Key Moments
Prayers
1. Church
 An assembly of people convoked by God
2. Community
 A group of people who have the same interests,
religion, race, etc.
3. Communion
 Fellowship
 A Christian ceremony in which bread is eaten
and wine is drunk as a way of devotion to Jesus
Christ
• First
• Christian
• Community
The Church as First Christian Community
Why do we have to study this?
• A. What a community should be…
…and how the community of disciples fulfilled
the mission that Christ gave them
• B. We are members of the Church…
…and we are called to draw inspiration from the
life of the First Christian communities
• They devoted themselves to the teaching of the
apostles and to the communal life, to the
breaking of the bread, and to the prayers. Awe
come upon everyone, and many wonders and
signs were done through the apostles. All who
believed were together and had all things in
common; they would sell their property and
possessions and divide them among all
according to each one’s need. Everyday they
devoted themselves to meeting together in the
temple area and to breaking of the bread in
their homes. They ate their meals with
exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God
and enjoying favor with all the people. And
every day the Lord added to their number those
who were being saved. Acts 2: 42-47
The first Christians had four activities in response to the
Gospel message:
1. Teaching of the apostles
2. Fellowship
3. Breaking of the Bread
4.
These four activities should be understood as two
commitments:
1. Commitment to Apostolic Teaching
2. Commitment to Fellowship
Teaching of the apostles
 Highlights the unique authority and status they
had among the first believers
 It is the apostles who uniquely received Jesus’
commandments through the Spirit
 The first recipients of the Gospel turn to these
apostles for guidance on how they ought to
respond to the Gospel
 This communicates not only the priority of
teaching and learning among the first believers
but also to the authority of the apostles
Communal life/Fellowship
Fellowship- “koinonia” is a term found in Greco-
Roman literature to
express the mutuality and commitment characteristic of
marriage.
 This mutuality is expressed by both shared
activity and shared possessions
 The intimacy implied is made explicit by the
following phrase “breaking of the bread”. This
specific form of fellowship signaled friendship
and intimacy
• Moreover, Luke’s point is that the entire
Christian community continued to experience a
deep and supernatural sense of awe and joy.
He emphasizes on the continuity between Jesus
and his disciples as on the miracles themselves;
it is the risen and exalted Lord who is continuing
his work through his anointed apostles and
confirming their authority through such
wonders and signs
PCP II (89-90)
• The Church is a communion. In community, a
Christian grows in faith
• PCP II (89-90)
• We are called as individuals, and each one must
give a personal response.
• But Christ calls us to form a Christian community
• PCP II (89-90)
 • He wants the church to be a communion of life,
love and truth; a community of faith, hope and
charity.
There are five communions (CCC 949-953)
1. Communion of faith- the faith of the Church
was received from the apostles
2. Communion of the sacraments- Sacraments,
especially “baptism”, link all the faithful to each
other and to Christ. The word “communion” is
especially “suited for the Eucharist which brings
about this communion
3. Communion of charisms- these are
“manifestations given by the Spirit for the
common good” (1 Cor 12:7)
4. Communion of Common Goods- whatever a
Christian has is really possessed in common with
everyone else.
5. Communion in Charity- “if one members suffers
all members suffer together; if one member is
honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor 12:26)
The states of the Church
• The members of the Church
 A union exists between believers who are still
on earth and those who have died. This union is
reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods.
Second Vatican Council
“Yet, we all form one Church and in Christ we
cleave together”
THE CHURCH EXPERIENCES PERSECUTION
• LESSON 10
Persecution
 May be defined in general as the unlawful
coercion of another’s liberty or his unlawful
punishment.
 An act or practice of persecuting especially
those who differ in origin, religion, or social
outlook
 The condition of being persecuted, harassed or
annoyed
The Church has suffered many kinds of persecution
The growth of Christianity has been hindered by:
 Paganism
 Heathenism
 Agnosticism
Paganism
• A religion that has many gods or goddesses,
considers the earth holy, and does not have a
central authority
Heathenism
• Heathen- strange; uncivilized or irreligious
person
• an unconverted member of a people or nation
that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible
Agnosticism
• Agnostic- a person who does not have a definite
belief about whether God exists or not
-a person who does not believe or is unsure
of something
Reasons of the persecution of early Christians:
A. They worshipped only one God and do not recognize
the Roman gods and goddesses. They also refused to
worship the emperor
B. Christians are believed to be engaged in some form of
cannibalism in their Eucharistic Rite which is celebrated
in secret
C. Public spectacles of bloody games, like gladiatorial
contests, were condemned by the Christians as inhuman
D. Christians refused to serve in the army and protested
against wars
E. Christians showed disloyalty to the state by not paying
the imposed temple tax
Nero’s reign
Persecution of the early Church started
• Christians are turned into torches in the garden
of Nero
• Others are fed in the lion of the arena or to the
dogs
• St. Peter- crucified upside down
St. Paul- was being beheaded
Emperor Diocletian’s reign
• Was the worst persecution
• Extremely violent and added many to the list of
martyrs in the Church
• Yet, Christians were able to survive
 • Because:
• They had become too strong to be defeated and
they were well organized
• They had never lost its martyr spirit
• They rejected the old gods
• They had faith in the Christ of God
Time of persecution (Romans 8: 31-39)
31  Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians
• What, then, shall we say in response to these
things? If God is for us, who can be against
us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but
gave him up for us all—how will he not also,
along with him, graciously give us all
things? 33 Who will bring any charge against
those whom God has chosen? It is God who
justifies. 34 Who then is the one who
condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—
more than that, who was raised to life—is at the
right hand of God and is also interceding for
us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution
or famine or nakedness or danger or
sword? 36 As it is written:
• “For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be
slaughtered.”[a]
• 37 
No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I
am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the
present nor the future, nor any
powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord
The Growth of the Church
Lesson 11
Acts 11: 19-26
Now who had been scattered by the persecution that
arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia,
Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but
the Jews. There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians
among them, however, who came to Antioch and
began to speak to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the
Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them and a
great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached to the ears of the church
in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When
he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and
encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in
firmness of heart, for he was a good man, faith with the
Holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people
were added to the Lord. Then he went to Tarsus to look
for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him
to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church
and taught a large number of people, and it was
1. God Blessed The Persecuted And Scattered Church
• The Gospel Reaches Antioch
• The Church At Jerusalem Sends Barnabas To
Antioch
• Barnabas Enlists Saul
Conclusion
• The story of the planting and development of
the church in Antioch is truly amazing. Saul and
others persecuted the church. They intended to
do harm to the saints*, but what they intended
for evil, God meant for good. The church at
Antioch became a major center of missionary
activity. The ways of God in leading His church,
are absolutely marvelous! He stills works in
wonderful and even astonishing ways today.
All who are involved in church planting today
will surely be inspired by how God led the
believers in advance of the Gospel at Antioch.
*The word "saint or saints" is a general term to refer to
anyone who is a Christian believer
To be a Church that God blesses, we should learn from
the Church of Antioch
1. God blesses a Church where every member is a
minister.
2. God blesses a Church where the Gospel is proclaimed
as the power of God to save sinners.
3. God blesses a Church where His grace permeates the
Body.
4. God blesses a Church where grace is the motivation
to remain true to the Lord
5. God blesses a Church where godly leaders set the
example of holiness and faith
6. God blesses a Church where godly leaders are
devoted to teaching God’s word
7. God blesses a Church where the members are
devoted to their faith