Episode 3: Birth of the Church
Disciples Added
Listen as Ed Underwood teaches on Acts in this third episode of the Recentered on the Word podcast.
The first day of the church was truly eventful. A mighty wind attracted a huge crowd of devout Jews who heard the disciples miraculously proclaim the wonderful works of God. When Peter explained what they just saw with prophetic precision they were cut to the heart, and 3,000 joined the ranks of the Jerusalem church.
Luke wraps up his account of the birth of the church by describing the everyday life of the first Christians in Jerusalem. The infant church enjoyed a brief period of sweet effectiveness before the onset of persecution from without and division from within. Still totally Jewish but transformed by God's grace, these men and women were enamored with Christ.
Though their growth was amazing, their impact on the city has made Christians of every generation look to their example for clues to effectiveness. What can we learn from them?