Early Days of the Church – JSS3 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

The early church was the first group of Christian believers after Pentecost, and it grew quickly while facing problems from within.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Narrate the story of Ananias and Sapphira.
2. State the lessons from the story of Ananias and Sapphira.
3. Explain why the apostles appointed seven deacons.
4. Name the seven deacons.
5. List the qualities of a deacon.

What was the church like in its early days?

In its early days, the church grew fast, and its members shared what they had.

• Growth: many people believed and joined the apostles after Pentecost.
• Sharing: some believers sold land and goods and gave the money to the apostles to help the needy (Acts 4:32-35).
• Example of good giving: Barnabas sold a field and gave all the money to the apostles (Acts 4:36-37).
• Internal problems: dishonesty (Ananias and Sapphira) and complaints about unfair food distribution (the widows).

What happened to Ananias and Sapphira?

Ananias and Sapphira were a married couple who lied to the apostles about the money from a property they sold, and God punished them with death (Acts 5:1-11).

1. Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property.
2. They secretly kept part of the money for themselves.
3. Ananias brought the rest and laid it at the apostles’ feet, as if it were the full amount.
4. Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, knew the truth and confronted him.
5. Peter told him that he had lied to the Holy Spirit, that is, to God.
6. Ananias fell down and died at once, and young men buried him.
7. About three hours later, Sapphira came in and repeated the lie about the price.
8. Peter questioned her, and she also fell dead.
9. Great fear came upon the whole church and all who heard about it.

What did Ananias and Sapphira do wrong?

• Lying: they claimed to have given the full amount when they had not.
• Pretending: they wanted people to praise them as generous.
• Agreeing together: the couple planned the deceit between them.
• Testing God: they acted as if the Holy Spirit could not see the truth.

The property belonged to them. No one forced them to give it all (Acts 5:4). Their sin was the lie.

What lessons can we learn from the story?

• Lying to God: lying to the Holy Spirit is a serious offence.
• Punishment for dishonesty: God punishes fraud and deceit, even within the church.
• Reverence for God: Christians must approach God and His work with fear and respect.
• Honesty in giving: offerings should come from a sincere heart, not a wish to impress others.
• God sees everything: no secret is hidden from Him.
• Purity of the church: the church must stay free from hypocrisy and sin.

Why were seven deacons appointed?

The apostles appointed seven deacons to handle the daily distribution of food and care for the needy, so that they could give their time to prayer and teaching the Word (Acts 6:1-7).

• Growing numbers: the church had become so large that the apostles could not manage every need.
• The complaint: the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) said their widows were being neglected in the daily food distribution.
• The apostles’ main work: prayer and the ministry of the Word should not be left for table service.
• Peace in the church: fair treatment of all widows would stop the quarrel.

How were the seven deacons chosen?

1. The apostles called the whole body of disciples together.
2. They asked the believers to choose seven men from among themselves.
3. The men had to be of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.
4. The whole group agreed, and the seven were presented to the apostles.
5. The apostles prayed and laid hands on them.

Who were the seven deacons?

The seven deacons are named in Acts 6:5.

What were the duties of the deacons?

• Food distribution: share food fairly among all the believers.
• Care for widows: make sure no group of widows was neglected.
• Help for the needy: meet the practical needs of the poor.
• Freeing the apostles: allow the apostles to focus on prayer and teaching.

What are the qualities of a deacon?

A deacon should be a person of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3).

• Full of the Holy Spirit: spiritually mature and guided by the Spirit.
• Wisdom: able to handle the affairs of the church sensibly.
• Good reputation: respected among the people and known for honesty.
• Servanthood: ready to serve the church with humility.
• Fairness: treats every member equally, as the widows needed.

What was the result of appointing the deacons?

The appointment of the deacons solved the problem and the church kept growing (Acts 6:7).

• Word of God: it continued to spread.
• Disciples: their number increased greatly in Jerusalem.
• Priests: a large group of priests also became obedient to the faith.

Evaluation

1. Why were seven deacons chosen by the apostles?
2. List three qualities of a deacon.
3. Name the seven deacons.
4. What did Ananias and Sapphira do wrong?
5. State two lessons from the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

Assignment

Write a short account of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) and state two lessons Christians can learn from it.