BIB-360 Topic 8
I Will Build My Church
Part 1 – Main Features and Important Ideas of the Church
The “church” is mentioned numerous times in the book of Acts. For example, the list of references below mentions five different churches in at least five different locations. In addition to the course readings (textbook and Bible), use and cite two to three other sources. Using the list of references, answer the following questions:
Text
Location of the Church
Acts 8:1
Jerusalem
Acts 9:31
Judea, Galilee, Samaria
Acts 11:26
Antioch
Acts 14:23
Lystra, Iconium, Derbe
Acts 20:17
Ephesus
Briefly describe the situation of the church in each location. For example, is the church experiencing stability and growth or a tumultuous time? (175-200)
Describe some of the features of each church. What details are given about the leadership structures, kinds of ministries, languages, cultures, relationships with surrounding nonbelievers, etc.? (175-200)
What does the variety of expression, location, and experience of these churches indicate about the 1st-century church? (175-200)
What is the author of Acts seeking to convey about the church to his original readers that is relevant to our understanding of the church today? (175-200)
Part 2 – The Message of the Church
The second part of this assignment focuses on the basic message of the church. Read the speech passages listed below and answer the following questions:
Acts 2:14-41; 3:11-26; 10:34-43; 13:16-41; 17:22-34
What are some of the common elements of the early church’s evangelistic message as found in your passages? Include examples from the texts. (175-200)
From these speeches, how would you summarize the early church’s message to the world? (175-200)
How is the message of the church met in each of these situations? How might this inform the expectations of the church today that is seeking to evangelize an unbelieving world? (175-200)
References
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