Church History Menu Ambassador College Notes and Course Outlines
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Church History menu Ambassador College Notes and Course Outlines Church History Directory Lecture 1 The World Prepared for the Christian Church Lecture 2 Establishment of the New Testament Church Lecture 3 The Growth of Christianity Lecture 4 Persecution / The Fall of Jerusalem / Flight of the Church Lecture 5 Gnosticism / Simon Magus / Cerinthus Lecture 6 Various Sects and Men - First Century Lecture 7 Polycrates, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement, Tertullian, and Origen Lecture 8 Eusebius, Constantine, the Council of Nicea Lecture 9 How Sunday Came to be Part of the Church Lecture 10 Laodecia / Arianism / Easter Lecture 11 Quarto-Decimens / Paulicians Lecture 12 Ambrose, Augustine, and Bogomils Lecture 13 The Church in the Wilderness: Albigenses / Patarines / Cathari Lecture 14 Peter de Bruys / Arnold of Bresca / Henri the Deacon Lecture 15 Waldensians Lucius III Lecture 16 Waldensian Beliefs Lecture 17 The Catholic Church - Doctrines / History Lecture 18 The Catholic Church - History Lecture 19 Catholic History /The Crusades Lecture 20 The History of Education Lecture 21 The Reformation Period Lecture 22 Lollards / Anabaptists / Sabbatarians Lecture 23 The Church in England and America Lecture 24 History of the Modern Church of God http://www.eternalcog.org/Pages/aclibrary/churchistory/menu.html (1 of 2) [4/30/2002 6:39:20 PM] Church History menu Lecture 25 The Modern Era Click here for the Ambassador College Library Directory Click below for The Eternal Church of God Home Page http://www.eternalcog.org/Pages/aclibrary/churchistory/menu.html (2 of 2) [4/30/2002 6:39:20 PM] Church History lecture 1 Ambassador College Church History Lecture 1 The World Prepared for the Christian Church I. Galatians 4:4 The fullness of times A. God had a schedule B. World had to be prepared for God to send His Son C. Why send Christ at the time He did? 1. Why not in Adam's day? 2. Why not Noah's time? 3. Why not have Him succeed David 4. Why wait? II. Daniel's dream begins to explain A. God shows four world ruling empires 1. Babylon 2. Persia 3. Greece 4. Rome III. God began to prepare by a single world ruling empire A. Atmosphere of World Ruling Empires created by God - 600 B.C. B. Babylon = head of gold C. This was the first real Civilization IV. The next empire was Persia A. Persians - very warlike and crude. B. They spread world rule C. They were the first to institute a real mail system to keep control of the empire D. They had a different approach to government 1. Cultural pluralism 2. They thought that if they let each culture keep it's particular forms of worship that all the gods would be pleased and they would be that much more of a greater empire for it 3. Cyrus made a decree that the Jews could return to their homeland and worship as they wanted 4. This started the Diaspora a. Many Jews not return but went to other areas http://www.eternalcog.org/Pages/aclibrary/churchistory/lecture1.html (1 of 4) [4/30/2002 6:39:32 PM] Church History lecture 1 b. They spread to major commercial centers c. Created a need for Jews to preserve their culture d. Built synagogues that led to the dispersion of God's law among the Gentiles e. These in place for Paul to travel to with gospel V. The Greek Empire A. Greeks - 330-30 B.C. 1. Brought in culture, civilization, art, educational system, and language. 2. Infused world with desire to learn. 3. Greek education system basis for ours today a. Greek became the language of education b. Greek was the language gospel preserved in 4. Greek philosophy gave civilization a sense of the importance of man and a humanitarian approach 5. They allowed the Jews to live and prosper 6. Antioch - second greatest city. a. used by NT church, along with Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus. 7. Fell about 60 B.C. to Romans led by Pompey. VI. Romans A. No new cultural developments - carried on with Greek ideas. B. Began to rise 100 years before Christ, solidified by 31 B.C. when brought the eastern part into empire. C. Empire extended from Britain through France over to India. D. In building the empire they did, they contributed by vast technological improvements. 1. They built roads to carry war machines and armies 2. They also improved the mail system greatly so Paul's epistles could travel fast 3. They developed a great seaway system for trade and troops that would later be used by God's apostles E. Government 1. Rome ruled "Laissez-faire" - People ruled them-selves; not dictatorial. 2. They let kings rule under Roman authority. 3. local governments - permitted as long as allegiance to Rome was maintained. 4. One third of the world population under Roman rule. F. Herodian family ruling 1. Herod the Great ruled in Palestine around 40 B.C. G. Religions 1. Permitted all, though new religions not allowed under Roman government. 2. Christianity viewed as sect of Judaism a. Sabbath not changed. b. Passover and food laws observed. c. Had peace with Pontifex Maximus (Augustus Caesar). d. Church could take its message. http://www.eternalcog.org/Pages/aclibrary/churchistory/lecture1.html (2 of 4) [4/30/2002 6:39:32 PM] Church History lecture 1 VII. The world prepared for the gospel then and now A. There was very little progress after this 1. 15OO's printing developed to set the stage for the protestant reformation so there would be a climate for God's truth 2. Industrial Revolution - 1800's a. Steam engine made production and travel increase enormously b. World never to be the same 3. Marconi invented radio 4. World shrunk in size 5. TV, mass communications, and computers all happened in the last 15O years 6. Without these the gospel could not go out as effectively as it has. 7. The world has been prepared for God's work, and Christ's coming, today, just as it was for His first coming VIII. Zenith of Roman Power - 46 B.C.-180 A.D. A. Caesars of Rome 1. Julius Caesar (46-44 B.C.) 2. Augustus Caesar** (31-14 B.C.) 3. Tiberius (12-37 A.D.) 4. Caligula (37-41 A.D.) 5. Claudius (41-54 A.D.) 6. Nero (54-68 A.D.) 7. Galba (68-69 A.D.) 8. Otho, Vitelius (-69 A.D.) 9. Vespasian (69-79 A.D.) 10. Titus (79-81 A.D.) 11. Domitian (81-96 A.D.) 12. Hadrian (117-138 A.D.) 13. Marcus Aurelius (138-161 A.D.) 14. Antonius Pius (161-180 A.D.) ** Augustus was the Roman Caesar who most established the Empire, preparing it for Christianity. Click here for lecture 2 Click here for the Church History directory http://www.eternalcog.org/Pages/aclibrary/churchistory/lecture1.html (3 of 4) [4/30/2002 6:39:32 PM] Church History lecture 1 Click below for The Eternal Church of God Home Page http://www.eternalcog.org/Pages/aclibrary/churchistory/lecture1.html (4 of 4) [4/30/2002 6:39:32 PM] Church History lecture 2 Ambassador College Church History Lecture 2 Establishment of the New Testament Church I. Harnack - German church historian A Prime source used in this time frame. Called father of Church history 1. Others quote heavily from his work B. Wrote late 1800's and early 1900's C. Wrote book on the spread of Christianity in the first 300 years D. Strong German influence in study of theology E. Gave 7 Reasons for "Christianity boom" 1. Diffusion of Judaism throughout empire a. colonies spread - dispersion (Diaspora) b. Jews laid the foundation so when Paul went out there were communities in place in all major cities 2. Hellenization of the world (Greek culture) a. Language - communication b. The society became polytheistic c. They allowed God's religion to exist 3. Roman monarchy - one world government a. This gave the empire one law b. It united people in thought and protected all 4. Communication system a. travel/roads b. postal system c. trade/commerce 5. Humanitarian ideas developed a. Tolerant attitude about religion b. Generated questions about man's importance and purpose, questions Christianity could answer c. Christianity grew under guise of Judaism 6. Roman tolerance of religion a. Church was viewed as a sect of the Jews b. It was forbidden to have a new religion c. This proves that the Church had the doctrines we have today 1. If it had X-mas, Sunday, or others then outlawed 2. All scholars agree that the early church was Jewish 3. Judaism had Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Essenes, and Nazarenes, the church http://www.eternalcog.org/Pages/aclibrary/churchistory/lecture2.html (1 of 2) [4/30/2002 6:39:53 PM] Church History lecture 2 7. Diffusion of Assyrian and Persian religion a. Persians emphasized religion and allowed all b. Greeks carried on the concept of Polytheism c. these groups blended - Syncretism 1. System developed that was Greek, Jewish, Babylonian, etc. 2. Into this, Simon Magus began to add Christianity SIMON MAGUS * He had the whole system to work with. * He had background of mythology. * He had the belief in after life and the legends of Isis and Osiris. * None of the Apostles ever included any other religions into what they preached - Simon did. SIMON WAS NOT THE FIRST POPE * The Catholic Church took time to develop. * What Simon did to blend Christian concepts with Pagan led to what finally became the Catholic Church. * What came out of this was a church that accepted the name and the person of Jesus, yet held totally different doctrines and preached a totally different message.