XIV. The Apostles & Their Writings

Scripture: Acts - Revelation

Historical Era: 30-90 A.D.

    The Apostles took over when the Spirit came upon them at Pentecost and, from Pentecost onward, began to spread the commanded message (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8)

The Book of Acts

    Luke's 2nd volume, the book of Acts, provides us with a basic history of the founding and early growth of the New Covenant Church, spreading outward from Jerusalem to Judea and then to Samaria and towards the four corners of the earth (Acts 1:8).  It provides us with several very helpful kinds of information.

    (1) It contains examples of Apostolic preaching and evangelistic work – what they proclaimed and how people became Christians under their guidance (Acts 2:37-41; 8:17,18; 10:34-48; 16:14-15,29-34; 18:7,8; 19:1-7).

    (2) It records Jewish opposition during the first forty years in various places, with Roman officials unwilling to get involved in religious questions (Acts 18:12-17).

    (3) We have a record of the Holy Spirit's work to confirm the Apostles' preaching (14:3)

    (4) It also shows the New Covenant spreading from the center of the Jewish world (Jerusalem) to the center of the Gentile world (Rome).  If this was a major purpose for the work (showing the fulfillment of Acts 1:8), then that would explain why the book ends with Paul a prisoner in Rome.

The New Testament Letters

Paul's Letters

    The Apostle Paul wrote a number of letters to churches he had planted in Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Rome.  Galatians was aimed at Gentile converts troubled by the Judaizers, who thought all Gentiles needed to become Jewish proselytes first.  The letter to the Romans was a fuller treatment of the issues raised in Galatians, along with instructions to help Jewish and Gentile Christians accept each other as equals.  The Corinthian letters were written to a very troubled church in a city filled with idolatry and immorality.

    The "Prison Epistles" are letters that Paul wrote while imprisoned.  The Ephesian letter was a more general exposition of Christian teachings.  Philippians expresses Paul's concern for the church while imprisoned and explains his focus and driving principles.  Colossians was written to a church troubled by some heretical teachings and Philemon was a personal letter to a Christian master concerning one of his slaves who had run away and became a Christian while gone.

    The "Pastoral Letters" were written to two of Paul's associates.  Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus were personal letters to evangelists carrying on "trouble-shooting" ministries in two different locations and these provide us with qualifications for elders and deacons, along with instructions for evangelists.

Peter's Letters

    Peter wrote two letters that we know of.  His first letter expresses "how to be faithful to Christ" in a number of different circumstances involving suffering and submission.  His second letter listed the virtues Christians should develop, a discussion of the prophetic Word versus false teachers, and instructions concerning the end of all things.

General Letters

    The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish followers of Jesus to assist them in understanding the superiority of Jesus and the New Covenant to the Mosaic system and making the inner break with the Mosaic/Levitical Tabernacle/Temple system that would visibly pass from the scene in 70 A.D.  The highlights of the book of Hebrews would be the discussion of the shift from the Aaronic priesthood to Jesus' High Priesthood (chaps. 4-10) and the summary of the Old Testament "faithful" (chap. 11).  James, the half-brother of Jesus, also wrote a letter containing very practical instructions to Jewish believers about wisdom, temptation, hearers who act, the power of the tongue/mouth, and things to avoid.  Another half-brother of Jesus, Jude, wrote a short letter paralleling much in 2Peter.

John's Letters

    Along with a Gospel, John wrote three smaller letters.  The first offers tests by which we can be assured that we "know" Christ, the second warns about false teachers, and the third describes three different men and their relationship to the Church/truth.  The only direct information about "antichrist" in the Bible is found in John's first and second letters.

The Book of Revelation

    The fitting capstone for the Scriptures, the Apocalypse is an "unveiling" to make clear something that had previously been more hidden.  The exalted Christ (ch. 1) addresses seven churches in Asia Minor facing the beginning of Roman persecution (ch. 2-3) and unfolds a vision of seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls which assure the readers that all who are faithful to the Lamb of God/Lion of Judah will be victorious with Him and eventually inhabit a new heaven and earth.  In each of these sections of the vision, there are "flurries of images" that should make sense to those who are familiar with the rest of the Bible and its teachings.

Unless otherwise noted, all material produced by Charles E. McCoy

All Scripture citations/quotations from the New American Standard Bible

To send a question to Chuck: chuck@severnchristian.org