1. PHASE I: EARLY CHRISTIANITY (BEFORE 400 A.D.)

2. JOURNAL QUESTION:
Why do you think there are so many divisions in Christianity? What is one thing that can be done to bring more unity?

3. PHASES OF THE SACRAMENTS:
BEFORE 400 A.D.
THE DARK AGES
THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES
THE COUNCIL OF TRENT & BEYOND
INTO THE 20TH & 21ST CENTURIES

4. SACRAMENTS: Are based on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
Are “Powered” by God
Efficacious: capable of effecting real change in us and in the world
Require a Human Response
Disposition: the inner attitude of those who receive the sacraments

5. THE EARLY CHRISTIANS (Acts 1&2)
The first Christian community started in Jerusalem
They saw themselves as Jews who were simply following “The Way” of Jesus
They used the symbol of a fish to identify that they were part of “The Way”
ΙΧΘΥΣ
This is an acronym for:
Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior
Iota is the first letter of Iesous (Ἰησοῦς), Greek for Jesus.
Chi is the first letter of Christos (Χριστóς), Greek for "anointed".
Theta is the first letter of Theou (Θεοῦ), that means "of God", genitive case of Θεóς "God".
Upsilon is the first letter of Huios (Υἱός), Greek for Son.
Sigma is the first letter of Soter (Σωτήρ), Greek for Savior.

6. “ICHTHUS”

7. WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE: A visible sign of joining “The Way” was baptism
They shared everything in common
They would gather for meals, break bread and read from Scripture (Old Testament)

8. THE CHURCH IN ANTIOCH
The Church in Antioch was the first place where there was a mix of Jews and Christians
It was in Antioch that the followers were first called “Christians”
From the Greek word, cristos, meaning the “Messiah” or “The Anointed One”
FINAL DECISION: Don’t make new converts do anything Jewish; just get baptized

9. PHASE I 54 A.D. Christianity is illegal 210 A.D.
Christianity is legal and later, the official religion of the Roman Empire
210 A.D.
Tertullian defines “sacramentum”