First Century Church

EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN THE FIRST CENTURY: Jesus’ Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth offers an in-depth exploration of the early days of Christianity, as it emerged and spread throughout the known world. This comprehensive and insightful book delves into the historical and cultural context of the time, examining the birth of a new faith that would change the course of human history. From the humble beginnings of Jesus’ ministry and the miraculous events of Pentecost to the rapid growth of the Christian movement, this volume paints a vivid portrait of the first-century believers who were ...

The Apostolic Fathers in Modern English Experience the earliest Christian writings, clearly translated for today. This edition presents the complete collection traditionally known as the Apostolic Fathers in fresh, readable modern English, paired with concise, thematic essays at the end of the book that frame the world, worship, and witness of the early church. If you’ve tried public-domain or Victorian renderings and bounced off the archaic phrasing, this volume is built to be faithful, direct, and readable, without dumbing anything down. What’s Included (Complete Texts) 1 & 2 Clement ...

Discover the Diversity and Unity of the Early Church The Christian church of the early centuries spread throughout much of Asia, Africa, and Europe, spoke many languages, was situated within diverse cultural settings, and had varied worship practices; yet it maintained a vital unity on core...

The Birth of the Church. The Shadow of an Empire. The Fire That Ignited the World. Jerusalem, 33 AD. Beneath a cloudless sky, the bustling streets of the holy city are overflowing with pilgrims from every corner of the known world. But the ordinary cadence of the ancient city is shattered when a blinding, celestial fire descends upon a modest upper room, crowning the men inside with unwavering, liquid light. For the diverse crowd watching in paralyzed awe—including rugged craftsmen, distinguished Hebrew scholars, and wealthy Roman patricians—the world will never be the same. The ...

From the creative minds of the scholarly group behind the groundbreaking Jesus Seminar comes this provocative and eye-opening look at the roots of Christianity that offers a thoughtful reconsideration of the first two centuries of the Jesus movement, transforming our understanding of the...

Discover the Unity and Diversity of the Early Church The Christian church of the early centuries spread throughout much of Asia, Africa, and Europe, spoke many languages, was situated within diverse cultural settings, and had varied worship practices; yet it maintained a vital unity on core...

A single letter arrives in Rome, igniting a fire of hope and fear among the city’s secret house churches. The Apostle Paul, the controversial and tireless champion of the gospel, has announced his intention to visit them. But before he can reach the heart of the Empire, he must first journey into the heart of a political and prophetic firestorm: Jerusalem. What begins as a mission to deliver a charitable collection to the saints quickly spirals into a fight for his very life. The Epistle to the Romans plunges readers into one of the most pivotal moments in church history. Witness the ...

Is the goal of Christianity to build more and bigger church buildings to attract more “church-goers? Or for pastors to gain more followers who sit passively, week after week, listening to their sermons? Or is the goal for the church to make disciples ( locally and among the nations) so that Christ’s kingdom will spread throughout the whole earth? What model do we see in the New Testament that gives the blueprint for doing that?

Chained but unyielding, the Apostle Paul arrives in Rome after a harrowing journey marked by a catastrophic shipwreck, a venomous viper, and the miraculous power of God. Confined to a hired house, his prison becomes the unexpected epicenter of a spiritual war. While the apostle preaches with bold confidence to a stream of soldiers, senators, and slaves, the battle for the soul of the Empire has just begun. From within his chains, Paul pens his most profound letters—Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, and the masterpiece to the Hebrews—forging a doctrinal arsenal for the ...

Behind every great movement are the quiet heroes like Andrew, Barnabas, and Timwho made it possible. While history celebrates Peter, Paul, and John, three extraordinary men worked tirelessly in the shadows to build the foundation of Christianity. Andrew—the first-called apostle who brought his brother Peter to Jesus and carried the Gospel to the frozen steppes of Scythia. Barnabas—the encourager who gave Paul his start and specialized in second chances for broken people. Timothy—the young protégé who became Paul’s most trusted companion and carried on his legacy after the great ...

Letters to the Seven Churches by Jeff Culver isn’t just another commentary on the book of Revelation—it’s a deep, revealing journey into the cultural and historical world behind the text. With clarity and depth, Jeff Culver takes readers beyond the surface, unpacking how Jesus’s words to each of the seven churches were tailored specifically to the cities' reputations, customs, and even their monuments. This is the book that finally answers, “Why did He say that to them?” by reconnecting modern readers to the first-century world that originally heard the message. Rather than ...

A bold, heartfelt tale of life at Green Gables . . . before Anne: A marvelously entertaining and moving historical novel, set in rural Prince Edward Island in the nineteenth century, that imagines the young life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her life to the...

The Word is spreading faster than the men who carry it. In the gap between the voice and the page, a shadow is rising. 36 AD. The Resurrection is a living memory, and the Apostles are traversing the Roman Empire with a message that is setting the world on fire. But as house churches sprout from Jerusalem to Rome, a new danger emerges: distance. In the months it takes for a messenger to travel the Mediterranean, the living words of Jesus are being intercepted. In the shadows of the Roman underground, charismatic teachers are twisting the oral tradition, weaving a "secret" gospel of spirits ...

The Crusades is an authoritative, accessible single-volume history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Thomas Asbridge—a renowned historian who writes with “maximum vividness” (Joan Acocella, The New Yorker)—covers the years 1095 to 1291 in this big, ambitious...

A single question threatens to tear the fledgling church apart: Must a Gentile become a Jew to be saved? From the house churches of Rome to the inner chambers of Jerusalem, the faith of the first believers is put to the test. In this sweeping novel of the early church, the scholar Caius Septimius and the statesman Andronicus journey as delegates from Rome, seeking an answer that will save their mixed congregation from a heresy that demands obedience to the Law. They arrive in Jerusalem to find the apostles locked in a monumental debate. Paul and Barnabas stand firm for the liberty of grace,...

The Temple is a smoldering ruin. The holy city runs with blood. In the tumultuous aftermath of Jerusalem’s fall in AD 70, the Old Covenant world has vanished in fire and smoke, leaving the fledgling church in a world remade by Roman steel. But the end of the war with Rome is only the beginning of a new, more insidious conflict—a battle for the very soul of the faith. From the ashes of the old world, two distinct churches rise in the heart of the empire: In the catacombs and hidden workshops of Rome, Rufus, son of the man who carried the cross, shepherds a fugitive remnant. They are the ...

Discover the untold story of the New Testament’s most reluctant hero. Caught between his Greek father’s world and his Jewish mother’s faith, young Timothy never expected to become one of early Christianity’s most trusted leaders. When the apostle Paul arrives in Lystra, everything changes. Follow Timothy’s extraordinary journey from uncertain teenager to Paul’s most beloved disciple. From dangerous missionary journeys to confronting false teachers, watch as this unlikely hero overcomes his fears to help spread the gospel across the Roman Empire. “Timothy: Paul’s Son in ...

This book pulls no punches. We have been lied to about the origins of the New Testament, the Church, and the historical record. But what really happened? The Second Crucifixion of Jesus peels back layers of historical development to reveal the original message the Romans and the Roman Catholic Church never wanted us to see. Evidence from the Bible, contemporaneous histories, and the Dead Sea Scrolls, is meticulously documented – but presented in a narrative that anyone can follow.

The child Mark brimmed with excitement as he and his family made their way to Kennedy Airport in New York to board their flight departing for Cairo. It would be the first time he would travel by jet and his first visit to Egypt. Mark sat next to the window; on the other side sat his older brother, Andrew. Mark was deep in thought while the aeroplane ascended through the clouds going toward Egypt. After a while, Andrew asked his younger brother, "O Mark, what are you thinking?" Mark answered him: "Andrew, as we jet our way above the clouds toward Egypt, I remember what Tasony (Sister) ...

A fragile peace. A creeping heresy. The battle for the soul of the early church has begun. The year is 39 AD. In the labyrinthine streets of Rome, the early house churches have weathered the storms of Roman hostility and philosophical attacks. Under the guidance of four dedicated patriarchs—Andronicus, Caius Septimius, Lucius Vettius, and Rufus—the believers have found sanctuary in the simple, liberating truth of salvation by grace. But a new and insidious threat is slipping through their gates, not bearing the iron sword of the Empire, but the heavy yoke of religious tradition. ...