The early church is the church of Acts, from Pentecost to Rome.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
In Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
The early church is the church Luke narrates. It begins in Jerusalem at Pentecost, devoted to the apostles’ teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers. Persecution scatters it. Men of Cyprus and Cyrene preach in Antioch, and the disciples are first called Christians there. Barnabas and Saul are set apart. The mission reaches synagogues, households, and at last Rome. This is not a golden age to copy in every detail. It is the church Christ built, still one church with the church now.
- The council in Jerusalem refused to put the Gentile believers under the yoke. The letter went back to Antioch with Silas.
- Paul and Barnabas parted over John Mark. The mission did not stop. Barnabas sailed to Cyprus. Paul took Silas.
- The Colossians and the Romans were churches the apostle did not plant. The early church is wider than Paul’s journeys.
Apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers.
Christians, first at Antioch.
The kingdom proclaimed in Rome, unhindered.
- The early church begins at Pentecost in Jerusalem.
- They devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, bread, and prayers.
- The name Christian was first used in Antioch.
- The Spirit sent Barnabas and Saul from that church.
- Gentile believers were not put under the law as a yoke.
- The story in Acts ends with Paul preaching in Rome unhindered.
- The Start – Pentecost, Jerusalem.
- The Devotion – Teaching, fellowship, bread, prayers.
- The Name – Christians, at Antioch.
- The Sending – Barnabas and Saul.
- The Council – No yoke on the Gentiles.
- The End of Acts – Rome, unhindered.
- Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
- Acts 11:26 – “In Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”
- Acts 13:2-3 – “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul… Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
- Acts 15:28-29 – “It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements.”
- Acts 28:30-31 – “He lived there two whole years… proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
In Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
The early church is that story. Not a museum. The same Lord, the same teaching, the same mission, still unhindered where He is proclaimed.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.