Part 18 (1/2)

We have now studied the two earliest periods in the history of the Christian church and have come to the year 50 A. D., twenty years after the Ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit on the first Pentecost. Let us look over the field and see what at that time was the state of the church.

I. =Its Extent.= Let the student draw again the map given with the last lesson, and locate upon it the following =lands=: 1. Judea (Palestine).

2. Syria. 3. Phoenicia. 4. Cyprus. 5. Cilicia. 6. Pamphylia. 7. Pisidia.

8. Lycaonia. In all these lands churches were established and at work.

II. =Its Members.h.i.+p.= The members of the church consisted of two cla.s.ses of people, widely apart by nature, but brought together by the gospel:

1. There were churches where all the members were =Jews=, as in Judea.

These were all faithful to the regulations of the Jewish ceremonial law, and many of them almost bigoted in their opinions concerning it (Acts 15. 1, 5).

2. There were other churches, as in Lycaonia, where all or nearly all the members were =Gentiles= (Acts 14. 6-13). In these the Jewish rules were unrecognized, almost unknown.

3. Between these two extremes was the great body of churches of =both Jews and Gentiles=. The two cla.s.ses wors.h.i.+ped together; Jews remaining Jews, and Gentiles remaining Gentiles; but probably received the Lord's Supper apart, as it was as yet a house-service, not held at the public meetings.

4. While in most churches there was harmony, on both sides there were some radical members; but especially among the Jews. These were the =Judaizers=; men who sought to compel all the disciples to receive circ.u.mcision, obey the ceremonial law and make the Christian church subordinate to Jewish ritualism. These were the enemies of Paul to the end of his ministry, perverting the Gentile churches and opposing the apostle's work.

III. =Its Leaders.= Three names stand out prominently at this time: 1.

=Paul=, as the leader of the church in its world-wide plans, the apostle to the Gentiles (Gal. 2. 7). 2. =James=, as leader of the Jewish but not Judaizing elements (Acts 13. 13, 19). This was not James the apostle, for he had been put to death some time before this (Acts 12. 2); but James ”the brother of the Lord” (Gal. 1. 19). He was the head of the church in Jerusalem and author of the Epistle of James. 3. =Peter=, who stood in friendly relation to both parties in the church, although his conduct was not always perfectly consistent with regard to Jewish regulations (Acts 11. 2, 3; Gal. 2. 11-14). Between these three leaders there was a clear understanding and no strong division of spirit, although they might not agree in all points. 4. Other leaders in this period were =Philip= (Acts 8. 40; 21. 8). =Barnabas=, =Silas= of Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 15. 22, 32, 40), and =t.i.tus= (Gal. 2. 1-4).

IV. =Its Government.= In our time the church is often a highly wrought organization, with articles of faith, orders, and officials of various grades. We are apt to a.s.sume such a condition in the early church. But at the time of which we speak there was very little organization or machinery; and there was little need of any, for a special reason: _Every member was under the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit_, living in fellows.h.i.+p with G.o.d, without mediation of priest or church. Yet we find certain officers named in the church:

1. =Apostles=, originally ”the twelve,” but changes arose and others were called by the t.i.tle, for example, Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14. 14); James (Gal. 1. 19). The work of the apostles was not primarily government, but inspired testimony to Jesus as the Christ (Acts 1. 22; 6. 4); nowhere in Acts are the apostles represented as ruling the church (Acts 15. 6, 22).

2. =Elders= (Acts 11. 30; 14. 23; 15. 4). These were a.n.a.logous to the same officers in the synagogue, from which the plan of the local churches was taken.

3. =Prophets= (Acts 11. 27, 28; Acts 13. 1; Acts 15. 32). Men who spoke out of direct fellows.h.i.+p with the Lord, and under inspiration of the Spirit; sometimes, though not always, giving predictions of future events.

4. =Teachers= (Acts 13. 1). Men who gave instruction in the Christian character; probably largely from recollection or knowledge of the teaching of Christ. The difference between ”prophesy” and ”teaching” was that the former was the more spontaneous and the latter the more educative in the principles of the gospel.

V. =Its Doctrinal Views.= These remained substantially as in the first period. There was little tendency toward intellectual questionings while the church remained under Jewish influence. The discussion was rather regarding Jewish ceremonial regulations. The Messiahs.h.i.+p, Resurrection and Return of Jesus were still the prominent teaching of the period.

VI. =Its Moral Standards.= The church is now face to face with the heathen world and all its abominable vices. Heathen moralists continually made excuse for the immorality which was so generally practiced. But Christianity made no compromise; set forth the high standard of the gospel, with the character of Christ as its ideal. This high standard unswervingly maintained was one secret of the church's power and growth. Notice, a little later than this period, in St. Paul's writings, the strong ethical spirit.

VII. =Its Meeting-places.= As yet ”churches” or buildings for wors.h.i.+p were not erected. The disciples met with the Jews in the synagogue or established synagogues of their own (James 2. 2). Often they met, even later than this period, in the upper rooms of private houses (Acts 20.

8; Rom. 16. 3-5; Philem. 2).

VIII. =Its Literature.= This was still the =Old Testament= only; no book of the New Testament having been written as early as 50 A. D. These writings were familiar to all the Jewish members, and almost equally familiar to the Gentiles who attended the synagogue. Was there an ”oral gospel” in existence? Probably not in any set, authorized form; but repeated as the narration of teachings and works of Jesus. The tendency would naturally be for these teachings to settle into a few accepted forms or ”gospels.”

IX. Wherein did =the Unity of the Church= consist? Not in organization, nor government, nor doctrinal statement; but in a =common spiritual life=. They were of one heart and one mind, loved each other, contributed to each other's needs (Acts 11. 29; Gal. 2. 10), visited each other's churches (Acts 11. 22, 27, 30; 13. 25; 15. 27, 32). This was, and is, true church unity.

Blackboard Outline

=Ch. 20 Ye. af. Asc.=

I. =Ext.= Ja. Sy. Ph. Cy. Cil. Pam. Pi. Lyc.