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The Early Church:

Overview of Second Century

Randy Broberg

Grace Bible Church

2002

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2 Timothy 2:2

• You therefore, my son, be strong in the

grace that is in Christ Jesus.

The things which you have heard from me

in the presence of many witnesses, entrust

these to faithful men who will be able to

teach others also.

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Traditional or “Linear” View

of the First 500 Years

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Overview of Early Church (Ante Nicene) Era

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The Age of the Apostolic Fathers

The Elevation of the Role of Bishop

The Rise of Gnostic Influence

Local Persecution

Ignatius coins Term” Catholic Church”

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Roman Spread of Christianity First 100

Years (to 140 AD)

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Pliny on the Growth of Christianity

111 AD

• For this contagious superstition is not confined

to the cities only, but has spread through the

villages and rural districts; it seems possible,

however, to check and cure it. It appears now

that the temples, which had been almost

deserted, will be frequented and the sacred

festivals, after a long general demand for

sacrificial animals, which for some time past

have met with few purchasers.

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Trajan’s Policy

• The method you have pursued, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those denounced to you as Christians is extremely proper. It is not possible to lay down any general rule which can be applied as the fixed standard in all cases of this nature. No search should be made for these people; when they are denounced and found guilty they must be punished; with the restriction, however, that when the party denies himself to be a Christian, and shall give proof that he is not by worshipping the gods he shall be pardoned on the ground of repentance even though he may have formerly incurred suspicion. Information without the accuser's name inscribed must not be admitted in evidence against anyone, as it is introducing a very dangerous precedent, and by no means agreeable to the spirit of the age.

Emperor Trajan

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"Apostolic Fathers"

• The term is applied to the writings of the late 1st and early 2nd century. The name "apostolic fathers" was first used in the 6th century.

• The so-called "fathers" were men who supposedly had actually known the apostles personally, and therefore represented the first generation of post-apostolic leadership in the church.

• Little evidence any actually knew the apostles.

• Not an organized group

• What happened to Timothy and Titus?

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Clement of Rome, “Father”

• Presbyter (elder) in Rome

• Clement's work is clearly derivative. Appeals to both the OT scriptures and certain NT books as authorities.

• Emphasizes the orderliness of the appointment of ministers

• Equates bishops and presbyters as one office

• Makes clear statements of the deity of Christ.

• Ca 96 AD, first letter to Corinthians. Tells them to submit to their elders.

• Ca 120 AD. Second letter to Corinthians? Main points: deity of Christ & good works, especially prayer and almsgiving.

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Papias, “Father”

• Said by Irenaeus (late 2nd century) to have known the apostle John personally.

• Only fragments of his writings remain.

• pre-millennialism.

"Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote

down accurately whatsoever he

remembered. It was not, however, in exact order

that he related the sayings or deeds of

Christ. . . . Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best

he could."

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Didache

The Didache consists of

various parts, starting with

the "Two Ways" ethical

instruction and including

community rules for

liturgical practices and

leadership conduct, before

ending with a short

apocalyptic section.

Didache means “Teaching of the Lord through the Apostles”

discovered 1051, dated 120-165.

Seven tendencies are evident:

• Legalism – works righteousness

• Episcopacy – tendency toward

hierarch

• Baptismal Pouring

• Lord’s supper

• Jesus-”redeemer” to “teacher”

• Ascetic-fasting and outward prayers

• Superstitious

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Didache on Second Coming • Be watchful for your life; let your lamps not be quenched and

your loins not ungirdled, but be ye ready; for ye know not the hour the hour in which our Lord cometh...For in the last days the false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate. For as lawlessness increaseth, they shall hate one another and shall persecute and betray. And then the world-deceiver shall appear as a son of God; and shall work signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands; and he shall do unholy things, which have never been since the world began. Then all created mankind shall come to the fire of testing, and many shall be offended and perish; but they that endure in their faith shall be saved by the Curse Himself. And then shall the signs of the truth appear; first a sign of a rift in the heaven, then a sign of a voice of a trumpet, and thirdly a resurrection of the dead; yet not of all, but as it was said The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven. Didache 16:1 -8

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Early Church Eschatology: Historic

Premillenialism

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Docetist Heresy

• The divine Christ would never

touch flesh, which is evil

• Jesus only seemed human

• Jesus only appeared to die

• "Christ" left "Jesus" before the

Crucifixion

• denies incarnation,

atonement and

resurrection.

• Think of an Old

Testament “Theophany”

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Ebionite Heresy

• God is one

• Jesus must be understood in

Old Testament categories

• Jesus was a specially blessed

prophet

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The Second

Jewish War

• Second revolt in 132-35 AD led by bar Kochba (some believed him to be the Messiah)

• Hadrian’s City: Aelia Capitolina, Temple of Jupiter constructed.

• The Elimination of Jewry in Palestine and Alexandria. Estimated 1 Million Jews Killed

Emperor Hadrian

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The Disappearance of Jewish

Christians

• 133-35 Christians suffer as

traitors during the Jews' war

with Hadrian

• 135 Hadrian's edict expels

Jews from Judea

• Ebionites became irrelevant

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Ignatius, “Father”

• A pastor in Antioch or Syria.

• Around 110, wrote seven epistles to Asian churches as he traveled to Rome to suffer martyrdom after a persecution in Antioch. He also writes ahead to Rome, and writes to Polycarp

• He is the first person of whom we have record of espousing the doctrine that there is one bishop in each church, who rules the church. He is the only apostolic father to espouse this doctrine, which became common in the second half of the 2nd century.

• Warned the church against heresies that threatened peace and unity, opposed Gnosticism and Docetism. In the Epistle to Smyrna, insisted Christ came in the flesh not just in spirit.

• Wanted the martyrdom. Exhorted the church of Rome in one of his epistles that when he arrived, they do nothing to prevent his being received into this glorious suffering.

• Martyred in Rome by beasts, ca 117.

“Now I begin to be

a disciple…Let

fire and cross,

flocks of beasts,

broken bones,

dismemberment,

…come upon me,

so long as I attain

Jesus Christ.”

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Polycarp, “Father”

• Polycarp was a pastor in Smyrna, Asia Minor.

• AD 70-155.

• Letter to Philippians [ca 130?]: Exhorted the Philippians to holy living, good works, steadfast faith. Interested in ministry and practical aspects of daily life of Christians. There is also the regret about one of the elders in the Philippian church who seems to have become corrupt and immoral.

• Martyrdom of Polycarp: The earliest preserved Christian martyrology, probably from the latter part of the second century (not too long after the event). Records the tradition of his trial and execution (burned at the stake)

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Epistle of Barnabas, ca 130 AD

• Not by the Barnabas who worked with Paul.

Probably an Alexandrian Jewish Christian.

• Emphasizes the replacement of Judaism by Christianity, and Repudiates the claims of Jewish Christians at the time who advocated adhering to observance of the Mosiac Law.

• Uses a lot of typology and allegory to find pictures of Christ and the Church in the OT.

• Ends with an exposition of the "two ways," the way of light and the way of darkness, which is also used in the Didache.

• Argued that Christ provided salvation and man is no longer bound by the Law. Compares holy life to unrighteousness.

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Letter to Diognetus

• Author unknown. Possibly written c. 130.

• Takes the form of an Apology, a written description of, and defense of, Christianity. May be the oldest of the Apologies.

• Chap 8: "He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than his righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!"

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Description of Early Christians From

The Letter to Diognetus

• "For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. . . . following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all others; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. . . .“ Chap 5:

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Shepherd of

Hermas

• One writing, The Shepherd of Hermas, A.D. 140 to 160.

• Consists of 5 visions, 12 commandments, and 10 similitudes or parables. Each is composed of several chapters.

• Preaches the availability of repentance.

• Ties Christian repentance to the doing of "penance," or at least a very early version of penance.

“Do you think, …that the sins of those who repent are remitted? Not altogether, but he who repents must torture his own soul, and be exceedingly humble in all his conduct, and be afflicted with many kinds of affliction; and if he endure the afflictions that come upon him, He who created all things, and endued them with power, will assuredly have compassion, and will heal him, and this He will do when He sees the heart of every penitent pure from every evil thing . . ."

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Controversy over the Calendar:

When Is Easter?

• Bishop of Rome excommunicates

churches in East for celebrating

Easter on the Jewish Passover,

rather than on a fixed day each

year.

• 155 Bishop Polycarp visits Rome

to discuss the question of Easter

with Bishop Anicetus

• East and West Agree to Disagree.

Woman Praying

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2nd Century Plagues Ravage Empire

Christians Blamed

• The Plague in 125 A.D.

– arrived shortly after a famine, caused by

locusts

– killed at least 1 million people

throughout the empire

• The Plague in 166

– killed 2,000 people a day in Rome

(including emperor Marcus Aurelius)

– may have been smallpox

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Marcus

Aurelius was the

“old emperor” in

the beginning of

the movie,

“Gladiator”

Persecutions Under Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius had a philosophical bent, toward

stoicism. He was a major persecutor of the church

177 Terrible persecution at Lyons, Blandina martyred 180 Christians martyred in Madaura and Scilla Africa

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Polycarp

Polycarp Martyred

by Marcus Aurelius

• Pastor in Smyrna, year 155.

• "And when he confessed the Proconsul tried to persuade him, saying, 'Have respect to thine age,' and so forth, according to their customary form; 'Swear by the genius of Caesar,' 'Repent,' 'Say, "Away with the atheists!"' Then Polycarp looked with a severe countenance on the mob of lawless heathen in the stadium, and he waved his hand at them, and looking up to heaven he groaned and said, 'Away with the atheists.' But the Proconsul urged him and said, 'Swear, and I will release thee; curse the Christ.'

'Eighty and six years have I served him, and he hath done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my king who saved me?'

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Justin Martyr, “Apologist”

• When he converted to Christianity, he kept

his "philosopher's robe"

• Wrote two Apologies

• Wrote Dialogue with Trypho, a debate with a

Jewish rabbi in which Justin tries to prove

that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah and

also the Logos of God, and that there is a

new covenant that supercedes the old

“We do not seek to

flatter you, …but request

that you judge on the

basis of proper and

thorough examination.”

• Born 103 AD

• Schooled in Philosophy

• Converted 133 AD

• Taught in Rome 150 AD

• Martyred 165 AD

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Tatian, Apologist

• Syrian born in

Mesopotamia

• converted ca 150

• Studied under Justin

• began mission in the

East 165

• later condemned as a

heretic

• Addressed Apologies

to the Greeks (To

Autolycus) Christ the Good Shepherd

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ATHENAGORAS,

Apologist

second half of the second

century

taught at the school in

Alexandria.

Two extant works, the Plea

on Behalf of Christians and

On the Resurrection of the

Dead

• questions the motives of the

accusers

• attacks pagan morality

• stresses the rigor of Christian

morality

• stresses the nature of Christian

motivation

Christ the Good Shepherd

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The Catacombs

• One of the first Christian underground burial spots was south of Rome along the Appian way, at a place called Catacumbus, hence “catacombs.”

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Archaeologists say that in one set of catacombs, if all the tunnels were stretched end to end it would traverse the entire length of Italy

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Archaeologists have estimated that as many as 4 million graves were built in the catacombs of Rome

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Primitive Chapel in Roman Catacombs

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Construction of Catacombs

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Aspects of Early Church

Learned from the Catacombs

• Egalitarian: no references to worldly titles, no indications of slave or free.

• Divinity of Christ is Unquestioned.

• No evidence of prayers to saints or on behalf of saints or any concept of purgatory (you’d expect this among graves if it was practiced)

• Firm belief in resurrection of the body

• No Crosses or Priest Images, No clear clerical/laity distinctions

• Mary portrayed as human

No evidence of Infant Baptism

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Persecutions under Septimus Severus

• Perpetua suffered martyrdom in

the reign of Septimius Severus,

202

• Emperor Septimus Severus (202-211) persecutes; forbids conversion to Christianity.

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Perpetua’s Vision of the Ladder • "I saw a golden ladder of marvelous height, reaching up even to heaven, and

very narrow, so that persons could only ascend it one by one; and on the sides of the ladder was fixed every kind of iron weapon. There were there swords, lances, hooks, daggers; so that if any one went up carelessly, or not looking upwards, he would be torn to pieces and his flesh would cleave to the iron weapons. And under the ladder itself was crouching a dragon of wonderful size, who lay in wait for those who ascended, and frightened them from the ascent. And Saturus went up first, …. and said to me, `Perpetua, I am waiting for you; but be careful that the dragon do not bite you.' And I said, `In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, he shall not hurt me.' And from under the ladder itself, as if in fear of me, he slowly lifted up his head; and as I trod upon the first step, I trod upon his head. And I went up, and I saw an immense extent of garden, and in the midst of the garden a white-haired man sitting in the dress of a shepherd,…and standing around were many thousand white-robed ones. And he raised his head, and looked upon me, and said to me, `Thou art welcome, daughter.' And he called me, and …he gave me as it were a little cake, and I received it with folded hands; and I ate it, and all who stood around said Amen. And at the sound of their voices I was awakened, still tasting a sweetness which I cannot describe. And I immediately related this to my brother, and we understood that it was to be a passion, and we ceased henceforth to have any hope in this world.

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Perpetua

is

Martyred

• And so, stripped and clothed with nets, they were led forth. The populace shuddered as they saw one young woman of delicate frame, and another with breasts still dropping from her recent childbirth. So, being recalled, they are unbound. Perpetua is first led in. She was tossed, and fell on her loins; and when she saw her tunic torn from her side, she drew it over her as a veil for her middle, rather mindful of her modesty than her suffering. Then she was called for again, and bound up her disheveled hair; for it was not becoming for a martyr to suffer with disheveled hair, lest she should appear to be mourning in her glory. So she rose up; and when she saw Felicitas crushed, she approached and gave her her hand, and lifted her up. And both of them stood together; and the brutality of the populace being appeased, they were recalled to the Sanavivarian gate. … But Perpetua, that she might taste some pain, being pierced between the ribs, cried out loudly, and she herself placed the wavering right hand of the youthful gladiator to her throat.

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MARCIONISM

An attempt to reduce the Scriptures--both the Hebrew and

Christian Scriptures -- to a few select books

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Gnosticism A kind of Dualist New Age movement that claimed special knowledge.

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Gnosticism

From the Greek verb “to know”

Grounded in Platonic philosophy

Humans ascend through spheres of knowledge to reach spiritual perfection

Teachers “Spirit guides” assist in the journey

• --dualism physical and spiritual

--evil Old Testament god

--salvation comes through

knowledge

--rejection of earthly spiritual

authority

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MONTANISM

• Montanus began receiving prophetic visions and his followers (the illuminati) claimed inspiration from the Holy Spirit

• Did NOT speak in tongues. He prophesied in Greek.

• Won over Tertullian, among others

• Placed Women in very prominent Roles

• Refused to acknowledge Bishops’ authority

• Ordered strict asceticism to rid connection with the world.

• Emphasized direct experience with the Spirit and disregarded

intermediary role of the Church and its Bishops…Evangelicals???

• Entire regions of central Turkey were won over and the group survived for

600 years!

Did Montanists get a bad rap?

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Apostles’ Creed

The Apostle’s Creed

• Nonapostolic summary of apostolic teaching

• Grew from polarizing confessions in scripture

• By 2nd C. there was baptism prep. class

called “symbolum”

• Various adjustments have occurred, e.g.

“decent into Hades”

• Present form not traceable back before sixth

century

• Universally believed until mid 17th c to be

written on Pentecost

• 724 – first copy of current creed

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Irenaeus, “Apologist”

• Native of Asia Minor (Turkey) but pastor in Lyons, France

• 115-200 AD (approx)

• Studied under Polycarp

• Greatest writing was Against Heresies, which is one of our chief sources of information about the Gnostics. His historical accuracy was verified when original Gnostic documents were discovered at Nag Hammadi.

• Founder of doctrine of apostolic succession. Used the argument about the successions of bishops against the Gnostic claim to secret knowledge.

“Error Never shows

itself in its naked reality,

in order not to be

discovered. On the

contrary, it dresses

elegantly, so that the

unwary may be led to

believe that it is more

truthful than truth itself.”

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EARLY CHURCH: HISTORIC PRE-MILLENNIALISM

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Irenaeus was a Pre-Millennialist • He will Himself renew the inheritance of the earth, …He promised to drink of the fruit

of the vine with His disciples, thus indicating both these points: the inheritance of the earth in which the new fruit of the vine is drunk, and the resurrection of His disciples in the flesh…He cannot by any means be understood as drinking of the fruit of the vine when settled down with his [disciples] above in a super-celestial place… Then again, speaking of Jerusalem, and of Him reigning there, …If, however, any shall endeavor to allegorize [prophecies] of this kind, they shall not be found consistent with themselves in all points, and shall be confuted by the teaching of the very expressions [in question]. …For all these and other words were unquestionably spoken in reference to the resurrection of the just, which takes place after the coming of Antichrist, and the destruction of all nations under his rule; in [the times of] which [resurrection] the righteous shall reign in the earth,…and [with respect to] those whom the Lord shall find in the flesh, awaiting Him from heaven, and who have suffered tribulation, as well as escaped the hands of the Wicked one. For it is in reference to them that the prophet says: “And those that are left shall multiply upon the earth,” …Now all these things being such as they are, cannot be understood in reference to super-celestial matters; “for God,” it is said, “will show to the whole earth that is under heaven thy glory.” …For since there are real men, so must there also be a real establishment (plantationem), that they vanish not away among non-existent things, but progress among those which have an actual existence. For neither is the substance nor the essence of the creation annihilated… but “the fashion of the world passeth away.... John, therefore, did distinctly foresee the first “resurrection of the just,” and the inheritance in the kingdom of the earth; and what the prophets have prophesied concerning it harmonize [with his vision].

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Questions to Consider

• Did the second generation of Christians rise to the challenge? If not, why not?

• Why was there such an immediate shift in emphasis from faith and grace to good works?

• Why all these letters telling Christians to obey their elders? Was there a lot of disobedience going on? Of what sort?

• How similar are Gnosticism and New Age-ism?

• What role does the Old Testament have in the Christian’s Life?

• Does God still speak today through new revelations?

• How different are today’s charismatic from Montanists? What about Evangelicals generally?