Outline Studies in the New Testament for Bible Teachers Part 18

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.

II. =Mem.= 1. Je. 2. Gen. 3. Both J. and G. 4. "Judai."

III. =Lead.= 1. Pau. 2. Jam. 3. Pet. 4. Phi. 5. Bar.

6. Sil. 7. t.i.t.

IV. =Gov.= (Dir. Guid. H. S). 1. Aps. 2. El. 3. Pro. 4. Tea.

V. =Doc. Vie.= Mes. Res. Ret. Jes.

VI. =Mor. Stan.= "No comp."

VII. =Meet. Pla.= Syn. "Up. roo."

VIII. =Lit.= O. T. "Or. gosp."

IX. =Uni.= Com. spir. lif.

Review Questions

What stage in the church's progress do we now consider? In what lands was the church established at this time? What two cla.s.ses of people const.i.tuted its members.h.i.+p? How did these two cla.s.ses wors.h.i.+p together? What service was observed in the homes of members? Who were the Judaizers? What harm did they do? Name the three great leaders at this time. Who was James? Give an instance when Peter was not entirely consistent in his conduct. Name four other leaders and a fact about each. Why did the church of that time need very little government? Name four kinds of officers in the church. What was the special work of the apostles? Where did the elders originate? With what churches are elders named in this period? What were the prophets in the church? Name some who are called prophets in this period. What was the work of teachers in the church? Were doctrinal studies or discussions prominent at this time? What were the three prominent doctrines of the church? Why do the moral standards of the church come into prominence at this time? What were those standards? Where did the Christians hold their meetings? What was the literature of the church at this time? What do you understand by "the oral gospel?" Was such a gospel in existence? Wherein did the unity of the church consist? How was this unity shown?

SIXTEENTH STUDY

The Preparation of Paul for his Work

PART ONE

Before we enter upon the study of "The church among the Gentiles," our next period, there is a preliminary topic to be considered. The only record which we possess of the period before us, the Book of Acts, not only represents Paul as the leading worker for the gospel, but it even omits all reports of the work of other apostles and evangelists. There must have been other workers: Peter, Barnabas, Philip, and other workers were still living, and must have been active in founding churches; but their work is not mentioned. We find mention of churches which Paul had not founded (Acts 21. 3, 7; Acts 28. 13, 14, 15). Paul stands before us as the leading and the typical worker in the gospel. We will therefore take for our theme, =The Preparation and Methods of Paul=.

At A. D. 50 Paul is now at Antioch, about fifty years old, having been born probably about four years after Jesus Christ. His first missionary journey has taken place, and he is now about to enter upon his second missionary journey. Let us notice some of his advantages for leaders.h.i.+p in the gospel.

I. He was =a Jew=. (See Phil. 3. 5; Rom. 11. 1). The leader in this movement must be a Jew. 1. Because as a Jew he would have a _training_ in Bible knowledge, and in the _faith_ of a coming Messiah such as no Gentile could possess. 2. Moreover the work in nearly all places must begin in the synagogue. (See Acts 17. 1; 2. 10; 18. 1, 4; 19. 1, 8). And only a Jew could take part in its services.

II. He was a =Trained and Recognized Rabbi=: an accredited teacher of the law; "a college man" with the prestige of scholars.h.i.+p won in the school of Gamaliel, the greatest Jewish master of that age (Acts 5. 34; Acts 22. 3). Such a teacher would be welcome in any synagogue. In this respect contrast Paul with Peter and the other apostles (Acts 4. 13).

III. He was a =h.e.l.lenist=, or "Grecian Jew;" i. e., a Jew of the Dispersion; by birth and environment broader than the Jews of Jerusalem, who rarely came in contact with Gentiles. He was a traveler acquainted with the world; spoke Greek as fluently as Hebrew, an absolute necessity for preaching to Gentiles (Acts 21. 37, 40). He spoke to the Greek philosophers in their own tongue and after their own manner. Contrast Acts 17. 22 with Acts 22. 1. Tradition says that Peter, when at Rome, used an interpreter in preaching to the church. Paul's ability to speak at least two languages gave him a great advantage.

IV. Another advantage was that he was by birth a =Roman Citizen= (Acts 16. 37. Acts 22. 25-28). This privilege, at that time rare among those outside of Italy, gave the apostle safety, immunity from imprisonment by the local rulers, and the right to a trial before a Roman judge, with appeal to the emperor. James was put to death, and Peter thrown into prison by King Herod (Acts 12. 2-4); but Paul was by his citizens.h.i.+p undoubtedly saved more than once from torture and from death.

V. He was a divinely-called =Apostle=. When he spoke it was with all the fervor and authority of one who had seen the Lord and had received a special command from the lips of the ascended Christ to bear testimony to his gospel. His call came with his conversion (Acts 26. 12-19). He claimed the authority of an apostle (Gal. 1. 1; 1 Cor. 9. 1). Notice that in his letters Paul always places "apostles" before "prophets"

(Eph. 2. 20; 3. 5; 4. 11), as holding the higher office in the church.

VI. He possessed rare =Natural Endowments= for his work.

1. He was a man of _sympathy_, warm-hearted and tender; making strong friends.h.i.+ps, drawing men after him. Note how in every place he found friends (Acts 19. 31; 20. 4; 27. 3, 43).