God obviously has no limits on the ways He can make Himself known in the world. His ways are far greater than anything we can imagine. Just a few examples of sharing the gospel in the New Testament demonstrate that His pioneering work in the nations is far beyond any human strategy. However, we find some helpful essential elements of gospel movements in the New Testament.
Study the Scripture passages below with an eye on some of the ways that the gospel spread in the first century.
How Sharing the Gospel Was Countercultural
Read Acts 2:5.
Read Acts 8:1-2.
Read Acts 11:19-21.
How Sharing the Gospel Was Spirit-Led
Read Acts 13:2-3,44-49.
Read Acts 14:1.
How Sharing the Gospel Was Cross-Cultural
Read Acts 16:13-14.
Read Acts 17:1-4.
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:4-8.
Questions About Sharing the Gospel Like Those in the First Church
1. What do you learn from the historical events described in the Scriptures above?
2. What factors led to the spread of the gospel?
3. What are your views about the bold proclamation of the gospel in comparison to the individual conversations that we see among the firstยญ century pioneering apostles?
Share this Navigators Discipleship Tool
Download a print friendly PDF of the Sharing the Gospel Like the First Church resource to pass along. Navigators Discipleship Tools are designed for sharing with your Bible study, church groups, and those you are discipling.
Adapted from Navigating Pioneering Missions: A Study Guide, by Alan Chโng, Koay Chee Hoe, Paul Kimani, and Joe Maschhoff. Published by The Navigators 2021.
I shared my way of โdiscipleshipโ by harmonizing the Gospel