Why did the Church of Jerusalem prosper in the early years?
The Church of Jerusalem prospered because the eleven apostles, later the twelve again, returned and continued the ministry Christ had begun. They stayed in Jerusalem year after year, working among the Jews in Israel, giving the congregation sustained apostolic teaching and leadership.
Les explains that the Jerusalem church prospered to a certain degree because the eleven, and later the twelve again, came back and continued the ministry Christ began. They stayed there year in and year out, working among the Jews in Israel. This long-term apostolic presence contrasts with Paul's churches: every place he established a church was only for a week or two, and Antioch for a year and a half, but for the most part he moved on. Les also notes that the miraculous power of God enabled Christianity to take off and permeate the whole Roman Empire, even as new believers fresh out of paganism faced challenges.