Chapter 1:
Jesus Christ and the
Founding of the Church
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Analyze the illustration “Christ Blessing” (p. 29).
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
BASIC QUESTION
 Who is Jesus Christ, and how can we know him?
KEY IDEA
 We can know what Christ did and taught because he entrusted the
Deposit of Faith to the Church he founded.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Complete the following table on Christianity having fulfilled Judaism.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What were dominant emotions did Christ’s disciples feel in the days after
his Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension?
His disciples felt doubt and fear.
What event transformed Christ’s disciples?
The decent of the Holy Spirit on them at Pentecost made the disciples confident
heralds of Jesus as the Christ.
What does it mean to say that St. Peter is the Vicar of Christ?
A vicar is one who acts in the place of another. As the rock upon whom Christ
promised to build his Church, St. Peter stands in the place of Christ on earth.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Complete a Think/Pair/Share using the following questions:
 What function does the sentence “This chapter will explore…” (p. 29) perform
within this chapter?
 Why are these ideas and events significant in a book about the history of the
Church?
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What is the chief message of Christ’s Birth?
Christ’s Birth in a humble stable is a message of peace, simplicity, material
poverty, spiritual abundance, God’s love, and sacrifice.
Why did Herod want to kill the infant Christ? What was the result?
Herod heard that a king—a potential rival to his throne—had been born in
Bethlehem and wanted to kill him at his weakest. Because Herod could not locate
Christ, he ordered every male in that city less than two years old to be executed.
What were the major events of Christ’s life before his Baptism?
They include his Birth in the stable, his Presentation in the Temple, the Holy
Family’s Flight into Egypt, and the Finding in the Temple.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read aloud the excerpt from Josephus’ The Antiquities (p. 55), and then
discuss it.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Discuss the following questions:
 What came first, the Church or the Gospels?
 Was the Gospel spoken or written first?
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
GUIDED EXERCISE
In your notebook:
(1) draw a map of Palestine the same size as the map on page 31,
including the land mass, the Mediterranean shore, and the Sea of Galilee
and the Dead Sea linked by the Jordan River;
(2) locate and label Jerusalem and Caesarea Philippi; and
(3) add the following cities that are not on the map on page 31:
 Bethlehem (five miles south of Jerusalem)
 Nazareth (twenty miles west of the south tip of the Sea of Galilee)
 Capernaum (on the shore of the Sea of Galilee at approximately
11 o’clock)
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Work with a partner to complete the following table about why Christ was
executed.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What event began Christ’s public ministry?
His Baptism in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist began Christ’s public
ministry.
What is the Deposit of Faith?
The Deposit of Faith is the heritage contained in Sacred Scripture and
Sacred Tradition handed down by the Church from the time of the
Apostles. Extension: The Deposit of Faith contains all Christ taught and
did and wanted to reveal. This was entrusted to his Apostles and is
handed on through their successors, the bishops.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Where is the most succinct and direct collection of Christ’s
teaching found?
It is found in the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Mt 5–7).
How did Christ confirm the truth of his teachings?
He performed miracles to show his teachings are of divine origin.
Extension: Christ’s greatest miracle was his own Resurrection.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why might the author of this text have begun the section on the life
of Christ with a quote about taking up one’s cross (cf. p. 30)?
This is how Christ defines his followers: by accepting the sufferings of life
just as Christ took up his literal Cross unto his Death.
Why might the author have only devoted two pages to the life of
Christ?
This is a history of the Church, not of Christ’s actions on earth.
Extension: It would have taken many volumes to examine the life of
Christ and many more to explore his identity, a study that has been going
on for two millennia.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Work with a partner to complete the following table on the four Gospels.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT




Study Questions 1–9 (p. 57)
Practical Exercise 1 (p. 57)
Workbook Questions 1–18
Read “Pentecost, the Birth of the Church” through “The Church Is
Apostolic” (pp. 34–39)
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
CLOSURE
Analyze the illustration of Christ on page 29. Identify which Evangelist is
symbolized in each of the four corners.
1. The Life of Jesus Christ (pp. 28–33)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Free write for five minutes about how you know what Christ did 2000
years ago.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Read silently the quote “Loving Christ means…” (p. 28), and then write
for two minutes in your notebooks on the following question:
 Despite the human shortcomings that exist among the members of the Church,
what attitude should people have toward her, and why?
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 How did Christ’s Church come into being?
 What are the nature and four marks of Christ’s Church?
KEY IDEAS
 The Holy Spirit’s presence in the Church has given her life, fruitfulness,
and endurance throughout history. This began at Pentecost when the
Church was born.
 The Church is a mystery, a human and divine institution, meant to
bring salvation to the world. The Church is one, holy, catholic, and
apostolic.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why were Jews from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem for
Pentecost?
Because of the Jewish Diaspora, there were Jews living throughout the Roman
world. Many returned to the Temple in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost.
Why were Christ’s disciples afraid, and were these fears justified?
The disciples were afraid of being persecuted by the Jewish authorities. Their
fears were justified since their leader had just been executed.
What were the effects of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost?
The Apostles lost their fear and began to preach the Gospel boldly. People from
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read aloud the excerpt from Redemptoris Missio (p. 55), and then discuss
the following question:
 What was the significance of Pentecost for the early Church?
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Review the map on page 36. Match the illustrations to their locations on
the map.
Work in pairs to read quietly Acts 8:4–40 and 9:32–43. As you do this, you
should follow the six steps on the map.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
FOCUS QUESTION
What do the Church’s charisms of infallibility and durability mean?
Infallibility means the Church is incapable of formally teaching error in
matters of faith and morals. Durability means she will last until the end of
time.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
FOCUS QUESTION
What are the two dimensions of the nature of the Church?
The Church has a visible and an invisible dimension. She is a visible,
hierarchical society like any other human organization, but she also has an
invisible, spiritual dimension: her teaching and governing authority comes
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What are the two principal meanings of “church”?
Church comes from the Greek for thing belonging to God; it refers to the
church building. The Latin ecclesia comes from the Greek ekklesia for
“assembly,” or “congregation.”
What are the aims of the teaching authority and the sanctifying
power of the Church?
These are intended to bring all people to union with God and each other.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Complete a Think/Pair/Share:
Scan Part III (pp. 37–39) to find as many names for the Church as you
can.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Complete a Think/Pair/Share using the following prompt:
 Write one sentence for each of the four marks of the Church, explaining what that
mark means.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to read quietly the Catechism, no. 761 (p. 58), about
the secret evangelization that is offered to each person. Discuss the
following questions:
 How can people who have never heard of Christ be saved?
 If this secret evangelization is sufficient for salvation, why is it important to
evangelize people directly?
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read aloud the Catechism, nos. 889–891 (p. 58), and then discuss the
infallibility of the Magisterium of the Church.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
FOCUS QUESTION
What does it mean to say the Church is One and Holy?
The Church is One because she professes one Faith in one God and are
united in one Baptism, led by the Pope and the bishops in union with
him, all over the earth and throughout every age. The Church is Holy
because her founder, Jesus Christ, is holy; she is the means to grow in
holiness for her members; the Sacraments, which she administers, are
holy; finally, all who take advantage of her gifts become holy, whom we
call saints.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
FOCUS QUESTION
What does it mean to say the Church is Catholic and Apostolic?
The Church is Catholic because she is for all people everywhere in the
world, in every age, and in every culture. The Church is Apostolic because
she is built on the foundation of the Apostles, her faith and governance
going back to them in an unbroken line of continuity.
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT




Study Questions 10–12 (p. 57)
Practical Exercises 2–3 (p. 57)
Workbook Questions 19–31
Read “The Apostles” through “The Conversion of St. Paul”
(pp. 40–45)
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church (pp.
34–39)
CLOSURE
Free write for two minutes in response to the following questions:
 Which came first: the preaching of the Gospel or the writing of the Gospel?
 Who decided which books should be included in the Bible and which should not?
 What do these answers demonstrate about the need for a Church guided by the Holy
Spirit?
2. Pentecost, the Birth of the Church
(pp. 34–39)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Free write for five minutes on the following question:
 While nobody can go back to observe the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles
nor interview the people who heard the Apostles speaking in languages they had never
learned, what evidence exists that these things really did happen?
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
ANTICIPATORY SET
In this lesson we will be studying the Apostles in greater depth.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 What did Christ entrust to his Apostles?
 What was God’s plan to build up the Church after the Apostles’ deaths?
KEY IDEAS
 Christ chose the Twelve Apostles, with St. Peter as their head, to
entrust with the Deposit of Faith, whose twin sources are Sacred
Tradition and Sacred Scripture.
 God’s plan for the continuance of the Church after the Apostles was to
hand on their authority to their successors, the bishops.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Mini-lecture on Apostolic Succession.
Examine the chart on pages 790–791 in the text, which shows the
succession of the Bishop of Rome from St. Peter to Pope Benedict XVI.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTION
What does “apostle” mean? What is the difference between a
disciple and an Apostle?
Apostle comes from the Greek for “to send out”; thus, an apostle is one
who is sent. Those who followed Christ were his disciples; out of his
disciples he chose twelve to be his Apostles, those he sent out to be the
foundation of his Church.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why did Christ choose twelve Apostles and not another number?
The number twelve coincides with the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
When the Apostles decided to replace Judas, what qualification did
they insist his successor have, and why was this important?
The Apostles decided Judas’ replacement should be someone who was
with them throughout Christ’s earthly ministry so he would be an
eyewitness of the Resurrection.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Complete a Think/Pair/Share using the following question:
 What details of the martyrdom of St. Stephen are illustrated in the painting on
page 42?
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Take an open-workbook quiz on one or two of the questions assigned as
homework.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What is the origin of the office of deacon?
The Apostles blessed and commissioned seven men to serve the material
needs of the Church so the Apostles could attend to the ministry of the
Word (preaching). These men were called deacons (from the Greek for
“servants”).
What does the creation of the order of deacons reveal about the
Apostles’ understanding of their governing role?
They believed they had the authority to rule the Church and hand on
authority to others.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What does the martyrdom of St. Stephen reveal about the early
Christians’ view of death?
St. Stephen is said to have fallen asleep, which implies a belief in the
resurrection. This makes death bearable.
What is the Sanhedrin, and what was that word’s origin?
Sanhedrin is from the Greek for “council.” The Sanhedrin was a council of
seventy-one chief priests, scribes, and elders who presided over civil and
religious matters in Judea.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Where did the Sanhedrin claim to have originated, and how did a
member join it?
The Sanhedrin traced its origin to the council of elders of Moses. To
become a member, one received the semicha, a laying on of hands, which
transmitted rabbinic authority in the Law.
How does the semicha relate to Apostolic Succession?
Semicha was a laying on of hands that transmitted rabbinic authority. The
Apostles passed on their authority by a laying on of hands.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to complete a Paragraph Shrink on the paragraph
“Saul was a pious Jew…” (p. 44).
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTION
What prompted the first systematic persecution of Christians?
After St. Stephen’s ordination as a deacon, he began to work wonders and
was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. He preached a sermon
criticizing Jewish ingratitude toward God and even claimed to see Christ
at God’s right hand. St. Stephen was stoned to death for blasphemy. The
Jewish authorities then began a severe persecution of the Church in
Jerusalem.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How did St. Stephen imitate Christ in the last moments of his life?
He asked God to forgive those who were putting him to death.
What is martyrdom?
Martyr is Greek for “witness.” Martyrdom is bearing supreme witness to
the truth of the Faith, even to the point of death. Extension: Christianity
has in common with Judaism the belief that some things God asks are
absolute, that is, people are asked to die rather than deny them.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What did Saul do to the earliest Christians?
He arrested them and threw them in prison.
Why did Saul persecute Christians?
Saul was a devout Jew and Pharisee who saw Christianity as a dangerous threat to
the Jewish faith and believed it was his religious duty to stop.
How did Saul’s conversion come about?
On his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, Christ appeared to Saul and
asked, “Why are you persecuting me?” Saul was blinded, recovering his sight
three days later through St. Ananias. After his Baptism, Saul—thereafter known
as Paul—proclaimed Christ boldly to the Gentiles.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read aloud the selection from the Navarre Bible (p. 55), and then discuss
the vocation of Saul and vocations in general.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTION
How did the first Christians understand their relationship to
Judaism?
They understood themselves to be Jews and lived a Jewish lifestyle, into
which they incorporated new practices. Extension: Two such changes
were praying to Jesus Christ as God and celebrating the Lord’s Supper, the
breaking of the bread.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What stumbling-block would Jewish practice have imposed on the
spread of Christianity?
Jews were forbidden to have dealings with Gentiles, yet Christ’s
redemption is universal.
How did St. Peter resolve this problem?
His and Cornelius’ visions made St. Peter understand, “God shows no
partiality,” that is, he should “open the Church to the Gentiles.”
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
CLOSURE
Free write for five minutes about Sacred Tradition and Apostolic
Succession and how you conform to God’s plan for the continued
building up of the Church after the deaths of the Apostles.
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
 Study Questions 13–22 (p. 57)
 Workbook Questions 32–46
 Read “An Interlude: The Conversion of Cornelius and the
Commencement of the Mission to the Gentiles” through “The Council
of Jerusalem” (pp. 46–50)
3. The Apostles (pp. 40–45)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Using the same topic as in the closure, write your answers on a separate
sheet of paper, which will be collected and graded as a quiz.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Mini-lecture: How the Christian Church made the transition from a Jewish
to a Gentile Church during her first two centuries.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
BASIC QUESTION
 How were Gentiles admitted into the Church?
KEY IDEA
 The Council of Jerusalem, definitively concluded by St. Peter, decided
converts were free from the requirements of the Mosaic Law.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How was St. Paul different from most of the Apostles?
Being a Pharisee, St. Paul was well educated in the Jewish Law and Sacred
Scripture (the Old Testament). St. Peter, for example, was a fisherman.
Which were written first: the Epistles or the Gospels?
Most of St. Paul’s Epistles were written in the 50s, before the Gospels; they
are the earliest writings in the New Testament.
What is the significance of St. Paul’s Epistles?
They are profoundly theological and invaluable historical references to early
Church life.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Mini-lecture on Galatians 5:13–26: An appeal from St. Paul to the
Christians in Galatia to use their new freedom in Christ to avoid evil and
do good.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
To what extent did St. Paul obey Christ’s Great Commission, “Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations… teaching them” (Mt 28:19)?
His missionary journeys covered over 10,000 miles and brought him to many
peoples of the Mediterranean world, possibly as far as Spain.
How much time did St. Paul spend in prison?
He spent more than four years in prison: two years in Caesarea, two years in
Rome, and some time in Philippi and Jerusalem.
To what extent did St. Paul suffer for the Faith?
He suffered a great succession of sufferings as an Apostle from those inherent in
travel to those inflicted on him by enemies, finally suffering death by beheading.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to trace one of St. Paul’s four journeys (pp. 48–49),
reading to each other the relevant passages in the Acts of the Apostles at
each point.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read silently 2 Corinthians 11:24 for a catalogue of the hardships St. Paul
endured.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
FOCUS QUESTION
Why did St. Paul travel to Jerusalem to resolve the question of
whether Gentile converts had to observe the Mosaic Law (cf. p. 50)?
St. Paul was convinced Gentile converts did not have to follow the Mosaic
Law and so traveled to Jerusalem to confer with St. Peter and the other
Apostles.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
FOCUS QUESTION
What question arose concerning Gentile converts to the Faith?
What position did the Jewish Christians generally take regarding
Gentile converts?
The question arose about Gentile coverts: did they have to follow the
Mosaic Law and Jewish customs, for example, to undergo circumcision
and follow dietary laws? The Jewish Christians generally thought Gentile
converts needed to follow the Mosaic Law.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
FOCUS QUESTION
What was the Church’s decision on the matter?
St. Peter said that in the early days God decided he himself should preach
the Gospel to the Gentiles, and God gave the Holy Spirit to them just as
he did to the Jews. Therefore, the yoke of the Mosaic Law should not be
placed on their necks.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
CLOSURE
Work with a partner to complete the following table on the decisions of
the Council of Jerusalem.
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
 Study Questions 23–28 (p. 57)
 Workbook Questions 47–56
 Read “Missionary Activity of the Apostles” through “Conclusion”
(pp. 51–54)
4. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 46–50)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Work with a partner to outline the issue of the Gentiles in the apostolic
Church in a problem/solution format.
 What hindered the reception of Gentiles into the Church?
 How did the conversion of Cornelius and the Council of Jerusalem resolve this
problem?
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Write an answer about how the passage by St. Irenæus illustrates the
doctrine of Apostolic Succession.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
BASIC QUESTION
 How did the Apostles respond to the Great Commission?
KEY IDEA
 The Apostles carried out great apostolic activities, and all but one was
martyred.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Who was the first Apostle to be martyred, and how was he killed?
St. James the Less (the Just) was beheaded by Herod Agrippa AD 44.
What was the fate of the beloved disciple?
St. John was put in a cauldron of boiling oil. He got out and walked away
unharmed, later dying a natural death at an old age.
What was the fate of St. Bartholomew?
He was flayed alive in Armenia.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What was the fate of all the Apostles except St. John?
They were martyred.
Why was St. Paul not crucified?
Because Roman citizens were spared the pain and humiliation of
crucifixion, he was beheaded instead.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
FOCUS QUESTION
What is the Quo Vadis tradition?
St. Peter was fleeing Rome during Emperor Nero’s persecution when he
met Christ walking toward the same city. When St. Peter asked, “Domine,
quo vadis?” (“Lord, where are you going?”), he replied, “To be crucified
again.” St. Peter understood this to mean he should return to Rome,
which he did and was there crucified.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What is the evidence that St. Thomas traveled to India?
The apocryphal Acts of Thomas suggest he established the Church in
India, where he was martyred. When Portuguese explorers arrived in India
in the fifteenth century, they found a very old Christian community that
traced its founding to St. Thomas.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Who are the two Judases?
St. Judas—known usually as St. Jude or Thaddeus, who wrote one of the
Catholic Epistles—is the patron of lost causes. Judas Iscariot betrayed
Christ and then committed suicide in despair.
What is an apocryphal writing?
In the history of the Church, apocryphal writings were those that
purported to be authored by Apostles or their close associates but were
not authentic. Many such books were produced in the first two centuries
by Gnostic heretics.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read silently John 20:19–29, and then analyze the illustration on the top
of page 53.
 Explain various details of the painting.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Work with a partner to create a Graphic Organizer outlining where each
Apostle evangelized and where he was martyred or died.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Take about fifteen minutes to update your timeline with people and events
from this chapter.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why did the Apostles attract magicians, sorcerers, and healers?
They were envious of and wanted to obtain the “magical” powers of the
Apostles.
What contact did the Apostles have with these magicians?
Simon Magus was rebuked when he offered Sts. Peter and John silver for
their power. St. Paul struck a court magician temporarily blind.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
FOCUS QUESTION
When did the public Revelation of Jesus Christ end?
It ended with the death of the last Apostle. Extension: After the death
of St. John, there can be no new Revelation requiring an act of faith
because nothing can be added to the Deposit of Faith. Christ and the
saints have revealed themselves to people over the centuries, but these are
private revelations not revealing new doctrines.
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
 Study Questions 29–31 (p. 57)
 Workbook Questions 57–69
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
CLOSURE
This chapter began with the Incarnation and ended with the death of
St. John. Free write on the following question:
 What do you think is the unique importance of this period?
5. The Apostles (continued) (pp. 51–54)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
 In a group of three, receive one of the paragraphs on pages 51–54. (Sts. James
the Greater and John will be grouped together; Sts. James the Less and Philip
will also be grouped together.)
 In each group, one student is the reader, a second the recorder, and the third
the presenter.
 The reader will read that group’s paragraph aloud. Then the group will discuss
what to record based on the following questions:
 Who was this Apostle?
 What do we know about this Apostle’s activities to spread the Faith?
 What was the fate of this Apostle?
 The recorder will record what to present. The presenter will give a one-minute
oral report about the Apostle to the reassembled class.
THE END