History of Missions: Part 1Pentecost – Dark Ages A.D. 33 – 500

The main stages this epic of the church have been the persecuted Church, Legalized Church, Dark Ages Church, Reformation Church, and the Missionary Church 1

Roman Empire: Evangelized or Christianized? (A.D. 33-500)

Roman empire was main area of expansion: Western church – there was an Eastern ChurchExtent of Expansion

Harnack estimated about 30,000 Christians in Rome by 250—10% of empire (50 million)By AD 313, Edict of Tolerance, ended 10 major periods of persecutionConstantine “converted” AD 323, then it became “politically expedient” to convert alsoAD 380 Christianity became official state religion

“Christianized” became equivalent to “civilized” as today in RCC countries

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Apostolic Period: AD 33-951. Clement of Rome wrote that Paul evangelized

western empire, Spain? Till martyrdom, AD 672. Tradition says all apostles became

missionaries3. Greatest growth occurred where Paul had

evangelized: Asia Minor, Cyprus, Syria, Greece

4. Pliny, Governor of Pontus wrote Emperor Trajan for instruction to deal with unparalleled growth of Christians

5. Mass movement occurred under Gregory Thaumaturgus: when he came to Pontus there were only 17 believers; when he died 30 years later, there were only 17 unconverted !

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Apostle’s missionary work

See the animated map of this progression in the file “Additional study helps”

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Jewish settlements & Early Churches

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Post-Apostolic Expansion (A.D. 95-313)Meager information, but large churches in N. Africa: Alexandria, Carthage and Edessa, but who did it and how, are unknown – destroyed by MuslimsSpread through the trade routes beyond the Roman empire to Ireland, Ethiopia and ChinaTucker says: Christianity penetrated the empire through five avenues:

Preaching and teaching of evangelists without buildingsPersonal witness of believers one-on-oneActs of kindness and loveFaith shown in face of persecution and deathIntellectual reasoning of early apologists

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Roman Empire AD 300-400

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Montanus held a Jesus-Only deity, encouraged prophecy and tongues, falling from grace was irrevocable, and he was the Paraclete, not that God spoke through him, but he was God speaking!

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Westward across Europe

Church at Rome existed before Paul wrote Romans

Latin is earliest translation of Bible (Vulgate 382 AD)– 8000 mss survive todayEarly spread of gospel to Gaul (France) where Irenaeus was Overseer (bishop) in 175 AD in Celtic and LatinPaul probably reach Spain after 1st imprisonment – evidence of churches by 200Gospel came to England, probably from Gaul

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Eastward through the Tigris-Euphrates Valley

Syriac-speaking people of Syria received earliest translation by end of 2nd century – used in EastPeter may have preached in Babylon (1 Pet 5:13, if taken literally)Pentecost: “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia” (Ac 2:9) – 16 languagesTradition says Thomas and Bartholomew went to IndiaBy 180 Pantaenus of Alexandria traveled to India discovering a church founded by BartholomewArmenia, a buffer country between Roman Empire and Persia, was won to Christ by missionary Gregory the Illuminator who won the king to Christ. – Bible translated in Armenian by 410 AD – One of the oldest churches in Christendom

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Westward across N. Africa

Many Christians reported at Alexandria, Egypt in the reign of Hadrian (125)Egyptian churches have strong tradition that John Mark was their founderStrong churches developed in Carthage where the NT was translated into LatinOutstanding Christian leaders like Tertullian (160-230?, who introduced the term “Trinity”) and dominant theologian Augustine (354-430 AD)

Introduced Predestination or Determinist view, Organized church as “City of God” (Rome) and bad interpretation of Luke 14:15-24 (v. 23, “compel them”) led to forced conversion, Inquisition and threat of life if different opinion!

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After Conversion of Emperor ConstantineAfter Conversion of Emperor Constantine

Edict of Toleration in A.D. 313 ended 10 major persecutions, preceded conversion of Constantine in A.D. 323By 325 est. 10-15% of Roman Empire was ChristianCalled the Council of Nicaea to decide Christ’s deityIt became politically correct to be ChristianFlood of new “converts” with ulterior motivesQuickly compromised with Roman pagan religionsMany reacted against corruption and compromise by turning to asceticism or withdrawal from worldFire of missionary evangelism quenched by politicizing the church – Dominated the Empire so little activity outside of “Christian” world

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Ulfilas, Missionary to Goths (310-383)

Arian Missionary to Goths who lived in Romania, across the Danube outside Roman empire in BulgariaConverted to Christ while in Constantinople on diplomatic serviceAfter 10 years he was sent as bishop to Goths Translated the Bible into the Gothic language from Greek to an unwritten language which was a linguistic firstHe was forced back across the DanubeHeld a mild form of Arianism, which was a weak view of Christ’s deity (not eternal but created) Several emperors were Arian.

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Patrick, missionary to Ireland

An “evangelical” Celtic believer from W. Britain (389-461), father was a deacon Not saved before an Irish raiding party enslaved him and sold him in IrelandAfter 6 years he escaped back to Britain at the age of 22, studied in Gaul, ordained. Romans pulled out of Britain in 410 leaving the pagan Anglo-Saxons to ruleAt 40 returned to Ireland in 432, where most were Druid pagans worship objects in nature, magic and human sacrifice—animists Eventually persuaded king to grant tolerationAfter many perilous situation in 30 years his ministry resulted in 200 churches and 100,000 convertsStressed spiritual growth through teaching of Scripture

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The conversion of the Franks

Clovis, king of the Franks in Gaul (France) converted in 496 along with 3,000 warriors helped extend the Western church (non-Arian)Some were already Christians, but this accelerated the number of convertsThis mass movement increased both the adulterations of the church and number of nominal ChristiansDecrease in spiritual standards and less emphasis on personal conversion became common in “Christianizing” of Europe

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Western Empire at 395 AD

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Roman Empire 476

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Western Empire - Rome

Eastern Empire - Constantinople

Roman Empire 565 AD

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Territories lost to Germanic tribal invasions

Five Epochs of Mission History

Romans Barbarians Vikings Saracens

Ends of the

Earth

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