The Jesus Movement Morphs into a New Religion
LPC Pastor Jim Butler will lead a three-part series on the New Testament Book of Acts (aka “The Acts of the Apostles”) on Sundays, May 5, 12 and 19 in Wright Chapel following worship. The document is commonly understood as a memoir of the early years of Christian history, from the crucifixion of Jesus and the Easter “appearances” up to the martyrdoms of James, Peter and Paul (AD 62–68). Most scholars agree that it was written by Luke, a co-worker of Paul, as a companion volume to his Gospel.
Acts is full of very interesting stories of the scrapes and troubles the early Christian believers got into with religious and civil authorities as they took “the good news of God” to the world. But it is not just history, it also records the theological controversies and squabbles that occurred inside the movement as it slowly separated from Jewish synagogues and the Jerusalem Temple and welcomed more and more Gentiles. Acts hints of the long-term icy relationship between Paul and the original apostles and James, the brother of Jesus who led the Jerusalem “mother” church for 32 years following Jesus’ death.
When read alongside Paul’s letters, a more fulsome, accurate and lively picture emerges of the serious birth pangs of the Jewish sect that blossomed into a new world religion.