Christianity in the first century 1.Death/ Resurrection of Jesus 2.Pentecost. 3.Apostle Paul. 4.Apostolic Council (Jerusalem Conference). 5.Paul’s letter.

Christianity in the first century

1. Death/ Resurrection of Jesus2. Pentecost.3. Apostle Paul. 4. Apostolic Council (Jerusalem Conference).5. Paul’s letter to Galatians6. Paul on Faith & Works.

Objections to Resurrection

• Miracles don’t happen• Apparent death• Hallucination hypothesis• The Wrong Tomb hypothesis• Incomplete & inconsistent

evidence

Pentecost• Jewish celebration of God’s

giving of the Torah on Sinai• Baptism in the Holy Spirit• Apostles received power

– ‘we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard’ Acts 4:20.

• Gift of tongues• Miracle of understanding (cf.

Tower of Babel)• Modern charismatics

Map 2nd c.

Capernaum Synagogue, 4th c. A.D.

Sardis Synagogue

Theater, Miletus (Turkey).

“[Place ] for the Jews God-fearers”

inscription

Roman Houses. Ephesus.

Apostle Paul (4-60 A.D.?)

• Who was Paul? (Gal 1:13-14; Acts 8)

• An account of his conversion (Acts 9:1-19)

• Paul as an apostle: Acts 1: 21-22 p. 186; cf. 1 Cor 15: 8-11, p. 288).

• What is Paul’s claim to be an apostle based upon? Galatians 1:11-12, 15-17, p. 311-2

• His letters.

Paul’s second missionary journey (49-52 AD)

Beroea, Greece. Our UST Group is About to Get in Trouble…

Happy Ending!

Acts 17: Mars Hill (Areopagus) in Athens.

• Compare Peter’s speech in Acts 3: 11-26 with Paul’s speech in Acts 17: 22-34.

Parthenon, Athens.

Jerusalem conference (48/51? A.D.)• The council was gathered in response to the conflict. What was the

conflict about (Gal 2: 11-12)? • The council is described in Acts 15.• According to Acts, what decision was reached? Acts 15: 19-20.

Churches in Galatia

• What appears to be the problem of the church in Galatia? (1:6-9; 4: 10-11, 17; 5:2-3).

Paul with the church he founded. Philippi, Greece.

Paul & James on Faith & Works• What is justification? • Read and sum up Gal 2:15-21; 3:10-14; 5:3-6. What is meant by

‘the works of the law’?– Interpret: ‘it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me’ (2:

20).– ‘if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing’ (2:

21). • What is the place and function of the law? (Gal 3:19, 24)• Read and sum up James 2:14-26• Do Paul & James contradict each other?• Paul & James use the terms “faith” and “works” differently.

Map 2nd c.