The Church – Unit 2 Test Review

Vocab:

• Martyr- someone who has been killed because of his/her faith. To be martyred is to be killed for one's faith.

• Apostle- greek word apostollein “to send” (Jesus sends his apostles) the 12 disciples in which Jesus entrusted his mission (12 tribes of Israel)

• Edict of Milan- Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire

• Antioch- the first place where the believers are called “Christians” (the new center of the Christian movement)

• Council of Jerusalem- council that gathered to determine how the Gentiles should be incorporated into the Christian community

• Catechumenate- the process of preparation before baptism

• Creed- a formal statement of Christian beliefs, especially the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed: statement of belief

• RCIA- RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: n the 1960s, the Second Vatican Council formally reinstated the Catechumenate as a way for adults to prepare for baptism 

People to Know

• Peter-

• ordained 7 deacons  

• has a vision in which God tells him that “what God has made clean, you are not to call profane —> gives a speech about how God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-35)

• HS descends upon all the Gentiles that he has gathered with and they get baptized 

• Criticized for associating with Gentiles when he gets back to Jerusalem

• Stephen 

• chosen and ordained as a deacon

• arrested and brought before Jewish council: false witness claims he was blasphemous

• gives speech retelling the covenants proving he's not blasphemous

• Stoned to death: Martyr overseen by Saul from Tarsus 

• The FIRST MARTYR 

• After his death great persecution of Jesus’ followers breaks out 

• Paul 

• Ananias

Concepts

• Major events in the life of the early Church/Church timeline

  • Crucifixion: birth of the church

  • Great Commission/Ascension: church receives her mission

  • Pentecost: revelation of the church and beginning of her mission

• Where are the disciples supposed to spread Jesus’ mission? Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the endos of the earth

• Why does Jesus spend 40 days with His disciples before His Ascension? Jesus spent the same amount of time preparing for His own mission when He fasted and prayed in the desert, Now He gives the Apostles that amount of time to prepare for their mission as the Church 

• Why does the mission of the Church begin in Jerusalem? This is where jesus died and rose, the apostles are already there, jerusalem is the heart of the jewish faith and god's covenant (home of the temple)

• In what city are the disciples first called “Christians”? Antioch

• What gives the disciples the ability to perform miracles such as healing? They heal in Jesus’ name

• What advice does Gamaliel give to the Sanhedrin? to wait:“If their plan is of human origin, it will fail, but if it is of God, you cannot stop it”

• Stephen’s martyrdom (why was Stephen martyred? Be specific!) because he was speaking blasphemy said by someone else, and then continues to keep speaking and preaching about jesus even when he is accused

• Jesus says that His followers are to be His “witnesses.” The word for “witness” is the same as the Greek word for…  MARTYR

• How did Peter die? Crucified upside down in rome

• Know generally the story of Paul’s Conversion  

• Roman citizen (trained in philosophy/educated) 

• Pharisee, trained under gamaliel

• Oversees many martyrs (stephens being one)

• Gets permission to go to Damascus in order to persecute Christians but conversion along way 

• A bright light causes Saul to fall to the ground and he hears Jesus speaking to him, Saul is blinded for 3 days before Ananias comes to him and heals him, Saul immediately gets baptized and starts preaching that Jesus is the Messiah in the synagogue 

• Ananias is hesitant when the Lord tells him to go find Saul because he knows Saul has been persecuting and killing Christians. He is worried Saul will harm him. 

• He goes to Saul anyway because Saul is a chosen instrument. 

• What was the result of Peter’s vision? : Peter gives a speech about how “God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him”

• What was the big issue/discussion at the Council of Jerusalem? which parts of the Jewish faith do the Gentiles need to practice/follow?

  • What was the result and why did they make this decision Gentiles in Antioch do not need to be circumcised, but they do have to practice food purity laws and be chaste→ In order not to cause scandal to the Jews in the Church in Antioch, the Gentiles are to keep some of the Jewish customs

  • Do we still follow this council’s decision today, and why or why not (universally binding laws vs specific laws) Centuries later, the Council of Florence (1442) made the distinction between laws that are universally binding and laws that are for a specific community at a specific time 

  • Universally binding: 10 commandments; you do not have to be circumcised to be saved

  • Specific: keep food purity laws if you are a Gentile living among Jews in Antioch, dispensation during COVID when Masses were cancelled

• Paul’s missionary journeys (do not need to know which events happen on which journeys, but briefly know some of the things he does/accomplishes) 

• second Journey: Delivers the message from the Council of Jerusalem to the Church in Antioch with Barnabas Meets Luke and John-Mark, who end up writing the gospels of Luke and Mark!, Meets Timothy (to whom Paul writes letters), Writes his letters to the Thessalonians and Galatians 

• Third Journey: Wants to get back to Jerusalem in time for Pentecost (roughly 20 years after the first Pentecost, the Christians are already celebrating feasts in remembrance of these significant events!), Revisits many communities & says goodbye, Paul has been forewarned that he will experience trials in Jerusalem

• Where is Paul arrested? How does Paul die? Jerusalem attacked by a mob, Eventually, Paul will be killed in Rome: Tradition holds that he was beheaded under the order of Emperor Nero, who blamed the “burning of Rome” on the Christians

• Where are the majority of the Christian churches at the end of the first century? Eastern Roman Empire (exceptions christian communities founded in rome and italy) 

• Where is the center of Christianity by the end of the third century Rome: Edict of Milan (313 AD): Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire

• What is the primary goal of the Pillars of the Church? 

• 4 parts of life in the Church: 

• Teaching of the Apostles (Creed)

• Breaking of the Bread (Sacraments)

• Fellowship (Morality)

• Prayers

• Which two creeds are most important in the Church? Apostles and Nicene creed 

• What age groups were baptized in the times of the apostles? In the early Church, adult converts were baptized immediately

• Eventually, a period called the “Catechumenate” developed

• Catechumenate: the process of preparation before baptism

• The catechumens would be baptized on Easter Vigil

Now? In the 5th century, the catechumenate began to decline, as infant baptism became more common 

• In the 1960s, the Second Vatican Council formally reinstated the Catechumenate as a way for adults to prepare for baptism

• We call this process the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults– RCIA

• What is the main point of the church’s moral teaching? how to love God and one another (how to be in right relationship)

• 3 forms of prayer in the church and be able to define them   

Vocal: spoken prayer; most suitable to group settings

Meditative: reflecting on the mysteries of Christ’s life, usually aided by texts or images

Contemplative: being alone with God; quieting our minds

• Who oversaw Stephen's martyrdom? Saul of Tarsus

• Who was Gamaliel? Gamaliel was a respected and influential member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council  What advice did he give the Sanhedrin? The council wants to kill the APs, but Gamaliel tells them to wait: “If their plan is of human origin, it will fail, but if it is of God, you cannot stop it”

• What does God tell Paul when he has his vision on the Road to Damascus? "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Saul responds by asking, "Who are you, Lord?" The voice replies, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."Why was he on the road to Damascus to begin with? To persecute christians