The Life of the Judeo-Christian Communities in the Apostolic Age

Abstract

The life of the first Christian communities is marked by the Judean roots in the interpretation of the Covenant and its accomplishment. The debates animating the Jewish community of Jerusalem have their impact on the choices made by the first Judeo-Christian communities concerning the strategy of evangelization. Some consider that the "Time of the Nations" had already arrived while others continued to wait for the recognition of the messianity of Jesus by the Jewish people. The author refers to the Didache, a document of the first century of a liturgico-canonical nature, to relate the life of the first Judeo-Christian communities and to put forward their link with the law and the liturgy. Continuing with his reference to this document, the author describes the articulations of the life of these communities, evoking the role of the apostles, the organization of the ministries and the liturgical formulations with a spirit of freedom and with a prophetic impetus far from being an "accessory appendix".