Church History 1 Midterm

Irenaeus of Lyons

Irenaeus of Lyons

Grew up in Smyrna

Likely mentored by Polycarp

Lyons was by the water in a prime spot: there was also a Roman garrison.

Says there are 3 types of heresies
1. Those that deny father
2. Those that deny Son (the incarnation)
3. Those that deny Spirit - the prophecies in Scripture

Roman context of ancient Christianity

Roman religion
Emperor worship became prominent in the 1st century AD.
Romans were syncretists
Eastern mystery grew to some prominence
City-states often worshiped local deities
10-15% of the population was literate, fewer could write

Greek context of ancient Christianity

Greek had become a lingua Franca through Alexander the Great's conquests.
Koine Greek was spoken from Greece to India
Greek Philosophy
Stoicism and Epicureanism had largely replaced Plato and Aristotle around the 1st century. People wanted more practical ideas.
In early Christian centuries, there was a revival of studying Aristotle and Plato.

Pax Romana (the peace of Rome)

An empire of 60-70 million people in the Mediterranean basin.
Controlled a region of 2.5 million square miles
To control all of this the Romans built 43,350 miles of road.

Date and significance of the destruction of Jerusalem

66-73 AD, Destroyed 70 AD
New focus on following the Torah and laws.

Death of James, Peter, and Paul

James 62 AD was killed with the sword

Peter 64 AD was crucified upside down

Paul 68 AD according to tradition he was beheaded.

Apostolic Fathers

Called that because it was thought most of the authors were direct disciples of the Apostles.

Clement of Rome

Apart from Scripture, the earliest known writing from the Christian tradition is his First letter.
Served as bishop of Rome from around 92-101
Mono-episcopacy - one bishop, probably the head elder
Writes his letter to address a schism in Corinth

Ignatius of Antioch

On the way to his martyrdom, he wrote letters to seven churches: Ephesus, Magnesia, Polycarp, Philadelphia, Smyrna, Tralles, and Rome.

Encourages obedience to the bishop and distinguishes between the office of bishop and presbyter.

Ignatius's letter sparked a desire for martyrdom.

Some tried to do things that would cause them to be martyred. The church had to address that in the 3rd century.

Polycarp of Smyrna

Thought to be a disciple of John

Letter to the Philippian Church

He addresses the issue of false teaching and a man named Valons who was stealing from the church

Stance on martyrdom - be ready for it, do not seek it

Key Works:
Shepherd of Hermas

Why was there popular antagonism toward the early Christians?

Religious
Ethical (immorality and cannibalism charges)
Economic

Key tenets of Gnosticism

Creation - a supreme but distant diety, the Arche, who emanates Aeons lesser spiritual beings who are less pure. Then, the Demiurge, who brings matter into existence, creates the physical universe. Said to have created with evil intentions or it was a mistake.
Carnal human - happy living their life
Soulishperson - not entirely satisfied, see something is wrong
Spiritual/intellectual person - understand their fallen state, and see path to redemption.
Redemption - brought down by Aeons, it included secret words or numbers to help you travel back up to the Aeons.
Secret knowledge

Teachers of Gnosticism

Simon Magnus
Basilidies - one of the earliest teachers in Alexandria
Valentinus - most prominent early "Christian" gnostic
Hereclean - first to write a commentary on an entire book of the Bible
Marcion - a semi-Gnostic, taught there were two Gods: the creator god of the OT and the redeemer god of the NT who came to destroy the laws and set people free. Only used some of the Bible. Encouraged an extreme asceticism. Could not have meat or milk, the only meat they could have was fish.

Significance of Nag Hammadi texts

It is a place in Egypt

Enabled us to know what Gnostics believed from their own source

Discovered in 1945

Primary Gnostic source

Justin Martyr

Trained philosopher

Likely converted in Ephesus through a philosophical exchange with a Christian

Engages: pagan intellectuals, the state, Jews, and heretics

Beheaded under the authority of Marcus Aurelius

Justin Martyr: Key Works

First Apology
· Appeals for Christians to be judged on their actions and not their religion.
· Refutes the claim that Christians are atheists, immoral, and cannibals.
· Argues that Christianity is ancient because it is a fulfillment of ancient prophecies found in the Hebrew Scriptures.
· Points to commonalities between the Christian faith and Greco-Roman and pagan philosophy and myth (ex. virgin birth, resurrection, etc.)
Second Apology
· Addresses the claim that Christians seek martyrdom. Says Christians do not seek it but will accept it if it will glorify God.
· Addresses why god does not save Christians from death.

Dialogue with Trypho
Account of Justin’s conversation with Trypho who was a Jew

Contributions to apologetics

Engaged in cultural exegesis

Presented Christ as the fullness of the truth

Demonstrated how the Jewish Scriptures were fulfilled in Christ

Defended and persuaded others of the Christian faith rather than imposed it

Irenaeus of Lyons

Grew up in Smyrna
Likely mentored by Polycarp
Lyons was by the water in a prime spot: there was also a Roman garrison.
Says there are 3 types of heresies
1. Those that deny father
2. Those that deny Son (the incarnation)
3. Those that deny Spirit - the prophecies in Scripture

Irenaeus of Lyons: Key Works

On Apostolic Preaching (shows how the Hebrew Scriptures pointed to Christ)

Against Heresies or Knowledge (refutation of Gnosticism; Main focus on Valetinius)

Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching (brief summary of Christian teaching. Shows unity in Christianity that Gnostics lack)

Tertullian of Carthage

Most important latin speaking theologian until the 4th century
Raised a pagan/was converted
Married a Christian wife
Father of the church doctrine of the Trinity
Coins the terms
Trinity
Substance
Spiritualitus
Person

Tertullian of Carthage: Key Works

Against Praxeas (anti-Monarchian work)

Took aim at Monarchianism "one rule" emphasizes monotheism without carefully articulating how the Father, Son, and Spirit correlated.

Took aim at Modalist Monarchism teaches that the Father, Son, and Spirit were successive modes of activity and revelation of the one God, ex. T.D. Jakes.

Patripassianism

Sabellianism

Tertullian demonstrated that the Word and Spirit emanate as distinct persons (personae) from the Father, and all three persons share the same nature.

Montanism (the new prophecy)

Concern with the personal nature of the spirit

Pushed Tertullian from a more binary view of God to a Trinitarian view.

Montanus and Montanism (the new prophecy)

Concern with the personal nature of the spirit

It pushed Tertullian from a more binary view of God to a Trinitarian view.

A "Charismatic" revival movement

This is a sect and they do not deny core Christian doctrine

Spread by Priscilla and Maximilla

Understood prophecy and spiritual gifts as the hallmark of apostolic Christianity

Rigorist ethics

Clement of Alexandria

Likely the master of a private philosophical school

Discipled by Pantaneus

Responsible for introducing Philonic exegesis in the church

Clement of Alexandria: Key Works

Protreptikos or Exhortation: basic apologetic work

Paidagogos or Tutor: for new believers about how they are to live.

Stromata or Miscellanies: various things about the Christian faith

Related faith and reason through what has been called the "double faith" theory.

Argues that the true "Gnostic" is the "Ecclesiastical Gnostic"

Gnostic: a Christian who came to a greater knowledge of Scripture

Reconciles philosophy to the Christian faith through a doctrine of the Logos

Left Alexandria in 202 because of persecution and went to Jerusalem.

Origen

Studied under Ammonius Saccas

Influenced by the Jewish community

Adopted an austere, ascetic lifestyle

Experienced conflict with the local bishop, Demetrius

Left Egypt for Caesarea

He left, so hopefully, things would cool down between him and Demetrius; however, his travels made him more famous.

Persecution came, and he was severely tortured.

Hexapla project placed the Hebrew OT alongside five versions of the Greek.

Origen: Key Works

Against Celsus (major apologetic work. Appeals to beliefs common to all)

On First Principles (greatest single work. Christocentric nature of Scriptural exegesis. Scripture must be read "spiritually," the body, soul, and spirit of the text. Grounds his exegetical method in the three-fold division of the human body.

Origen: Theological Assessment

Partially condemned by the second Council of Constantinople in AD 533.

Inadequate understanding of the Trinity

Teaches the Son is subordinate to the Father, develops the idea of eternal generation of the Son.

May have taught universal salvation

Deficient soteriology

Cyprian of Carthage

Likely of a senatorial class
Converted to Christianity as an adult
Became bishop of Carthage
Ministered amidst the Decian persecution
Fled during the first period of persecution
Was a matter of months after he became a Christian he was made a presbyter
A few years later he was made bishop

Cyprian: Dealing with the Lapsi

Laxists
Easy to return back to the church after denying Christ
All one has to do is go to a confessor and they can absolve you
Rigorists
After someone denies Christ they cannot return to communion with the church (novations)
Sacrifcati
Those who performed the sacrifice and ate the meat. Cyprian says they should be remitted to full membership close to their death.
Novatian Schism
Novacius separates from the church at Rome because of his rigorism
Conflict with Stephen
Stephen says that you can accept the baptism of a church that was trinitarian but schismatic
Cyprian disagreed and would not accept baptism of a trinitarian but schismatic church One needed to be baptized by the true apostolic church

Cyprian: Key Work

On the Church

Constantine

Mandates Sunday as a day of rest

Wants to replace the gladiatorial games with chariot races

Removed the legal disabilities of unmarried people; they no longer have to pay an extra tax.

Made it harder to get a divorce

Outlaws the traditional forms of Roman religion

335 rejects the emperors before him because they were persecutors.

Dies in 337 and was baptized right before his death

About 75 years later Rome falls.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

Constantine sees a vision (the Chi Rho) before the battle and promises that if he wins the battle, he will follow Christ

Edict of Milan

It makes Christianity legal and abolishes crucifixion

Arius

Presbyter in Alexandria; he was over the area by the dock and was around the dock workers.

Believed: The Son was created rather than being the co-equal eternal Son of God

The Son is created outside time and space. There was a time when the Son was not.

Alexander of Alexandria was the primary person responding to Arius.

Council of Nicaea

i) What: Always responding to heresy, formulate and define and guard the divine nature of Christ

ii) When: 325 AD, formed this for two months

iii) Who: Athanasius, a young deacon who came as a companion to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria, and Arius, a controversial presbyter and priest from Alexandra. Constantine was present as an overseer but did not vote.

Council of Constantinople

i) What: second part of creed defining the divinity of the Spirit and condemn Apollinarianism

ii) When: 381 AD

iii) Who: Convened by Theodosius 1 who at that time was Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire