Church History in Chunks – Part 2: The Disciples

Jesus and His Disciples

_{Walter Rane: “In Remembrance of Me”
Courtesy of the Museum of Church History and Art}

Jerusalem was home to one of the wonders of the ancient world, Herod’s massive Temple complex. The huge grounds spread out for 150,000 square meters — the equivalent of 15 modern city blocks — and its central Temple building rose 15 stories into the ancient skyline. World class for that time. Along its many buildings, courtyards and walkways were the offices of the national Israeli government, the entire body of the priesthood and renowned theologians. Israel’s theological and political heads converged in this complex.

Christ visited Jerusalem at least once per year throughout His adult life for religious festivals and would have found Himself surrounded by all the professional theologians He could ever want. Yet, Christ went into the countryside and picked middle class men — many of which were uneducated tradesmen — to head the first generation of New Testament church leaders. The writings of the New Testament are unequivocally accepted by all major Christian denominations (Eastern and Occidental Orthodox, Roman Catholic Church and Protestants) as inspired Scriptures. The only authors included in the New Testament are those who were eye witnesses to Christ during His adult life and ministry years. The four gospels are first hand accounts of the teachings and public works of Jesus Christ. Any attempt to determine whether a particular teaching or tradition is compatible with Christianity must align with these first person testimonies. Orthodoxy rests on them and them alone.

Not all of the apostles’ written letters were deemed worthy of canonization and the writings of the early Church Fathers were never considered Holy Writ. Therefore the standard of measurement we compared all Christian writings to remains the 27 books and letters of the New Testament. And none of them emerged as the work of the institution of Judaism, its sacrificial system or its army of priests, scholars and leaders. In fact, this institution, as they are all want to become, had rotted with so much corruption that it sought to kill its Founder when they met Him.