Religion and Theology

When the Jews crucified Jesus Christ ostensibly because his growing ministry jeopardized their wayward lives, they thought they had put his ministry at an end. They were gravely mistaken. Peter, the de facto leader (by virtue of his eloquence and intelligence) led fellow disciples in carrying on with the ministering work. Apparently, they recorded a very huge success in terms of the new converts they won. Given the brutality (incarceration, flogging, persecution) that characterized the Jerusalem secular leadership at this early time it can be wondered how these disciples managed to carryon with the noble ministering duties (BIB 105, n.d.). A balanced account on the early church in Jerusalem is that it was characterized by sheer dedication and a strict adherence to Jesus teachings (Niswonger, 1992).

One core pillar of the early church in Jerusalem was the Holy Spirit input. Immediately after Jesus disappeared from his disciples at Mt. Olive he promised a true helper (Holy Sprit) that would empower the disciples to carry on with the church (Act 18). The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the power to pray and to fearlessly address gatherings outsides courts, streets, water points, and any other public place. The Holy Spirit reverberated through the secular streets of Jerusalem and beyond and soon the church in Jerusalem was growing at a rate that the Sadducees (Jerusalem ruling class) equaled to a revolution (Niswonger, 1992).

The early church of Jerusalem was characterized by miracles. Jesus disappearance was a miracle that imparted into the disciples the authority to carry on with such miracles. The coming of the Holy Sprit heralded an era of miracles that the disciples would use to spread the Word. The disciples performed wonders and miraculous deeds that left their gatherings awed and left their hearts opened to receive the Jesus teachings (Acts 243). When Peter and John were locked in prison by the Sanhedrin leadership the angel of God freed them at night and instructed them to spread the new way of life (Sundberg, 1958). 

The early church in Jerusalem was a healing church. Imparted with the power to heal and to cast demons away by the Holy Sprit Peter, John and other disciples carried out a series of healings within Jerusalem. Peter and john healed the crippled man who lay on the temple gate to beg for money (Bruce, 1964). Peter told the cripple, Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I will give you (Act 36) an indicator that the church was a place for healing and forgiveness of sins. 

Sharing was another major facet of the early church in Jerusalem. Peter and his colleagues preached for a true fellowship whose core pillars were strong belief and care for the less unfortunate in the society (Niswonger, 1992). The rapidly increasing early church congregation was a typical fellowship of believers where members sold their properties and distributed the proceeds to others who were in need (Act 432-37). When Ananias and his wife attempted to defraud God by hiding some part of the proceeds from the sale of their land they were killed by the Holy Spirit (BIB 105, n.d.). 

The early church in Jerusalem was characterized by forgiveness. When peter was asked by his gathering the secret behind his ministry he said, Repent and be baptized (Act 238). Everyone was eligible to join the early church as long as they were ready to seek forgiveness. The essence behind repentance and forgiveness was to save the Israelites from the corrupt and secular Jerusalem leadership and the proud Sadducees (Walker, 1992).

Democracy formed the bedrock of the early church in Jerusalem. Given the highly autocratic Jerusalem secular leadership Peter and his colleagues were determined to create a new way of life that sourced his powers from the people (Bruce, 1964). The selection of Mathias as Judas replacement into the discipleship was done with a lot of openness and wisdom. It was through prayers that the disciples were able to narrow down to Matthias and Barsabbas, with Mathias being chosen through lots casting (Acts 1 23-26).

Overall, the early church of Jerusalem was able to grow because it espoused the good virtues of salvation and righteousness. The unity of purpose that revolved round the close bond among the disciples enabled all other virtues responsible for the church growth and prosperity (Bruce, 1964).