1. What kind of difficulties did the early Christians face?
2. How would you describe the type of community that developed among the early Christians?
3. In ch. 7 Stephen presents a long speech that constitutes a defense of his Christianity. Most of this speech consists of a summary of Old Testament events, especially those of the second part of Genesis and Exodus. How does he use the figure of Moses in his defense? Why does his audience drag him out and stone him at the end of his speech?
4. Saul/Paul is arguably the most important figure in early Christianity. He goes from being a fierce persecutor of Christians to being their most charismatic teacher. Can you think of a psychological explanation for his swing from one extreme to another, or can such a switch be attributed only to divine intervention?
5. What kind of tensions and disagreements were there among the early Christian communities?
1. What is the purpose of this epistle?
2. What does Paul say about the role of women in the church?
3. According to Paul, how does love (charity) compare to other spiritual gifts?