The Church Sacrament of Salvation The Church

The Church Sacrament of Salvation

The Church Chapter 3

Chapter 3 The Story of the Early Church

Chapter Objectives The student will be able to understand: • • The mission of the Apostles Pentecost What the Holy Spirit does for the Church The primacy of St. Peter and the papacy Early persecutions St. Paul How the Church learned that the Gospel was also for Gentiles • Biographical facts about Sts. Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, and Philip • Biographical facts about Sts. Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Lesser, Jude, and Simon • Biographical facts about Judas Iscariot and St. Paul • The universal call to apostolate • The fullness of the Kingdom of God

Keys to Chapter 3 • The gift of the Holy Spirit made it possible for the Church to fulfill her Christ-given mission. • The papacy is also a gift to the Church. • Persecutions are difficult to endure, but they make the Church stronger and more effective. • The Church, under St. Peter, was led to understand that Gentile converts need not adopt the Mosaic Law. • We know the lives of the Apostles from Scripture, history, and tradition. • We are all called to evangelize as we await the final Revelation of the Kingdom of God.

For Discussion: • What instructions did Christ give to his Apostles before his Ascension? • What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church? • What was the role of St. Peter in the Church? • How did the Church reach out to all nations? • How did each of the Apostles fulfill the mission that Christ had given him?

The Mission of the Apostles and Pentecost Lesson Objectives • The mission of the Apostles • Pentecost

The Mission of the Apostles and Pentecost Basic Questions What mission did Christ give the Apostles before he ascended into Heaven? Just before his Ascension, Christ commanded the Apostles to fulfill the promise of the kingdom of David by bringing the Gospel to the whole world, beginning in Jerusalem.

The Mission of the Apostles and Pentecost Basic Questions What was the significance of Pentecost? The Apostles’ mission became practically possible by the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which made them fearless evangelizers.

Focus Question How could the period between the Crucifixion and Pentecost be called a time of confusion for the Church? The Apostles were confused by the rejection of Christ by the crowds, by his Crucifixion, by their own disloyalty toward him, by the reports of his Resurrection until they saw him, and then by his leaving them behind at his Ascension.

Focus Question How do Christ’s words about the mission to evangelize also indicate that the Church is to fulfill God’s promise to David? The spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth indicated that Christ intended the Church to encompass the entire world.

Focus Question What is the significance of Christ appointing twelve Apostles? They were to be symbolic rulers of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

Focus Question Why did the Apostles feel they needed to replace Judas? They believed that if they were to be the foundation of the restored kingdom, they would need to restore their number to twelve.

Focus Question What did the Apostles do between the Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit? They returned to Jerusalem, to the Upper Room where the Last Supper had taken place, where, together with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the rest of Christ’s disciples, the Apostles devoted themselves to prayer.

Focus Question Who initiated the action to choose a replacement for Judas? St. Peter, the leader of the Church on earth now that Christ had ascended into Heaven.

Focus Question Who was chosen as an Apostle to replace Judas? St. Matthias.

Focus Question Who was present for the Descent of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room? The Apostles, Mary, and other disciples.

Focus Question What similes did St. Luke use to describe the coming of the Holy Spirit? There was a sound “like the rush of a mighty wind” and there appeared “tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. ”

Focus Question How were the Apostles immediately transformed? They lost all their fear and began boldly proclaiming the Gospel, unafraid of the consequences.

Focus Question How long did Christ remain on earth after his Resurrection? Forty days.

Focus Question What did Christ do during this time? He appeared to his Apostles “speaking of the Kingdom of God. ”

Focus Question How did the Apostles understand Christ’s phrase, “Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth”? Christ was drawing a verbal map of the ancient kingdom of David. Jerusalem was David’s capital city. Judea was the tribal territory of David that surrounded Jerusalem. Samaria was the land north where the rest of the tribes of Israel were located. “The ends of the earth” represented all the Gentile nations that David had brought under his control.

Guided Exercise Identify the criterion St. Peter laid out for Christ’s successor and then speculate on why this requirement was essential.

Focus Question Where does the Jewish feast Pentecost get its name? It is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover. Pentecost comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth. ”

Focus Question What was the gift of tongues the Apostles received? Men of different nations heard the Galilean Apostles speaking in their own native language.

Focus Question What was the basic message that St. Peter preached? The long-awaited Messiah had come in the Person of Christ, who was crucified, who rose from the dead, and who now sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven.

Focus Question What did St. Peter say they must do to be saved? Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.

Focus Question In what sense was Pentecost the beginning of the Church? Pentecost marks the beginning of the Church’s public ministry in the world.

Guided Exercise Conduct a think/pair/share using the following question: Why was Pentecost an auspicious date for the beginning of the Church?

The Service of the Holy Spirit and the Primacy of St. Peter Lesson Objectives • What the Holy Spirit does for the Church • The primacy of St. Peter and the papacy

The Service of the Holy Spirit and the Primacy of St. Peter Basic Questions What does the Holy Spirit do for the Church? The Holy Spirit works within the Church in many ways, for example, in assisting the Pope and bishops in governing, sanctifying, and proclaiming the Gospel, in the writing and interpretation of Sacred Scripture, in the sacraments, and in the gifts, fruits, and special charisms of the Holy Spirit.

The Service of the Holy Spirit and the Primacy of St. Peter Basic Questions What is the primacy of St. Peter and the papacy? Similar to the prime minister of the Davidic kingdom, St. Peter and his successors, the Popes, possess primacy of authority in the Church as vicars of Christ.

Focus Question What is the primacy of Peter? It is the authority Christ gave to St. Peter and his successors, the Popes.

Focus Question How does the office of St. Peter relate to the office of the prime minister in the Kingdom of David? In the Old Testament kingdom of David, the king appointed a prime minister from among his twelve chief servants. Similarly, in the New Testament kingdom, Christ the king appointed one of the Twelve to have primacy over the others. In both cases, the prime minister is identified by the sign of his office—the keys of the kingdom.

Focus Question What does the term Vicar of Christ signify? It means that St. Peter and his successors possess the authority of the king—Christ—himself.

Focus Question What is the extent of St. Peter’s authority over the Church? It is full, supreme, and universal.

Focus Question Has the role of the papacy been exactly the same throughout the centuries? No. It has evolved as the political and social circumstances surrounding the Church have changed.

Focus Question What has remained constant in the role of the papacy? The papacy is the Church’s highest moral and doctrinal authority. When disagreement and conflict arise in the Church, it is the Pope who has the authority to resolve and clarify matters of faith and morals and maintain the unity of the faith.

Guided Exercise Summarize CCC 553 (p. 81), and then come up with two examples of St. Peter exercising his ministry during this time.

Graphic Organizer Complete the following table to organize the various ways in which the Holy Spirit continues to work within the Church. Way Through the Pope and the bishops In Sacred Scripture In the Sacraments In the gifts of the Holy Spirit In the fruits of the Holy Spirit Through special graces Explanation

Early Persecutions and St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles Lesson Objectives • Early persecutions • St. Paul

Early Persecutions and St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles Basic Questions What difficulties did the early Church face? The early Church faced persecution and martyrdom, difficulties she could bear because of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These problems actually strengthened the nascent Church.

Early Persecutions and St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles Basic Questions Who was St. Paul? Saul was a superbly educated Jewish Roman citizen who zealously persecuted the Church in Jerusalem until his conversion by the Risen Christ, after which he became the Apostle to the Gentiles.

Guided Exercise Conduct a focused reading of the paragraph beginning, “A man named Stephen…” (p. 83), using the following question: What are some parallels between the deaths of Christ and Stephen?

Guided Exercise Write and answer three focus questions about St. Polycarp, going beyond simple factual ones.

Focus Question Why are the martyrs held in such high esteem in the Church? Martyrs are the ultimate witnesses to the truth of the Faith, “bearing witness even unto death. ” They have imitated Christ to the point of dying out of love for him.

Focus Question What is an example of Christ’s predicting the future suffering of the Church? He told the Apostles the world would hate them and persecute them because of him.

Focus Question How could early Christians face suffering and death? They were confident that the same Holy Spirit who empowered the Apostles at Pentecost would also strengthen them in the face of persecution and death.

Focus Question What did the Jewish authorities assume would be the result of Christ’s death? They assumed it would scatter Christ’s followers and silence his message.

Focus Question How did the Church respond to the first persecution? The Apostles refused to stop preaching and the Church’s numbers grew, with the Apostles being held in higher and higher esteem.

Focus Question In Christian terms, what is a martyr? Someone put to death because of his faith in Jesus Christ.

Focus Question Who was the first Christian martyr? St. Stephen.

Focus Question What did St. Stephen’s death mark? The beginning of a tremendous persecution of the Church in Jerusalem.

Focus Question How many of the Apostles would eventually suffer martyrdom? All of the Apostles except St. John.

Focus Question What was the effect of the persecutions of the Church of the first centuries? They had the exact opposite of their intended effect. The martyrs became the Church’s greatestimony to Jesus Christ. Through the witness of the martyrs, Christianity soon spread throughout the entire Roman world.

Graphic Organizer Complete the following table to articulate St. Paul’s unique qualifications to become the Apostle to the Gentiles. Qualification Classical Education Training in Philosophy and Logic Thorough Knowledge of the Old Testament Roman Citizenship Benefits to Evangelization

Focus Question How did St. Paul’s life become transformed? He went from being a fierce persecutor of Christianity to one of its staunchest supporters.

Focus Question Where did St. Paul meet Christ? On the road to Damascus.

Focus Question What question did Christ ask St. Paul? “Why do you persecute me? ”

Focus Question What was St. Paul’s specific mission after his conversion? To bring the Gospel to Gentiles.

Focus Question Why was St. Paul spared crucifixion? Because St. Paul was a Roman citizen, he was spared the humiliation of the cross.

Focus Question Where was St. Paul born? Tarsus, a seaport in what is now Turkey.

Focus Question Why did St. Paul have two names? Like many Jews who lived in the Roman Empire, he had a Roman name (Paul) and a Jewish name (Saul).

Focus Question What does it mean to say that in Tarsus and Jerusalem St. Paul received an ideal education? In Tarsus, Paul received an excellent classical education and in Jerusalem, under Gamaliel, Paul received the best Jewish education possible at that time.

Focus Question What job did the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem grant Saul? To lay waste the Church by imprisoning her members.

The Gospel for All People Lesson Objectives • How the Church learned that the Gospel was also for Gentiles

The Gospel for All People Basic Questions How did the Church come to understand that Christianity was for Gentiles, as well as for the Jews? Although the Apostles knew from the beginning that their mission was the spread the Gospel to all nations, they learned from experience and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that Gentile converts to Christianity did not have to become Jews first.

Focus Question Who were the first converts to Christianity? Jews living in or traveling to Jerusalem.

Focus Question What was the question the Apostles had to answer as they attracted Gentile converts? Did the people of the whole world have to become Jews and follow the Mosaic Law before they could become Christians?

Focus Question Was there a clear answer in the Apostles’ minds? No. They were initially divided.

Focus Question In the early Church, what was always the best way to convince people that Christ was the Savior? To show them how Christ fulfilled the Scriptures.

Focus Question Why is it unlikely that St. Philip set aside doctrinal questions and simply baptized the Ethiopian eunuch? St. Stephen had been led by an angel and guided by the Holy Spirit so he must have concluded that baptizing the eunuch was the will of God.

Focus Question Why was it symbolically appropriate that the Ethiopian was the first Gentile convert to Christianity? To the Romans, Ethiopia represented the farthest point of the known world, in other words—“the end of the earth. ”

Focus Question What two major changes in their lives did non-Jews have to undergo if they wanted to convert to Judaism? They had to be circumcised and follow the Jewish dietary laws.

Focus Question How did St. Peter decide that it was not necessary to follow the Jewish dietary laws to convert to Christianity? He had a divine vision in which he was told to kill and eat animals the Jewish Law labeled as “unclean. ”

Focus Question How did Jews look at associating with non-Jews? It was unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit Gentiles.

Focus Question How did St. Peter overcome this prohibition? In his vision about the net, Peter was told to go meet Cornelius, a Gentile. St. Peter said, “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. ”

Guided Exercise Look up Deuteronomy 23: 1 and reread Isaiah 56: 4 -5 (p. 88). Explain how it could be said that the Church fulfilled one of God’s promises in regard to eunuchs.

Focus Question What was the Council of Jerusalem? It was the first Council of the Church and a prototype for the later Ecumenical Councils.

Focus Question What did the Council decide? That Gentile converts did not have to follow the Mosaic Law.

Focus Question Why was the Council of Jerusalem a first for the papacy? Here we find the first instance of a Pope officially defining a teaching of the Church.

Guided Exercise Extract the various meanings of twelve from the section “The Meaning of Twelve” (p. 90).

The Apostles: Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, and Philip Lesson Objectives • Biographical facts about Sts. Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, and Philip

The Apostles: Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, and Philip Basic Questions What do we know about Sts. Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, and Philip? St. Peter was the rock upon whom Christ founded his Church and the first Pope. St. James the Greater was St. John’s brother. St. John was the Apostle whom Jesus loved. Sts. Peter, James, and John formed Christ’s inner circle. St. Andrew, St. Peter’s brother, and St. Philip were both originally followers of St. John the Baptist.

Guided Exercise Conduct a think/pair/share using the following question: To what extent could you say that Christ was family friend-oriented when it came to choosing his Apostles?

Focus Question What will the next section of this text do? It will follow the lives of the Apostles from Christ’s calling to their deaths.

Focus Question What is the basis of these brief biographies? They are based on available evidence from Scripture, history, and tradition.

Focus Question After Christ called St. Peter to be his follower, what was the defining moment in his life? When St. Peter, speaking for the Apostles, declared Jesus to be “the Christ. ”

Focus Question What is the significance of the names Simon, Cephas, Petros, and Peter? Simon was the Apostle’s original name. Cephas was the new name Christ gave him, meaning “rock. ” Petros was the Greek form of Cephas, and Peter is its English translation.

Focus Question What is the meaning of St. Peter’s new name, Rock? This name signified that St. Peter would be the foundation of the Church that Christ would establish.

Focus Question What do the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven signify? They indicate that St. Peter would be both the leader in the Church and Christ’s own representative.

Focus Question What is the power of binding and loosing Christ granted Peter? It is the authority to make decisions in Christ’s Church.

Focus Question What is St. Peter’s relationship to the city of Rome? In Rome, St. Peter helped to establish and nourish the Christian community, the place he eventually suffered martyrdom.

Focus Question Why does each bishop of Rome become the successor of St. Peter? Because St. Peter was the first bishop of Rome, each successor takes his office as head of the Catholic Church.

Focus Question Why was St. Peter crucified upside down? According to tradition, St. Peter requested this, saying that he was not worthy to die in the same manner as Our Lord.

Focus Question Why is St. John’s brother called St. James “the Greater”? He is called this to distinguish him from the other Apostle named James, who is called “the Lesser, perhaps because of their relative age or height.

Focus Question Why were St. James the Greater and his brother St. John considered to be in Christ’s inner circle? They were chosen by Christ to be with him at the Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Focus Question What was St. James the Greater the first to do? He was the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom.

Focus Question What special title did St. John receive? St. John was the “disciple whom Jesus loved. ”

Focus Question What “reward” did St. John receive for being the only Apostle with enough love and courage to stay with Christ at the foot of the Cross? Christ asked St. John to care for his mother and gave St. John to the Blessed Mother as her son.

Focus Question How was St. John’s death unique among the Apostles? He was the only Apostle to die a natural death, according to tradition, at a great age.

Focus Question What were some of St. John’s writing? The Gospel of St. John, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation (or Apocalypse).

Focus Question With what city is St. John associated? Ephesus.

Guided Exercise Identify and explain one sensible speculation about one of the Apostles mentioned in the text of this lesson.

Focus Question Who was St. Andrew’s famous brother? St. Peter.

Focus Question Who did St. Andrew follow before Christ? St. John the Baptist.

Focus Question What is St. Andrew’s cross? It is an X-shaped cross; according to tradition, this was the shape of the cross he was crucified on.

Focus Question Why was St. Philip one of the first future Apostles to encounter Christ? He was a follower of St. John the Baptist who pointed out to his disciples that Jesus was the “Lamb of God. ”

Focus Question What good deed did St. Philip do for his friend, St. Nathanael? He brought him to Christ.

Focus Question What is an example of a Gospel scene in which St. Philip is mentioned? St. Philip asked Jesus to show God the Father to the Twelve.

The Apostles: Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Lesser, Jude, and Simon Lesson Objectives • Biographical facts about Sts. Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Lesser, Jude, and Simon.

The Apostles: Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Lesser, Jude, and Simon Basic Questions What do we know about Sts. Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Lesser, Jude, and Simon? St. Nathanael was introduced to Christ by his friend St. Philip. St. Matthew was a tax collector who wrote one of the Gospels. St. Thomas at first doubted Christ’s Resurrection. St. James the Lesser, the “brother” of Jesus, headed the Church in Jerusalem. St. Jude is the patron of lost causes. St. Simon the Zealot is probably nicknamed for his zeal for the Mosaic Law.

Guided Exercise Conduct a think/pair/share using the following question: Why might St. Nathanael have concluded that Christ was the Messiah simply because Christ said he saw St. Nathanael under the fig tree?

Focus Question What was St. Matthew’s profession before he met Christ? He was a tax collector.

Focus Question Why, at first glance, was a tax collector an unlikely choice for an Apostle? Tax collectors were generally hated by the Jews and were considered public sinners on a level with prostitutes.

Focus Question What does the choice of St. Matthew emphasize? The universality of Christ’s call and the Church as a refuge for the forgiveness of sinners.

Focus Question How did St. Matthew respond to Christ’s call? He underwent a complete conversion, immediately leaving his profession and becoming his disciple.

Focus Question Why was St. Matthew both an Apostle and an evangelist? St. Matthew was an Apostle because he was one of the Twelve. He was an evangelist because he wrote a Gospel.

Focus Question By what other names is St. Judas known? He is called St. Jude and Thaddeus.

Focus Question How is St. Simon distinguished from Simon Peter? The Gospels often refer to him as “Simon the Zealot” to distinguish him from Simon Peter.

Focus Question Who were the Zealots? They were a violent group that desired a political messiah who would drive the Romans from Palestine and reestablish Israel as an earthly kingdom.

Focus Question By what other name is St. Bartholomew identified? St. Nathanael.

Focus Question What did St. Nathanael think about Christ when he first learned where he was from? He assumed Christ could not be the Messiah, since he was from Nazareth, from which he said nothing good could come.

Focus Question How did Christ convince St. Nathanael to follow him without reserve? Christ told St. Nathanael that before St. Philip called him, he saw St. Nathanael under the fig tree. This was enough to convince St. Nathanael that Christ was the Son of God and King of Israel.

Guided Exercise Write on what Christ meant when he said to St. Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn 20: 29).

Focus Question Why is St. Thomas often called “Doubting”? St. Thomas, who was absent when Christ first appeared to the Apostles, refused to believe in the Resurrection, saying, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails and place my hand in his side, I will not believe” (Jn 20: 25).

Focus Question What is St. Thomas’s profession of faith, often repeated even today? When St. Thomas saw the risen Christ, he said, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20: 28).

Focus Question Which Church did St. James head? The “mother” Church of all Christianity, the Church in Jerusalem.

Focus Question What is St. James’s epistle like? It shows a very concrete and practical Christianity, emphasizing that good works are the teachings of Christ put into practice.

The Apostles: Judas Iscariot and Paul, the Universal Call to Apostolate, and the Fullness of the Kingdom Lesson Objectives • Biographical facts about Judas Iscariot and St. Paul • The universal call to apostolate • The fullness of the Kingdom of God

The Apostles: Judas Iscariot and Paul, the Universal Call to Apostolate, and the Fullness of the Kingdom Basic Questions What do we know about Judas Iscariot and St. Paul? Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ. St. Paul went from the greatest persecutor to the greatest missionary in the early Church.

The Apostles: Judas Iscariot and Paul, the Universal Call to Apostolate, and the Fullness of the Kingdom Basic Questions What is the universal call to the apostolate? All of the Christian faithful are called to be missionaries.

The Apostles: Judas Iscariot and Paul, the Universal Call to Apostolate, and the Fullness of the Kingdom Basic Questions When will the Kingdom of God reach its fullness? The Church awaits her definitive fulfillment at the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.

Focus Question Why is Judas Iscariot infamous? He betrayed Christ to the Jewish authorities.

Focus Question What hard lesson does Judas’s downfall teach? Even the graces given to Christ’s Apostles—and the familiar friendship of Christ himself—may be of no avail if one is unfaithful and does not believe.

Focus Question What kind of Jew was Saul? He was a dedicated and pious Jew who went to Jerusalem to study the Mosaic Law under the great rabbi Gamaliel.

Focus Question What was Saul’s professional occupation? He was a tentmaker, a useful trade that permitted him to support himself during his later apostolic travels.

Focus Question What did Saul’s zeal for Judaism lead him to do? To stop the spread of Christianity, which he considered both erroneous and blasphemous.

Focus Question How did St. Paul’s life change when he met Christ on the way to Damascus? St. Paul placed his life entirely at the service of Jesus Christ and his Gospel.

Focus Question What is St. Paul’s most famous title? Apostle to the Gentiles.

Focus Question Why is it correct to say that St. Paul was one of the greatest missionaries in Christian history? St. Paul brought the Gospel to many places in the Roman Empire, even planning to go to Spain, suffering great hardships to do so.

Focus Question What was the central message of Christ’s public ministry? “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel. ”

Focus Question What did some Jews envision the Messiah as being and doing? A great political or military leader, an earthly king, one who would lead a revolution to end the Roman occupation of Israel.

Focus Question Where was the Kingdom of God already present when Christ preached it? It was present in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Focus Question Why is faith needed to see the Kingdom of God present in the pilgrim Church? Because without the eyes of faith, the Church looks like just another human institution.

Focus Question What do we mean in praying, “Thy kingdom come” in the Mass shortly after the Consecration? We are acknowledging Christ’s hidden presence in the Eucharist and asking him to hasten his final coming, which will reveal the glory of his presence now veiled under the appearance of bread and wine.

Focus Question Why is the Church called pilgrim? The Church on earth knows that her final destination—Heaven—has not yet been reached.

Guided Exercise Complete a focused reading on the section, “Called to be Apostles…” (p. 99), using the following question: What does it mean to say that every Christian is called to be a missionary?

Guided Exercise Explain in what sense the following statement, taken from the student text (p. 100), is a “proof” of the Gospel. The fact that these simple fishermen and ordinary people whom Christ appointed as his Apostles were willing to risk their lives to the point of martyrdom for the Gospel is itself a strong witness to the truth they had heard from Christ and the gifts they had received through the Holy Spirit.