1. So far, a Christian disciple is…
a “student”
with a personal relationship to Jesus
and a commitment to live His message
Romero
Can you be a Christian disciple by yourself ?

2. New Testament Discipleship
Christian Discipleship in Community

3. Love, overflowing, calls others into this relationship
Two Starting Points
Matthew
28:16-20
John
13:1-17
After the resurrection
Mountain in Galilee
“Go!”
“all nations”
“I am with you”
At the Last Supper
Act of service and humility
“example” — do as I do, for each other
Servant leadership
Mission to the world
Service
One with Christ
One with each other
Love, overflowing, calls others into this relationship

4. What about Luke?
His telling of the story takes two volumes (Luke’s Gospel and Acts)
Gospel ends with the Resurrection/Ascension and a promise:
“And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Lk 24:49)
Acts of the Apostles tells the story of how God fulfilled this promise

5. Luke-Acts Two books, same author Most likely written between 80-90 AD
1st generation Christian
Skilled Greek storyteller
Most likely written between AD
Addressed to Theophilus
Lk 1:3; Acts 1:1
Means “lover of God”

6. Main Themes of Luke-Acts
Give an “orderly account” (Lk 1:3-4)
Not historically sequential
Placed for most impact
The fulfillment of God’s promises in the ministry of Jesus and the life of the Church
Role of the Holy Spirit
God intends to bring all people to salvation

7. Chapter 1 Picks up where Luke left off Jesus tells his disciples
Read Lk 24:44-53
Read Acts 1:1-11
Jesus tells his disciples
Mt—mission to the world
Jn—service to one another in the community
Acts—v. 8
Key to Acts

8. Chapter 1 Vv. 21-22 Apostle Reflection Is a disciple
Distinct from a disciple
Gk. Apostellein—“to send away, to send forth”
“one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”
Reflection
Think of a group in which you are involved.
Name one time where you were called to tell others about your group, to be an apostle.
Where you nervous? Why or why not?

9. Homework Read Acts 2:1-13, 32-42 Answer the following questions:
Name one thing that stands out to you in the reading.
What happens to the people gathered there? Explain what you think happened?
What two things does Peter say the people must do? What two things are they promised in return?

10. The Promised Spirit Acts 2:1-13
An experience hard to describe, exactly
The disciples are changed
Acts 1:12-14 vs. 2:4-5
leave the “safe house”
take bold action
Proclaim the good news: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (2:36)

11. What Does God Do With This Boldness?
37Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls”
Peter tells them how to respond (two things) & how God will in turn respond to them (two gifts)
Leads to share with others—same with us today, our own discipleship

12. Let’s Be Clear…
The disciples are now transformed and filled with the Spirit as promised
Their apostolic work becomes God’s invitation to new followers
Repent = Gk. metanoia = change of mind(heart)
Baptism ... “I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me”
The same Spirit fills all the baptized, who are now united in a new growing community

13. Pentecost Feast of Weeks
50 days/7 weeks after Passover = Covenant at Sinai
Definitive of the Israelites identity
Definitive of the Church’s identity

14. The Community as Luke Sees It
Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35
They are devout Jews (2:42) who are now
Dedicated to the teaching of the Apostles
To “breaking of the bread…
and the prayers”
To “fellowship” or “communion”, Gk koinonia
2:44—“All things in common”
Do you see any of this in the Church today? If not, should you?

15. The Earliest Disciples…
Gk. Ekklesia means “assembly”, “people”, and is translated “church”
Gk. Koinonia – one mind and heart; a common life
Role of Apostles?
Teaching
Stewardship
A Christian disciple is a “student” with a personal relationship to Jesus and a commitment to live His message
in communion with other disciples

16. Homework
Read Acts 6:1-7
Who are the Hebrews? Who are the Hellenists? (Hint: Read the footnotes!)
What is the issue they are facing?
How does it pose a threat to the community’s koinonia?
How do they resolve the issue?

17. Your Life in Community
Name one group in which you had to work with people of other cultures, backgrounds, or beliefs towards a common cause/goal.
What made this experience difficult?
How did you overcome the difficulties?

18. First “Crisis” of the Church
Acts 6:1-7
Hellenists
Jewish Christians primarily from the Diaspora who spoke Greek
Hebrews
Jewish Christians primarily from Jerusalem who spoke Aramaic
Different languages, differences in culture

19. First “Crisis” of the Church
What’s the issue?
Hellenist widows
The 12—word of God vs. waiting tables
Solution?
Unity in difference—how?
Share authority; leadership that is familiar
Job requirements? (v.3)
Diakonia, Gk.  service; deacon

20. Detour: The Marks of the Church
One
In Christ and the Spirit, in the common tradition and the common life
Holy
Called by God, “personal relationship,” common prayer
Catholic
Katholikos, Gk. = “universal”
Apostolic
Founded on the apostolic witness and tradition

21. 2 Questions
Which one haven’t we seen yet in the early Christian communities?
How well does our Xavier community measure up as a community of Christian disciples?

22. Homework
Read Acts 10:1-11:26
How do these passages begin to reveal the catholic, or universal, element of the early church?
Why might the Gentiles be rejected from the Jewish-Christian community in the first place?

23. Before and After Activity
Imaging the Growing Early Christian Church

24. What does the community look like at…
The beginning of Acts
After Pentecost
During the first crisis of the Church

25. Conversation Starters
Create a profile of Cornelius.
What is he called to do in his dream?
What happens in Peter’s dream?
Why won’t Peter eat the food placed before him?

26. Peter’s Problem
The Sinai Covenant required that the people make themselves God’s ... To let God make them “holy” as God is Holy (inexpressibly ‘Other’)
To ritualize this inner state, they were required to maintain an outer state of ritual purity or “cleanness”
Certain washing practices; separation from non-Jews; avoiding blood; avoiding certain foods; Kosher foods
Might the food in Peter’s dream symbolize something else?

27. The Community’s Problem
Acts 10:28—Jews and Gentiles
Can Jewish Christians interact with Gentile Christians without violating their faith?
Can you be a Christian disciple without being a Jew?
Do we have to be circumcised?

28. Peter’s Solution What conclusion does Peter come to? (Hint: 10:34-43)
“I truly understand that God shows no partiality…”
Evidenced in Jesus’ example and the prophets’ testimony
Why can some call this the Pentecost for the Gentiles?
Foundation of the Gentile Christian community

29. The Jerusalem Community’s Solution—Ch. 11
Peter has to justify his actions; how?
All he does is report what God is doing!!
These visions and their repetition demonstrate that this event occurs solely at God’s initiative and under God’s direction
What’s the conclusion? (11:18)
First signs of separation of Judaism and Christianity…but it’s not over yet!

30. Council of Jerusalem—Characters
Paul and Barnabas
Encounter teachers in Judea saying Christians must be Jewish
Pharisees
Argue to follow the law of Moses; circumcision
Peter
Converts one of the earliest Gentiles
James?!?
“Brother of Jesus”
Offers a solution

31. Council of Jerusalem—Timeline
Paul and Barnabus
Peter testifies to God’s action, God’s initiative…again
Paul and Barnabas testify (more on Paul tomorrow)
James offers a solution
Salvation is for anyone
All must maintain some sense of ritual purity, with a focus on avoiding idolatry (15:28-29)

32. So What?
Pentecost—the moment when we truly identify ourselves as Christians—calls us into a community
This community had and still has issues
Hebrews and Hellenists—7 Hellenistic Deacons
Gentiles and Jews—Council of Jerusalem
Contemporary issues??
Discipleship calls us to work with one another to discover what God wants for the community

33. Paul
An Apostle to the World;
Making Our Church Catholic

34. Who was Saul?
He is “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord…” (9:1)
Pharisee
Hell-bent on capturing and imprisoning these blasphemers (8:3)
Particular name of the group he is after?

35. How Does Saul Become Paul?
Encounters the resurrected Lord
What does Jesus tell Paul?
“Why are you persecuting me?” (9:4)
Paul’s blindness—symbolic of his lack of faith in Christ

37. How Does Saul Become Paul?
God calls Ananias
Hell no!
9:15 God’s response
“bring/carry my name”
martyros, Gk = martyr
“witness”
Why be a martyr, a witness?

38. Paul’s Cyclical Apostolate
Proclaim Jesus in the synagogues (Jews)
Get rejected/threatened/imprisoned
Proclaim Jesus in the marketplace (Gentiles)
Get amazing results; converts thousands
What does Paul’s story tell us about discipleship?

39. NT Discipleship? Not just “me ‘n Jesus”
Our lives witness in word and deed; the communal life is important
What Jesus handed over needs to be applied to here-and-now issues
The gift of the Holy Spirit keeps the Church steady as it navigates the issues