Session 2
THE FIRST CENTURY
In lesson 1, we studied the founding of the church upon the chief cornerstone, the God-man Jesus Christ, the twelve disciples, the seventy, the seven deacons, and the Christian community growing up in the city of Jerusalem.
The development of the church in the first century is marked by three pivotal events:
1. The martyrdom of Stephen and the subsequent persecution of the church.
2. The conversion of Paul and the establishment of church government.
3. The controversy over the Gentiles and the first church council.
ACTS 6:8-8:4
Persecution and Dispersion
The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church
The martyrdom of Stephen and the subsequent persecution of the church by Saul and the Jews caused the church to spread throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria and everywhere they went, the followers of Christ spread the gospel and established new Christian communities.
According to Acts, “Stephen full of faith and power did great wonders and miracles among the people.” Acts 6:8. Later we hear the same things about Philip in Acts 8:5-8. It is clear that through the laying on of hands from the Twelve, the deacons received not only the authority to server the church and take care of the physical needs of widows and orphans but also received the same power to manifest the healing and saving grace which comes from Jesus Christ and was bestowed upon the twelve and the seventy.
The Conversion of Paul
In Acts 8:14-15 we see how the apostles Peter and John were sent to Samaria to pray for the new converts to Christianity that they might receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Again we see the apostolic authority which the disciples received from the Lord Jesus Christ being used in an orderly manner to bring down the grace of God upon the growing church. This same authority plays a crucial role in the conversion of the church’s greatest persecutor who would some day become its greatest evangelist, Paul the apostle to the Gentiles.
In Acts 9:17 we hear how Ananias through the laying on of hands is used by God to restore Paul’s sight and allow him to be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. It is through the established apostolic authority of the church that Paul receives his own apostleship and with the same religious zeal that he used to persecute the church, he then became its greatest advocate.
The Establishment of Church Government
The remaining chapters of the Book of Acts detail the work of the original apostles and the apostle Paul as they established the kingdom of God. Acts 14:21-23 is an excellent summary of what the apostles did in each community and region where they traveled. They ordained elders in every church. They didn’t leave behind a community of individual believers each having their own individual relationship with Jesus Christ.
Each community was given someone with the authority to establish and maintain the sacramental grace of God for that community. early on we read in Acts 2:42 “and they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayers.” This defines clearly the primary responsibility of the elders who were ordained in each of these Christian communities: To defend and maintain the apostles’ doctrine which they had received from Christ, Himself, to preside over the Lord’s supper in the breaking of the bread, and to lead the community in a life of prayer and worship.
The Controversy Over the Gentiles and the First Church Council
Verse one begins, “and certain men…”
These “certain men” were speaking on their own authority. They were self-proclaimed preachers who were saying that the Gentile Christians needed to follow the Jewish law.
Notice the contrast between the title given to these Judaizers and the titles given to the men in Jerusalem who would settle this issue. The Judaizers are called “certain men”, that is they don’t know who they are and by what authority they preach. In verse 2 we read that Paul and Barnabus are sent to the “apostles and elders” in Jerusalem to settle the question. Again in verse 4 we read, when they arrived in Jerusalem, “they were received by the apostles and elders.”
In the earliest days of the Jerusalem church there were The Twelve and the body of disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. Now we see that in Jerusalem there are apostles and elders. The apostles continue the ministry of the Twelve and alone have the authority to ordain elders. The elders are given authority by the apostles to shepherd the local communities, to preside over the Lord’s supper, to baptize, and to represent Christ in their midst.
We see here in the early stages of the church what would become by the end of the first century the firmly established way by which the Lord Jesus Christ insured that his sheep would be fed and that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His Church. He established bishops or overseers in each region and major city with priests or presbyters to serve as shepherds to the flock of Jesus Christ, and with them the deacons to assist with the liturgical, spiritual and physical needs of the people of God. Thus, we have the four orders of the church: bishops, priests, deacons, and the faithful.
A close examination and study of Acts chapter 15 provides an excellent case study for how the New Testament Church was led by the Holy Spirit into the understanding of all truth.
After considerable discussion and testimonies especially from Peter and Paul and Barnabus, a very interesting thing happens. It is James who shows himself to be the presider and sums up the final judgment for the assembly (Acts 15:19-21). According to church tradition this James was not one of the Twelve but rather James the brother of the Lord, that is one of the sons of Joseph from a previous marriage. We read in Acts 12:2 that James the brother of John was martyred by Herod.
We also know from Holy Tradition that this other James, commonly called the brother of the Lord, was the first bishop of Jerusalem, not Peter.
The essence of this council and the later councils which where to follow in the life of the church is summed up in Acts 15:28, that portion of the letter to be read to the Gentiles which states, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us ….”
Another important point is highlighted in this letter in verse 24 where again we hear the words “certain men,” and about those men the letter says “to whom we gave no such commandment.” This makes it clear that the gospel is not something to be peddled in the market place by any person who thinks they have the gift and wants to make up their own version of it. The apostles received the gospel from Christ and through the laying on of hands and what has come to be called apostolic succession, they faithfully passed it on to other faithful men who were given the authority to establish the kingdom.
THE REST OF THE STORY
The remainder of the book of Acts is primarily concerned with the missionary journeys of Paul. Even in regards to Paul, Acts does not include the account of his martyrdom nor that of any of the other apostles.
So, what happened to those guys? Does it matter? Did the church continue to grow? Did Christ fulfill his promise that the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church? Can we know what happened between the Book of Acts and Christianity today?
The answer to all these questions is “YES.” It does matter, the church did continue to grow, Christ did keep His promise, and we can know the full, complete, and unbroken history of the Church.
Homework assignment:
If you are or have been part of a church congregation, find out when your denomination or independent congregation was established, who was the founder, and what group, if any, the denomination split from.
Freely Ye Have Received Freely GiveTags: educational, history