The First Churches Of God In Judea

by JAS. MARTIN | Category: God's Centre And Man's Centre | Oct 1963

After His resurrection the Lord met His eleven apostles by appointment on a mountain in Galilee and gave to them the great commission, "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:

teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (age)" (Matthew 28.19, 20).

In the forty days between His resurrection and His ascension into heaven the Lord "shewed Himself alive after His passion by many proofs," and spoke to them "the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1.8). Towards the end of that period of intensive instruction, He gathered the apostles together and "charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said He, ye heard from Me: for John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with (in) the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1.4, 5).

The apostles, being Hebrews, were eager to know if their risen Lord was about to restore the kingdom to Israel. However, He told them that the knowledge of the times or seasons was not for them, but it was essential for the work laid to their hands that they should receive power (Gk. dunamis), which power would come when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Then followed His last commission to them, "Ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1.8). Then "a cloud received Him out of their sight," whilst the two men, standing by in white apparel, repeated the substance of the Lord's own promise, in the words, "This Jesus, which was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven" (Acts 1.11). And so, having received blessing from His uplifted hands, they returned from Olivet to Jerusalem filled with joy, and were found in the upper room, praying and waiting (Acts 1.12-14).

The two men on the Emmaus' road had "hoped that it was He which should redeem Israel" (Luke 24.21). Whatever aspirations the apostles had of restoration of national status to Israel, it is clear that God had an eternally pre-arranged purpose, namely, to call out from Jews and Gentiles those who will form the Church which is termed Christ's Body. The building of that Church is still proceeding. The fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies as to restoration of the kingdom to Israel must await the completion of the building of that Church.

The day of Pentecost is a day well to be remembered in God's dealings with men. On that day the blessed Holy Spirit came as described in Acts 2, and the building of the Church, the Body, was commenced, and also in Jerusalem the first church of God in this dispensation was planted. Here was the new centre from which God was about to work. The nucleus of this first church of God was those disciples whose names together were about one hundred and twenty (Acts 1.15). The names of the apostles and of Mary, the mother of Jesus, are given; the rest are not recorded. The Greek words that describe their "together-ness" is the phrase "epi to auto", which means, "upon the same thing", and that one thing was the word of the Lord (Acts 2.1). There are two other occasions in Acts 2 where the phrase, "epi to auto" is used, namely verse 44, and verse 47 (R.V.). The literal translation of verse 44 is, "And all the believing ones together (epi to auto) had all things common ...". They were baptized believers "upon the same thing". And the literal translation of verse 47 (R.V.) is, "And the Lord added the (ones) being saved from day to day together (epi to auto), that is "upon the same thing".

The task before this first church of God in Jerusalem was a momentous one. Zion of old was so impregnably situated that it is recorded that it could be held against an invading army by the blind and the halt (2 Samuel 5.6, 7). But David took the stronghold of Zion for he had learned that it was the place of Jehovah's choice (Psalm 132.1-5, 13). Fully a millennium had passed, and now a comparatively weak body of men, forming the church of God in Jerusalem, on that day of Pentecost attacked (speaking figuratively) the adversary's citadel in the self-same city of Jerusalem. They did so in the power of the Holy Spirit, and "there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls" (Acts 2. 14, 47); and very soon "many of them that heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand" (Acts 4.4).

The language barrier was broken through by the Holy Spirit, and, to their own amazement, men from the banks of the Tigris and the Euphrates, of the Nile and of the Tiber, and from the Arabian deserts and the Greek Islands, said, "We do hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God" (Acts 2.11). Please notice the plural "tongues". This was a reversal of what had happened at the Tower of Babel when men sought to oppose God with their own conceived centre. Their tongues or languages were confused, and men were separated and scattered. But here at Jerusalem, from God's centre, on that Pentecostal day, men were enabled to hear in a language which they spoke themselves, the mighty works of God.

The audience which listened to the word from Peter and the other apostles was composed mainly of "Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven" (Acts 2.5). They had come to the feast of Pentecost. What a message of love fell on their ears! From their own Scriptures Peter spoke with power concerning "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God ... by mighty works and wonders and signs, which God did by Him ... - Him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay: whom God raised up .."(Acts 2.22-24).

Then the challenge went forth, "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2.38).

Then Luke puts on record the doctrine that must obtain wherever churches of God would subsequently be planted, "They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2.41, 42).

Then continuing, the apostles drove home the gravamen of the charge, the guilt of the rulers in the death of the Lord Jesus, followed by the glorious declaration of the resurrection, and the proclamation of what is later stated, "In none other (that is, Jesus of Nazareth) is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved" (Acts 4.12).

The adversary, the devil, did not allow such a wonderful movement from God to go unassailed. From without, opposition, and from within, difficulties arose. The rulers, the chief priests, the Sadducees and the Pharisees did all in their power to silence these godly men, to whom such a momentous work had been entrusted. In the face of imprisonment and beatings (Acts 4.8, and 5.40) their testimony thrills us today. Thus they spoke boldly to those who would have silenced the message, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye: for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard" (Acts 4.19, 20): and, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5.29). Even the opposers admitted the success of the preaching of the Word, for they said, "Behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching" (Acts 5.28). Meanwhile the freed apostles, "departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the Name" (Acts 5.41).

The trouble from within was more subtle. On two occasions (Acts 2.44, and 4.82-85) Luke states that the new converts "had all things common". Men, moved by the love of Christ for their brethren and their widowed sisters, who had been despoiled of their livehood and possessions, shared what some still held. This was a measure to meet the need of those who had become disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Later, but still in the early history of the planting of churches of God, provision was made whereby those better placed in material things should supply the needs of others. (See 1 Corinthians 16.1, Acts 11.29, 30, 2 Corinthians 8).

One difficulty that presented itself in the church of God in Jerusalem was the murmuring between Hebrew Jews and Grecian Jews (Hellenists). The former were those born in the land, the latter were Greek-speaking and may have been born outside the land. Seven brethren "of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom," were appointed to the work of caring for the daily material ministration to these Grecian widows (Acts 6).

The other trouble that arose from this common sharing of possessions was when two disciples, a husband and wife, succumbed to deceit suggested by Satan. The sad story is given in Acts 5.1-11. How this reminds us of the solemn warning that covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3.5 and Ephesians 5.5)!

All these experiences, however, produced amongst the disciples "great power" in witnessing, "great grace" amongst themselves, and "great fear" before the Lord (Acts 4, 5). Stephen, one of the seven, "full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6.8). This led to further persecution, particularly we note that some of Cilicia were amongst the opposers. From Tarsus, in this province, had come a young learned Pharisee, Saul, who not only gave his vote against godly Stephen, but stood by as the garments of Stephen's murderers were laid at his feet. On that day Saul listened to an address that became for him, after the grace of God had reached even him, a pattern of persuasive appeal to men of his own race, Israelites.

Churches of God were planted outside Jerusalem. The order of the Lord's last commission was, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Peter, on a missionary journey, visited the "saints which dwelt at Lydda" (Acts 9.82). Men in "Sharon", just north of Joppa, "turned to the Lord" (Acts 9.35), and evidently there were disciples at Joppa (Acts 9.36). Philip, too, on his way back from Gaza, preached the gospel in the cities from Azotus to Ceasarea (Acts 8.40). No doubt the "churches of Judea which were in Christ", of which we read in Galatians 1.22, would include the churches in certain of these named cities. There had been, prior to this, much blessing in Samaria (Acts 8.6).

Jewish believers turned to God, not from idols as did later the Thessalonians, but from the Old Testament form of worship. They had seen in Jesus of Nazareth their Messiah and Saviour, and had acknowledged Him as Lord. They had many hazards yet to endure and dangers to face. The epistle to the Hebrews was later written to them to warn them of the dangers of slipping back. In that epistle, primarily to Hebrews, saved and baptized and added Jews, the encouragement is recorded, "call to remembrance the former days" (Hebrews 10.32-86).

In those early days as the message of the gospel and the Truth of God was carried in ever widening circles, contact was still maintained with the church of God in Jerusalem. Prejudices between Jews and Samaritans, and between Hebrew and Grecian Jews were overcome, persecutions were triumphantly endured, and so "the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied" (Acts 9.81).

In closing we draw attention to the records of the outstanding conversions of three men: (1) the Ethiopian eunuch; (2) Saul of Tarsus, and (8) Cornelius. This we feel is significant. In Genesis 10.32, we are told that of the three sons of Noah, "were the nations divided in the earth after the flood". History, scriptural and profane, reveals how far the progeny of Noah's sons moved away from the divine standard. Even the line that came through Shem, the children of Israel, equipped with the Law of God and the prophecies from His messengers, wandered far from Jehovah. How gracious of the Lord, at the beginning of this dispensation, through His apostles in the first church of God in Jerusalem, to reach and save one of the line of Ham (Acts 8), one of the line of Shem (Acts 9), and one of the line of Japheth (Acts 10)! To the eunuch, Philip preached Jesus (8.35); to Saul, Ananias spake of "the Lord, even Jesus" (Acts 9.17); and to Cornelius, Peter preached "good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)" (Acts 10.86).

Thus, in those early days following the resurrection of the Lord, a people was gathered together in the first churches of God in Judea, to be a Testimony to the honour and glory of the God of their fathers.

Let us rejoice in the triumphant note on which the Greek word, akolutos (unhinderedly), brings the Acts to a close, in that Paul, none forbidding him, preached the kingdom of God, and taught the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28.8,1).

JAS. MARTIN | Oct 1963
God's Centre And Man's Centre