Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Salvation Through Faith And The Early Church

By Scott Hayes


When it comes to going to church, there are a number of different choices when it comes to denominations and belief systems. In most cases, Christian churches promote salvation through faith based on Bible verses found in the books of Ephesians and Acts. While this the case, there are still differences of opinion as to how an individual can find salvation among different Christian denominations.

Based on the bible verse Ephesians 2:8-10, most believe that individuals are saved though faith. While this is the case, the core of the Christian faith has changed over the years to fit a number of different churches, denominations and sects. As such, different churches and denominations often have different practices and beliefs related to salvation, such as good works, public prayer and baptism.

Originally, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic beliefs spread throughout Europe in the early part of the Middle Ages. After which, the faith expanded throughout the world. Currently, there are more than 2 billions individuals whom identify as Christians worldwide, most living in the United States and Europe. While this is the case, there are still a number of Apostolic churches which celebrate Jewish and Christian traditions.

While some focus on the church as the beginning aspects of the religion, others refer to the story of Saul, or the apostle known as Paul. For, Saul is best known for having seen a vision of Jesus after the resurrection in which Jesus told Saul to spread the gospel to the world. After which, Saul whom was Jewish, converted to Christianity and begin a trek telling the good news of Jesus Christ and salvation of the world.

During the early days of the church, there was a split into the apostolic and post-apostolic branches of the religion. While the apostolic church was led by relatives of Christ whom were some of the earliest disciples, the post-apostolic churches are led by individuals whom have been taught the ways of the original leaders. In either case, the task is to spread the word of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to the world.

In the Apostolic church, the church was led by the apostles, generally relatives of Jesus Christ. While this is the case, upon resurrection Jesus commanded that the teachings be spread throughout the world. Denounced by some critics, the Acts of the Apostles as described in the Bible book of Acts is believed to be the most accurate history related to the time.

The book known as Acts refers to the life and times of the apostles in that day, many of whom were relatives of Christ. In addition, the book provides a great deal of information on the teachings of Jesus and the path to salvation. While this is the case, much of the text is left up to interpretation. As such, many churches have different ideas about how a person can be saved.

In most cases, the earliest Christians were ethically Jewish or Jewish mystics and proselytes. When considering this truth, it becomes clear that Jesus first preached to Jewish people whom became the first disciples. Whereas, as stated in the book of Matthew, the intention was for the teachings of Jesus and salvation to be spread to all nations throughout the land.




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