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The Apostles

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The Apostles The History of the Origins of Christianity. Book II. The Apostles. Author(s): Renan, Joseph Ernest (1823-1892). Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: This book belongs to a seven-volume series, the first of which, Life of Jesus, is the most famous (or infamous). The Apostles, the second volume, is a sequel of sorts to Life of Jesus, telling the story of the events immediately following Christ's death.The historian follows the spread of Christianity from the Apostles to all across Europe and the Near East, documenting Pentecost and the establishment of the first churches. Renan's historical account reflects his background in 19th century German higher criticism of the Bible. Kathleen O'Bannon CCEL Staff Subjects: Christianity History By period Early and medieval i Contents Title Page 1 Contents 2 Introduction 4 Chapter I. Formation of Beliefs Relative to the Resurrection of Jesus—The 28 Apparitions at Jerusalem. Chapter II. Departure of the Disciples from Jerusalem—Second Galilean Life of 37 Jesus. Chapter III. Return of the Apostles to Jerusalem.—End of the Period of Apparitions. 43 Chapter IV. Descent of the Holy Spirit.—Ecstatical and Prophetical Phenomena. 47 Chapter V. First Church of Jerusalem; It Is Entirely Cenobitical. 53 Chapter VI. The Conversion of Hellenistic Jews and of Proselytes. 62 Chapter VII. The Church Considered as an Association of Poor People.—Institution 66 of the Diaconate, Deaconesses, and Widows. Chapter VIII. First Persecution.—Death of Stephen.—Destruction of the First 74 Church of Jerusalem. Chapter IX. First Missions.—Philip the Deacon. 80 Chapter X. Conversion of St. Paul.—Ridiculous to Put Paul’s Conversion A.D. 84 38—Aretas Settles the Date as about 34. Chapter XI. Peace and Interior Developments of the Church of Judea. 93 Chapter XII. Foundation of the Church of Antioch. 102 Chapter XIII. The Idea of an Apostolate to the Gentiles.—Saint Barnabas. 107 Chapter XIV. Persecution by Herod Agrippa the First. 112 Chapter XV. Movements Parallel to Christianity, or Imitated from It.—Simon of 118 Gitton. Chapter XVI. General Progress of Christian Missions. 123 Chapter XVII. State of the World at the Middle of the First Century. 131 Chapter XVIII. Religious Legislation at This Period. 144 ii Chapter XIX. The Future of Missions. 150 Indexes 158 Index of Scripture References 159 Latin Words and Phrases 160 Index of Pages of the Print Edition 161 iii This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, ePub, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/renan/apostles.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/3526. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. iv Title Page Title Page THE HISTORY OF THE ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY. BOOK II. THE APOSTLES. BY ERNEST RENAN MEMBER OF THE FRENCH ACADEMY. London: MATHIESON & COMPANY 25, Paternoster Square E.C. 1 Contents Contents CONTENTS. CHAP. A.D. Page INTRODUCTION. CRITICISM OF ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. I. Formation of Beliefs Relative to the Resurrection of Je- 33 1 sus.—The Apparitions at Jerusalem II. Departure of the Disciples from Jerusalem.—Second Ga- 33 15 lilean Life of Jesus III. Return of the Apostles to Jerusalem.—End of the Period 33-34 25 of Apparitions IV. Descent of the Holy Spirit.—Ecstatical and Prophetical 34 31 Phenomena V. First Church of Jerusalem; it is entirely cenobitical 35 41 VI. The Conversion of Hellenistic Jews and of Proselytes 36 55 VII. The Church Considered as an Association of Poor 36 62 People—Institution of the Diaconate, Deaconesses, and Widows VIII. First Persecution.—Death of Stephen.—Destruction of the 36-37 74 First Church of Jerusalem IX. First Missions.—Philip, the Deacon 38 62 X. Conversion of St. Paul.—Ridiculous to put Paul’s Conver- 38 89 sion A.D. 38.—Aretas settles the date as about 34 XI. Peace and Interior Developments of the Church of Judea 38-41 103 XII. Foundation of the Church of Antioch 41 117 XIII. The Idea of an Apostolate to the Gentiles.—Saint Barnabas 42-44 124 XIV. Persecution by Herod Agrippa the First 44 131 XV. Movements Parallel to Christianity, or imitated from 45 141 it.—Simon of Gitton XVI. General Progress of Christian Missions 45 149 XVII. State of the World at the Middle of the First Century 45 163 XVIII. Religious legislation at this period 45 184 2 Contents XIX. The Future of Missions 45 193 i 3 Introduction Introduction INTRODUCTION. CRITICISM OF ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. The first book of our history of the Origins of Christianity has traced the story as far as the death and burial of Jesus. We must now resume the narrative at the point where we left it—to wit, Saturday, 4th April, 33. This will be for some time yet a continuation, in some sort, of the Life of Jesus. Next, after the months of joyous rapture, during which the great Founder laid the foundation of a new order for humanity, these last years were the most decisive in the history of the world. It is still Jesus, some sparks of whose sacred fire have been deposited in the hearts of a few friends who created institutions of the greatest origin- ality, moves, transforms souls, imprints upon everything his divine seal. We have to show how, under this ever active and victorious influence over death, the faith of the resurrection, the influence of the holy Spirit, the gift of tongues, and the power of the Church, established themselves. We shall describe the organization of the Church at Jerusalem, its first trials, its first conquests, the earliest missions which it despatched. We shall follow Christianity in its rapid progress in Syria, as far as Antioch, where was formed a second capital, more important in a sense than that of Jerusalem, which it was destined to supplant. In this new centre, where the converted Pagans constituted the majority, we shall see Christianity sep- arating itself definitely from Judaism, and receiving a name of its own; we shall see especially the birth of the grand idea of distant missions, destined to carry the name of Jesus into the world of the Gentiles. We shall pause at the important moment when Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark set out for the execution of this great design. There we shall interrupt our narrat- ive, and cast a glance at the world which those daring missionaries undertook to convert. We shall endeavour to give an account of the intellectual, political, religious, and social condition of the Roman Empire about the year 45, the probable date of the departure of Saint Paul upon his first mission. Such is the subject-matter of this second book, which we have entitled, The Apostles, for the reason that it expounds the period of common action during which the small family ii created by Jesus acted in concert, and was grouped morally around a single point—Jerusalem. Our next work, the third, will take us out of this company, and we shall be devoted almost exclusively to the man who, more than any other, represents conquering and travelling Christianity—Saint Paul. Although, from a certain epoch, he called himself an apostle, Paul had not the same right to the title as the Twelve; he is a workman of the second hour, and almost an intruder. The state in which historical documents have reached us are at this stage-misleading. As we know infinitely more of the history of St. Paul than that of the Twelve, as we possess his authentic writings and original memoirs detailing minutely certain periods of his life, we assign to him an importance of the first order, almost exceeding that of Jesus. This is an error. Paul was a great man: in the foundation of Christianity he played 4 Introduction a most important part. Still, we must not compare him with Jesus, nor even with any of the immediate disciples of the latter. Paul never saw Jesus, nor did he ever taste the ambrosia of the Galilean preaching. Hence, the most commonplace man who had had his part of the celestial manna, was from that very circumstance superior to him who had only had an after-taste. Nothing can be more false than an opinion which has become fashionable in these days, that Paul was really the founder of Christianity. The real founder of Christianity was Jesus. The first places, next to him, ought to be reserved to those grand and obscure companions of Jesus, to those faithful and zealous women, who believed in him despite his death. Paul was, in the first century, a kind of isolated phenomenon. He did not leave an organized school. On the contrary he left bitter opponents, who strove, after his death, to banish him from the Church and to place him, in a sort of way, on the same footing as Simon Magus.
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