|
|
Church History...
CHURCH HISTORYTHE
CLOSE OF THE FIRST CENTURY
Examining
the second century we must soon give our attention to extra-biblical
literature. In one sense, we observe that the New Testament Church
was divinely hurtling towards a decentralised style of leadership
structure. We have seen the rise of limited apostolic networks narrated
within the New Testament Canon. Beyond the bounds of the New Testament
we will observe that this was becoming widespread. Yet, in the next
chapter we will note that the Church’s leadership structure
changed direction toward a more centralised government under Rome.
(i) THE
APPOINTMENT OF ELDERS
Paul
and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with
prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had
put their trust.
The
reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what
was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed
you.
(Titus
1:5 NIV)
The
appointment of elders in each local church gave each church a degree
of autonomy. In this sense, the Church’s leadership was becoming
decentralised. Initially where problems arose within a church or
churches, an appeal for a resolution or verdict, could be made to
Jerusalem where the apostles and elders considered the matter.
This
brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them.
So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers,
to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this
question… The apostles and elders met to consider this question.
(Acts
15:2, 6 NIV)
But
eventually these types of matters, faith and conduct, were dealt
with by the apostle that each local church related to. Examples of
this saturate much of Paul’s epistles to his network churches.
For example, much of his epistle to the Corinthians deals with matters
that they raised with him.
Now
for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.
(1Corinthians
7:1 NIV)
(ii) THE
DEATH OF THE APOSTLES
Thus
Nero publicly announcing himself as the chief enemy of God, was
led on his fury to slaughter the Apostles. Paul is therefore said
to have been beheaded at Rome, and Peter to have been crucified
under him.
Eusebius, Ecclesiastical
History
All
of the apostles died within the first century of the Christian era.
Apart from John (who died of old age in Ephesus in 96AD), all were
martyred. From an initially reluctant launch into world evangelisation,
they did remarkably well. Not only did they establish churches throughout
the Empire, they extended into regions far beyond the grip of Rome.
According to Professor McBirnie (The Search For The Twelve Apostles):
Peter evangelised Babylon; Andrew evangelised Scythia (Russia) and
was martyred in Greece by crucifixion in 69AD; Philip preached in
Scythia for twenty years, then in Hierapolis, Phrygia, where he was
martyred (crucified and stoned while bound to the cross) aged 87;
Bartholomew preached in India, travelled to Armenia and was martyred
in 68 AD in Albanus (flayed to death while crucified upside down);
Thomas established churches in the Middle East, and India, and was
martyred there (lanced by servants of King Mizdi); Matthew evangelised
Asiatic (not African) Ethiopia and was martyred by decree of the
Jewish Sanhedrin (Babylonian Talmud, 43a); James, the Less,
evangelised Syria and was martyred in Jerusalem (stoned); Thaddaeus
went eastward to Persia, and was martyred in Syria; and Simon evangelised
northern Africa, and possibly Britain as well eventually being crucified
in Persia.
The
fate of the Twelve is mentioned so that we can bring the New Testament
early Church’s leadership commitment into sharp focus. It is
one thing to state that the marks of an apostle are signs, wonders,
and miracles (2Cor. 12:12), but can not overlook the two most obvious
marks of an apostolic leader: endurance and martyrdom. These
leaders were not quitters. They were prepared to die for their cause,
and most of them did.
Return to the top
 Andrew Corbett
|
| |
| |
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT FOR
2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
