🔥The Apostolic Faith

✍️ Ayodeji Oludapo

📅 April 22, 2025 

Scripture

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” — Acts 2:42 (NIV)

Devotional Thoughts

The early church was marked by something powerful: unity, boldness, and unshakable faith. But where did it come from? It came from what we now call the apostolic faith—the teaching, example, and Spirit-filled walk of the first apostles of Jesus Christ. These were not just religious men upholding tradition; they were witnesses of the resurrection, carriers of divine truth, and builders of the Church's foundation.

The apostolic faith is not about chasing positions or titles. It is about continuing in the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). It's about living in full submission to Christ, being rooted in His Word, empowered by His Spirit, and faithful in His mission.

Peter just weeks before, he had denied Jesus in fear. But on the Day of Pentecost, clothed in the power of the Holy Spirit, he stood up and preached boldly. That day, three thousand souls were saved (Acts 2:41). What changed? He embraced the fullness of the apostolic faith—an unshakable confidence in the risen Christ, a deep grasp of Scripture, and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

And the apostolic faith didn’t stop with Peter or Paul. It lives on in modern-day believers who dare to trust God completely. Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who spent 14 years in a Communist prison for preaching Christ. He refused to stop gathering with believers, even in secret, and continued sharing the gospel under the threat of torture. In prison, he converted fellow inmates and even some guards, often preaching barefoot on icy floors in a freezing cell. When asked why he endured such suffering, he simply said: “I have accepted Christ, and that means I must also accept His cross.” — Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ (Film, 2018)

Wurmbrand's life is a modern echo of the apostolic walk—faithful to Scripture, filled with the Spirit, and unshakably bold, even when it costs everything.

The apostolic faith is not something ancient to admire; it is something alive to live. It still calls for people who will carry the gospel, build communities of grace, and live with heaven in view.

Practical Reflection

• Are you rooted in the apostles' teaching? This means consistently studying the Word and being shaped by it—not just reading it, but letting it transform you.

• Are you walking in fellowship? The apostolic church wasn’t a place of isolation; it was deeply communal. Who are you walking with, praying with, and breaking bread with?

• Are you filled with the Spirit and bold in your faith? The apostles did not operate in their own strength. They were deeply dependent on the Spirit’s power. Ask yourself: Am I living with a faith that relies on God’s power or my own comfort?

• Are you on a mission? The apostles were "sent ones". You may not travel the world, but you are sent into your world—your home, your job, your community.

The apostolic faith is not for the few; it's for every believer who dares to believe, follow, and obey as they did.

Closing Thoughts

We are not called to admire the early church from a distance—we are called to live with that same fire. The same Holy Spirit that filled Peter, Paul, and John lives in you. The same gospel they preached is still the power of God unto salvation. Let us contend for the apostolic faith—not with fists raised in debate, but with lives surrendered in obedience, love, and power.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone. Help me to walk in the apostolic faith—not just in word, but in power, in love, and in truth. Root me deeply in Your Word. Fill me with Your Spirit. Make me bold in mission, faithful in fellowship, and consistent in prayer. Let my life reflect the gospel and draw others to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.