1. Part 1 The First Four Centuries
Church History
Part 1
The First Four Centuries

2. Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coOMnNPjgys
Church History
Part 1

3. Those who believe the past is inferior to the present are like…
Chronological snobbery:-
Those who believe the past is inferior to the present are like…
“the country bumpkin full of the cocksure conviction of an ignorant adolescent that his own village is the hub of the universe…”
CS Lewis

4. Chronological snobbery:-
“The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds…”
CS Lewis

5. Major Changes: 30AD – 330AD Growth 2. Government 3. God (doctrine of)
“Follow the Bishop as Jesus Christ followed the Father”
Ignatius (AD112, Antioch)
3. God (doctrine of)
HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

6. The Spread of the Gospel…
1st Century Churches
“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8

7. The Spread of the Gospel…
2nd Century Churches
“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8

8. The Spread of the Gospel…
End of 3rd Century Churches
“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8

9. The Spread of the Gospel…
3rd – 6th Centuries
“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8

10. Conditions for Growth Favourable Political - Pax Romana
Cultural – Hellenist
Geographical
“Unfavourable”
Jewish hostility ???
Roman Persecution ???
Internal heresy ???

11. Leaving home – AD70 God works all things for good
“The blows that Vespasian, Titus, Hadrian…rained apon Jerusalem did not destroy the Christian Church. Rather they liberated the Church for it’s destiny as a universal religion offered to the whole world.” – Noll
God works all
things for good

12. Roman Persecution – Why?
Jewish exemption (Religio licita) lost
Different (“Saints”)
Parties
Amphitheatre
Work
Value of life
3. Rumors & suspicion

13. Great Fire of Rome, AD 64

14. Martyrdom of Polycarp – AD156
"Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"

15. The Martyrs of Lyons – 177AD
Pothinus and Blandina

16. Waves of Persecution 64AD - Nero, Fire of Rome Paul & Peter martyred
110AD - Trajan & Pliny
Polycarp Martyred
Marcus Aurelius
“Propitiate the gods”
Martyrs of Lyons
– Diocletian

17. Heresies – 3 categories
1. The Father (JAHWEH) 2. The Son (docetic) 3. The Spirit (scripture)

18. Heresies - Gnosticism Gnosticism - pursuit of superior knowledge
Series of emanations (aeons)
Docetic – Christ not human
Nag Hammadi library
John and Cerinthus – “Let’s flee before the baths fall in. Cerinthus the enemy of truth is inside!”

19. Marcion
“Any error may be founded on parts of scripture; the truth alone is based on the whole”
E.H. Broadbent – Pilgrim Church

20. Heresies Marcion no continuity with Old Testament
Monarchianism reaction to Gnosticism
Montanism reaction to authoritarianism

21. Early Church leaders & writers
Ignatius ~ Bishop of Antioch, martyred
Polycarp ~ Bishop of Smyrna, martyred
Justin Martyr ~ Christian apologist
Irenaeus ~ Bishop of Lyons
Tertullian ~ Outspoken! Montanist
Origen ~ Bible teacher & writer
Cyprian ~ Bishop of Carthage
Augustine ~ Bishop of Hippo

22. Early Church leaders & writers
Augustine ~
Dramatic conversion
Bishop of Hippo
Wrote “City of God”
Dispute with Pelagius

23. Church foundations… Centralisation of Church Canon of Scripture
Creeds

24. Council of Nicea – 325 AD

25. Constantine the Great “In this sign conquer” 312 ~ Became emperor
334 ~ Christianity the official religion of Rome
Called Council of Nicea

26. Questions
?????

27. Part 2 Constantine to the Reformation
Church History
Part 2
Constantine to the Reformation

28. Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlogMDTYeA4
Church History
Part 2

29. Ambrose and Theodosius
Rubens

30. Pope Damasus, Jerome & the Vulgate

31. The Huns

32. The Vandals

33. The Goths

34. The Franks

35. Angles, Saxons, Picts

36. Turks conquer Constantinople

37. Patriarchal Caliphate, 632-661
The menace of Islam
Expansion
Prophet Mohammad,
Patriarchal Caliphate,
Umayyad Caliphate,

38. The Great Schism

39. The Great Schism

42. Anthony – the first monk?

43. Simeon Stylites

44. The crusades
Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, where he preached an impassioned sermon to take back the Holy Land.

45. John Wycliffe

46. John Wycliffe

47. Jan Hus

48. Church History
Part 3
The Reformation

49. Gutenburg

50. Petrarch – Ad Fonts

51. Fall of Constantinople - 1453

52. Was the Church vigorous or Corrupt?

53. Erasmus

54. Martin Luther –

55. Ulrich Zwingli –

57. The Anabaptists