Growth, Crisis and Controversy:

130 330 AD
Lesson 3 9 October 2011

External Threat
Persecution
250 251 AD: The Decian Persecution 303 311 AD: The Great or Diocletian Persecution The 1st Empire Wide Persecution under Decius
A Revival of the Roman Religion to hold the Empire together Demanded an annual sacrifice to the Emperor and receive a certificate the libellus

The Great Persecution under Diocletian

Purpose: To destroy the Christian Church and revitalize Rome Focused on the leadership of the Church the Bishops Ordered the Scriptures turned over and burned

The Donatist Controversy

Centered in North Africa Question: Is there restoration of a Christian after lapsing? The Question resolved by the Bishop of Rome

Internal Threat
Heresy
Legalistic Heresy
The Ebionites: Emphasized Judaism; developed the doctrine of adoptionism

Philosophical Heresies
Gnosticism: Finding the hidden knowledge (Doceticism) Manichaeism: Dualistic (God of Light vs. God of Darkness) Neo-Platonism: Emphasizes a mystical union (mysticism)
Epistemological mysticism: The inner light Metaphysical mysticism: absorption by the deity Ethical mysticism: related to identity with the nature of God

Theological Heresies:
Montanus: continual inspiration by the Holy Spirit (the paraklete) Monarchial Heresies: Unitarianism
Adoptionism Modalism

The Churchs Response

The Apologists focus was external to the Church; used Greek Philosophy to make the Argument
Justin Martyr (100-165 AD) Apologies; Dialogue with Trypho Tatian (110-180 AD) Address to the Greeks Athenagoras (ca. 180 AD) Supplication for the Christians Tertullian (160 225 AD): First Latin Theologian
The Apology The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church

The Polemicists wrote mainly to the Church

Iraneaus (ca 180 AD) Against the Heresies Clement of Alexander (ca. 200 AD) Bishop of Alexandria Origen (ca. 250 AD) Alexandria
Develops the 3-fold means of Biblical Interpretation (literal, moral , spiritual)

Cyprian (ca. 300 AD) The Unity of the Catholic Church

Makes a clear distinction between the laity, the elder and the Bishop

The Effects
The Rise of the Monarchial Bishop
Seen as the guarantee of purity of doctrine The four Archbishops
The Bishop of Rome, Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem Rome is the Capitol of the Empire Paul and Peter are both martyred in Rome The Book of Romans No doctrinal controversies in the West

The Primacy of the Bishop of Rome

The Development of the Rule of Faith into Creeds

The Apostles Creed (prior to 340 AD)

The Canon of Scripture

Marcions Canon (Luke and 10 Pauline Letters) Mauratorian Canon: 22 Books (180 AD) Issues: 2 Peter, Hebrews, 2 &3 John, The Revelation

Monasticism begins in Egypt and spreads in Eastern Empire

Seen as more spiritual Hermetic

Church and State

Constantine the Great (312 337 AD)
Mother was a Christian (Helena) Roman General comes out of Gaul (France)

The Battle of Milvian Bridge (312 AD)

Has a vision prior to the battle Desires to use Christianity to solidify the Empire Marches his troops through water to baptize them Wins the battle and re-unifies the throne of the Emperor

313 AD The Edict of Milan toleration 325 AD Christianity the official religion of Rome Founds Constantinople in order to re-establish imperial power in the East Dies in 337 AD does not receive baptism until on death bed

The Council of Nicea

The Arian Controversy first Christological controversy over the nature of Christ Arius Teacher and Elder in Antioch
Seeking to guard against modalism and polytheism Claims Christ was created (begotten) by the Father (subordinationism) there was a time when Christ was not

Athanasius The Bishop of Alexandria

Christ is co-eternal and co-equal with the Father The Trinitarian Formula 3 persons, one essence

Constantine seeks to end the controversy; calls the council 300 Bishops attend (though not the Bishop of Rome who sends a letter supporting Athanasius) The argument over homoousia, homoiousia and heteroousia Majority of Bishops support Athanasius By imperial edict: Arius exiled and Nicene Creed is adopted as the rule of orthodox faith

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the begotten of God the Father, the Only-begotten, that is of the essence of the Father. God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten and not made; of the very same nature of the Father, by Whom all things came into being, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Who for us humanity and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate, was made human, was born perfectly of the holy virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. By whom He took body, soul, and mind, and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance. He suffered, was crucified, was buried, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven with the same body, [and] sat at the right hand of the Father. He is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father, to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, in the uncreated and the perfect; Who spoke through the Law, prophets, and Gospels; Who came down upon the Jordan, preached through the apostles, and lived in the saints. We believe also in only One, Universal, Apostolic, and [Holy] Church; in one baptism in repentance, for the remission, and forgiveness of sins; and in the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgment of souls and bodies, and the Kingdom of Heaven and in the everlasting life

References
Brown, Colin Christianity and Western Thought volume 1 Brown, Harold Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church Cairns, Earle E. Christianity Through the Centuries Davidson, Ivor J. The Birth of the Church volume 1 of the Baker History of the Church McGrath, Alister E. Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought