The Bible first uses the word “church” in Matthew 16:18, where Jesus states:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:18
This prediction was fulfilled at Pentecost (c. AD 30) , when the Holy Spirit came on the disciples and gave them the ability to speak in foreign tongues, and Peter declared to the crowds, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 2:38). His sermon began a time of growth and evangelization in the Church that stretched across the Roman Empire and beyond.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
The gospel came to the Jews through Jesus’ ministry, which was primarily focused on the Jewish population rather than Gentiles, and through Peter’s proclamation at Pentecost. Immediate growth followed Peter’s speech, with three thousand conversions that same day (Acts 2:41). The message extended to the Gentiles after Peter had a vision in which God showed him a sheet filled with all kinds of animals and told him to “kill and eat.” Peter hesitated, since according to Jewish law some of the animals presented before him were not acceptable to eat. However, God charged him, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” Immediately following the vision, servants of Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, told him that their master wanted to hear his teaching. The next day, Peter accompanied them back to Cornelius and shared the good news of Christ with his household (Acts 10). The gospel flourished so greatly among the non-Jews that the church that developed in the Gentile city of Antioch in Syria expanded to become the hub of Christianity for over twenty years.
However, as the good news rapidly spread, Christians experienced heavy resistance. Many Jewish authorities strongly opposed the spread of Christianity, as they felt that it threatened their authority. When a believer named Stephen was taken before a council of Jewish leaders called the Sanhedrin, he was stoned, becoming the first martyr. A young man named Saul watched the execution, approved of it, and took part in the persecution of believers in Jerusalem, invading their homes to drag them to prison (Acts 7:58-8:3). However, this opposition scattered Christians to other areas and thus spread the gospel even further (Acts 8:4-5).
In addition to hostility from the outside, internal disagreements divided believers. Some Jewish Christians insisted that Gentiles must adhere to the Law in order to join the faith, but others, such as Paul, rejected this view as too works-based. As Paul explains,
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
The tension climaxed in AD 70, when Romans set fire to Jerusalem and believers fled the city, which devout Jews viewed as treasonous. In the following years Christians were banned from synagogue services, preventing people from simultaneously remaining faithful to Jewish religion and following Christianity. Consequently, it was predominantly among the Gentiles that the faith continued to flourish.
The message reached far parts of the world as the apostles embarked on evangelistic journeys. Thomas likely labored in India. Matthew and Matthias reportedly travelled to Ethiopia. John ministered in Ephesus, and Paul and Barnabas sailed to Cyprus. Paul’s varied background—an education in Jewish tradition, fluency in Greek, and Roman citizenship—gave him unique opportunities to witness to a wide variety of people. His missionary travels stretched from Rome and Jerusalem to Thessalonica in Greece and Galatia in Asia Minor.
Even in the face of persecution, early Christians did not isolate themselves from pagan citizens. Instead, they engaged with the culture without compromising their own standards and beliefs, allowing them to attract attention to the uniqueness of Christianity. Their perseverance and hope in the face of opposition serves as a model for believers today living in increasingly anti-Christian cultures.
Works Cited:
Cairns, Earle E. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church. Third ed., Zondervan, 1996.
ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. 2011 ed., Crossway, 2008.
Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language. Updated Third ed., Thomas Nelson, 2008.
Sittser, Gerald L. “The Early Church Thrived Amid Secularism and Shows How We Can, Too.” Christianity Today, 16 Oct. 2019.
Wax, Trevin. “Why Did Jesus Say He Came Only for Israel?” The Gospel Coalition, The Gospel Coalition, INC., 28 Jan. 2013, www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/why-did-jesus-say-he-came-only-for-israel/.
Image Credit:
Heftiba, Toa. Western Wall Jerusalem. June 15, 2018. Unsplash. https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1529079875474-0a66a1f176d0?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=750&q=80.