Download Church History

The Victorious Church
© John Stevenson, 2016
Class Objectives
•
•
•
To recall, summarize and evaluate the
fortunes of Christianity from the late
patristic period (5th century) through the
high middle ages of medieval Christianity
(13th century).
To describe how the doctrine of the
Incarnation came to be defined by the
early Church.
To summarize and evaluate the rise and
spread of the Monastic movement.
Class Objectives
•
•
•
To recognize the factors that gave rise to
the growth of the Roman Catholic
Church and the office of the Papacy.
To recognize and name the
ecclesiastical differences between the
Church in the East from that in the West
which resulted in a profound schism.
To define and describe what
Scholasticism is and analyze what it
reveals about medieval Christianity.
“Thou hast conquered,
Oh Galilean!”
― Julian the Apostate
1
500
The
Ancient
Church
1000
The
Medieval
Church
1500
2000
The
Reformed
Church
Tertullian
155-222
We are but of yesterday, and we
have filled every place among you
- cities, islands, fortresses, towns,
market-places, the very camp,
tribes, companies, palace, senate,
forum… (Apologeticus 37)
Church
persecuted
by Rome
100
1
Paul
Polycarp
Peter
Marcion
John
200
Edict of
Toleration
300
Diocletian
Tertullian
Constantine
400
500
• Division of Empire
• Persecution of Christianity
• Retirement (305)
Edict of Toleration
Christians may again exist and
rebuild the houses in which they
used to meet, on condition that
they do nothing contrary to public
order. (Quoted from Eusebius,
History of the Church 8:17:5).
Constantine
• Battle for the Milvian
Bridge (312)
Constantine
• Battle for the Milvian
Bridge (312)
• “In this sign conquer”
• Edict of Milan: Restated
& expanded the Edict of
Toleration (313)
• Reunification of Roman
Empire
• Favored status (324)
Christianity as Favored Religion
• Bishops given the right to
judge civil cases
• Sunday made into a
public holiday
• New Edict of Toleration:
Christians not allowed to
persecute pagans
What should be the attitude of
Christians to the gaining of
political power?
Before Constantine
After Constantine
Purity within the
church
Long periods of
catechism training
before receiving
baptism
Less purity within the
church
Christians known for
their strict lifestyle
Loosening of the
standards
Martyr mentality
among the pious
Monastic mentality
began to emerge
among the pious
Requirements to
become a Christian
were minimized
!
!
Donatus Magnus
(Died 355)
What about those who
have been baptized or
married by fallen bishops?
Work as a group to
formulate a detailed
description of what you
believe about Jesus
•
•
•
•
As to His deity
As to His sonship from God
As He relates to the Holy Spirit
As to His humanity
• Tertullian of Carthage (160-220 A.D.).
– Coined the term “Trinity”
– Spoke of how the son proceeded from God
“Thus, the Father makes him equal to himself;
and the Son, by proceeding from him, was
made first-begotten, since he was begotten
before all things; and the only-begotten,
because he alone was begotten of God, in a
manner peculiar to himself” (Against Praxeas).
• Tertullian of Carthage (160-220 A.D.).
– Coined the term “Trinity”
– Spoke of how the son proceeded from God
– Argued against modalism
• Origen of Alexandria (165-254 A.D.).
– Although the Son is begotten of the Father, it
is an eternal begetting
Arius
• Priest in Alexandria, Egypt
• Taught that Christ was a
created being
• Christ was the first created
being who then created all
the rest of creation
• Claimed Tertullian for
support, but denied that
Jesus was God
Arius
“God was not always a
father; indeed, there was a
time when God was alone,
and he was not yet a
father. Afterwards, he
became a father. The son
was not always… before
he was begotten, he was
not; rather, he has a
beginning.” – The Banquet
Arius
• Deposed by Alexander,
bishop of Alexandria
• Became friends with
Eusebius of Nicomedia
– Shared Christological views
– Bishop of Nicomedia
– Distant relative of
Constantine
296 - 373
• Egyptian Christian family
• Childhood: Playing at
baptism
• Ordained as a deacon in
319
• Assistant to Bishop
Alexander at Council of
Nicea
Constantinople

 Nicaea
Council of Nicaea
• Met at Nicaea in 325
• 300 Bishops in attendance
(5 from west)
• Alexander & Athanasius
versus Arius
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God the Father
All-sovereign,
Maker of all things.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God,
begotten of the Father,
only-begotten,
that is, of the substance of the Father
God of God, Light of Light,
true God of true God,
begotten not made,
of one substance with the Father…
•
•
•
•
Nicaean Creed
Celebration of Easter
Lapsed bishops
Celibacy of the clergy
(argued but not
mandated)
• Prohibition of kneeling
on Sundays
Church Councils
of the 4th and 5th Centuries
Council of
Nicaea
325
Jesus is of the same
substance as the Father
Holy Spirit is co-eternal with
Council of
381 the Father and Son, but the
Constantinople
three are distinct
Homoousia
Homoinousia
Same Substance
Similar substance
381
• Three Cappadocian Fathers
– Basil the Great: Bishop of Caesarea
– Gregory of Nyssa (Basil’s younger brother):
Scholar
– Gregory of Nazianzus (Eventual patriarch
of Constantinople): Orator
• One substance (ousia) in three persons
(hypostaseis)
• Arianism condemned
Church Councils
of the 4th and 5th Centuries
Council of
Nicaea
325
Jesus is of the same
substance as the Father
Holy Spirit is co-eternal with
Council of
381 the Father and Son, but the
Constantinople
three are distinct
Council of
Ephesus
431
Jesus is one person, fully
divine and fully human
Bishop of
Constantinople
Bishop of
Alexandria
Mary as
Christotokos
Mary as
Theototokos
(“Christ-bearer”)
(“God-bearer”)
431
431
• Called by Emperor Theodosius II
• Began before the eastern
bishops had arrived
• Nestorius was deposed and
declared a “new Judas”
• Eastern bishops convened their
own council under John of
Antioch
431
• Eastern bishops deposed Cyril
• Council deposed John of
Antioch
• Emperor upheld the decision of
both councils
Church Councils
of the 4th and 5th Centuries
Council of
Nicaea
325
Jesus is of the same
substance as the Father
Holy Spirit is co-eternal with
Council of
381 the Father and Son, but the
Constantinople
three are distinct
Council of
Ephesus
Council of
Chalcedon
431
Jesus is one person, fully
divine and fully human
451
The human and divine
natures of Jesus are
unmixed
Christ only seemed to be
Docetic
human
Christ only seemed to be
Ebionite
divine
Christ was created by God and
Arian
then created all else
Christ had no human spirit;
Apollinarian Logos came and replaced it
Jesus became the Christ as
Monoarchian His baptism
One God reveals Himself in
Sabellianism three ways
Logos indwelt the person of
Nestorian Jesus making Christ a Godbearer
Human nature of Christ
Eutyches absorbed by the Logos
Monophysite Christ had only one nature
Christ had no human will; only
Monothelite one divine will
Adapted from Robert Walton
Church
persecuted
by Rome
100
1
Paul
Polycarp
Peter
Marcion
John
200
Edict of
Toleration
Four
Church
Councils
300
Athanasius
Arius
Constantine
400
Fall of
Rome
500
Emperor from 361-363
• Nephew to Constantine
the Great
• Renounced Christianity
and sought to restore
paganism
• Tried to rebuild Jewish
temple in Jerusalem
• Sought to invade Persia
Emperor from 379-395
• Ended state support for
paganism
• Put an end to the Olympic
Games
• Excommunicated by
Ambrose after riot in
Thessalonica
Emperor from 379-395
Eugenius
394
What was the rationale
for the formation of the
monastic movement?
St. Anthony
251-356
• Christian in Egypt
• Heard a sermon on Christ’s
words to the rich young
ruler: “Go and sell all your
possessions and follow me.”
• Gave away his possessions
and moved into the desert,
living the life of a hermit
Simeon Stylites
390-459
Removed himself to
the top of a pillar in
Syria
What are some of the Biblical
pros and cons of a solitary
monastic lifestyle?
Pachomius
292-348
• Born in Thebes
• Forcibly inducted into
military
• Converted to Christianity
• Followed example of
Anthony
• Organized nine groups of
both male and female
monasteries
Monasticism in Monasticism in
the West
the East
Communal living,
but usually within
some proximity to
civilization
Desert living;
sometimes in
community and
sometimes alone
Emphasis on
reaching out to
culture
Emphasis on
escaping culture
Benedict of Nursia
480-542
• Ran away to live in a
cave at the age of 14.
• Established a monastery
at Monte Cassino
• Rule of St. Benedict
Rule of St. Benedict
Idleness is the enemy of the
soul. And therefore, at fixed
times, the brothers ought to
be occupied in manual
labor; and again, at fixed
times, in sacred reading
(Documents of the Christian
Church, P.133).
Rule of St. Benedict
The brothers shall wait on
each other in turn so that no
one shall be excused from
the kitchen-work, unless he
be prevented by sickness,
or by preoccupation with
some matter of great
necessity… (Documents of
the Christian Church,
P.132).
Rule of St. Benedict
Let not the younger brothers
have beds by themselves,
but dispersed among the
seniors. And when they rise
for the service of God let
them gently encourage one
another, because the sleepy
ones are apt to make
excuses (Documents of the
Christian Church, P.129).
What are some of the Biblical
pros and cons of a communal
monastic lifestyle?
What sort of lifestyle changes
were necessary for one to
become a monk?
How did the monastic
movement contribute to the
Church and society?
Church
persecuted
by Rome
100
1
Paul
Polycarp
Peter
Marcion
John
200
Origen
Edict of
Toleration
Four
Church
Councils
300
400
Athanasius
Arius
Augustine
Constantine
Pelagius
Fall of
Rome
500
Church
persecuted
by Rome
100
1
Paul
Polycarp
Peter
Marcion
John
200
Origen
Edict of
Toleration
Fall of
Rome
Theodosius
300
400
Athanasius
Arius
Augustine
Constantine
Pelagius
500
How much diversity in matters
of Christian doctrine should the
church tolerate?
Acts 20:28
Be on guard for yourselves
and for all the flock, among which
the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers, to shepherd the church
of God which He purchased with
His own blood.
Acts 20:29-31
I know that after my
departure savage wolves will
come in among you, not sparing
the flock; 30 and from among your
own selves men will arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw
away the disciples after them. 31
Therefore be on the alert…

Rome

Constantinople
 Antioch
 Jerusalem

Alexandria
Ambrose of Milan
339 - 397
• Governor of Milan
• Civil strife over Arian
controversy upon death
of Bishop of Milan
• Ambrose called for peace
and was nominated as
bishop though unbaptized
• Gave away his property
and studied for ministry
Ambrose of Milan
339 - 397
• Withstood the Arians
• Justina, the regent for her
son, demanded that the
church adopt Arianism.
Ambrose refused.
• Brought congregational
singing into the church
• Excommunicated
Theodosius in 390
Jerome
347-420
• Traveled to Syria and
learned Hebrew, later
traveled through
Palestine and Egypt
• Settled in Palestine
where he devoted
himself to writing
• Translated the Bible
into Latin (Vulgate)
John Chrysostom
347-407
• His nickname was Chrysostom
(“golden-tongue”)
• Trained in law before studying
for ministry
• He was a preacher at Antioch
• Appointed to be bishop of
Constantinople
• Known for preaching
exegetically from the Bible
School of
Alexandria
Sought the
“deeper
meaning” by use
of allegorical
interpretation
ClementAlexandria
of 
Alexandria,
Origen
School of
Antioch
 Antioch
Emphasized the
plain sense of
the meaning of
the Bible in
interpretation
Chrysostom,
Theodore of
Mopsuestia
John Chrysostom
347-407
• The Empress Eudoxia had
him exiled because she was
displeased with his preaching
on Elijah and Jezebel.
• He was banished to Pontus.
Augustine
354-430
• Mother was Monica,
a Christian
• Teacher of rhetoric
in Milan
• Admired Ambrose
for his speaking
ability
• “Take up and read”
Augustine
354-430
Let us behave
properly as in the
day, not in carousing
and drunkenness, not
in sexual promiscuity
and sensuality, not
in strife and
jealousy…
Augustine
354-430
But put on the
Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no
provision
for the flesh in
regard to its
lusts.
(Romans 13:13-14)
Augustine
354-430
• Bishop of Hippo,
North Africa
• Confessions: Tells
story of his coming
to Christianity
• Rome sacked by
Visigoths (410)
• City of God
The City of God
• The Kingdom of God is not to
be found in today’s political
arena
• The Christian’s true citizenship
is in the city of God
Accordingly, two cities
have been formed by two
loves: the earthly by the
love of self, even to the
contempt of God; the
heavenly by the love of
God, even to the contempt
of self. The former, in a
word, glories in itself, the
latter in the Lord.
(City of God 16:28)
The earthly city, which does not live by
faith, seeks an earthly peace, and the
end it proposes, in the well-ordered
concord of civic obedience and rule, is
the combination of men's wills to attain
the things which are helpful to this life.
The heavenly city, or rather the part of it
which sojourns on earth and lives by
faith, makes use of this peace only
because it must, until this mortal
condition which necessitates it shall
pass away.
(City of God 19:17)
Augustine versus Pelagius
Man is born in sin
and spiritually dead
Man is essentially
good
Man’s will was
affected by the fall so
that, apart from the
Spirit, he does not
choose God
Man’s will is neutral;
he has the free will to
either follow God or
reject God
Salvation is a gift of
God to undeserving
men
Salvation comes as
men imitate Christ
Predestination
Free Will