2E The community of believers Flashcards
Give a brief introduction to the Book of Acts.
- The earliest account of the spread of C.ty during 1st C
- Most likely written by Luke before 70 CE
- Early life = characterised by enthusiasm under guidance of HS
- Demonstrates elements of organised structure, reflected in practices, communal life, worship, disipline
What were the three things that the early Christians “devoted themselves to”? What is the last aspect of Acts?
- “the apostles teaching and fellowship
- “the breaking of the bread”
- “the prayers”
- “They had all things in common”
Explain: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship”
• The apostles teaching = the kerygma
• Aim of kerygma = proclaim key facts of the Gospel.
• Evidence of Jesus
- OT prophecies had been fulfilled; the Messiah has come - happened through the life, death, res. of J
- Born of the house of David; died to save humanity
- Buried, but res.d on 3rd day
- Ascended to Heaven; sits at G’s right hand
• Future tense
- He will come again to be humankind’s Judge and Saviour
- ∴ all are called to repent and be baptised in his name
• Community = united in belief that J + Messiah, raised from dead, ascended, through him sins are forgiven
• Acceptance of this teaching led believers to a ‘fellowship’: special r.ship w/ G though J and each other; expressed in partaking of communion, holding apostolic doctrines, following a particular way of life
Explain: “They devoted themselves to the breaking of the bread”
• Can signify two things:
1) Breaking of bread at Lord’s Supper - Acts 2:42: used in context of worship ∴ prob. refers to memorial of J’s death
2) Dividing of loaves at a communal meal - Acts 2:46: prob. refers to early c.ch practice which was a means of providing sustenance for poor
• Both practices demonstrated unity of early C.tian community:
1) Sacrament reflecting members’ communion w/ each other + w/ G
2) Allowed them to deepen their r.ship w/ each other through charitable acts
Explain: “They devoted themselves to the prayers”
• Jewish men in Jerusalem went to the Temple to pray at least 3 times a day (Acts 3:11 + 5:32 record that they met ‘in soloman’s portico’)
• Early C.tians also met in private homes to pray, for several reasons:
- The Pentecost exp. had been so intense that it compelled them to seek constant fellowship w/ G. and each other
- Brought them into contact w/ pious Jews who would then be introduced to J as messiah
- Aware that prayer = main source of their strength as a community
• Connotations of ‘prayers’: praise, adoration, thanksgiving, confession
Explain: “They had all things in common”
• Acts 2:45 states that all those who believed “would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
• Does not necessarily mean that the early C.tian community taught a kind of r. communism, where “all things in common” meant a redistribution of wealth
- Nowhere in Acts is there a suggestion of class warfare or confiscation of property
• Communal life ≠ compulsory for all C.tians ∵ elsewhere in Acts, it states that some believers owned property e.g. 12:12. disciples met in a house belonging to Mark’s mother, Mary
• Luke = testifying to the voluntary, loving, selfless disposition of the early C.tians; the HS acted in their lives and caused them to care for their less fortunate colleagues
• Proceeds distributed “as had any need” - no general distribution of wealth
• Nowhere else in NT is any mention of a similar community
• The community could have been a failure
Explain how the New Testament community of believers acts as a model for the contemporary church, with specific reference to religious teaching.
• Has split into many denominations, but all claim - like the early C.tian community, that they adhere closely to teachings of apostles
• Despite differences, share basic belief that:
- J = Messiah
- J performed G’s work on earth
- J = crucified, buried, raised, ascended
- Through J, sins are forgiven
Explain how the New Testament community of believers acts as a model for the contemporary church, with specific reference to worship, sacraments and fellowship.
- The C.ch itself = a sacrament (a visible sign of G’s grace)
- Through the C.ch, ppl make contact w/ risen J, who exists today in members of C.ch
- C.ch = sign of presence of risen J; role = make present J’s mediation + gifts of HS, primarily through pub. worship and administration of sacraments
- Partaking in sacraments, accepting doctrines, following appropriate way of life, lead believers into a fellowship
- Sharing of possessions ≠ compulsory, but: some denom.s have monks/nuns who hold everything in common; others practice tithing (1/10 of income to c.ch)
Explain how the New Testament community of believers acts as a model for the contemporary church, with specific reference to mission, service and outreach.
- C.ch = sign and instrument of G/s grace - ‘the body of Christ’ on earth
- Works for peace, charity, equality to bring about justice + mercy that G intends for all creation - agent of G’s mission to the world
- Responds to natural disasters, man-made crises, refugees
- Has programmes for health + child development
- Fosters peace in conflict zones
- The global C.ch has had more success w. one voice on peace/justice issues than in reconciling doctrinal differences
