Courageous Faith and Clear DoctrineMartyrs and ordinary Christians struggled asking themselves, “Who was Jesus?”

First Century Christians

Outside: Persecution by the Romans Inside: Disagreement about beliefs and

practices Foreshadows what is to come…how?

This continued throughout the second and third century.

Why did persecution begin?

Roman empire was falling apart Corrupt emperors Barbarian attacks Believed they needed conformity/unity Christians refused to participate in

religious sacrifices and paying homage to divine emperors unpatriotic

“Blood of martyrs became seed of Christianity” - Tertullian

‘Martyr’: means witness Heroic Term used by Christian church for one

who openly professed faith before a hostile public or in front of a judicial hearing

They die because they live in a culture hostile to their beliefs

Martyrology

Before end of the persecution era their “birthdays”, date of their death, were liturgically commemorated.

Why?

Church structures developed Developed in 2nd Century Held communities together Bishops- Supervisor Deacons and Deaconesses Bishop of Rome

Decline into chaos:

Barbarians threaten Empire’s order No tolerance for non-conformity Christians were forced to sacrifice Those who refused were killed Diocletian

Competent persecuted dissenting Christians Ordered churches destroyed, sacred

books burned, leaders executed

Some Christians sacrificed to idols in order to save their lives.

The question arises: Should these Christians be allowed to re-enter the community?

What to do?

Apostates – people who renounce their faith

Most wanted to repent and return. Question too about the validity of the

sacraments of priests who were apostates? Today: validity of sacraments doesn’t depend on goodness of priest

Bishop of Rome: said they could return after repentance

Becomes first form of which sacrament? The sacrament of Reconciliation.

Constantine’s conversion

After Diocletian – several contenders for throne.

Fought Chi-ro XP on shields (Greek letters for

Christ’s name) Victory Arch to son god Constantine honored Son of God instead

The Edict of Milan

313 CE Granted freedom of worship to Christians Moved from under to above ground Christian clergy exempt from paying

taxes Constantine built many churches

Church and State Entwined

Hesitant to oppose Why? Tension between being true to faith

versus loyalty and subservience to gov’t – saturate church history for centuries.

Theodosius-paganism declared illegal

Effects on Church

Christianity – official religion of Empire, was enforced and only Christians could serve in the army

Church, over the centuries became intimately connected with corruption of power.

Church given lands, Bishops –ranked high in public life

Church of 350AD -far from church of apostles

Clarity of doctrine

Conflict within the Church Vigorously opposed anything that did not

square with basic aspects of faith Heresies: Beliefs contrary to some

essential belief of faith

Gnosticism

What were the beliefs of the Gnostics?Material things including the body were evil.Jesus was an apparitionDivine not humanHumans were ignorant of GodOnly Gnostics would be saved through their special knowledge

Caused turmoil in the Church but led to clarity

What did the Christians formulate to answer this heresy in 200 AD? The Apostle’s Creed

All catechumens had to understand and accept it publically What is a catechumen? A canditate seeking

Baptism

Arianism

What were the beliefs of the Arians?Denied Jesus’ divinityDid not believe that God could ever take the form of a human beingJesus was created by God and was subordinate to God.

What did the Church do to refute Arius?

Council of Nicaea 325 CE Bishops met Condemned Arius as an heretic

one who refuses to change one’s wrong stand

Nicene creed, Jesus is not made by God but is one with God

Is this the last that we hear of Arianism?

About heresy

Most heretics are not simply trouble makers Beliefs have been thought out and they are

deeply convicted Goes against official teaching Many religious matters allow room for

various views.

St. Athanasius

“Jesus is related to God as brightness is to light”

The two cannot be separated. The Scriptures state that if we know

Jesus, we know God. Strongly opposed by Arian bishops

Implications:

Separation of church and state is an attempt to avoid kind of power entanglement that characterized Christianity and the Roman Empire from Constantine’s time on. At times, Christianity has been thought of

as the religion of the society Church always needs to maintain its

identity as a potential critic of society and government

Church leaders used precise philosophical language to respond and teach about heresies BUT more abstract and intellectual than scriptural faith handed down by apostles. Vatican II – changes to attempt to get

back to biblical, concrete faith of early church

Review

Why did Gentiles convert to Christianity at a time when paganism was booming?

St. Paul Movie Who was Paul Where did he travel What did he teach/write about?

Paul Quizes Eucharist in Early Church vs. today

Aspects of the Christian Testament Messages of Paul’s letters What led up to the final break between

Jews and Christians? Christian persecutions-Why did they

begin? Who were the Christian martyrs?

Apostates Edict of Milan Constantine Theodosius Church and State entwined

Gnosticism Arianism What did heresies do to Christian

faith? Heresy Council of Nicaea Nicene Creed