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Category: Acts for a 21st c. Church

Acts of the Apostles + a History of Christ’s Church

Acts of the Apostles 1-28

Acts of the Apostles:
+ The first century Church SHARED Christ while suffering severe persecution.
+ Luke records a historic account of the Church which gives 21c Christians a context to SHARE the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

Read more about the Early Church & add your COMMENT on Scripture.

ACT now.

+ SHARE the Gospel history witnessed in the CURRENT chronological SERIES from ACTS of the APOSTLES.

Stephen, Dynamic Preacher of God’s Word
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We return now to Jerusalem in c.A.D.30, from where Luke left us with the Apostles' appointing seven men to help minister to the needs of a growing Church. Today we begin with a look at this first named deacon, Stephen.
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The word [from the Apostles] found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and [six other men].
Acts 6:5 NASB20

Stephen, a man full of faith

The multitudes of the growing church elect seven men to help the Twelve with administration of some daily duties of the church which have begun to cause complaint. Number one on their list: Stephen.

ACTS of the Apostles 6:

So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts of the Apostles 6:7 CSB

Now, Nineteen (not just the Twelve) Preach the Gospel in Jerusalem

Luke has witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit moving in Christ’s saints in Jerusalem, along with accompanying signs from God. Multitudes now join the fellowship of believers led by Peter and John, all the Apostles and now seven more saints determined to preach Christ crucified and risen from the grave.

Some perhaps, (in addition to the Twelve) may have witnessed the Lord Jesus as one of the more than five-hundred who saw Jesus with their own eyes after His resurrection.

The new congregation of believers encounter opposition from the established rulers of Jerusalem already determined to snuff out the burning new zeal of those who have believed in Jesus by the witness of the Apostles. (Perhaps these will be less likely to oppose the authority of Jerusalem’s official judgment than their outspoken uneducated teachers Peter and John, who had escaped imprisonment prior to trial.)

Stephen, full of grace and power

But what happens within their walls of Jerusalem?

Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.
Acts of the Apostles 6:8 CSB

A Church Seized by Signs and Wonders

.. great wonders and miracles among the people.

First, Simon Peter and John, preaching in the courtyards of our Temple with a man healed from life-long lameness.

(We had to release them or the multitudes would have turned on us!)

But now, MORE signs — NOT through twelve Apostles of Jesus, but a NEW disciple of His Disciples!

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.
Acts of the Apostles 6:8 NASB20

Who is this new disciple of the former rabbi Jesus?

Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

These freedmen were also Jews caught up in the disputes of Hellenism, as had led to the call of their Greek brother Stephanos.
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The Synagogue of the Freedmen included men who had been made captives of the Romans under Pompey but were afterwards set free; and who although they had fixed their abode in Rome, had built at their own expense a synagogue at Jerusalem which they frequented when in that city - Source
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More than murmuring, False Witness against Stephen

10 But they were unable to cope with his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. Then they secretly induced men to say,

“We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
Acts 6:11b – false witness against Stephanos by some men of the libertinus

Why would liberated Jews (with their own synagogues) oppose these new rabbis?
- the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including
  - both Cyrenians
    a large and very flourishing city of Libya Cyrenaica or Pentapolitana, about 11 miles (17 km) from the sea. Among its inhabitants were a great number of Jews, whom Ptolemy I. had brought there, and invested with the right of [Roman] citizens
  - and Alexandrians,
    Ἀλεξανδρεύς Alexandria in Egypt
  - and some from Cilicia
    Κιλικία a maritime province in the southeast of Asia Minor, boarding on Pamphylia in the west, Lycaonia and Cappadocia in the north and Syria in the east. Its capital, Tarsus, was the birth place of Paul – source
  - and Asia,
    Ἀσία i.e. Asia Minor, or (usually) only its western shore:—Asia – proconsular Asia embracing Mysia, Lydia, Phrygia, and Caria, corresponding closely to Turkey today
These Hellenized Roman Jews competed with rabbis of other Jewish sects for influence in Jerusalem.

Speaking of murmuring..

12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin.

Πέτρος First Petrus and now this Στέφανος Stephanos

13 They also presented false witnesses..
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This strategy of an alliance between the libertines and more orthodox Jews against Jesus had worked before Pilate just a few months ago.
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.. for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.”
ACTS of false witness against Stephen by the Freedmen 6:14 NASB

στέφανος Stephen
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στέφανος stéphanos, stef'-an-os; 
from an apparently primary στέφω stéphō (to twine or wreathe);
 a chaplet (as a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally; 
but more conspicuous and elaborate than the simple fillet, G1238), 
literally or figuratively:—crown.
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Stephen is about to become the angelic crown of witness to the first century church.

To be continued…
January 3, 2022
An Apostolic Model: Administration of a Growing Church
Now that we have defined some key terms of the church (including ‘church’ – ἐκκλησία), we can proceed to examine the administration of disciples following the Lord Jesus Christ (‘Christians).
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If you missed this defining first post about ACTS 6, you may want to visit some of the secure links included in Ministering to a Growing Church (BELOW).
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An Apostolic Model: Ministering to a Growing Church

Who would lead change after hearing their murmurings?

Last time we only got to one verse, Acts 6:1, then encountered a roadblock before I could address how the Twelve ran their administration of the multitudes.

..when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews,
Acts 6:1 excerpt KJV

Does that sound like YOUR Church?

Let’s address my next question from our previous post about ministering to the personalities in this initial Church of the Apostles.

How can WE help relieve so many PERSONAL problems for hundreds of families belonging to our growing church?
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Filling in a four-hundred year gap between the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS:

(The Apostles, of course, understood their church family history better than we do.)
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Mapping out traditions of our pasts

I suppose you have wondered about my FIRST CENTURY CHURCH MOSAIC attached to this post. So let’s take a look at the diverse ethnic gathering of the lost sheep of Israel (along with some NON-JEWS as well).

First Jerusalem Church of the Apostles

Here’s an unspoken issue of ethnos underpinning their recent ‘murmurings.’
Israel did not exist!

In the time of the Apostles, a divided Greek-speaking Roman empire changed administrations frequently.

Before the Herod’s

JEWS exiled to the EAST to Babylon, some returning to Jerusalem AFTER Persia defeats Babylon.
Many JEWS remained in cities WEST of Jewish influence in cities of the Greek and Roman world.
BEFORE HEROD – Kingdom of Alexander the Great 336-323 B.C.
- 323 BC, Alexander died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon
  - Alexander had conquered cities, kingdoms & empires from Greece to Asia and to Egypt, Babylon, Persia and beyond.
  - These ‘Hellenized‘ cultures then embraced or tolerated Greek customs and language as a universalist ethnos applied to trading and communication between cultures.
    (Compare to a contemporary founding culture three centuries ago in North America.)
- 200’s BC, The Ptolemy’s of Egypt (who had also been Hellenized by Alexander’s conquests) ruled Jerusalem and the eastern Mediterranean coast to Syria beyond Tyre and Sidon.
- 100’s BC, Seleucia (modern-day Bagdad) was the Hellenized capital of the Seleucid Empire which survived until 63 BC
  - As you can see on the top-left of my map mosaic, much of this massive empire lies east of Rome’s later reach.
  - 167-134 BC, Maccabean revolt and resistance against Seleucid rule in Judah
- 63 BC, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus or Pompey the Great, captured Jerusalem for Rome
- 37 BC, Herod the Great (of Edomite ancestry, born in Idumea) aligned himself with Rome.
Rome divides its client kingdom into:

Bashan
Lower Galilee
Samaria
Mishor
Judea &
Idumea

In the time of Jesus and the Apostles into:

Samaria, Judea & Idumea
Perea & Galilee
Batania (Caesarea Philippi) & Auranitis
Syria, including Phoenicia & Ituraea
(with Antioch, Roman city of 500,000+ residents, residence of its Governor)

source
Apostolic ACTS of Administration

6:2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said,
“It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.
NIV

WHEN will we ever have time to minister to our church family?

NOT OUR PROBLEM? NO! That’s not what the Apostles leading the growing church are saying.

In fact, the Apostles lead other servants of God to solve the church’s own ministry ‘challenge.’

Waiting tables is just one of our many ministries

“Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
Acts of the Apostles 6:3 NASB20
- Together this first church in Jerusalem, saints ministering to each other (though having common petty differences),
  - must address the administration of their own servant duties to the community
  - without intervention of the their masters (and teachers) the Apostles.
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry^G1248 of the word.

ACTS 6:5 This proposal pleased the whole group.
- Select seven (for administration of a church of 500+ saints now)
- These seven men must be μαρτυρέω [of good reputation]
  - (NOT as we might think, but i.e. ‘to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration.’
  - Seven men from the
- .. full of the [Holy] Spirit
- .. and of wisdom σοφία [sophia] who we should put in charge [administrators] of this task.
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These laymen disciples will choose those who will administer the daily tasks of the church.
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An Administration by More Servant Leaders

And they chose:
1. Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and
2. Philip,
3. Prochorus, [Greek, probably a Hellenist]
4. Nicanor, [a Greek name]
5. Timon,
6. Parmenas, [may have been from Asia minor] and
7. Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch [a pagan converted to Judaism from the city in Syria where he will soon to minister to the gentiles]
What must we do for each and every saint of our Lord Christ Jesus?

Administration of our designated authority

And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
ACTS of BLESSING the seven men in Jerusalem given authority by the Apostles 6:6

Prayer (inquiring of the LORD) followed by Blessing

We see such acts as this throughout Scripture.

Moses chooses seventy to help. Israel blesses each of his grown sons before his death. (Isaac had blessed Jacob and not Esau.) Moses blesses Joshua. David blesses Solomon.

Conversation with the LORD followed by the Lord’s blessing of continued authority of administration of His work through another.
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They laid their hands … - Among the Jews it was customary to lay hands on the head of a person who was set apart to any particular office, Numbers 27:18; Compare Acts 8:19. This was done, not to impart any power or ability, but to "designate" that they received their authority or commission from those who thus laid their hands on them, as the act of laying hands on the sick by the Saviour was an act signifying that the power of healing came from him, Matthew 9:18; compare Mark 16:18. In such cases the laying on of the hands conveyed of itself no healing power, but was a sign or token that the power came from the Lord Jesus. Ordination has been uniformly performed in this way. See 1 Timothy 5:22. 
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Though the seven deacons had been chosen by the church to this work, yet they derived their immediate commission and authority from the apostles.
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible – Source of this & extended quote above: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/acts/6-6.htm

The Great Commission

(Mat 28:16–20; Luk 24:44–49; Act 1:6–8 )

Later he [Jesus] appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he had risen. Then he said to them,

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Gospel of Mark 16:15 CSB

.. but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”
ACTS of the risen Christ 1:8

Pentecost – a narrative of the fifty days fulfilled

And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them.
Acts 2:3

The Day of Pentecost had been a laying on of hands by the Holy Spirit such as man had never seen!
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com

Recalling a caution of Gamaliel

But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”

Acts of the Apostles 5:39 NLT

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts of the Apostles 6:7 NIV
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ACTS of the Apostles - To be continued...
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December 28, 2021
An Apostolic Model: Ministering to a Growing Church
How did Twelve Apostles minister to multitudes of disciples of a growing Church?
- Who would lead change after hearing their murmurings,
  - (And THAT, knowing that some came to Christ from one TRADITION,
  - while others came to the Lord from diverse ethnic standards of community, family and worship of God.)
- How can WE help relieve so many PERSONAL problems for hundreds of families belonging to our growing church?
- WHEN will we ever have time to minister to our church family?
- What must we do for each and every saint of our Lord Christ Jesus?
ACTS of the Apostles and the Jerusalem CHURCH 6:1-7

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
ACTS of the Apostles 6:1 ESV

Leading through diverse difficulties of a growing Church

‘.. but we have always done it THIS way?’
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(This isn't going to be so easy, is it?)

Luke reveals the cultural challenge of the church familiar to him, however most of us (in this 21st century) will not understand the root of the problem: 

Mixing gentiles with Jews. Even bringing the traditional challenge of some Jews joining in fellowship with other Jews divides political alliances in the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem.

Therefore I will begin by including a background for our scene in first century Jerusalem, as well as outcomes of church ministry which have occurred over two millennia. - RH
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First let’s clarify some ‘church‘ terms we derive from the Greek language of the New Testament.

Who are Apostles? (and who are Disciples?)
HOW MANY APOSTLES?
TWELVE (our standard answer)
WHO ARE THE APOSTLES?
No need here to recite them by name, but remembering:
ALL Apostles at this point in ACTS are leaders of the Church in Jerusalem.
Matthias has now replaced Judas.
Saul of Tarsus will soon encounter the risen Christ Jesus and join in ministry as Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

ἀπόστολος – full definition linked here
Disciples (disciples)

μαθητής

Strictly speaking, disciples are the ones taught; that is, anyone who follows the teachings or traditions of any teacher or rabbi.

The disciple^G3101 is not above his master [didaskalos],
nor the servant [doulos] above his lord [kyrios].
Instruction of Jesus Christ – Matthew 10:24

לִמּוּד

54:13 וְכָל־בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי יְהוָה וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנָֽיִךְ׃

And all thy children shall be taught^H3928 of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
prophesy of the Messiah by Yeshaiya (Isaiah) 54:13

μαθητής mathētḗs, math-ay-tes’; from G3129; a learner, i.e. pupil:—disciple.
- The Twelve were disciples of Jesus who followed their Teacher full-time for three years.
  - You’ve probably noticed that most translations of the Bible capitalize ‘disciple’ to avoid confusion when referring to the Twelve Disciples [Apostles].
- Many others of the multitudes also became disciples and followed Jesus Christ in the early days before his crucifixion and resurrection.
Now, in our scene in Jerusalem after the Lord’s resurrection, the Church in Jerusalem has many disciples – disciples of the Holy Spirit (who of course first receive the Holy Spirit, as we have just read from Luke’s account).

Yet from Jesus’ instruction from the Gospel of the Apostle Matthew, note another distinction of this relationship between rabbi and pupil: that of master (or lord) and servant.

These also apply in Luke’s account describing the model by which the Apostles lead the early Church.

Our NEW Pastors 🙂

(Some call them: ‘ministers‘)
- FIRST: Jesus was the Rabbi. And Jesus was the Master.
- THEN: The APOSTLES became the Rabbis. And the Apostles were then masters of their sheep (students; flocks, servants, community, school, fold, gathering, or whatever you may choose to call this multitude of the Church).
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Jeremiah 23:1, 50,17 KJV

But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; G1249
Gospel of Matthew 20:26 KJV – Teaching of Jesus to His disciples

The Twelve, led by two of Jesus’ inner circle of Apostles, Simon Peter and John, now lead the New Testament Church as rabbis to a multitude of disciples.

Lambs of the Apostles’ fold

The Apostle John, who Luke records as standing at Peter’s side on the day of Pentecost, opens our eyes to the resurrected Jesus, where the Lord calls on Peter to restore the foundation of his calling:

“Tend My lambs.” .. “Shepherd My sheep.” .. “Tend My sheep.
The risen Master’s loving command to Simon Peter to minister to His church – Gospel of John 21:15,16,17

These new disciples of the Twelve include NOT ONLY men from traditional Judaism, but also men, women and children accepted into fellowship, tender young lambs of Jesus who could NEVER before have been full members of their community of faith in the Lord God.

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it back.
Jesus teaching the Jews that He will Shepherd the gentiles, as scripture has said. – Gospel of John 10:16-17 NASB20
- And what happens when ANY two groups of differing cultural traditions choose to follow one leader?
- Dissension and murmuring by some unwilling to abide by rules and traditions imposed by others.
Who is the master ministering to these NEW lambs?

“They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

“Go; behold, I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves.
Instruction of the Master Jesus to seventy-two [72] disciples + Gospel of Luke 10:3 NASB20

Master – διδάσκαλος – didaskalos

The KJV translates Strong’s G1320 in the following manner: Master (Jesus) (40x), teacher (10x), master (7x), doctor (1x).

Doctor:
a teacher (from didasko, “to teach”), cp. didaskalia, “teaching, doctrine, instruction,” is translated “doctors,” with reference to the teachers of the Jewish religion, Luk 2:46. Cp. paideutes, “a teacher.”
See MASTER, TEACHER.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words 1 Strong’s Number: g1320 Greek: didaskalos – via BlueLetterBible.org

The rabbis of Jerusalem quarreled with each other as they had also challenged the legitimacy that Jesus’ MANY disciples should call the Lord, ‘Master.’ Now that Peter, John and the Apostles have remained in Jerusalem as Jesus commanded, MANY disciples remained faithful to the church gathered under the leadership of the Apostles.

Note from earlier, after Peter preached in the Temple,

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.
Acts records the reactions of other rabbis

These Apostolic Masters of the Church community now face division and opposition just as Jesus had encountered in Jerusalem prior to His execution and resurrection from the dead.

Lord

We will never understand our role as a servant of the Church until we know the sacrificial love of its servant-Master.
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com
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"lord" occurs 7,790 times in 6,587 verses in the NASB20. Page 1 / 132
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Here too I urge caution and prayerful understanding of terms frequently used and misused by the church. i.e. Lord, Master, servant, slave (even God and ‘love,’ translated from several different Greek and Hebrew words in Scripture).
- LORD – Yᵊhōvâ – יְהֹוָה
  - i.e. So Noah acted in accordance with everything that the LORD^H3068 had commanded him.
- From הָיָה (H1961)
  - i.e. Genesis 27:29 הָוָה
May peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you;
Be master of your brothers,
And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be those who curse you,
And blessed be those who bless you.”

And God said to Moses, “I AM^H1961 WHO I AM^H1961”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM^H1961 has sent me to you.’”
Exodus 3:14 NASB20

אָמַרְתְּ לַֽיהוָה אֲדֹנָי אָתָּה טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ׃
I said to the LORD [Yᵊhōvâ}, “You are my Lord [;ăḏōnāy];
I have nothing good besides You.” – Tehillim (Psalms) 16:2
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For this is what the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said:
“In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.”
But you were not willing,
Isaiah 30:15
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κυρίῳ kyrios – Lord
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"lord" occurs 106 times in 100 verses in the book of 'Act' in the NASB20.
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And increasingly believers in the Lord^G2962, large numbers of men and women, were being added to their number,
Acts of the Apostles 5:14 NASB20

ἐκκλησία – ekklēsia – ‘Church‘

Luke has only used the term ‘church’ once at this point in Acts of the Apostles to describe these ‘large numbers of men and women.’ He opens his second account describing the miraculous growth of the church:

Acts of ALL with one accord

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
- And now HOW has Luke just introduced the Church by name?
A Church Seized by Signs and Wonders

Acts 5:11 KJV And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
- The Church (that is, the early church) lives as a community of love in fear of God, yet joyful of Christ’s anointing Spirit given to His disciples of the Church who will ‘follow Jesus, as their Master.’
- The saints of the Apostolic community serve the Living God and obey the Apostles as their lords and masters.
The disciple^G3101 is not above his master [didaskalos],
nor the servant [doulos] above his lord [kyrios].
Instruction of Jesus Christ – Matthew 10:24

the servant [doulos]

Now that we have defined some of these ‘Christian‘ terms so foundational to understanding Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles; NEXT, God-willing, we will examine the role the these servants of the Church.
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ACTS of the Church 6: 
To be continued...
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December 22, 2021