The Table: A Christian Fellowship

The elements of good story:
the Characters, the Setting, the Conflict, the Plot, and the Resolution.

For 3 years, Paul tormented and terrified the early church in Jerusalem, and when we had done all the damage he could there, he asked permission to drag people back to be tried, convicted, and killed.

Here are a few things we knew about James from Biblical accounts:

1. He was Christ’s brother.
Mark 6:3 – Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?”
2. He didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah during His ministry on earth.
John 7:5 – For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
3. Jesus visited him directly after the resurrection.
I Cor 15:7 - Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
4. He became a “pillar” of the church in Jerusalem.
Galatians 2:9 – James, Cephas, and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.

God can redeem anyone
God can redeem an unbeliever that had Christ in their own home, and God can redeem the person denying Christ loudly while “breathing murderous threats”. God can redeem ANYONE.
And God is even willing to break into our lives to set us on the right course.

1. Main Characters: Paul, the evil persecutor, and James, the pillar of the church.
2. Setting: the first century cities of Jerusalem and Damascus.

The story of Stephen is the match that ignites a deadly conflict across ancient Judea.

1. James probably knew and helped chose Stephen as a deacon.
Acts 6:3-4 – “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
Acts 6:5-6 “This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.”

2. Stephen’s ministry did not go unnoticed.
Acts 6:8-10 “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, … But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.”

3. Stephen is tried, carried out of the city, and stoned.
Acts 7:57-58 “they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

Obviously, this is where our paths cross.

4. From this day (Stephen’s murder), Paul leads a wave of terrorism against “the Way” that forces most of them to leave Jerusalem and Judea for other cities.
Acts 8:1 “And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”
Acts 8:3 “…Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.”

5. How would James react to his friends being dragged from their homes, jailed, and sometimes killed. He writes a letter to the believers that fled Jerusalem, and he says,
James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James chooses to help his friends prepare for the trials, not avoid them. This letter was circulated to encourage believers throughout the region; it’s hard to believe Paul wouldn’t eventually come across this letter somewhere.