ACTS OF THE APOSTLES FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION

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 • 1 ST APOSTLE MARTYRED • BEHEADED BY HEROD AGRIPPA 1 ST 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, 1 ST, 2 ND, 3 RD 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 1 ST

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 • 5 TH 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. 21 ST

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

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

1 ST 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

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

2 ND 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

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

3 RD 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 & II CORINTHIANS”

4 TH MISSIOARY JOURNEY AUTUMN 60 - SUMMER 68 AD

4 TH MISSIOARY JOURNEY AUTUMN 60 - SUMMER 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 • 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

SAINT BARNABAS • A LEVITE JEW • ONE OF EARLIST CHRISTIAN CONVERTS IN JERUSALEM • ACCOMPANIED PAUL ON 1 ST 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 2 ND & 3 RD 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 2 ND MISSIONARY JOURNEY AT TROAS • REJOINED PAUL AFTER 3 RD 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 1 ST 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 GOSPEL THOMAS • 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 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!!