Early Christianity in Jerusalem

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Early Christianity in Jerusalem
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The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)

• Pentecost
• One of three major festivals of the Jews (Lev.
  2315-22)
• Also known as the Festival of Weeks
• A Harvest Festival
• Special cereal offering
• Two loaves of bread

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The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)

• Tongues of Fire
• Tongues Real Languages or Ecstatic Speech?
• Here actual languages
• Luke lists 14 different nationalities
• Pentecost a reverse of Babel

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The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)

• Peters Sermon
• New wine Cheap, but took a lot to get drunk on
• Peters sermon shows the Spirits power
• Peters sermon points to Jesus
• The result 3,000 baptized
• Are the numbers credible?
• Jerusalems population swelled during major
  festivals
• Nero said there were a vast multitude about
  thirty years later

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Problems with the Sanhedrin (Acts 3-5)

• The charges
• The response prayer for boldness!
• Rabbi Gamaliel

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The First Church Argument (Acts 6)

• Its overmoney!
• HellenistsJews who spoke only Greek, possibly
  Gentiles who became Jews
• Aramaic JewsJews who grew up in Jerusalem
• The Answer Elect seven to do the job
• Suggested, the church decided
• All Seven had Greek names and were probably Greek
  speaking Jews.

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Stephen (Acts 7)

• Argued with Hellenistic Jews in their synagogues
• One synagogue consisted of Jews from Cilicia
• Could Saul/Paul have been among them?
• Stephens argument The Jews have consistently
  rejected Gods plan, right up to that day
• This led to the first general persecutionbut the
  Church grew!

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The First Non-Jewish Christians (Acts 8-11)

• The Samaritans
• A major step in the Church
• Why the delay in the Holy Spirit?

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The First Non-Jewish Christians (Acts 8-11)

• The Ethiopian Eunuch
• Would not have been allowed in the OT people
  Deuteronomy 231

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The First Non-Jewish Christians (Acts 8-11)

• Cornelius and the Romans
• A Gentile God-fearernot a Jew
• Peters Vision
• Peters Sermon
• The gift of the Spirit
• Water baptism
• Report back to the Jewish Christians

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Peters Arrest (Acts 12)

• Herod Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the
  Great
• Ruler over his grandfathers kingdom
• Deferred to the Jewish rulers, so he killed James
  and wanted to kill Peter
• Peters release
• Agrippas deathRecorded by Josephus

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Life and Ministry of St. Paul
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Introducing St. Paul

• Various clues to Pauls life are spread
  throughout the Epistles and Acts
• Hebrew born of Hebrews (Philippians 36)
• Member of the tribe of Benjamin. Named after
  Israels first king, Saul.
• Father was a Pharisee
• Had at least one sister (Acts 2316)
• Born in Tarsus, raised in Jerusalem (Acts 223)

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Introducing St. Paul

• Trained by Gamaliel
• Candor and honesty in judgment
• A willingness to study and use Greek authors
• A keen enthusiasm for Jewish law

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Introducing St. Paul

• A Roman citizen
• Born a Citizen
• In the year 171 B.C. Jews were promised Roman
  citizenship if they moved to Tarsus.
• This could be where his citizenship originated
• Had the right to
• A fair trial
• Exemption from certain forms of punishment (e.g.
  crucifixion)
• Protection against summary execution
• Not to be beaten without trial

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Introducing St. Paul

• Was Paul Married?
• Bachelorhood was very rare among Jews even rarer
  among Pharisees like Paul. But did happen.
• Divorced for becoming Christian? (Dranes theory
  cf. 1 Cor. 7)
• Widowed?

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Pauls Conversion

• Recorded three times
• Acts 91-9 223-16 269-18
• Each retelling is slightly different focused on
  different audiences
• Took place at mid-day.
• Struck down, heard a loud voice
• Spent three days in fasting and prayer

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Pauls Conversion

• Critical views
• Sunstroke
• Hallucination
• Epileptic fit

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Pauls Conversion

• Sanhedrin claimed absolute religious power over
  all Jews
• Ananais a heroic person
• Left with eye troubles? Gal. 415 611
• Jesus appearance made Paul an apostle

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Pauls Next 13 Years

• Leaves Damascus for Arabia for three years (Gal.
  117)
• Returns to Damascus and preaches. Escapes by
  basket (Acts 925 2 Cor. 1132 ff.)
• Goes to Jerusalem (Gal. 118)
• Barnabas intercedes
• Meets Peter and James, the Lords brother

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Pauls Next 13 Years

• Went to Tarsus and preached (Gal. 121-23, Acts
  930)
• Barnabas recruits him to teach in Antioch (Acts
  1125ff.).
• Agabus announces the famine.
• Sent to Jerusalem with a gift (Acts 1130 Gal.
  21-10)

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Paul's First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)
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Pauls First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)

• Barnabas and Saul called during a time of worship
• Took with them John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas

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Pauls First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)

• Cyprus
• Home of Barnabas
• Conversion of Sergius Paulus
• Governor of the island
• Formerly in charge of flood control in Rome
• Had a Jewish sorcerer, Bar-Jesus, for an advisor
• Name is now changed from Saul to Paul
• Most likely had two names a Jewish name and a
  Roman name

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Pauls First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)

• Phrygia
• Mark leaves them there
• Weak or scared?
• Young and homesick?
• Time of Pauls illness? (Gal. 413-14)
• Jealousy for his Uncle Barnabas?

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Pauls First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)

• Pisidian Antioch
• 100 miles from the shore over a mountain range
• Paul begins with the Jews
• His sermon skims the OT to point to Jesus.
• Uses the word justified (Acts 1339)
• God-fearers were especially touched by this
  message

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Pauls First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)

• Iconium
• Lystra
• Home of Timothy. Probably converted on this
  journey.
• The gods have come down in human form!
• Pauls response Worship the Creator!
• No OT references.
• Almost gets killed for his trouble
• Returns to the city
• Returns to Antioch

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The Letter of James
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The Letter of James

• Spoken against in the early Church
• Very Jewish understanding of Christianity (uses
  the word synagogue for worship)
• Date 45 - 46 AD by many.
• Probably written to the Jewish Christians
  scattered in Acts 8
• James is a letter on practical Christianity

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The Letter of James

• Author James
• James, son of Zebedee, who was killed by Herod
  Agrippa II
• James, the brother of Jesus
• Would be one of the few who would be known
  throughout the churches
• Paul usually refers to him simply as James.

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The Letter of James

• Author James
• Arguments against authorship
• Greek is too good
• Doesnt state that hes the Lords brother
• Takes an ethical view of faith
• If not James, the Lords brother, then who?

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Pauls Letter to the Galatians
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Galatians

• Author Paul
• Date and destination are debated
• Northern Galatian theory (later date 53 57
  A.D.)
• Galatia is a northern province named for the
  Gauls had invaded and settled in the 3rd Century
  B.C.
• Luke uses accurate terms in other places, why not
  here?
• Paul did not visit this area until his second
  missionary journey this would be written on his
  3rd journey

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Galatians

• Date and destination are debated
• Southern Galatian theory (earlier date 48 A.D.)
• Both a province and a broader area was popularly
  known by that name
• Paul was ill when he visited, it seems odd that
  he would travel to a remote area over many
  mountains
• Galatians mentions Barnabas three times, it is
  apparent that the people knew him
• If this was written after the Jerusalem Council
  why doesnt the letter refer to it or to the
  letter the Council sent out which Paul took with
  him? (Acts 164)
• Northern Galatian theory is older.
• Since Galatians deals with the same issues as
  Acts 15, it would be a natural date.

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Galatians

• Features
• This letter is intensely personal and very
  passionate
• The Judaizers argued that they did not come to
  stop Pauls work but to complete it
• Judaizers had three arguments
• Paul was not a true apostle
• Paul was omitting things that God has said
• Pauls proclamation of grace alone would bring
  moral laxity
• Galatians was Martin Luthers favorite letter in
  the NT

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The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)
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The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)

• This is one of the most important issues in the
  churchs history and life.
• The issue Acts 151. Possibly the same group who
  had caused problems with Peter (Gal. 211-14).
• The result no circumcision, no complete
  obedience to the laws of Moses.
• Three requests for the sake of peace
• No fornication
• No meat sacrificed to idols
• No meat strangled or with blood in it

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)
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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• The Battle over John Mark
• Result two missions, not one Paul took Silas
  (a/k/a Silvanus) Barnabas took Mark
• Silas a pastor in Jerusalem
• One of those sent to give credence to the letter
  from the Council
• Paul and Mark did reconcile (Col. 410 2 Tim.
  411)

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Lystra
• Decide to take Timothy with them
• Timothy a Jew born of a Jewish mother
• In order to witness to Jews, Paul circumcises
  Timothy
• If Timothy was not circumcised, the Jews would
  have rejected him

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Paul not allowed to go to Asia and Bithynia
• Goes to Troas has Macedonian vision
• First of we passages

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Philippi
• Not enough Jewish men for a synagogue
• Go to a place of prayer women would meet to
  recite the appointed synagogue prayers and
  thanksgivings on the Sabbath.
• Leader was Lydia, a God-fearer who was the seller
  of purple cloth.
• Became the first Christian in Pauls ministry to
  Europe

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Philippi
• The Jailer
• Fortune telling girl
• Beaten and jailed via a racist argument
• The earthquake
• Jailers repentance
• Death was the punishment for letting people
  escape
• By committing suicide, his family would have been
  able to keep their property.
• The entire household is baptized.

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Philippi
• Magistrates tell them to go
• They have beaten a Roman citizen!
• They come to apologize
• Paul clears his name of the sake of the Gospel
• This congregation became very special to Paul

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Berea
• Desire to study the Scriptures is legendary
• Repeat of Thessalonica
• Paul leaves Timothy and Silas. Sends Timothy to
  Thessalonica (1 Thess. 31)

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Athens
• A free and allied city within the Roman empire
• Philosophical and cultural center
• Pauls distress

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Athens
• Paul at the Areopagus
• The Areopagus was an Athenian institution
• Considered themselves to be the custodians of
  teachings that introduced new religions and other
  gods
• Paul molds his message to the audience
• Point of contact To an Unknown God
• Does not quote the Old Testament quotes Greek
  poets and authors
• Three points
• God the creator
• God sustains today
• God will judge
• Some small success

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Corinth
• Spends 18 months his longest stay to date
• The town
• Located on an isthmus
• Had log railroad to transport boats
• Cult center of Aphrodite
• Known for sexual laxity

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Corinth
• Aquila and Priscilla
• Jews expelled from Rome by Claudius
• Roman historian Suestonis says that the expulsion
  order was given because the Jews were constantly
  in fights that were started by a man named
  Chrestus.
• Paul worked with them making tents
• Paul began his preaching in the synagogue.
• One of the first men who believed was Crispus,
  the synagogue ruler
• Started preaching in house of Titius Justus

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Corinth
• Trial before Lucius Junius Gallio
• Brother of the philosopher Seneca
• Admired as a man of justice and fairness
• Only in this position for a year, from 51-52 AD,
  so we know when Paul was in Corinth.

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Corinth
• Trial before Lucius Junius Gallio
• Gallio refused to listen to the charge and the
  synagogue ruler, Sosthesnes, was beaten
• Three theories as to who beat him
• The Jews, because he failed to win the case
• The Greeks, because they were ticked off at the
  Jews
• The military commanders because he wouldnt leave
• Sosthesnes mentioned in Pauls first letter to
  the Corinthians

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• First and Second Thessalonians
• Date 51/52 AD
• Reason
• Paul was very worried about this church and what
  was taking place there, especially since he had
  to leave so abruptly.
• Left the people with little support in face of
  persecution and paganism.
• Topics Personal holiness, life in the church,
  second coming of Jesus

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• First and Second Thessalonians
• Second Thessalonians was written about six months
  later
• Some scholars argue that Paul did not write 2
  Thessalonians
• No signs of the end in 1 Thessalonians now a
  man of lawlessness
• More formal in tone
• Too similar to 1 Thessalonians
• Drane These problems are more apparent than
  real. (p. 316)
• Main topic the second coming of Jesus. Some
  thought the Second Coming had taken place.
• The most intriguing partand the most highly
  debatedis who is the Man of lawlessness to
  whom Paul refers?

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Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16-1822)

• Paul sets sail for Jerusalem
• Cuts off his hair for a vow that he had made and
  needed to make a sacrifice
• Stops in Ephesus Paul promises to return

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Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts
1823-2116)
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Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts 1823-2116)

• Ephesus
• An impressive city
• Temple of Artemis located there one of the 7
  great wonders of the ancient world.
• Much magic in the city. Sorcery scrolls often
  called Ephesian writings.
• Paul spends three years preaching, teaching, and
  training.

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Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts 1823-2116)

• Ephesus
• Ephesian disciples.
• Know only of Johns baptism. Have never heard of
  the Holy Spirit.
• Paul teaches them and baptizes them
• Preaches in the synagogue for three months.
• Moves to lecture hall of Tyrannus
• Western manuscripts state that Paul taught
  from1100-400 each day, which was the hot part
  of the day.

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Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts 1823-2116)

• Ephesus
• Paul continued to work to support himself (Acts
  2034)
• Many unusual miracles
• Sons of Sceva
• Acts 1921 Paul wants to go to Rome

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Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts 1823-2116)

• Ephesus
• Ephesian Riot
• Overmoney!
• Christianity was often accused of ruining the
  economy
• Jews worried that it might become anti-Semtic.
• Asiarchs tell Paul not to go in. They promoted
  worship of the emperor!
• Secretary calmed them down and made them leave.

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Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts 1823-2116)

• Ephesus
• During this time, Paul wrote his letters to the
  Corinthians.
• Ephesian dangers
• 1 Cor.1532 and 2 Cor. 18-10, Paul notes some of
  the dangers that took place there.
• Ephesian imprisonment?
• Letter to Romans Paul greets Andronicus, a
  fellow prisoner
• 2 Cor. 1123-27 Paul mentions many imprisonments

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Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts 1823-2116)

• Through Macedonia to Corinth
• Paul stayed there during the winter months when
  ships did not travel.
• During this time, he wrote Romans.

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Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts 1823-2116)

• Return to Jerusalem
• Takes a group of Gentiles with him to Jerusalem.
• Plans to take a direct route finds out there is
  a plot on his life.
• Returns north. We passages begin again.
• Eutychus in TroasWas he dead or just knocked
  out?
• Sermon to the Ephesian elders
• Warned not to go to Jerusalem, but believes he
  should.