The Very First Christians [Hardcover]

Paul L. Maier (Author), Frank Ordaz (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

"...Christopher's grandfather teaches him about the drama of Pentecost and the powerful change God brought to the world through Peter, Paul, and the very first Christians."

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Concordia Publishing House (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0570071755
• ISBN-13: 978-0570071754
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 11.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #617,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ably retells a classic and engaging story, October 17, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Very First Christians (Hardcover)

In The Very First Christians, twelve-year-old Christopher is taught by his grandfather about the drama of Pentecost and the powerful changes God brought to the world through Peter, Paul, and the very first Christians following the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul Maier (professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University) ably retells a classic and engaging story drawn from Christian history, and one which is superbly enhanced throughout by Francisco Ordaz's "museum quality" paintings. The Very First Christians is an enthusiastically recommended picturebook for family, parochial school, Sunday School, Bible Camp, and community library collections.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story of the early church, enjoyable for all ages!, July 1, 2008

By 

Shaun Tabatt (Cottage Grove, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Very First Christians (Hardcover)

The Very First Christians is the third book in the "Very First" series that began with The Very First Christmas and was followed by The Very First Easter. This story begins with the familiar character of Chris who we find fishing with his Grandfather. His Grandfather is described as a professor who knows a lot about ancient history, not unlike Dr. Maier. Chris asks a simple question about the fish over his Grandfather's license plate, which leads into his Grandfather recounting the story of the early church. One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed about this story is that it's told in the context of a conversation between Chris and his Grandfather. Chris comments and asks questions, while his Grandfather answers the questions as he shares the story. The story touches on the following important events found in the book of Acts:

* The arrival of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost
* The preaching of Peter
* The martyrdom of Stephen
* Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian Eunuch
* The Conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus
* Paul's missionary journeys

This and other children's books by Dr. Maier have become a treasured favorite amongst my own children. Christian parents and grandparents will appreciate the integrity with which the story is told as it stays true to the accounts of the early church found in the book of Acts. That is what makes this book a quality resource for parents who want to introduce their children to either the book of Acts or the life and story of the early church. The conversation between Chris and his Grandfather is sure to draw both adults and children into the story. Also, Francisco Ordaz's beautiful illustrations are nearly lifelike and make the story of the early church come alive like never before. Like Dr. Maier's other children's books, this too is a story that is a joy to read and visually a beauty to behold. For more stories of this quality, please see Dr. Maier's other children's books listed below:

* The Very First Christmas (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1998)
* The Very First Easter (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999)
* Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2004)
* The Real Story of the Creation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2007)
* The Real Story of Flood (St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 2008)

Paul L. Maier is the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. His areas of research include manuscript and text analysis, archaeology, and the comparison of secular and sacred sources from the first century A.D. Dr. Maier also serves as the second vice-president of the Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod. Two of his more well known, recent publications are More Than a Skeleton (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003) and (with H. Hanegraaff), The Davinci Code-Fact or Fiction? (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2004). In addition to these works, Dr. Maier has written over 250 scholarly articles and has nine other books to his credit.

Francisco Ordaz is an accomplished illustrator. He has worked in the movie industry with George Lucas' Company, Industrial Light and Magic illustrating for the films E.T. and Return of the Jedi. Francisco has also worked with Dr. Maier on both of the earlier books in this series, The Very First Christmas (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1998) and The Very First Easter (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999).

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review on The Very First Christians by Paul L. Maier, November 27, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Very First Christians (Hardcover)

Hello! You can call me StoryMaker. The Very First Christians by Paul Maier sums up the book of Acts in a picture book full of detailed paintings. Christopher and his grandfather are just fishing when Chris wonders about a certain fish symbol. Chris's grandfather is happy to tell him that its an early symbol of Christianity and ends up telling Chris all about the early Christians. Practically everything in Acts is told in this book in a child-friendly way that you are bound to love. They cover everything from Jesus' ascencion to Stephen getting martyred to how the church got started. This is a must-have for your Christian book collection! Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"