Church History
2nd Century Christianity
Article III
Statistics of the 2nd Century A.D.
In 100 A.D., the Apostle John, as an old man of 90 years old, and the last surviving original apostle died of natural causes. He had been the pastor of the Church at Ephesus before and after he was banished to the Isle of Patmos . Orthodox tradition claims that John took Mary, the mother of Jesus, with him to Ephesus where they both eventually died.
When John was an old man he trained Polycarp as a disciple of Christ. Polycarp later became bishop of Smyrna “ another church in Asia Minor. As such, Polycarp was able to carry John's Gospel message to another age. [3]
The breaking into various branches of Christianity
Early Christianity continuously wanted to split itself into various branches. Whatever the leader believed in, those who followed him accepted those beliefs. First of all, there were remnants of the Jewish Christian sect that were founded by Jesus' disciples after His crucifixion. They congregated in and around Jerusalem to be near the temple so they could continue their worship as a Jew. With the leveling of the temple in 70 A.D., these Jewish Christians scattered, developing Jewish Christian communities throughout the Roman Empire. Then there were the churches that were started by the Apostle Paul and other disciples of Christ that consisted mainly of Gentile converts who did not want to be circumcised or follow Jewish traditions. This group of converted Gentiles formed the majority of the people in the Church. The first Church council, held in Jerusalem in 49 A.D. by the various top leaders, was designed to settle the disputes that had caused the two groups to split. The intent was to unite all believers under One tenet, that being belief in Christ's life, death, and resurrection. Regardless, the Church remained divided.
Cultic Threats to Christianity
In addition, there were many Christian cultic sects that formed from a combination of Hellenism and Christianity beliefs around the Roman Empire, particularly at the Eastern end of the Empire. These sects also called themselves Christians and believed in Jesus as the Son of God, but carried many false heretical doctrines. [4]
The Parting Words of the Apostles
The Apostles Paul and John left strong words of warning with the Church in Colossae and Ephesus regarding these cultic beliefs. Their words were meant to be distributed to all churches throughout the Lycus Valley in Phrygia of Asia Minor as warnings to avoid. These various heretical beliefs had infiltrating the Church through false teachers, and not only caused division, but was pulling the Church away from the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The earliest cultic heresy was known as Docetism as early as 60 A.D., followed by Gnosticism in the 2nd century.
The Apostle Paul wrote strongly to the church at Colossae regarding a false teaching that became known as the Colossian Heresy, which was nullifing the blood sacrifice of Jesus. In the four chapters of his writings, Paul was warning the people to turn away from this false teaching. The same kind of practice was going on in Ephesus with just a little different twist. The Apostle Paul wrote to his beloved followers, with whom he had spent so much time on his mission journeys. There he gave the simple Gospel, lifting up Jesus and pleading with the people to cast aside any other teachings but that of Jesus shed blood and resurrection.
The Apostle John, in his last writings, warned the Church against heresies that denied the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. Referring to the growing cultic beliefs of Docetism, John wrote the following to the churches:
1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. KJV
2 John 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. KJV
Docetism
Docetism, derived its name from the Greek word “dokeoâ€. which means to appear or seem like. Docetism, as an early Christian heresy, claimed that Christ was not truly human, meaning He did not possess a physical body. What was seen of Him was only a ghost-like figure. Christ appeared as human, but in essence was simply a spirit in the form of a body. [5] If this belief was true, Jesus then did not come in the flesh, shedding His physical blood on Calvary, because He was only a spirit. If his physical blood was not shed and He did not die, there would be no atonement for the sins of mankind. If God did not raise Jesus from the dead, there would be no salvation for mankind. Christianity would, therefore, be completely null and void because salvation only comes through Jesus life, death, and resurrection. Without it, there is no eternal life. Sadly, Docetism spread into other cultic beliefs within the Church.
Gnosticism
Gnosticism (silent "g") had been on the rise since the forming of Docetism - about 60 A.D. It carried earlier roots of Asian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek and Syrian pagan religions which then brought strange cultic beliefs into Judaism and Christianity. [6] Its name was derived from the Greek word “gnosis, meaning knowledge - a special mystical knowledge, reserved for those with true understanding. That secret knowledge was supposed to be the key to salvation. Gnosticism became the largest cultic heresy in the church of the early second century.
Teachings of the Gnostics
Gnostics added to the claims of Docetism, teaching that they alone had secret knowledge about God, humanity and the rest of the universe, of which other Christians and the general population were unaware. [7] They claimed that all matter, including the physical body was evil. Since the human body was evil, Jesus then could not have come down to earth in a body, but simply as a spirit. What was seen by man as a body only appeared to be a body. They believed His physical presence was simply His spirit.
This Gnostic belief taught that man is composed of body, soul, and spirit, which is scriptural, except that since the body and the soul are part of man's earthly existence, they believed they were evil. Their claim was that within man's soul is the spirit, which is the only divine substance. The spirit is asleep and ignorant; therefore, needs to be awakened and liberated by knowledge. For Gnostics, salvation then can only come through knowledge. Man must be awakened and brought to a realization of his true nature. Mankind is continuously moving toward the Omega Point, the Great day when all must graduate or fall. This day is also the Day of Judgment in which only those who have entered the Path of Transfiguration, and are being reborn, can return to the Treasury of Light. [8]
The chief goal of the Gnostics was to become free forever from the taint of matter and the shackles of the body, and to return to the heavenly realm as Pure Spirit, totally rejecting any idea of the resurrection of the body. [9] To be set free, Gnostics had to search Scriptures looking for hidden meanings to continuously increase their knowledge. The spirit would be awakened by this knowledge so the inner man could be released from his earthly body and returned to the realm of light where the soul would reunite with God. As the soul ascends, however, it needs to penetrate through the cosmic spheres, which was separate from the heavenly destiny. Soul ascension was not an easy task. The Gnostic belief taught that the earth was surrounded by seven cosmic spheres that were ruled by archons, or spiritual principalities and powers, which guarded their spheres. Their purpose was to bar the souls who are seeking to ascend from the realm of darkness and captivity to the higher realm of light above. To ascend through it, one must learn knowledge, and only certain formulas were revealed to the informed. This kind of belief also had its roots in Platonic philosophy [10] and can be seen in some of the New Age teachings of today.
The Gnostic beliefs represent a denial of several crucial Christian doctrines, such as creation, the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and His resurrection. It totally nullifies Christ's shed blood, death, and resurrection as a means of salvation for mankind. Gnosticism simply became a religion of works, and, according to them, was meant only for those special elite who could discover the secret knowledge hidden within the Scriptures.
The Attitude of Gnostics Toward Other Christians
Gnostics considered themselves superior to other Christians; in fact, they looked down on those who didn't believe as they did. Their condescending attitude created a variety of ethical behaviors as well. Some separated themselves from all evil matter so they would not be contaminated; while others adopted very liberal ethics, participating in all sorts of physical indulgences. They believed that since they received this special divine knowledge and were informed about their divine nature, they could then live as they pleased. Sad to say, these false teachings of Docetism and Gnosticism grew in spite of the warnings of the Apostles Paul and John.
Out of the one million Christians around 100 A.D., most were true believers in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; however, mixed into it were those who carried a variety of false heretical teachings.
Second-Century Christianity
As this article enters into the second century of Christianity, we see that in spite of the persecution and false teachings, the Church continued to grow. After the temple was leveled in 70 A.D. the Jews and Christians were scattered in many directions. The Church at Jerusalem was no longer the headquarter church; the church in Antioch had become the main headquarters in the eastern end of the Roman Empire. House churches continued to grow as its members frequently visited the headquarter church to gather together as an assembly together. The more that persecution grew, the more the churches spread. It could not be stopped. Before long there were churches (mainly house churches) scattered all over the known world around the Mediterranean Sea.
Anti-Nicene Church Fathers
We now move beyond the age of the apostles of Jesus Christ, and enter into a new age the age of the Anti-Nicene Church fathers (Church fathers before the Nicene Council of 325 A.D.). The Apostle John had left several proteges' behind to carry on the ministry of the Gospel in his stead. Their faith and efforts made a positive difference in the propagation of Christianity.
- Anti-Nicene Church fathers = Church fathers before the Nicene Council of 325 A.D.
- Nicene Church fathers = Church fathers during the time of the Nicene Council of 325 A.D.
- Post-Nicene Church fathers = Church fathers after the Nicene Council of 325 A.D.
In and amongst the Anti-Nicene Church fathers were also heretical beliefs which caused divisions within the Church. Some of them will be discussed in this and other articles.
Ignatius
Ignatius was ministered to by the Apostle John and became one of his proteges'. His ministry was to carry on where the ministry of the great apostle ended. Ignatius vigorously opposed Docetism and Gnosticism and was very vocal in his opposition of these heretical teachings. [11] Ignatius, who was not much younger than John, was given the ministry of being the pastor (or bishop) over the large headquarter Church of Antioch after the fall of Jerusalem and the closing of the Church at Jerusalem. The position of bishop carried great prestige and influence over many Christian churches.
The Eurcharist
The word Eucharist is a Greek word eucharisto , meaning to give thanks or to rejoice, referring to the bread and wine and the ritual of communion, prayer, and worship used by Christians in their worship service. Small wooden altars were used to place the elements upon. Ignatius accepted this concept, and in 106 A.D. criticized those who abstained from the Eucharist and public prayers, claiming the Eucharist to be the same body as our Savior Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father in His goodness raised up again. [12] Throughout later centuries those words were erroneously expounded to mean within certain denominations that the bread and wine literally became the actual body and blood of Jesus.
By 107 A.D. Ignatius, as an elderly man, was condemned to death by the imperial authorities. He was brought in chains to an arena in Rome so his death could amuse the people. He traveled with soldier escort across Turkey to the seacoast to board a ship headed to Rome for his sentencing demise. The journey across land took a long time. Along the way, he was allowed many visitors of delegations from several churches who spoke with him at length, assisting him on his journey, and bidding him farewell. In response, he dictated seven letters that have been preserved as valuable documents for our knowledge of early Christianity. [13] One of the letters was written to the Christians in Rome speaking of the persecution and martyrdom of the second century. This epistle became a Christian handbook for martyrs for many centuries. Much of the information on the life and death of many of the apostles and disciples of the 1st century A.D. came from the original writings of Ignatius.
Polycarp
As a protege' of the Apostle John, and a much younger man, Polycarp became a prominent pastor (bishop) in Smyrna, which was in Phyrgia of Asia Minor. Polycarp became the most important church leader of his day. [14] As a much younger man, Polycarp had been a good friend to Ignatius. One of the final letters that Ignatius wrote on his journey to Rome was to Polycarp.
Polycarp's ministry was to continuously urge the believers to protect the apostles teachings and warnings to stay away from false heretical doctrine. He spent his life serving the Lord. In 155 A.D. as an old man, Polycarp was charged by the Roman government as being a Christian. He was part of a group from Smyrna that was brought before the Roman authorities. The magistrate commanded him and the others to recant of their faith or die. Upon refusing to recant their Christianity by publicly worshipping the Hellenistic gods, Polycarp and the others with him received the death sentence. They were all tied to stakes to be burned alive. Shortly after the fire was lit, the magistrate felt sorry for the elderly Polycarp and commanded a soldier to stab him to death. Polycarp's friends gave his remains honorable burial, and wrote an account of his death to other churches. [15]
Polycarp was the most important church leader of his day. Even the Romans who executed him called him "the father of Christianity." His letter written to the Philippians has survived, as well as a detailed account of his martyrdom. Both Ignatius and Polycarp helped bridge the history between the Book of Acts and the 2nd and ensuing centuries. [16]
Rome - the Headquarters of the Western Church
With the leveling of the temple of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. the Jews and Christians had scattered, developing many churches throughout the Eastern Roman Empire. With the death of Ignatius and Polycarp, the eastern leadership waned and Christians looked toward the Church of Rome as the seat of power over Christianity .
The Acceptance of Scripture by 120 A.D.
By 120 A.D. the Church at large had come to rely on around 20 writings of the apostles without any formal decree as to their canonical suprmacy. These teachings were taught in most of the churches around the Roman Empire as from the apostles of Jesus. With the advancement of false doctrines trying to enter the Church, the Church of Rome's greatest function was to guard and protect the apostle's teaching as taught by Christ.
Marcion
Marcion was born the son of a Christian bishop on the Black Sea's southern coast in 110 A.D. As a young man, he had a sexual encounter with an unmarried girl in his father's congregation. Marcion was rebellious and unrepentant, so the church members voted the bishop's son out of the church and excluded him from the church's fellowship. Marcion left the church that his father pastored in anger and took off to the high seas. Having a distaste for the world he left behind, Marcion worked as a ships deck hand. There he met a man with strong Gnostic beliefs. He became enamored with its teachings and through that influence became a Gnostic believer. Over a period of time Marcion became a very wealthy man who operated his own shipyard. He also became a strong Gnostic supporter.
Believing the Gnostic way was the answer for the Church, and having a desire for Gnostic evangelism, Marcion traveled to Rome. In 140 A.D. he met with the leaders of the Roman Church, purposing to deceive them to further his cause of Gnostic evangelism. He offered the Roman Church an enormous amount of money on the condition that he could set up a Christian church. The Church of Rome complied and took the money. [17] Marcion used the platform of a bishop's office over a church to develop his cultish ideas into a full-fledged belief system with the local people. His teachings spread fast. Some of the erroneous teachings were:
- Jesus Christ's Father had nothing to do with the wrathful Old Testament God who had created the physical world.
- The all loving Father of Christ would never resurrect anyone's body or physically punish anyone.
- Jesus was only a spirit - Christ only seemed human.
- Because the earth was evil, to be a Gnostic believer, one had to deny all earthly desires.
- When celebrating the Lord's Supper, one must not drink wine - only water. Why? Drinking the fruit of the vine might incite physical pleasure.
- Sexual relations were banned, even between spouses.
Surprising, Gnosticism grew.
The First Attempt at a New Testament Canon
Marcion challenged many of the writings and teachings of the apostles. He only accepted eleven out of the twenty books that had been earlier accepted by the leaders of the Church. Those books were the Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul's letters. With the Gospel of Luke, however, he rejected and removed the story of Jesus' birth. From the writings of Paul he removed every mention in the Hebrew Scripture that stated "because the God of the Hebrews." He then set out to create the first list of authoritative writings that would become the first attempt of the earliest New Testament Canon. This endeavor may have satisfied Marcion, but not the Roman Church. By 144 A.D., only four years after Marcion requested to be a bishop of a church, the Church of Rome had enough of his proletyzing the apostles belief of Christianity. They returned Marcion's enormous offering and removed him from the Church's fellowship. Marcion had by this time, however, created a very large following. He took many of his supporters away from Rome and started other congregations of Marcionites in Italy and Asia Minor.
Gnosticism had a disruptive effect on the fellowship in the Church. By 160 A.D. there were more Gnostics within the Christian Church than the believers who believed in the doctrine of the early apostles.
Ridding the Church of False Teachings
Gnostics had always called themselves Christians. This fact was upsetting to the Roman Church and other Christians who held true to the apostles teachings. After Marcion left the Roman Church, an enlarged series of questions arose as to what was correct teaching. For the protection of the Church, the Roman Church put forth a requirement for one to receive baptism. A new believer was now required to confess and to properly answer the questions of The Rule of Faith as the basis of their faith. This became the entrance into the Church.
Rule of FaithDo you believe in God the Father, Ruler of all? Do you believe in Christ Jesus, God's Son, who was born by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary. Was crucified under Pontius Pilate, died and was buried, and rose again on the third day, alive from the dead, and ascended into heaven, sat at the Father's right hand, and will come again to judge the living and the dead: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy church, and the resurrection of the flesh.
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The Roman Church fought hard to have "true" Christians maintain correct doctrine and understand how their faith differed from Marcion's false teachings of Gnosticism.
- Marcion had argued that Christ's Father had nothing to do with the physical world.
- The Rule of Faith called God Ruler of all. Marcion claimed that Christ was not human.
- The Rule of Faith confirmed Christ's birth and death.
- Marcion said the human body was beyond redemption.
- The Rule of Faith affirmed the resurrection of the flesh.
Handed Down From the Apostles of Christ
Every true" Christian could accept the Rule of Faith because every word was a statement coming from Scripture as was handed down from the Apostles. In that, the Roman Church was correct. The Marcionites, however, could not accept the Rule of Faith.
The Rule of Faith was later revised and became known as the Apostles Creed.
The Apostles' CreedI believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
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A New Name for the Church “ Catholic
To distinguish between the universal Christian Church of "true believers" and the churches of the cultic teachings of Marcion and others, the Roman Church, as the present headquarters for the Church -at-large created a name that would set the Church apart from all other false teachings. The word "Catholic" was established. In its original form, Catholic means the teachings of the apostles as given by Christ. Thus the Church “ believers in the teachings of the apostles, as given by Christ, took on the name Catholic to represent the universal church at large.
The division among the Church was distinct. The Catholic Church opposing the Gnostic Church, who also claimed to be Christian. Those who called themselves Catholic openly claimed the apostles teachings as their own. When two Christians met, one could ask of the other "Are you Catholic?" Their response would determine their Christian belief.
Gnostic Marcionite Christianity survived for another 150 years and then died out. Only small remnants of it continued through the centuries. The Catholic Church, however, grew strong and survived.
Apologists
By the mid 100s, scholars who defended the Christian faith, but were not necessarily Catholic Christians themselves, began to answer the charges that critics hurled at the Christians. These scholars were called apologists. Their intent was not to convert the Romans, but simply to prove that Christians were not criminals.
Justin Martyr (100 -165 A.D.)
The most popular apologist was a man named Justin. A highly intelligent and well traveled man, Justin embraced the Greek philosophy. Born of pagan parents, he grew up to study philosophy. He was converted to Christianity in Ephesus at the age of 38. He then went from place to place trying to convert men of learning by philosophical argument. He opened a school of Christian philosophy at Rome. He believed that the pagan philosophers had discovered dim shadows of God's cosmic Word. His belief, unlike Marcion's, believed that in Jesus this cosmic order became flesh. His pagan philosophy, however, was mixed with his Christian faith.
Justin conformed biblical concepts to his Greek world-view. In that, he carried heretical beliefs. Regardless, he still had a deep faith in Christ. He was also familiar with the operations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In his works he wrote: "Now it is possible to see among us women and men who possess gifts of the Spirit of God." [18] When forced to choose between Christ and the Roman gods, Justin chose Christ. In 165 A.D. he was martyred in Rome by being beheaded. He became known as Justin Martyr - martyr meaning witness, which designates one who dies for his beliefs [19]
Why Did People Continually Become Christian?
Persecution was at its height, especially in the Western part of the Roman Empire. As the Roman powers of depravity grew, the Church grew even stronger. So why did people continually become a Christian? The answer lies in the Holy Spirit's working within the hearts of men and women. People were longing for moral guidance, equality, and a personal relationship with their Creator. By the mid 100s, the Roman Empire's depravity repulsed not only Jews and Christians, but Gentiles as well. The impersonal gods of ancient times no longer seemed adequate to most Romans. The Jewish and Christian faiths, however, offered direct contact with the spiritual realm. Christianity offered Jesus' human experience of suffering, which strengthened many in their own suffering, even to martyrdom. Roman people began to turn toward Christianity. They didn't want to turn to Judaism, however, for fear of the painful experience of the ritual of circumcision, so Christianity was inviting. Women within the Roman culture were considered worthless. Because Christ accepted them, so did Christianity, which gave women a sense of worth and value. Women flourished in the Church.
Iranaeus (125-202 A.D.)
Iranaeus was born and brought up in the province of Asia. In his youth he was a disciple of Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna. Iranaeus later moved to France. After the martyrdom of Pothinus - bishop of Lyon, France in 177 AD, Iranaeus was elected as his successor.
Iranaeus had a pastor's heart. He led his flock in their Christian life and faith. He became presbyter, and as such was sent to Rome to serve the bishop. Out of all of the major written works of Irenaeus, only two have survived - Against Heresies and The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching , which is a manual of Christian evidences, outlining the plan of salvation. Iranaeus testified that believers were speaking in tongues. His writings were a powerful testimony to the wide-spread knowledge and practice of spiritual gifts operating in the Church of his time. [20]
Gnostic schools had claimed they were the ones who best preserved the original teaching of the apostles. Iranaeus, through his writings, refuted this heresy and instructed believers in the teachings of the apostles. His goal was to expound the faith he had received from his teachers and refute all the heresies he saw threatening the Church. [21] Iranaeus laid the foundations of Christian theology and by refuting the errors of the Gnosticism, his writings kept the early Catholic Church from corruption . According to tradition, Iraneaus suffered martyrdom and was beheaded in 202 A.D. [22]
Montanus - New Prophets
On the Eastern side of the Roman Empire a renewed emphasis on the Holy Spirit and personal holiness was sweeping through the churches in Asia Minor. One of the leaders was named Montanus, who was earlier a pagan priest of the Oriental ecstatic cult of Cybele, the mother goddess of fertility before his conversion to Christianity in 155 A.D. [23]
Montanus, mixing his pagan beliefs with Christianity, claimed to be the voice of the Holy Spirit when he announced that a new age had come - the age of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Even though we know that the Holy Spirit had already come on the Day of Pentecost over one hundred years prior, Montanus, joined by two young women, went around prophesying his beliefs of the outpouring of the new age. He was concerned about the growing formalism in the Western Roman Catholic Church and the increasing moral laxity of its members. He stressed the importance of the supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit. He claimed the leadership within the Church needed to possess a spiritual gift rather than be appointed to an ecclesiastical office. Montanus emphasis glossolalia (speaking in tongues) [24] and the gift of prophecy. [25]
Because the Roman Catholic Church acknowledged the charismatic gifts, Montanus did not deny the doctrines of the Church or attack the authority of the bishops His movement, with the emphasis on the Holy Spirit spread throughout Asia Minor. Montanus beliefs centered on holiness, radical self-denial, and spoke of the imminent return of Christ. Convinced that the end of the world was at hand, Montanus required rigorous moral behavior to purify Christians and detachment from their material desires. He banned marriages and commanded frequent fasts. Martyrdom was not only supported but sought. [26] Followers of Montanus were called the New Prophets. Montanus often induced ecstatic intensity along with a state of passivity to supposedly speak words from the Holy Spirit. His claim was that through revelation , the Holy Spirit spoke, and he was the receiver of a fuller revelation from God. Anyone then who was not a New Prophet was considered carnal in their faith. [27] In time people began to realize that this behavior differed from the Catholic Church, and when the imminent Second Coming of Christ did not come, people deserted Montanus' doctrine and many Christian communities were abandoned. In 177 A.D. it was concluded by the head bishops of Asia Minor synods that the Montanus doctrine was actually an attack on the Catholic faith. All Montanists were then excommunicated from the Catholic Church. [28]
We must be aware that many of the writings of the 1st and 2nd centuries came through the pens on those holding to threads of heretical doctrines. Even though many of them today are acknowledged as Church fathers, their writings contained teachings that may or may not support the teachings of Christ and the early apostles. It is critically important that all beliefs and ancient writings be compared to the Word of God.
Two Churches Within the Roman Empire
By the end of the 2nd century there were two church authorities. The Western Church of Rome carried the power in the western part of the Empire, and the Eastern Churches of Asia Minor had rebuilt themselves to become the power in the Eastern Empire. The Church-at-large was becoming divided.
Even though Montanism was rightfully abandoned by the Eastern Empire, the movement did have some positive affects within the Eastern Church. Their focus was placed more on an emphasis of the Holy Spirit. Their beliefs, however, also stated that the Church's holiness depended on the holiness of its members. Their beliefs then centered on a religion of works, having its judgmental, rigorous, moral behavior of purification and self-denial. The Western Church, on the other hand, focused more on the Word, the Rule of Faith, and the Roman overseer. Their beliefs had come to regard the overseer of the churches as the channel of the Holy Spirit's work. For them, the Church's holiness resided in the overseer. It was claimed that the Roman Catholic Church, like Noah's ark, contained clean and unclean creatures. As long as persons remained united to their overseer, they remained united to God's Spirit. The Roman Catholic Church had also become a religion of works. Both groups failed to realize that the Church's holiness resided neither in the overseers nor in the people's own efforts to live holy lives, but by the Holy Spirit's residence inside a believer to make those changes. Sanctification comes through abiding in the Word of God.
Not only were the Western and Eastern churches divided on doctrine and dogma, another strong disagreement arose between the two churches about the commensuration of the Christian Passover, more commonly known to us as Easter. The Eastern Church celebrated Christ's resurrection during the Jewish Passover, while the Western (Roman) Church waited until the Sunday after Passover. Both groups, however, celebrated Easter with a pot-luck dinner. Each spring some Christians found themselves feasting while others were fasting. The division of Easter rites still holds strong within the Eastern and Western churches even today.
Burial Ground
The first Christians were forbidden to cremate their dead, and therefore they needed burial grounds. In Rome they adopted a form of cemetery burial sometimes used by pagans, which were a complex network of underground tunnels known as catacombs. Excavated in the soft tufa-stones near the road outside of the city, multiple burial grounds have been found. The total length of their corridors is said to be over 500 miles. There are thirty-five catacombs that are known, the oldest of which dates from the latter second century. [29] Inscriptions and paintings from the catacombs help clarify the development of Christian art and symbolism, strengthening Christian beliefs and devotion. [30] Early Christian worship were often found in catacombs, centered around small wooden altars of the elements of the bread and the fruit of the vine, commonly known as the Eucharist. [31]
End Notes
[1] http://www.sentex.net/~ajy/facts/romanemp.html
[2] http://www2.andrews.edu/~samuele/books/advent_hope/3.html
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Apostle
[4] www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic1.htm
[5] www.home.sprynet.com/~eagreen/docetism.html
[6] www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic1.htm
[7] ibed
[8] ibed
[9] www.gty.org/~phil/creeds/apostles.htm
[10] www.gty.org/~phil/creeds/apostles.htm
[11] www.home.sprynet.com/~eagreen/docetism.html
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist
[13] www. justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/270.html
[14] www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590260430/peterkirby/103-0157882-9147028
[15] www. justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/108.html
[16] http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590260430/peterkirby/103-0157882-9147028
[17] Jones, Timothy Paul. Christian History Made Easy. Rose Publishing. Torrance, CA. 1999.
[18] Hyatt, Eddie L. 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity. Hyatt International Ministries. 1996.
[19] www.bartleby.com/65/ju/JustinMa.html
[20] Hyatt, Eddie L. 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity. Hyatt International Ministries. 1996.
[21] Bruce, F.F. The Canon of Scripture. InterVarsity. 1988.
[22] ibed
[23] Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity. HarperSanFranscisco. v. 1.
[24] Walton, Robert C. Chronological and Background Charts of Church History. Zondervan. 1986.
[25] Hyatt, Eddie L. 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity. Hyatt International Ministries, Inc. 1996.
[26] Walton, Robert C. Chronological and Background Charts of Church History. Zondervan. 1986.
[27] ibed
[28] Encyclopedia Brittanica online
[29] Dowley, Tim. Introduction to the History of Christianity. Fortress. Minneapolis. 1995.
[30] ibed
[31] http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01362a.htm