APOSTOLIC AGE
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APOSTOLIC AGE
ties to the Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians. Its opponents therefore showed that we find in these epis- tles the basis (1) of the historical appearance and the divine-human nature of Christ, which is more full}' de- veloped in the Gospels ; (2) of a congregation which the Lord himself collected from Judaism, and the guidance of which was afterward transferred to the apostles, who were fitted out for their office through the Holy Spirit and the appearances of the risen Lord ; (3) of the additional vocation of Paul to the apostolic office, and, more specially, to the office of apostle of the Gen- tiles ; (4) of the equal rights of the Gentiles in the Christian Church. The Acts of the Apostles were re- garded by the Tubingen school as an untrustworthy novel, invented for the purpose of reconciling the schools of Peter and Paul, and irreconcilable in many of its statements with the epistles of Paul. Those who combated this view showed that the essential points of the book are in the best harmony with the epistles. An important work proving the authenticity of the Acts is Wieseler's Chronologie des apostolischen Zeital- tera (Goettingen, 1848). The Johannean (and, in gen- eral, apostolic) origin of the Revelation was even de- nied by men like Liicke and Neander, on the ground that the Revelation and the fourth Gospel could not have proceeded from the same author. Professor Baur and the Tubingen school rejected, on the same ground, the authenticity of the fourth Gospel, while they de- fended the Johannean origin of the Revelation. The Book of Revelation agrees with John's Gospel in rec- ognising the higher, divine nature of Christ.
The first three Gospels shed but little light on the different tendencies of the apostolical age, though it is generally agreed that the first is of a decidedly Jew- ish-Christian character, while the third clearly shows the Paulinism of its author. The other books of the New Testament are partly looked upon as leaning on the Pauline tendency (the Epistle to the Hebrews), partly on the Jewish Christians (Epistle of James), and partly on both (Epistles of Peter and Judas). From them, as well as from the earliest apostolical fa- thers (Barnabas, Clement of Rome, etc.), additional details on the difference of views in the apostolic age were derived.
The apostolic age begins with the time when the apostles themselves began to take an active part in the building of the Christian church ; that is, in the out- pouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. It coincides, therefore, with the beginning of the Acts. It closes with the cessation of the authority and the immediate influence of the apostles. For the churches in differ- ent countries, the apostolic age therefore lasts as long as their immediate guidance through one of the apos- tles was possible.
The name of apostles is given, 1, to the original twelve, to whom, after the fall of Judas, another was added, to keep up the correspondence with the number of the tribes of Israel ; 2, to Paul, and some of his companions. All these had a divine authorization to found congregations and to establish doctrine and in- stitutions. They possessed this authority because they were sent by the Lord himself, not because they were exclusively filled \iy the Lord with the Spirit, which, on the contrary, was to remain with the church forever.
Gentile and Jewish Christianity must be regarded as two forms of one spirit, which are in inner harmony with each other, and supply each other, and together represent a unity which was consummated in the minds of at least the chief apostles. The union was fully cemented at the apostolical council at Jerusalem, at which the apostles for the Jewish Christians and those for the Gentiles mutually recognised each other. The accounts of this council do not conflict, but supply each other.
The question has been frequently discussed to what extent the arrangements made by the apostles can be
ascribed to the Saviour himself. With regard to this point, it is safe to ascribe to him the principle, but not the details of execution. The Spirit whom the Sav- iour left with his disciples organized the church in the name and the power of Jesus. The primitive church offices and the development of the churcli constitution are pre-eminently a product of the apostolic age. This subject is ably treated by Ritschl in his work on the Origin of the Old Catholic Church (Entstehmg der alt hatholischen Kirche"), with particular reference to the works of Rothe (.Anfange der christlichen Kirch), Bai.r (Ueberden Ursprung des Episc.opats), Bun-en {Ignatius von Antiochien), and Schwegler (Nacliaposiolisches Zeit- alter).
The form of worship was undoubtedly very plain, leaving much to the free choice of individual persons and churches ; yet its principal features, with regard to the celebration of the Sabbath, the church festivals, and the sacraments, were fixed, and the entire life of the Christian was surrounded with pious customs, part- ly of new origin and partly derived from Judaism.
In the doctrine of the apostolic age we alreadj- find several tendencies, which, however, do not appear as so many different systems, but as different evolutions of one system. Modern criticism distinguishes three phases of doctrine in this period, viz., the Jewish Christian, springing directly from the teaching of Christ and from the circleof hisdisciples; secondly, the Pauline, as given in his own Epistles, and, in a de- veloped form, in the Epistle to the Hebrews ; and thirdly, that of the Johannean Gospel and Epistles. This subject is thoroughly discussed by Matthsei (fie- Ugionsglaube der Apostel Jesu), Usteri (Paulinischer Tjehrbegriff), Hilgenfeld (Jvhunneischer Lihrbegiijf), and others.