1. The Church: Christ’s Continued Presence & Work in the World
Section 1:
The Church: Christ’s Continued Presence & Work in the World

2. The Work of the Early Church
Section 1, Part 3:
The Work of the Early Church

3. Introduction 3 Articles Proponents—Apostles, Peter, Paul, Holy Spirit
Mission—Continue the mission of Jesus by spreading Good News to all
Method—both Jewish & later Gentile one
Opponents—Jews & Romans
Penalty?—Persecution & Martyrdom
3 Articles
(A. 10) – The Mission of the Apostles
(A. 11) – Spreading the Gospel
(A. 12) – Persecution & Martyrdom

4. A. 10: The Mission of the Apostles
Natural inclination about good news
Good News of the Apostles post Pentecost
Mission of the Apostles—Mt. 10 & 28
Great Commissioning
Quickly to Jews and Gentiles all around the Mediterranean
Love of God inspired missionary evangelization
Large audience, Paul, intellectuals as well as non-, Rome, Constantine
10% of Roman Empire by 300
The Church is missionary & the Church has a mission
Holy Spirit guided the Church’s original mission & has continued to
The Trinitarian aspect of the mission—cooperate for communion
Ancient and modern day disciples & the Church’s mission
Challenge of JPII & the New Evangelization—genrosity & holiness

5. You Tube Videos: The Mission of the Apostles
Christianity: Crash Course
Barron: Paul & the Mission of the Church

6. A. 11: Spreading the Gospel
Nature of teachers & learners—content & method
NT word for disciple—“mathetes” = learner
Church take this into account
Examples in the tradition
Example of St. Paul—“Apostle to the Gentiles”?
Jews—Old Testament
Gentiles—Hellenistic
Acts. 17—Missionary speech in Athens—literature, philosophy, & images
Images altered but not message = effective evangelization (1 Cor. 9)
How was Paul able to be so versatile
Background—devout Jew (Pharisee) from Tarsus
Imagery—Paul & Jesus (urban/rural & Jew/Gentile)
Example of St. Francis Xavier, SJ ( )
Songs vs. theological discourses
What will our example be?

7. You Tube Videos: Spreading the Gospel
The Missionary Journies of St. Paul
St. Franics Xavier

8. A. 12: Persecution & Martyrdom
Being a disciple is simple but not easy—daily examples
Early experience of The Way
Jews—Blasphemy b/c Jesus not Messiah
Romans—Treason b/c refused to sacrifice
Martyr & martyrdom
Greek etymology = witness
Stephen = Proto-martyr (Paul in Acts. 6-7)
Later examples during general persecution
James, Peter, Paul, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna…
Joy and honor in pain—feast day is day of death?
Tertullian’s wisdom—“The blood of the
martyrs is the seed of Christianity.”
Final persecution (Mt. 24, MK. 13, 2 Thess. 2)
Events & timing?, antichrist, modern examples
Not fear but confident hope

9. You Tube Videos: Persecution & Martyrdom
Roman Persection of Christians
Christian Persecution Today

10. Homework Section 1, Part 3 Review Questions 1-6
1.3 Quiz Wednesday (AA )
Section 1, Part 3 Review Questions
(#’s 1-6) due Tuesday