The apostolic age refers to the period of time in the early church after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, when the apostles were leading the church. It is typically considered to be the first 100 years of church history, from around 30-130 AD. During this time, the apostles spread the gospel and established churches throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. Some key aspects of the apostolic age include:
- The ministry of the apostles – The 12 disciples that Jesus appointed as apostles (plus Matthias who replaced Judas, and Paul who was specially commissioned by Jesus) were the leaders of the early church. They preached the gospel, planted churches, appointed leaders, and wrote Scripture.
- The beginning of the church – At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers and the church was empowered to fulfill the Great Commission. Thousands came to faith in Jesus and were baptized, taking part in fellowship, communion, prayer, evangelism, and worship.
- Persecution of church leaders – Starting with the stoning of Stephen, persecution arose against the apostles and church leaders. But this caused the church to spread as believers left Jerusalem. The apostles continued boldly preaching despite persecution.
- Spread of the gospel – The church grew rapidly as the gospel was preached. Paul took 3 missionary journeys to spread the faith, and the apostles traveled to synagogues, marketplaces, and houses to share the good news.
- Development of theology – The apostles taught authoritatively on Christian doctrine, the person of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, the resurrection, and other topics that laid the theological foundation of the church.
- New Testament writings – Much of the New Testament was written during this time, including the gospels, Acts, and the epistles. These writings instructed the early churches and still guide believers today.
The apostolic age ended around 100 AD with the death of John, the last living apostle. This marked the end of the age of those who had personally walked with Christ and transitioned authority in the church to their disciples. The apostolic age established the early church and set it on a firm theological foundation. The apostles fulfilled Jesus’ command to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, resulting in the remarkable spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.
Ministry of the Apostles
The apostolic age takes its name from the ministry of the apostles, who were the primary leaders of the early church after Jesus’ ascension. The word apostle means “one who is sent out” – Jesus personally chose 12 apostles to go out, preach his message, and establish his church (Mark 3:13-19). After Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, Matthias was selected to take his place (Acts 1:15-26). Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle, was also specially commissioned by the risen Christ to carry the gospel to Gentiles (Acts 9:1-19). These men fulfilled Jesus’ command to be his witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The ministry of the apostles in the early church entailed:
- Preaching the gospel – The apostles boldly proclaimed the good news of salvation through repentance and faith in Christ. Their preaching on Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and offer of salvation was the basis for gospel proclamation throughout the church age (Acts 2:14-41; 3:12-26).
- Performing signs and wonders – To authenticate their message, the apostles performed miracles, signs, wonders, and gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:43; 5:12; Romans 15:18-19).
- Shepherding the church – As undershepherds of Christ, the apostles cared for the spiritual needs of the churches they planted, taught sound doctrine, settled disputes, and appointed leaders (Acts 6:1-6; 20:28-32).
- Planting churches – The apostles established churches in Jerusalem, Judea, Galilee, and eventually to the ends of the earth. The churches apostles planted became the pillars of the early church (Acts 9:31; 13-28).
- Making disciples – Part of their commission was to make disciples who would in turn make disciples, expanding the reach of the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20).
- Suffering persecution – Nearly all the apostles suffered imprisonment, beatings, rejection, and martyrdom for their unwavering commitment to Christ (Acts 5:17-42; 12:1-5).
- Writing Scripture – Half of the New Testament was written by apostles – the gospels, Acts, and the epistles. Their writings hold authority in the church today.
The ministry of the apostles was foundational to the growth and development of the early church. Jesus promised his apostles the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth and bring to mind his teachings (John 14:26). This enabled them to faithfully establish the church and accurately transmit the Christian faith to all generations.
Beginning of the Church at Pentecost
The church was born through the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost shortly after Jesus’ ascension (Acts 2:1-41). On this day, the 120 believers who had gathered together in Jerusalem experienced the promised power they needed to fulfill Christ’s mission:
- The Holy Spirit descended – There was a sound like a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire rested on each of them (Acts 2:2-3).
- They were filled with the Spirit – This fulfilled Jesus’ promise to baptize his followers with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5; 2:4).
- They spoke in tongues – This miraculous ability enabled them to proclaim the gospel in many foreign languages (Acts 2:5-12).
- Peter preached the gospel – Taking advantage of the crowd drawn by the commotion, Peter preached the first Christian sermon on Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection (Acts 2:14-36).
- Thousands came to faith – Peter’s sermon convicted many listeners who repented, believed in Jesus, and were baptized (Acts 2:37-41). About 3000 were added to their number that day.
This marked the beginning of the Christian church – a Spirit-filled, evangelistic community of believers committed to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, communion, prayer, and sharing everything in common (Acts 2:42-47). With the coming of the Holy Spirit, the early church was empowered to fulfill Christ’s commission to make disciples of all nations.
Persecution of Church Leaders
Within the volatile setting of the 1st century Roman Empire, the apostles encountered significant persecution for their preaching of the gospel. Starting with the stoning of Stephen, persecution arose against the Jerusalem church, led by Saul of Tarsus (Acts 8:1-3). This caused many believers to flee Jerusalem, which helped spread Christianity throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:4-25).
Herod Agrippa had the apostle James killed and Peter imprisoned, though an angel freed him (Acts 12:1-19). Paul also suffered intense persecution for preaching that Jesus was the Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23-33). Despite this, the apostles rejoiced to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ and refused to stop teaching and preaching Jesus (Acts 5:40-42).
This persecution resulted in the following outcomes:
- A trail of blood – Many prominent church leaders like Stephen, James the brother of John, and James the brother of Jesus were martyred for their bold witness.
- Scattering of believers – Persecution caused believers to flee from Jerusalem and start churches in new areas.
- Growth of the church – As believers took the gospel with them, Christianity spread rapidly beyond Jerusalem.
- Theology of suffering – The apostles wrote extensively on suffering and persecution, seeing it as an opportunity to grow in Christ and witness to others.
- Bold witness – Persecution strengthened the resolve of church leaders to keep preaching Christ at any cost.
Though the enemy sought to destroy the church through persecution, it only served to strengthen and spread it. The blood of the martyrs, as church father Tertullian said, became the seed of the church. Even today, persecution confirms the radical nature of the gospel.
Spread of the Gospel in the 1st Century
Fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit, belief in the risen Christ, and a willingness to suffer, the church grew at an astounding rate in the 1st century. The book of Acts traces how the gospel radiated out from Jerusalem into surrounding regions:
- Judea and Samaria – Persecution following Stephen’s death resulted in the gospel spreading into these nearby areas (Acts 8:1).
- Asia Minor – Paul’s missionary journeys established churches in Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, and the seven churches of Revelation.
- Greece – Paul spent a year and a half in Corinth and planted churches in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens.
- Rome – Paul wrote Romans from Corinth and church tradition holds that Peter and Paul both traveled to Rome to strengthen the church there.
- Egypt – The church in Alexandria was likely founded by Mark and quickly grew into a pillar of early Christianity.
- North Africa – Roman Carthage and Cyrene (home of Simon who carried Jesus’ cross) became Christian hubs.
Despite no technology, the gospel spread far and wide from Judea through the Roman Empire as apostles, evangelists, and ordinary believers shared their faith wherever they went. Christianity posed a unique challenge as a faith that crossed ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic barriers.
Teachings and Writings of the Apostles
The apostles played a crucial role in laying the doctrinal foundation of the early church through their teachings, sermons, and writings:
- Orthopraxy – The apostles emphasized right conduct in accordance with the teachings of Jesus.
- The Kerygma – Their core gospel message focused on Christ’s death for sins and resurrection by God’s power (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
- Salvation by grace – They taught salvation comes through faith in Christ, not works, as Paul elaborates in Galatians and Romans.
- Deity of Christ – The apostles affirmed Christ as the divine Son of God who took on flesh (John 1:1-14; Colossians 1:15-20).
- Ethics – Apostolic instruction addressed practical topics like marriage, sexuality, government, suffering, gifts, giving, and church conduct.
- Church leadership – The apostles taught on qualifications, duties, and authority of elders/overseers and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13).
The apostles authoritatively passed on the teachings of Jesus. The New Testament epistles capture the doctrines they proclaimed and expounded on. These apostolic writings guided church practice and developed Christian theology in the early church that endures today.
The Gospels
The four canonical gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—were written between AD 65–110. These provide historical narratives of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Though each has its own perspective, together they definitively establish that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the only way of salvation. The gospels are the foundational texts of the Christian faith.
Acts of the Apostles
Luke’s second volume, Acts, provides a history of the early church from Jesus’ ascension to around AD 60. It chronicles the coming of the Spirit, missionary journeys, persecutions, growth of the church, and the ministry of key apostles like Peter and Paul. Acts shows Christianity’s unstoppable expansion in fulfillment of the Great Commission.
The Epistles
The New Testament epistles (letters) make up the bulk of apostolic writings. Paul wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. These expound key doctrines like justification, resurrection, sanctification, and household codes.
Other epistles include Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude. These clarify salvation, faith and works, Christ’s return, ethics, antichrists, and contend for the faith. The epistles unpack the theological significance of Jesus’ person and work for life in the church age.
The End of the Apostolic Age
Church history records that nearly all the apostles suffered martyrdom, which ended their ministry and began winding down the apostolic age. The apostles were key foundational figures for Christianity, having personally learned from Jesus. Their special authoritative status sets them apart from later church leaders.
The approximate dates of the apostles’ deaths are:
- James, son of Zebedee – 44 AD (Acts 12:2)
- James, brother of Jesus – 62 AD
- Philip – 54 AD in Hierapolis
- Matthew – Unknown, perhaps 60-70 AD
- Thaddeus – Unknown, perhaps 44 AD
- Simon the Zealot – Unknown, perhaps 45 AD
- Peter – 64-68 AD in Rome
- Paul – 64-68 AD in Rome
- Andrew – 69 AD in Greece
- John – 90-100 AD in Ephesus
John was the last surviving apostle, living until around 100 AD when he penned his gospel and epistles. His death marked the end of the apostolic age and those who had direct contact with Christ.
This transitioned primary authority in the church to the apostles’ disciples like Polycarp, Clement of Rome, and Ignatius of Antioch. While public revelation ended, the apostolic deposit that was “once for all delivered to the saints” continued guiding the church (Jude 1:3). The apostolic age ended, but apostolic Christianity marched on.
Impact and Significance
The apostolic age spanning around AD 30-100 was hugely significant in that Christianity was birthed and established as it spread throughout the Roman Empire. Several important outcomes from this pioneering period include:
- Rapid growth – From 120 believers at Pentecost to over 1 million by AD 100, the early church grew at an explosive rate.
- New Testament Scriptures – The apostles’ gospels, Acts, and epistles became part of the canon of Scripture.
- Early creeds – Summaries of the gospel like in 1 Corinthians 15 captured apostolic preaching.
- Endured persecution – Despite intense persecution, no amount of oppression could wipe out the church.
- Theological development – The apostles built a doctrinal foundation taken up by later church fathers and councils.
- Growth of bishoprics – Church government began based around bishops centered in key cities.
The apostolic age established the model of a missionary church proclaiming salvation in Christ alone throughout the world. Despite hardships, the unrelenting Spirit-empowered spread of the gospel enabled Christianity to become the dominant faith of the Roman Empire within its first few centuries. The church today is built on the foundation laid by the apostles and early Christians who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).