TEACHING NOTES ‌ Introduction In this study series we are going to focus on several doctrines which are popular in modern Christianity. The purpose of this series is to help modern believers to realize that some popular doctrines are relatively new ideas and to help us see where and who they came from originally. The goal is to rediscover the most ancient doctrines and evaluate where we need to make adjustments. In this first session, we need to get a broad picture of our history that will guide us throughout this series and the topics that will be covered. ‌ Church History Matters: Knowing church history helps us to trace and evaluate certain doctrines through identifying the when, who, and why behind those doctrines. Doctrines which cannot be traced back to the earliest centuries of the Church, or those which originated by one person, must be evaluated honestly and cautiously. ‌ The Problem: Most modern Christians, and pastors, know very little about church history. Many Christians do not know the origins of their doctrines or even their denomination. This means that many Christians do not know why they believe what they believe. ‌ 1 Corinthians 3:18 ESV Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ‌ 1 Corinthians 4:1–2 ESV This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. ‌ 1 Corinthians 4:5 ESV Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. ‌ 1 Corinthians 4:6 ESV I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. ‌ Overview of Church History *All dates are A.D. obviously and some approximate. ‌ 30 = Jesus crucified and risen. Great Commission begins. ‌ 70 = Jerusalem & temple destroyed. Before the temple was destroyed, the early church dealt with disputes and divisions between Jewish and Gentile Christians (Acts 15). Once the temple was destroyed the sacrificial system ended, along with many of the Torah feasts. This essentially ended disputes about Christians observing Torah ritual laws. In the next few centuries, Christianity became more Gentile and less Jewish. ‌ 70/96 = New Testament finished. While many scholars believe that some of the New Testament books (John’s writings) were written late, there are also many scholars who believe that all of the NT was finished by AD 70. ‌ 70-100 = Apostolic Fathers: Barnabas, Clement of Rome, Mathetes, Polycarp, Ignatius, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and others. ‌ 100-200 = 2nd Century Fathers: Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, and others. ‌ 200-300 = 3rd Century Fathers: Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen, Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian, Gregory, Dionysius, Julius Africanus, Anatolius, and others. ‌ Note: The Ante-Nicene Fathers are leaders and writers who lived after the apostles up to AD 325 (The Council of Nicaea). There are thousands of pages of writings from this time period which are invaluable in telling us what the early Christians believed and practiced. ‌ 313 = Roman Emperor Constantine signs the Edict of Milan declaring Christianity a legal religion in the Roman Empire. This ended all persecution of Christians living in Roman territories. The Edict of Milan did NOT make Christianity the state religion, but only made it one of many legal religions. This was the first time that Christians were given some form of religious freedom. ‌ 325 = Council of Nicaea: This was a meeting of church leaders to discuss a dispute with Arius, who was teaching that Jesus was not eternal but was created by God. The council overwhelmingly decided against Arianism, declaring it heresy. ‌ 380 = Roman Emperor Theodosius I signs the Edict of Thessalonica declaring Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. While some see this as a win for Christianity, it eventually led to persecution of non-Christians and other Christian groups who had differing beliefs from those in power. Christians wielding political power has historically had negative impacts. ‌ 382 = St. Jerome begins translating the Latin Vulgate. Since the predominate language in the west (Rome) was Latin, Jerome was commissioned to produce a translation of the Bible in Latin. This becomes the Bible of the Western Church. ‌ 400 = St. Augustine writes several books which become very influential in the Western Church. Augustine proposed a new form of the doctrine of “Original Sin” to mean that all people after Adam are born guilty of Adam’s sin. Augustine also taught and popularized a doctrine of “Just War” which was later used to justify horrible acts in the Western Church. Augustine’s views of predestination and election were later developed by Martin Luther and John Calvin (1500s) to teach that humans have no choice in their salvation. ‌ THE PENTARCHY (Five Patriarchs): The ancient Church was organized by geographical location into five groups of churches, each led by a Patriarch (overseer). The five groups are: Rome, Constantinople (Turkey), Alexandria (Egypt), Antioch (Syria), Jerusalem (Palestine). ‌ DOCTRINAL TENSION: Beginning in the 400s, doctrinal tension arose between the western and eastern Church. The Church in the west began to adopt the teachings of Augustine, while Christians in the east rejected those doctrines. Additionally, the Church in the west began teaching that the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) had authority over the entire Christian Church, which the Church in the east completely rejected. Over time the eastern churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem began to be doctrinally separated from the Roman churches and their newer doctrinal developments. ‌ 1054 = THE GREAT SCHISM: As the western Church continued to give more authority and power to the Bishop of Rome (the Pope), the divide between the eastern and western churches continued to grow. Then the Roman Church declared that the Pope is not only in authority over all Christians, but they also declared the Pope to be infallible. The eastern Church strongly disagreed and the western leaders declared dissenters as heretics. The Church in the east became known as Eastern Orthodox and the west as Roman Catholic. ‌ MIDDLE AGES: During the Middle Ages the western Church continued to develop doctrines which were rejected in the east. Theologians and leaders in the Roman Catholic Church helped to develop the doctrines of Purgatory, Penance, Indulgences, the Treasury of Merit, and Penal-Substitutionary Atonement. The eastern Church mostly rejected these ideas as new, man-made, and heretical. The Roman Catholic Church also led the Crusades as Holy Wars to reconquer regions of land and slaughtered countless victims in the name of Christ. ‌ 1517 = THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION: The Roman Catholic Church gained prominence through the Middle Ages and Crusades. The teaching and practice of paid indulgences to gain forgiveness or release dead loved ones from Purgatory funded the spread of Roman Catholicism and the building of Cathedrals. However, one priest and theologian named Martin Luther became sick of it all. On October 31, 1517 Luther nailed to the door of the All Saint’s Church in Wittenberg, Germany a document of 95 criticisms of Roman Catholic practices. This launched the Protestant Reformation which later birthed the Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed denominations. ‌ Conclusion Christianity drifts into new errors when believers are... ‌1. Biblically Illiterate ‌2. Historically Ignorant ‌3. Modern Supremacists