Exploring the Church

Questions

Exploring the Church Questions Name some petty disagreements you’ve known people to have

Terms orthodoxy – right praise, right belief orthopraxy – right action orthocardia – right heart

Terms heterodoxy/heresy – a different, contradictory belief or teaching; see 2 Corinthians 11:4, Galatians 1:6

Terms mystery – something that is revealed but not fully understood

Key Concept Two Ways to Describe God -positive – “God is...” -negative – “God is not...”

Two Developments 1. Roman Emperor began to look favorably on Christianity (312) – Constantine and the Battle of Milvian Bridge 2. First Ecumenical (“all church”) Council (325) – met in Nicaea to decide – among other things – an official, united stance on Arianism and the Trinity

“Ages” of the Early Church 1. Age of the Apostles – period of time after Christ’s ascension during which the Apostles lived and taught – Age of the Apostolic Fathers – period of time during which the students of the Apostles (and their students’ students and their students’ students’ students) lived and taught – roughly

Example of Teacher/Student “Lineage” from the Age of the Apostolic Fathers Apostle John (?-100) Polycarp (69-155) Irenaeus (?- 202 Hyppolytus ( ) Origen ( )

“Ages” of the Early Church 1. Age of the Apostles – period of time after Christ’s ascension during which the Apostles lived and taught – Age of the Apostolic Fathers – period of time during which the students of the Apostles (and their students’ students and their students’ students’ students) lived and taught – roughly Age of the Councils – period of time during which the church described in detail what orthodox Christian belief is –

Age of the Councils (or the fast and the furious)  Councils – intended to answer (especially) the question “How is it that...(e.g. Christ is both human and divine, the Holy Spirit is Divine, etc.)?”  The first “all church” council took place in 325 (roughly 300 years after Jesus’ resurrection & ascension) -The Nicene Creed  Six more councils over the course of the next 462 years

Age of the Councils (or the fast and the furious) 1. Nicea #1 (325) – rejected Arianism (Christ wasn’t divine), The Nicene Creed 2. Constantinople #1 (381) – expanded Nicene Creed, affirmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit 3. Ephesus (431) – rejected Nestorius, wrestled with how Jesus had both a human and divine nature 4. Chalcedon (451) – rejected belief that Christ only had a divine nature (monophysitism), affirmed two natures of Christ 5. Constantinople #2 (553) – wrestled with how Christ’s two natures were joined in one person 6. Constantinople #3 ( ) – rejected the belief that Christ had two natures but only one will 7. Nicea #2 (787) – rejected iconoclasm (breaking of icons), affirmed that icons are worthy of veneration (like Scripture)

Overwhelmed? Confused?

Driving Concern That the church would live out and pass on the Christian faith as inspired by Christ and preached and modeled by the apostles.

Additional Question What should the church do with those that rejected the faith (either symbolically or in reality) because of pressure from persecution?

Next Week:  Major figures in the Age of Councils  The Oriental (Eastern) Church  Timeline of early church history

Exploring the Church The Lord’s Prayer Our Father in heaven, Your name is holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory belong to you forever and ever. Amen.