The Birth of the Christian ChurchParaugs

Acts 1–2 describe the early church, filled and led by the Holy Spirit of God. It is not long, however, before Satan comes against the Christian church. Chapters 3–6 describe the challenges the early church faced. The attacks on the Church will come from among the followers and the Jewish leadership. The book of Revelation describes the battles as a conflict between the Holy Lamb of God and the fierce red dragon. In Revelation and Acts, the attacks are similar. Persecution rises from those who are antagonistic to the message of Christ. Lower, immoral standards emerge from some who have joined the fellowship of the believers. Finally, some seek to gain positions of power and authority among the believers who compromise the truth and teach false messages about the faith. The apostles are called to address and handle the attacks, and in the process, the power of the Holy Spirit is revealed in new and miraculous ways. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3–5)