The Evidence

Introductory Considerations
The intent of this study is to get to the bottom of this question of proclamation and conversion, so the Scriptural evidence we consider should directly address this topic. One thing is certain at the outset: we need to look at the Scriptural evidence carefully. And if we are going to look at it carefully, that means making sure we take the evidence in context-- understanding what was written according to whom and why it was written.

If we are concerned with the topic of Christian conversion, the single book that most precisely addresses this very topic is the book of Acts. Acts is the only book that contains a narrative description of actual conversion accounts. Acts was probably written by Luke to help defend Paul before Caesar, as one of its most striking characteristics is showing how persecution came from the Jews and not from violation of any secular laws or prosecution by civic authorities. Yet, The topic of conversion is not too distant from Luke's primary purpose: the very reason Paul was before Caesar in the first place was because of the opposition of the Jews to the gospel and the existence of the Christian church. Thus, we will find Acts to be a good and reliable source for defining the gospel and answering our questions of proclamation and conversion.

In some instances, the conversions in Acts are supplemented by a subsequent discussion of conversion in an epistle or two to the same group of people. These cases give us a special insight into the questions at hand. By examining the gospel message and conversion details in Acts and the epistles, we can see exactly what was practiced in the early church.

Acts Defense Accounts
From time to time, Acts discusses events where Christians are defend their beliefs and actions in direct response to specific charges of wrongdoing. As a result, these defense accounts are not always helpful in helping us to understand the topic of proclamation and conversion in the early church, as they were not intended to present the gospel thoroughly but rather to answer or persuade a hostile or critical audience on the particular issue at hand.

The Jerusalem Church
The Jerusalem church holds a special place in the book of Acts, and with good reason. The Jerusalem church is certainly the primary church of the New Testament. Jerusalem is the place where the church begins in Acts 2; it is the place where the apostles remain even when others are scattered in Acts 8; it is the place where the Gentile controversy is resolved in Acts 15, and it is the visit to Jerusalem in Acts 21 that propels Paul on his way to Rome under guard as the book of Acts ends.

Thus, it is important to notice how the Jerusalem church began. Acts contains two rather long conversion accounts at the beginning of the Jerusalem church, with several shorter summary accounts and also several "defense" accounts.

Once the church moved beyond Jerusalem, it moved away from the center of Jewish religious life to the outskirts, from the temple to the synagogue, from the area where all Gentiles were regarded with suspicion (at best) to the place where they could be welcomed into the synagogue as "God-fearers." In due time it moved to the fully Gentile areas, competing with pagan religions and philosophies. In due course, Acts addresses conversion each of these areas.

What About the Gospels?
One might ask, why not examine the gospels concerning this question? After all, isn't that where Jesus' teachings are located? However, we must recognize that Jesus lived and ministered and taught primarily under the old covenant of Moses. While he clearly came to usher in the new covenant, the great volume of his teachings recorded in the gospels don't necessarily apply to the question we have in mind. Acts and the epistles will tell us more about the topic of conversion in the church age than the gospels for the simple reason that Jesus wasn't addressing the question of Christian conversion like Acts and the epistles. We should certainly expect that whatever findings we might discern from Acts and the epistles would be supported by the gospels, but we must recognize that the question of Christian conversion in the church age is something that definitely relates to the period of time after Christ's departure from this earth.