The journey of the Catholic Church from the Time of Jesus to 100 AD Church History The journey of the Catholic Church from the Time of Jesus to 100 AD

Objectives To deepen your knowledge of the Church To lead you to a fuller participation in the life and mission of the church

Mission of the Church The Church was made to manifest to the world on the day of the Pentecost by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit Immediately after the Pentecost, the apostles traveled throughout Palestine spreading the “Good News” of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, to Jews and Gentiles

Mission of The Church Small groups of Jesus’ followers continued to gather together at their local Synagogues. They also began to meet in each other’s homes for prayer and “The breaking of the bread.”

Mission of The Church The apostles James and John were among the leaders of these groups, as were Paul, Barnabas, Titus and Timothy. They traveled extensively, gathering followers of Jesus into small communities which were the beginnings of local churches. The early church consisted of ordinary men and women who were strengthened by God’s spirit

Mission of The Church Two great converts of this time were Paul, a Jew, whom Jesus revealed himself in a dramatic way on the road to Damascus, and Cornelius, a Gentile, who with his whole family was baptized by Peter

Mission of the Church There was a period of dissension and debate between the Jews and the Gentiles who were embracing Christianity. Paul argued that Gentile converts to Christianity were not obliged to follow certain dietary laws and some of the Jewish Christians disagreed During this period of misunderstanding, Peter had a vision which helped him understand that God made no distinction between Jews and Gentiles who embraced Christianity

Mission of The Church As a result of this controversy, the first General Council of the Church was called. Influenced by Peter’s speech and the witness of Paul and Barnabas, the council of Jerusalem in 49 AD decided that The followers of Jesus would not be subjected to the ritual practices of the Mosaic Law A Gentile could be baptized without having to observe them

Mission of The Church The Council also clarified the belief that God sends the Holy Spirit to Jew and Gentile alike