@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“I shall not hesitate also to put into ordered form for you, along with the interpretations, everything I learned carefully in the past from the elders and noted down carefully, for the truth of which I vouch. For unlike most people, I took no pleasure in those who told many different stories, but only in those who taught the truth. Nor did I take pleasure in those who reported their memory of someone else’s commandments, but only in those who reported their memory of the commandments given by the Lord to the faith and proceeding from the Truth itself. And if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders arrived, I made enquiries about the words of the elders—what Andrew or Peter had said, or Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and John the Elder, the Lord’s disciples, were saying. For I did not think that information from the books would profit me as much as information from a living and surviving voice.
~ Papias of Hierapolis (c. 60–130 AD) From the Preface to his lost ‘Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord’
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

Launched At Pentecost

The ultimate power

If the first church was born on resurrection Sunday, it was certainly launched at Pentecost. In Acts chapter 2, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the first Day of Pentecost following the ascension of Yeshua marks a powerful and transformative moment in history. It was on this day that the Church was empowered to take the good news of salvation to the world. It was on this day that Jesus’ promise to send the Comforter was fulfilled. As the disciples gathered in unity, the Holy Spirit descended with the sound of a rushing wind and tongues of fire, filling each one and enabling them to speak in other tongues. This supernatural event signified the breaking of barriers, barriers of communication, fear, and limitation, and launched a bold and Spirit-empowered witness to the world. For us today, this outpouring is not merely a historical event, but a divine invitation to live a life fuelled by God’s presence and power. Being baptised in the Holy Spirit brings a deeper intimacy with God, equips us with spiritual gifts, and empowers us to live victoriously, boldly proclaiming the Gospel. The evidence of speaking in other tongues is not just a sign but a gateway into a Spirit-led life of prayer, worship, and supernatural power, affirming that the same Spirit who ignited the first Church lives in us today.