ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION

THE APOSTLES• SIMON PETER & ANDREW• JAMES & JOHN (SONS OF

ZEBEDEE)• MATTHEW• THOMAS• JAMES (SON OF ALPHAEUS)• PHILLIP• BARTHOLOMEW• JUDE THADDAEUS• SIMON THE CANAANITE• JUDAS

NEW TESTAMENT APOSTLES AND DISCIPLES

SAUL OF TARSUS (PAUL) & THE SAINTS• LUKE • BARNABAS• TIMOTHY• JOHN MARK• SILAS

SIMON PETER

• WROTE I & II PETER & “GOSPEL OF PETER” ?

• HE AND PAUL FOUNDED OF THE CHURCH AT ROME

• DIED ABOUT TIME OF PAUL AD 67 OR 68

• AT HIS REQUEST, CRUCIFIED UPSIDE DOWN

• CORNERSTORE OF CATHOLIC CHURCH

JAMES, SON OF ZEBEDEE• WROTE “BOOK OF

JAMES” • ELDEST BROTHER OF

JOHN• 1ST APOSTLE MARTYRED• BEHEADED BY HEROD

AGRIPPA 1ST SHORTLY BEFORE PASSOVER, IN AD 44 OR ABOUT 11 YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF CHRIST

JOHN• DISCIPLE OF JOHN THE

BAPTIST• JESUS’S HALF COUSIN• WROTE GOSPEL OF “JOHN,

1ST, 2ND, 3RD JOHN & REVELATION”

• PILLAR OF THE CHURCH (GAL 2:9)

• ONLY APOSTLE KNOWN TO DIE PEACEFULLY – BELIEVED TO BE BETWEEN 89 – 120 AD IN TURKEY AS BISHOP OF EDESSA

ANDREW

CRUCIFIED UPSIDE DOWN ON X-SHAPED CROSS (TO PROLONG SUFFERING) FOR COVERTING A ROMAN PROCONSUL’S FAMILY TO CHRISTIANITY

ANDREW• BEGAN MISSIONARY

ACTIVITY ON SOUTH SHORES OF BLACK SEA

• FOUNDED CHURCH AT BYZANTIUM

• HEALED SICK • PRAYERS DESTROYED

PAGAN TEMPLES• NO ACCURATE DEATH DATE

KNOWN• CRUCIFIED ON X-SHAPED

CROSS AT PATRAS, GREECE

ST. ANDREW

• THE X-SHAPED CROSS HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE ST. ANDREW’S CROSS

• IT WAS THE SYMBOL USED FOR THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA TO EXPRESS THEIR RIGHTEOUS CAUSE

PHILIP

• MINISTRY MOSTLY UNKNOWN• UNNKNOWN WHEN OR HOW HE

DIED• PREACHED IN PHRYGIA, AND DIED

AT HIERAPOLIS. • WROTE “ACTS OF PHILIP” • FEAST OF PHILIP CELEBRATED BY

CATHOLIC CHURCH MAY 1ST

BARTHOLOMEW (NATHANIEL)• WHILE PREACHING IN

ARMENIA, FLAYED TO DEATH BY A WHIP

• A MISSIONARY TO ASIA. TRADITION SAYS BARTHOLOMEW WENT ON A MISSIONARY JOURNEY TO INDIA

• TRADITION SAYS HE SERVED AS A MISSIONARY IN ETHIOPIA, MESOPOTAMIA, PARTTHIA & LYCAONIA

MATTHEW• 5TH APOSTLE CALLED• TAX COLLECTOR• WROTE “GOSPEL OF

MATTHEW” AT LEAST TWENTY YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF CHRIST??

• WROTE “GOSPEL BIRTH OF MARY”

• STAYED FOR FIFTEEN YEARS AT JERUSALEM

• LATER, A MISSIONARY TO THE PERSIANS, PARTHIANS AND MEDES

• MARTYRED IN ETHIOPIA BY THE SWORD

THOMAS• PREACHED IN PARTHIA

OR PERSIA• WROTE “GOSPEL OF

THOMAS” & “GOSPEL OF INFANCY OF CHRIST”

• MARTYRED IN INDIA BY A SPEAR

• MARTYRDOM CELEBRATED BY LATIN CHURCH ON DEC. 21ST

JAMES, SON OF ALPHAEUS

• BROTHER OF JUDE (MAYBE MATTHEW TOO)

• MADE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS THROUGHOUT JUDEA, EDESSA, GAZA, AND ELEUTHEROPOLIS

• ST JAMES FINISHED HIS APOSTOLIC WORK IN THE EGYPTIAN CITY OF OSTRACHINA, WHERE HE WAS CRUCIFIED BY THE PAGANS

SIMON THE CANAANITE

• ONE OF THE MOST OBSCURE AMONG THE APOSTLES. LITTLE IS RECORDED OF HIM ASIDE FROM HIS NAME

• BELIEVED BY SOME TO BE THE SIMEON OF JERUSALEM WHO BECAME THE SECOND BISHOP OF JERUSALEM

JUDE THADDEUS• ACCORDING TO TRADITION,

JUDE TAUGHT IN ARMENIA, SYRIA AND PERSIA WHERE HE WAS MARTYRED

• WROTE “GOSPEL OF JUDAS” • KILLED WITH ARROWS WHE HE

REFUSED TO DENY HIS FAITH• TRADITION TELLS US HE WAS

BURIED IN KARA KALISA IN WHAT IS NOW IRAN

• PATRON SAINT OF “DESPERATE CASES AND LOST CAUSES”

JUDAS ISCARIOT

• BETRAYED JESUS• SHORTLY AFTER THE DEATH OF

CHRIST, JUDAS KILLED HIMSELF. ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE HE HANGED HIMSELF, (MATTHEW 27:5) AT ACELDAMA, ON THE SOUTHERN SLOPE OF THE VALLEY OF HINNOM, NEAR JERUSALEM, AND IN THE ACT HE FELL DOWN A PRECIPICE AND WAS DASHED INTO PIECES

PAUL (SAUL OF TARSUS)• APOSTLE CALLED TO TAKE MESSAGE

OF SALVATION TO THE GENTILES• FOUNDER OF CHRISTIANITY• 4 MISSIONARY JOURNEYS• WROTE “ROMANS, I & II COR,

GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, PHILLIPIANS, I & II THES, I & II TIMOTHY, TITUS & PHILEMON”

• WROTE “EPISTLE OF PAUL TO SENECA & EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE LAODICEANS“

• BEHEADED IN ROME

1ST MISSIONARY JOURNEY 44-46 AD (Acts 13:1 to 15:35)

1ST MISSIONARY JOURNEY 44-46 AD (Acts 13:1 to 15:35)

• MADE WITH BARNABAS AND JOHN MARK (BARNABAS’ NEPHEW) WHO DESERTED AT PAMPHYLIA

• SHORTEST OF 4 JOURNEYS• BARNABAS WAS THE

MISSIONARY LEADER• ON CYPRUS, ROMAN

PROCONSUL CONVERTED BY SAUL AFTER REBUKING EVIL SORCERER

• AFTERWARDS, SAUL BECAME PAUL AND LEADER OF THE MISSIONARY JOURNEY

2ND MISSIONARY JOURNEY 49-52 AD (Acts 15:36 to 18:22)

2ND MISSIONARY JOURNEY 49-52 AD (Acts 15:36 to 18:22)

• BARNABAS PARTS COMPANY WITH PAUL OVER DISAGREEMENT ABOUT JOHN MARK

• PAUL UNDERTOOK JOURNEY WITH SILAS

• JOINED BY TIMOTHY (PAUL’S BEST COMPANION) & LUKE

• WROTE “I & II THESSALONIANS & GALATIANS”

• WHAT DID PAUL SEE AT RHODES?

THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES

3RD MISSIONARY JOURNEY 53-58 AD (Acts 18:23 to 21:17)

3RD MISSIONARY JOURNEY 53-58 AD (Acts 18:23 to 21:17)

• BEGAN JOURNEY WITH TIMOTHY• VISITED SEVERAL CHURCHES

ESTABLISHED ON PREVIOUS TRIPS

• 2.5 YEARS AT EPHESUS WHERE JOINED BY APOLLO

• HANKERCHIEFS TOUCHED BY PAUL HEALED THE SICK

• RAISED THE DEAD AT TROAS• WROTE BOOKS OF “ROMANS &

I & II CORINTHIANS”

4TH MISSIOARY JOURNEYAUTUMN 60 - SUMMER 68 AD

4TH MISSIOARY JOURNEYAUTUMN 60 - SUMMER 68 AD

• LEAVES TITUS, GOES TO MACEDONIA & WRITES “I TIMOTHY AND TITUS”

• 64-67 AD TRAVELED TO SPAIN & BRITIAN

• 67 AD BACK IN ROMAN PRISON WHERE HE WROTE LAST EPISTLE, “II TIMOTHY”

• BEHEADED BY NERO JUNE 68 AD

• ROMAN PRISONER IN CAESAREA SUMMER 58 – AUTUMN 60 AD

• HERE WROTE EPISTLES “EPHESIANS, PHILEMON & PHILLIPIANS”

• SAILS FOR ROME WITH LUKE AUTUMN 60 AD

• PRISONER IN ROME UNTIL SPRING 63 AD

• ACQUITED OF CHARGES & SAILS TO CRETE WITH LUKE & TITUS

SAINT BARNABAS• A LEVITE JEW• ONE OF EARLIST CHRISTIAN

CONVERTS IN JERUSALEM• ACCOMPANIED PAUL ON 1ST

MISSIONARY JOURNEY• WROTE “GOSPEL OF BARNABAS” • FOUNDED CHURCH OF CYPRUS• MARTYRED AT SALAMIS, CYPRUS

IN 61 AD

SAINT TIMOTHY• A GREEK GENTILE• CLOSE FRIEND &

CONFIDANT OF PAUL• REPLACED BARNABAS AND

ACCOMPANIED PAUL ON HIS 2ND & 3RD MISSIONARY JOURNEY

• TWO OF PAUL’S LETTERS ADDRESSED TO TIMOTHY

• FIRST BISHOP OF EPHESUS• STONED TO DEATH AT

EPHESUS FOR OPPOSING A PAGAN RITUAL

SAINT LUKE• A GREEK GENTILE• WROTE “GOSPEL OF LUKE”• JOINED PAUL ON 2ND

MISSIONARY JOURNEY AT TROAS

• REJOINED PAUL AFTER 3RD MISSIONARY JOURNEY IN JERUSALEM

• ACCOMPANIED PAUL TO ROME AND REMAINED WITH HIM UNTIL PAUL’S DEATH

• HANGED IN GREECE FOR HIS PREACHING TO THE LOST

SAINT JOHN MARK• WROTE “GOSPEL OF MARK” (I & II

PETER ?)• JEWISH MOTHER • ACCOMPANIED PAUL & BARNABAS

ON 1ST MISSIONARY JOURNEY; LATER BARNABAS TO CYPRUS ;

• PETER WAS CLOSEST CONFIDENT• PETER INFORMATION SOURCE OF

MARK’S GOSPEL?• FOUNDER OF EGYPTIAN CHURCH &

PATRON SAINT OF VENICE• DIED IN ALEXANDRIA AFTER BEING

DRAGGED BY HORSES

SAINT SILAS

• SILAS AND PAUL IN THE PHILIPPIAN JAIL

• RECORDS OF SILAS’ MISSIONARY WORK OBSCURE

• SEVERAL CHURCHS WORLDWIDE WITH HIS NAME

• MARTYRED (UNKNOWN WHERE OR HOW)

WRITERS OF THE GOSPELS:MARK

• PRESENTS CHRIST AS THE SERVANT OF THE LORD• WRITTEN PRINCIPALLY FOR THE ROMAN WORLD• MARK WAS BORN IN JERUSALEM (JEWISH MOTHER) &

WHOSE FATHER THOUGHT TO BE GREEK• SERVED AS A COMPANION AND (GREEK) INTERPRETER FOR

SIMON PETER• GOSPEL OF MARK THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN FROM

KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM HEARING ALL PETER’S SERMONS & ACCOUNTS OF JESUS’ MINISTRY

• GOSPEL WRITTEN IN GREEK TIME AND CALENDAR• MARK WRITTEN APPROXIMATELY 65 AD

WRITERS OF THE GOSPELS:MATTHEW

• PRESENTS CHRIST AS SON OF DAVID & SON OF ABRAHAM• WHO WROTE THE GOSPEL? MATTHEW, LEVI, MATTHEW LEVI,

ANOTHER MATTHEW; UNKNOWN?• MATTHEW WAS A GALILEAN, A JEW & A TAX COLLECTOR • EUSEBIUS PAMPHIL, BISHOP OF CAESAREA & FATHER OF

CHURCH HISTORY, SAYS WRITER OF MATTHEW WAS SYRIAN AND LIVED IN ANTIOC, SYRIA

• EARLY CHURCH FATHERS REPORT A HEBREW GOSPEL WAS WRITTEN BY MATTHEW BUT NO EVIDENCE HAS BEEN FOUND

• DUE TO ITS SOPHISTIFICATION AND GREEK INFLUENCE, SCHOLARS TODAY BELIEVE WRITTEN BY A NON-WITNESS WHOSE NAME IS UNKNOWN TO US AND DEPENDED ON SOURCES LIKE MARK & Q DOCUMENT

• GOSPEL WRITTEN IN GREEK TIME AND CALENDAR• MATTHEW WRITTEN APPROXIMATELY 80 AD

WRITERS OF THE GOSPELS:LUKE

• PRESENTS THE PERFECT HUMANITY OF CHRIST• LONGEST GOSPEL WRITTEN PRINCIPALLY FOR GREEKS• LUKE WAS A GREEK GENTILE• POPULAR STORIES SUCH AS THE PRODIGAL SON & THE

GOOD SAMARITAN ARE FOUND ONLY IN THIS GOSPEL • MOST MODERN CRITICAL SCHOLARSHIP CONCLUDES

THAT LUKE, USED THE GOSPEL OF MARK FOR HIS CHRONOLOGY AND A HYPOTHETICAL SAYINGS SOURCE Q DOCUMENT FOR MANY OF JESUS' TEACHINGS.

• GOSPEL WRITTEN IN GREEK TIME AND CALENDAR• WRITTEN APPROXIMATELY 80 AD

WRITERS OF THE GOSPELS:JOHN

• PRESENTS JESUS AS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD• PART OF JESUS’ INNER CIRCLE: JOHN, BROTHER

JAMES & PETER • A HEBREW JEW WHO WITNESSED ALL JESUS’ WORKS• ONLY ‘FOR SURE’ GOSPEL WRITTEN BY FIRST HAND

ACCOUNT AND EYE WITNESS• ONLY GOSPEL WRITTEN IN HEBREW CALENDAR AND

TIME• WRITTEN APPROXIMATELY 90 AD

WRITERS OF THE GOSPELS• JOHN ONLY GOSPEL KNOWN WITH ASSURITY TO HAVE BEEN

WRITTEN BY EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT AND IN HEBREW TIME AND CALENDAR (ALL OTHER GOSPELS WRITTEN IN GREEK TIME AND CALENDAR)

• ALMOST VERBATUM QUOTES OF JESUS FOUND IN MATTHEW AND LUKE WHEN WRITTEN SO MANY YEARS AFTER JESUS’ DEATH INDICATE A POSSIBLE EXISTING COMMON SOURCE OF RECORDS: “Q DOCUMENT”

• THIS SEEMS A GOOD POSSIBILITY AS CURRENT THINKING SAYS THE WRITERS OF MATTHEW AND LUKE WERE NOT PRESENT TO WITNESS JESUS’ WORKS

• BOOKS THOUGHT TO BE TOO SOPHISTCATED TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY UNEDUCATED FISHERMEN

WRITERS OF THE GOSPEL

• IF A COMMON SOURCE WAS USED FOR WRITERS OF THE GOSPELS, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE AN EARLIER WRITTEN RECORD

• “Q” DOCUMENT ?? AD• GOSPEL OF MARK 65 AD • GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 80 AD• GOSPEL OF LUKE 80 AD• GOSPEL OF JOHN 90 AD

WRITERS OF THE GOSPELTHOMAS

• GOSPEL OF THOMAS WRITTEN 50 AD• QUOTED IN MANY HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS;

HOWEVER, NO COPY WAS KNOWN TO EXIST• IN 1980’S, A COPY UNEARTHED IN EGYPT• A REVIEW OF THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS SHOWS ITS

BIBICAL IMPORTANCE – THE “Q” DOCUMENT• MANY PASSAGES IN THOMAS FOUND THROUGHOUT

IN LATER WRITINGS OF THE GOSPELS

THE EVIDENCE OF THEIR LABORS

• FIRST BIBLE COMMISSIONED BY CONSTANTINE APPROX IMATELY 315 AD

• 5 COPIES MADE – NONE REMAIN

• UNKNOWN WHAT BOOKS IT CONTAINED BUT KNOWN TO CONTAIN MANY WORKS NOT IN PRESENT BIBLE

THE EVIDENCE OF THEIR LABORS

• FIRST BIBLE FOR ENGLISH SPEAKING GENTILES BY KING JAMES IN 1611

• CONTAINED BOOKS NOT FOUND IN TODAY’S BIBLES

THE EVIDENCE OF THEIR LABORS

• DOES TODAY’S BIBLE TRULY REPRESENT GOD’S WORD?

• WHERE ARE ALL THE BOOKS REMOVED BY MEN WHO LIVED SO LONG AFTER THE EARLY WITNESSES AND WRITERS

• WOULDN’T IT BE WONDERFUL TO SEE CONSTANTINE’S BIBLE WITH ITS MANY WORKS COMPILED ONLY 315 YEARS AFTER BIRTH OF CHRIST

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES(IN CONCLUSION)

• FAITHFULLY ENDEAVORED TO FULFILL JESUS’ GREAT COMMISSION

• GAVE UP ALL TO SERVE AND ESTABLISH CHRISTIANITY• DOCUMENTED JESUS’ MINISTRY IN ESTABLISHING THE

CHURCH• GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR FAITH• GAVE US ALL THE BOOKS AND LETTERS NECESSARY TO

DOCUMENT CHRIST’S NEW TESTAMENT OF SALVATION THROUGHT FAITH

• THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE!!