The key idea of this chapter is the importance of community for the early Church, but also for our faith today. The early Church required communities in order to survive, because without any sense of community the early Christians would have felt alone in their struggle to live the Word of God. However, with a community, the early Christians could worship in a safe environment where their faith could grow in develop with the help of others. The Book of Acts describes the early Church�s struggle to obtain communities and survive among the persecution toward them at the time. Because of the Church�s success to obtain these communities, the number of followers grew rapidly and the church became a major religion. As the early Church required communities nearly two thousand years ago, church communities as also crucial for our own personal faith development. Being in a church community gives each Christian a chance to develop their faith with help from others in a supportive environment. Communities were essential for the survival of the early Church, but they are also important for the development of faith within us.

2) Two major ideas I want to remember.

The first of two major ideas I want to remember from this chapter is the conversion of Saul. The conversion of Saul occurred on the road to Damascus, when a voice from the heavens asked Paul why he persecuted Him. Then the voice tells Saul to go to Damascus, and when Saul rises to his feet he is blinded. While in Damascus a preacher named Ananias goes to Saul and heals him. Saul is then baptized and converts to Christianity. Saul�s conversion is very important to understand because it is essential to know that Saul did not convert on his own, but with help from Jesus. This explains Saul�s conversion and why he becomes a devout Christian and spreads the Word of God. Saul�s conversion shows how God chooses the lowly to serve Him and the origins of Paul�s (Saul) work in the Church.

The second idea I want to remember is the conflicts between the Jewish and Gentile converts in the early Church. This conflict was whether or not the Jewish laws, like circumcision and practicing the dietary customs, should be enforced upon the Gentile converts. This conflict was temporarily resolved at the Council of Jerusalem, where it was decided that the Jewish laws would not be enforced upon the Gentiles. These conflicts remind us of the many inner struggles within the early Church that are often overlooked. It is usually thought that the one main problem of the early Church was persecution, but there were also many inner struggles that the church faced at the time. The conflicts between the Jewish and Gentile converts remind us today of the many inner struggles of the early Church.

3) An image that captures this chapter.

4) One significant question I have from this chapter

"Why was Paul so successful in converting both Jews and Gentiles across the Roman Empire?"

5)"Living the Gospel"

What are ways you can grow in your relationship with God as you continue to journey through life? Choose one way you can begin now.

There are many ways I can grow in relationship with God, some of which require little change and some ways that would require a drastic change in lifestyle. Some of the simplest ways to grow in relationship with God are by simply paying more attention to the Gospel during Mass or by spending a few minutes a day to stop and reflect on what has happened. However, an example of a drastic way I could grow closer to God would be to give away everything I own and decide to join the priesthood. However, that way is impractical and would take much more knowledge and faith than I possess now. One way I could begin to grow closer to God is to simply attempt to follow not just the Ten Commandments, but also the Beatitudes by maybe simply standing up for someone or be a peacemaker between my friends or family. Attempting to improve myself is the first step I could accomplish in order to grow closer to God.