Early Christian Communities and Paul's Mission

Early Christian Communities

• Earliest followers gathered after Sabbath, broke bread, as Jesus taught. Communities were unstructured, with wandering charismatic prophets.
• Apostles organized communities to ensure the memory of Jesus, plan practices and worship, for future generations.
• Holy Spirit guided followers, enabling them to interpret events and actions of Jesus.
  • It empowered early members to respond to historical circumstances.
• Organizing communities, with guidelines, was important to avoid conflicts and guide members into a cohesive unit. This included clear structures, rules for decision making.

Paul's Mission

• Before conversion, Paul was Jewish Pharisee – opposed Jesus followers, seeking to imprison/execute Christians.
• Paul's vision and conversion profoundly changed his view and mission.
• Paul preached Jesus as the Messiah.
• He travelled extensively, establishing Christian communities throughout the Roman Empire.
• He wrote letters to various churches later included in the New Testament.
• Paul emphasized salvation for all (Jews & Gentiles) without adhering to Jewish laws (circumcision, dietary restrictions). This broad outreach was instrumental in Christianity’s expansion.
• The Council of Jerusalem supported Paul's approach, welcoming Gentiles to the faith.
• The concept of "conversion" includes both a change of mind/heart and how one behaves and prioritizes.
• Paul’s conversion experience is an example of how changing circumstances and personal experiences can effect priorities. The story of a student's conversion is given as an example.
• Paul's life before and after conversion is a notable turn when he became a crucial advocate in the early spread of Christianity beyond Jewish boundaries. His travels and established churches were important to the expansion of Christianity.