Church History
Church History
I. Why look AT Church History
A. Want to know about out past
1. Does not matter If part of denomination
a. All part of the Christian church
b. Many times when people will ask about our past
2. Members may want to know how denomination fits into the church
a. How do we fit into the history of the church
b. Why do we need to consider what happened a hundred years ago
B. Fascinating Study
C. Filled with all sorts of people
1. Rogues
2. Scowdrols
3. Princes
4. Good people
II. Dark Years after Resurrection
A. Read in Acts up to around 60 AD
1. Many things took place
B. Apostles began teaching
1. Teach way of Jesus Christian
2. Most followers believed they were Jews
a. Following the teachings of Jesus Christ
3. Some felt you had to be a Jew First
a. Paul disagreed
b. First division
c. Finally agreed to disagree
i. Paul went off to evangelise the gentiles
ii. First Gentiles did not connect with Jews
iii. Only admitted that Jesus was a Jew
4. Church rapidly grew
C. Jewish revolt of 64 AD
1. Jews felt they were strong
2. Sck of Roman Empire rule
3. rebelled against
4. Was not able to defeat them
D. Christians decided to separate themselves from Jews
1. Judaism was limiting the growth and development
2. Early theology and worship practice the two faiths grew apart
3. Christians wanted to be politically separatee
a. Did not want to be in war
b. Put as much separation
E. Chrsitianity taken to the bounds of empire
1. Good roman roads
2. Open sea lanes and strong merchant marines
a. Could travel up the
3. Pax Romana – peace of
a. Provided opportiunity to grow
F. Others distrustful them
1. Jews were opposed because of separation
2. Did not see why they worship Jesus Christ
3. Many did not believe Messaih had come
4. Other believe they were atheists
a. Did not believe in Roman gods
b. Did not fit in philosophy circles
5. Accused of cannibalism
a. Invited members to eat body and drink blood of Jesus Christ
b. Felt they were eating real flesh and blood
c. Bad publicity and rumors spread
6. Government accused of treason
a. Would not accept Caesar as god
b. On Ides of March, Caesar was murdered and next day was called a god
c. Emperors were proclaimed as living god
d. Change of emperor was by assassination
i. Statue would be taken to all towns and all people were to file pass and throw a pinch of salt to the statue
ii. Christians would not worship the emperors because they cannot throw the poinch of salt at emperor’s feet so they were suspected of disloyalty
e. Very fragile government
i. Could not have any citizens refusing to worship emperor
ii. Led to persecution
a. Lasted 250 years
b. Not universally applied throughout empire
c. It was not continuous
d. Local administrators actually like the Christians because they were good citizens
e. Other places it was harsh
7. More and More people were converted to faith
a. Heavenly rewards was appealing
b. Belief in Christ and receive heavenly reward
c. Offered fellowship in a time when brutality and stength was emphasized
8. Chritians were rounded up and taken to arena
a. Held in cages
b. Then they would face death in public games
c. Guards would hear the gospel and they would convert
d. Guards so they had no fear of death and they were won over
G. By 300, Christians were so numerous that they could not be ignored
1. More and More middle and upper class were being won over
2. Officially outlawed but there were churches
a. If they were built in public then they were growing
b. Persecution was dying
3. Christians were a sizable minority in some and majority in other
4. Galerius gave a toleration of all people
a. Chruch was greatest beneficiary
b. Four days later he died
i. Succeeded by four men
a. Desired to become emperor
b. Peace for short time
c. Civil War
1. Gibbons, decline and fall of empire
ii.
a. Sole survivor
b. Became emperor
c.
1. Had vision of flaming cross
2. Did not understand
3. Others meant that if he and soldiers converted to Christianity he would win and he converted and he won
iii.
a. Church leaders moved in to take advantage
b. Asserted Christianity as the official religion
iv.
a. Accomplished this by taking interest in the church
1. Controlled the life of the church
2. Arbritated the disputes
b. He worked with Bishop of Rome
1. Church and State merged
2. Changed face of Christianity
c. Unholy Marriage
1. He was involved in the affairs
2. Became time consuming
d.
1. Many did not feel he was zealous a Christian
2. He did not understand the disputes
H. 325
1. Work together
2. Wanted to supervise their discussion and votes
a. Agenda was to keep the church unified
b. First
i. Number of Gospels were written
ii. Private papers were available
iii. Wide divergence of belief
a. Each nation and part of empire had their own beliefs and practices and true books
b. End result Christianity was utter confusion
3. Wanted to bring it together
a. Had to have uniformity
b. Contantine worked at the council
i. Clear positon of church was to strengthen the state
4. Radical shift in church
a. Roman Bishop became more powerful
i. He was in
ii. Church of Rome became all the more important
b. Administration became all more structured
5. Nicean was doctrine of the church
a. Canon of the Bible was established
b. Gospels and Letters of Paul were selected
c. Other letters were rejected
i. Created division
ii. Gradually the Catholic Church became far stronger
a. Other branches died out
b. In
1. Never adopted Catholic practices
c. Constantinople separated from
I. Church Grew rapidly under
1. Other high ranking officials joined the Church
a. Became fashionable
b. Church grew rapidly
2. Accomdated itself to the Empire
a. Religious syncretism fell into place
b. No longer pure primitive Christianity
3. Borrowed from other religions
a. Some Vestments show this
b. Cloak wore at Holy Communion was worn by pagan priests
c. Mighter wore by bishop is similer to head gear of pgan officials
d. Roman had god for everything
i. Church assigned saints for responsible for various aspects of life
a. Horses
b. Cattle
c. Fishermen
1. Ready to sail, ask Saint Andrew to interced on his behalf so that he would catch fish and return safely
e. Change in Holidays
i. Romans loved holidays
ii. There was sexual oddesies
iii. End of December was a celebration of lengthening of days
a. Wild Time
b. Horrible immoral things
c. Early Christians missed the fun
d. Church proclaimed the birth of Christ on December 25th
e. There was no record of his birth
f. Christians could have celebration without the drinking
g. Old Christianity were blended with Roman traditions
J. Conflicts within the Church
1. Heresy known as Arianism
a. Only God was timeless
b. Taught all other things were created including Jesus Christ
i. Claimed that Jesus was created right after God
ii. Mankind by imitating Christ could in time could be equal with Christ
a. Very appealing
b. Won over many converts
c. Nearly replaced orthodox teachings
iii. Sons of
c. Athanasius fought heresy
i. Life was threatened
ii. Held firm and would not budge
iii. Created creed Athanasius
a. Nobody studies this creed
b. No denomination uses this creed
c. Orthodox party held firm
d. Catholics eventually succeeded
K.
1. Been around for 800 years
a. Longest empire ever known
2. End of fourth century empire was deteriorating
a. Barbarins were stronger
b. Welfare state to long
c. No longer required young men to serve in legions
d. Turnover rate of emperors was incredible
i. Replaced by assassination
3. Goths grew in great strength
a. Not barbarians
b. Did not dress in animal skins
c. Mnay were highly educated in Roman law
d. They were Christians but arians
e. Greedy leaders and they pushed the Roman boarders
f. Slowly Barbarians moved legions closer and closer to
4. Southern barbarians moved north
a. Moved capital t
5.
a. End of an area
b. 800 years wall had protected city
c. Many thought it would last forever
d. Walls breeched and Visigoths poured in
e.
f. Realized
i. Government moved to Revenna
ii. Behind salt marshes attempted to rule country
iii. Really out of sight out of mind
6. 410-476
a. Recognized importance of the Church
b. Church assumed mre and more political control of west
c. Church took charge of government jobs
d. Pope responsible for military leadership
i. Trained the military
ii.
iii.
7. Roman government was able to fend off Arians
a. Strong Heresy
b. 476 Walls fell last time
c. West entered the dark ages
i. Time of desperation
ii. Need something stable so people turned to the church
8. What happened to lay people across the empire and clergy
a. Backbone of the church
b. They were caught up in military changes of collapsing empire
c. Fringes were first to experience changes
d. Continued to worship and turned to Christ for strength and love
e. Way in wich they worshipped changed
f. First century Christianity was simple and straight forward
i. Gather together in member’s home or tombs and worship
ii. Service were simple and straightforward
a. Prayer
b. Encourage one another
c. Centerpeice was memorial meal
d. At first it was a fellowship meal
e. Shared with one another
f. Break the bread and presider would say to remember symbolizes the body of Jesus Christ
g. Conclude with win in the cup and remember it symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ
h. Early Methodists would recreate this
1. Soon became standardize
iii. Love feast changed from simple way to a structured service known as mass
a. Clergy soon took over the service so it was no longer something everyone took part in
1. Clergy would break the bread
b. In time there came the belief of Transubstantiation
1. Bread changed physically from break into the literal body of Christ
2. Gave rise to claim they were cannibals
c. Soon lay people began to hear mass instead of participating in it
1. Christians began to observe the service
iv. Many present churches emphasize preaching
a. This was not done in early church
b. In place, reading of canon law was done
c. Letters of instruction from Bishop or Pope were read
v. Church became all important
a. Participation diminished
b. Christianity was becoming remote from personal experiences
c. Church was becoming big business
1. To take the place of the state
vi.
a. Decreed wealthy men could not be ordained
b. Church had tax emempt status
c. Preist would not be taxed
1. Abuse soon arrived
a. People sought ordination to avoid taxes
vii. Christianity was changing