Question

1. the promises that ________ made to the ______ and to his first ______ same promises that he makes to us: to be with us ______, in and through the ______ of the _______.

article 6: the holy spirit sustains: the early church

1. jesus’ ________ of the apostles is a public recognition that they will be continuing his mission. this event, called the ______ ______, recognizes the church’s mission to share the ______ ________ of christ with the whole world.
2. another key event in the early church’s expansion was the conversion of ________ ______ (d. c. 67). ______ had persecuted christians with great determination, even to the point of supporting the ________ of saint stephen (d. 33).
3. then he encountered the ________ ______ jesus while traveling on the road from jerusalem to ______. as a result, he was ______ and became one of the early church’s greatest ________.
4. because neither the ________ nor ______ authorities fully accepted the ______, they often arrested those who ______ belief in jesus christ. of these, some became ________.
5. at this meeting, which became known as the council of ________, the apostles determined that requiring ______ and adherence to the old testament’s ______ laws would be an unnecessary burden for ________.

Explanation:

These fill-in-the-blank questions relate to key events and figures in early Christian Church history, drawing on core religious studies and biblical history knowledge.

1. The first question refers to Jesus commissioning the Apostles at the Ascension, which launches the Church's mission to spread the Gospel.
2. The second question focuses on Paul (Saul) of Tarsus, who persecuted Christians including supporting Stephen's stoning before his conversion.
3. Paul's conversion came from encountering the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, leading to his baptism and role as a key Church missionary.
4. Early Christians faced persecution from Jewish and Roman authorities for their faith, with some becoming martyrs.
5. The Council of Jerusalem determined that circumcision and full Old Testament law were not required for Gentile Christian converts.

Answer:

1. (Context incomplete, standard completion: God made to the Israelites and to his first disciples; to be with us always, in and through the power of the Holy Spirit)

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1. commission; Ascension; Good News
2. Paul (Saul) of Tarsus; He; stoning
3. Risen; Damascus; baptized; missionaries
4. Jewish; Roman; faith; openly professed; martyrs
5. Jerusalem; circumcision; ceremonial; Gentile believers