The Apostles and the Early Church - 2946 Words

The Apostles and the Early Church J.Trimble GBST 164 In the Gospel of Matthew the term â€Å"apostles† is only used when introducing the list of twelve apostles commissioned to follow Christ. â€Å"Now the names of the twelve Apostles are these: the first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him† (Matthew 10:1-4). An apostle is a person sent to accomplish a mission. An apostle represents the one sending and has authority to represent the sender in business, political, or educational situations (T.†¦show more content†¦Gigot). The change of Simon’s name by Jesus was significant. As in the case of Abram, Sarai and Jacob, the change of destiny is indicated by the change of name. This name Cephas is taken from the Aramaic vernacular and corresponds to the Greek Peter , Petros, which means a piece of rock- a mass of rock detached from the living rock (T. Butler). It is a term which becomes a natural emblem of firmness and stability. It may be hard for us to see the fitness of such a name for a man apparently so unstable; but the fitness was perceived by Christ. Peter wavered often, even while under his Master’s eye, and at least once afterward, but he continually became more and more like the â€Å"rock† that Christ wanted him to be and he was indeed a pillar of the church (W.B. Hill). We observe that all the time Christ was with the Twelve, Peter was a leader among them. Occasionally, Christ would select certain ones for special responsibilities; for example: Peter, James and John to witness the raising of Jarius’ daughter, the transfiguration, and the agony in the garden (G. Stokes). Now, why were these particular men selected on these occasions to be the recipients of special privileges and the bearers of the attendant responsibilities? Certainly not because they possessed greater authority than the other apostles, but because hereShow MoreRelatedLeadership Styles : Jesus As A Servant Leader914 Words   |  4 Pagesthem you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.† The twelve apostles at the Pentecost were Peter, Andrew, James and John, Matthew, Philip, Thomas, Nathaniel Bartholomew, James son of Alpheus, Jude Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Matthias. The community of disciples of Je sus was the beginning of the Church. According to Robertson (2005), â€Å"As in the other gospels, the Twelve play a prominent role in Luke-Acts (p.273)†. The Servant LeaderRead More The Early Church Essay1454 Words   |  6 PagesOver the past years of my life I have seen many changes, some for the good and others not as good. Change can be demanding and also crucial. The early believers would encounter this. One can see that significant change happened, when reading through the gospels and the book of acts it is obvious to the reader that the believers who followed Jesus would never be the same again. They had enjoyed a time of fellowship with Jesus and teaching from Him. But He was now preparing them to understand thatRead MoreThe Foundations Of The Canons1702 Words   |  7 Pagesrecalling events that took place during his time on earth. It is through the witness of the Spirit that man can determine the â€Å"wheat from the chaff.†() The early church had the writing of the Old Testament but did not have a formal set of canonized books regarding the Messiah to draw their inspiration from. Though they had letters from Apostles there were many heretical writings that were circulating throughout the lands that were teaching doctrine different from those who knew Christ personally.Read MoreThe Foundation of Orthodoxy and the Canon1447 Words   |  6 PagesThe Foundation of Orthodoxy and the Canon: There are several areas in the early church on essential issues such as the deity of Christ, nature, and humanity. This period of dispute was also characterized with the emergence of groups like Gnostics, which brought a completely new set of presumed beliefs to the faith that came alongside the faith and in total compromised tenets of the faith. These new beliefs were supposedly based on the truth of Christ’s teachings as presented to his followers.Read MoreEssay on The Pauline Epistles I1141 Words   |  5 Pagessuccess and Paul wrote this letter to further his position in the first letter and to address concerns that arose out of his previous epistles. The second Letter to the Church at Corinth is the supplement of the first. It is due to the same circumstances which called out the first, and to the effects that were produced in the church at Corinth by the receipt of the first letter. (Johnson) Biblical times were not the age of great strides in communication. Letters were very powerful means to conveyRead MoreThe Spiritual Gift Of Apostles And Prophets1087 Words   |  5 Pagesfoundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone† (Eph. 2:20). Nevertheless, the debate is still on going if the office of the apostles and prophets ceased during the â€Å"Apostolic Age† or if it has continued on to the present day. This research paper will offer the Charismatic Movement opinion that advocates the interpretation of modern day apostles and prophets. A history of Charismatic theology will be provided. A survey of modern-day apostles and prophets willRead MoreThe Book Of Acts By The Bible1267 Words   |  6 PagesThe Book of Acts is a book about the beginning of the first Christians and the growth of the Church. Acts explains how Christianity began and also spread about. It explains how Jesus used some of the apostles to teach thro ugh the Holy Spirit after ascending into Heaven. The writer of the Book of Acts is the apostle Luke, who gives us insight into the different things the disciples, mainly Peter and Paul, had went through during this time. Luke describes these instances but rarely indicates howRead More3.What Contribution Did Mrs 540 The Church To 120 C.E.701 Words   |  3 Pagesdid MRS 540 the Church to 120 C.E. make to your understanding of the church? For me, the course, MRS 540 The Church to 120 C.E had helped me understand the early parts of the ministry that Christ set here on here on Earth to spread the message of Hope, Love, and Compassion that can found within his Gospel Message. As a student of History, this course had For me pointed the many legends as I have learned within this course concerning the ministries and deaths of Christ s apostles abound, but thereRead MoreThe Foundation Of Orthodoxy And The Canon1188 Words   |  5 PagesOrthodoxy and the Canon Laurie Pelosi Liberty University Online History of the Church Submitted: April 8, 2016 1. This research paper is rich in documented history, but ultimately all who contributed to the New Testament understood that Jesus was the main influence. Our Christian Orthodox founder is Jesus and His word. After Jesus’s death and resurrection he promised the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them in their missionary tasks. As promised, the beginningsRead MoreThe Book of Acts1338 Words   |  6 PagesBrief Overview of The Book of Acts Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a follow-up to his Gospel account of the life of Christ. The Acts should be seen as a description of the ongoing work of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit through His apostles and followers. Luke’s aim is to give an historical record of the early church from its birth in Jerusalem to how it reached around the world with the Gospel. Through this work Luke reveals that everything that was said previously about Jesus