1. Part 1 The First Four Centuries
Church History
Part 1
The First Four Centuries

2. Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coOMnNPjgys
Church History
Part 1

3. Those who believe the past is inferior to the present are like…
Chronological snobbery:-
Those who believe the past is inferior to the present are like…
“the country bumpkin full of the cocksure conviction of an ignorant adolescent that his own village is the hub of the universe…”
CS Lewis

4. Chronological snobbery:-
“The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds…”
CS Lewis

5. Major Changes: 30AD – 330AD Growth 2. Government 3. God (doctrine of)
“Follow the Bishop as Jesus Christ followed the Father”
Ignatius (AD112, Antioch)
3. God (doctrine of)
HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

6. The Spread of the Gospel…
1st Century Churches
“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8

7. The Spread of the Gospel…
2nd Century Churches
“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8

8. The Spread of the Gospel…
End of 3rd Century Churches
“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8

9. The Spread of the Gospel…
3rd – 6th Centuries
“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8

10. Conditions for Growth Favourable Political - Pax Romana
Cultural – Hellenist
Geographical
“Unfavourable”
Jewish hostility ???
Roman Persecution ???
Internal heresy ???

11. Leaving home – AD70 God works all things for good
“The blows that Vespasian, Titus, Hadrian…rained apon Jerusalem did not destroy the Christian Church. Rather they liberated the Church for it’s destiny as a universal religion offered to the whole world.” – Noll
God works all
things for good

12. Roman Persecution – Why?
Jewish exemption (Religio licita) lost
Different (“Saints”)
Parties
Amphitheatre
Work
Value of life
3. Rumors & suspicion

13. Great Fire of Rome, AD 64

14. Martyrdom of Polycarp – AD156
"Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"

15. The Martyrs of Lyons – 177AD
Pothinus and Blandina

16. Waves of Persecution 64AD - Nero, Fire of Rome Paul & Peter martyred
110AD - Trajan & Pliny
Polycarp Martyred
Marcus Aurelius
“Propitiate the gods”
Martyrs of Lyons
– Diocletian

17. Heresies – 3 categories
1. The Father (JAHWEH) 2. The Son (docetic) 3. The Spirit (scripture)

18. Heresies - Gnosticism Gnosticism - pursuit of superior knowledge
Series of emanations (aeons)
Docetic – Christ not human
Nag Hammadi library
John and Cerinthus – “Let’s flee before the baths fall in. Cerinthus the enemy of truth is inside!”

19. Marcion
“Any error may be founded on parts of scripture; the truth alone is based on the whole”
E.H. Broadbent – Pilgrim Church

20. Heresies Marcion no continuity with Old Testament
Monarchianism reaction to Gnosticism
Montanism reaction to authoritarianism

21. Early Church leaders & writers
Ignatius ~ Bishop of Antioch, martyred
Polycarp ~ Bishop of Smyrna, martyred
Justin Martyr ~ Christian apologist
Irenaeus ~ Bishop of Lyons
Tertullian ~ Outspoken! Montanist
Origen ~ Bible teacher & writer
Cyprian ~ Bishop of Carthage
Augustine ~ Bishop of Hippo

22. Early Church leaders & writers
Augustine ~
Dramatic conversion
Bishop of Hippo
Wrote “City of God”
Dispute with Pelagius

23. Church foundations… Centralisation of Church Canon of Scripture
Creeds

24. Council of Nicea – 325 AD

25. Constantine the Great “In this sign conquer” 312 ~ Became emperor
334 ~ Christianity the official religion of Rome
Called Council of Nicea

26. Questions
?????

27. Part 2 Constantine to the Reformation
Church History
Part 2
Constantine to the Reformation

28. Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlogMDTYeA4
Church History
Part 2

29. Conversion of Constantine

30. Ambrose and Theodosius
Rubens

31. Pope Damasus, Jerome & the Vulgate

32. Was the Papal claim justified?
Romans 15:20
Matthew 23:1-12

33. The Huns

34. The Vandals

35. The Goths

36. The Franks

37. Angles, Saxons, Picts

38. Turks conquer Constantinople

39. Patriarchal Caliphate, 632-661
The menace of Islam
Expansion
Prophet Mohammad,
Patriarchal Caliphate,
Umayyad Caliphate,

40. The Great Schism

41. The Great Schism

44. Anthony – the first monk?

45. Simeon Stylites

46. Simon Stylites

47. Benedictine Monasticism

48. The crusades
Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, where he preached an impassioned sermon to take back the Holy Land.

49. John Wycliffe

50. John Wycliffe

51. Jan Hus

52. Church History
Part 3
The Reformation

53. Gutenburg

55. Petrarch – Ad Fonts

56. Fall of Constantinople - 1453

57. Was the Church vigorous or Corrupt?

58. Catholic teaching and practise
Born in Original sin – baptism, sins are forgiven. But what about sins committed as you grow up?
Purgatory. How do we reduce our time there?
Chantries
Saints
Relics
Indulgences

59. Erasmus

60. Martin Luther –

61. Martin Luther – 1483 – 1546 Movie Trailer

62. Martin Luther – 1483 – 1546 Diet of Worms

63. Martin Luther – 1483 – 1546 Preaches

64. Martin Luther – 1483 – 1546 Katherina Von Bora

65. Ulrich Zwingli –

67. The Anabaptists

68. The Anabaptists