1. Belonging to the Church Aim: To consider the problems for the Early Church about belonging 24th June 2010

2. Discuss: What do you need to do to belong? Be a gym member Be a true Tenisonian Be Ghanaian Are these groups open to everyone? Are there any rules? Can you chose to no longer belong to any of these groups?

3. Two Groups Jews Had to be born Jewish Had to be circumcised (if a boy) Had to eat kosher food Had to keep Jewish Law (613 rules) Gentiles Had been pagans (wild living, worshiped idols) before following Jesus Wanted to celebrate the Last Supper with Jewish Christians

4. The Council in Jerusalem 49 CE Jewish Christians said that the Gentiles could not become a Christian without first becoming a Jew. Paul explained all that God had done among the Gentile converts

5. The Decision A letter was written to the churches: Gentile Christians do not have to become Jews but… They must stay sexually pure They should not eat food sacrificed to idols They should not eat meat that has been killed in the pagan way

6. The Council in Jerusalem 49CE Some _______ Christians wanted the Gentiles to follow the Jewish _____. A meeting was held in ________ to decide what to do. It was important that a decision was reached so that Jewish and Gentile Christians could have _______ together. _____ explained all that had happened on his _________ trips. The ________ decided that Gentiles should be ______ ____ and not eat food _______ to _____. Law sacrificed Jerusalem Jewish Council fellowship sexually pure idols Paul missionary

7. People to write to: Boys’ Names Felix Rufus Sergius Gaius Paulus Titus Fabius Marcus Girls’ Names Drusilla Priscilla Marcella Sophia Galia Octavia Olivia Sabrina