List 2 - Church History - The Persecuted Church

Front 1

Where did the term "Church Fathers" come from?

Back 1

Father a title originally given to the bishops of the churches as a term of affection in the West From the 3rd century it came to be used of the champions of orthodoxy Called Patristics or patrology; from 100-451 (the Council of Chalcedon)

Front 2

List Church Fathers by century?

Back 2

1st Century (95- ca.150) (the Apostolic Fathers) – EdifiersWest – Clement of RomeEast – Ignatius, Polycarp, Papias, Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache2nd Century (120-220) The Apologists – DefendersWest – TertullianEast – Aristides, Justin Martyr, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus3rd Century (180-250) The Polemicists – ContendersWest – Irenaeus, Tertullian, CyrianEast – Alexandrians vs. Antiochans; Origen, Clement, Pantaenus4th Century (325-480) Nicene / Post Nicene – Articulators

Front 3

Give four reasons why we should study the Church Fathers?

Back 3

As a window into the beliefs of the early churchAs a lesson on the development of theological conviction and courageAs a lesson on the development of theological errorAs a lesson on responding to theological error

Front 4

List four anonymous writings from the church fathers

Back 4

Epistle of Barnabas2 ClementThe DidacheLetter to Diognetus

Front 5

Describe the Epistle of Barnabas

Back 5

Anti Jewish in content – the Law, sacrifices and Temple worship all misguided Jewish interpretationn “The OT [is] an esoteric guide to Christianity”

Front 6

Describe 2 Clement

Back 6

Earliest sermon outside ActsDoctrinal and practical in nature – salvation, Christian virtues, repentance

Front 7

Describe The Didache

Back 7

aka The Teaching of the Lord through the Twelve ApostlesDate – circa 150; discovered late 19th centuryDivisions- First part – ethics- Second part – liturgy – baptism, prayer, fasting, communion- Third part – discourse of church government – leaders (bishops, deacons,prophets) and church discipline- Last part – a prophecy on 2nd coming and Antichrist

Front 8

Describe the Letter to Diognetus

Back 8

Paganism and Judaism false religionsChristians the soul of the worldChristianity a result of divine revelation and the way of salvation

Front 9

Summarize the character of the Chruch Fathers?

Back 9

sincere believers with a high morality

Front 10

Summarize the letters and writings of the Church Fathers?

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Informal and practicalFocused on edificationAssumed orthodox theology ( with notable weaknesses)Saturated with OT imageryAllegorical hermeneutic

Front 11

Summarize the theology of the Church Fathers?

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Concerning God – monotheists; God as CreatorConcerning Jesus – human / divine; preexistent; substitutionary deathConcerning Revelation – OT authoritative; saying of Jesus important; accepted four gospels and 13 Pauline lettersConcerning the Church – catholic in nature; immersion preferred, communion a mystical form of ChristConcerning the Christian life – incipient legalismConcerning the eschaton – imminency, premillenial, strong emphasis on final judgment, final resurrection, heaven and hellConcerning the Evangelical faith – not homogeneous; lacked full appreciation for NT Scriptures

Front 12

List the emperors who pesecuted the church in the Post-Apostolic Era? (give a bit of info on each)

Back 12

Trajan (98 -117) – sporadic; Christians executed when found but not sought out; Ignatius, RufusHadrian (117-138) – sporadic; continued Trajan’s polices; false accusers punishedMarcus Aurelius (161-180) – a Stoic who opposed Christianity on philosophical grounds; Christians blamed for natural disasters; Justin MartyrSeptimus Severus (202-211) conversion to Christianity forbidden; Leonidas, IrenaeusMaximinus the Thracian (235-36) clergy executed; Hippolytus, UrsulaDecius (249-51) 1st empire- wide persecution; Fabianus, Alexander of JerusalemValerian (257-60) – property confiscated; assembly forbidden; Origen, CyprianDiocletian Galerius (303-11) Churches destroyed, Bibles burned; civil rights of Christians suspended; required sacrifices to the gods; Mauritius, Alban

Front 13

What were the postisive and negative goals of the apologetics?

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Positively – to demonstrate the reasonableness of Christianity in relationship to other religions (Judaism, paganism, emperor worship)Negatively – to refute the charges of atheism, incest, cannibalism, indolence, and antisocial behavior

Front 14

Four key apologists?

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Quadratus – 1st of the apologists (c. 124/25)Aristides – Athens philosopherTatian – rhetorician of east Syria,Athenagoras – 2nd century

Front 15

Who was the 1st apologist?

Back 15

Quadratus

Front 16

Give the first harmony of the Gospels?

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Diatesserion

Front 17

Summarize the Apologists verses Judaism

Back 17

See Slide 56

Front 18

Summarize the Apologists verses Paganism

Back 18

See Slide 57

Front 19

Who was the first of the great theologians – Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Barth?

Back 19

Origen

Front 20

What is Novatianism?

Back 20

Novatian a Roman presbyter (249-50)Assumed leadership after the death of martyred pope Fabian but passed over as permanent choice following persecution; Cornelius chosenThe problem – Christians under Decian persecution denied the faith – the lapsiRepresented the strict party within the Church who wished to forbid the lapsed to return to communion; Cornelius favored penanceCornelius supported by leading clergy of Rome and Carthage; Novatian consecrated bishop (anti-pope) by 3 Italian bishopsViewsTraditional in theology and liturgyWanted a church of pure elect; those who rejected baptismal commitments no better than pagansSchismatic rather than hereticalThe Council of Nicea (325) set the terms for readmittance into thechurchSect survived into the 5th century as a small remnant

Front 21

What is Donatism? (1)

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North African leader – Donatus during the Great Persecution (303-305)(Diocletian)Precipitating cause – clergy (traditores) handed over the sacred books to be burnedDenied heavenly rewards by the imprisoned confessorsAttitude censured by Caecilian, archdeacon of Carthage, later (311)elected bishop in a contested consecration70 bishops of Numidia held council and deposed him 312Constantine stepped with his armies who controlled N. Africa and gave moral support to Caecilian and gave him a large incomeNo peace on the horizon so Constantine referred the matter to Pope Milatdes who favored CaecilianBishop Donatus appealed again to emperor; one of Caecilian’s consecrators was himself traditore, invalidating the ordinationConstantine referred the issue to the Council of Arles (314) who decided against DonatusBy end of 4th century, Donatists controlled most of churches in NAAfter Caecilian died, the issue became one of the Catholics vs. the Donatists

Front 22

What is Donatism? (2)

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A new champion for the Catholics – Augustine; between 399-415 he wrote against the Donatists a series of tracts – three issuesOriginal dispute wrongLocal and not representative of the Church as a whole; catholicity a mark of the true ChurchRebaptism a new heresy405 Augustine and Aureluis of Carthage persuaded pope Honorarius to ban the Donatists as hereticsA conference at Carthage held in 411 (286/284 Catholics to Donatists) issued a degree condemning Donatism; the movement dwindledDonatist viewsChurch of the pureLapsed clergy nullified their sacraments

Front 23

What was Augustines contribution against the Donatists?

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Augustine’s contribution – The church a mixed multitude – sheep and goats / wheat and tares; God would sort all this out at the judgment

Front 24

Note the development of the Episcopacy

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1st century – elders & bishops (same office) and deacons; sources NT2nd century – three offices develop – bishop, elders and deacons; source – Ignatius3rd century – diocesan system – bishop presides over multiple church, successors to the apostles; sources – Irenaeus, TertullianMid 3rd century – elders become priesthood and offer sacrifice; Roman bishop primary; source – Cyprian (251) On the Unity of the Universal ChurchEarly 4th century– metropolitan bishops – bishops in larger areas ascend over chorepiscopi (country bishops); source – Council of NiceaLate 4th century– the Patriarchs. Special attention to the bishop of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople and Jerusalem; source – Council of ConstantinopleMid 5th century – the supremacy of Rome – Leo 1 claims authority over while church as Peter’s successor

Front 25

What was the development in the church?

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A separation between the clergy and the laityAdditional ecclesiastical officesAcolytes–prepared for communion, lit candlesLectors–read the Scriptures(first mentioned inTertullian)Exorcists–cast out demonsSubdeacons–assistants to the deaconsDeacons develop wider responsibilitiesAccording to Eusebius, Rome had 1 bishop, 46 elders, 7 deacons, 7 sub-deacons, 42 acolytes, 52 exorcists, plus unnumbered lectors and doorkeepersThe emphasis on the visible, catholic Church to aid in stamp out heresy.Salvation through the Church

Front 26

What as the two-fold chord in the church?

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Scripture – what the inspired Word actually saidTradition – what had the Church always taught

Front 27

What is tradition?

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doctrine originally taught by Christ and the apostles, handed down, orally or in written form to the Church to be proclaimed and safeguarded

Front 28

What is the importance of tradition?

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Tradition played an important role in connecting the present to the past. To be able to trace one’s views back to the early Church through a series of successors meant that one stood de facto where the early church stood. Early views were considered to be authoritative explanations of apostolic thoughtTo deviate from the tradition was viewed as deviating from the apostles, upon whose teaching the tradition was built.The magisterium were the keepers of the tradition. This opened the door to apostolic successionism – a lineal succession back to theapostles in which the tradition resided and was passed on

Front 29

Who were the keepers of tradition?

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The Magisterium

Front 30

How did persecution end in the Roman Empire?

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By becoming the state religionGalerius – an edict of toleration issued on his deathbed if Christians were good citizens (311)The Emperor ConstantineThe Edict of Milan (313) Constantine grants Christianity and all religions freedomThe Council at Constantinople – 381 – Christianity becomes the state religion