2. The church in Transition, from the Appointment of the Seven, A. D. 35, to the Council at Jerusalem, A. D. 50.
3. The church among the Gentiles, from the Council at Jerusalem, A. D. 50, to the death of St. Paul, A. D. 68.
4. The End of the Age, from the death of St. Paul to the death of St. John, about A. D. 100. It should be noted that all of these dates are uncertain and historians are not agreed with reference to them.
Of these four periods we take up the first, the church in Judea, or "The church of the First Days;" a space of about five years. During this time the work of the church was confined wholly to the Jewish people, and apparently to the immediate region of Jerusalem.
I. We notice the Events of this Period.
1. The followers of Christ immediately after the Ascension; a company of people believing in Jesus as the Messiah of Israel.
1.) Their number was 120 (Acts 1. 15). They were mostly from Galilee (Acts 2. 7). They were all the organized church at that time, although throughout the land were thousands more ready to unite with them.
2.) Their meeting place was "the upper room" (Acts 1. 13), on Mount Zion, probably the room where the "Last Supper" was held. Some think that this may have been the house of Mary the mother of Mark, referred to in Acts 12. 1, 2.
3.) Their religious condition between the Ascension and Pentecost was probably that of belief in Jesus as the King of Israel, but with the conception of an earthly kingdom (Acts 1. 6). They were waiting with prayer for divine direction (Acts 1. 14).