Student Handout pp. 1-16 [PDF] - Grace Church of Mentor

1. How does a Christian faith which arose in Asia/Middle East come to be
associated with European rather than Asian/Middle Eastern civilization?
“The answer surely is that, in the providence of God, its leading herald and missionary in the three
decades following its inception was a Roman citizen, who saw how the strategic centres and
communications of the Roman Empire could be turned to the service of Christ's kingdom, and planted
the Christian faith in those centres and along those lines of communication” (Bruce, p. 26).
2. Paul’s strategy: Always looking westward to unreached peoples; remaining only
long enough to ground in the Faith; see a church established which is autonomous,
self-supporting, self-proprogating, reproducing; going where the people are in the
metropolitan centers — first to the synagogue for a hearing; when rejected, to the
Gentiles.
B. Early prayers reflecting the spread of the Gospel (See Acts 4:31-33; 6:6-7; 12:5, 12, 24).
“O God, who, through the preaching of the blessed apostle Saint Paul, hast caused the light of the
Gospel to shine throughout the world; grant, we beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful
conversion in remembrance, may shew forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same, by following
the holy doctrine which he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (cited in ibid., p. 27).
“Almighty God, who calledst Luke the Physician, whose praise is in the Gospel, to be an Evangelist
and Physician of the soul; May it please thee, that, by the wholesome medicines of the doctrines
delivered by him, all the diseases of our souls may be healed; through the merits of thy Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen” (ibid.).
IV. Major Themes.
A. Expanding Witness for Christ.
CENTER CHIEF
MINISTER
Acts 1-12 Jerusalem Peter Judea and
Samaria
Acts 13-28 Antioch Paul the ends of the
earth
B. Unity of God’s People for Service.
— of mind, 2:46
— of purpose, 4:32
— of message, (resurrection), 4:33
— of love, 4:34-35
— in spite of persecution, chs. 4, 5
— in organization, 6:5
— in mission (ch. 18 stresses missionary effort)
GOSPEL TO: EVANGELISM
Jewish
Gentile
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