History of Missions: Part 1 Pentecost

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History of Missions Part 1Pentecost Dark
Ages A.D. 33 500

• The main stages this epic of the church have
  been the persecuted Church, Legalized Church,
  Dark Ages Church, Reformation Church, and the
  Missionary Church

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Roman Empire Evangelized or Christianized? (A.D.
33-500)

• Roman empire was main area of expansion Western
  church there was an Eastern Church
• Extent of Expansion
• Harnack estimated about 30,000 Christians in Rome
  by 25010 of empire (50 million)
• By AD 313, Edict of Tolerance, ended 10 major
  periods of persecution
• Constantine converted AD 323, then it became
  politically expedient to convert also
• AD 380 Christianity became official state
  religion
• Christianized became equivalent to civilized
  as today in RCC countries

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Apostolic Period AD 33-95

1. Clement of Rome wrote that Paul evangelized
   western empire, Spain? Till martyrdom, AD 67
2. Tradition says all apostles became missionaries
3. Greatest growth occurred where Paul had
   evangelized Asia Minor, Cyprus, Syria, Greece
4. Pliny, Governor of Pontus wrote Emperor Trajan
   for instruction to deal with unparalleled growth
   of Christians
5. Mass movement occurred under Gregory
   Thaumaturgus when he came to Pontus there were
   only 17 believers when he died 30 years later,
   there were only 17 unconverted !

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Apostles missionary work
See the animated map of this progression in the
file Additional study helps
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Jewish settlements Early Churches
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Post-Apostolic Expansion (A.D. 95-313)

• Meager information, but large churches in N.
  Africa Alexandria, Carthage and Edessa, but who
  did it and how, are unknown destroyed by
  Muslims
• Spread through the trade routes beyond the Roman
  empire to Ireland, Ethiopia and China
• Tucker says Christianity penetrated the empire
  through five avenues
• Preaching and teaching of evangelists without
  buildings
• Personal witness of believers one-on-one
• Acts of kindness and love
• Faith shown in face of persecution and death
• Intellectual reasoning of early apologists

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Roman Empire AD 300-400
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Montanus held a Jesus-Only deity, encouraged
prophecy and tongues, falling from grace was
irrevocable, and he was the Paraclete, not that
God spoke through him, but he was God speaking!
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Westward across Europe

• Church at Rome existed before Paul wrote Romans
• Latin is earliest translation of Bible (Vulgate
  382 AD) 8000 mss survive today
• Early spread of gospel to Gaul (France) where
  Irenaeus was Overseer (bishop) in 175 AD in
  Celtic and Latin
• Paul probably reach Spain after 1st imprisonment
  evidence of churches by 200
• Gospel came to England, probably from Gaul

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Eastward through the Tigris-Euphrates Valley

• Syriac-speaking people of Syria received earliest
  translation by end of 2nd century used in East
• Peter may have preached in Babylon (1 Pet 513,
  if taken literally)
• Pentecost Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and
  residents of Mesopotamia (Ac 29) 16 languages
• Tradition says Thomas and Bartholomew went to
  India
• By 180 Pantaenus of Alexandria traveled to India
  discovering a church founded by Bartholomew
• Armenia, a buffer country between Roman Empire
  and Persia, was won to Christ by missionary
  Gregory the Illuminator who won the king to
  Christ. Bible translated in Armenian by 410 AD
  One of the oldest churches in Christendom

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Westward across N. Africa

• Many Christians reported at Alexandria, Egypt in
  the reign of Hadrian (125)
• Egyptian churches have strong tradition that John
  Mark was their founder
• Strong churches developed in Carthage where the
  NT was translated into Latin
• Outstanding Christian leaders like Tertullian
  (160-230?, who introduced the term Trinity) and
  dominant theologian Augustine (354-430 AD)
• Introduced Predestination or Determinist view,
  Organized church as City of God (Rome) and bad
  interpretation of Luke 1415-24 (v. 23, compel
  them) led to forced conversion, Inquisition and
  threat of life if different opinion!

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After Conversion of Emperor Constantine

• Edict of Toleration in A.D. 313 ended 10 major
  persecutions, preceded conversion of Constantine
  in A.D. 323
• By 325 est. 10-15 of Roman Empire was Christian
• Called the Council of Nicaea to decide Christs
  deity
• It became politically correct to be Christian
• Flood of new converts with ulterior motives
• Quickly compromised with Roman pagan religions
• Many reacted against corruption and compromise by
  turning to asceticism or withdrawal from world
• Fire of missionary evangelism quenched by
  politicizing the church Dominated the Empire so
  little activity outside of Christian world

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Ulfilas, Missionary to Goths (310-383)

• Arian Missionary to Goths who lived in Romania,
  across the Danube outside Roman empire in
  Bulgaria
• Converted to Christ while in Constantinople on
  diplomatic service
• After 10 years he was sent as bishop to Goths
• Translated the Bible into the Gothic language
  from Greek to an unwritten language which was a
  linguistic first
• He was forced back across the Danube
• Held a mild form of Arianism, which was a weak
  view of Christs deity (not eternal but created)
• Several emperors were Arian.

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Patrick, missionary to Ireland

• An evangelical Celtic believer from W. Britain
  (389-461), father was a deacon
• Not saved before an Irish raiding party enslaved
  him and sold him in Ireland
• After 6 years he escaped back to Britain at the
  age of 22, studied in Gaul, ordained. Romans
  pulled out of Britain in 410 leaving the pagan
  Anglo-Saxons to rule
• At 40 returned to Ireland in 432, where most were
  Druid pagans worship objects in nature, magic and
  human sacrificeanimists
• Eventually persuaded king to grant toleration
• After many perilous situation in 30 years his
  ministry resulted in 200 churches and 100,000
  converts
• Stressed spiritual growth through teaching of
  Scripture

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The conversion of the Franks

• Clovis, king of the Franks in Gaul (France)
  converted in 496 along with 3,000 warriors helped
  extend the Western church (non-Arian)
• Some were already Christians, but this
  accelerated the number of converts
• This mass movement increased both the
  adulterations of the church and number of nominal
  Christians
• Decrease in spiritual standards and less emphasis
  on personal conversion became common in
  Christianizing of Europe

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Western Empire at 395 AD
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Roman Empire 476
Western Empire - Rome
Eastern Empire - Constantinople
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Roman Empire 565 AD
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Five Epochs of Mission History