The apostles’ teachings emphasized and presented theological themes associated with God and his mission. One of the themes outlined is the birth of the church. Before ascending into heaven, Jesus commissioned his disciples to be his Judea, Israel, and Samaria witnesses. By taking up the guidelines of Jesus Christ, the apostles' mission was centered on multiplying gospel communities. In Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-37, one arguer that; the apostles had created a family of believers who worshiped and shared the word of God together ( Johnson, 2017) . Their spread of the gospel emphasized the need for believers to worship, pray and reach out to others in need of Christ. As part of enlightening the need for the church's development, the apostles engaged in active leadership of the church. Another thematic concern outlined by apostles teaching is the gift of the Holy Spirit. They taught the believers that Holy Spirit was a promise from God for everyone who represents and believes in Jesus. In Acts 2:17-18 and 38, the apostles outlined that Christians who participate in the mission of God, regardless of occupation, age or education, will be guided by the power of the Holy Spirit ( Black, 2020) . The apostles' activities, such as boldness in spreading the gospel, prophesy, and speaking in tongues was a portrayal of how the Holy Spirit drives and empowers the church.
Apostles teaching also emphasized the mission of God. They spread the information about the kingdom of God by teaching people about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Acts 9:1-31, through Jesus, the apostles established the desired direction for spreading the gospel. For instance, by changing Saul from a persecutor to a preacher, Acts presents the greatest missionaries' development. Apart from teaching, the apostles helped to perform miracles such as healing the sick. For example, Act 9:32-43 and 10:1-33 demonstrates how Peter in Joppa and Lydda helped heal the sick and enhance collaboration between Gentiles and Jews ( Black, 2020) . The aforesaid teaches the contemporary church on the need to avoid discrimination on spiritual aspects. The Christians should help non-Christians convert by teaching them about the nature and importance of being part of the gospel community.
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Question 3
The early church was faced with a myriad of challenges has demonstrated in Acts. The major tension and conflict that faced the church was series of persecutions. In Acts, the church experienced sequences of intense suffering and persecution. Acts 5:17-42 demonstrates how apostles were beaten and threatened by religious authorities ( Johnson, 2017) . For instance, the local party members and their companionships in Sadducees arrested and imprisoned the apostles in public jails. Acts 8:3 shows how the people, such as Saul, persecuted the Church in Jerusalem. Some of the apostles were also killed due to their faithfulness to the gospel's preaching and for political favors. Acts 7:54-60 shows how members of the Council stoned Stephen to death with Saul's approval ( Black, 2020) . Some of the apostles also faced intense suffering, such as Paul. For instance, he was beaten, left for dead, and arrested on multiple occasions. Paul was also subjected to shipwrecking suffering experiences. In the last 7 chapters of Acts, one learns about Paul's final trials and imprisonment due to his faith in Jesus Christ. Despite the suffering, the providence of God addressed the early Christian church challenges. God used persecutions to advance his mission. For instance, because of Stephen's martyrdom, the gospel was able to spread to Ethiopians and Samaritans. Persecutions also led to the spread of the gospel since those in prison, such as Paul, preached to kings, jailers, imprisoned, and governors, thus further leading to sharing God's word.
Question 5
Opposition and persecution of the Christians helped in the gospel spreading cause. The suffering made the apostles realize that they will not survive until Jesus returned. The information motivated them to train the church not only for direct evangelism but also to engage in the church's building after the death of the apostles. For example, in Acts 20:25-28, while Paul was in prison, he highlighted through his letters that no one would be able to see him again preaching the kingdom ( Johnson, 2017) . He further instructed the church to keep engaging in spreading the gospel through the Holy Spirit's guidelines. Paul wanted to make sure that regardless of his imprisonment, the church will continue spreading the gospel. Apostles suffering also led to authentic ways of spreading the gospel. They developed short-term and long-term strategies to facilitate the advancement in the kingdom of God.
The persecution also led to the church's preparation to ensure the continuity of spreading God's kingdom's initiative. The apostles were aware of their fate in their persecutors' hands, and therefore, they instructed the church to remain faithful to the testimony of Jesus. The apostles also designated their responsibilities to church officers such as deacons and elders. The officers were to provide guidelines to the believers after the apostles' death or imprisonment ( Black, 2020) . They also prepared the church to withstand hardships since it was inevitable. For example, Paul described that the church was the foundation of Christian life, and thus, the leaders should devote themselves to the teachings of the gospel. Persecutions also strengthened the work of the apostles. In Acts 14:21-22, we see that in every characteristic episode of stoning Paul and leaving him to die in Lystra, after recovery, he would escape to Derbe and later return to encourage the disciples about remaining steadfast to their faith.
References
Black, M. (2020). An Aramaic approach to the Gospels and Acts . Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Johnson, L. T. (2017). Sacra Pagina: The Acts of the Apostles (Vol. 5). Liturgical Press.
