Lesson 5 – The Establishment of the Church

Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,

Matthew 18:17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be to you just like the Gentile and the tax collector.

Acts 2:44 And all those who believed were together and had all things common

1. The need for establishing churches ¹
2. The pattern of the apostles in the New Testament
   1. Starting from Jerusalem ², ³  
      1. The first local church – The Church in Jerusalem ⁴, ⁵
      2. Composed of elders, serving ones and believers ⁶, ⁷, ⁸, ⁹
   2. Spreading to Judea, Samaria, and Galilee ¹⁰
   3. Reaching Antioch in Syria
      1. Including the prophets and teachers ¹¹

READING

Bible References:

1. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
2. And as the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, they were all together in the same place. (Acts 2:1)
   
3. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:5)
4. And Saul approved of his killing. And there occurred in that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (Acts 8:1)
5. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be to you just like the Gentile and the tax collector. (Matthew 18:17)
6. Which also they did, sending it to the elders through the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:30)
7. Faithful is the word: If anyone aspires to the overseership, he desires a good work. (1 Timothy 3:1)
8. But brothers, look for seven well-attested men from among you, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint over this need. (Acts 6:3)
9. And all those who believed were together and had all things common; (Acts 2:44)
10. So then the church throughout the whole of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it was multiplied. (Acts 9:31)
11. Now there were in Antioch, in the local church, prophets and teachers: Barnabas and Simeon, who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen, the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. (Acts 13:1)