Studies in Earliest Christianity

By Robert L. Greenhow

These studies cover a variety of topics:

Beliefs and expectations of first-century Jews The earliest gospel Stephen The beginning of the gospel Christ died for our sins The Jerusalem Council Speaking in tongues Comparing the gospels

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490819136

Robert L. Greenhow

Robert Greenhow has studied the Scriptures over a long life and read more than four hundred books to produce this thoughtful history of the early church. He was raised in a godly Christian family, served as a missionary to Congo for many years, taught English at an Ontario college, and attended and participated in local churches throughout his life. Today, in his nineties, he continues to teach about the God who loves us all. He lives with his wife in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

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Copyright © 2014 Robert L. Greenhow.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations are from Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Some Scripture quotations taken from the New English Bible, copyright © Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press 1961, 1970. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1912-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1913-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013922075

WestBow Press rev. date: 1/7/2014

Contents

Acknowledgements

Chronology

Study 1

Foreword

Preparatory – From Abraham to John the Baptizer

Beliefs and Expectations of First Century Jews

Jesus

Sonship and Service in Israel

John Baptizing Jesus and Jesus’ Temptations

Messianic Expectations and Jesus’ Fulfillment of Them

Study 2

The Earliest Gospel

Stephen

The Cornelius Episode – (Acts 10–11:18)

Expansion of the Gospel beyond Palestine

Paul

Development of the Content of the Earliest Proclamations

Additional Observations

Study 3

The Second Phase of Paul’s Ministry

A Garbled Story

A plausible story of Paul at Corinth

Summary of events at Corinth

Paul’s Work after Planting the Church at Corinth

The Traditional Understanding of the Early Gospel

Study 4

The Jerusalem Council

The Private Meeting

The Apostles and Elders Meeting

The Explanatory Power of the New History

Commentary

The Undercurrent in Acts

Luke Writing Acts

Speaking in Tongues

Comparing the Two Gospels (Differences in Conduct or Behaviour)

How Many Gospels?

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

A draft of this book was sent to professor F. F. Bruce in early 1990. He replied encouragingly but unfortunately for me, he died the same year. I am, however, thankful for his input.

My wife of many years has supported me with her love, devotion, and cheerfulness. I could have done little without her.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my daughter Martha for the many hours she has spent making revisions and preparing this manuscript for publication.

I am also indebted to my son Timothy for valuable suggestions.

Chronology

Introduction

Most dates in antiquity are only probable; those below reflect my preference. The reader should find it helpful to have, at the beginning an outline, not only of Paul’s history, but also the background of the whole New Testament.

Background History of New Testament Times

History of Paul

AD First Phase of Paul’s Work

Here Luke’s order of events seems not to be historical;

Acts 15.1-29 should come at 18.22, as per reasons given in study below.

Second Phase of Paul’s Work

Third Phase of Paul’s Work, Culminating in the Collection

All NT documents were probably written before 70.

Study 1

Foreword

It is not generally realized that in the first two decades of Christianity two different gospels were preached. Many authors point out that the first believers from the day of Pentecost on, thought that Messiah Jesus would soon return to earth to set up a new kingdom of God on earth. The gospel we preach – Christ died for our sins – was not revealed to Paul until he arrived at Corinth about a dozen years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. (This book assumes the date of the crucifixion and resurrection to be 30 AD.) These studies inquire into what really happened in those dozen years.

Throughout the time of Jesus leading the twelve disciples around both Galilee and Judea, the twelve’s notion (and that of most other Palestinian Jews) was that Messiah was to restore the Davidic kingdom and drive out the foreign oppressors from the holy land. Because Jesus’ thoughts as to Messiah were totally different, the twelve were unable to understand his teachings. These were about a spiritual kingdom, not a material kingdom such as David’s. The prophetic message as to the Messiah was totally misinterpreted and its spiritual character was almost completely missed.

The preaching of Messiah’s imminent return was presented as Good News and thousands believed it. When Paul proclaimed the gospel of the cross of Christ as Good News thousands believed it too. Were all these believers equally saved? What were the implications for the day by day conduct of believers of each gospel?

It is not the spiritual which is first but the physical (1 Cor 15:46). This is also true of the two gospels. The first pertained to this earth only: its salvation was not that of an afterlife with Christ in heaven. The second offered a spiritual salvation, promising eternal life with Christ in glory. Was the forgiveness of sins offered in both gospels the same?

Conflict between Paul the apostle to the Greeks, and the narrow Jewish Christianity of the original disciples was the clue to the history of the apostolic age. (E. E. Ellis quoting F. C. Baur in Paul in The New Bible Dictionary, ed. J. D. Douglas, 947.)

What was the cause of that conflict? Could it have been averted?

Preparatory – From Abraham to John the Baptizer

The Jews’ Scriptures provide summaries of their history up to the first century which is where our story will continue –

Now the LORD said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Gen 12:1-3 NRSV)

I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess. (Gen 15:7)

A wandering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. Then we cried to the LORD the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression; and the LORD brought