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New Comers Course

Spring 2016

History of the Church

Centuries 1-3 AD
 New Comers Course Spring 2016
History of the Church
Centuries 1-3 AD
The Apostolic Era
Preview:

• Introduction
• The First Century
• The Second Century
• The Third Century
• The Tradition
• The Church Structure
• The New Testament Canons

The First Century

Where did the Apostles Evangelize?
 St. Peter (67AD):Asia Minor(Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia & Bithynia)
 St. Andrew (60AD):Scythia, Greece)
 St. Mathew (70AD): Ethiopia, Persia
 St. Bartholomew: Yemen, Armenia
 St. Thomas (72 AD): Judea, India & China
 St. Jude (65 AD): Iraq, Arabic & Persia
 St. Simon Zealot(65 AD): Syria & Persia
 St. John (100 AD): Jerusalem & Asia Minor
 St. Paul (67 AD): Judea, Asia Minor, Greece & Rome
 St. Mark (68 AD): Egypt

First Century: Major Events

• 29/30 AD Day of Pentecost
• 36/37 AD Martyrdom of St. Stephan
• 43/44 AD Martyrdom of St. James son of Zebedee
• 49 AD Council of Jerusalem/ St Mark in Alexandria
• 62 AD Martyrdom of St. James bishop of Jerusalem
• 64 AD The First Persecution, Under Nero
• 66 AD Revolution in Judea
• 67 AD Martyrdom of St. Peter & St. Paul
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• 70 AD Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus
• 81 AD The Second Persecution, Under Domitian
• 100 AD Death of St. John

The writings of the Apostles

St. Paul St. Mark St. Luke St. Matthew St. John
• 49-67 AD • Many • The • Around 70 • 96 AD
• 14 epistles sources Gospel: AD • Was written
• Church said 43 around 70 • Links to to reply on
mentioned AD AD prophecies the heresy of
63 times • Specific • Book of in OT Gnosticism
• Hebrews about Acts : •
(4th century Jesus the around 75
confirmed) Son of AD and
Man covers
• “Immedi more than
ately” 30 years
• Full of
details

First Century: Heresies

The Circumcisers
“And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according
to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1)
• Council of Jerusalem 49 AD

Gnosticism (continued also in 2nd century)

• God lives in the world of spiritual light. Matter is evil .Thus many Gnostics denied the Incarnation,
claiming that Christ’s humanity was an illusion.
• Salvation of man by moving from the evil world to the spiritual world through Gnosis (knowledge).
Some of them believed in 7 heavens.
• Spread in Judea, Greece & Egypt
• Simon Magus (thought to be 1st Christian Gnostic) (Acts 8:9-24)
• Menander the Samaritan

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The Second Century
Second Century: Major Events
• 108 AD The Third Persecution, Under Trajan
• 130-135 AD Bar-Khoba revolt in Jerusalem
• 138-150 AD Early trials for Monasticism
• 155 AD Roman Persecution against Christians
• 162 AD The Fourth Persecution, Under Marcus Aurelius
• 161/169 AD Martyrdom of St. Polycarp
• 175/177 AD St. Irenaeus as bishop of Lyon
• 189 AD St. Demetrios as bishop of Alexandria
• 189-190 AD Discussion on Easter day
• 190 AD Revival of Alexandria theological school
• 192 AD The Fifth Persecution, Under Severus

The Jesus Sign: ICHTHUS

Second Century: Heresies

Docetism
• Docetic, which comes from the Greek word meaning "to appear." Those who proposed this heresy
maintained that Jesus really did not possess, or inhabit a physical body, but only "appeared" to have
a body.
• Some of them believed that Simon of Cyrene was crucified instead of Jesus
• Saint Ignatius of Antioch responded to this heresy in his writings.

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Marcionism
• Marcion was the son of a bishop. He moved to Rome around 135 AD where he became known in the
church and began to teach.

Marcion observed differences between the God of Old Testament and the God of Jesus in the NT.
His answer was to reject the God of the OT, seeing him as the creator of an evil world. He excluded
the entire OT, and included only Paul's letters and Luke's gospel.
• Tertullian and many fathers responded to his heresy

Montanism
• Montanus testified that he had experienced an ecstatic visitation of the Paraclete (the Holy Spirit)
and, along with two women (Maximilla and Priscilla), had the ability to deliver prophetic messages
from God.

The Montanist message was about close return of Jesus and the apocalyptic end of the world, and
encouragement to embrace persecution and martyrdom. Some church leaders were women
arguments against this position,
• He claimed Jesus will reign for 1000 years on earth

Second Century: Saints

St. Polycarp
• Martyred 155 AD
• Disciple of St. John the apostle
• Bishop of Smyrna
• Fought against Marcion’s heresy
• Thought to be mentioned in Revelation 2:8
• His epistle to Philippians is considered in tradition

St. Demetrious

• Died 224 AD
• The 12th Patriarch/Bishop of Alexandria
• Simple peasant
• Last married Bishop
• Revived the Alexandria Theological school
• Founder of the Easter calculations (‫)حساب األبقطي‬

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The Third Century

Third Century: Major Events
• 235 AD The Sixth Persecution, Under Maximus
• 249 AD The Seventh Persecution, Under Decius
• 249-259 AD St. Paul the hermit in the desert
• 257 AD The Eighth Persecution, Under Valerian
• 269 AD Council of Antioch
• 271 AD St. Anthony the first monk
• 274 AD The Ninth Persecution Under Aurelian
• 284 AD Diocletian comes to power (10th persecution in 303 AD)

Third Century: Heresies

Paul of Samosata

• Bishop of Antioch and was supported by Zenobia queen of Palmyra

• He claimed the Jesus was a normal human and was elevated to a God by His baptism.
He also denied the Holy Spirit as a person of God claiming it’s a kind of Godly power
• Excommunicated by Council of Antioch & Dionysius of Alex (14th Pope) wrote
against his heresy
Novatian/Donatists

• Bishop of Rome who refused readmission of apostates during the persecutions of the
time
• He was excommunicated by a council in Carthage , but his ideas remained and
developed into a sect called Donatists in 4th century after the great persecution
• Pope Dionysius of Alex & Bishop Cyprian of Carthage fought his ideas
Sabellianism

• Libyan priest named Sabellius rejected the idea of three persons of God (Trinity)
• For him, God is described by an analogy: water in its three states of ice, liquid, and
steam appear to be different substances, but they all are composed of the same

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chemical compound. Likewise, God the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit appear to
be three distinct persons, but they are different manifestations of one solitary God
• Dionysius of Alex & Hippolytus of Rome (apologists)
Manichaeism

• Found by Mani the Persian as a new religion that blended Gnosticism, Christianity,
and the teachings of Persian Magi
• He believed that : all religions are equally valid , two cosmic kingdoms, which
included a Kingdom of Light (the Primal God) and the Kingdom of Darkness (Satan) .
Accepted as prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Paul, Mani
• Believed in cycles of life (reincarnation)

The Tradition
Sources of Tradition
1- Sources referenced to the apostles (Coptic Church)
 The Syrian Didascalia (~250 AD)
 The Apostolic tradition for Hyppolitis (~340 AD) (127 Canons)
 The 127 laws of the Apostles (~325- 341 AD)

2- Sources referenced to the apostles

 - The Didache (~100 AD)
 - The Apostolic tradition for Hyppolitis (~215 AD)
 - The Syrian Didascalia (~250 AD)
 - The Apostolic Church Order (~300-350 AD)
 - The Apostolic constitutions (~380 AD)
 - Testament of Our Lord (~450-500 AD)

3- Sources referenced to the apostolic fathers

 Letters of st. Clement of Rome (~97 AD)
 Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch (~100 AD)
 Shepherd Hermas (140-155 AD)
 Letters of St. Polycarp (~110 AD)
 Letter of Barnabas (~130 AD)
 And others

The Church Structure

• Deacons
– Acts 6
– 1Timothy 3:1-13
– Philippians 1:1
• Confessors
– Founded due to persecution in 1st & 2nd century
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– The confessor can perform priesthood roles without laying hands but if to be a bishop , must
be ordained.
– “Apostolic tradition” by Hippolytus

• Elders/presbyters/Priest
– Acts 20:17-38
– 1Peter 5:1
– 1Timothy 5:17
– Titus 1:5

• Prophets
– Acts 11:28 & Acts 21:10
– 1 Corinthians 12:28
– Didache Ch11
– Disappeared by end of the apostolic era and the writing of the gospels

• Bishop/Overseer
– 1Timothy 3:2
– Philippians 1:1
– Titus 1:7

• Pope/Patriarch
– 1st used by Heraclas 13th Bishop of Alexandria (232-249)
– Patriarch used mostly after year 451 AD.

• Also in Tradition :
– Didascalia
– Letters of St. Clement of Rome (90 AD)
– Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch (112-128 AD)

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The New Testament Canons

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)
• Criteria early church fathers used to decide whether the books are authenticated or apocrypha:
– the author must have either been an apostle or the close associate of an apostle
– the document cannot contradict other “inspired” writings with respect to doctrinal teaching
– the document must share the overall “feel” and “character” of other inspired writings
– it must have been cited by early Christian writers and be accepted by the majority of
churches

References:
• Church History Part 1 & Part 2 , by John Gordon Lorimer
• Church History , by Eusebius of Caesarea
• Didascalia , by Fr. Marcos Dawood
• Didache , by Fr. Athanasios ElMakary
• The Apostolic Tradition by Hippolytus of Rome
• Patrology by Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty
• Tradition & Orthodoxy by Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty
• http://www.churchhistory101.com/

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