Apostolic teaching is the apostles’ teaching the church devoted itself to.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship.
After Pentecost the church devoted itself to the apostles’ teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers. The teaching is not a later school. It is what the apostles received from Jesus and preached. Paul tells Timothy to guard the good deposit and to entrust it to faithful men who will teach others. He tells the Thessalonians to hold the traditions they were taught by word or letter. A different gospel is accursed, even from an angel. Apostolic teaching is the deposit, not every later opinion.
- The early church is marked by this devotion before it is marked by buildings.
- The letters are the teaching written down. The churches read them aloud.
- Faithful men pass it on. They do not replace it.
The apostles’ teaching and the fellowship.
Guard the good deposit.
Hold the traditions you were taught.
- Apostolic teaching is what the apostles taught.
- The church devoted itself to it from the start.
- It is the deposit to be guarded.
- Traditions here are what Paul taught, not later fences.
- A contrary gospel is accursed.
- Faithful men teach others the same deposit.
- The Source – Christ, through the apostles.
- The Devotion – Acts 2:42.
- The Deposit – Guarded by Timothy.
- The Letters – The teaching written.
- The Ban – No other gospel.
- The Handing On – Faithful men.
- Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship.”
- 2 Timothy 1:13-14 – “Follow the pattern of the sound words… guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
- 2 Timothy 2:2 – “Entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
- Galatians 1:8 – “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary… let him be accursed.”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 – “Stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:2 – “I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:3 – “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received.”
- Jude 1:3 – “Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
- Acts 2:42 – “The apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
- Ephesians 2:20 – “Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.”
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship.
Guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
A gospel contrary to the one we preached is accursed.
Apostolic teaching is that deposit. Faithful men hand it on. They do not improve it.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.