The Early Church

Issues with Acts
Divisions caused by Acts as instruction manual:

• Infant baptism vs. believers’ baptism
• Government: Congregational, Episcopal, Presbyterian
• Lord’s Supper: Weekly? Monthly?
• Election of Deacons
• Communal Property
• Tongues
  
• Even snake handling!

Acts gives you a History of the first Christians

Acts as History
1. Luke was a Gentile
2. Acts was written

• to give a historical record
• to encourage
• to entertain
• to inform
• to give a defense of the Gospel

3. Luke and the Septuagint (LXX)
4. This is not the complete story

Overview of Acts
Key characters: Peter & Paul

1. 1:1 – 6:7 – The Primitive Church in Jerusalem
Everything is Jewish: the preaching, the institutions (temple & synagogues). Ends with beginning of rift between Greek-speaking and Aramaic-speaking believers.

2. 6:8-9:31 – First Geographical Expansion
Led by Greek-speaking, Greek speaking Jew. Paul’s conversion and Stephen’s stoning.

3. 9:32-12:24 – Expansion to the Gentiles
Cornelius (story is told twice!), the first Gentile led by Peter, a truly Jewish Christian leader
Antioch, the first mission outpost to the Gentiles.

4. 12:25-16:5 – Acceptance of Gentiles

5. 16:6-19:20 – Expanding Mission

6. 19:21-28:30- Gospel goes to the “Center of the Universe” Rome

Luke’s Intent

1. Focus on the movement of the gospel…orchestrated by Spirit…from Jerusalem to Rome…from Jewishness to Roman context.
2. Luke does not show any interest in biography: no mention of most apostles after first chapter drops Peter from scene once church moves away from Jerusalem.
3. Luke gives very little info about church structure. Gives no explanation for the succession of Jerusalem leadership from Peter to James. No explanation of church offices.
4. No mention of other movements geographically to other regions of the world.
5. Luke is not interested in setting up rules for a church. Conversions include water and HS but order of salvation is different in almost every case
6. Luke model for the church is led and empowered by the Holy Spirit and reaching out to the world.