Christianity # 2 Early Church through Protestant Reformation.pptx

“Jesus Movement” becomes

Christianity

The Christian Church

social organization of Christianity

Central Christian Rituals:

1. Baptism

2. Eucharist

Baptism: Themes and Theology

Major Themes of Christian Baptism:

1) Participation in Christ’s victory over Satan and his demons: baptism connected a person to the power of the risen Christ; no longer need to live in fear of demons.

2) Forgiveness of Sins – seen in preaching of John the Baptist who urged baptism on repentance for forgiveness of sins. Connected to and covered past sins – old sins were washed away; now had a clean slate

3) Renewal or regeneration – idea of rebirth; born into eternal life

4) Illumination – “Photismos” = the illumination; darkness had come with the Fall (discuss); this was reversed with baptism; popular among those with philosophical mindset

5) Death and Resurrection with Christ – saw baptism (going under water) as a death and rising from water as resurrection. Baptism was not understood as “magical” – faith offered access to Christ’s power via the Holy Spirit.

6) Initiation Rite – was the ritual by which one became a full member of the Church.

Note: Jews baptized for purification reasons as well. Christian baptism most
likely influenced by Jewish tradition. Some saw it as similar to circumcision – a sign of the covenant. Also the “seal” of eternal life.

Eucharist: Themes and Theology

Major Themes:

1) Sacrifice – connected the elements (bread and wine) with the sacrifice
of Jesus; it was a superior sacrifice to the pagans because it was
unbloodied. In taking Eucharist, Christians were renewing their covenant
with God. It was seen as an offering.

2) Real Presence – Christ was really present in the Eucharist.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from the worship of idols. 15 I speak as to
sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that
we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break,
is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we
who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18
Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners
in the altar? I Corinthian 10:14-18

3) Faith and Eucharist – faith was involved; you would only benefit through
the work of the Holy Spirit.

4) As a memorial – Paul encourage believers to “Do this in remembrance of
me (Christ)” Eucharist was a reminder of Christ death.
“Real presence” – Justin Martyr (150 CE) stated bread and wine were
changed. The Word “transmutes” the elements.

Later theological development will explain how this happens.

christian worship

Issues Facing Early Church:

1. Judaizing

2. The Authority Question

3. Persecution

4. Theological Challenges

Judaizing: Major Challenge to Identity

Background: Early Christian church contained both Gentile and Jewish
believers (Hellenists and Hebrews); Jesus movement was overwhelmingly
Jewish but the Christian movement was attracting increasing numbers of
Gentiles. Christian movement will eventually be Gentile – when? By 100 CE?

Judaizing – requiring Gentile converts to Christianity to embrace Jewish
beliefs and practice – such as following Jewish dietary laws and circumcision

- Went to the heart of their identity – who were they?
- Could have changed the course of the religion
- Eventually was rejected (Apostle Paul argued against it) See Acts 15 which describes a council to deal with this issue.

(Early Christian Church was made up of Gentiles and Jews)

(Judaizers - “embrace our practices”)

(This issue was eventually rejected - cannot force Gentiles to become Jewish -)

(Jews did not want to abandon their values, beliefs, traditions - Apostle Paul called Peter a hypocrite for acting different around Gentiles and Jews)

The Authority Question

With Jesus gone, who was in charge? Where was the authority?

Early Christians answered these questions in three ways:
1) Office of authority (bishops)
- Apostolic Succession – Jesus – Disciples/Apostles – Bishops
2) Creed (list of authoritative beliefs) (see next slide) i.e. Apostles Creed
3) Canon (list of authoritative texts)
- Question of the Hebrew Bible – to keep or not to keep, decided to keep
- New Testament (eventually 27 books total)

Issues facing early Christians: Persecution

From beginning to early 300’s, persecutions of Christians occurred.
Why? Monotheism (was odd to Romans); Attitude towards property
(belonged to God, not empire); Challenged Roman authority (Jesus is Lord,
not Ceasar); perceived to be intolerant; popular stereotypes of Christians

How? Tortured to death in arenas for sport; burned at the stake

- Early martyrs (word means “witness”) become the first saints
Impact of persecution: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church”
Tertullian, early Christian theologian

Theological Challenges

Christological Controversies – who was Jesus

- What was his nature? Human? Divine? Both? How?
Creed will eventually claim “fully human, fully divine”

- Relationship of Jesus the Son to God the Father
Doctrine of Trinity
Controversy over Apostasy (relating to persecution)

- Also raised issue of church “discipline” – what do you do with
sinners?

Institutional Development: Leadership

3-fold structure emerges:
1) Bishop – successors to apostles
2) Presbyters (elders) – eventually become the priests
3) Deacons – assistants to bishop

2 orders for women
1) Widows – eventually designated for prayer
2) Deaconesses – same functions as deacons

Women were leaders in early church though they are more limited in Middle Ages.

Institutional Development: Monasticism

Why? To live a life of “higher” calling / more rigorous lifestyle demands

1) Celibacy (taught and modeled by Jesus and Paul)
2) Voluntary poverty / communal (wealth was seen as hindrance)
3) Sought mystical experience (alone with God, in the desert)
4) End of persecution – monastics could “martyr” themselves

Eventually results in a two-tiered community: those who live as monastics and everyone else.

Many leaders began their careers as monks.