Journal #6 (Chapter 6 - Called to Community: Acts of the Apostles)

One key idea from this chapter is being "Called to Community". The chapter teaches about the early Christian faith and the acts contained in the Acts of the Apostles written by Luke. Because the Christian faith was so new, the rules that built the foundation for Christianity had not yet been established, so they had to come together as a community to discuss and work out their problems. One major example of this is the Council of Jerusalem, which was a dispute on whether the Gentile converts of Paul had to obey Jewish Law before becoming a Christian. The two arguing sides came together and listened to each others resolvements and worked things out. The most important thing was that they came together as a community.

2. Write about two major ideas you want to remember. Write a short paragraph on each clearly stating the idea and then telling why you want to remember it.
One thing I would like to remember is that Mary is the perfect example of a Christian disciple. She forgave the people who denied knowing her son when his life was on the line (the apostles), and also fostered the new and growing Church. This is important because sometimes it seems hard to relate back to people in the Bible, but I find Mary easy and understandable to use as a model. It is especially important in times of despair to be able to do this. She is also a good example for women to follow, since she is only one of a few women in the Bible with power. All around, Mary is the perfect example that we need to be like.

Another idea I would like to remember from chapter 6 would be the story of the Pentecost. A short while after Jesus ascended into heaven, his followers were together in a room, with one hundred and twenty people total. They agreed that a replacement for Judas was needed to complete the symbolism between the twelve apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel. They let the Spirit decide by casting lots and Matthias was selected as the final apostle. Pentecost came down as rush of wind and tongues of fire, which rested on their heads. The spirit that worked inside of Jesus was now present in all of his followers, but this was only the beginning of the manifestation of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. In Hebrew, Pentecost is called 'Shavu'ot' which means "weeks." Fifty days after the Passover, Pentecost commemorates the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. In the New Testament, the Spirit has now come to serve the same buiding purpose that the law served in the Old Testament.

3. One image that captures the chapter for you.

Image taken from 'http://www.artchive.com/artchive/e/el_greco/el_greco_st_paul.jpg'

4. One significant question you have from this chapter. It can be intellectual or personal.
Why didn't some of the Gentiles convert to Christianity while others did?
One possible answer is that some Gentiles did not like the new religion that the rest of their people were converting to, so they did not convert.