Chronological Life Application Study Bible 2nd Edition - Flipbook - Page 8
God also sent Peter a vision to let him
know it was time to take the Good News to
the Gentiles. Peter then shared the message
of Jesus to a Roman centurion named Cornelius, whose entire household became believers. This event greatly startled the Jerusalem
believers, but when Peter told his story, they
praised God and acknowledged God’s work
among the Gentiles. The message was also
preached to Gentiles in Antioch, where an
apostle named Barnabas brought Paul to
encourage the believers.
Soon the Antioch congregation commissioned Paul and Barnabas for an evangelistic
tour, spreading the Good News to Cyprus
and south Galatia with great success. Controversy arose about whether Gentile believers
needed to adhere to Jewish laws and customs
in order to follow Jesus, which threatened to
divide the community of faith. A council met
in Jerusalem to rule on what was required of
Gentile believers in Jesus. Along with other
leaders, James (Jesus’ half brother and leader
of the Jerusalem congregation) resolved the
issue and sent messengers to relay the decision to the believing communities.
Paul continued his missionary work,
bringing the Good News to various cities and regions of the Roman Empire and
strengthening the believers he had already
visited. Paul continually faced opposition,
and eventually he was arrested in Jerusalem
and transferred to Rome to await a hearing
before Caesar. According to tradition, Paul
was released and returned to his missionary
work but was eventually arrested again and
martyred for his faith during the persecution of believers under Emperor Nero.
God was at work preparing the next generation of Jewish and Gentile believers in
Jesus to thrive. Several apostles wrote letters
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to
encourage and instruct the early believers.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote down
the stories and teachings of Jesus and his
early followers. These writings became the
New Testament and have guided faithful followers of Jesus ever since.
The story of God’s mission to take the
Good News of Jesus to the ends of the earth
continues today. Has Jesus captured your
heart? What is your part in the story?
PEOPLE & CULTURE
J Disciples Become
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Apostles. The disciples of
Jesus were transformed by the presence of the Holy
Spirit in their lives. They were no longer simply following
Jesus. They were sent out to represent him to the world,
and they were empowered by God himself through the
indwelling Holy Spirit. These apostles took the Good
News from Jerusalem to the very ends of the earth, and
they were used by God to provide a foundation for all the
Messiah’s followers through the inspired writings they
left behind.
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Jewish and Gentile
Believers. As the community of faith grew, God made it clear that he includes Jews
and Gentiles alike among his people. This was a cause of
great joy for believers, but it also raised some new questions. Did Gentile believers in Jesus need to convert to
Judaism in order to be fully a part of the people of God?
Did Jewish believers need to continue following the Jewish Law? These questions caused the early believers to
focus on the meaning of the gospel and clarify the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, as well
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as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Many of the letters
of the New Testament deal with these issues, including
James, Galatians, Ephesians, and Romans.
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Saul/Paul. A zealous
Pharisee bent on persecuting
the Messiah’s followers, Paul was confronted in person by
the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus. From then
on, he was a relentless and inspired apostle, preaching the
Good News of Jesus wherever he went. God chose Paul to
be his special ambassador to the Gentiles, and Paul traveled far and wide telling people about Jesus and building
up local congregations in city after city throughout the
Roman Empire. Paul was often harassed by religious leaders and civic authorities, but he never stopped sharing
Jesus even when he was in chains. A great thinker and
defender of the faith, God used Paul to give us nearly half
of the books of the New Testament.
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Roman Empire.
The early church was greatly impacted by being a part of the Roman Empire. The famous
Pax Romana provided a political and military stability throughout the entire region that gave the apostles
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