Christian History -
Apostolic Christian Doctrine

Introduction

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15),

In simple terms, doctrine is established from scripture throughout the entire Bible! So if one is defining doctrine, it will be established and verified through God’s laws, commandments, statutes, judgments and prophesies given in the Old Testament and in the four Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles and in Revelation in the New Testament. So even though, we are going to study the "actions" of the Apostles, we will use scripture from the entire Bible to establish the Apostolic doctrine of Christian history. We will discover that this doctrine was cast in stone in the first century of the church.

In Jesus Christ is The Fullness of the Godhead you discerned that Jesus was fully man and fully God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. This understanding is paramount to understanding the truth about Apostolic Christian History.

Christ's Earthly Ministry

Isaiah saw the grace of Jesus Christ this way,

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

The question is, "How was the grace of Christ, His death on the cross, His selfless act of love going to be applied to humanity? Mark explained the answer to this question,

Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14).

The Greek word for "gospel" is,

Euaggelizo {yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo} (Strong's 2097) - to bring good news, to announce glad tidings

In the Book of John, Jesus made an outright declaration what this process would look like,

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5).

So the next obvious question is "If being "born again" equates to being "born of water and the Spirit and that allows one to "enter into the Kingdom of God", how is this applied to mankind?" Earlier we learned that access to the Kingdom of God came by applying the "gospel", the "good news", that is, "the death, the burial and the resurrection" to one's life. It is intuitively obvious that the two notions must equate,

When one thinks about this, it makes total sense; Jesus died, was buried and He rose again - Jesus was born again! What is not so obvious though is "How does one die, be buried and rise again?" Common sense dictates that it is not a physical death, burial and resurrection, so it must be a "type" or "symbolic" in nature.

Of course, Jesus and John the Baptist gave us the answer to this question as part of Christian history. They preached, repentance, baptism in Jesus' name for remission of sins and receiving the Holy Ghost:

... Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17),

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:16),

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19),

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)(John 7:37-39)

On the day of Pentecost, the actual first day of Christian history, when Christ's church was born, Peter preached the identical message,

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).

Repentance

1) to change one's mind, i.e. to repent

2) to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins.

The Apostle Paul explained that one would have to symbolically "crucify self" to make this kind of change,

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin (Romans 6:6).

When one repents or "dies to self" he lives a repentant lifestyle, one's body does not "serve sin".

Baptism in the Name of Jesus for Remission of Sins

Jesus was literally buried! So how did He expect humanity to be symbolically buried. The Apostle Paul taught,

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

Baptizo - which means “to immerse, to submerge” - Strong’s 907.

Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost

So the resurrection power is God’s Spirit, the gift of the Holy Ghost. When one receives the Holy Ghost, the person has obeyed and accepted the resurrection of Christ Jesus in their life.

Is there a physical phenomena that accompanies spiritual resurrection, that is, when the gift of the Holy Ghost is received? Luke explicitly described the phenomenon for Christian history when the first one-hundred and twenty lost souls received the Holy Ghost in the upper room,

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).

Pneuma {pnyoo'-mah}(Strong's 4151)meaning Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, Spirit, Christ's Spirit, spirit and wind.

Phone {fo-nay'} (Strong's 5456) speech of a language, tongue

Mark also recorded for Christian history,

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17).

The Greek word for "tongue" is,

Glossa {gloce-sah'} (Strong's 1100) - language or dialect

In other words, anyone that "believes" shall speak in a new tongue, a new language. This was a defining moment in Christian history as this promise was never rescinded in the Bible.

Isaiah prophesied that the same event would happen,

For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear (Isaiah 28:11).

The Acts of The Apostles

Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence (Acts 1:2-5).

So what did Jesus teach the disciples during the forty days that He was with them prior to the Ascension. The best way to answer that question is to examine their "actions" over the remainder of the first century AD.

Day of Pentecost

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).

This was the first outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Christian history and they all spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.

From their the Apostle Peter preached the first sermon to "the bride of Christ", the church, which culminated in the crowd asking

Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do (Acts 2:37)?

Samaria

And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:6-8).

Even though the Samaritans loved the miracles and were filled with joy, Phillip kept on preaching,

But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women (Acts 8:12).

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:14-16).

Watching and listening to all of these events was Simon, the sorcerer. This is significant to Christian history because,

..when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:8-9).

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity (Acts 8:20-23).

This incident was preserved to make an emphatic statement - without true repentance, God will never give the precious gift of the Holy Ghost.

Eunuch from Ethiopia

He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. (Acts 8:32-33)

...and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:38-39)

In this description of being born again, Luke was very specific that when the eunuch was "born of water" he was totally immersed in the water. Luke was silent about the eunuch being filled with the Holy Ghost, but he noted as part of Christian history that Philip was regenerated with the Holy Ghost. In Samaria, just prior to this event, when the lost had only been baptized in the name of Jesus and had not received the gift of the Holy Ghost, Philip ensured that they were "born of the Spirit", as observed in the following scripture:

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:14-16).

There are two other important points, for the sake of Christian history, about the eunuch’s conversion. After Philip “preached unto him Jesus”, the eunuch recognized the need for baptism; so Philip must have been preaching Acts 2:38.

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Conversion of Saul to Paul

One day on the road to Damascus, Jesus confronted Saul of Taurus,

.....suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (Acts 9:3).

Saul was then converted to Christianity by being born again,

....that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized (Acts 9:17-18).

Gentiles Receive The Holy Ghost

A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway (Acts 10:2).

This is significant verse for anyone who loves God - just because you love God and tithe does not mean you have salvation! So Peter went to Cornelius' house and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ,

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).

......the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God......(Acts 10:44-46).

Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days (Acts 10:47-48).

Lydia and Her Household

Lydia...heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.......And....she was baptized, and her household....(Acts 16:14-15)

The Philippian Jailer and His Family

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed (Acts 16:25-26).

After Paul convinced the jailer not to take his own life, the jailer ministered to Paul's and Silas' wounds and then asked,

....Sirs, what must I do to be saved (Acts 16:30)?

.....was baptized, he and all his, straightway......and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house (Acts 16:33-34).

John the Baptist's Disciples

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.And all the men were about twelve.(Acts 19:1-7)

It is obvious, that Paul was still preaching the Gospel the same way it was preached on the day of Pentecost because these twelve disciples of John the Baptist were baptized in Jesus' name and received the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. So even though Luke was silent about the baptism of the Holy Ghost in the conversions of Lydia and her household and the Philippian jailer and his family, this conversion as part of Christian history is confirmation that the full Gospel of Jesus Christ was still being adhered to in 53 AD.

Summary of the Acts of Apostles

1. Day of Pentecost - Upper Room
2. Day of Pentecost - 3000 souls
3. Samaria
4. Eunuch of Ethiopia
5. Apostle Paul
6. Cornelius and household
7. Lydia and household
8. Philippian jailer and family, and
9. John the Baptist's disciples.

These conversions occurred over a period of twenty years following Christ's death, burial and resurrection. They clearly demonstrate that the Apostles preached Apostolic Christian Doctrine. Lost souls became "born again" Christians by being obedient to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is, repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.

For clarity, in this period of Christian history, salvation did not happen without true repentance. There were no water baptisms done in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost and there were no water baptisms done by sprinkling or pouring water onto a person. Also, when lost souls received the Holy Ghost they spoke in tongues.