Early Spread of the Faith
Religious Studies: KS3, topic 1.3.4
Early Spread of the Faith
The Church began at Pentecost, spreading through Peter and Paul’s teachings, emphasizing inclusion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Day of Pentecost
- The Church was ‘born’ when the Holy Spirit came down on the 120 disciples.
- The disciples were praying in the Upper Room in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost.
- Peter preached the Gospel, and 3000 people from many different nations were converted that day to the new Christian faith.
Peter and Paul
- Peter was focused on evangelising amongst the Jews.
- At the same time God ‘accosted’ Saul (later, ‘Paul’) on the Road to Damascus, and sent him to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.
- Gentiles was a name given to non-Jews.
- Paul travelled on three missionary journeys around Asia Minor and Europe, started many churches, and wrote letters to those churches.
The letters of Paul
- Paul wrote letters to his newly established churches and his ministry protégés, Timothy and Titus.
- Paul's letters formed the majority of the New Testament.
- The teachings of Paul espoused within his epistles then became the main foundational doctrines of the early Church.
Paul's mission
- Paul emphasised that the core aspect of the Christian faith is the necessity of believing in the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Peter was initially hesitant to receive Gentiles into the faith.
- Paul was a strong advocate for the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s plan of redemption.
Test yourself on Early Spread of the Faith
Where were Paul's letters included?
Who did Paul advocate for including in God's plan of redemption?