Name: Russel P.

Albores Class Schedule: MWF 6:00-7:00 PM

Date of Submission: March 20, 2020

I. Explanation Direction: Answer the following questions below

1. In what way that the apostolic preaching became a source of teaching and moral discernment
among the early Christians? Cite concrete examples and evidences from the Bible.

The apostolic preaching turned into a wellspring of teaching and moral discernment
among the early Christians by dedicating their lives in lecturing, transmission of the Christian
faith was dependent on traditions in the Early Christian Church, which incorporated the
Memorial of the Last Supper - the Mass or Divine Liturgy with the festival of the Eucharist or
Communion, on Sunday the Lord's Day (Revelation 1:10), and Prayer, for example, the Lord's
Prayer and the Apostles' Creed, a calling of confidence during Baptism. The early Christian
Church fell under intense persecution all through the Roman Empire, starting with Nero in 64
AD. But it was the powerful witness of Christian martyrdom that led to continued expansion of
the faith. The fish became a symbol of the Christian faith, enhancing the tombs and early
Christian Churches. The fish captures the central meaning; the essential creed of the Christian
faith, for the Greek word for fish is ιχθυς or ichthus, an abbreviation or acrostic for Jesus Christ,
Son of God, and savior. St. Ignatius of Antioch, Syria circa 110 AD described the transmission
of the Christian faith through the bishop, priest, and deacon, who received their authority through
apostolic succession. The possession of sacred texts in times of persecution could mean
discovery, imprisonment, and death. Additionally, it was normal for individuals of that
opportunity to be uneducated. Moreover, the creation of composed Scripture was a fantastic
assignment in itself, as each page of any content must be manually written on papyrus scrolls
(Luke 4:16-20) and later material codices (Second Timothy 4:13). Written Scripture was in the
hands of only a few. In this way, the oral tradition of the Church was imperatively critical to
teach and guide the early Christian community.

In addition, the traditions of the early Church were given to the devoted supporters of
Jesus Christ at Sunday administration from the earliest starting point of the Church at Pentecost.
The Celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist fills in as a Memorial of the Last Supper of
Our Lord with the gathering of Communion. Accordingly, the Church praises the Paschal
Mystery of Christ by which He achieved crafted by our salvation (John 6:35). The Church
gathering would initially have the Liturgy of the Word with readings and afterward an instruction
or lesson. Additionally, the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) was educated by Jesus in the Sermon
on the Mount and proceeds with the custom of supplication found in Hebrew Scripture, our Old
Testament of the Bible, exemplified by the Patriarchs of Israel, for example, Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, and David. The Didache, composed around the finish of the First Century AD,
exhorted one to state the Lord's Prayer three times each day. The Sacrament of Baptism in itself
is giving one of the Christian confidence from age to age. Jesus Christ himself was sanctified
through the water in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (Mark 1:9). While in transit to
suffering to Rome, St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote in his Letter to the Ephesians (18): "For our
God, Jesus Christ, was, according to the appointment of God, conceived in the womb by Mary,
of the seed of David, but by the Holy Ghost. He was born and baptized, that by His passion He
might purify the water." The Apostles' Creed emerged in the early Christian Church during
Baptism as a method for passing on the Christian Faith. The Didache noted: "And concerning
baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit in living water." A creed is a willful and brief summary
statement or profession of the Christian faith.

The individuals in early Christians followed the instances of the witnesses even to the
point of grasping affliction and passing through suffering just to show to their adoration for Jesus
and for living Christian good lives. It is a commonly accepted fact that during the hour of abuse
of the Catholic Church, the confidence of the early Christians was so profound and the Church
was not separated not at all like today that there is truly division between and among the
individuals from the Church regarding precepts and confidence as well as far as ethics.

2. Explain and elaborate the early Christian way of life. What do you think is the implication of
this way of life to the modern Christian way of life?

The early Christian church in the first three centuries after Jesus’ resurrection brought
about the most amazing transformation of diverse social and religious cultures ever achieved by
peaceful means in the history of the world. It would be a mistake to romanticize the early church
as an age of purity to which we should seek to return. The churches always had their problems
and internal struggles. Nevertheless, the early churches as a whole did represent something
different in their world. It attracted both devoted followers and brutal persecutors. The first
Christians’ lives drastically and perpetually changed by their experience with the Risen Christ,
and they were empowered in an unbelievable way by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Clearly, this
was the reason the Church increased a large number of supporters during that underlying period,
and this is the thing that changed a little order of Jewish adherents into a community of faith that
would eventually conquer the Roman Empire and become the greatest world religion. People
perceived how the devotees of Jesus lived and were roused by what they saw. They saw an
inconceivably cherishing community of faith and wanted to join them, despite the fact that it was
risky to be one of them. The early Christian lived by learning and growing in the teachings of
Jesus, experiencing nourishing and encouraging fellowship with one another, sharing all they had
with an extreme generosity with one another, praying constantly in the temple and in one
another’s homes, radiating joy and gladness even when they suffered, finding the courage to
speak boldly about the Good News of Jesus Christ and allowing their lives to be transformed and
changed into becoming more and more like Jesus. The witness of the primary Christians' lives
and their energy to share Christ's Good News to all individuals started a development that would
change the world. The Roman Powers of the day would have giggled at the idea that this little
band of Jewish people would add up to anything. Indeed, even their own Jewish pioneers of the
primary century would have laughed at the possibility that this strict group of professors in Jesus
would last. But then, an extreme development began and proceeds with today. What's more,
through the observer of Christian people group since the beginning, millions and billions of
individuals have followed along these lines of life and found a mind-blowing message of hope,
joy, peace, power, and love.

Now, the early church wasn’t perfect. It was an imperfect group of men and women who
came together and tried to live out the teaching of love, mercy, compassion, grace, forgiveness
and healing which Jesus Christ proclaimed. And yet, the Epistle Reading of today revealed that
the first Christians were still human and, thus, failed at times. We could hear in today’s reading
how after an initial ideal period, conflicts began to arise in the Church. The Church has never
been a perfect community. It has always had, though, believers who strive to live a radical life in
Christ. The early church strove to live out the teachings of Jesus in a very revolutionary manner.
Christ’s teachings drastically changed their lives and his followers didn’t simply believe that
Jesus rose from the dead, and then went on living their lives just like everyone else. In order to
become a follower of Jesus meant that everything in life would be measured according to His
teachings of a new way of life. Christ’s call to become “perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect”
was taken seriously. As a result, the first Christians lived lives that were quite different from
those around them in the world.

As we hear this, we Christians need to inquire as to whether we are really ready to follow
a similar way as the early Church. Do we genuinely endeavor to live our lives in a way like the
principal Christians? Do we permit Christ and His lessons to turn into the essential controlling
power in our lives, or do we basically decipher His lessons such that will favor the lives we as of
now decide to live? Do we endeavor to live the radical and customarily awkward existence of
Christ – where we offer our assets to impart to those out of luck; where we genuinely excuse the
individuals who hurt us, regardless of whether they plan something frightful for us; where we put
our first and most prominent exertion in imparting God's Good News to everybody we meet and
making it a focal objective to bring everybody into this unique cooperation of the Church; where
we eventually endeavor to put the "other" before ourselves, to adore our neighbor as ourselves,
and to make this unqualified love the focal character that others will find in our lives? We as a
whole realize that the early Christian lifestyle is a troublesome one. It is an awkward life that
requests penance. It implies that we need to change our inner self driven ways and make them
Christ-driven. It eventually implies that our lives will be not the same as those of a great many
people on the planet. In any case, would we say we will be unique? Is it true that we will live
under the rule of God rather than the impact of the world? Is it true that we are prepared to
follow the way which the early church strolled, which was an amazingly troublesome one,
however in the process was a street by which they would find the mind-blowing effortlessness
and force and delight and happiness which they encountered? Let us ponder the early church, and
on our own lives, and choose which way we will walk.

3. Identify and explain one Christian moral principle. How will you apply it in our time today
given the many moral dilemmas that we are experiencing?

The three pillars of Christian moral principles are three characteristics of God, which
Christians are called to show forth themselves. These three characteristics are encapsulated by
the word ‘grace’ – God’s unconditional and generous outpouring of his gifts and love to each of
us and also in the supreme act of making the world. The God of grace – overflowing goodness
and generosity, exhibits three great characteristics which unite the Bible and one of them is
Love. Christian love is a special feeling which draws one near to God Who is Love Itself, there is
a golden thread of love which runs through the Old and New Testaments; we find it shown in the
great revelations of God to human beings. Perhaps the greatest of these is God’s revelation to
Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 34: 6-12 which Moses is given the Ten Commandments.
Consider the close connection Jesus makes between love and law. For Jesus, there is no love for
him apart from keeping the law (John 14:15). But he says even more than this. Jesus connects
communion with God with keeping commandments. When we keep Christ’s commandments, we
love him. And when we love Christ, the Father loves us. And whomever the Father loves, Christ
loves and reveals himself to them (John 14:21). So, there is no abiding in Christ’s love apart
from keeping Christ’s commandments (John 15:10). Which means there is no fullness of joy
apart from the pursuit of holiness (John 15:11). God’s law is an expression of his grace. The law
is God’s plan for his sanctified people to enjoy communion with him. That’s why the Psalms are
full of declarations of delight regarding God’s commands.

We all know that there are a lot of moral dilemmas we are encountering right now but
this is just a part of the fabric of the human race at this time. But when we apply love to these
moral dilemmas this is where we can overcome greed and anger, violence, and fear. As we gain a
greater sense of inner freedom, we become available to the world in a new way. Not as a
frustrated, frightened, or burned out activist but with an inner strength. The inner freedoms you
discover, freedom to love, to create, to awaken, to forgive, to dream, to start over all naturally
give rise to a greater care for life.
II. Application.

1. Honestly examine yourself in terms of vices and virtues. Using a sample diagram, name
your current vices (first column) and your virtues (2nd column) and your ways to
transform your vices into virtues.

Vices Virtues How to Transform

Vices into
Virtues?
Impatience Patience The best way is to make
myself wait.
Laziness Industry The best way is to list
down the things I need to
work on.
Dishonesty Honesty The best way is to not lie to
others with my words, and
also I must be honest in my
actions.
Wastefulness Thrift The best way is to save
money also some resources
because they are just
limited.