Acts 2

Birth of the Christian Church and Christianity in Ireland

In this course, Professor Lewis Ayres (Durham University) explores the Birth of the Church and Christianity in Ireland. In the first lecture we examine the early Christian church by looking at the Book of Acts. In the second lecture, we delve further into the early church origins in scripture and look at Paul's writings. In the third lecture, we consider the Apostle’s Creed and its role in Christian tradition. In the fourth and final lecture, we discuss Saint Patrick and the origins of the church in Ireland.

Acts 2

In this lecture, we examine the early Christian church in Acts, focusing on: (i) Pentecost in Acts 2, where the Spirit enables the disciples to speak in diverse languages, highlighting the Spirit's role in guiding the church; (ii) the Spirit’s presence as central to the church's mission, marking a new phase of God’s redemptive plan; (iii) Peter’s sermon, presenting Jesus as fulfilling Israel’s prophecies and initiating evangelism; (iv) the church’s dual focus on preaching and mission to gather new followers; (v) communal living and property-sharing among apostles, showing a commitment to mutual care; (vi) shared resources used to support community needs and the church’s outreach; (vii) the early church’s defining traits of outreach and a supportive, mission-driven internal community.