The Early Church
The Era of the New Testament
PERIOD
YEAR
EVENTS
Ministry of Jesus
30s
•Ministry & Death of Jesus
[by 33]
•Antipas-Nabatean War [35
– 37]
•Parthian War threatens
[35 – 37]
APOSTOLIC AGE
40s
• Caligula Crisis [39-41]
• Reign of Agrippa [41-44]
50s
60s
SUB-APOSTOLIC AGE
70s
80s
•Council of Jerusalem
[49/50]
• James, Peter, & Paul Die
•Nero’s persecution [64 –
66]
• Jewish-Roman War
•Jerusalem & Temple
destroyed [70]]
•Various streams of
Judaism in competition for
dominance
90s
Domitian’s Persecution [95]
PAULINE
SYNOPTIC
“Q”
Passion Narrative
Letters of Paul
1Thessalonians
Galatians
Philippians
1 & 2 Corinthians
Philemon
Romans
Deutero-Pauline Letters
Colossians
Ephesians
Mark
The Pastoral Letters
1 & 2 Timothy
Titus
Luke-Acts
Matthew
Chronology of the Early Church –
part 1
The execution of Jesus. His friends
perceive, especially when they
gather for the “Lord’s Supper,” that
Jesus continues to live in
transcendent glory. A first “assembly”
(ekklesia) gathers in Jerusalem to
worship in the Temple, celebrate the
Lord’s Supper, and rejoice in the
Spirit. There is occasional conflict
between this church and the Temple
hierarchy.
The Jesus-preachers spread through
the Jewish Diaspora. They establish
a church community as far away as
Rome by the early 40s. They are
amazed when their words about
Jesus are most warmly received by
the Gentile God-fearers who frequent
Diaspora synagogues.
Some Church
members oppose
admitting Gentiles –
controversy
escalates as the
decade unfolds.
Caesar Caligula orders a statue of himself to be
placed in the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem
Temple. Mass protests and peasant strikes occur
among Jews. Caligula is murdered by a rival before
his order can be implemented.
3
0
Probable writing of
synoptic sayings
source (“Q”)
somewhere in Judea
or Galilee.
4
0
Paul of Tarsus, who had been harassing Jesuspreachers in synagogues in Syria and Cilicia, has
an experience of the Raised Lord which transforms
him into a supporter of the Church.
Hellenistic Jews become introduced to the
Jerusalem church. A dispute erupts when
they feel slighted by the lack of preaching to
them at the Lord’s Supper. The argument is
resolved by the appointment of Hellenistic
preachers for them. Hellenistic-Jewish
church members begin to announce the
Good News in Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and
adjacent regions, establishing an important
church in Antioch of Syria.
5
0
Paul and Barnabas, as apostles
from Antioch, establish churches
in Asia Minor. They follow the
Antiochaen practice of baptizing
uncircumcised Gentiles.
Perhaps first in Antioch, some
Gentiles are spontaneously
baptized without being
circumcised.
The “Council of Jerusalem” occurs
at which Peter, James, Paul and
others are present. It is decided to
“officially” sanction the admission
of uncircumcised Gentiles (Gal.
2:1 -10;Acts 15:1 – 18)
Chronology of the Early Church –
part 2
Peter visits Antioch, but withdraws from table
fellowship with baptized Gentiles when
baptized Jews (from James?) complain about
the presence of non-kosher food. Paul accuses
Peter of betraying the Gospel and storms off,
leaving his former partner Barnabas behind
(Gal 2-11 – 14).
The first Great Revolt of Jews against Rome breaks out. Rome
ruthlessly suppresses it. Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed
in 70. The Jerusalem church may have previously fled across the
Jordan to Pella.
Paul’s great missionary journeys occur. The churches he
establishes include Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica, and
Colossae. His views on dietary issues may change after his
experiences in Corinth. He finally sets out for Jerusalem with a
collection and embassies from his Gentile churches. He plans to
go from there to Rome in order to mount a missionary journey to
Spain.
5
0
A letter from James in
Jerusalem resolves the
dietary dispute: Gentiles in
Christ must observe
minimal kosher and ethical
standards (Acts 15:22ff; cf.
21:25)
In Antioch, the term
“Christian” is coined as a
word of derision.
6
0
7
0
Caesar Nero begins a
persecution of churchmembers in Rome. Paul
and Peter are probably
executed during this
oppression. Meanwhile
James is executed in
Jerusalem in the mounting
violence and confusion
occurring there.
Writing of the final form of
the Gospel of Mark, maybe
based on a Galilean original
and a Roman redaction.
The editorial comment in
Mk 7:19 that Jesus
“declared all foods clean”
displays the continued
Gentile-Jewish tension.
Chronology of the Early Church –
part 3
The Gospel of Mark is written
in Galilee or Syria. In contrast
to mark, it reflects a church
community that prefers
Gentiles to follow the Torah
(see Mt: 5:17-19; 22:11-14).
Matthew believes that his
assembly represents authentic
Judaism.
A persecution of churches in
Asia Minor by Caesar
Domitian occurs. The Book of
Revelation is written in this
context.
In various towns, especially in the
Diaspora, local synagogues and
churches dispute who is more faithful to
the heritage of Israel.
8
0
The writing of the Gospel of
Luke/Acts of the Apostles.
This work wants baptized
Gentiles to observe minimal
Torah standards in order to
preserve unity with baptized
Jews.
100
Caesar Hadrian visits ruined
Jerusalem and rebuilds it as
an unwalled Roman shrine to
Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva
named “Aelia Capitolina.”
The Church holds a low social status in the
opinion of most citizens. Very slowly,
organized authority structures emerge, partially
in answer to doctrinal controversies that are
now beginning to prevail in Christianity. Still,
Christian church communities can be found
throughout the Empire by the end of the
second century.
135
Second Revolt (Bar Kochba
Revolt), primarily in Judea.
With defeat, many Judean
Jews relocate to Galilee.
The Gospel of John (ca. 95)
reaches its final form in a
church community whose
Jewish members have
recently been ostracized by
the local Jewish
community.
Structure of the Early Church
(from the Bausch, Chapter 3)
† From the beginning…
1. Jesus
Directly appointed his
2. Twelve Apostles
Including Peter who was
3. The Pope
Peter and the other eleven
apostles personally ordained their
successors, namely,
4. The Bishops
Who ordained as their successors
the
5. Other Bishops
And so on until the present time.
Thus is seen a series of links in
the continuous chain of
6. Apostolic Succession
Structure of the Early Church
- Continued (from the Bausch, Chapter 3)
1. Jesus
Gathered the unique
2. Twelve Apostles
As the foundation of his community of disciples. These
twelve appointed to service
3. The Deacons
And also what we might call
4. The “Secondary Apostles” Who were mainly itinerant preachers who founded
church communities and then moved on. They left the
ruling of such place to
5. The Presbyterate
Which was a committee appointed by the churchcommunity. From the Presbyterate there emerged the
6. Single Monarchial Bishop Who, with all other bishops formed a “college.” The
visible image of the total or universal church and
hallmark of episcopal unity was the one who held
7. The Petrine Office
Which evolved from Peter’s leadership. In addition
there were
8. Other Ministries
For example, healers, teachers, etc.
Church Models
(from the Brown, The Churches the Apostles Left Behind)
“The deaths of the early church leaders and the deaths of those who knew them caused a crisis
of leadership towards the end of the first century. In the Christian scriptures we can find at least
seven responses to this crisis of leadership.” (Bausch, p. 44)
1. Pastoral Letters:
Church Led by
Authoritative Teachers
6. Matthew: The
Church Living by
the Torah of Jesus
2. Col/Ephesians:
Church as the
Mystical Body of
Christ to be Loved
5. Johannine
Writings: A
Discipleship of
Equals Guided by
the Paraclete
4. 1Peter: The
Church as the
People of God
3. Luke-Acts: The
Church as the
Agent of the Spirit
Church Models - continued
(from the Dulles, Models of the Church)
Church as Servant
“The Church is the
Church only when it
exists for others.”
(from Bonhoeffer’s
“The Communion of
Saints,” as found on
p. 94)
Church as Institution
The view that defines Church
primarily in terms of its
visible structures, especially
the rights and powers of its
officers. (p. 34)
Church as Mystical
Communion
Church as Herald
The mission of the
Church is to proclaim
that which it has heard,
believed, and has been
commissioned to
proclaim… emphasizes
faith and proclamation
over interpersonal
relations and mystical
communion. (p. 77)
Church as Sacrament
All the sacraments are
essentially sacraments of the
Church; they are intrinsically
social and derive their
efficacy from the Church
and, in turn, build up the
Church and make it the
sacrament it is. (p. 64)
The communion given by
the Holy Spirit finds
expression in a network
of mutual interpersonal
relationships of concern
and assistance. (p. 50)
Church Models - Evaluation
(from the Dulles, Models of the Church)
“…we have been engaged in what Bernard Lonergan might call dialectic as distinct from
doctrinal theology. We have been exploring the basic models of the Church that have arisen in
history as a result of the differing points of view or horizons of believers and theologians of
different ages and cultures… Are all of the models equally good, or are some superior to
others? Are they an opaque screen that shuts off the reality of the Church, or a transparent
screen that permits us to grasp the Church as it really is? If the latter, what really is the Church?
What is the best model?” (Dulles, p. 190)
How do we evaluate models?
Basis in Scripture
Basis in Christian Tradition
Offers Identity & Mission
Fosters Christian values
Relevant to current Christianity
Internal Fruitfulness
External Fruitfulness
Expansion and Its Problems
(from the Bausch, Chapter 2)
† Christianity spread with amazing rapidity in the first decades after Jesus’ death.
(p. 22)
2nd Century
Antioch (Syria)
Ephesus
Lystra
Derbe
Cyprus
Miletus
Smyrna
Apostolic Age
Philippi
Thessalonia
France
Germany
Spain
Croatia
Africa
† Why such rapid growth?
Missionary Activity
Blood of Martyrs
Pax Romana
Christian Community
Expansion and Its Problems
(from the Bausch, Chapter 2)
† First crisis - Jewish Christians attempting to require Gentile converts to become
fully Jewish in order to be Christian
† Second crisis - reaction of Roman government to the rapid growth of
Christianity