Church History

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Church History
The Papacy 2
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The Papacy 2

• Overview
• After the Apostles
• Biblical warnings
• Jesus warnings
• Apostles warnings
• Early Church fathers
• During the time of persecution
• Churches were not unified under a leader
• After Christianity was legalized
• Edict of Milan
• Donatist schism

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• Jesus warnings
• Mat 715 "Beware of false prophets, who come to
  you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous
  wolves.
• Luke 103 Go your way behold, I am sending you
  out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

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• Apostles warnings
• Act 2029-30 I know that after my departure
  fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing
  the flock and from among your own selves will
  arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away
  the disciples after them.
• 2Pe 21-3 But false prophets also arose among
  the people, just as there will be false teachers
  among you, who will secretly bring in destructive
  heresies, even denying the Master who bought
  them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
  And many will follow their sensuality, and
  because of them the way of truth will be
  blasphemed.
• And in their greed they will exploit you with
  false words. Their condemnation from long ago
  is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

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Early Church fathers
Clement of Rome (ca. 96)
Justin Martyr(100165)
Irenaeus (2nd century AD - c. 202)
Polycarp (ca. 69 ca. 155)
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• Early Church fathers during persecution
• (before AD. 325)
• The early believers held to the Scriptures as
  being the absolute Word of Gods truth.
• The early Church understood apostolic doctrine as
  the written Word of God.
• From the very start of the post-apostolic age in
  the writings of such Apostolic Fathers as
  Ignatius, Polycarp, Clement, and Barnabas, there
  was an exclusive appeal to the Scriptures for the
  positive teaching of doctrine and for defense
  against heresy.
• The Bishops in each city were independent of
  other cities.
• The early Church fathers taught the Scriptures to
  their flocks.
• Copies of the Scriptures were rare and the
  average believer was depending on the Bishop
  (chief elder) for biblical instruction.

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• Early Church Fathers
• It is not until the writings of Irenaeus and
  Tertullian in the mid to late second century that
  the concept of an apostolic tradition, which was
  handed down in the Church in oral form, was first
  encountered. Irenaeus and Tertullian stated
  forcefully that all the teachings of the bishops
  that were given orally were rooted in Scripture
  and could be proven from the written Scriptures.

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• Irenaeus Bishop and martyr
• (115 142 AD - c. 202)
• Irenaeus's best-known book, Against Heresies (c.
  180)
• He was a disciple of Polycarp
• Argued that the Bishops in all the cities had a
  direct link to the Apostles.
• Irenaeus is the earliest witness to recognition
  of the canonical character of all four gospels.
  This means that he accepted the gospels as the
  Holy Word of God.

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• Irenaeus cont.
• Battled Gnosticism and disunity
• Argued that the Bishops in the cities had direct
  link back to the Apostles. To prove that there
  were no Gnostics in the line. He argued for
  Apostolic purity.
• Argued that salvation was by faith alone and not
  a work of man.
• Argued that salvation was an act of God, not man
  or the Church.

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• Irenaeus cont.
• He intended to fight for Orthodoxy with great
  success but opened the back door for the
  development of the Papacy.
• Irenaeus wrote that the only way for Christians
  to retain unity was to humbly accept one
  doctrinal authority--Episcopal councils.
• Unity increasingly began to take precedence over
  biblical purity.
• Councils (tradition) increasingly began to be
  elevated to a level equal to Scripture.

The unifying center of the assembly of believers
is not the structure of the group, as the Pope
maintains, but rather it is the Gospel.
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The Papacy 2

• After Christianity was legalized
• The Edict of Milan was issued in 313
• The effects of Milan seemed good but were in fact
  harmful!
• Rome was under threat from all around. (needed
  divine help)
• Christianity was legalized alone with other
  religions.
• The Donatists were excluded from the protections
  of Milan.
• All property to be restored to Christians esp. to
  the churches.
• Emperor Constantine exercises authority over the
  churches.
• Constantine and the Bishop of Rome form a type of
  partnership.
• Constantine requires his office holders be
  Christian.
• The Lapsed are allowed back in the church.
  (even lapsed priests)

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The Donatists considered themselves Orthodox, and
the main Church corrupt. The lapsed should not
be allowed to perform the sacraments. Donatists
had a great disdain for the Bishops that sided
with the Bishop of Rome. Donatists formed their
own churches. Constantine and Bishops, esp. the
Bishop of Rome, worked together to condemn the
Donatists at the Council at Arles in 314.

• Donatist schism

St. Augustine arguing with Donatists.
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• Questions???
• Comments!!!