All scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. The record from the book of acts couldnt be clearer. Some scholars count fourteen or more, directly or indirectly. The book of acts tells us on that day the god of heaven launched the church of. How does god use persecution to strengthen and advance his. These apostles were given a commission to be witnesses of christ unto the. At pentecost, the holy spirit descended upon the apostles, who then went on to baptize 3,000 people were that same day, as recounted in the book. By wayne jackson there is a minority element within the christian community that contends the early church met exclusively in private homes, not in the type of public facilities one sees today. Wed all like to have churches that grow the way the church did in the book of acts.
The real question is whether the church in the book of acts is a model for the modern church to follow. So it is easy to think that if we want to continue to thrive as a church, or to grow or be impactful, that all we have to do is do what the christians did in acts. To prove this point, let us take a quick look at church growth in the book of acts, with a special view to the church in jerusalem. The rest of the book of acts will document this spread. Many people in our country would have heard the gospel many times and still not. The exemplars discussed here, though not exhaustive, may. Up to this point the apostles had been through a lot already. This is the word of the lord for the body of christ in all times and all places. This glorious event took place on the day of pentecost. The church started to grow in numbers when the apostles started to reach the.
House churches in the new testament franciscan media. How to have an acts church part two the christian post. Timeline of the book of acts from the bible generation word. Paul was personally prepared for his church planting ministry. Ludlowthe book of acts was written by luke after his gospel as the. Acts 11 model for church growth bible study resource centre. Acts 2 house churches have a lot to teach todays small groups. They had been following jesus and were witnesses of the many miracles he had performed. So the churches were established in the faith, and increased in number daily acts 16.
The testimony of acts is not so much that persecution causes church growth but that church growth and the spread of the gospel tends to cause persecution, as religious and political leaders rise up and try to stop this movement that has caused trouble all. Paul confirmed that the church has its foundation in jesus christ 1 corinthians 3. Church growth in the book of acts a church of christ can and will grow spiritually and numerically when it is faithful to the word of god. As the apostles were teaching, opposition arose from the sadducees who did. Ludlowthe book of acts was written by luke after his gospel as the second part of a great twovolume work on jesus christ and the early christians. The word of the lord continued to grow and be multiplied acts 12.
Timothy joins paul and silas 4 as they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in jerusalem for the people to obey. For an example of one church growth writers use of acts, see c. What the book of acts teaches us about church growth 04 feb. Five reasons the early church grew acts 4 forthright fellowship. Acts is not trying to say, remember what the church used to be and do. To my knowledge, however, no church growth book with a complete focus on acts has been written. Although the bible does not specifically address church growth, the principle of church growth is the understanding that jesus said, i will build my church, and the gates of hades will not overcome it matthew 16. The book of acts tells us on that day the god of heaven launched the church of christ. We know he planted the church at ephesus, which in turn branched out to plant many others. How many churches did paul plant according to the book of. The church began on the day of pentecost, fifty days after the passover when jesus died and rose again.
Paul and the early church were not at odds with the laws of the old testament. Apostolic church planting is a followup to paynes discovering church planting intervarsity, 2009. How did the early church, which was exclusively jewish, begin to reach out to and incorporate the gentiles. It might seem strange to even ask of the book of acts ought to apply to the modern form of the church. Actus apostolorum, often referred to simply as acts, or formally the book of acts, is the fifth book of the new testament. In the case of the early church, it took persecution to drive the church beyond the narrow confines of jerusalem and out into the wider world. The church in judea, galilee, and samaria now had a time of peace and kept on worshiping the lord.
The language of growth in acts can be grouped into two broad categories. The book of acts is a key historical record of what the early church believed and practiced. How did the christian faith that began with a few followers of jesus in israel. Church growth in the book of acts church growth in the book of acts a church of christ can and will grow spiritually and numerically when it is faithful to the word of god. Pdf evangelism and church growth in the book of acts. Whereas the gospel of luke focuses on the life and ministry of jesus christ, the acts of the apostles builds upon what jesus did and taught see acts 1. The book of acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of jesus christ. Frank stagg has described the book of acts as the story of an unhindered gospel. The book of acts records the growth and progress of the church in the first century. The book of acts tells us how his church began in jerusalem and spread. The church became stronger, as the holy spirit encouraged it and helped it grow.
While we have four gospel accounts of the life of jesus christ, there is only one book of acts. How did the new testament church grow and multiply. Chronological outline of the persecution in the book of acts. Book of acts overview insight for living ministries. Within the acts of the apostoloi there are theoretical and practical exemplars which the contemporary church may pattern to navigate a pathway to fruitful evangelism and sustainable growth. As you plant a church yourself or help to equip planters, this should be helpful. The word translated church comes from two greek words that together mean called out from the world for god. Acts facts the spread of christianity the six parts of the book of. The spread of the early church ad 0 church history timeline.
Church growth statements in the book of acts barnes bible charts 2. Most of the time there were slanders and misunderstandings and accusations and persecutions, not to mention internal disputes about ethics and doctrine. For most catholics, the word church conjures up images of stainedglass windows, altars, stations of the cross, wooden pews and large buildings with architecture ranging from gothic to more modern styles. Does it support this view, or does it show us something very different. The church was not to be patterned after the old earthly israelite kingdom acts 1. Ludlow whereas the gospel of luke focuses on the life and ministry of jesus christ, the acts of the apostles builds upon what jesus did and taught see acts 1. Our remarks for this article will come from acts 4. Chapterbychapter bible studies acts the beautiful, amazing, powerful, weak, dysfunctional church. Acts facts the spread of christianity the six parts of.
The book of acts is the second book written for theophilus by luke, and takes up the story where lukes gospel account finished luke 1. Its narrative supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. As such, it provides us with a valuable account of how the church was able to grow and spread out from jerusalem into the rest of the roman empire. Its important to recognize that the church did not begin or grow through its own power or initiative. Without acts, we would be hard pressed to answer these questions. When we read of the early church growing in number, it is stated, the. Good news translation and so it was that the church throughout judea, galilee, and samaria had a time of peace. Church growth writers refer to acts rather consistently to support their theology and practice, but no detailed work has come from the movement.
It is an opportunity to grow closer to christ joh 15. The book of acts and modern church life reading acts. The growth of the church in the book of acts ryan wentzel. Beginning as a despised, illicit religious sect, christianity endured 300 years of hostility to emerge as the dominant force in the roman empire.
The common view among most churches today is that jesus came to abolish the old testament laws and that paul taught that keeping these laws was no longer necessary for christians. Because stephen was strong in faith, god did mighty acts through him and. At onequarter of the length of his earlier work, apostolic church planting is intended to answer some questions which in the years since the larger book was. The church has a mission, a work, a worship, and an organization, and there is no better place in the bible to find these things described and proscribed than in the book of acts. How many specific healing miracles are noted in the book of acts.
Third, god uses persecution to advance the gospel and grow his kingdom in the world. Five reasons the early church grew acts 4 introduction. Humanly speaking, the odds were all stacked against it. A chapterbychapter bible study of the book of acts 11 e. But what does the book of acts reveal about what the early church thought and did. Acts shows what the early church believed and practiced united. Whenever i read through the book of acts im struck with the number of times luke comments on the growth of the church. Acts shows what the early church believed and practiced. Five reasons the early church grew acts 4 forthright. Professor of new testament studies acadia divinity college, wolfville, nova scotia. Chapterbychapter bible studies acts kathleendalton. In the days immediately after the coming of the holy spirit upon 120 believers in jerusalem at pentecost, when they began to preach the gospel, we read this. Housebased ministry was so common that throughout the book of acts, every mention of a local church or church meeting, whether for worship or fellowship, is a reference to a church meeting in a home. The spread of christianity the six parts of the book of acts.