The Church in Jerusalem

Not Much is Known

Acts Affirms a Strong Church in Jerusalem

Most of Acts focuses on the growth of the church outside of Jerusalem

Need to glean from the NT and other writers to come away with an idea of life in the earliest Christian community

Unity and Diversity

Early Church often Idealized

Pentacost

Peter’s Message

Acts 2:42-47 Fellowship of believers

Tension

Hebrews vs. Hellenists

not Jews vs Gentiles

Selection of the 7 to “serve tables”

the seven chosen were Hellenistic Jews

Phillip and Stephen

Apostles preach and teaching

Acts 7 - Story of Stephen

Jewish Council - Sanhedrin refuse to listen to Stephen, have him stoned

contrast Peter and John who were beaten told not to continue preaching and released

It would appear that the earliest persecution was aimed at the Hellenistic Jews who fled Jerusalem

Saul/Paul played a role in this persecution

Acts 8 - Philip

Messianic age had begun

Still kept the Sabbath and attended Worship in the temple

Added 1st day observance

Celebration of resurrection and coming of a new age

Communion, glad and generous hearts

Continued to fast in contrition

though this eventually changed from Monday/Thursday to Wednesday/Friday

Authority still vested in the twelve

Peter and John - Pillars

James the brother of Jesus leader of the Church in jerusalem

Waning of the Jewish Church

Increased persecution

Herod Agrippa I

ordered the death of James the brother of John (44 CE)

arrested Peter (44 CE) escaped

James brother of Jesus killed (62 CE)

Soon afterwards Christian Leadership moved to Pella

persecution by Jews

Increased suspicion by Romans

AD 66 Jewish up-rise

4 years later destruction of Jerusalem

This move allowed the influence of the Jewish Christians by other groups who had abandoned Orthodox Judaism

It wouldn’t be long that the Christian Church would become predominately gentile and increasingly hostile to returning to its Jewish roots.