MODULE 4: THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH
"The LOVE they practiced drew the attention of the world."
CHRIST
Jews
Gentiles - not part of the Jewish people
The Council at Jerusalem, ca. 48 CE
THE AGE OF SHADOWS- threatening na ang mga christians sa romans
DESCRIPTION OF PERSECUTION ( PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL)
• Eyes and tongue - gouged out
• Feet - sawed oft
• Died at the stake or in a red hot chair
• Thrown to wild beasts to entertain a holiday mob
• Starved to death or thrown into dungeons
TWO PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN PERSECUTED
IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
● Roman Emperor Trajan - believed that if they persecuted the Bishop, Christians
would give up their faith!
● So; Ignatius - sentenced to be thrown to the lions in "Colosseum of Rome"
- bound in heavy chains
- had to walk hundreds of miles to his death.
● When Ignatius arrived (almost 70 years old),
Ignatius of Antioch he cried out: "The nearer the sword, the nearer God!"
"I would rather die for Christ than to rule the whole world."
"It is glorious to go down in the world in order to go up to God!" O Then, he prayed:
"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge,
for they know not what they do."
Few years later...
JUSTIN THE MARTYR
Christian named JUSTIN was brought to trial..
APOLOGIES: in early times, these were written teachings to defend the faith. It is all about
defending and explaining the faith.
JUSTIN THE MARTYR is considered as the FIRST APOLOGIST OF THE CHURCH he wrote
apologies sentence to death to defend his faith.
Are you a Christian? "Of course." So, you believe you will go to heaven & receive your reward
when you die?
"I not only believe it, I know it." Then, I shall give you the opportunity to find out...
"Do so as you will... We desire nothing more than to suffer for our Lord Jesus Christ."
* And Justin was martyred.
165 CE.
(these two reminds us that it is not easy to profess our faith)
Why do the Romans Hate and Persecute the Christians
It is because they do not know much about them. They cant understand why the Christians:
• Refused to recognize the divinity of the Roman Emperor.
• Do not want to serve in the Roman armies.
• Refuse to worship Roman gods.
• Reluctant to pay taxes to the pagan Roman government.
• Live together in one community with their strange customs, morals, & religious beliefs.
Reasons for Persecution
CHRISTIANITY was treated not a religion but as a superstition, a deadly one.
superstition - something foreign and different... bad for society.
CHRISTIANITY was seen as very strange
● secret and misunderstood nature of their worship.
CHRISTIAN RESPONSES
• in the face of persecution, Christians chose to die before they would deny their Lord.
• wrote apologies or defenses of the Christ faith...
THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS IS THE SEED OF THE CHURCH - TERTULLIAN
REACTIONS OF NON CHRISTIANS
NERO'S PERSECUTION
• In July of 64 A.D., a great fire ravaged Rome for six days, destroying 70 percent of the city and
leaving half its population homeless. According to a well-known expression, Rome's emperor at
the time, the decadent and unpopular Nero, "fiddled while Rome burned." The expression has a
double meaning: Not only did Nero play music while his people suffered but he was an
ineffectual leader in time of crisis
• It's been pretty easy to cast blame on Nero, who had many enemies and is remembered as
one of history's most sadistic and cruelest leaders-but there are a couple of problems with this
story.
● After Nero, it became a capital crime to be a Christian
● Although pardon is available if: condemned Christ publicly, sacrificed to the gods
NERO'S PERSECUTION
● Christians were thrown to the pit to be devoured by dogs and lions, others were
crucified, and others burned alive. All these were done for amusement.
● the martyrdom of Peter and Paul were carried out during this persecution
DIOCLETIAN PERSECUTION
last major persecution of Christians
● Burning of Christian books
● Burning of Churches
PEOPLE MAY DIE FOR THEIR BELIEF, BUT NOT FOR A LIE
THE END OF PERSCUTION (313 CE)
Module 5:
He signed the "Edict of Milan" making Christianity "Legal" in the Roman Empire.
Theodosius the Great
(379-395) bans all pagan religions and makes
Christianity the official religion of the state,
So, after 3 centuries of persecution, the religion founded on Jesus in Asia becomes the
dominant faith in the Roman Empire. (because of the apostle of Peter and John)
Module 6: The imperial and Medieval Church
In 313 CE, Constantine promulgated his famous Edict of Toleration, which officially put an end to
the persecutions
The Edict of Milan proclaimed by Roman Emperors Constantine and Licinius bestowed
tolerance for Christianity and other religions.
Constantine The Great
has gone down in history as the liberator of the Christian Chureh from the oppression of the
preceding centuries, when the Christians were without any legal rights, With Constantine's
victory over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312 A.D.), in which, legend
has it, Constantine's army displayed a Christian otif or ts shields, and the misnamed "Edict of
813 A.D.), all changed. (nakarinig siya na kunin yung sign para manalo sa laban). When
Constantine and Maxentius
Constantine continued to show active sympathy toward Christianity throughout the rest of his
reign.
(This is the time that church is free)
Tax exemptions
All other privileges enjoyed by the priests of pagan cults were granted to Christian priests.
Christian symbols replaced pagan images on the coinage
Church leaders were made judges over civil cases.
the right to succeed to property
Liberation of Christian slaves by force of law
Christians rose to highest civil posts.
because of this
Sunday recognized as a public Holiday.
Places of Worship multiplied
The generosity of the Emperor and his father impress Mother Helena and Constantir all
Christians) permitted the constru adornment of magnificent buildi
The basilica of St. John Lateran where the adjoining palace, later the residence of the Pope,
seems to have been placed at his disposal as early as 314.
ST. PETER’S BASILICA (where pope do masses
St.Paul on the road to Ostia (outside the walls)
● why is it outside the wall, they want to remind people that St.Paul is not part of Jewish
tradition
Edifices for worship and shrines at sites traditionally associated with the life of Christ began to
be constructed in the Holy Land.
Jerusalem in particular became both a center of pilgrimage and a tribute to the new imperial
order.
● bakit may santa cruzan? because it simply to remind us that both (Constantine and her
Mother traveled from rome to Jerusalem
● yung bata symbolizes Constantine
● Reyna Helena (which is the Mother)
Constantine enhanced
Jerusalem with a magnificent group of buildings centered on to supposed sites of Calvay the
Holy Sepulcher.
The new imperial capital, Constantinople (officially founded and dedicated in 330 A.D.), could
also boast of several Christian churches.
(it is not Constantine who started the church, before he came the church is already there)
Mga Pinatayo ni Constantine
The "Great Church" (later rebuilt as "Holy
* of Hagia Sophia), the basilica Hagia Eirene ("Holy Peace")
• The history of Christianity had now indeed entered an entirely new phase, for the Church had
at last found a certain amount of peace in which to live and prosper.
• All the barriers, legal or material, which formerly prevented the spread of the gospel had been
lifted; it could now make free and steadily more effective progress.
The once persecuted Church had become the privileged imperial Church!
● nabigyan na ito ng attention
• In all parts of the Empire conversions multiplied, as Christianity reached the masses and
circles formerly hostile to it;
• everywhere new episcopal sees (group of people in churches, for example the archdiocesean
were founded;
• there was intense theological activity.
Good/Positive Impact
Good Results to the States
• Crucifixion abolished
• Infanticide Repressed
• Slavery Modified
• Gladiatorial Games Suppressed
Negative Impact
• Everybody in the Church (Sapilitan ang pagsali)
• Pagan Usages (ginagamit sa simbahan)
• A Worldly Church (maluhong simbahan)
• Evils from Church United with State
Heresy - are claims,teachings that contradicts the official teaching of the church
heresy nagbubunga ng > schism or pag hihiwalay / division > church has responses > council
apostolic time ;
problem- circumcision
response- council of jerusalem
Apostolic church
characteristics of the people
● there’s no schism because magkakakilala sila
In the imperial time
● pagaawayan nila kung ano nga ba si Jesus (nature of Jesus)
● yung mga heresy are intellectual
first heresy in imperial time
Examples of Heresies
• $ Arius (250 - 336 CE)
Arianism Schismatic • Jesus was divine but on a lower level than the Lather.
• Jesus is not co- substantial with the father
● The heresy are ordinary people
Nestorianism(claim niya that Jesus is just a man and became God)
• Nestorius died 440? CE (Nestorianism)
• Christ was a "Man who became God" rather than a
"God who became Man"
• Therefore, Mary was not the Mother of God.
(Theotokos)
Councils out of Heresies
Council of [homoousios]
The view that Christ was of one (or the same) substance with the Father prevailed. (Athanasius)
Arius lost but some Christians are still Arians even if it was condemned by the Church.
(Schismatic)
Council of
Nicea(325 CE)
[homoousios]
The view that Christ was of one (or the same) substance with the Father prevailed. (Athanasius)
Arius lost but some Christians still Arians even if it was condem by the Church.
(Schismatic)
Council of Ephesus (431 C.E.)
demise of Nestorius
Theotokos was endorsed by the Bishops.
Nestorius was condemned as a heretic and exiled to Egypt.
● Nestorius died 440? CE (Nestorianism)
● Christ was a "Man who became God" rather than a "God who became Man"
● Therefore, Mary was not the Mother of God. (Theotokos)
SCHISMS
• Schisms - is a division or faction of people and nation due to man political issues, power
grabbing, greed in different forms and they ar still happening in the present time.
Causes of Schisms in the Church
● False teachings
● Abuses of the Church leaders
● Power grabbing
THE FALL OF ROME
Because of the successive invasions and disruptions, the once vast empire of Rome was
reduced to a little territory around the capital. In 476 CE, a comparatively small tribe of Germans
under their King Odoacer, took possession of the city. Odoacer took the title "King of Italy," and
from that year,
476 CE, the western Roman Empire was no more.
The eastern empire, having Constantinople for its capital, endured until 1453 CE.
Some Important Events in the Medieval Church
● Christianity was institutionalized
● Popes were able rulers.
They are better qualified as political leaders.
● Hierarchy became corrupt and disorganized.
● The Clergy had drinking problems while others kept mistresses.
● Church's doctrine contrary to Christ's teachings.
● Selling of indulgences (fast or pray to spend less time in Purgatory or to speed the souls
of their deceased relatives in Heaven.)
THE GREAT SCHISM
Western Church
Rome is the seat of the church.
Pope, the bishop of Rome.
● elected by the clergy
● the highest authority
● spiritual and temporal
Christians in the West recognized the supreme authority of the pope
Official language: Latin
Eastern Church
Constantinople is the seat of the church.
Patriarch, head of the church appointed by the emperor
Emperor, the most influential
Christians in the East recognized the Patriarch of Constantinople
Official language: Greek
The Dark Ages of the Church
O The total dominance of Christianity and the repression of all art, science and progress that
was not Christian in nature. The era became known as the Dark Ages because of the
introduction of theocracy.
Theocracy, government by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided.
In many theocracies, government leaders are members of the clergy, and the state's legal
system is based on religious law. Theocratic rule was typical of early civilizations.
