I. Its Extent. Let the student draw again the map given with the last lesson, and locate upon it the following lands: 1. Judea (Palestine). 2. Syria. 3. Phœnicia. 4. Cyprus. 5. Cilicia. 6. Pamphylia. 7. Pisidia. 8. Lycaonia. In all these lands churches were established and at work.
II. Its Membership. The members of the church consisted of two classes of people, widely apart by nature, but brought together by the gospel:
1. There were churches where all the members were Jews, as in Judea. These were all faithful to the regulations of the Jewish ceremonial law, and many of them almost bigoted in their opinions concerning it (Acts 15. 1, 5).
2. There were other churches, as in Lycaonia, where all or nearly all the members were Gentiles (Acts 14. 6-13). In these the Jewish rules were unrecognized, almost unknown.
3. Between these two extremes was the great body of churches of both Jews and Gentiles. The two classes worshiped together; Jews remaining Jews, and Gentiles remaining Gentiles; but probably received the Lord's Supper apart, as it was as yet a house-service, not held at the public meetings.
4. While in most churches there was harmony, on both sides there were some radical members; but especially among the Jews. These were the Judaizers; men who sought to compel all the disciples to receive circumcision, obey the ceremonial law and make the Christian church subordinate to Jewish ritualism. These were the enemies of Paul to the end of his ministry, perverting the Gentile churches and opposing the apostle's work.
III. Its Leaders. Three names stand out prominently at this time: 1. Paul, as the leader of the church in its world-wide plans, the apostle to the Gentiles (Gal. 2. 7). 2. James, as leader of the Jewish but not Judaizing elements (Acts 13. 13, 19). This was not James the apostle, for he had been put to death some time before this (Acts 12. 2); but James "the brother of the Lord" (Gal. 1. 19). He was the head of the church in Jerusalem and author of the Epistle of James. 3. Peter, who stood in friendly relation to both parties in the church, although his conduct was not always perfectly consistent with regard to Jewish regulations (Acts 11. 2, 3; Gal. 2. 11-14). Between these three leaders there was a clear understanding and no strong division of spirit, although they might not agree in all points. 4. Other leaders in this period were Philip (Acts 8. 40; 21. 8). Barnabas, Silas of Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 15. 22, 32, 40), and Titus (Gal. 2. 1-4).
IV. Its Government. In our time the church is often a highly wrought organization, with articles of faith, orders, and officials of various grades. We are apt to assume such a condition in the early church. But at the time of which we speak there was very little organization or machinery; and there was little need of any, for a special reason: Every member was under the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, living in fellowship with God, without mediation of priest or church. Yet we find certain officers named in the church:
1. Apostles, originally "the twelve," but changes arose and others were called by the title, for example, Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14. 14); James (Gal. 1. 19). The work of the apostles was not primarily government, but inspired testimony to Jesus as the Christ (Acts 1. 22; 6. 4); nowhere in Acts are the apostles represented as ruling the church (Acts 15. 6, 22).
2. Elders (Acts 11. 30; 14. 23; 15. 4). These were analogous to the same officers in the synagogue, from which the plan of the local churches was taken.