BIBL 364 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Pauline Church Project Establishing the Church _ASSIGNMENT_2024.pdf

Pauline Church Project:

Establishing the Church

Steven A. Graham

BIBL364_C02: ACTS

April 1st, 2024

Introduction

The book of Acts, or the Acts of the Apostles, is an historical narrative, written by Luke,

which records the expansion of the Jesus movement, after His ascension into heaven, and the

church. Commissioned by God, and through the strength and provision of the Holy Spirit, Paul,

in his mission to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, planted several churches throughout the

establishment of each church, and significant teachings and events surrounding each church;

highlighting the different obstacles that arose, and the different strategies used to solve them.

The Church in Philippi

According to Luke’s account, Philippi was the first place the apostle Paul established a

church in Europe (Acts 16). Paul had just left the region of Galatia and came to the town of

Troas (Act 16:8, Complete Jewish Study Bible). Though this would have been a prime place for

setting up a church, God, through a vision, directed the missionary elsewhere. So, Paul was

called to cross the sea to preach the gospel in Philippi (Acts 16:9-11). Ancient Philippi was in

Macedonia; it was “a Roman colony and the leading city of that part of Macedonia” (Acts

16:12). At that time, “locals worshipped the Greek goddess Diana (also known as Artemis) […]

The city had been defeated and then populated by Roman soldiers.”1 While this might seem to be

the worst place to set up camp for establishing a church, Paul was following the direction of the

Holy Spirit, and that is all one needs in order to advance God’s kingdom. In fact, providence

to work sharing the gospel message with the people of Philippi. Silas was chosen to accompany

Paul throughout his second missionary journey to the Gentiles (Acts 15:40). He would often

many obstacles. As stated, the residents there already had their religion, and with that they had

their demons. The work of the church in Philippi was delivering slaves from bondage and their

masters were losing business because of this (Acts 16:16-19). This led to Paul and his

companion, Silas, being arrested and thrown into prison. However, God miraculously freed

them, using the incident to bring the jailer and his family into the family of believers (Acts

16:23-34). The church of Philippi grew greatly, and the main strategy was simply surrender and

obedience to God. Moreover, the church adhered to Paul’s teachings, boasting only in their

Messiah (Philippians 3:3), and they saw the fruit of this obedience. The mention of overseers and

deacons in Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Philippians 1:1) suggests that the church consisted of

more than just a few members. In fact, Paul names several of its members throughout the epistle,

such as Clement (Philippians 4:3), Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30), Euodia, and Syntyche

1 “What is the history and significance of the church in Philippi,” Compelling Truth Ministries,

https://www.compellingtruth.org/church-in-Philippi.html.

(Philippians 4:2). Considering that “each member likely had a household which consisted of a

spouse, children, and servants,”3 including Lydia and her household, one can account for an

estimated congregation of more than thirty believers. To the point, the Philippian church was a

(Philippians 4:14-16). Paul speaks nothing but kind words to the church of Philippi, declaring

over them that they were his “joy” and his “crown” (Philippians 4:1), for they “always obeyed”

letters to believers there show how he established churches early in his ministry, met with

opposition, instructed new believers in doctrine, mentored Christians, and presented major

themes on end-times prophecy.”5 After planting the church in Philippi, Luke records Paul and

Silas making their way to the city of Thessalonica. “Thessalonica was a port city in Macedonia.

an important harbor off the Aegean Sea for trade for the Romans at the time of the early

church.”6 Its location made it a major shipping center and a very wealthy city, with a “population

estimated at 200,000.”7 Like Philippi, this city was filled with paganism so, the missionaries

6 “What is the history and significance of the church at Thessalonica,” Compelling Truth Ministries,

https://www.compellingtruth.org/church-at-Thessalonica.html

7 D.M. Levy, “The Thessalonian Church,” The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry Inc,

https://israelmyglory.org/article/the-thessalonian-church/.

went to work, right away, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to the locals. Here, in Acts,

Luke draws attention to one of Paul’s strategies for preaching the gospel. Beginning with the

Jews, the apostle would share the message of Christ in synagogues when he first arrived in a

highlighted Messianic texts they would know to explain how Jesus fulfilled Scripture, “proving

that the Messiah had to suffer and rise again from the dead” (Acts 17:3). Through this tactic,

However, the church would be composed primarily of Gentiles who came out of a pagan culture,

and due to Paul and Silas leaving the city early because of persecution (Acts 17:5-10), the church

would be devoid of any mature leadership. This can be seen in Paul’s first letter to the

Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). Paul feared that these believers would be led astray (1

Thessalonians 3:5). It would seem he knew that suffering was to be the Thessalonians’ portion,

as he writes in his letters about the many warnings he gave of coming persecution (1

Thessalonians 3:1-4). Paul writes of his great concern for the well-being of the believers there,

thus he sent Timothy to encourage them (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2). It was upon Timothy’s return

with good report that Paul dictated his first letter to the church. Rejoicing over Timothy’s report

of the Thessalonians’ faith, Paul fills his letter with love and encouragement, instructing them to

be “kept blameless” (1 Thessalonians 5:24) as they anticipate the Lord’s return.

The Church in Corinth

In Acts 18, Luke tells the story of Paul starting the church in Corinth. “Corinth was one

of the most influential cities in the Roman world.”8 Much like Philippi and Thessalonica, Corinth

outlook one might expect from such a city.”9 It is in Corinth that the apostle Paul meets fellow

tentmakers Priscilla and Aquilla, and he stays with them as he does his missionary work there

wrote his two New Testament epistles. Scholars believe it is likely that two groups of Corinthians

actually made up the church,11 as opposed to one. Paul eventually moved to Ephesus, where he

wrote many letters to the Corinthian church, including first and second Corinthians, addressing

issues and concerns within the church. According to the apostle’s letters, the church at Corinth

had many moral and spiritual issues to overcome. The church was divided in its loyalty to

leadership (1 Corinthians 3), they struggled with Paul’s authority (1 Corinthians 4), they

tolerated gross immorality (1 Corinthians 5), and they had confusion about how married

believers should behave (1 Corinthians 7). One of the key doctrinal issues within the Corinthian

church is their struggle with the resurrection of the dead. While it isn’t clear what the bad

8 P. Tobin, “The Corinthians: Who Were They & What Was Paul Saying to Them,” Logos: Word by Word,

https://www.logos.com/grow/nook-the-corinthian-church/.

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

doctrine actually was, it is clear that it was bad enough for Paul to respond in great length. The

apostle clarifies that Jesus was certainly crucified and He most assuredly rose from the dead. He

writes, “Brothers, I must remind you of the Good News which I proclaimed to you, and which

things I passed on to you was what I also received, namely that the Messiah died for our sins, in

accordance with what the Tanakh says, and he was buried, and he was raised on the third day, in

congregation.”12 The New Testament does not give much more information about the church at

Corinth; however, Clement of Rome wrote a letter to them, nearly fifty years after Paul’s time

ministering there, and according to his writings he encountered the same issues.13 Paul’s letters

show his affection for the believers in Corinth in that he persists with them, regardless of their

constant blunders. The apostle does not give up, he does not condemn them for their failings but,

rather, he corrects them, again and again, leading them by example. Rather than turning away to

find an easier task, Paul leads the Corinthians with a firm yet loving hand, selflessly using the

scriptures to direct his flock into the image and likeness of their Creator.

The Church in Ephesus

12 “What is the history and significance of the church in Corinth,” GotQuestions.org,

https://www.gotquestions.org/church-in-Corinth.html.

After the apostle Paul left Corinth, Luke records his arrival in the city of Ephesus (Acts

19:1). Much like the other cities Paul was sent to minster the gospel to, Ephesus was an ancient

port city filled with people, filled with idols, and filled with paganism. “Ephesus was known as a

have been a sight to the apostle and his comrades, but it did not detour their faith. Scholars

estimate that the church of Ephesus was established 15-20 years after Christ’s crucifixion.15 The

was a prime site for evangelizing the whole province due to the city’s accessibility and

prominence in the region.” For instance, while the book of Acts recounts how the believers faced

hostility from the Artemis worshippers, Luke also records how those worshippers were

converted due to the miraculous signs performed by Paul as he ministered the good news (Acts

19:13-20). When Paul and the others faced these challenges, they would have drawn large

crowds. These crowds would now have a chance to hear the gospel and witness the power

therein. The message of Christ took root in Ephesus despite persecution and despite pagan and

cultural influences. Luke writes that the apostle Paul would minister in the synagogues for at

least three months, “trying to persuade people about the Kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). After

planting the church in Ephesus, Paul placed his protégé, Timothy, over the church, as well as

14 Thomas West, “The Church in Ephesus,” Providence Ministries, https://www.pray.org/the-church-in-ephesus/.

15 Ibid.

16“What is the Significance of the Church of Ephesus in the Bible,” Christianity.com,

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-the-significance-of-the-church-of-ephesus-in-the-bible.html.

John, and his fellow tent makers, Pricilla and Aquila. Later, a man named Apollos would also

join the leadership team as a teacher of the local churches in Ephesus (Acts 19:24). It would be

years before Paul returned to the city of Ephesus, staying in the city for three years (Acts 19:8-

because the gospel was impacting the sale of trinkets devoted to the goddess Diana. “There is

more known about the church in Ephesus than any other church in the Bible.”18 Seven of the New

Revelation, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians encourages unity and reconciliation. He writes,

“Therefore I, the prisoner united with the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to

which you have been called. Always be humble, gentle, and patient, bearing with one another in

love, and making every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit gives through the binding power of

shalom” (Ephesians 4:1-3).

men of faith, like the apostle Paul, laid the foundation for the modern church to stand upon. The

17 What is the Significance of the Church of Ephesus in the Bible,” Christianity.com,

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-the-significance-of-the-church-of-ephesus-in-the-bible.html.