Skip to main content

New Testament Churches


 By Dewey Roberts - Posted at Vanguard Presbyterian Church:

How large were the churches in the New Testament? What was the membership of the church at Corinth? Or at Ephesus? Or at Rome? Or even at Antioch or Jerusalem? Do we know? Do we have any way to know? The Scripture never really gives us that information. We know that there were 3,000 people converted to Christ at the Feast of Pentecost, but they represented many different regions and countries—from Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, and Rome. That is a very large geographical area represented by the converts. We know that there were about 120 believers who gathered in the Upper Room after Jesus’ resurrection. There were over 500 people who saw Jesus ascend into heaven 40 days after His resurrection. There were about 5,000 men who believed as a result of Peter’s second sermon in Jerusalem. Many of those were probably Jews who lived in Jerusalem or Israel. In Acts 21, we are told that there were “many thousands. . . among the Jews. . . who have believed.” So, we know that there were thousands of believers, but beyond that we know very little. The main reason why is because the Scripture is more interested in relating the stories of genuine converts, like Lydia or the Philippian jailer. Also, the Scripture gives us the marks of a true church—the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. The Protestant Reformers taught that the three essential marks of a true church are: the faithful preaching of the Word, the right administration of the sacraments, and the right exercise of discipline. Where those marks exist, a true church also exists. Where those marks do not exist, there is no true church. And, of course, there were many individual congregations or churches, but only one Church. The head of the one true Church is the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are many churches mentioned in the Scripture. There were the various congregations of believers in Jerusalem—the Mother Church of all others. There was a church in the city of Samaria—probably in the same area where Jesus had evangelized the woman at the well and various men of the city. After the great persecution in Jerusalem, Philip went down to Samaria and “preached Christ to them.” Peter and John followed Philip in Samaria and the Holy Spirit was poured out on that area. Meanwhile, Philip evangelized the Ethiopian eunuch, who was converted, on the road to Gaza. From there, he went to all the cities from Azotus (Ashdod) to Caesarea, preaching to all of those cities. So, there were certainly converts and churches that started in Samaria and the coastal cities of Israel. Further north of Caesarea was the great church at Antioch—the Mother Church of Missions. That was the church that sent out Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journeys.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Imprisonment of John Bunyan

Compiled by Angela Wittman, editor Image from Wikipedia John Bunyan ( /ˈbʌnjən/ ; baptised 30 November 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher [1] best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory The Pilgrim's Progress . In addition to The Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan wrote nearly sixty titles, many of them expanded sermons . Bunyan came from the village of Elstow , near Bedford . He had some schooling and at the age of sixteen joined the Parliamentary army during the first stage of the English Civil War . After three years in the army he returned to Elstow and took up the trade of tinker , which he had learned from his father. He became interested in religion after his marriage, attending first the parish church and then joining the Bedford Meeting, a nonconformist group in Bedford, and becoming a preacher. After the restoration of the monarch , when the freedom of nonconformists was curtailed, Bunyan was arrested and spent the ne

C.H. Spurgeon: 'With Me Wherever I Am'

The LORD will be with you — 2 Chronicles 20:17 This was a great mercy for Jehoshaphat, for a great multitude had come out against him; and it will be a great mercy for me, for I have great need, and I have no might or wisdom. If the LORD be with me, it matters little who may desert me. If the LORD be with me, I shall conquer in the battle of life, and the greater my trials the more glorious will be my victory. How can I be sure that the LORD is with me? For certain He is with me if I am with Him. If I trust in His faithfulness, believe His words, and obey His commands, He is assuredly with me. If I am on Satan's side, God is against me and cannot be otherwise; but if I live to honor God, I may be sure that He will honor me. I am quite sure that God is with me if Jesus is my sole and only Savior. If I have placed my soul in the hands of God's only-begotten Son, then I may be sure that the Father will put forth all His power to preserve me, that His Son may not be dishonored. Oh,

Covenant: What is Reformed Theology? with R.C. Sproul

Presented by Ligonier Ministries (YouTube) Description: Are we as Christians saved by works, or by faith alone? The key to understanding what part works and faith play in the drama of redemption is to understand the biblical structure and role of covenants. Without a proper understanding of covenants we fail to grasp the grandeur of Christ’s life and work. In this message, Dr. Sproul gives us the covenantal framework of redemption that finds full resolution in the work of Christ. Direct Link:  Covenant: What is Reformed Theology? with R.C. Sproul - YouTube