Please read the first 12 chapters of Acts. Cite here one verse/incident that seems to you particularly helpful in explaining the surprisingly rapid growth of the early church. Note also any obstacles to growth you see here.
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In Acts 9 there is the story of Saul meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus and he became a Christian. It shows a couple different ideas of growth of the early church. One is that the church was growing so rapidly that it was causing complete changes in ideas all over the place. The apostles were spreading the word and it was causing great switches in understanding. It also shows how there needed to be changes in people who were extremely against Christianity. Saul was persecuting Christians left and right; he is someone a person would not think could change, but with God anything is possible. Saul is the type of person that needed to change to make the church stronger. Saul is also an example of a major problem that faced the early church, persecution. Jesus talked about how they were going to be persecuted, such as Matthew 24:9, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.” The early church was growing rapidly, but also had to deal with multiple challenges and the story of Saul is a good example of both. -Kelly Longden
ReplyDeleteActs 12 has an account of God sending an angel to escort Peter safely out of the prison he was being held in by King Herod. Later Herod died because he did not glorify God and the news of Peter's safety spread. The book of Acts, especially these early portions of it show that the spreading of the church on earth was really God's work through the disciples and apostles. Many were constantly added to their number because the Holy Spirit constantly worked through Peter and the other apostles wherever they went. God kept his followers safe also so they could continue to do the work. Figures like Herod may have tried to suppress the growth of the church but there again it was not up to him but to God. God greatly blessing his followers led to the rather rapid growth of the early church -Zach Kuhlman
ReplyDeleteActs 2:41-47states, "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the belivers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyoe as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad...hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." This piece makes it sound like the apostles were only having good luck with their work but the obstacles came in Acts 9. Acts 9 deals with Saul's persecution of the Christians and later his conversion to Christianity. While Saul did convert, he made life difficult for Christians. -Melinda Quade
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 2 of Acts, the followers of Christ were sitting in the upper room waiting for the comforter that Jesus had promised. "And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting." Acts 2:2 ESV
ReplyDeleteIt is in this moment that everyone was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter got up on the roof to address the crowd who were mocking them. There were so many people there because it was Pentecost, and after Peter spoke 3,000 were added to their number. Acts also tells of all the different nationalities who were in Jerusalem at the time, which would have resulted in rapid spreading of Christianity in other nations. This is an incredible display of God's power and explains well how Christianity would have spread so fast. -Greg Fred
“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.”
ReplyDelete(Acts 4:13-15) This is a turning point for me in the book of Acts for me because this is moment of complete shock by the teachers of the church. They thought that they had rid themselves from this Jesus and his teachings, but more and more people believe in what he had said. The disciples are just regular men proving that something had happened where the people stood and that they are not going to forget about it. People are being healed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the teachers of the temple can do nothing to explain it, but throw the good men who did it in jail. I believe that the rapid spread of Christianity happened because of the way that the disciples didn't show violence when put in jail, but remained calm while trusting in the Lord.
-Liz Matson
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
ReplyDeleteWhen Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Acts 5:3-5 this passage shows a brief reprisal from Old Testament God. it shows that disloyalty will be punished. Fear is a powerful motivator for faith. and the Jews of this time new that God's vengeance was swift and terrible. -Sean M.
In Acts Chapter 2:43-47, it tells how the apostles come together and shared everything and sold what they had and gave to the needy. I feel like this was an important part of the rapid growth of the early church, this because as the people see the followers of Jesus do good on to others they want to do the same and so increases the number of followers and then in turn increase the size of the church itself.
ReplyDeleteIn Acts 4:32-37 we are given a description of the Christian community. It shows a good deal of support among Christians and why many would be attracted to such a community that was selfless and helped one another. I feel like the support among Christians was a major calling for much growth seen early on. People wanted help, and Christians were providing for one another where others kept them in poverty.
ReplyDelete-Zack Krage
Acts 4:13- Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.
ReplyDeleteThe way I perceive the church growing so rapidly is that the people spreading the word believed 100% what they were preaching about. It says "when they saw the boldness of Peter and John". These guys were more than willing to die to share the name of Christ with everyone they came into contact with. The Holy Spirit had descended on them. Christ is alive in them, and He provided courage, boldness, wisdom, and all the other characteristics that were needed to preach the gospel.
Acts 3:11-4:4 This is the part where Peter is standing up to the crowd showing that a crippled man was healed and that all should believe that Jesus Christ was a good person and that the people should have stood up and not have crucified him. Before Peter, John and the crippled man were arrested for the evening, the number of people who were there had grown to about five thousand.
ReplyDeleteThat amount of people listening to what Peter and John had said because of what happened to the crippled man, of course there is going to be belief that the acts of God that were done through Jesus Christ are still at work. With that amount of people believing what was said and done, there should be no doubt that Gods works are still about.
-Cheryl Hansen