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Reading Guide #1 -- Unit 2: Highlights of our Church’s Story
pp. 60-61
1. What does it mean that the church is both “human and divine?
“Even when the church is at its worst it can provide us with glimpses of divine perfection; even
when it is at its best the Church is not completely free of win.” (p. 61)
2. Why can knowledge of our past be helpful?
a) Can keep us from assuming that if the Church does something it must be right.
b) Can bolster our faith that the Church is more than a human institution and will have a voice that
is different than the voices of the secular world.
c) Can give us a better understanding of both sin and grace within the Church and make us less
likely to repeat sins and more likely to embrace grace
pp. 64-65
3. What were three Jewish sects (groups) present in Judaism in the first century?
a) Sadducees – Jewish aristocracy – Temple – their identity depends on maintaining the purity of
the Temple—narrow beliefs –rejected angels and resurrection of the dead
b) Pharisees – lay group – concerned more with day-to-day behavior – Jewish faith under Roman
rule.
c) Essenes – far more extreme than Sadducees and Pharisees – separated themselves from all who
did not live as they lived. – lived an ascetic life –celibacy – property in common
4. What was the group that believed that God had chosen Israel to be “a great and political
entity?”
Zealots
5. What made it easy for Christianity to spread throughout the Roman Empire to such an
extent?
The presence of Jewish communities with every major city of the empire
6. How were relations between Jewish Christians and non-Christian Jews?
Not good -- disputes
7. Who were “gentiles” and how did the Jewish Christians settle the issue about admitting
them into the church?
“non Jews”
pp. 67-70
8. Why were Christians hated and persecuted?
a) Believed to be anti-social—didn’t go to theater or gymnasium
b) Barbarians and cannibals
c) Rumors of orgies --- called each other “brother and sister”
d) Rejected for being “intellectually wanting”
e) Laughable nature of the Christian God
9. Name two emperors who persecuted Christians. Nero --- Decius
10. By when did most of the persecution end? ------ around 250 AD/end of 3rd century
11. How did Decius (after AD 249) hassle the Christians?
Enacted laws that required all to offer sacrifices to the gods of the empire—anyone who did not
have the certificate – treated as an outlaw –Decius did not want to kill Christians outright --- fear
that the movement would grow
12. What was it about the Church that continued to attract new members despite the
“widespread abhorrence”? (pp. 69-70)
a) Offered the presence of a loving and caring God
b) Cut across social boundaries in a way no other religion did –women and slaves had rights
c) Noted for their charity and kindness
d) Committed themselves to permanently avoiding sin