PAGE 1: Overview OVERVIEW ======== The early church began when people turned to Jesus Christ, were baptized, and were added to the believers. In this sub-strand you will name the twelve disciples from Matthew 10:1-4, read Acts 2:38-41, and learn what it means to turn away from sin. ## Strand 5.0: The Church Sub-strand 5.2: The Early Church Suggested lessons: 3 ## Source • KICD Grade 4 Christian Religious Education Curriculum Design (Revised 2024) — Strand 5.0 The Church, Sub-strand 5.2 The Early Church • Matthew 10:1-4; Acts 2:38-41 ## Learning outcomes By the end of the sub-strand, the learner should be able to: a) name the disciples of Jesus Christ b) describe how the early church was started c) desire to turn away from sins according to Acts 2:38 ## Key inquiry questions 1. How was the early church started? PAGE 2: How we will learn ## Learning experiences • read Matthew 10:1-4 and list the disciples of Jesus Christ • sort the names of the 12 disciples using flash cards • search for the names of the disciples in a word puzzle • watch a video clip on the twelve disciples • read Acts 2:38-41 on how the early church was started • Role-play how the early church was started • repent their sins as guided in Acts 2:38 ## Core competencies • Learning to learn: the skill of developing relationships is nurtured as learners carry out activities together such as sorting, searching and role playing. ## Values • Responsibility: they learn how to take up assigned roles, by following the example of the disciples of Jesus Christ. ## Pertinent and contemporary issues • Leadership skills are nurtured as they learn about the instructions given to the disciples in Matthew 10:1 ## Links to other learning areas • Mathematics: mathematical skills are applied as learners use flash cards to sort the names of the 12 disciples. • English: reading skills are enhanced as learners read the Holy Bible. • Creative Arts: creative skills are applied as learners participate in a role play. PAGE 3: Lesson 1: The twelve disciples — What Jesus gave them LESSON 1: THE TWELVE DISCIPLES ============================== ## What you will learn • Name the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ from Matthew 10:2-4. • State what Jesus gave them in Matthew 10:1. Curriculum outcomes: a) name the disciples of Jesus Christ ## Introduction Before the church spread to many towns, Jesus chose twelve close followers. Matthew 10:1-4 gives their names and tells what he gave them authority to do. ## Notes ### What Jesus gave them Matthew 10:1 says that Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every sickness and every disease. That is the work named in this verse. He trusted them with a real task. They were also called apostles. An apostle is a person sent with a message. Matthew 10:2 introduces "the names of the twelve apostles". PAGE 4: Lesson 1: The twelve disciples — The twelve names ### The twelve names Matthew 10:2-4 lists them in this order: 1. Simon, who is called Peter 2. Andrew, his brother 3. James, the son of Zebedee 4. John, his brother 5. Philip 6. Bartholomew 7. Thomas 8. Matthew, the tax collector 9. James, the son of Alphaeus 10. Thaddaeus (some Bibles also call him Lebbaeus) 11. Simon the Cananaean (also called Simon the Zealot) 12. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus Learn the names from the list in Matthew. Do not add stories about them that this passage does not tell. What the passage itself tells us is enough to sort them: - Andrew is Peter's brother. - James and John are brothers, and their father is Zebedee. - Matthew is the tax collector. - There are two men named James and two named Simon, so the list adds "son of Zebedee", "son of Alphaeus", "called Peter" and "the Cananaean" to tell them apart. - Judas Iscariot is named as the one who betrayed Jesus. PAGE 5: Lesson 1: The twelve disciples — Learning from their example ### Learning from their example They accepted the work Jesus gave them. Learners also take up roles they are given: group leader, class monitor, or a part in a play. Doing the assigned work well is responsibility. Knowing the twelve names helps you follow the rest of the story of the early church, because these were the people Jesus sent. [DIAGRAM] TYPE: svg ALT: The twelve names in the order of Matthew 10:2-4 PAYLOAD: CAPTION: The twelve names in the order of Matthew 10:2-4 [/DIAGRAM] PAGE 6: Lesson 1: The twelve disciples — Key words ## Key words • disciple — a follower who learns from a teacher; the twelve followed Jesus • apostle — one who is sent; Matthew 10:2 uses this name for the twelve • authority — the right Jesus gave them to cast out unclean spirits and to heal PAGE 7: Lesson 1: The twelve disciples — Sort and search the twelve names ## Activity: Sort and search the twelve names You will need: Bible, Twelve flash cards, A word-search puzzle of the disciples' names 1. Read Matthew 10:1-4 and list the disciples of Jesus Christ. 2. Sort the names using flash cards until they match the order in Matthew. 3. Search for the names of the disciples in a word puzzle. 4. If a video clip on the twelve disciples is available, watch it and check that the names match Matthew 10:2-4. ## Practice 1. What authority did Jesus give the twelve in Matthew 10:1? 2. Name the twelve disciples. 3. Which disciple was a tax collector, and which one betrayed Jesus? 4. How does the list help us tell the two men named James apart? PAGE 8: Lesson 1: The twelve disciples — Answers to practice ## Answers to practice 1. Authority to cast out unclean spirits and to heal every sickness and every disease. 2. Simon Peter, Andrew, James son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot. 3. Matthew was the tax collector. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. 4. One is James the son of Zebedee. The other is James the son of Alphaeus. ## Summary • Jesus called twelve disciples and gave them authority to cast out unclean spirits and to heal. • Matthew 10:2-4 names all twelve, including Peter, his brother Andrew, and Judas Iscariot. • They are also called the twelve apostles. PAGE 9: Lesson 2: How the early church was started LESSON 2: HOW THE EARLY CHURCH WAS STARTED ========================================== ## What you will learn • Describe how the early church was started, using Acts 2:38-41. • State what Peter told the people to do. Curriculum outcomes: b) describe how the early church was started ## Introduction A church is a people, not only a building. Acts 2:38-41 tells how a great number of people were added to the believers after Peter spoke to them about Jesus Christ. PAGE 10: Lesson 2: How the early church was started — Peter's words ## Notes ### Peter's words Read Acts 2:38-41. Peter was answering people who had heard his message. He said: - Repent. - Be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins. - You shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He then said that the promise is for them, for their children, and for all who are far off, for as many as the Lord our God shall call. With many other words he warned them and urged them, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." ### What the people did Those who received his word were baptized. That same day about three thousand people were added. "Added" means they were joined to the believers. This is how the early church was started and how it grew: people heard the message, turned from sin, were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and became part of the company of believers. The Holy Spirit was promised to them. PAGE 11: Lesson 2: How the early church was started — Words to keep clear ### Words to keep clear - Repent means to turn away from sin and turn to God. - Baptized means washed with water as a sign of belonging to Jesus Christ and of the forgiveness of sins. The passage says this baptism is in his name. - The gift of the Holy Spirit is promised by God. It is not something the crowd earned by force. - "About three thousand" is the number the passage gives. We do not change it into a different number. The early church, then, was not begun by buying and selling. It was begun by people accepting Peter's message, repenting, and being baptized. PAGE 12: Lesson 2: How the early church was started — Example 1 ## Key words • repent — to turn away from sin and turn to God • baptized — washed with water in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins • added — joined to the group of believers ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner says the early church started because about three thousand people bought doves in the temple. What does Acts 2:38-41 say instead? Working: 1. Peter told the people to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. 2. He promised the gift of the Holy Spirit. 3. Those who received the word were baptized, and about three thousand were added. Answer: The early church grew when people accepted the message, repented and were baptized. About three thousand were added that day. PAGE 13: Lesson 2: How the early church was started — Role-play the start of the early church ## Activity: Role-play the start of the early church You will need: Bible, Open space in the classroom 1. Read Acts 2:38-41 on how the early church was started. 2. Role-play the scene: one learner speaks Peter's words, others ask what they should do, and those who accept the message step forward to show they are baptized and added. 3. After the play, list the steps in order: repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, receive the promise of the Holy Spirit, be added to the believers. 4. Do not invent extra events. Use only what the passage says. PAGE 14: Lesson 2: How the early church was started — Answers to practice ## Practice 1. What two things did Peter tell the people to do in Acts 2:38? 2. What gift did Peter say they would receive? 3. Who is included in the promise of Acts 2:39? 4. How many people were added that day, and what had they done? ## Answers to practice 1. Repent, and be baptized every one of them in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. 2. The gift of the Holy Spirit. 3. The people Peter was speaking to, their children, and all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call. 4. About three thousand. They had received Peter's word and were baptized. PAGE 15: Lesson 3: Turning away from sin ## Summary • Peter said: repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. • He promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to them, their children and all who are far off. • About three thousand who received the word were baptized and added that day. LESSON 3: TURNING AWAY FROM SIN =============================== ## What you will learn • Explain what repenting means in Acts 2:38. • Show a desire to turn away from sin. Curriculum outcomes: c) desire to turn away from sins according to Acts 2:38 ## Introduction Peter's first word to the crowd was "Repent". The early church was made up of people who turned away from sin. Acts 2:38 still guides Christians, including children, to do the same. PAGE 16: Lesson 3: Turning away from sin — What Acts 2:38 asks ## Notes ### What Acts 2:38 asks "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." To repent is to agree with God that a sin is wrong, to be sorry, and to turn away from it. It is more than feeling sad while planning to repeat the sin. The people who received Peter's word showed their turning by being baptized. Forgiveness of sins is the pardon God gives. Peter ties it to repentance and to baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the gift that follows. Verse 39 adds that this promise is for the hearers and for their children. Children are included, not left outside the promise. PAGE 17: Lesson 3: Turning away from sin — Turning away in a learner's life ### Turning away in a learner's life A Grade 4 learner may not be baptized in class. The desire the lesson asks for is real even so: to turn away from sins as Acts 2:38 guides. - Name the sin truthfully. If you lied, call it a lie. If you took what is not yours, call it stealing. - Tell God you are sorry and ask him to forgive you because of Jesus Christ. - Stop the act. Do not keep a plan to do it again in secret. - Put right what you can. Return the item. Tell the person the truth. Apologise. - Ask a parent or teacher to help you if the sin is hard to leave. - Choose the opposite good act the next time. PAGE 18: Lesson 3: Turning away from sin — A desire, not a boast ### A desire, not a boast Desiring to turn away means you want this to be your way of life. You do not boast that you never sin. When you fail, you turn again, as Peter's words still invite people to do. The early church began with that turning. A Christian life continues with it. Pray a simple prayer: "Lord, I turn away from this sin. Forgive me, and help me to live as your child." ## Key words • forgiveness — God's pardon of sin • turn away — to stop a sin and face God instead • promise — what God has said he will give; here, the Holy Spirit for all whom he calls PAGE 19: Lesson 3: Turning away from sin — Repent as Acts 2:38 guides ## Activity: Repent as Acts 2:38 guides You will need: Bible, Exercise book 1. Read Acts 2:38 again, slowly. 2. In pairs, say in your own words what it means to repent. 3. Each learner privately writes one sin he or she wants to turn away from. Do not read other people's papers. 4. Pray together, asking God for forgiveness and for the help of the Holy Spirit. Those who wish may say, "I desire to turn away from sin." ## Practice 1. What does "repent" mean in Acts 2:38? 2. What does Peter say repentance and baptism are for? 3. Does Acts 2:39 leave children out of the promise? 4. Give two steps a learner can take when turning away from a sin. PAGE 20: Lesson 3: Turning away from sin — Answers to practice ## Answers to practice 1. To turn away from sin and turn to God. 2. The forgiveness of sins. 3. No. The promise is for the hearers, for their children, and for all who are far off. 4. Any two: name the sin, ask God for forgiveness, stop the act, put right what you can, and ask a parent or teacher for help. ## Summary • Acts 2:38 calls people to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. • Repenting means turning away from sin, not only feeling sad. • The promise includes children, and Christians desire to keep turning away from sin. PAGE 21: Revision quiz REVISION QUIZ ============= Answer all the questions, then mark yourself on the Answers tab. 1. How many disciples does Matthew 10:1-4 name? A. 7 B. 10 C. 12 D. 70 2. Who is Andrew in Matthew 10:2? A. The father of Zebedee B. The brother of Simon Peter C. The tax collector D. The man who betrayed Jesus 3. Which disciple was the tax collector? A. Philip B. Matthew C. Bartholomew D. Thomas 4. What did Jesus give the twelve in Matthew 10:1? 5. In Acts 2:38, Peter told the people to repent and to: A. Sell doves in the temple B. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ C. Return to Egypt D. Write a new law 6. About how many people were added on the day described in Acts 2:41? A. About twelve B. About thirty C. About three hundred D. About three thousand 7. The promise of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:39 is for: A. Only the twelve disciples B. The hearers, their children, and all who are far off whom God calls C. Only people who sold doves D. Only adults in one town 8. How was the early church started, according to Acts 2:38-41? 9. What does it mean to turn away from sin as Acts 2:38 guides? A. To hide the sin B. To repent: to be sorry and stop the sin, seeking God's forgiveness C. To blame a friend D. To wait until you are an adult 10. Name one way a learner shows the desire to turn away from sin. PAGE 22: Quiz answers ANSWERS ======= 1. C. 12 Jesus called twelve disciples, and verses 2-4 list twelve names. 2. B. The brother of Simon Peter The list says Andrew, his brother, after Simon who is called Peter. 3. B. Matthew Matthew 10:3 calls Matthew the tax collector. 4. Authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every sickness and every disease. That is what verse 1 says he gave them. 5. B. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ He said, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ. 6. D. About three thousand Acts 2:41 says about three thousand souls were added. 7. B. The hearers, their children, and all who are far off whom God calls Verse 39 includes them, their children, and all that are afar off. 8. People received Peter's message, repented, were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and about three thousand were added to the believers. The passage shows the church growing by repentance and baptism, with the promise of the Holy Spirit. 9. B. To repent: to be sorry and stop the sin, seeking God's forgiveness Repent means to turn away from sin and turn to God. 10. Any one: admitting the sin, asking God for forgiveness, stopping the act, returning what was taken, or asking a parent for help. Desire is shown by turning, not only by hearing the verse.