CHHI 520 - History of the Christian Church I

1. Discuss the period of Jewish witnessing. Pentecost occurred in 30AD and started the period of Jewish witnessing. Until 45AD, Gentiles were totally excluded., and the witnessing began in Jerusalem. One of the characteristics of the early church was phenominal growth. Acts 1:15 says the church had 120 members. Acts 2:41 says 3,000 members. Acts 2:47 says the church was added to daily. Acts 4:4 says 5,000 men and does not include women and children. Acts 4:32 uses the word "multitude". Acts 5:14 uses the word "multitudes". Acts 6:1 uses the word "multiplied". Acts 6:7 uses the words "multiplied greatly". The early church experienced opposition from Jewish leadership, including the Priests, Sanhedrin, and even King Herod Agrippa, who killed James. The church exercised internal discipline in the matter of Ananias and Sapphira. The first deacons were chosen in Acts 6. The rise of the church in Antioch contributed to the decline of importance in Judaism. Also, Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD because of the zealots who had tried to overthrow Roman rule. The Gospel had reached Samaria because of Philip in Acts 8, and a couple of non-Jews, the Ethiopian eunuch and Cornelius, became Christians.

2. Discuss the period of missionary beginnings. This period lasted from 45AD until 68AD, chosen as the ending time because of the deaths of Paul and Peter. The Apostle Paul was converted around 35AD. His first missionary journey was 45-49AD, his second from 50-54AD, and his third from 55-58AD. In Acts 21, he was taken prisoner while in Jerusalem and, at that time, appealed to Caesar to save his life. He was in prison probably twice after that, from 61-63AD and from 67-68AD. Thomas was said to have gone to India, and Mark to Egypt where he might have started the Coptic Christian Church. The Jerusalem Council met in Acts 15 to debate whether or not a non-Jew had to become a Jew in order to become a Christian. This dispute was settled by the pastors of the churches, and they concluded that one did not have to become a Jew to become a Christian.

3. Discuss the period of western growth. This period lasted from 68-100AD. Acts ends about 61AD, and there are not any other history books to talk about the ending years. In 66AD, the zealots rebelled against Rome. Vespacian took Nero's place in 68AD, and under the leadership of Titus, the Romans overthrew Jerusalem and turned back the rebellion. After that, the center for the church started moving west to Antioch and other points, even Rome. The Apostle John had his ministry at Ephesus, having been exiled there by Domitian. Missionaries got to Spain and France, and the Gospel may have even reached England by way of converted Roman soldiers.

4. Discuss the nature of the church at the end of the First Century. The early church members used the word "ekklesia" (an assembly of some kind) to describe themselves. Ekklesia is used 114 times in the New Testament. In 109 cases, the word applies to the Christian assembly. Of those 109, ninety-five (95) applied to the local assembly and the other 14 were used for the general Christian assembly. The final 5 did not apply to a particular assembly. The church is never given a specific name in the New Testament. The members of the early church knew that they had to have relationships with Jesus and with the church by taking responsibility and that they joined the church to minister to the world. Some leaders in the church were chosen by God (Apostles, prophets, pastors, and teachers) and some by the membership (deacons). Deacons were required by Acts 6 to be men of honest report, men full of the Holy Spirit, and men full of God's wisdom. The early church did not have a hierarchy, and all members were treated somewhat equally. The ordnances were baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. For their worship, they stressed simplicity, which included singing, praying, preaching the Gospel, and collecting money for the ministry. They met in simple places, which often meant in member's homes. They also worshipped on Sunday.