Thinking Thursday

1
Thinking Thursday

• A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender for
  a glass of water. The bartender reaches under the
  bar and brings out a gun and aims it at the man.
  The man says thank you and leaves. What happened?
• Solution The man had the hiccups and wanted a
  glass of water to help get rid of them. The
  bartender could hear the hiccups when the man
  spoke, so he brought the gun out to scare the
  hiccups away. It worked and the man thanked him
  and left, no longer needing the glass of water.

2
Apostolic EraThe Journey Begins
3
Round Robin Review

• Every person should recall and share something
  from Acts 2-7

4
Christs Mission

• Founding the visible Church.
• Historical Primary Sources
• Bible Gospel, Acts of the Apostles, Epistles.

• Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture provide us
  with the Jesus life and the early Church
  action.
• Jesus trains the first Bishops, the Apostles.
• Peter is appointed as the head of the Apostles,
  he is the first Pope.

5
Acts of the Apostles

• Written by Luke. Provides a historical account of
  the early Church and the actions the Apostles.
• Ascension of Christ- Men of Galilee why do you
  stand looking at the sky?
• Elect Matthias to replace Judas. (Apostolic
  Succession!)
• HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHURCH Pentecost, the descent of
  the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. (50 days
  after the Resurrection).

6
Holy Spirit
The holy spirit provides power and inspiration to
the Apostles so they can convert Jews and
Gentiles!
7
Acts Continued

• Tension between the Hellenized Jews and the
  Hebrews.
• Apostles decide that assistants are needed to
  help accommodate the growing Church. 7 are chosen
  to take care of widows.
• Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
  Nicholas of Antioch and Stephen.

8
Stephen the Martyr
9

• First Martyr of the Church- Protomartyr St.
  Stephen
• Accused of blasphemy against God and Moses.
• You stiff-necked people Makes the Sanhedrin
  angry and they throw him out of the city and is
  stoned to death.
• Asks God to forgive his executioners, just as
  Jesus did on the Cross.

10
Saul to Paul in the time it takes to fall off a
horse!
11
Why are you persecuting Me?

• Saul of Tarsus
• -Roman Citizen
• -Ardent Jew
• -Persecutor of Christians
• Saul is temporarily blinded and fasts within
  Damascus after witnessing a bright light and
  hearing the voice of Jesus.
• -note Jesus says why are you persecuting me
  not my Church. Jesus Church

12
Conversion!

• Prompted by Jesus the disciple Ananias goes to
  Saul.
• Saul regains his sight and is immediately
  baptized.
• Saul begins preaching the Good news and
  everyone is astounded at this dramatic and
  radical change of heart.

13
Gentiles

• Christ died for the salvation of ALL.
• Holy Spirit is poured into Gentiles thus showing
  that they too are to be saved. (Acts 1045-49).
• What God has made clean, you are not to call
  profane.

14
Council of Jerusalem

• First Ecumenical Council- 48 or 50 A.D.
• All the Bishops were present including Peter (the
  Pope).
• Topic Do Gentiles have to become Jews in order
  to become Christians.
• Circumcision covenant sign between Abraham and
  God.
• Peter ends the discussion- executive order-
  Gentiles DO NOT have to become Jewish in order to
  be baptized! (Gentiles were probably happy to
  hear that)

15
The Dispersion of the Apostles
16
Peter

• Peter (Cephas, Simon)
• Bishop of Jerusalem 30-37 AD (James ben Alpheus,
  his successor)
• Missionary journeys 38-39 AD
• Antioch, 40-42 AD (Establishment of Evodius as
  Bishop his successor, St. Ignatius)
• Rome, late 42-49, 62-67 (Jewish section,
  Trastevere, 14 district near Vatican Hill)
• Martyrdom Crucifixion upside down, c. 67 AD in
  the Circus of Nero, buried in Vatican necropolis
• Wrote the Letter of Peter

17
(No Transcript)
18
James the Greater

• Mission in Spain
• Martyrdom by Herod Agrippa in 42 A.D.
• First Apostle martyred

19
John the Beloved

• John ben Zebedee
• James the Greaters little brother
• Known at the beloved apostle
• Missionary in Ephesus, Asia Minor. (Cared for
  Virgin Mary until she was assumed into heaven in
  49 A.D.)
• Exiled to Patmos, died in 99 A.D. Only Apostle
  not to be Martryed.
• Wrote the Gospel of John, 3 letters of John,
  Revelation.

20
James the Lesser

• Bishop of Jerusalem
• Wrote the letter of James in the Bible.
• Martyred by Annas in 62 A.D.

21
Andrew and Bartholomew

• Mission to Scythia (Ukraine today)
• Crucified on an X cross

• Mission to South Arabia and possibly India
• Flayed/skinned alive.

22
Matthias and Phillip

• No information on Matthias except that he
  replaced Judas.

• Mission to Asia Minor (Phrygia)
• Crucified upside down.

23
Jude and Matthew

• Mission to Mesopotamia (Armenia, Iran, Turkey)
• Wrote the Letter of Jude
• Crucified

• Mission to Ethiopia
• Wrote the Gospel of Matthew
• Stoned to death

24
Simon the Zealot and Thomas

• Mission to Iran
• Crucified

• Unbelieving Thomas
• Mission to Parthia 42 A.D.
• Mission to India 52 A.D.
• Speared by the Brahmans of Kali (Hindu Preists)

25
St. Pauls Missions

• Preached in Greece, Asia Minor, Rome and
  potentially Spain.
• Wrote many of the Epistles.
• Beheaded along the Ostian Way in Rome 67 A.D. by
  Nero.