We must understand why these churches were so strong and the secret of why they so successfully multiplied across the Roman Empire. Consequently, any Gentile desiring to become a Christian must first become a Jew. Its narrative supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of Jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. The Book of Acts is a narrative about the birth and growth of the early Church. These practices are noted in Acts 2:42 and can be seen in many of the congregations started by the apostles in Acts and Paul's letters. Acts 16:5 - So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. Its initial chapters describe the Church's founding and early years; its later chapters describe the travels and actions of the apostle Paul. Because Change Is Inevitable We Must Be Adaptable. As the gospel shifts in the 20th and 21st centuries to the Global South, especially to Asia in this century, we are quickly returning to the apostolic era. Another pivotal point in the growth of the church can be found in Acts 10 and 11. The book of Acts presents merely a partial acco… This ‘closed’ gospel was a major concern for Christians like Paul. Maybe another 5 percent, or 10 percent at best, is given to needs outside the church that on some level help the poor. quantify and explain the growth of the early church ... techniques are applied to social networks derived from the New Testament narratives contained in the Gospels and Acts… In one generation these small churches turned the world upside down and in three centuries radically transformed the Roman Empire. They had not ventured out as Jesus had commanded in Acts 1:8. In a short time the number of the men was 5000 (Acts 4:4). Acts 11:24 - for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. 3 The Acts of the Apostles • Author: Luke, companion of Paul • Date: c. AD 62-69 • Theme: Written by a Gentile, Acts tells the story of the Early Church and its growth, especially through the work of the Holy Spirit & the ministries of Peter and Paul. It was unthinkable that a small, despised movement from a corner of Palestine could move out to become the dominant faith of the mighty Roman Empire, an empire steeped in fiercely defended traditional pagan religions. If a church wants to grow and if Christianity is to spread, believers must devote themselves to their pastor’s or leader’s teachings, they must be devoted to one another in the fellowship of the saints, they need to spend time breaking bread (or eating) together which required spending time with one another, they need to be devoted to ongoing, continual prayer, they need to be sharing with on… Acts 12:24 - But the word of God increased and multiplied. 13). The early church highly emphasized the essentials of teaching, fellowship, worship, and prayer. In the early church, some regarded Christians as Jews who have received Jesus as the promised Saviour. 2. In Christianity: Church and minorities. Only one of these books, the Acts of the Apostles, is in any sense a history of the Church, and that to only a limited degree and for certain phases only of its development (cf. In the 3 rd chapter they had just healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. To prove this point, let us take a quick look at church growth in the book of Acts, with a special view to the church in Jerusalem. It is essential that we visit the New Testament afresh in these historic times. The Expulsive Power of a New Affection. the account of the first men who heard the Great Commission and reveals what anyone can B.Acts is a historical and Transitional Bridge. The Word of God Increased While the Christian population of the Empire was a very modest number at the end of the first century, it had grown to encompass more than 10% of the population, or 6,299,832 Christians, by the year 300. Acts 2:47 - And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 13:49 - And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. The chart to the right shows the multiplication of churches from the first to the third centuries. Chap. A social-rhetorical texture analysis of the book of Acts reveals three themes or stages in the Early Church: growth, competition and change. The first Jewish proselyte mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles was a governmental administrator from Ethiopia, … Look again at the growth of the early church in Jerusalem: a. As church grew, the Spirit continued to guide in such situations as the ordination of Paul (Acts 9:17), in the welcoming of Gentiles into the church (Acts 10:44–47), in the parting of Barnabas and Paul for missionary work (Acts 13:2–4), in the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:28), and in Paul’s missionary journeys (Acts 16:6, 7). Whenever I read through the book of Acts I'm struck with the number of times Luke comments on the growth of the church. Growth of the Early Church Early on in the expansion of the churches, it is clear in Acts that networks began to form: the Jerusalem Council, the letter to the churches from the Council, the gift collected for the Jerusalem churches from the Gentiles churches, the network of letters circulated, etc. Mapping the growth and expansion of the Early Churches and discovering the secret of their successful multiplication. Acts 6:7 - And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. An interesting episode in Acts that highlights the growing diversity of the Church and its converts is the encounter between Philip and an Ethiopian in Acts 8:26–39. The language of growth in Acts can be grouped into two broad categories: 1) texts that speak of the word of God increasing or spreading 2) texts that speak of the number of disciples increasing. In looking at ekklēsia, the Greek word most often translated “church” in Acts, we see churches that are locally self-governed and are supported by energized ministers. By definition, a growing and fruitful … Later Luke records that "multitudes both of men and women" were "added to the Lord" (Acts 5:14). For the early history of the Church, as for the life and teaching of Jesus, the books of the New Testament are virtually our sole important sources. Acts 6:1 - Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. The early church was a growing church. And the church continued to grow. The question is: Why? The record from the book of Acts couldn't be clearer. The book of Acts is the story of the explosive world wide growth of the early church. Drawing on his training as a sociologist, Stark has suggested a general growth rate of 3.42% per year, or 40% per decade, in the early church. The Book of Acts and the Epistles show how striking were the results. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. Acts 9:31 - So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. First, the church of Christ was not established at “just anytime” in history. How did the early Christian church survive? The early church's growth was often associated with meeting practical needs. Deepen your spiritual roots. The Jerusalem Council became a pivotal point in the history of the early church. The language of growth in Acts can be grouped into two broad categories: 1) texts that speak of the word of God increasing or spreading 2) texts that speak of the number of disciples increasing. Acts 2:41 - So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Each of us has been impressed with the rapid growth of the early church. In the first few chapters of Acts we are told how the early church centered her ministries in the city of Jerusalem. Look at any church budget and you’ll probably find 1 or 2 percent of church funds allocated to benevolence—helping poor people in need. The early church was devoted to the apostles’ … All rights reserved. The early church increased in number so dramatically in a relatively short period of time for a variety of reasons. They were devoted to the apostles’ teaching. Church Growth in the Book of Acts A church of Christ can and will grow spiritually and numerically when it is faithful to the word of God. © 2009–2020 Ryan Wentzel. Today, missions, driven by western enterprises, see the mission as primarily a multiplication of individuals, as epitomized in parachurch organizations propagating an American “discipleship movement” that focuses on the multiplication of individuals not churches. The spiritual factos of the rapid growth od the church in the book of Acts were the five pusposes of the church from Acts 2: worship, teaching, discipleship, ministry, evangelism and mission. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, who then went on to baptize 3,000 people were that same day, as recounted in the Book of Acts. Share Share Tweet Tweet Email . The book of Acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul and the early Church were not at odds with the laws of the Old Testament! 80 Years Ago C. S. Lewis Warned Against Making Faith a Means to a Political End. Three thousand were baptized on Pentecost (Acts 2:41). In Acts, numerical growth is a covenant blessing where God multiplies and increases the number of his people through the ministry of the church. 1. These themes are also experienced as growing pains in modern organizations. The amazing growth of the early church The church grew rapidly during the first centuries. The church grew, and can grow today, by following in the footsteps of the early church. Acts 2:41, 47. b. One modern Christian writer describes how the early church worked together to … Acts 19:20 - So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. And a great many people were added to the Lord. Growing a church is not an either-or proposition, evangelism or … There was an issue processing your request. “The seed is the word of God” (Lk. The theological substructure of Acts is that growth is God's act; it is his blessing by which he shows his faithfulness to his promises. It is very important for us to look closely and carefully at this early church-planting movement to discover its success. The growth of Early Church mirrored the growth of modern organizations in many ways. “Before time began” God purposed to offer salvation to the world through Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9). This tradition, based on the way of Christ and His Apostles is known as the Antioch Tradition. Justin Taylor | April 2, 2014 . 8:11) b. Acts 5:14 - And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. The narrative centers on the ministry of Peter and John. In the early church, racism was unknown; the Jewish synagogues allowed Black proselytes. A simple fact of farm life is that before there can be a harvest the seed must be planted. © 2017 BILD International2400 Oakwood RoadAmes, IA 50014-8417515-292-7012. God acts to restore Israel and increase it through his servants. More By Justin . Acts 5:14. c. Acts 6:1, 7. d. When people live for God, as He wills, they accomplish His work according to His purpose. Early on in the expansion of the churches, it is clear in Acts that networks began to form: the Jerusalem Council, the letter to the churches from the Council, the gift collected for the Jerusalem churches from the Gentiles churches, the network of letters circulated, etc. It is very important for both the Global South church-planting movements and the churches in the declining West to rediscover their roots as found in the apostolic traditions in Acts and the Apostles' letters to the New Testament churches. As the early Church began expanding, it brought together many different cultures, which was both a challenge and a blessing. Churches were planted in all the great cities of Asia Minor and Macedonia. Humanly speaking, the odds were all stacked against it. Thus, the ministry of the Holy Spirit brought unity to God’s work. Generations of scholars approached this question from different perspectives and with different methods. God planned for Jesus to come to Earth and for His church to be established at a special and specific point in time i… When Jesus told his disciples that they would be witnesses to the end of the earth, they had no idea that this would include Gentiles. a. The early church was a growing church. A Spontaneously Expanding Complex Network. Historical research, analysis of early Christian texts and theological reflection were the most [5] Early Church Growth . As the gospel expands now to the Global South, we need to return to the Antioch Tradition–– to the way of Christ and His Apostles. Thank you for subscribing. Please make sure all fields are filled out. The Great Commission, recorded in the gospel and unfolded in Acts, is a worldwide multiplication of churches. As the Early Church expanded, the shape of the early church networks that emerged is also important to understand as we strive to get back to “the way of Christ and His Apostles.” From a careful study of the New Testament and early church research, we have attempted to map the complex network of the early churches that emerged towards the end of the apostolic age. It survived to the 4th century but was replaced by western Greek and Roman traditions. The Early Church Growth Bible scriptures located in Acts 2:36-47 explains directly from God's Word the Early Church Growth topic. In one generation, these small churches turned the world upside down, and in 300 years spread across the Roman Empire––radically transforming that entire region of the world. Please complete the form below and someone from our team will be in touch with you. 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