1. Orthodoxy
2nd Century

2. Church
The new coverts came from various backgrounds which brought various cultures
Syncretism was important to Greeks
Take different pieces from different beliefs
This brought different interpretations
Of course we still have this

3. Church The response was Orthodox Christianity
Orthodox-Approved form of doctrine or theology
Church developed canons, creeds, apostolic succession.

4. Theology
Theology comes from theos and logos meaning God and word or rational thought.
Theology-The attempt to give a rational thought about biblical beliefs,
Heretics helped the church because it was forced to develop good theology.
Face Book will do the same!!!!!

5. False beliefs
Galatians-Paul curses those who add Jewish regulations to Christianity
1 John- Christians must believe that Christ came in the flesh
1 Corinthians-Historical resurrection of Jesus is necessary for saving faith.

6. False Beliefs
Ebionites-Jesus was merely a man with scrupulous beliefs that became Messiah due to His obedience to the Law and was thus Justified.
Doecetism-To seem-Christ was not really a man but a spectral appearance. Only seemed to suffer man’s sins.

7. False Beliefs Gnosticism-Most widespread heresy
Gnosticism-Comes from gnosis meaning knowledge
Was within the church
Gnostic Judaism defied: Creation and other teachings

8. Gnosticism Gnostics believed they possessed a special knowledge
This knowledge was secret key to salvation
All matter is evil or at best unreal
Human is eternal spirit trapped in a body
Body is evil so final goal is to escape the body from this material world

9. Gnosticism
Supreme Being had no intention of creating a physical world but only a spiritual one.
So, a number of spiritual beings were generated
One of these spiritual beings fell into error with Supreme Being and created the physical world.

10. Gnosticism
Since the world is spiritual, still bits in the world in human bodies so the humans must be liberated from this.
A spiritual messenger must come to the world and awaken us
The messenger bring the “gnosis” secret knowledge for salvation

11. Christian Gnosticism Christ is the messenger
Since He came to earth and bodies are evil most reject Him having an earthly body
Most denied His birth on this argument
He did not do miracles and was tolerant of other beliefs

12. Christian Gnosticism
Social Class-Upper class lived in heaven by knowledge and middle class lived by faith in lower heaven and lower class had no opportunity for salvation.
Some say control the body of its passions to weaken power over the spirit
Others say spirit is good and cannot be destroyed so leave the body to its own devices

13. Gnosticism Gnostic societies were clubs limited to intellectuals
Women had more freedom in Gnosticism
Possibly why women see decreased role from first century church to second
Gnosticism was a big threat due to denying: Creation, incarnation, resurrection.

14. Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a warning to all who try to raise Christianity to an intellectual pursuit
In an effort to reconcile the Gospel, science, and philosophy, the gospel was lost
Cannot tie gospel to latest theories of man

15. Marcion Father was a bishop so he knew Christianity
Disliked Judaism and material world
Went to Rome in 144 and gathered a following but was soon found to be a heretic
Since the world is evil, its creator must be
God and the Father of Jesus are not Yahweh of the Bible

16. Marcion
Yahweh made the world; the Father only wanted a spiritual world
Yahweh through ignorance or accident made the world and placed humans in it
Yahweh is an arbitrary god and vindictive
Far above Yahweh is the Father of Christians
Jesus was sent to save us but not born of Mary

17. Marcion OT was word of an inferior God so should not be read
Only books written by Paul and Luke were accepted because the rest had Jewish views.
More dangerous than Gnostics because he denied same things but formed a church with bishops and lingered on for a few centuries.

18. Creeds
Marcion and Gnostics forced the church to start gathering a list of sacred writings
No council yet but over time agreed upon
Apostle’s creed used as baptismal confession

19. Early Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God Almighty, and in Christ Jesus His only Son, our Lord-Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary-Who was crucified under Pontius Pliate and was buried and on the third day rose from the dead-Who ascended into heaven-And sits on the right hand of the Father-Whence He comes to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost- The Holy church-The remission of sins-The resurrection of the flesh-The life everlasting

20. Today False teachings and heretics Prosperity gospel
Loose interpretations on charismatic gifts
Everyone won’t think the same or have same convictions
Cannot compromise the Gospel