The Presbyterian Church of Chestertown
(Photo by John Urlock – November 2013)
Background:
The remainder of the New Testament is comprised of a
variety of materials … many of them written in the form of letters
(“epistles”), written by a variety of authors and addressed to different
individuals or groups who were facing very real situations and issues of faith.
Paul is the most well-known of the authors of the
letters. But other authors remain unknown. Regardless of who the author is, the
purpose that all the letters share is to communicate the gospel (“good news”)
of Jesus Christ and to encourage individuals or newly-formed churches to remain
faithful in their commitment to Christ as their Lord and Savior. The letters
were meant to be read aloud and were often circulated among many different groups
of Christians in a region.
However,
having said all that about “letters,” the first book we will look at will be
“The Acts of the Apostles” which is unique in the New Testament. It is the
second volume attributed to the gospel-writer Luke and it tells of how God
continues to be at work through the followers of Jesus Christ as they developed
their unique identity as the Church. The book of Acts includes sermons,
speeches, biographical sketches, theological debates and travelogues. Acts was
written probably in the late 1st-century, sometime after the Gospel
of Luke. It begins where Luke’s gospel leaves off – with the Ascension of
Jesus. It’s one of my (Sara’s) favorite books – and I think it reads like an
adventure story! Which is pretty much what
life in the church is like – an adventure for all ages of people serving Christ
with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love. That’s the body of Christ at work and
alive! Come join the journey.
READINGS for WEEK #12:
· Acts – chapter 10 (the whole chapter is about the
Roman centurion Cornelius and Peter’s “conversion” to realize that the gospel
is meant for everyone)
· Acts 18:18-28 – disciples other than Paul also teach
and preach the gospel, helping to establish new congregations throughout the
region
· 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 – the generosity of the early
church in supporting each other
· Colossians 1:1-14 – the work of the church is also to
build up one another and serve Christ to the glory of God.
· James 5:7-16 – a word to the wise
· 1 Peter 2:4-12 – the “living stones” of the body of
Christ
- For more information on the Time Period related to the early church, read the background information available on "The Church Is Born," "Paul's Letters," and "The Second Generation of the Church" at: http://www.enterthebible.org/periods.aspx?m=3777
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