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8th: Chapter 7 Outline
The Early Church (AD 33 – 313)
Faith Words
Gentiles –
Torah –
Presbyters –
Epistles –
The Church begins and grows. (p. 78)

Jesus dies around the year 33.

Pentecost: the birth of the Church.

Peter leads the movement to begin the Church.

The Holy Spirit guided the early leaders of the Church.

The Catholic Church is a community that shares the good news of Christ.
Early Christians are martyred for their faith. (p. 79)

The early Christians had advantages and disadvantages as they began their mission.
Advantages
-
Roman empire at peace; network of good
road and safe harbors
-
Latin & Greek were well known language
people were open to
Disadvantages

Roman persecution of Christians began in Rome around AD 64 under the Emperor Nero.

Despite the increasing numbers of persecutions, Christianity still continued to grow.
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The Church meets at the Council of Jerusalem. (p. 80)

The Church had to make decisions about how to organize itself as it was growing quickly.

Christians had primarily been converts from Judaism. But what about the Romans and Greeks (the
Gentiles) who were never Jewish?

Do Gentiles need to convert to Judaism before becoming Christian?

Paul & Barnabus traveled from Antioch to Jerusalem to meet with Church leaders (including the Apostle
James) to answer this question (around AD 49).

This meeting came to be known as the Council of Jerusalem: the first great council of the Catholic Church.

At the Council, some Torah requirements were kept and some were removed. Therefore, Gentiles
converts did not have to go through Judaism to be Christian.

Paul, Barnabus, and 2 others traveled back to Antioch to make the announcement about the decision.

These events are recorded in Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 15.
The Church is inspired by the Holy Spirit. (p. 81)

As time went on, the original Apostles and disciples of Jesus began to die.

Oral tradition of events was no longer enough to keep building the Church. People began to write the
events down.

Written accounts were created by divine inspiration from the Holy Spirit.

Gospel of Mark (AD 70): first account of Jesus’ life and teachings.

Gospels of Matthew and Luke (AD 80-90): based on Mark and other Christian sources.

Gospel of John: based on 3 synoptic Gospels, but includes other incidents as well.

Acts of the Apostles: an account of the earliest Church days.

Letters to early Church communities (epistles) are written (14 by St. Paul, 7 by other leaders).

Revelation: last book of the Bible; encourages hope for eternal life with God

Besides written Scripture, the Church’s Tradition was being built as well. Tradition is the set of beliefs and
practices that have been passed down from generation to generation.
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Timeline (A.D.)
33: Jesus’ death & resurrection; Pentecost – the Church is born; St. Stephen dies as the first Christian martyr.
40: The word Christian comes into use to refer to followers of Jesus.
46-48: Paul’s first missionary journey to Antioch (a city in modern day Turkey).
49: Paul & Barnabus travel to Jerusalem (Council of Jerusalem)
64: Roman persecutions of Christians under Emperor Nero; St. Peter is martyred.
70: The Gospel of Mark is written; Jerusalem is destroyed by the Romans under Titus’ rule.
80-90: The Gospels of Matthew and Luke are written.
100: The Gospel of John is written.
100-312: A series of leaders and martyrs for the Church. Heretical groups form and break off from the Church.
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8th: Chapter 8 Outline
Christians of the Roman Empire (AD 313 – 476)
Faith Words
canon – official list of Sacred Scripture
testament – an expression of truth; covenant with God and the human race
heresy – belief or collection of beliefs that rejects one or more of the revealed truths of the faith
ecumenical council – from Greek meaning “of the whole world”; a meeting of bishops to help guide and promote
Christian unity around the world
creed – a statement of Christian belief
An empire turns to Christ. (p. 88)

Christians continued to endure persecutions, yet the number of Christians still rose.

Two of the worst persecutions occur under Roman emperors:
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Decius (249-251) \ˈdē-sh(ē-)əs\ - wanted people to worship him as a god; Christians refused, so
he had them killed.
o
Diocletian (284 – 305) \ˌdī-ə-ˈklē-shən\ - wanted people to worship him as a god; Issued edicts
(legal orders) to have Christian property burned and destroyed and Christians killed.
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
Constantine I takes over the Roman Empire in 311. While leading his army into the Battle of Milvian
Bridge, he had a dream that he should mark the sign of Christ on his soldiers’ shields. They won the
battle, and he attributed the victory to his display of Christian faith.

In 313, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which grants religious tolerance all throughout the Roman
Empire and gives Christians freedom to worship.

Constantine eventually converted to Christianity himself through the inspiration of his mother St. Helena.

Constantine’s achievements for Christianity:
o
o
o
o
o

made Rome a Christian city
built Old St. Peter’s Basilica (4th-16th centuries… there’s a new one now in the same place)
gave property to Christians to be used as places of worship
made Sundays, Easter, and Christmas holidays
restored Jerusalem’s holy sites
Several emperors later, Theodosius \ˌthē-ə-ˈdō-sh(ē-)əs\ makes Christianity the official religion of the
Roman Empire.
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Name: _________________________________
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The Church relies on the Word of God. (p. 89)

Early Church leaders were trying to figure out how to organize the pieces of written scripture. Many
important decisions had to be made! But they eventually agree upon what we have today.

Remember: The Bible is a collection of books that discusses God’s covenant (or Testament) with his
people:
Old Testament
- agreement that God made with his people.
- 46 original Hebrew books
- contains:
 God’s relationship with the Israelites
 Creation through the covenant
 Israelites’ history, laws, & beliefs
 Prophets’ stories
New Testament
- agreement brought to fulfillment through Jesus
- 27 books
- contains:
 stories about Jesus and his mission
 stories of Jesus’ first followers
 the very beginning of the Church
The Church defends the truth. (p. 90)

Fathers of the Church: “saintly writers of the early centuries whom the Church recognizes as her special
witnesses of the faith.” (http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/)
o
o
o
o

Origen – studied and explained Scripture
Tertullian – developed terms to describe the faith
St. John Chrysostom – a great preacher (“golden mouthed”)
St. Jerome – translated Bible into Latin from Hebrew and Greek
Many Fathers of the Church wrote to defend Church truths against heretics. Ecumenical councils also
began to be formed and held throughout the years to revisit and pass on the traditions of the Apostles.
Here is a list of some heretical groups that have come against the Christian faith:
Heretical Groups
Gnostics
Docetists
Manichees
Marcionites (Marcion)
Donatists
Arians (Arius)
Monophysites
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Major Belief
Church’s real knowledge is only made available to a few select people.
Jesus pretended to be human and didn’t suffer on the cross.
The material world is evil and was created by an evil spirit.
No Old Testament for Christian Bible.
Only “saints” can belong to the Church.
Jesus was “under” God and not equal to him.
Jesus was only divine and not human at all.
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The Church is strengthened by her councils. (p. 91)


Council of Nicea:
o
o
o
o
o
o
First ecumenical council
325 AD, city of Nicaea (in modern day Turkey)
Called by Constantine I
About 200 bishops present
Goal: deal with Arian heresy
Athanasius: defended Christian truth that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine
o
Outcome: Athanasius wins! We have the beginning stages of the NICENE CREED now!
Council of Constantinople:
o
o
o
o
o

381 AD, city of Constantinople (modern day Istanbul)
Called by Theodosius I
Goal: revisit the issue of Arianism
Outcome: solidified teachings from Nicaea & determined the Holy Spirit is divine as well. We
now have the BLESSED TRINITY as the central mystery of Christian faith and life!
The Nicene Creed is added to, and now we have the complete Creed that we say at Mass every
Sunday!
Two other important ecumenical councils:
Council
Council of Ephesus (431)
Issue
Mary should only be honored as
the human mother of Jesus.
Council of Chalcedon
(451)
Jesus is 2 different people (one
human, one divine).
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Resolution
Mary is the human mother of God and
can also be called the “Mother of God”
in a divine way
Jesus is one person with 2 natures:
divine and human; these two natures
work together
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Timeline (A.D.)
155: Tertullian is born.
313: Edict of Milan
185: Origen is born.
325: Council of Nicaea
222: Tertullian dies.
337: Constantine I dies; Arius dies.
249: Decius’ rule begins; Arius is born.
~~~~ several other emperors in between.
251: Decius dies.
347: St. John Chrysostom & St. Jerome are born.
~~~~ several other emperors in between.
367: First canon of New Testament books developed
254: Origen dies.
373: Athanasius dies
284: Diocletian’s rule begins.
379: Theodosius I takes over; Christianity becomes
the official religion of the Roman Empire
296: Athanasius is born.
381: Council of Constantinople
303: Edicts to begin the Great Persecution.
395: Theodosius I dies
305: Diocletian dies & 3 joint emperors rule for a
while
311: Constantine I takes over; Great Persecution
ends
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407: St. John Chrysostom dies.
420: St. Jerome dies.
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Name: _________________________________
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MAPS:
NICAEA & CONSTANTINOPLE (4TH CENTURY)
Constantinople
TURKEY & THE MEDITERRANEAN (TODAY)
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