Apostolic Church

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Medieval Church
Ancient Church
Modern Church
?
Apostolic Ch Apostolic Fathers Church
Councils Golden Age of Ch Fathers
590
1517
Completion of Augustines Writings
Apostolic Church
Post Apostolic Church
Practical end of Roman Empire
Reformation
Early Church
Medieval Church
Council of Calcedon
1517
1648 AD (1688 in England
PRESENT
Approx 30 AD
Approx 100 AD
Approx 450 AD
Transition Points
MAJOR CHANGE
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Doctrinal Corrections in the Early/Apostolic
Church
1. All hearers had selective hearing
2. Saw future on a flat plane
3. Did not understand the New Covenant Age

• Messiah

• Dual stages of Kingdom

• Continuity but distinction between Old New
  covenant

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Transition from Apostolic to Post Apostolic
A Apostles
Twelve Men plus One
Matthew 101  And he called to him his twelve
disciples and gave them authority over unclean
spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every
disease and every affliction.
2 Corinthians 1212  The signs of a true
apostle were performed among you with utmost
patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works
1 Corinthians 158 Last of all, as to one
untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Acts 1414  But when the apostles Barnabas and
Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and
rushed out into the crowd, crying out,
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Results of the end of the Apostolate

1. No additions to the New Testament scriptures

Corinthians 138-13 8 Love never ends. As for
prophecies, they will pass away as for tongues,
they will cease as for knowledge, it will pass
away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in
part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial
will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke
like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned
like a child. When I became a man, I gave up
childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror
dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part
then I shall know fully, even as I have been
fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love
abide, these three but the greatest of these is
love.
Ephesians 219-22 19 So then you are no longer
strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens
with the saints and members of the household of
God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the
cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure,
being joined together, grows into a holy temple
in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built
together into a dwelling place for God by the
Spirit.
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2. Special gifts of the Holy Spirit which
enabled men to perform the supernatural signs and
wonders necessary to authenticate the Apostolic
testimony are no longer possessed or exercised by
men on earth today
God heals, He doesnt give the gift of healing

• These signs were called signs of the Apostles

• These signs seemed to fade as the New Testament
  Church grew

Hebrews 21-4 21 Therefore we must pay much
closer attention to what we have heard, lest we
drift away from it. 2 For since the message
declared by angels proved to be reliable, and
every transgression or disobedience received a
just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we
neglect such a great salvation? It was declared
at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us
by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness
by signs and wonders and various miracles and by
gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to
his will.

• Historical evidence confirms that signs and
  wonders ceased after the time of the Apostles

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The recognition of the New Testament canon
Canon The rule that is to be followed
Apocrypha
PRESUPPOSITON There is a GOD and He has spoken
to man
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What was the churches role in recognizing the
canon?
NOTE The fact that the universal recognition of
the NT canon took place over a period of time did
not mean that the individual churches and
Christians did not recognize the NT that they
possessed as being the true Word of God
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• Early post-Apostolic writings indicate that the
  church viewed certain
• Apostolic writings as being equal with the Old
  Testament

• Heresy forced the church to recognize the Canon
  of New Testament
• Scriptures

Gnostics
Marcion AD 150
Montanist AD 200

• Two early translations indicated that the church
  viewed certain books as
• authoritative.

Pershitta
Old Latin or Italia versions
4. Muratorian fragment mid to late 2nd century
5. Eusebias 22 books
6. Athanasius Easter letter, 367 AD
No general church council but several local
church synods did recognize all 27 books of the NT
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