Title: Chapter 2 THE EARLY CHRISTIANS The early Christians, by their tremendous faith in Jesus and imitation of his life, transformed the Roman world and its values.
1Chapter 2THE EARLY CHRISTIANSThe early
Christians, by their tremendous faith in Jesus
and imitation of his life, transformed the Roman
world and its values.
2CHAPTER 2THE EARLY CHRISTIANS
- The early Christians endured some of the harshest
conditions and persecutions ever suffered in
Christianity. - While some abandoned the Faith when the
challenges were overwhelming, many Christians,
fortified and guided by the Holy Spirit, endured
until the end. - They often worshipped in secret, yet shared their
material goods with friends and strangers alike,
striving to live an upright life in the midst of
an often depraved society.
3CHAPTER 2THE EARLY CHRISTIANS
- They set about the great task of building a new
civilization. - In the face of a hostile world, the Christians
offered a radical new vision of human society. - Many reforms in the Church, including those of
Vatican II, have looked back at the early
Christians as models of holiness, simplicity, and
fraternity.
4PART 1Beliefs and Practices The Spiritual
Life of the Early Christians
- Christ did not leave his Church with a fully
developed theology and disciplinary practice.
These beliefs and practices emerged through
centuries of theological, philosophical,
cultural, and historical development under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
5PART 1Beliefs and Practices The Spiritual
Life of the Early Christians
- These eternal truths were passed on and developed
within the living and changing body of believers. - While the earliest Christians remained closely
associated with the Jewish Tradition, later
events, such as the Council of Jerusalem, the
destruction of the Temple, and the influx of
Gentiles into the Church, altered the ethnic
makeup of the Christian community.
6BAPTISM
- Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist with a
baptism of repentance, but it was Jesus who
instituted the Sacrament of Baptism in the Holy
Spirit. - In Baptism a believer (is)
- Forgiven original and actual sins
- Begins a new life in Christ
- Incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ
- Has a baptismal character imprinted on the soul.
7BAPTISM
- In the earliest Church, adult converts were
baptized immediately. However, in time, a period
of instruction called the Catechumenate was
developed. - The Catechumens would be baptized at the Easter
vigil or on the Saturday before Pentecost. - Vatican II reinstated the Catechumenate to bring
back these beautiful customs of preparation for
reception into the Church. - While the practice of infant baptism goes back to
the time of the Apostolic Fathers, the practice
became universal and very common by the third
century. - Baptism has always been administered when a
person is in danger of death and in such a case,
anyone, including a non-believer, can administer
the Sacrament, as long as the Trinitarian formula
is used and the intention to baptize is present. - The unbaptized (especially catechumens) who die
for the Faith receive graces through martyrdom
which is called Baptism of Blood.
8AGAPE AND THE EUCHARIST
- The Agape (love in Greek) Feast refers to an
early Christian religious meal that was
celebrated in association with the Eucharist. - Because of abuses, as detailed by St. Paul, it
was discontinued, but the ritual of the Mass or
Eucharist continued to develop gradually over
time. - The Rite of Mass included Scripture readings,
singing of Psalms and hymns, common prayers, a
collection for the poor, and a homily, and
concluded with the Eucharist, which repeated the
words of the Institution Narrative and
Consecration. - The Eucharist (thanksgiving in Greek) was the
central act of Christian worship and culminated
with Holy Communion. - All early Christian documents that teach about
the Eucharist indicate that the early Christians
considered the Eucharist to be the true Body and
Blood of Christ present under the appearances of
bread and wine.
9CHURCHES
- The earliest Masses were celebrated in private
homes and in the catacombs. - Some Roman Emperors allowed Christian churches to
be built, but most of these were destroyed in
subsequent persecutions. - After the Edict of Milan (AD 313) the Emperor
Constantine began a building program favorable to
Christians, and Roman architectural design, such
as the basilica, was transformed into Christian
churches.
10HOLY DAYS
- For early Christians, Wednesdays and Fridays were
days of fasting and penance. - Christians at first kept the Jewish custom of the
Sabbath (Saturday) as the primary day of worship,
but it was soon replaced with Sunday as the
holiest day of the week because it represented
both the day of the Resurrection and of
Pentecost. - It was the first day of creation and of the
re-creation in Christ. - Feast days were developed throughout the years,
with the Feast of the Epiphany being one of the
first to be celebrated.
11THE PAPACY
- Christ made St. Peter the head of his Church,
conferring upon him the responsibility and
supreme authority of guiding the Church after his
departure. - There are several historical documents that
indicate the Bishop of Rome was regarded as the
supreme authority on Church matters from the very
beginning. - Pope St. Leo (d. AD 461) was instrumental in
centralizing the Churchs governance based on the
preeminence of the Bishop of Rome. While the
political significance of Rome had diminished in
favor of Constantinople, and the Patriarchs of
Constantinople and Alexandria had increased their
political importance, the Church councils still
deferred to Rome before making a decision. - Pope St. Gelasius I (d. AD 496) was the first to
use the title Vicar of Christ.
12THE EPISCOPACY
- From the beginning of Christianity, the Bishops,
as successors of the Apostles, were responsible
for shepherding and guiding the flock. - Bishops baptized, celebrated the Mass, celebrated
weddings, ordained priests, and engaged in all of
the sacramental work of the Church. - St. Ignatius of Antioch (AD 107) wrote, Wherever
the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude
also be even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there
is the Catholic Church.
13PRIESTHOOD
- The word priest is an English contraction of
the Greek word presbyteros often translated as
presbyter. - In the early Church these were the elders.
- The full understanding of the sacramental role of
priests, subordinate to the bishop, developed
over the centuries. However, there is evidence
that by the second century, priests were being
ordained to celebrate the Mass.
14MONOTHEISM
- Christians believe in only one God (monotheism).
- Because their pagan neighbors were polytheistic
(worshiped many gods), the Christians had to
reject the Roman cult of worship and its acts of
sacrifice and public worship. - Christian artists could not work in pagan
temples. Christian teachers could not teach
mythology, nor could they serve as Roman judges
or magistrates. - Many Christians were martyred because they
refused to adore the images of emperors, who
proclaimed themselves gods.
15THE SCRIPTURES
- The canon of the Bible was developed in the
earliest centuries of Christianity. - The Old Testament canon was based on a Greek
translation of Scripture called the Septuagint. - After much discussion, a definitive New Testament
canon was declared at a large synod in Rome AD
382, and by the fifth century the entire Western
Church possessed the complete canon. - Finally, in the Council of Trent (AD 1546) the
Church made its definitive statement concerning
the canon of Scripture. - The Catholic Church never considered the
Scripture as authoritative apart from its
legitimate interpretation by the magisterium of
the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit.
16THE SCRIPTURES
- The Scriptures, while extremely important in the
life of the Church, were never seen as a complete
record of everything that Jesus and the Apostles
did nor the sole source of Revelation. It is the
Tradition of the Church expressed in Christian
literature, liturgical practices, and statements
that clarify and interpret Scripture. Scripture
is a vital and central part of a broader
tradition.
17SLAVERY AND CHRISTIANITY
- Slavery was an ancient and widespread institution
during the time of Christ. It is estimated that
two of the seven million inhabitants of the
Italian peninsula were slaves at the time of the
Emperor Augustus, and the hardships and cruelties
of Roman slavery are well known. - Jesus never spoke directly about slavery, but it
is clear that the Gospel implicitly condemns
slavery as a grave offence against humanity, as
it undermines the dignity of the human person,
and is inconsistent with Christs two great
commandments.
18SLAVERY AND CHRISTIANITY
- Slaves in the early Christian community were
welcomed, not as slaves, but as brothers, equal
in dignity, and as full and equal members of the
community. - It was not Christianitys purpose to abolish
slavery, and the Christian community did not have
the moral authority or power to make such as
change. Rather, Christianity slowly undermined
the institution of slavery. - St. Paul taught slaves to obey their masters and
masters to treat their slaves with charity. - Slaves rose to the highest position in the
Church. Three of the first four immediate
successors of St. Peter, Sts. Linus, Anacletus,
and Clement I, were former slaves.
19NON-VIOLENCE
- Jesus taught non-violence and prayer in the face
of persecution. - While some early Christian writers forbade
Christians to be members of the Roman army and
participation in war, some Christians did serve
in the Roman army. - One soldier, St. Maurice, was a leader of a
legion. He and his entire legion (almost 6000
men) were executed for refusing to sacrifice to a
pagan god. - In time, the just war theory was developed.
- St. Augustine was one of the first theologians to
argue that war is permitted in the case of
self-defense.
20NON-VIOLENCE
- This doctrine was further developed by St. Thomas
Aquinas. He stated that war is acceptable if - It is initiated on the authority of a sovereign
(a legitimate government or ruler) - The cause is just
- Those waging the war have good and right
intentions - The war will not bring about more harm than that
perpetrated by the enemy. - It was later added by the Spaniard Francisco de
Vitoria, that the war must be waged by the proper
means.
21THE STATE
- In the early Church, Christians would not fulfill
the laws that violated the teachings of the
Church (e.g., participation in pagan cults,
emperor worship, and service in the Roman army),
although they obeyed all of the just laws issued
by the Romans.
22MONEY MATTERS
- From the beginning, early Christians looked after
the needs of the Christian community. - They engaged in education, medical care, and the
distribution of alms. - Christians were expected to be honest in commerce
and to avoid usury.
23SEXUAL ETHICS ABORTION AND CONTRACEPTION
- The early Christian Fathers universally rejected
abortion and infanticide, both of which were
prevalent in Roman society. - These practices violently rejected the dignity of
the human person and violated the Fifth
Commandment, Thou shalt not kill. - The use of contraception was also rejected. The
Church Fathers taught that procreation within
marriage was good and blessed, and one of the
intrinsic purposes of the marital act. - Many of the methods of artificial contraception
available today were practiced in the Roman
times. The Church opposes them today on the same
grounds that it opposed them then. - Even ancient Greek philosophy saw artificial
contraception as an unnatural violation of the
natural end of sexual relations.
24WOMEN
- While Roman and Greek cultures regarded women as
inferior, Christianity improved the condition of
women in society both individually and as a
group. - It changed the perception of women by recognizing
them as spiritual equals. - The Blessed Virgin Mary was honored from the
beginning as singularly blessed by God and
conceived without Original Sin, and instrumental
in the salvation of all people. - Several women were instrumental in the conversion
of Europe. - Several Christian wives and mothers were vital in
the conversion of their husbands and children. - Christian women also suffered equally for their
faith and purity during the early persecutions of
Christianity.
25PART II Important Writings of the Early
Christian PeriodTHE APOSTOLIC FATHERS
- The title Apostolic Father is given to a number
of the earliest Christian writers. - These men came immediately after the Apostles,
and some had direct links to the Apostles or to
the communities established by them. - Writing about religious or moral themes, their
writings record early Christian doctrine and
spirituality.
26APOLOGISTS
- Apologetics (from the Greek meaning defense)
defends and explains the Christian Faith. - The first period of apologetics dates from the
beginning of Christianity until the Fall of the
Roman Empire AD 476. - During this period the apologists faced attacks
from Judaism, Gnostic heresies, and various pagan
religions. - The title apologist refers to anyone who writes
an apologetic work. - Due to the work of apologists, Christianity began
to gain converts from the educated and elite
classes in Roman society. - For many Jews, Christianity, which rejected the
need of circumcision and other Jewish practices,
denigrated and desecrated the Law and the God of
Abraham.
27APOLOGISTS
- One apologist, St. Justin Martyr defended
Christs teachings as a fulfillment of the Jewish
Law and prophets. - A great deal of apologetics was addressed to the
pagan culture of the Roman empire, carefully
explaining Christian beliefs and practices, as
well as the benign and benevolent existence of
Christianity in the empire.
28THE DIDACHE
- The Didache was a short exposition of Christian
morals, doctrine, and customs that was composed
in the first century. - Its sixteen chapters cover Christian moral life,
Baptism, fasting, prayer, the Eucharist, and
Church hierarchy.
29TERTULLIAN
- Tertullian (AD 160AD 225) received an education
in Roman law. Converting to Christianity, he
wrote numerous works demonstrating that
Christianity formed no threat to the Roman
Empire, but rather was an asset. - His works won him the title, Father of Latin
Theology. - Tertullian later joined a heretical Montanist
sect and broke from the Church.
30ST. HIPPOLYTUS AND THE APOSTOLIC TRADITION
- St. Hippolytus (AD 170- AD 236) was possibly the
most important theologian of his time. He wrote
and spoke against many heresies, but he himself
broke from the Church. Later, before dying a
martyrs death, he was reconciled with Pope St.
Pontian and the Church. - His two most important works The Refutation of
Heresies and The Apostolic Tradition have
survived. - The latter work describes the passing down of the
faith from one generation to the next and
provides insight into the rites of ordination,
Baptism, and the Eucharist of the third century. - This work is also the source of the second
Eucharist Prayer used in the Mass.
31PART III Martyrdom as the Greatest Testimony to
Christianity
- Early Christians found that they had to be
prepared to die for Christ. - Those who did lose their lives quickly became the
most venerated of all Saints. - The word martyr comes from the Greek meaning
witness. - Their lives, actions, and words strengthened and
edified other Christians, and even their deaths
deeply affected those who witnessed them. - Christians understood martyrdom as an honor and a
privilege as it was a direct participation in the
sufferings of Christ.
32CONCLUSION
- The early Christians, by their tremendous faith,
transformed the Roman culture and its values. - Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church grew as an
institution and as a community of believers.
33THE CATACOMBS
- A Catacomb is an underground series of tunnels,
chambers, and tomb which served as burial places,
shrines, and places of worship in the earliest
church. - They have been discovered in Rome and throughout
Italy, France, and Northern Africa. - In Rome alone there are over sixty catacombs and
they account for hundreds of miles of tunnels.
The catacombs of St. Callixtus are four stories
deep, include four miles of galleries, and
contain the remains of sixteen Popes and dozens
of Christian martyrs. - The tombs are often adorned with religious
inscriptions and Christian art. - Large rooms called crypts, where prominent
figures such as Popes or martyrs were buried,
were converted into small churches.
34THE CATACOMBS
- Catacombs were used for the celebration of
Baptism and the Eucharist. - Shunning the Roman practice of cremation and
showing their belief in the resurrection of the
body, early Christians showed their strong sense
of community by preferring to be buried together. - The tombs of martyrs became popular places of
prayers and inscriptions show that these Saints
were asked to intercede for the believers. - Eventually these catacombs were abandoned and
forgotten only to be rediscovered in the
sixteenth century. The information gained from
the catacombs serves to give us a clear idea of
everyday Christian beliefs and practices in the
early Church.
35THE EARLY GROWTH OF CHRISTIANITY
- Because of its large Jewish populations, Asia
Minor became the first great area of growth in
Christianity. - Many Jews converted to Christianity due to the
missionary efforts of St. Paul and the Apostles. - By the end of the first century, the first
Christian churches were confined to the Easter
Roman Empire, with the exception of Christian
communities found in Rome and in other parts of
Italy. - By the end of the third century, Christianity and
Judaism had officially separated and Christianity
became largely a religion of the Gentiles. Its
informal center had shifted from Jerusalem to
Rome, and the scene was set for the Constantine
(AD 312) and the embrace of Christianity as the
official religion of the Roman Empire.
36CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS
- The cross was one of the earliest and most
widespread Christian symbols. - By the third century, the Sign of the Cross was
deeply rooted in the Christian people. - Another ancient symbol is that of the fish. It
recalls the multiplication of the loaves and
fishes, as well as Christs appearance to seven
of his disciples after the Resurrection. - The Greek word for fish is ichthys and is an
acrostic for the Greek phrase Iesous CHristos
THeou Yios Soter which means Jesus Christ, Son
of God, Savior.
37The End