ChurchChurch HistoryHistory ChurchChurch HistoryHistory IntroductionIntroduction toto ChurchChurch HistoryHistory st rd TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch AD 11st-3-3rd centuriescenturies th th TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom AD 44th-5-5th centuriescenturies th th TheThe EarlyEarly MiddleMiddle AgesAges AD 66th-10-10th centuriescenturies th th TheThe AgeAge ofof CrusadesCrusades AD 1111th-13-13th centuriescenturies th th TheThe RenaissanceRenaissance AD 1414th-15-15th centuriescenturies th ConquestConquest andand ReformationReformation AD 1616th centurycentury th th TheThe AgeAge ofof EnlightenmentEnlightenment AD 1717th-18-18th centuriescenturies th TheThe AgeAge ofof RevolutionRevolution AD 1919th centurycentury th TheThe ModernModern AgeAge AD 2020th centurycentury st TheThe PostmodernPostmodern AgeAge AD 2121st centurycentury TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch TheThe ThirdThird CenturyCentury waswas aa timetime ofof massivemassive crisiscrisis inin thethe worldworld 199-217199-217 PopePope ZephyrinusZephyrinus succeededsucceeded PopePope VictorVictor HisHis papacypapacy waswas underminedundermined byby bishopbishop TheodotusTheodotus ofof Byzantium,Byzantium, whowho hadhad taughttaught thatthat therethere werewere onlyonly twotwo possiblepossible perspectivesperspectives onon thethe relationshiprelationship betweenbetween thethe FatherFather andand thethe Son—Son— 1)1) ModalismModalism—as—as SabelliusSabellius taught,taught, GodGod revealedrevealed HimselfHimself toto humanityhumanity inin threethree stagesstages oror “modes”“modes” (the(the FatherFather inin Creation,Creation, thethe SonSon inin Redemption,Redemption, andand thethe SpiritSpirit inin SanctificationSanctification andand Regeneration)Regeneration) TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch TheThe ThirdThird CenturyCentury waswas aa timetime ofof massivemassive crisiscrisis inin thethe worldworld 199-217199-217 PopePope ZephyrinusZephyrinus succeededsucceeded PopePope VictorVictor HisHis papacypapacy waswas underminedundermined byby bishopbishop TheodotusTheodotus ofof Byzantium,Byzantium, whowho hadhad taughttaught thatthat therethere werewere onlyonly twotwo possiblepossible perspectivesperspectives onon thethe relationshiprelationship betweenbetween thethe FatherFather andand thethe Son—Son— 1)1) ModalismModalism 2)2) AdoptionismAdoptionism—as—as TheodotusTheodotus taught,taught, GodGod grantedgranted “divinity”“divinity” uponupon aa humanhuman (but(but perfect)perfect) JesusJesus atat HisHis baptismbaptism (or(or atat HisHis ascension),ascension), allowingallowing HimHim toto carrycarry outout HisHis propheticprophetic ministryministry usingusing God'sGod's divinedivine powerpower TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch TheThe ThirdThird CenturyCentury waswas aa timetime ofof massivemassive crisiscrisis inin thethe worldworld 199-217199-217 PopePope ZephyrinusZephyrinus succeededsucceeded PopePope VictorVictor HisHis papacypapacy waswas underminedundermined byby bishopbishop TheodotusTheodotus ofof Byzantium,Byzantium, whowho hadhad taughttaught thatthat therethere werewere onlyonly twotwo possiblepossible perspectivesperspectives onon thethe relationshiprelationship betweenbetween thethe FatherFather andand thethe Son—Son— 1)1) ModalismModalism 2)2) AdoptionismAdoptionism Interestingly,Interestingly, ZephyrinusZephyrinus actuallyactually diddid subscribesubscribe toto modalismmodalism ThisThis drewdrew strongstrong attacksattacks fromfrom aa youngyoung RomanRoman presbyterpresbyter namednamed HippolytusHippolytus FollowingFollowing thethe writingswritings ofof JustinJustin Martyr,Martyr, HippolytusHippolytus believedbelieved thatthat JesusJesus waswas thethe PlatonicPlatonic LogosLogos—the—the ““WordWord,”,” thethe ““TruthTruth,”,” thethe ““ThoughtThought”” ofof God,God, expressedexpressed inin thethe OldOld Testament—Testament— emanatingemanating fromfrom GodGod andand mademade fleshflesh (i.e.;(i.e.; aa separateseparate DivineDivine Person)Person) TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch TheThe ThirdThird CenturyCentury waswas aa timetime ofof massivemassive crisiscrisis inin thethe worldworld 199-217199-217 PopePope ZephyrinusZephyrinus succeededsucceeded PopePope VictorVictor 217-222217-222 PopePope CallixtusCallixtus succeededsucceeded ZephyrinusZephyrinus HeHe beganbegan toto overturnoverturn severalseveral traditionaltraditional papalpapal decisions—hedecisions—he eveneven beganbegan forgivingforgiving suchsuch sinssins asas adulteryadultery andand heresy...heresy... largelylargely becausebecause thethe ChurchChurch waswas inin needneed ofof thosethose people'speople's financialfinancial supportsupport IfIf you'llyou'll remember,remember, thisthis waswas tootoo muchmuch forfor Tertullian,Tertullian, whowho denounceddenounced thethe popepope forfor forgivingforgiving whatwhat hehe sawsaw asas unforgivableunforgivable sinssins TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch TheThe ThirdThird CenturyCentury waswas aa timetime ofof massivemassive crisiscrisis inin thethe worldworld 199-217199-217 PopePope ZephyrinusZephyrinus succeededsucceeded PopePope VictorVictor 217-222217-222 PopePope CallixtusCallixtus succeededsucceeded ZephyrinusZephyrinus HeHe beganbegan toto overturnoverturn severalseveral traditionaltraditional papalpapal decisions—hedecisions—he eveneven beganbegan forgivingforgiving suchsuch sinssins asas adulteryadultery andand heresy...heresy... largelylargely becausebecause thethe ChurchChurch waswas inin needneed ofof thosethose people'speople's financialfinancial supportsupport ThisThis waswas alsoalso tootoo muchmuch forfor Hippolytus,Hippolytus, whowho allowedallowed himselfhimself toto bebe dulyduly electedelected byby otherother presbyterspresbyters asas aa rival,rival, antianti-pope-pope HeHe continuedcontinued toto serveserve asas anti-popeanti-pope againstagainst thethe nextnext twotwo popes—Urbanpopes—Urban andand Pontian,Pontian, untiluntil bothboth hehe andand PontianPontian werewere exiledexiled togethertogether byby EmperorEmperor ThraxThrax inin 235235 Ironically,Ironically, inin theirtheir exile,exile, thethe twotwo rivalrival popespopes settledsettled theirtheir differences,differences, andand bothboth areare nownow consideredconsidered saintssaints byby thethe CatholicCatholic ChurchChurch todaytoday TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch TheThe ThirdThird CenturyCentury waswas aa timetime ofof massivemassive crisiscrisis inin thethe worldworld 199-217199-217 PopePope ZephyrinusZephyrinus succeededsucceeded PopePope VictorVictor 217-222217-222 PopePope CallixtusCallixtus succeededsucceeded ZephyrinusZephyrinus 249249 CyprianCyprian becamebecame bishopbishop ofof CarthageCarthage ThisThis waswas reallyreally unfortunateunfortunate timing...timing... TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— Philip—alsoPhilip—also knownknown asas “Philip“Philip thethe Arab,”Arab,” sincesince hehe waswas bornborn inin Syria—becameSyria—became emperoremperor inin 244244 duringduring thatthat “Crisis“Crisis inin thethe ThirdThird Century”Century” thatthat wewe talkedtalked about,about, whenwhen 2525 differentdifferent emperorsemperors viedvied forfor thethe crowncrown inin aa 50-year50-year spanspan OneOne ofof thethe firstfirst thingsthings hehe diddid asas emperoremperor waswas toto negotiatenegotiate aa peacepeace treatytreaty withwith thethe PersianPersian king,king, ShapurShapur (who(who hadhad justjust killedkilled hishis predecessor),predecessor), givinggiving thethe PersiansPersians 500,000500,000 goldgold denariidenarii ThisThis diddid notnot impressimpress thethe RomanRoman army,army, whichwhich hadhad justjust spentspent twotwo yearsyears inin thethe MiddleMiddle East,East, fightingfighting againstagainst thethe PersiansPersians TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— Philip—alsoPhilip—also knownknown asas “Philip“Philip thethe Arab,”Arab,” sincesince hehe waswas bornborn inin Syria—becameSyria—became emperoremperor inin 244244 duringduring thatthat “Crisis“Crisis inin thethe ThirdThird Century”Century” thatthat wewe talkedtalked about,about, whenwhen 2525 differentdifferent emperorsemperors viedvied forfor thethe crowncrown inin aa 50-year50-year spanspan OneOne ofof thethe firstfirst thingsthings hehe diddid asas emperoremperor waswas toto negotiatenegotiate aa peacepeace treatytreaty withwith thethe PersianPersian king,king, ShapurShapur (who(who hadhad justjust killedkilled hishis predecessor),predecessor), givinggiving thethe PersiansPersians 500,000500,000 goldgold denariidenarii PhilipPhilip waswas openlyopenly sympatheticsympathetic towardtoward ChristiansChristians (coming(coming fromfrom ChristianizedChristianized Syria),Syria), andand EusebiusEusebius sayssays thatthat hehe convertedconverted toto ChristianityChristianity himself,himself, alongalong withwith hishis wifewife HeHe eveneven triedtried toto celebratecelebrate EasterEaster inin Antioch,Antioch, butbut BishopBishop BabylasBabylas saidsaid thatthat hehe hadhad tootoo manymany sinssins onon hishis head,head, andand forcedforced himhim toto sitsit withwith thethe penitentspenitents insteadinstead TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— Philip—alsoPhilip—also knownknown asas “Philip“Philip thethe Arab,”Arab,” sincesince hehe waswas bornborn inin Syria—becameSyria—became emperoremperor inin 244244 duringduring thatthat “Crisis“Crisis inin thethe ThirdThird Century”Century” thatthat wewe talkedtalked about,about, whenwhen 2525 differentdifferent