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Welcome to a new catechesis. We're going to
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continue talking about the history
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of salvation in the New Testament.
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Christian communities were spreading throughout the
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world and were characterized by their
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authentic and fraternal way of life.
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testimony about them in the Acts of the
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Apostles, which says that they devoted themselves to
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apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking
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of bread and to prayer. All the
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believers were together and had everything in common.
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first communities grew, the
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apostles appointed people to
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collaborate with them in this mission:
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priests, and bishops. Those
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who converted to Christianity, who
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became followers of the
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risen Christ, were baptized, and the apostles
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laid hands on them so that the
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Holy Spirit would come upon them. After a few years,
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a controversy arose within
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a continuation of Judaism, or something else entirely?
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very important repercussions because there were
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two groups within Christianity. Those who
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held one position or the other—those who
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thought this was part of Judaism—
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non-Jews, had to become Jewish to
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be Christians, meaning they
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had to be circumcised and
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comply with Jewish laws.
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Peter, for example, held this position at the
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beginning, along with many other Christians,
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especially Jewish ones. On the other hand, there was
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another position that said
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pagans didn't need to become
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Jewish or be circumcised, nor did they need to break
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Jewish laws to follow the Lord. So,
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to resolve this dilemma,
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the Council of Jerusalem was convened around the year 49.
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the apostles, Paul, and other authorities
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who were also guiding the
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communities participated in this council to determine together what
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the solution to this problem should be.
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In the end, everyone agreed, with the
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help of the Holy Spirit, that pagans, Greeks, and non-Jews did
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become Jewish to follow the Lord; they didn't
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need the burden of circumcision
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or Jewish laws. And they were encouraged to
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continue with this mission of taking the
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gospel to the ends of the
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Christian communities continued to grow ever larger. In the New
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Testament, we realize
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that Paul arrives, appears, and is arrested.
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Later, we know from extra-
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biblical sources that
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Paul's martyrdom will take place in Rome, where he will be
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many of the apostles will also die in martyrdom.
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Let us remember that Christian persecution was becoming increasingly
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this context that the Book
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of Revelation was written to give hope and
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encouragement to Christians in times
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of difficulty, reminding them that the
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Lord is master of history and that He will
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never abandon His own. Thus,
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the New Testament is born.
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Many people have given their lives for the
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proclamation of the Good News, the Good
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News that the Lord loves us
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infinitely, that He has a plan
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of love for each one of us. Now it is up to
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us, the Church of today, to
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continue proclaiming this Good News
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to the ends of the earth.
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See you in the next catechesis.
