus
• Took gospel north to region of todays Turkey
• Martyred by being clubbed to death

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Judas Iscariot

• Remained an unbeliever
• The only one of the Apostles who did not come
  from Galilee
• Solitary figure outsider who may have
  self-justified his treachery
• Treasurer of the group.helped steal money/funds
• Not attracted to Jesus on a spiritual levelwas
  looking for a leader to overthrow the opposition

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Judas Iscariot, continued

• Chief priests gave Judas 30 silver pieces to
  betray Jesus.the price of a slave
• Brought a full cohort of soldiers (about 600
  armed men) to arrest Jesusand then kissed him to
  point him out.
• Death Matthew and Acts describe his death hung
  himself on a tree with an overhang over jagged
  rocksrope or tree branch broke and Judas fell
  onto the rocks He burst open in the middle and
  his entrails gushed out.

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Witnesses to Jesus Death and Resurrection

• Last Supper Passover ritual meal celebrating
  the first Eucharist
• The Passion of Christ
• The empty tomb encountered
• Appearance on the road to Emmaus
• Appearance in the upper room again before Thomas
• Encounter along the shore while the apostles
  fished
• Crucial event for the church!!

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Pentecost

• Apostles/disciples frightened after the Ascension
• Gathered at the traditional Jewish feast,
  Pentecost
• Acts 2 1-4
• Jesus Spirit or the Holy Spirit transformed the
  disciples heralds of the Good News
• Christian feast of Pentecost becomes the
  birthday of the church

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The Circle Expands

• Acts 2 38-39.immediately after the disciples
  are filled with the Spirit, Peter converts 3000
• Newly baptized did not consider themselves as
  converts from Judaism to Christianity
• Christian not used for another 10 years
• The Way taught in synagogues/private homes
• Messiah was fulfillment of the OT teachings which
  they knew

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Problems with Authorities

• Peter, John, and disciples talked about Jesus
  resurrection
• Claimed Jesus was the Messiah and would give the
  people freedom
• Able to cure the sick
• This Jesus would not go away
• Began persecuting the Christians
• Christians fled to the countryside
• Jews being persecuted by Jews

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• Followers were persecuted, imprisoned, and
  executed
• Stephen was the first Christian martyr who died
  by stoning
• Set the stage for further persecutions and
  executions.about 1 million Christians killed

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Paul The Link between Jewish Christians and the
Wider World

• Saul fierce protector of Orthodoxy Judaism
• From Tarsus in now Turkey
• Was familiar with Greek and Roman ways and spoke
  Greek
• Accustomed to Roman ways.Roman name was Paul
• Had Roman citizenship

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Paul continued

• Lover of Jewish Law
• Taught in the synagogue
• Persecuted many Christian Jews to protect the
  Jewish Law
• Went north to Syria after refugees
• Zealot defender of the Jewish ways

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The Road to Damascus

• Acts 22.6-11. great lightSaul, Saul, why are
  you persecuting me?..go to Damascus there you
  will be told everything that has been assigned to
  you to do.
• After 3 days of being blindedAnanias visits Paul
• Cured of blindness both physical and spiritual

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• Proclaimed Jesus as Messiah
• Baptized by Ananias
• Experienced a conversion
• Rebuilds his lifepossibly tent maker in Saudi
  Arabia where he also studied and prayed
• Paul (name changed after conversion) was
  changedsame amount of energy into heralding the
  Good News

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Gentile Converts

• Followers fleeing persecution spread the news of
  Jesus
• Samaritans were baptized
• Peter and John traveled to Samaria
• Healed the sick
• Brought a dead woman back to life
• Baptized Gentiles (non-Jews)
• Peter one of first to bring the Good News to the
  Gentiles

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Jews vs Gentiles Controversy

• Baptizing Gentiles was believed to be wrong by
  some Jews
• They didnt follow Jewish laws
• Were not the Chosen People
• Did not practice circumcision

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Peters Response

• God told him that no one was unclean
• Growing in the belief that Jesus salvation was
  for ALL peoplenot just Jews
• Following Jesus example of being with everyone
• Apostles were commissioned to go to the whole
  world
• Controversy quieted did not resolve

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Pauls Mission

• Spent 3 years after conversion in the desert
• Started preaching in Damascus
• Orders to arrest him.escapes
• Met Peter and James / spent time w/ them in
  Jerusalem
• A marked man
• Returns to Tarsus for several years

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Antioch

• Jewish Christians go to Antioch to avoid
  persecution
• 3rd largest city in the Roman empire
• Gentiles attend synagogue but do not convert
  because of stringent and obscure laws the Jews
  followed
• Mixed Gentile Jewish community

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Controversy Reappears

• Refugees from Jerusalem talk about Jesus
• Inspire conversion to The Way
• Controversy whether to welcome Gentiles into the
  Way
• Barnabas sent from Jerusalem to find out what was
  happening in Antioch
• Found the community united in Jesus
• The term Christian is used to describe this
  unique community.1st time term is used.

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Charity and Unity Among Christians

• Barnabas asks for Pauls help in ministering to
  the Antioch community
• Antioch community sends Paul and Barnabas to
  Jerusalem w/ food and money
• Jerusalem benefits from charity and compassion by
  other Christians.
• Servicecharitybeginning

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Pauls 1st Journey

• Left Antioch after it became solidly established
• Barnabas and Paul travel throughout the Roman
  Empire spreading Gospel
• Greeks, Romans, Jews
• Island of Cyprus gt seaport towns of Asia Minor gt
  Iconiumgt Lystra (Acts 13-14)

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Pauls 1st Mission continued

• Some Jews accept the messagemany do not
• Crowds often turned violent
• Chased out of town.beaten, stoned, left for dead
  (Acts 1419)
• Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism
• Mixed communities formed own worship
  groups.distinct from the synagogues
• Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch

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Adherence to Jewish Law Questioned

• The Way would be open to Gentiles
• Gentile Christians not Jewswhat laws would they
  be obligated to keep?
• Meals sign of unityhowever, Gentiles didnt
  adhere to Jewish dietary laws
• Peter eats with the Gentile Christians breaks
  law that forbids Jews to eat with Gentiles

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• Circumcision also controversial law.
• Jerusalem Christians maintained that all
  Christians had to observe all Jewish Law,
  including circumcision
• Not a controversy in Antiochcity of faith in
  Jesus
• Jerusalem group biblical laws more important
  than faith in Jesus
• Jerusalem community turns against Paul as well as
  Peter
• Antioch sends Paul to talk with Jerusalem on
  their behalf

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The Council of Jerusalem

• Acts 15
• Council of Jerusalem held to discuss Gentiles
  observation of Jewish Law
• Held in 50 CE
• First official church council
• Paul and Barnabas present work done on 1st
  Journey among the Gentiles

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• Another group argued that all Gentiles to follow
  all Jewish law
• Peter speaks and asks why are you putting God
  to the test by placing on the neck of the
  disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor
  we have been able to bear? (Acts 15.10)
• James, head of Jerusalem, provides solution
• Acts 15.28-29 ..abstain from what has been
  sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what
  is strangled and from fornication.
• Did not have to follow complete Jewish Law or be
  circumcised

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Conflict resolved.

• Division in Christian community repaired
• Free to convert Gentiles
• criteria for being a Christian defined belief
  in Jesus Christ, which did not include adherence
  to Jewish Law
• Gentiles soon outnumbered Jews
• Congregations developed non-Jewish identity
• all of you are one in Jesus Christ. (Galatians
  3.28)