1. UNIT 3 The History of the Church: Part I Ch. 10The First Years Ch. 11The Church Grows ✔ Ch. 12A House Build on Rock Ch. 13A Light in Darkness: Part 1 Ch. 14A Light in Darkness: Part 2

2.   Read the story of Stephen’s martyrdom. Acts 7:54 – 60.  Note the information at the end of the story. Act 7 58. This passage indicates that Saul was in a position of authority at the stoning of Stephen.  Saul was trying to destroy the Church by entering house after house and dragging out men and women and handing them over for imprisonment. Saul Present at Stephen’s Stoning

3.   Read text page 101 first paragraph about Saul’s conversion.  Other famous conversion stories in from the bible? Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) Man born blind (John 9:1-12)  Importance of Saul/Paul’s conversion? He became the apostle to the Gentiles. Saul’s Conversion

4.   Acts 9:1-12 (Luke describing Paul’s experience)  Acts 22:2-16 (Luke describing Paul’s telling of his conversion to crown in Jerusalem  Acts 26:9-18 (Luke describing Paul’s telling of his conversion to King Agrippa)  Galatians 1:15-17 (Paul talking about his own conversion) Saul’s Conversion: One Story, Four Accounts

5.  HOMEWORK REFLECTIONS  Sacrament of Baptism. Why is baptism considered a conversion to become a disciple of Jesus?  Sacrament of Reconciliation. Why is it considered the sacrament of conversion? Your Own Call to Conversion

6.   First Christians were considered a Jewish sect, or branch. Why were they still considered Jews? They followed Jewish laws. They did not mix with Gentiles. Let’s Go Back to Peter

7.   Read Act 10:1-36. Baptism comes to the Gentiles. Gentiles no longer seen as “unclean.” Why?  HOMEWORK REFELCTION: How do Peter’s actions mark the beginning of the universal catholic church? Spirit Instructs Peter that Baptism Is for Gentiles…too STOP

8.  Paul’s Journeys: The Early Centers of Christianity  Few have done more for the Church than Paul.  Paul’s journeys total a distance to three trips across the US. (appox. 6,000 miles)  Find Rome and Antioch—the two centers of Christianity at the time. Find Jerusalem as a point of reference.

9.  The First Church Council: Council of Jerusalem  Peter was primarily converting Jews to Christianity.  Paul was primarily converting Gentiles to Christianity.  PROBLEM: The Jews had traditions that were connected to the scriptures. The Gentiles did not have traditions connected to scripture. The Jews were demanding that the Gentiles adopt Jewish traditions.

10.  The First Church Council: New Traditions  Paul and Barnabas had been preaching to Gentile and witnessing their miraculous conversion.  Paul and Barnabas believed that Jewish traditions and living by Jewish laws did not have to be practiced in order to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.  A person needs only faith in Jesus and baptism.

11.  The First Church Council: A Stronger Church  Christians were united after the Council of Jerusalem.

12.  A Stronger Church Faces Trials  Roman soldiers destroy the Temple in 70 ad.  Jewish Christians flee.  Many of the Jewish Christians found acceptance in Christian communities founded by Peter and Paul.

13.  Jewish Christians Flee: Rome Center of Christianity  During the movement away from Jerusalem, Rome became the center of Christianity.