Worship In Acts and the Epistles

The book of Acts and the Epistles reflect continuing involvement of Christians with the institutions of Jewish worship. However, with the Gentile mission and increasing separation from the temple and synagogues, the churches had to develop their own forms of common worship. Even Jewish Christians came under increasing pressure as persistent evangelism aroused the hostility of the ecclesiastical authorities. The Temple and the Early Church The temple figures prominently in the worship of the infant church. After the Ascension the disciples were continually in the temple praising and blessing God (Luke 24:51-53). Part of the fellowship of the Jerusalem church was daily attendance in the temple (Acts 2:46). Peter and John healed the lame man on their way to the temple at the hour of prayer (Acts 3:1-10). Like Jesus, the apostles stood in the temple and taught the people (Acts 5:25). Later, Paul was anxious to be in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost (Acts 20:16). One of his first acts…