THE ACTS AGAINST THE APOSTLES: HOW OPPOSITION SHAPED EARLIEST CHRISTIANITY
THE ACTS AGAINST THE APOSTLES: HOW OPPOSITION SHAPED EARLIEST CHRISTIANITY

Summary/Abstract: Earliest Christianity emerges within the antagonistic religious and political context of first-century Jerusalem. In this article, it will be shown how opposition from the Jewish authorities of the Judean capital shaped the identity and mission of the earliest followers of Jesus. It is the initial censorship, arrest and intimidation of the apostles that create a stronger community – both socially and spiritually. It is also under this initial opposition that the priorities of Jesus’ followers are more firmly established and the internal boundaries are more clearly defined, making a prime distinction between traditional Judaism and nascent Christianity. Furthermore, as the opposition increases in intensity and becomes fierce persecution, Jesus’ followers experience miraculous interventions, but also tragic losses. In all this, the progress of the Gospel “to the ends of the earth” is initiated and secured. The religious persecution in Jerusalem prompts the scattering of Jesus’ followers from Judea to Rome and beyond.

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