The Lives of the Apostles

Peter and James:

Peter stood up and made his first recorded sermon to the crowd. From the first game, it becomes clear that while Jesus 'central message was the kingdom of God, the message of the apostles were Jesus' resurrection. Peter declared that "God has made this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses to the fact."

The Apostle Peter is a prominent figure in the early church. Despite his moments of weakness in the life of Jesus, Jesus gave him "the keys to the kingdom" and the responsibility to look after the flock. (Based on these passages and his historic ties to Rome, Catholics regard Peter as the first pope.) Action, he makes several public speeches, performs many healings in Jesus' name, and receives an important vision from God. As head of the church in Jerusalem and author of a letter that bears his name, James brother of Jesus, also plays a prominent role.

Paul:

But, the Apostle Paul is easily the central figure of the apostolic era. His influence is not in a leadership role as Peter and James, but in his extensive missionary and pastoral work. His letters to new churches, some of which date to the 50s AD, the earliest Christian writings we have, and they represent over half of the New Testament. But Paul did not know Jesus personally. He was a loving Jewish teacher who persecuted Christians until he received a dazzling vision of the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus. From that moment to his martyrdom, the Apostle Paul was a devoted Christian missionary and teacher.

Paul's influence is so great that some scientists have attributed the founding of "Christianity" as we know it to Paul, not Jesus. In any event, Paul was probably responsible for systematizing Christian teachings and spreading Christianity over a significant part of the Roman Empire. He undertook at least five missionary journeys, the creation of small congregations of believers in many towns along the road.

Only the Jew, then for the Gentile:

Jesus seems to have decided to found a new religion, but merely to reinterpret an old one. "Think not that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I am not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." The relationship between Christianity to its parent faith, Judaism, were the first issues facing the early church.

Christianity was originally not considered as a new religion but a sect of Judaism, even by Christians themselves. In Acts 5 that this perspective is clearly in the apostles' message of Jesus was resurrected so that "he might give repentance and remission of sins to Israel." But before long, Christianity is significantly different: the accepted non-Jews ( "Jews") as religious equals.

In Acts 10, God revealed in a vision to Peter's desire to salvation available to Gentiles. Peter was initially shocked and surprised, but he continued to be one of the most zealous advocates of equality between Jew and Gentile in the new faith. After his vision he remarked, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do the right thing."

Paul was also instrumental in this important step. Even Jew by birth and education, he became the self-described "apostle to the Gentiles." It was he who wrote the oft-quoted Christian principle that "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

First Council:

The relationship between Christian denominations to its parent company was subject to what is sometimes regarded as the first ecumenical council, the Council of Jerusalem (ca. 50 AD). Council was prompted by Jewish Christians in Antioch, who was teaching that Gentile Christians be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses. Paul and Barnabas, who are against this idea, traveled to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles and elders in the proceedings, and proceedings of the Council was registered in 15 files.

After much discussion, Peter spoke to the Council to remind them of his vision and confirms that God had confirmed this view: "give the Holy Spirit to them, as he did for us." He concluded with what would be a fundamental Christian teaching: "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." Paul and Barnabas supported this by describing the signs and wonders, who had followed their work among the Gentiles.

Finally, James, head of the Jerusalem church, decided that "we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who turn against God." He added, however, that they need to know to abstain from sexual immorality and blood (both of which were associated with pagan rituals). An official letter was sent to the Gentile Christians in Antioch.

Women in the early church:

In contrast to the patriarchal society where it was born, offering the new faith, Christianity many opportunities for women. According to the Gospels, Jesus treated women with respect and as equals, and women were among his disciples. Mary, mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene is prominent throughout the Gospels. In Jesus' execution, the number of women still believe that when the male disciples had apparently dispersed. Women were the first to witness his resurrection, a fact of great importance in a society where the testimony of a woman was worth half men in court.

After the resurrection, women filled a number of important roles in the church, including the prophet, teacher and missionary. A remarkable figure is Priscilla who worked with Paul and instructed Apollo's.

The Fates of the Apostles:

The rest of the details cited by missionaries Paul and other disciples, characterized by a large number of conversions and miracles, but also the opposition, arrests, near-martyr of origin, and a shipwreck. That ends with Paul preaching "the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ" from a house in Rome, guarded by a soldier.

After the events recorded in Acts, early Christian writings, before most of the apostles sitting martyrdom, but they had preached the gospel in distant places:

These twelve disciples went forth throughout the known parts of the world, and continued to show his greatness with all modesty and sincerity.

From Jerusalem, which went out twelve men in the world. These men were untrained and without the ability to speak. But by God's power, they proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach God's word to all.

According to Clement of Alexandria, Peter, Philip was married and had children, and Paul probably did. Their wives traveled with the apostles "not as wives but as sisters, with the Minister of housewives". Clement also reports that Peter's wife was martyred before him, and the apostle called her when she was led to her death.

Peter and Paul founded the church in Rome and was martyred under Nero. Peter was crucified and his relics are believed to be located in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Paul was executed by beheading (the merciful method is a privilege of Roman citizenship) around the year 68 AD. Paul's relics are said to be located in St. Paul's Basilica, five miles from St. Peter.

John is traditionally considered to have been banished to the island of Patmos where he wrote the apocalyptic Book of Revelation. It is in Revelation itself (1:9) and confirmed by Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian, who adds that John was thrust into boiling oil in Rome without being hurt before he was sent into exile. Irenaeus, wrote earlier (around 180), speaks only of John's career with the church in Ephesus, where he "was among them remain until the time of Trajan." Polycrates reports that John was a martyr and was buried at Ephesus. Clement of Alexandria explains that John returned from Patmos to Ephesus on the "tyrant's death," and a century later Victorinus elaborates that Domitian had ordered John to Patmos to work in the mines, but when Caesar died, John was released and sent back to Ephesus where he wrote his gospel.

The conclusion of the lives of the other apostles are largely unknown. A source says that Andrew was there with John in Ephesus. Clement of Alexandria reports that James was Bishop of Jerusalem. A tradition, recently popularized in the novel The Da Vinci Code, Mary Magdalene has live the rest of his life in southern France.