1. Teachers and Preachers
Church History
Teachers and Preachers
© John Stevenson, 2016

2. Church persecuted by Rome
The Ancient Church
Edict of Toleration
Fall of Rome
Church persecuted by Rome
Theodosius 1
100
200
500
300
400
Paul
Polycarp
Origen
Athanasius
Peter
Marcion
Arius
Augustine
John
Constantine
Pelagius

3. Chalcedonian
Nestorian
Monophysite

4. Julian the Apostate Emperor from 361-363
Nephew to Constantine the Great
Renounced Christianity and sought to restore paganism
Tried to rebuild Jewish temple in Jerusalem
Sought to invade Persia

5. Theodosius Emperor from 379-395 Ended state support for paganism
Put an end to the Olympic Games
Excommunicated by Ambrose after riot in Thessalonica

6. Theodosius
Emperor from
Eugenius
Battle of the Frigidus
394

7. Church persecuted by Rome
The Ancient Church
Edict of Toleration
Fall of Rome
Church persecuted by Rome
Theodosius 1
100
200
500
300
400
Paul
Polycarp
Origen
Athanasius
Peter
Marcion
Arius
John
Constantine

8. Church persecuted by Rome
The Ancient Church
Edict of Toleration
Fall of Rome
Church persecuted by Rome
Four Church Councils 1
100
200
500
300
400
Paul
Polycarp
Origen
Athanasius
Peter
Marcion
Arius
Augustine
John
Constantine
Pelagius

9. How much diversity in matters of Christian doctrine should the church tolerate?

10. Acts 20:28
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

11. Acts 20:29-31
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert…

12. Patriarchial Churches
Rome 
Constantinople
 Antioch
 Jerusalem 
Alexandria
Patriarchial Churches

13. Ambrose of Milan Governor of Milan
Governor of Milan
Civil strife over Arian controversy upon death of Bishop of Milan
Ambrose called for peace and was nominated as bishop though unbaptized
Gave away his property and studied for ministry

14. Ambrose of Milan Withstood the Arians
Withstood the Arians
Justina, the regent for her son, demanded that the church adopt Arianism. Ambrose refused.
Brought congregational singing into the church
Excommunicated Theodosius in 390

15. Jerome
Traveled to Syria and learned Hebrew, later traveled through Palestine and Egypt
Settled in Palestine where he devoted himself to writing
Translated the Bible into Latin (Vulgate)

16. John Chrysostom His nickname was Chrysostom (“golden-tongue”)
His nickname was Chrysostom (“golden-tongue”)
Trained in law before studying for ministry
He was a preacher at Antioch
Appointed to be bishop of Constantinople
Known for preaching exegetically from the Bible

17. Sought the “deeper meaning” by use of allegorical interpretation
School of Alexandria
School of Antioch
Sought the “deeper meaning” by use of allegorical interpretation
Emphasized the plain sense of the meaning of the Bible in interpretation
 Antioch
Clement of Alexandria, Origen
Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia
Alexandria 

18. John Chrysostom
The Empress Eudoxia had him exiled because she was displeased with his preaching on Elijah and Jezebel.
He was banished to Pontus.

19. John Chrysostom
He who said, “This is my body,” and made it so by his word, is the same that said, “You saw me hungry and you gave me no food. As you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me.” Honor him then by sharing your property with the poor. For what God needs is not golden chalices but golden souls (Sermon on the Gospel of Matthew).

20. Augustine 354-430 Mother was Monica, a Christian
Upbringing in North Africa
Stealing pears
Studies in Carthage
Concubine & son
Manichaeism

21. Our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you (Confessions)
Augustine
Our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you (Confessions)

22. Augustine 354-430 Travel to Rome Teacher of rhetoric in Milan
Admired Ambrose for his speaking ability
“Take up and read”

23. Augustine 354-430 Let us behave properly as in the
day, not in carousing
and drunkenness, not
in sexual promiscuity
and sensuality, not
in strife and
jealousy…

24. Augustine 354-430 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no
provision
for the flesh in
regard to its
lusts.
(Romans 13:13-14)

25. Augustine 354-430 Bishop of Hippo, North Africa
Confessions: Tells story of his coming to Christianity
Rome sacked by Visigoths (410)
City of God

26. The City of God
The Kingdom of God is not to be found in today’s political arena
The Christian’s true citizenship is in the city of God

27. Accordingly, two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former, in a word, glories in itself, the latter in the Lord. (City of God 16:28)

28. The earthly city, which does not live by faith, seeks an earthly peace, and the end it proposes, in the well-ordered concord of civic obedience and rule, is the combination of men's wills to attain the things which are helpful to this life. The heavenly city, or rather the part of it which sojourns on earth and lives by faith, makes use of this peace only because it must, until this mortal condition which necessitates it shall pass away. (City of God 19:17)

29. What you believe
What you do

30. Pelagius Celtic monk from England
Celtic monk from England
Saw the moral laxity in Rome and thought it due to Augustine’s theology of grace
Conflict with Augustine
His teachings condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D.

31. Augustine versus Pelagius
Man is born in sin and spiritually dead
Man is essentially good
Man’s will was affected by the fall so that, apart from the Spirit, he does not choose God
Man’s will is neutral; he has the free will to either follow God or reject God
Salvation is a gift of God to undeserving men
Salvation comes as men imitate Christ

32. What does the
Bible Teach?
Predestination
Free Will

33. Man is dead in sin; salvation is by the grace of God given to elect
Pelagianism
Pelagius
Coelestius
Man is born essentially good and capable of doing what is needed for salvation
Augustinianism
Augustine of Hippo
Man is dead in sin; salvation is by the grace of God given to elect
Semi-Pelagianism
John Cassian
The grace of God and the will of man work together; man must take the initiative
Semi-Augustinianism
Caesarius of Aries
The grace of God comes to all, enabling one to choose and do what is needed for salvation
Robert Walton

34. Augustine on the Origin of Evil
The Problem: How can a good God create evil?
Evil is not a “thing” and therefore not created
Evil is the act of turning away from God
Man was created good, but not immutable; he had free will

35. Augustine on the Origin of Evil
The greatest good is one where God’s grace overcame evil
God has created the best of all possible worlds
God’s thoughts are not our thoughts

36. Augustine and Just War Christians are to live in peace
Defense of self and others is appropriate
God has established governments to preserve peace
Just war should be defensive rather than pre-emptive