The Early Church 30-381 AD

 2000 years is a lot of history!!

 Academic and “Heart-sy”
 We want to know the flow
 Learn from the times, trends, and trials of Christianity
 We must be selective and oversimplify
 35,000 competing sects and church groups in
Christianity (World Christian Encyclopedia)
 We are affected by societal trends
 Early Church (30-381 AD)
 Medieval Church (400-1400)
 Reformation (1400-1800)
 Restoration (1800’s)
 Expansion of the Church
 Acts 1:8: to the ends of the earth??
 Not a location- Isaiah 49:6
 Acts 2:42- The Root & the Fruit
 Maps and dates
 Bible lands
 History comes alive when we understand the geography
 Real events took place in real places, at real times
 Mediterranean world
 Important Dates
 30/36/48/70
 Known for breaking through racial and religious boundaries
 Early reference to Christ and Christianity
 Suetonius Blames Nero (Fire of Rome 64 AD)
 Tacitus: Describes Neronian persecution
 Pliny: letter to Emperor Trajan
 Expansion of the Church
 Acts 1:8: to the ends of the earth?? (Acts 8:1)
 Not a location- Isaiah 49:6
 Acts 2:42- The Root & the Fruit
 Maps and dates
 Bible lands
 History comes alive when we understand the geography
 Real events took place in real places, at real times
 Mediterranean world
 Important Dates
 30/36/48/70
 Known for breaking through racial and religious boundaries
 Early reference to Christ and Christianity
 Suetonius Blames Nero (Fire of Rome 64 AD)
 Tacitus: Describes Neronian persecution
 Pliny: letter to Emperor Trajan
 Fruit (Acts 2:43-47)
 v.43: feeling of awe and wonder
 V.44: unified
 V.45: Met needs
 V.46: together
 V.47: Number added to by the Lord

 Root (Acts 2:42)

 Apostles teaching/fellowship/communion/prayer
 Evangelism plan
 Acts 1:8: to the ends of the earth??
 Not a location- Isaiah 49:6
 Acts 2:42- The Root & the Fruit
 Maps and dates
 Bible lands
 History comes alive when we understand the geography
 Real events took place in real places, at real times
 Mediterranean world
 Important Dates
 30/34/48/70
 Known for breaking through racial and religious boundaries
 Early reference to Christ and Christianity
 Suetonius Blames Nero (Fire of Rome 64 AD)
 Tacitus: Describes Neronian persecution
 Pliny: letter to Emperor Trajan
 Intense sustained Roman persecution
 Church meetings in the 1000’s
 Everyone read their bible daily
 Church was separate from Judaism
 All Christians saw eye to eye on doctrine

 NOT!
 Apostasy (rebellion/falling away)
 Possible:
 John 15/2 chronicles 15:2
 Predicted :
 Mt 24:12 (Motive: 2 Peter 2:1)
 Preventable
 Joshua 24:14; 1 Tim 4:16;
 We must be challenged through the word of God!!

 Doctrine/commitment slowly degrades

 Rise of gnosticism
90
80
70
60
50 Doctrine
40 Commitment
30
20
10
0
30-99 AD 100-199 AD 200-299 AD 300-380 AD
 Apostasy (rebellion/falling away) Revelation
 Possible:
 John 15/2 chronicles 15:2
 Predicted :
 Mt 24:12 (Motive: 2 Peter 2:1)
 Preventable
 Joshua 24:14; Eph 4;
 We must be challenged through the word of God!!

 Doctrine/commitment slowly degrades

 Rise of gnosticism
Rise of gnosticism
 Elitist: Having “special” knowledge
 Must know this (Colossians, 1 & 2 John, 1 Timothy)
 Not being saved from sin but being saved from ignorance
 Saved by knowledge
 Gnostic gospels/Lost Gospels
 Flesh and physical matter is evil
2nd century
 Church was Counter culture
 Care of poor and needy
 Most NT books are in circulation
 Fires of Persecution are getting hotter
 Martyrdom
 Ignatius 110
 Polycarp 155
 Justin 165
 Clergy/laity begins creeping in
 Communion is the highlight of worship
 Asked to leave if you were apostosizing, recanting, etc.
 Gnosticism continues to grow (Marcionism & Montanism)
 forces Christians to think through issues
 In the meantime, living in suspense and anxiety, you
abstain from respectable pleasures. You do not attend
sporting events. You have no interest in public
amusements. You reject the public banquets, and
abhor the sacred games…. Thus, wretched as you are,
you will neither rise from the dead, nor enjoy life in
the meanwhile. So, if you have any wisdom or sense,
stop prying into the heavens and the destinies and
secrets of the world…. Persons who are unable to
understand civil matters are certainly unable to discuss
divine ones.
2nd century
 Church was Counter culture
 Care of poor and needy
 Most NT books are in circulation
 Fires of Persecution are getting hotter
 Martyrdom
 Ignatius 110
 Polycarp 155
 Justin 165
 Clergy/laity begins creeping in
 Communion is the highlight of worship
 Asked to leave if you were apostosizing, recanting, etc.
 Gnosticism continues to grow (Marcionism & Montanism)
 forces Christians to think through issues
• Persecution at its hottest:
• False charges: Cannibalism, Incest
 Severus forbids conversion
 Accusers received property of the accused
 Caesar worship compulsory (Libellus) (Decius)
 Purged the lukewarm
 Methods of persecution
 Doctrine slowly degrading
 Church is in the bishop; bishop in the church - Cyprian
 Rise of the “Saints”
 Baptism begins changing:
 Infants being baptized; official doctrine in 400
 Sin after baptism?? Tertullian
 Interesting Fact
 1500 widows on the payroll in the Church at Rome( 1 Tim 5)
 What happened??
 Buildings on the rise
 4th century
 Buildings, Bishops, Bibles burned (Early)
 Fires of persecution begin to die down
 Edict of toleration 311/313
 Council of Nicea 325
 State religion (Church and State become one)
 Trending
 Kissing bishops hand
 Contribution - tax
 Celibacy of leaders
 Persecuted became persecutor (Jews and Gentiles)
 Power of Bishop is growing
 Other Christians consider you extreme if you don’t accept
the entertainment of the day
 Canonization
 Most complicated issue in church history
 Monasticism begins
 Deeply affected by worldliness in the church
 We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
 We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
 4th century
 Buildings, Bishops, Bibles burned (Early)
 Diocletian persecution
 Fires of persecution begin to die down
 Edict of toleration 311/313
 Council of Nicea 325
 State religion (Church and State become one)
 Trending
 Kissing bishops hand
 Contribution - tax
 Celibacy of leaders
 Persecuted became persecutor (Jews and Gentiles)
 Power of Bishop is growing
 You are considered extreme if you don’t accept the
entertainment of the day
 Canonization
 Very complicated
 Most complicated issue in church history
 Monasticism begins
 Deeply affected by worldliness in the church
 30AD /34 AD
 48 AD
 70 AD
 Late 1st century
 2nd century
 3rd century
 4th Century
 Evangelistic fervor of the early church:
 Reach those “far off” not geographically but spiritually
 Focus on the root!! Acts 2:42
 Life and doctrine matters!!
 Culture does indeed creep in!!
 Entertainment
 Violence
 Sexuality
 Do we have a “saints” view of people who are really sold
out?
 How countercultural are you???
 Do we resemble 1st century Christians or 4th century?
 The Eternal Kingdom : F.W. Mattox
 Apostolic Fathers: Baker Academics
 Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: Bercot
 Will the Real Heretics Please stand Up: Bercot
 Church History in Plain Language: Shelley
 242ethos.com