Bible Study Week 10
Part 1
The New Testament Church
Luke, in about AD 63, wrote the book of the Bible called Acts of the Apostles. This book records the birth, inauguration, and phenomenal advancement of the New Testament church. The church became a dynamic organism, and the feeble but faithful followers were transformed into a vigorous spiritual force for righteousness. They vocally proclaimed with anointed lips the purpose of God manifested through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. They drew out of their own vibrant encounter and knowledge, for they had been privileged to be eyewitnesses of His majesty (II Peter 1:16).
From approximately AD 50 to 100 the apostles and their associates wrote the books of the New Testament to record the gospel message as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
* Fellowship
Apostles' Teaching (Mathew 28:20; Acts 2:42)
The new believers desired to be taught the Word of God by the apostles. Everyone who has committed his or her life to Jesus Christ must make every effort to hear and study the Word of God. The Word of God gives us the foundation we need to stand upon.
Every believer needs faith, which comes by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). We need the Word of God to live by (Mathew 4:4).
* Fellowship with the Church (Acts 2:42)
A phrase that describes the life of the early church is "al that believed were together" (Acts 2:44). The Christian has a word for this togetherness: It is called fellowship. The first commitment to fellowship is with Jesus Christ (I John 1:3). "And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." John then tells us in verse 7, "We have fellowship one with another."
* Breaking Bread from House to House (Acts 2:42)
Witnesses told everyone about what God was doing in their day. They had fellowship from house to house, and they took the gospel from house to house with a lay ministry. (See Acts 20:20) Witnessing and preparing the way of the Lord is still an important aspect in the believer's life today.
* PrayerAfter the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, the church kept praying. Prayer is essential in the life of a Christian. Because of their prayers and praise, God gave the church favor with all the people and added to it daily.
>>> What are essential things we can learn from the early church?
It is beautiful to see the early church's example of teaching, fellowship, reaching out to others, and prayer. Their example remains a model for healthy churches today.
The First Miracle in the Church (Acts 3:1-11)
The first recorded miracle performed after ascension of Jesus and the inauguration of the church was the healing of the lame man at the gate called Beautiful. This miracle produced evidence that the power of Jesus Christ was upon His followers. Jesus was present to heal through the faith of His disciples. (See Mathew 10:1-8; Mark 6:7-13)
The Lord has not changed. He still heals today. When unbelief, lack of obedience, and worldliness are cast aside, the Lord will perform miracles just as He did in the early church.
As a result of the lame man's healing, people gathered, Peter preached his second sermon, and many believed. When the Holy Ghost first fell, about 120 were present. After that initial outpouring of the Holy Ghost, three thousand more souls were added. When these converts came together to have fellowship in the apostles' doctrine, the Lord added to the church daily.
After this miracle of healing, many more believed. The number of men was about five thousand (Acts 4:4). This made the total of about ten thousand souls who were converted from the Day of Pentecost.
The Giving Spirit of the Church
It is easy to see that fellowship and miracles were important factors in the expansion of the young church. There was also a singleness of devotion and dedication depicted by their selflessness. God-centered attitude, and concern for other's needs. In its infancy the church had a purity and innocence about it that was disarming. As many converts came together from various lands, there were various material needs among them. In any group numbering thousands, there will be widows, the homeless, the poor, and people who struggle to eke out a bare existence. These new believers were taken up with the expectation of a better inheritance in another world, and so "neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own" (Acts 4:32). They grasped the fact that they were simply stewards, not owners, of God's gifts and goodness.
* The Lord's Stewards (Acts 4:34-35)
As stewards of the Lord's blessings, those who had prospered materially were eager to distribute their blessings to their brothers and sisters in need. They sold houses and real estate, and the proceeds were laid at the apostles' feet.
* Barnabas Shows the Way (Acts 4:36-37)
Barnabas was a Levite. Perhaps he remembered that God, hundreds of years prior, had promised to be his portion and his inheritance (Deuteronomy 10:9). He disentangled himself from the things of the world (II Timothy 2:4). He exhibited great-hearted giving. Barnabas, whose name means "son of consolation', had a ministry of encouragement and comfort. He uplifted and inspired many of the churches in his later ministry (Acts 11:22-24). He encouraged the apostolic circle to receive Paul as a felloe Preacher.