1. Church History & Patrology Course
Course Overview
+ Church History by the century
+ Meaning and importance of “Patrology”
Course References
+ Church historians
+ Anti-/Post-Nicene and Nicene Fathers
Course Operation

2. L1: The Church in the 1st Century
1) The Coptic Church is an Apostolic Church
2) The Apostolic Churches of the 1st century
3) Famous Persons of the Apostolic Era

3. The Coptic Church is Apostolic
+ The Apostolic Era and Church
+ The 1st Christian Church
+ Who are the Copts?
+ Egypt before St Mark
+ The See of St. Mark

4. The Apostolic Era and Church
30 to 100 AD
What is an Apostolic Church?
Unbroken historical connection to the first Church (founded by the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost Day)

5. The 1st Christian Church
Birth: Pentecost; Acts 2:1-4, 14-36
Challenges: Jews and Pagans
Spread: Europe, Asia and Africa
Success: Holy Spirit, Acts 4:7-12, 8:26-29, 39-40, 13:2, 9-11, 15:28

6. Who are the Copts?
Copts: from Greek “Aigyptos”
Sons of Pharaohs:
+ Religious beyond any other race
+ Scientific background was subjected to religion
+ Religious dogmas (triads, one supreme being, 2nd life, cross)

7. Egypt before St Mark
Egypt in the Holy Bible:
+ Refuge: Abraham (Gen 12, Moses (Exodus), Jer 41, 43
+ Blessed: Hos 11:1, Isa 19:1
The Holy Family in Egypt:
+ Called by God to Joseph (Mt 2:13-15)
+ Well documented in references

9. The See of St. Mark
Christianity in Egypt:
+ Christian Jews before St. Mark, Acts 2:10, 18:24-28, Theopilus (Lk)
St. Mark the Founder:
+ One of the 70 Apostles
+ Born at 3 AD, Gospel at 60 AD, Egypt at 61 AD, martyred at 68AD

10. 2) The Apostolic Churches
(of the 1st century)
Jerusalem
Antioch
Alexandria
Rome

11. The Church of Jerusalem
(mother of all Christian Churches)
St James is the 1st bishop, then his brother St Simon the son of Kolb after his martyrdom in 62 AD
Martyrdom of St. Stephen => the spread of Christianity to Judea and Samaria; Acts 8:1, 14&15, 11:22

12. The Church of Antioch (Syria)
(1st Gentile Church)
Sts Paul & Barnabas ministered in Antioch (Acts 11:22-26) before St. Peter went to it (Gal 2:11). He is considered the 1st bishop.
The 1st Church to call the believers Christians and was the base of St Paul’s trips

13. The Church of Alexandria (Egypt)
(1st Theologian School)
St Mark is regarded as the first of unbroken 117 patriarchs and the 1st of a stream of Egyptian martyrs
He founded the 1st Christian theologian school to replace the pagan school

14. The Church of Rome (Italy)
Founded by St Paul (Acts 23:11, Rom 1:7/13, 15:20, Gal 2:7-9)
The Catholic Church regards St. Peter as the 1st patriarch of 265 patriarchs

15. 3) Famous Persons
of the Apostolic Era
The Twelve Disciples
The Seventy Apostles
The Church Father

16. The Twelve Disciples
The original disciples (Mt 10:2-4)
St Matthias was one of the 70 Apostles and was chosen to replace Judas the Iscariot (Acts 1:15-26)

17. The Seventy Apostles
The calling and sending of the 70 Apostles (Luke 10:1-16)
Famous among the 70 Apostles are Sts Barnabas, Luke, Mark
St Paul was chosen by God after His Ascension (Acts9:1-22)

18. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch Polycarp bishop of Smyrna
Famous Church Fathers
(of the 1st Century)
Clement of Rome
Ignatius Bishop of Antioch
Polycarp bishop of Smyrna
Ref=>

19. Saint Clement of Rome
+ 3rd bishop of Rome; AD
+ St Paul mentions him in Phil 4:3
+ Among his writings, the epistle to the Church of Corinth is the oldest authentic Christian doc outside the N.T.

20. (Theophorus = God Bearer)
Saint Ignatius
(Theophorus = God Bearer)
+ 3rd bishop of Antioch; AD
+ He was a disciple to St. John
+ En route to martyrdom, he wrote epistles that preserved the early Christian theology

21. Saint Polycarp
+ 1st bishop of Smyrna; AD
+ He was a disciple to St. John and was the angel praised by Christ in Rev 2:8-11
+ Among his famous writings is the epistle to the Philippians