REED UNIT 4

• The period that extends from the Day of Pentecost until the death of St. John is called the Apostolic Age
• Forty days after Christ’s Resurrection came the Ascension of Christ into heaven with a promise of sending the Paraclete who will fill them with courage and zeal to go unafraid to proclaim His name.
• For nine days, the Apostles, Mary, and women disciples were gathered in the upper room in the city of Jerusalem.
• The promise of Christ was fulfilled on Pentecost.
• Jewish feast of Pentecost is an ancient harvest celebration
• So powerful was the kerygmatic speech of Peter that three thousand persons were converted and embraced Christianity and were later on baptized in Christ.
• 2 THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
• 3 THE FIRST CONVERTS
• In the city of Jerusalem, the first Christian community was formed.
• Eucharist

  • breaking of the bread
• 4 The first Christian community
• The growing number of the converts resulted to conflict between the Hellenists and Hebrews.
• 5 The appointment of the seven deacons
• 6 STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR
• The names of the seven deacons (or assistants) were: Parmenas, Nicolas, Philip, Stephen, Timon, Nicanor, and Procorus.
• Stephen, was one of the seven deacons, was accused  of blasphemy against God and Moses
• Stephen was stoned to death in 36AD by the order of Saul.
• 7 CHRISTIANITY BEGINS TO SPREAD
• Philip, one of the seven deacons, preached the Gospel to the coastal zone of Palestine and Samaria.
• It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians
• Paul (known as Saul of Tarsus), a pupil of Gamaliel, accepted the task of crushing  the Christians as the seed of doctrinal separation from Judaism.
• Ananias a devout disciple, healed Paul from blindness and baptized him.
• Paul engaged himself in his three Missionary Journeys throughout the Mediterranean world.
• Paul was known as the Apostle to the Gentiles.
• 8 THE CONVERSION OF PAUL
• 9 THE CONVERSION OF CORNELIUS
• Peter received into the Church the Roman centurion Cornelius of Caesaria and his whole family, without requiring them to observe the ancient Jewish customs as a condition of admittance.
• For the Jewish Christians, the baptism of the Gentile converts must be accomplished by circumcision and observance of the Law of Moses.
• The Apostolic Tradition safeguarded the most striking unity of faith and the Churches founded by the Apostles.