The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 6)

In talking about the first one hundred years of the Church, it is important that we understand that the ONLY written Scriptures which Christians had access to were the Hebrew Scriptures (the ones we refer to as the Old Testament). Indeed, our New Testament is literally full of quotations from the Hebrew Bible. Moreover, the apostles and saints believed that everything in the Hebrew Bible pointed to Jesus Christ!  Christians of the First Century saw Jesus in the Sabbaths, Holy Days, sacrifices, priesthood, rituals, and commandments of Torah. Likewise, they saw him in all of the writings of the prophets, and in many of the Psalms. For those who are interested in exploring this phenomenon further, I have written numerous posts covering how Torah, Prophets, and Writings pointed to Jesus of Nazareth.

Now, earlier in this series, I mentioned the fact that the epistles of the Apostle Paul are the earliest writings available to us from this period. They were written before the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Once again, scholars tell us that the earliest of these was his first letter to the Thessalonians. Nevertheless, we know from this collection of letters that the parameters of Christ's story were well-known to Christians - even before the Gospels were penned.

In that first epistle, Paul mentioned that Jesus had been resurrected, that he had delivered them from God's wrath, and that they were awaiting his return (I Thessalonians 1:10). He also talked a good deal about Christian love - one of Christ's principal teachings. Likewise, in his letter to the Christians at Rome, Paul spoke about the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice for our sins, and the blood that he spilled toward that end (Romans 3:21-26, 5:12-21). Paul also talked about the efficacy of Christ's resurrection for those who believe in him (Romans 6:4-11, 8:32-34, 14:9). He also reiterated Christ's teaching about love (Romans 13:10) Paul alluded to the fact that Christ had been crucified on a cross (I Corinthians 1:17-18, 2:1-2). In this same letter to the saints at Corinth, he called Jesus "our Passover Lamb) who had been sacrificed for them (I Corinthians 5:7). Paul also outlined the Eucharist ritual which Christ instituted on the night he was betrayed (I Corinthians 11:22-26). Yet again, he reiterated Christ's teachings about love (I Corinthians 13).

Moreover, in the fifteenth chapter of that same epistle, Paul gave an abbreviated version of his own message about Christ's life, death, and resurrection. He wrote: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." (I Corinthians 15:3-9) Paul continued: "Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished." (I Corinthians 15:12-18) Finally, he reassured them: "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (I Corinthians 15:20)

Indeed, Paul repeatedly spoke about the importance of Christ's life, death, and resurrection throughout his epistles. He spoke about the Christian's reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ, and how "he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (II Corinthians 5:11-21) Paul wrote to the Christians of Galatia: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree' so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-14) He wrote to the saints at Philippi: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11) Likewise, in his epistle to the Ephesians, he wrote this about Jesus: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." (Colossians 1:15-20)

Now, why all of these quotations from the writings of Paul about Jesus Christ? Many scholars and students of Scripture like to point out that the Gospel accounts of Christ's story were recorded thirty to sixty years after Christ's death. The clear implication being that the human authors couldn't have known very much about the story of the real man. These letters of Paul, however, demonstrate that Jesus' story was well known and began circulating among the disciples some fifteen to twenty-five years after his death. In other words, they support and corroborate those later narratives about Christ's life. In other words, the parameters of Christ's story were well known to the Christians of the First Century.

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 5) - The Council of Jerusalem

In the previous posts on this topic, we talked about how the Church was wholly Jewish for almost the first ten years of its existence. Even so, we also observed that God had given a special vision to Peter and had used him to convert and entire Gentile household. This was followed by some of the folks who had fled Judaea after the persecution following the stoning of Stephen going to Antioch and sparking the interest of some of the Gentiles who lived there in the message about Jesus. Then, we read how God raised up the Apostle Paul and commissioned him and Barnabas with carrying the Gospel message to the Gentiles more generally. Once again, however, while this turn of events was welcomed by most of the original Jewish members of the Church, for some it raised serious theological questions. Were non-Jewish Christians to be required to adhere to the tenets of God's covenant with Israel?

After all, Jesus had observed the Law of Moses (Torah), his apostles had always observed it, and the Jewish Church had continued to observe it. "Doesn't that suggest that the entire Church should continue to observe them?" some of the Jewish members asked. "If we began as Jews, shouldn't Gentiles have to become Jewish to become Christians?" they reasoned. These questions created confusion and divisions within the early Judeo-Christian community. And, with the astounding growth in the number of Gentiles coming into the Church, they were questions that would have to be answered quickly. Gentiles didn't understand Jewish customs and traditions, and Jews regarded Gentile paganism with revulsion and loathing. Thus, the stage was set for a dramatic confrontation between the two sides.

Now, you will recall that Paul and Barnabas had just completed a major evangelistic campaign in the Eastern Mediterranean, and that a large number of Gentiles had been converted to the new faith as a consequence of their efforts (Acts 14:24-28). Continuing then, in that book, we read: "But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.' And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, 'It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.'" (Acts 15:1-5)

Notice, these folks "came down from Judaea" and presumed to teach the Gentile brethren that: 1. They had to be circumcised to be a Christian, and 2. They must also keep/observe the Law of Moses (Torah). These were, after all very basic requirements for folks living under God's covenants with Abraham and his descendants, and both measures were intended to set apart the Jews from the Gentile peoples which surrounded them. Thus, it is incumbent upon us take a time out and more closely examine how these things distinguished the Jews from other folks.

In the seventeenth chapter of Genesis, we read: "And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." (Genesis 17:9-14) Once again, please note that this covenant was between God, Abraham, and his male offspring.

As we have seen, circumcision was one of the signs which God gave to identify "his" people from the other nations of the earth (Gentiles). It was, for instance, a requirement for participation in the celebration of Passover (see Exodus 12:43-49). When Moses received the Law from God, the practice was also made a part of God's covenant with the children of Israel (see Leviticus 12:3). Moreover, circumcision wasn't the only sign which God gave to distinguish his people from the nations surrounding them.

Indeed, ALL of the Mosaic Law (Torah, Pentateuch) was designed to distinguish the Israelites from the nations which surrounded them. In the book of Deuteronomy, we read: "And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them...You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you...See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?" (Deuteronomy 4:1-8) In other words, God's Law distinguished the children of Israel from the Gentile nations which surrounded them!

Likewise, in the eleventh chapter of that same book, we read: "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you." (Deuteronomy 11:18-23) Clearly, the Law made Israel different!

In this same vein, we read in the book of Exodus that: "the Lord said to Moses, 'You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore, the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed." (Exodus 31:12-17) Among the various commandments of Torah, God singled out the Sabbath as a special sign between "himself" and Israel. In other words, the Sabbath was one of the things which distinguished them from the other nations of the earth.

Another series of Torah commandments which distinguished the Israelites from the nations surrounding them were those dealing with what they could and could not eat. In the book of Leviticus, we read: "And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, 'Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.'" (Leviticus 11:1-2) Continuing, this passage goes on to inform the Israelites that they could not eat pork, rabbits, shell fish, reptiles, bears, lions, etc. and concludes with "This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten." (Leviticus 11:46-47) Earlier, in the same book, God told Moses to tell the people of Israel that: "you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people." (Leviticus 7:26-27) These dietary restrictions completely distinguished the people of Israel from their Gentile neighbors.

With this important background in hand, we are better prepared to study exactly what happened at the Council of Jerusalem. Getting back to the fifteenth chapter of the book of Acts, you will recall that some of the Jewish Christians were saying that: 1. Gentiles had to be circumcised, and 2. They had to obey the commandments of Torah. In other words, Gentiles would have to become Jewish in order for them to be legitimate Christians! From the perspective of this group, Gentiles would have to follow the example of Jesus, his apostles, and Jewish Christians in following the tenets of God's covenant with Israel! Now, we read that: "The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter." (Acts 15:6)

Continuing, we are informed that Peter rose to speak after there had been a long discussion of the subject and addressed the assembly (Acts 15:7). First, he reminded his audience that God had chosen him to be the first to invite a group of Gentiles into the Church. He also pointed out that it had been God's decision to give them the Holy Spirit. "Why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?" Peter demanded. He then closed by reminding them that humans are saved "through the grace of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 15: 8-11) Next, we read: "And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles." (Acts 15:12) In other words, Peter's words had made it possible for Paul and Barnabas to talk about the work that God had been doing among the Gentiles through them.

When they were finished, we are informed that James stood up and delivered the closing remarks to the assembly. He said: "Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’ Therefore, my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues." (Acts 15:13-21) James pointed to prophetic fulfillment and argued that Gentile Christians should NOT be required to become Jews. In other words, NO circumcision and NO Torah observance!

Nevertheless, he does identify four things that Gentile Christians should do to make fellowship with their Jewish brethren more plausible and less fraught with cultural prejudice. They were: 1. abstain from partaking of things polluted by idols, 2. abstain from sexual immorality, 3. refrain from eating things strangled to death (which prevents proper draining of blood), and 4. refrain from consuming blood. Why these particular four items? Because these practices made it almost impossible for Jews to associate with Gentiles! After all, Gentile idolatry was condemned throughout the Hebrew Bible, and the children of Israel were repeatedly warned against participating in that vile practice. Likewise, Gentiles of that day and age openly engaged in many sexual practices which were forbidden in the Hebrew Scriptures (e.g. temple prostitution, intercourse with slaves, pederasty, etc.). Finally, Jewish ceremonies and sacrifices used the blood of animals, and the Hebrew Scriptures had identified that blood as being synonymous with its life. Moreover, the practice of strangling animals to death impeded the complete draining of the animal's blood. Hence, things like raw meat, animals that weren't drained properly and things like blood-based soups, puddings, sauces, etc. were considered gross and offensive to Jews.

What's more, we would be remiss not to note that Paul actually confronted many of these practices during his missionary visits to the Gentiles. For example, we are informed by the book of Acts that he found the city of Athens to be literally full of idolatry (Acts 17:16-21). In the first letter that we have from Paul, we find him commending the saints for turning to God and eschewing idolatry (I Thessalonians 1:9). In his letter to the saints at Rome, Paul tied the practice of idolatry to sexual immorality and pointed out that God could be recognized naturally - outside of the Hebrew Scriptures (Romans 1). Likewise, in his letter to the Christians at Corinth, Paul alludes to sexual immorality within that congregation and says that those practices weren't even tolerated by pagans (I Corinthians 5)! In the sixth chapter of that same letter, he warns about the corrupting power of sexual immorality. Finally, in the eighth chapter of this epistle, Paul discussed the subject of eating food offered to idols. The point being that these were practices widespread among Gentiles and were very offensive to the moral and cultural sensibilities of Jews.

Hence, we are not surprised to find these items reiterated in the letter which the Council drafted to Gentile congregations of the Church. We read: "The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." (Acts 15:23-29)

Moreover, Paul's recollection of this event seems to be fairly consistent with what is revealed in the book of Acts about it. He wrote: "Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." (Galatians 2:1-10) Paul's and Barnabas' outreach to the Gentiles had been vindicated by the Council, and Gentiles would NOT have to become Torah observant Jews!

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 4)

The book of Acts informs us that the outreach to the Gentiles began at Antioch. In fact, the persecution of the Church which arose after Stephen had been stoned to death resulted in some of the Jewish Christians fleeing to Antioch. At first, these folks continued to meet with their Jewish brethren and preached the good news about Jesus only to them. Even so, in the course of time, they began preaching their message about Christ to the Gentiles of the city. Moreover, God blessed their efforts and a great many of those folks accepted the message about Christ and came into the Church. This was the first big influx of Gentiles into the membership of the Church after the conversion of Cornelius and his household. When news of what had happened in Antioch reached Jerusalem, the leadership sent Barnabas to investigate. (Acts 11:19-22)

Barnabas was delighted by what he found in Antioch, and he encouraged the new Gentile membership to remain faithful to Christ. He also observed that the message continued to be well received within the Gentile community, and the numbers of the congregation there continued to swell. As a consequence, Barnabas found Paul and invited him to accompany him to the city. Upon their return to Antioch, they continued to find a large and receptive audience among the Gentiles, and they ended up preaching about Christ there for the next year! Moreover, our source tells us that believers were first called "Christians" at Antioch. (Acts 11:23-26) 

We are given a couple of references to rulers in this part of the story which help us to date these events. The first is a famine which we are informed took place during the reign of the Emperor Claudius (Acts 11:28), and the second is a persecution which occurred at about the same time during the reign of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1). Hence, we know that these events must have happened between the years 41-44 of the Common Era. So, we know that a little over a decade after Christ's ascension to heaven the Church had experienced phenomenal growth and had even expanded into Gentile populations!

Nevertheless, the road to that success had not been a smooth one. The disciples had met resistance at every turn and suffered persecution at the hands of Jewish religious leaders. Herod Agrippa I had even killed James (the brother of John) and imprisoned Peter. The Jerusalem Church, however, petitioned God to protect the apostle, and God sent an angel to rescue him from prison. Moreover, the Church continued to boldly preach the good news about Jesus, and God continued to bless them with growth. (Acts 12:1-24)

After returning to Antioch from Jerusalem, the prophets and teachers of that congregation were instructed by the Holy Spirit to set apart Paul and Barnabas for God's work among the Gentiles (Acts 13:1-3). This blessing inaugurated several years of an extensive missionary effort by the pair. They traveled from Antioch to Seleucia, then sailed to Cyprus and preached the message about Jesus Christ all over that island. Of interest to this account, our source informs us that they continued to use the local synagogues as platforms for their work. While there, they also encountered a pagan magician who sought to obstruct their mission. Paul, however, was having none of it and promptly announced that God would blind the magician because of his evil work. When this happened the Roman Proconsul, Sergius Paulus, was so impressed that he embraced the Christian faith. (Acts 13:4-12)

Leaving Cyprus, Paul and his companions traveled on to Perga in Pamphylia and from there to Antioch is Pisidia. Once again, we find our missionaries going straight to the local synagogue on the Sabbath and preaching about Christ from that platform. Now, our source goes on to inform us that Paul's message about salvation through Jesus Christ so impressed a large part of the audience which heard it that almost the whole city (Gentiles included) turned out to hear him the following Sabbath. (Acts 13:13-44)

Unfortunately, many of the Jews were indignant that Paul's message had elicited such interest from the Gentiles within their city. Indeed, many of them began actively opposing Paul's message and disparaged the Christian missionaries. The reaction was swift. Continuing, we read: "And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, 'It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region." (Acts 13:46-49) Even so, the Jews persisted to such a degree that Paul and Barnabas had to leave the district (Acts 13:50-52).

From there, Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium. Once again, a large number of Jews and Gentiles enthusiastically received their message about Jesus. Once again, the unbelieving Jews tried to discredit the missionaries and their message. Nevertheless, Paul and Barnabas stayed and fearlessly proclaimed the good news about the Messiah. Unfortunately, the missionaries found out about a plot to stone them, but they were able to escape before the mob was able to carry out its wicked design. As a consequence, Paul and Barnabas fled to Lycaonia and focused preaching to the folks around the cities of Derbe and Lystra. Unfortunately, the people who had opposed them at Antioch and Iconium followed them there and tried to stone Paul to death! Fortunately, Paul recovered, and he and Barnabas were able to travel around the region and encourage their converts to remain steadfast in the faith. And, before leaving, they appointed elders within the various congregations to shepherd them in their absence. (Acts 14:1-23)

From there, the missionaries traveled through Pamphylia, down to Attalia, and then sailed back to the city of Antioch where it had all begun. While there, they told the congregation about everything that the Lord had used them to do, and the new congregations which had arisen as a result of their efforts. In short, the effort had been a great success. After Paul's and Barnabas' missionary efforts among the Gentiles of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Church was no longer wholly Jewish. And, while this would be the source of much rejoicing among the saints, it also raised some serious theological questions for both believing Jews and Gentiles. Should the believing Gentiles be required to be circumcised, to keep the Sabbaths, and observe the laws about clean and unclean meats? What was their status relative to Torah? These questions were about to spark a great debate among the brethren in both camps that would only be settled by a great council of the Church's leadership at Jerusalem. (Acts 14:24-28) 

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 3)

Saul's conversion to Christianity is one of the most cherished and widely known stories we have from the book of Acts. Having obtained letters of introduction to the synagogues of Damascus from the High Priest at Jerusalem, Paul was on his way there to arrest Christians who were worshipping in the synagogues there (Acts 9:1-2). Along the way, we are informed that he was surrounded by a light and heard a voice from heaven (Acts 9:3-4). "Why are you persecuting me?" the voice demanded. "Who are you, Lord?" the shaken Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," came the reply. (Acts 9:4-5) Saul was instructed to proceed to Damascus, and that he would be told there what to do next. Saul, however, had been blinded by the encounter with Christ and apparently had to be led into the city by his traveling companions. (Acts 9:6-8)

Three days later, he was met there by a Christian named Ananias who was used by God to restore his sight and talk about his future. At first, having heard about Saul's intent to arrest Christian Jews within the city, Ananias had hesitated about accepting the assignment. Nevertheless, the Jesus who had appeared to him in a vision told him to "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel." As a consequence, Ananias met with Paul and did everything that the Lord had instructed him to do. Afterwards, Saul was baptized and accepted into the community of believers and began proclaiming that Jesus was the Son of God. Later still, he returned to Jerusalem and was introduced to some of the apostles there by a Christian named Barnabas. (Acts 9:9-30)

Now, this Saul would go on to be known as the Apostle Paul and would be used by God to bring Gentiles into the Church (which was still wholly Jewish in composition). He would also go on to author of a number of letters to various Gentile congregations which would later be included in the canon of the New Testament. In fact, his first letter to the saints of Thessalonica is the oldest Christian writing available to us (written before the Gospels or any of the other writings of the New Testament). It is also important to note that Paul was a learned Pharisee prior to his conversion - a man well-versed in the Torah, Prophets, and Writings of the Hebrew Scriptures. Finally, it is equally important to remember that PAUL WAS A JEW - a member of the tribe of Benjamin, and a practitioner of the Jewish religion. (Romans 11:1, Philippians 3:5-6) Thus, we will shortly demonstrate that God used this learned Jew to bring the Gentiles to Christ and into the Church. Moreover, in doing so, Paul would transform the entire Church's understanding of the precise nature of what Jesus of Nazareth had actually done for them!

Nevertheless, before we get into Paul's story, it is important that we understand what Peter and the other original apostles had not yet accomplished. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Christ had instructed his disciples to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19) Likewise, just before his ascension into heaven, he had instructed those same disciples that they would carry his message "to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) Now, those original apostles had been very proficient in carrying the message about Christ to their Jewish brethren. However, it is important that we understand that there had NOT been any similar outreach to those outside of the Jewish community! Remember, the Church had been entirely Jewish up to this point, and those Christians had continued to fellowship and worship with non-believing Jews.

Jesus Christ, however, had been very clear about what he was doing and his vision for the future. He came to this earth to FULFILL the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17) and to make God accessible to ALL of humankind (John 3:16-17). As has already been indicated, Jesus raised up Paul to underscore what Christ had accomplished and to take his message to the Gentiles. Even so, Christ had clearly not given up on his original apostles. Peter had been a leader within the Jewish community of Christians, and he was about to make very clear to him (and that part of the Church) that the Great Commission WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED! Christ's Church would NOT be allowed to remain an insular and provincial community. Gentiles were going to be a part of his Church one way or another!

Toward that end, we read: "At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God." (Acts 10:1-2) We are informed that Cornelius had a vision of an angel instructing him to invite Peter into his home. So, he sent two of his servants to the place where Peter was staying. (Acts 10:3-8)

In the meantime, Peter had been given a vision of his own. In the dream, Peter saw a large tarp lowered from the sky like a giant sack. Inside, there were animals and insects of various kinds - many of them "unclean" according to the book of Leviticus. Then Peter heard a voice telling him to "kill and eat." "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean," replied Peter. The voice boomed out again: "What God has made clean, do not call common." (Acts 10:9-16) Notice first, that Peter had "NEVER eaten anything that is common or unclean." After years of being a Christian, Peter was still observing the dietary laws of Torah - because that's what Jews did! Even so, we are informed that Peter was perplexed about the vision and its meaning (Acts 10:17)

Moreover, while he was contemplating these things, the men whom Cornelius had sent to him finally arrived. At the same time, the Spirit revealed their presence to him and told him to accompany them. "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say," they told him. Peter invited them in, and the next day accompanied them to Caesarea." (Acts 10:17-23)

Continuing with the story, we read: "When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, 'Stand up; I too am a man.' And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. And he said to them, 'You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So, when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.'” (Acts 10:25-29) Cornelius then proceeded to tell Peter about his own vision (Acts 10:30-33). "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him," Peter replied (Acts 10:34-35). He then proceeded to explain to them the principle of salvation through Jesus Christ (Acts 10:36-43).

Cornelius and his household listened intently to everything that Peter was saying about Jesus. Then, we read: "While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 'Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?' And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days." (Acts 10:44-48)

This was truly a momentous event in the history of the Church. The days of an exclusively Jewish sect were over. From that day forward, Gentiles would be targets of Christian evangelistic efforts and be welcomed into the community of believers. To be sure, Peter took some heat from some of the Jewish Christians for trafficking with Gentiles. However, after he explained what had happened, most of them simply rejoiced that God had made salvation available to the Gentiles. (Acts 11:1-18) The stage had now been set for what God intended to do with and through Paul.

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 2)

Now, after accepting that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the first thing that this early and very Jewish Church had to confront which distinguished them from their non-believing Jewish brethren was how to finance the Church. The old Jewish priesthood and Temple had relied on the tithing system of Torah to support them, but the Church didn't have a devoted and reliable system for financing its activities. In the book of Acts, we read: "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common." (Acts 4:32) Continuing, we are informed: "There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet." (Acts 4:34-37) So, the voluntary generosity of the membership supplied the needs of the Church and financed its activities.

In this connection, however, it cannot be over emphasized that the Church was financed by voluntary contributions - in stark contrast to the compulsory system outlined by Torah to support the Temple and priesthood. Nevertheless, this same source informs us that God endorsed and encouraged this method of giving by way of a special miraculous event. In the very next chapter, we are informed that a married couple decided to sell a piece of land and give the proceeds to the Church. Unfortunately, they also decided to deceive the apostles about those proceeds and kept part of the money which they had received from the sale for themselves. The Holy Spirit, however, revealed what they had done to Peter; and when he confronted them, they both dropped dead on the spot! As we can well imagine, this event had a profound impact on the membership of the Church and encouraged both honesty and generosity in giving (Acts 5:1-11).

Once again, the author related that this period was marked by numerous miraculous healings by the apostles and growth in numbers. Also, we are informed that Christians were in the habit of gathering in the vicinity of Solomon's Portico, near the Temple complex (Acts 5:12-16). And, despite intense persecution by the religious leaders of the Jews, the apostles continued to boldly proclaim the good news about Jesus as the promised Deliverer (Acts 5:17-42).

Indeed, the young Church began to experience growing pains almost as fast as the number of believers increased. Apparently, the Greek-speaking members began complaining that their members were not being treated the same way as the native Jews of the congregation. To resolve these disputes, the Church appointed seven deacons to oversee the distribution, and two men named Stephen and Philip emerged as leaders of the group (Acts 6:1-6). Even so, we are informed that: "the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith." (Acts 6:7)

However, this tremendous growth did not come without a cost. Some of the Jews who heard Stephen's message accused him of speaking against God, Moses, the Temple, and the Law and hauled him before the Jewish religious leaders to answer their charges against him (Acts 6:8-15). As a consequence, we are told that the High Priest himself asked Stephen to explain his teachings. Nevertheless, Stephen calmly pointed out the hypocrisy of the Jewish authorities in dealing with both the Law and the Prophets, and that they had betrayed and murdered Jesus! Needless to say, the Jews were outraged by Stephen's message and promptly proceeded to stone him to death (Acts 7:1-60).

Now it happened that, among the mob who stoned Stephen, there was a young Jew from Tarsus named Saul - who felt inspired to begin persecuting the Christian Church. Indeed, we are informed by our source that Saul arrested Christians in their homes for contradicting the Jewish leadership and carried them off to prison (Acts 8:1-3)! And, although this persecution forced some of the Christians to flee from Jerusalem and Judaea, it did have the effect of spreading the message of Christ outside of the narrow confines to which it had previously been concentrated (Acts 8:4-40). Indeed, we are informed that Saul felt compelled to chase Christians all the way to Damascus (Acts 9:1-2)! Little did he or anyone else realize at the time, however, that God was about to use Saul to transform the Church into a global phenomenon. The days of the small insular community of Jewish believers were numbered!

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 1)

Just before his ascension to heaven, Christ told his followers that they would "receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8, ESV here and throughout this post) They then returned to Jerusalem and selected Matthias to take the place of Judas Iscariot (who had betrayed Christ and subsequently committed suicide). The book of Acts also informs us that the twelve apostles were joined by a number of women (including Christ's mother) and Christ's brothers, and that they were united in prayer and fellowship during this period (Acts 1:12-26).

According to the same source, the next great event in the history of the Church occurred on the Day of Pentecost. On that day, we read that "they were all together in one place." (Acts 2:1) While there, we are informed that "there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:2-4) Moreover, we are told that Jerusalem was hosting Jewish pilgrims from all over the world for this festival and that each of them heard the disciples speaking in their own language (Acts 2:5-11). Of course, this must have caused quite a stir among the folks who observed this phenomenon, because Peter was apparently compelled to explain what had happened (Acts 2:14-40). And, as a consequence of his explanation, we are informed that about three thousand people were added to the Church that day! (Acts 2:41)

Moreover, the source then proceeds to characterize the operation of this now rather large body of believers. We read that: "they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42-47)

We should also note at this juncture that ALL of the saints (members of the Church) were practicing Jews. Hence, as Christ had done throughout his earthly ministry, they continued to observe the Jewish Sabbath, holy days, rituals, and practices related to ritual cleanliness. Indeed, the book of Acts makes this very clear and also informs us that they continued to focus on the Temple in Jerusalem and the synagogues of Judaea. In fact, in the very next chapter, we read: "Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour." (Acts 3:1) While there, we are told that Peter performed his first public miracle and healed a lame man who was in the habit of begging near one of the gates to the Temple grounds (Acts 3:2-10). Later, in this same account, we are informed that Peter gave an impromptu sermon in the area of Solomon's Portico (Acts 3:11-26).

Indeed, Peter's and John's activities in the environs of the Temple got them arrested and hauled before the Jewish council (Acts 4:1-22). And, although Peter and John were eventually released, it is important to this account to understand that these early leaders of the Church continued to think of themselves as Jews and to regard the Temple as a place of worship and gathering. It should also be noted that Jewish attempts to suppress preaching in Jesus' name only emboldened the apostles and early Church (Acts 4:23-31).

In the Image of God

Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. - Genesis 1:26

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27

What do those passages mean? How are we like God? What does it mean to be created in "his" image? Does it mean that God has the same form and shape as us? OR Does it imply something else?

The English word "image" is our translation of the Hebrew word "selem" which implies a shadow or phantom like resemblance to the original. In other words, similar but NOT an exact copy. Moreover, the English word "likeness" is our translation of the Hebrew word "demut" which suggests a resemblance or similitude. Again, it does NOT imply an exact copy of the original - only a likeness.

So, how are we like God or similar to "him"? Does God have human body parts? Does God have two arms, legs, eyes? Does God have internal organs? Does God have genitalia? Now, any serious student of the Bible knows that God has the ability to appear in human form, but is God bound by the form that defines us? Of course, we know that God is also portrayed in Scripture as a burning bush, fire, cloud, voice, etc. And, when we consider these things together, we come to the inescapable conclusion that God is not limited to the human form. Indeed, we do NOT want to be guilty of using these scriptures in Genesis to make God in OUR image/likeness!

We know that God is so far beyond humans in power, goodness, intellect, etc. as to make any comparison with the Almighty seem almost futile at first glance. And yet we have this passage from the book of Genesis which informs us that we were made in God's likeness. Again, we ask: HOW?

According to the Bible Hub article What is 'made in God's image'? this concept implies something beyond superficial appearance. We read there: "It encompasses aspects such as moral reasoning, creative capacity, intellect, and the ability to form relationships." Continuing, we read: "While not an exact copy of God, humanity shares attributes that reflect God’s character. This includes moral discernment (Romans 2:14–15), relational capacity (Genesis 2:18), and creativity (Exodus 31:2–5)."

Now, I have a great deal of respect for the folks at Bible Hub (my regular readers will have probably noticed by now that I use it quite frequently in the construction of my own posts), but I would like to point out some flaws in their reasoning in this instance. While I think that they are moving in the right direction in terms of answering this question, I see some problems with some of the things they mentioned as being shared attributes. We could argue, for instance, that some animals exhibit rudimentary moral reasoning (like love, loyalty, a sense of fairness). Likewise, we could say the same thing about intellect, reasoning, self-awareness, and relational capacity. For sure, man's abilities in this regard our vastly superior to those of animal kind, but even their limited capacities in these areas demonstrate that humankind is NOT unique in these characteristics.

What makes us unique from animal kind? What clearly separates us from them? What then is that quality that makes us like God? It is there in Bible Hub's list. It is creativity - imagination! The ability to imagine and bring into existence things which had not existed prior to our imagining and creating them! Sure, our creative powers are limited to the materials which God has supplied for us. They are, likewise, vastly inferior to God's ability to create from nothing. Nevertheless, even in our very limited capacity, in this respect, we are like God! In short, I believe it is this capacity to imagine things that do not already exist somewhere which makes us exist in God's image. What do you think?