The Apostles of the Church - Part 2 - Devo for 09/01/2009

Reading
Acts 3:1-5:42

Keys to the Text
The Temple: Because these first century Christians were devout Jews, they continued to meet in the temple for worship and to teach in the synogogues. This temple in Jerusalem was begun by Herod the Great in 20 BC and was still under construction when the Romans destroyed it in AD 70. At the time of Jesus' ministry and after, the temple was one of the most impressive structures in the world, made of massive blocks of stone bedecked with gold ornamentation. The temple buildings were made of gleaming white marble, and the whole eastern wall of the large main structure was covered with gold plates that reflected the morning sun, making a spectacle that was visible for miles. The entire temple mount had been enlarged by Herod's engineers, by means of large retaining walls and vaulted chambers. By this means the large courtyard area atop the temple mount was effectively doubled. The whole temple complex was magnificent by any standard.

Chief Priests, Rulers, Elders, and Scribes: These positions made up the Sanhedrin, the Jewish national ruling body and supreme court. It had seventy-one members, including the High Priest. The chief priests were a group within the Sanhedrin composed of members of influential priestly families. They were mostly Sadducees. The scribes were primarily Pharisees and were the authorities on Jewish law.