The early Christians believed in the one God. They believed in covenant and creation. They believed this had all come to a climax in the Messiah. They had received the Spirit . . . they were the beneficiaries . . . they were the recipients of the promises of Israel. They organized their lives around that belief, that hope, and that story. For the early believers, this was an exciting new thing they had received, and they were determined to live as Christians—while still getting muddled at times about what that actually meant.