History of Christianity Unit 1: The Early Church and Persecution

These flashcards cover the foundational history of the Catholic Church, including the essential elements and marks of the Church, the impact of the Jerusalem Council on Gentile converts, Roman persecution under Nero and Domitian, the destruction of Jerusalem in $$70$$ AD, and 1st-century heresies like Gnosticism and Docetism.

What are the three essential elements of the Catholic Church according to the lecture notes?

The local parish community, coming together as a 'sacramental people' in the Eucharist, and being part of a universal Church.

What are the four marks of the Catholic Church?

One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

When did the Church begin, and how many days after the resurrection of Christ did this occur?

It began at Pentecost, $50$ days after the resurrection.

What does the German word 'Kirche'—the root for 'Church'—mean?

What belongs to the Lord.

Why did the 'Jesus-Jews' begin forming their own communities outside of the synagogues?

Because they were excommunicated or kicked out of the synagogues by fellow Jews for preaching in the name of Jesus.

How did the first Christians understand the bread and wine of the Eucharistic meal?

They believed it was the actual partaking of the body and blood of Christ; it was not seen as a symbolic gesture or metaphor.

According to the Jerusalem Council, what five differences existed between Jewish-Christians and Gentile-Christians?

Jews were monotheistic, followed Kosher laws, followed laws of morality, practiced circumcision, and observed the Sabbath; Gentiles were polytheistic, non-Kosher, lacked moral laws, did not practice circumcision, and had no Sabbath.

What four requirements were eventually placed on Gentile-Christians to join the Church after the Jerusalem Council compromise?

They had to abstain from foods dedicated to idols (idolatry), meat from strangled animals, animal blood, and fornication/sexual immorality; however, they did not have to get circumcised.

Who was the madman Roman Emperor from $54-68$ AD known for horrific persecution of Christians?

Nero.

What event occurred on June $18$, $64$ AD, for which Nero scapegoated the Christians?

The Great Fire of Rome, which lasted $6$ days and $7$ nights and destroyed $10$ of the city's $14$ sections.

What were four reasons the Romans disliked or mistrusted Christians?

They believed they practiced cannibalism and incest (due to the Agape Love Fest), thought they were atheists for worshipping an invisible god, disliked their refusal to pay homage to Roman gods/Caesar, and feared the wrath of the gods because of them.

What happened to the city of Jerusalem in $70$ AD?

Jerusalem and the Holy Temple (the center of Judaism) were destroyed by Titus, the son of Emperor Vespasian, following a Jewish revolt that began in $66$ AD.

What is the 'Diaspora'?

The movement of thousands of surviving Jews who fled Palestine for the outer reaches of the Roman Empire after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Who was the emperor from $81-96$ AD who demanded to be addressed as 'master of god'?

Domitian.

In what three ways is revelation revealed to humanity according to 1st-century theology?

Scripture, Tradition, and Nature.

How are Heresy, Apostasy, and Schism defined in the notes?

Heresy is the post-baptismal denial of a revealed truth; Apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; Schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or communion with Church members.

What did the Gnostics believe about matter and why was it heretical?

They believed 'matter is evil,' which contradicted Genesis $1:31$ where God saw everything He made was very good.

What did Gnostics claim regarding the Incarnation of Christ?

They denied it, claiming Christ only appeared to be a man and that his humanity was an illusion.

In Gnosticism, who were the 'Aeons' and what was the status of Jesus Christ?

Aeons were divine beings that mediated between man and God; Gnostics believed Jesus Christ was the lowest of these beings.

What was the specific belief of the Docetists?

They believed Jesus only seemed to be human and that his physical body was a phantasm (illusionists).

What is the Nag Hammadi Library?

A collection of Gnostic gospels (such as the Gospels of Mary, Thomas, and Truth) discovered accidentally by farmers in Egypt in December $1945$.