A Very Brief History of the Church:Part 2

After Pentecost of a about 31-33 AD the followers of Jesus became vibrant witnesses of the   Resurrected Jesus , powerfully proclaiming the message that Jesus lives and that through Jesus alone Salivation has been been made available to humanity. The early Church seemed to not consider that they were following a "new religion" but rather viewed their movement as the continuation of what God had ready begun, but now the Scriptures could be understood through the life death and resurrection of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit was sent from God and now empower the Disciples to boldly speak the Gospel message to all who were come to Jerusalem.

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them".Acts:2:1-4

To The Hellenized

There at Jerusalem were Jews, or converts to Judaism,  from  around the Roman Empire having come to Jerusalem for the Holy Day season, most them were from the highly Hellenized culture that was found throughout the Empire each hearing the preaching of the Apostles in their own language, through the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit . 

 "Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spokenUtterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” (5-12)

Many who heard the Gospel about Jesus came to believe and were baptized and joined with the disciples swelling the church's ranks by 3000 in one day.   The power displayed on Pentecost convince the crowd of the central fact that Jesus is raised from the dead.

"Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him".(22-24)

As result of the workings of the Holy Spirit they respond seeing the living Christ working through the Apostles and other Disciples. 

 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.(41)

 A Communion

 The power of the living Christ worked in the life of the primitive church as the lived and moved forming a unique fellowship among them unlike any that had been before bound together  by the understanding and faith in Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit .This relationship could be best understood as a Communion.   

The  Disciples, who's number grew almost daily,   would gathered often in the Temple and live out this Communion in the sharing of their lives and hearing the teaching that the Apostles gave them regarding all that the Lord Jesus had given to them before and after his resurrection.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (42-47)

Even as the early Jewish believers knew that something had been changed in humanities relationship with God with the life and death and resurrection of Jesus, they still at the beginning followed the tenets which they had lived under all their lives  including the observance of the Sabbath(s), dietary  laws and attendance in the Synagogues. Changes would latter come that would at first perplex some of the early believers.

Conflict With Religions Leaders

As the power of church grew and and its message about Jesus spread,  there arose conflict with the Religious leaders of the Jews,  the Scribes , the Pharisees and the Sadducee , the party of Pharisees were mainly the overseers of the Synagogues found throughout the land and the Sadducee held control over the Temple. 

The Apostles Peter and John  were brought before the leaders of the Temple after the healing of a cripple man who sat begging at an entrance of the Temple courts .This account is found in Acts:3: and 4

This miraculous healing generated great attention  and led to the conversion of several wittiness. This healing caused the religious leaders to react arresting Peter and John and after interrogating them they threaten the Apostles in the hopes that it would curtail the preaching about Jesus and stop the spread of the fledgling movement.

The Religious leaders could do deny that a power which they did not understand was at work in the lives of the followers of Jesus and this power was being exercised beyond their control and evident with growth of the followers of Jesus.

  "The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand."Acts:4:1-4

 

After hearing the Apostles  give their answers  to the charges, the Council  talked  among themselves; yet remain unable to resolve what they should do with them,  and the movement that they represent.

 "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. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus."(13-18)

 Dispute Among Them 

At first ,this new movement focused upon the living Jesus was made up of Jews who had come to accept that Jesus was the long awaited  Messiah that they hoped and prayed for. The "culture" of the church was at first dominated by the Jewish who were resident in Palestine, this domination created some tension between they and the Hellenized Jews who came from the scattered parts of the Roman world. This tension was manifested in a disagreement in the care of the Hellenized widows whom they felt were being neglected.

"In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food."Acts:6:1

This tension led to the Apostles appointing seven men who were chosen from among the group, called Deacons  , all seven were Hellenized Jews. They would  be responsible for the care of the widows. This appointment was done by the Apostles them selves to put emphasis on the importance of the widows group and to ensure that the Deacons had authority to act  in this new office.

 "So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to themand will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them".(2-6)

The First Martyr

The church grew and the power of the Spirit was evident , the message of Jesus was aging momentum evn
some that served in the Priesthood became believers. 

 "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." Acts:6:7

 

The Deacon Stephen became a powerful preacher of the Gospel,  his preaching was accompanied by displays of power.

 'Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people"(8)

 The ministry  of Stephen was so effective it garnered the anger of a group of Jews from the Synagogue of the Freemen who opposed Stephan's ministry. These men, who were unable to prove Stephen wrong,  joined in a conspiracy to falsely accuses  the Deacon of speaking blasphemy against the Scriptures and have him brought before the Council. 

"Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” (9-14)

 Before the High Priest and the assembled Council Stephen defended the Gospel message of Jesus. His testimony to them  was so powerful that they could not counter it. Not only did he uncompromisingly preach Jesus as the Messiah, he enraged the Council of speaking against the Temple, even asserting that it was unnecessary, or ever intended  to be a permanent component in humanities relationship with God. 
This brought a violent reaction by members of the Council who attacked and beat Stephen taking outside of Jerusalem and stoning him to death. Acts:8:7-60

 

With the stoning of Stephen the followers of Jesus now have their first post Pentecost martyr and a new adversary  named Saul.

Saul of Tarsus

Saul was a Hellenized Jew who had been born a Roman citizen, in south eastern Asia Minor in the prominent city of Tarsus located in the area called Cilicia . Saul was ancestry we know from his own writings was that he was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamen  he would later describe himself as being

 "of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law,a Pharisee"Philp:3:5 .

Saul saw his mission to counter the followers of Jesus as forcibly as he was able even;  arresting many of Jesus' believers. Saul was provided  arrest papers issued by the religious Establishment at Jerusalem and give by them to travel to Damascus with the mission to put an end to the growing number of believers that there.

Saul off His Horse

It is as Saul of Tarsus is on his journey to eradicate the troublesome movement that follows of  what he considers to be both

 a  disgraced Rabbi and a dead heretic , that Saul's life would change for all time and eternity.  In this encounter  not only Saul's life would be transformed  but the life of the Jesus movement and  of many forever. 

Saul himself would encounter the very one whose followers  he had determined to destroy, Jesus himself would intersect Saul here on his way to Damascus.

"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priestand asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”Acts:9:1-4

To Be Continued......

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor 

  The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com

A Very Brief History of the Church:Part 1

A Very Condensed History: Part 1

When and where does church history begin? The church, which emerged out of the History of Salvation, is more than an “institution” or “organization” it rather is a living organism, which is filled with the very Spirit life of the Great God who came to and reveals himself in the person of Jesus Christ.

The Visible Church

We can see around us in the world the visible church which assembles together to worship, fellowship and to carry out other spiritual functions. This visible church that is made up of members, that is people from various backgrounds has a history of its own as it has come down through the centuries.

Christians Believe in Jesus

The members or people who comprise the church, are called Christians, that is we are followers of the person of Jesus Christ who we recognize as being both fully God and fully human, the very Savior of humanity, we have come to believe through the record of Scripture and our personal and collective encounter(s) with Jesus that he lives and has been resurrected, yet many members of the church do not know the church’s unique history as it has come down through the ages.

Many Christians know the history of the church emergence on the Day of Pentecost in 31 AD and a few years  after that,  but many have never been taught what occurred much later after the death of the Apostle John  in or around  the late 90’s AD.

The Culture of that Day

The historical setting of Church is important to understand. The Church emerges in history within the Roman Empire, which was a very pluralistic empire, made up of many nations and peoples held together by the military and economical power of Rome. 

Through the Empire put it’s “mark” upon almost every aspect of the lives of the people they still under Roman rule of law had a surprising measure of freedom. As long as the people within it’s rule made little or no trouble and paid their taxes the people could expect to live in relative peace.

Rome encouraged the people to be enterprising and entrepreneurial; for the more revenue the people errand the more taxes the empire could collect from the people and the wealthier the Roman Emperor and his government became.

Safe Travel

Roman rule also provided several benefits which aided in the growth and spread of the Christian Church. Roman roads covered the Empire which provided path ways for the Apostles to carry the Gospel message to the vast reaches of the Empire and beyond.  Roman legions patrolled these roads keep travelers safe from bandits and other harm.

Roman warships sailed the Mediterranean Sea keeping shipping lanes open for travel and trade and at times transported the Gospel message and those who preached it. Roman Rule provided a cultural structure into which the Christian Church had emerged.

Exchange of Ideas

The freedom to move about within the rule of Rome also brought the benefit of diverse people groups entering into contact with one another and interacting this brought the flow and movements of ideas from one people group to another this itself helped to spread the Philosophical ideas from Greece and created an hunger for answers in the hearts of those who were “seeking” the truth, they latter would be receptive to the Gospel message about Jesus Christ.

This Hellenized climate, which sprang up resulting from the conquest s of Alexander the Great, was the culture that the Apostle Paul arose out of, having been born a Roman citizen, with all the right of full citizen ship,   in the city of Tarsus in Asia Minor, this gave Paul a wide range of knowledge and experiences which equipped him to address a much broader and sophisticated audience then most of the other Apostle.  

Religious Pluralism

The Roman government actually was tolerant of religion; Rome viewed religion as a way  to build unity, this tolerance is reflected in the great Pantheon, the Temple of all gods found at Rome, however this tolerance had it’s limits, Rome wanted those within it’s rule to put the Empire above all else this is seen in the Imperial Cult with it’s worship of the Empire in the person of the sitting Emperor. This would bring Rome into conflict periodically with the Jewish people and their insistence on the worship of the God they found in the Holy Scriptures.

At one point King Herod,  who the Roman government installed as King of Judea around 40 BC , attempted to place the Roman eagle at an entrance of the Temple at Jerusalem  this sparked a violent reaction from the Jewish people.

Rome ‘s basic policy was that any religion that was resident within a given territory when it became a Province  of the Empire , was allowed to remain, it was deemed , Religio Licita or  Legal Religion.  If a new religion was to be introduced to a Province it was generally viewed as Religio Illicitum, or Illegal Religion, this policy actually explains why Christianity could spread unchecked by Rome   for quite some time.  

Through the eyes of the Roman Government Christianity was simply another sect of Judaism, which they had no strong desire to inter into the debate. It would not be until Christianity begins to mature and spread that the distinctions between Christians and the Jews become evident.  

Jesus Is King

The teaching of Jesus as King;  Rome found difficult to navigate, in Rome’s mind there was not room enough for two Lord’s co ruling the hearts of the people, it was either  Cesar or death.

When Christians exhibited the same stubbornness as did the troublesome Jews, in worshiping the God they encountered in the Scripture and in the Person of Jesus whom they knew was resurrected from the dead,   Rome would act to deal with them, and very  often harshly. 

Client Nation State

Roman even as a pagan national entity, did, in the Providence of God serve His purpose providing a structure for the primitive Apostolic Church to grow and flourish. Some Theologians refer to nations such as Rome  as being what is called a Client Nation. 

A Client Nation is one whose basic inherent constitution provides for and maintains laws or principles which are found to be compatible with, or at least not in opposition to, the Laws of Devine Establishment, that is how God created people to interact within national entities and societies, these Devine Establishment Laws are found and expressed throughout the pages of the Holy Bible. 

Basic Criteria of a Client Nation

The Basic criteria for a nation to achieve and to maintain the status of a Client Nation is

1) That such a Client Nation gives protection by law to the lives of the people within it’s jurisdiction and boundaries. Providing for the private holdings of land and property by citizen, and maintains and protects the right of, and to privacy of the citizens.

2) A Nation with Client status will allow for  and protect by law the proclamation and publication  of the Gospel both in public and private settings and for teaching of the truths found  within the Bible with no interference or regulation from the government.

3)A Client Nation also is used to be the resource for Evangelism and Missionary activities through its people and economies, transportation and communication systems and laws within it’s boundaries and beyond.

4) A Client Nation is also a tolerant and favorable national host for the Jewish people who are in the Diaspora, which is dispersed, throughout the world.

The Roman Empire having provided all the above  had this status for a number of years,   as long as a nation provides for this criteria it will receive blessings from God ;as the above criteria is diminished the blessing from God are as well....to be continued

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor 

  The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com:

In the Breaking of Bread

After the resurrection of Jesus, his appearances often involved food and the sharing of a meal. We are seeing Jesus using food to relate to his disciples, to show them that he is who he is. Jesus uses the sharing of meal weather it is a wedding supper in Cana or in the houses of religious leaders the upper room and Inn at small village or a beach early one morning.  

To Emmaus

It is at the end of the journey to Emmaus a small village about seven miles to the west of Jerusalem that Jesus uses the breaking of bread to reveal himself to two of the disciples.

The two disciples walked along attempting to make scene of the events that they had been a part of , how  they had come to believe that Jesus was the long hoped for Messiah of Israel, and when it seemed that all the things that they had longed for were about to come to pass everything came undone. Jesus was arrested and executed upon a cross. Jesus was dead and buried and they knew it.

Then they receive reports that some of their company had seen Jesus alive. They are perplexed, down cast and uncertain as to what all of it had meant. They were uncertain as to where they would go from here. It is then as they walk to Emmaus that, unrecognized by them, they encounter Jesus.

  “Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.”

At the moment that they encounter Jesus, he literally stops them in their tracks by asking them what was the subject of their discussion as they walked along.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” Lk: 24:13-16

“They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (17-18)

The risen Lord then leads them to review the events of which they were a part of; all of this is in preparation for his self disclosure to the disciples.

 “What things?” he asked. (19)

They answered.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” (20-24)

Jesus Begins to Sort it Out

Using the Scriptures, Jesus them begins to sort out what they have passed though together .His words penetrate into their hearts, they perceive the truth within them.

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”  (25-27)

Revealed Broken Bread

They arrive at their destination, but for them, Emmaus is more than just a location it becomes a place of revelation about Jesus. It is here in the sharing of a meal, in the breaking of bread that Jesus reveals himself and they come to see that it has been he himself who walked along with them the whole time even though they did not recognize him. It was Jesus who began to bring clarity and understanding regarding their experiences, both the glory and the sufferings. 

“As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.”

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (28-32)

In the Shared Meal

What occurred there at Emmaus, at that simple meal, is the same as what Jesus did at the in the upper room, as Jesus passed the bread and wine, but now it can be viewed in light of his resurrection. The resurrection has now changed for all time and eternity the meaning of gathering together for the sharing of meal. It has now become a means of encountering the resin Jesus in dramatic and interment way. He shows us that he is here with us. 

And seeing who he is we begin to be able to see who we are in him. Our lives with their all the unexpected challenges and its glories and sufferings all begin to take on a redemptive quality.

Jesus lives, and his risen life is what gives the shared meal of broken bread its power and redemptive quality by which he gives us a revelation about who he is.

Telling Others

When the two disciples recognize Jesus they are moved by the encounter to return to Jerusalem and share it with the other disciples. They have become witness of the Jesus and his resurrection.

“”They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.” (33-35)

Jesus Eats

The two disciples tell the others about their encounter with Jesus and as they do, Jesus reveals himself to the others.

“While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (36)

Jesus understands their fear and to assuage it ,and show them,  that it is himself, he extends his hands and feet that they might know that it is their Lord. Jesus asks them if they have anything to eat. This act shows them it is him.

“They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.”  (37-43)

Jesus Brings Understanding

After they see that Jesus is alive he opens their understanding to the word of God and the purposes for which he has called them.

“He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

In the Breaking of Bread

In this sharing of a meal, that is in the breaking of bread, Jesus has revealed himself and his very purpose for each and all of us. Jesus is inviting all humanity into communion with himself. The very message of the Gospel is pictured as Jesus knocking upon the doors of human hearts so that he might eat with them and sees Jesus for who he is.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Rev: 3:20

If the door is opened to him, Jesus will fellowship with us, have communion, we will see who he is. This image of a common shared meal with Jesus is not just for the here and now but is used to speak to us all about the eternal joyful fellowship in a marriage union with Jesus where Jesus will eternally reveal to us all that the great God has for each and all of us, bring us  ever into a great revelation of who he is.

Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."Rev: 19:9

In the breaking of bread, that shared meal with our Lord we grow ever close to him seeing that he is with now and for all eternity..Amen

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor 

  The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com: