1. “Who do you think you are?” Welcome to St Pauls Summer School 2013

2. Session 1. Foundations AD 60-400

3. “You will receive power when the Holy spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem; in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1.8)

4. Acts 1-7 Mission in Jerusalem Acts 8-12 Mission in Judea and Samaria Acts 13-28 Mission to the ends of the earth

6. WHY? Roman Roads Common Languages Pax Romana Jewish Diaspora Spiritual Condition

7. AD 60? WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? 1. Geographical Spread

8. 2. Theological Divisions.

9. 3. Regionalization of Bishops

10. 4. The Church Fathers

11. 5. An Organised Gentile Faith

12. 6. Finding the Holy Land Sites

13. 7. The Impact of Persecution

14. Fighting for Truth. Conscience, Integrity and Survival! A Spiritual Battle An Intellectual Battle A Physical Battle

15. 1. The Spiritual Battle

16. 2. The Intellectual Battle

18. Shall we go on sinning that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Romans 6.1-2

19. (a) Gnosticism “The word became flesh and lived among us......” John 1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched.... “ 1 John 1

20. “Against Heresies” “Proof of Apostolic Preaching”

21. Justin Martyr Origen Tertullian Clement

23. (b) Arianism “If the Father begat the Son, then he was begotten and had a beginning in existence and from this it follows that there was a time when the Son was not”

24. The Council of Nicea AD 325 “..being of one substance with the Father....”

26. 3. The Physical Battle “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” (Tertullian)

27. “He who is near the sword is near God”

29. The Three Defences The Canon The Councils The Creeds

30. AD 311 The Conversion of Constantine

31. AD 386 St Jerome The Latin Bible (Vulgate)

32. AD 396 Augustine Bishop of Hippo

34. Numerical and Geographical Growth Enormous Persecution Established Faith Agreed the NT Canon Theological Debates

35. DISCUSSION POINTS 1. Read Matt 16 13-20 What does this passage tells us about the identity of Jesus?. What were people saying? What does Peter affirm and what does Jesus say? 2. John 8 is a long theological debate between Jesus and the authorities over his identity. What does Jesus say about himself? Note v 58 and their response in v 59 (see also Exodus 3.14 for a clue!) 2. Look at Philippians 2 6-11 This is a very early "creed". What truths about Jesus does it affirm? 4. How do we deal with conflicting views today about who Jesus is? What might we say to Jehovah's witnesses or Muslims for example? 5. Persecution is a real issue for Christians in many countries today? How might we affirm and support them?