A Church Begins lV

   630. The early church grew as a "communal" society in which everyone shared, according to the reports in Acts. There was a utopian state of harmony depicted in these first days of the Christian community, although they were not yet called "Christians." A young man named Mathias was elected to replace Judas as one of the Twelve. The group prospered, made collective decisions, and enjoyed common ownership of goods, making the early Christians in Jerusalem a practical model for the kibbutz.

   631. In Acts 6, we see that seven young men were appointed to see to the needs of the church people, in order to free up the time of the disciples and eventual apostles. Stephen, a gifted speaker, was one of these men. He was a skilled debater and angered many who could not argue well with him or win him over. Eventually these men became so angry that Stephen was arrested and tried before the Sanhedrin.

   632. The first martyr of the church was Stephen. A young Pharisee named Saul was present. Eventually Saul would be converted and receive the name Paul. His conversion is a sign of the wondrous grace God has in store for those who believe in Him. When Stephen was stoned, he died with a vision of Jesus in sight. He was at peace and thus incensed his captors even more. Before he died Stephen said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

   633. The early church was not a perfect organization. Early Christians were as sinful then as they can be now. One of the earliest instances of this appears in Acts 5. Ananias and his wife, Saphira, lied about the amount of compensation they received after selling a field. Had they not pretended to sell it for less, it wouldn't have mattered, but since they did lie in order to keep back money for themselves, God took them both. As Peter told them, "You have lied to the Holy Spirit."

   635. Dorcas, who was also called Tabitha, also received a miracle during the early days of the church. She lived in Joppa. She fell ill and then died. Her distressed friends sent for Peter, the "rock" of the church. He prayed for her even as she was dead! She was given her life back and sat up. Many of her friends became believers as a result of this miracle.

   636. Cornelius was actually a Roman soldier and was stationed at Caesarea. He was a Gentile who had joined a synagogue in order to seek God. He was a "God fearer." An angel appearing to him one day and told Cornelius to send for Peter. When Peter came, Cornelius and his entire family learned about Jesus They were Baptized immediately and praised God.