Whilst western Christianity can often look very similar to western culture, the very first followers of Jesus—along with their communities—were extraordinarily distinctive. Perhaps even a little weird! These new believers who were part of a new movement deviated from so many of the cultural norms and societal expectations. And in a culture in which everyone was ‘religious’, Christians still stood out as strange. 

As Nijay Gupta puts it, “the fundamental dynamics of the gospel changed their orientation toward God, God’s world, God’s creatures, and God’s good end. They had unusual ways of talking about the divine and about spiritual matters, odd patterns and practices of worship, and suspicious social habits and behaviours.”  

Yet whilst distinctive, these first Christians were also strangely compelling. As people witnessed their lives and heard their message, some were offended, others confused, but many believed. In this eight-part series, we explore some of the earliest accounts of the church in Acts to see how the Gospel distinctively transformed these very first believers, also considering how the Gospel should continue to transform the lives of believers today.