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 ...

It's time to start over from zero. What happened to the Western church? Why are we losing the generation under thirty and reaching so few nonbelievers? In Church Zero, Peyton Jones examines one of our biggest problems: squeezing our leaders into a mold that cuts their hair and drains away their commando strength. Scripture lays out a leadership model that worked explosively in the first century.

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 teachings. In The Global Church - The First Eight Centuries: From Pentecost through the Rise of Islam, author Donald Fairbairn helps listeners understand both the diversity and unity of the church in this pivotal era.

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 religion and its early dissemination.

In the twilight of the apostolic age, with Jerusalem in ruins and the last of the eyewitnesses passing from the world, a deep and dangerous schism fractures the heart of the Christian faith. The Two Churches (c. 71-96 AD), the thirteenth volume in the sweeping 1st Century House Churches series, plunges readers into the critical decades where two competing models of the church—one visible and powerful, the other hidden and persecuted—vie for the soul of the fledgling movement. In Rome, the trauma of Nero’s persecution has forged two divergent paths. The influential Clement, a man who ...

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,...

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 ...

n the smoldering heart of a fallen city, a dark apostle's vengeance sets the stage for the ultimate test of faith. Rome, 64 AD. The Great Fire has ravaged the capital, and a paranoid Emperor Nero needs a scapegoat. At the venomous whisper of Simon Magus—a sorcerer nursing a decades-old grudge against the apostles—Nero finds his victims: the city’s small but steadfast community of Christians. Accused of "hatred of the human race," the followers of the Way are marked for annihilation. As the first generation of leaders—including the apostles Peter and Paul—are dragged to the ...

From the philosophical battleground of Athens to the decadent heart of Corinth, the Apostle Paul faces his most challenging mission yet. After confronting the Stoics and Epicureans on Mars’ Hill, he arrives in Corinth, a city of immense wealth and vice. Working as a humble tentmaker, he preaches in the synagogue until, facing violent rejection, he makes a historic turn to the Gentiles, setting his sights on the pagan world. But as the church in Corinth is born, new threats emerge. The arrival of the eloquent Apollos ignites a dangerous rivalry, splintering the young fellowship into ...

They witnessed the fire of Pentecost. Now they must carry its ember into the heart of a pagan empire. In 33 AD, four families from Rome—led by Andronicus the statesman, Caius the scholar, Lucius the craftsman, and Rufus, the son of the man who carried Christ’s cross—travel to Jerusalem seeking truth. They arrive just in time to be swept up in the miraculous events of Pentecost. After hearing Peter's sermon and being born of water, their lives are irrevocably transformed. They return to Rome as new men, tasked with planting a new faith in a hostile land. Rejected by the synagogues and ...

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 ...

The early house churches of Rome are built on a dangerous foundation: human memory. It is 36 AD, five years after Pentecost, and the elders—Andronicus, Rufus, and the scholar Caius—discover their recollections of Christ's teachings are fading and conflicting. A simple dispute over church discipline spirals into a crisis of authority, leaving their flock vulnerable to a new, insidious threat. From the intellectual forge of Alexandria, an emissary of the sorcerer Simon Magus arrives in Rome. His name is Dositheus, and he preaches an eloquent, philosophical gospel of a spiritual-only ...

An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of the Scriptures. Explore this biblical text that serves as a bridge from the Gospels to the Epistles, and introduces the birth of the Christian church and the experiences of its leaders as they spread the good news of salvation by faith from the Jewish to the Gentile communities. The entire text of the Bible are presented with intermediate commentary that includes the background, context, and exposition of each passage. Organized as twenty-seven sequential and individual Bible studies that are each intended for about 30 minutes of personal Bible ...

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 (...

In a time when the foundations of modern Christianity are being reexamined and, in many cases, found wanting, Ancient Paths – Modern Gates emerges as a prophetic and Spirit-breathed invitation to return—not to tradition for tradition’s sake, but to the original DNA of the early church. This is not a nostalgic glance backward, nor a rejection of the institutional church. It is a clarion call to restoration: to rebuild according to heaven’s blueprint, with fresh fire and apostolic clarity. In an age of spiritual fatigue and disillusionment, this book offers a pathway forward for those...

Miracles of the Past Preparing You for the Future The Body of Christ is ordained to walk in the supernatural. That has always been the plan, and you have a part to play in the mercy, power, and love of God being demonstrated in the earth. Despite claims that miracles ceased with the apostles, Jesus said that believers would do the same works He did and even greater works (John 14:12). From the book of Acts until today, the Spirit of God has demonstrated an enduring pattern of confirming the gospel through signs, wonders, and miracles. And today, the Holy Spirit desires to continue His ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

In a city ruled by a goddess of silver, one man’s message ignites a fire that threatens to consume the Roman world. The Apostle Paul’s ministry in Ephesus has reached its zenith. In the school of Tyrannus, the Word of God grows mightily and prevails, culminating in a great bonfire of magic books that shakes the city to its spiritual foundations. But this triumph of faith casts a long and dangerous shadow. Demetrius, a master silversmith whose fortune is forged in the worship of the goddess Diana, sees his livelihood collapsing. With his craft in peril and the city’s devotion ...