Circumstances That Influenced the Early Church
312 – 590 AD
Overview
A. The great persecution of the Christians in Rome
B. Constantine’s influence on Christianity
C. Battles for doctrinal purity and against heresies
 The Trinity (three persons in one God)
 Divinity and / or Humanity of Jesus
D. Church Councils called to deal with these heresies
E. Introduction and influence of monasticism
F. Teachings and influence of Augustine (born 354 – 431)
G. Consolidation of Christians through out Roman Empire
 The beginning of the Roman Catholic Church (Rome)
 The beginning of the Roman papacy (pope)
 The beginning of the Eastern Orthodox Church (Constantinople – modern day
Istanbul, Turkey)
Age of the Christian Empire (312-590)
A. The Great Persecution
 Nero (64 AD) blamed the Christians for setting Rome on fire
 Christianity became an outlawed religion and anyone practicing it was guilty of a
criminal offense
 The Roman Empire begins to self-destruct due to the decades of self indulgence,
greed and desire for power
 The collapse began before 300 AD but was delayed for another 175 years
 Diocletian, Roman Emperor from 284-305 was a “most savage” persecutor of
Christians. His most vicious attacks were from 303-305 AD. No one knows why,
his court was full of Christian officials and his wife Prisca and daughter Valeria
were considered Christians
 He prohibited Christian worship, destroyed churches, burned the scriptures.
Church leaders (bishops) were arrested, tortured and killed.
 He resigned his post as Emperor and called on the new Emperor, Maximian to
purge the empire of Christianity
 The response of the Christians was that thousands stood fast and were killed –
which lead to greater growth of the church
B. Constantine’s Influence on Christianity
 October 28, 312 Constantine defeats Maxentius’s army and takes over Rome as
it’s emperor
 Constantine ruled the Empire (and breathed new life back into it) from 312 until
his death in 337
 While Constantine held to Christian values and raised his children as Christians
he was not baptized until right before his death (337). Afterwards he refused to
wear the imperial purple and died in his white baptismal robes
 Constantine established a new capital for the Roman Empire – Constantinople
(known for centuries as Byzantium and later as Istanbul (modern day Turkey)
 Constantine viewed Christianity as a religious and political force in the Roman
Empire and therefore wanted to tap into it’s power
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A church historian, Eusebius, envisioned this era and a new age of salvation.
Being able to publicly preach proved divine approval for the change of events in
the Empire
“Prior to Constantine’s conversion, the church consisted of convinced
believers. Now many came who were politically ambitious, religiously
disinterested, and still half-rooted in paganism. This threatened to
produce not only shallowness and permeation by pagan superstitions
but also the secularization and misuse of religion for political
purposes.” (pg. 96)
By 380 non-Christians were being persecuted for not being Christians
Emperor Theodosius made belief in Christianity a matter of imperial command
Church buildings designed to emphasize the new hierarchy of Christ and emperor
Due to a riot by people in Thessalonica (390) [because a favorite charioteer was
accused of homosexuality and imprisoned] the emperor had 7,000 Thessalonians
killed
Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, refused the emperor communion until he
confessed his sins and later threatened him with excommunication (expulsion
from the church and therefore sentenced to hell).
Excommunication became a powerful tool for the church leadership to use
against the secular rulers
C. Battles of Doctrinal Purity
1. The Trinity (Three persons in one God)
 With the years of persecution behind them the Christians turned to solve
doctrinal issues and disagreements
 No other religion worships a three-in-one deity. How do they explain it?
 Those who survived the religious persecution wanted doctrinal purity and if some
differed they called for them to be suppressed or banished from their churches
by the power of the state
 Arianism (named after Arius, pastor of the Baucalis Church) taught that “the
Word (Logos) who assumed flesh in Jesus (John 1:14) was not the true God and
that he had and entirely different nature…” (pg. 100)
 Constantine stepped in to settle the dispute and in 325 he called for a council in
Nicea. Over 300 bishops attended and Constantine called them to “come to
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some agreement on the questions that divided them. Division in the church, he
said, was worse than war.” (Pg. 101)
The debate was settled (against Arianism) and a creed was written (Nicene
Creed) which is still used today in the Roman Catholic Church
 After the Nicene Council Constantine and other government officials would step
in to settle disputed matters. Often times the church leaders were exiled. Some
would later return from exile as a new government official, sympathetic to their
position, replace the old government official
 For centuries the Trinity was a source of debate among the scholars and still is
today
2. The Divinity and / or Humanity of Jesus
 The theology of “Who is Jesus? Is known as Christology (the study of Christ)
 The issue of Incarnation (God-man) – became central to Christian worship
before it became central to Christian thinking
 The Event (Incarnation – Jesus being both God and man) was debated for
generations because much was at stake (spiritual, religious, political)
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These heresies continued to flourish from 350-450 and the church needed
greater clarity
Additional heresies included: The question of Mary. Is she the “Mother of God”
of the “God bearer”?
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D. Church Councils Called to Deal with Heresies
 In order to settle matters and establish uniform teaching a church structure
began to take form (with the governments approval and influence)
a. Bishops in chief towns in imperial provinces came to be called
Archbishops.
b. The term for the geographical area they had responsibility for were
known as a See
c. Bishops in the premier cities of the empire – Rome, Constantinople,
Alexandria and Antioch – were considered the highest of all bishops
and were called Patriarchs
d. Throughout the 4th and 5th centuries these Patriarchs tried to expand
the geographical area of their influence and authority
 Major Church Councils
Council of Nicea (325)
Result: Christ is fully divine
Council of Constantinople (381)
Result: Christ is fully human
Council of Ephesus (431)
Result: Christ is a unified person
Council of Chalcedon (451)
Result: Christ is human and divine in
one person
E. Introduction and influence of monasticism
 “The model Christian was no longer the courageous bishop dragged
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before wild beasts in a Roman arena. He was now was a lonely hermit
in the forsaken Egyptian desert defying the devil.” (pg. 116)
Monasticism (exiling oneself from life – living like a hermit or monk) was a
response to dealing the battles of the flesh.
(The Reformation Movement – 1,600s – struck a blow to monasticism claiming it
set up a standard of a higher and lower morality)
Around 140 a writing appeared call “The Shepherd of Hermas” offering advice
for those who wish to do more than what is required of the “ordinary” Christian.
Suggestions like greater self-denial (celibacy, no possessions,
Monasticism was a response to Constantine’s influence resulting in a decline in
Christian commitment. “Once Christians had laid down their lives for the
truth; now they slaughtered each other to secure the prizes of the
church.” (pg. 118)
Living on their own to avoid temptations found new temptations – pride, rivalry
and eccentricity
In 320 a former soldier Pachomius instituted the first Christian monastery. Life
was strictly regulated between worship, working, studying and meals
The goal was to only exist for God and to live from his grace alone.
Monks took a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience
Others who influenced monastery life were Jerome (340-420) and Benedict (died
in 542)
The monastic life-style had been criticized as unnatural. “To enter a monastery
was to separate from the world, to abandon the ordinary relationships of social
life.’, to shun marriage and all the Christian home signifies.” (pg. 123)
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F. Teachings and influence of Augustine (born 354 – 431)
 To this day Christians and Catholics feel the influence of Aurelius Augustinus
(Augustine), Bishop of Hippo. Roman Catholics draw much of their doctrine from
Augustine’s teachings
 Born November 13, 354 in Tagaste, known today as Algeria. His mother was a
devout Christian, his father an easy going heathen
 He went to school in Carthage and found sexual temptations irresistible. He fell
in love with a girl who gave him a son, Adeodatus
 At the age of 19, after reading a treatise by Cicero, he decided to make the
quest of truth his ambition
 He followed the teachings of Manichean from 374 - 383 until he became
dissatisfied
 He picked up a New Testament and began reading it. He was baptized in 387,
along with his son and a friend, Alypius in Milan
 In 388 his son died
 In 391, at Hippo, by popular demand but against his will Augustine was ordained
a priest. A short time later he became an assistant bishop. A year later, at the
age of 43, he became Bishop of Hippo, where he served the next 33 years
 When he became bishop he faced a movement called Donatism – which
protested against Catholic practices, namely the authority of certain bishops and
priests appointed by them who destroyed scriptures
 Augustine argued that the church would be made up of a mixed multitude and
supported his view using Matt. 13:24-30 (not recognizing Jesus was talking
about the world)
 He raised the profile and authority of the priests. He argued that priests acts are
really God’s acts because he gave them their authority.
 Therefore, the priest was a channel for grace from God to the members of the
church
 His defense against the Donatiist controversy supported the use of force in the
suppression of his rivals. “Thus, Augustine’s prestige was made available for
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those in later ages who justified the ruthless acts of the Inquisition against
Christian dissenters.” (pg. 128)
In 419 the Pelagians (followers of Pelagius) were banished by Emperor Honorius.
Why? Because they denied that human sin is inherited from Adam. (pg
129)
In Augustine’s view Adam’s sin had enormous consequences and was passed
down to every man (Original Sin Concept)
Augustine also bound God’s grace to only those who were members of the
Catholic Church. Therefore if one was excommunicated or left the church he
was cut off from God’s saving grace
Augustine considered the church as the only human community and that the
secular governments, founded on the sinfulness of man must submit to the laws
of the Christian church
He wrote; “The City of God” which provided a spiritual interpretation of suffering
– things might be bad now but in the future they will be much better
Augustine died on August 28, 430
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G. Consolidation of Christians through out Roman Empire
1. Structuring of the Roman Catholic Church
 Bishop Leo of Rome saved Rome from sure destruction from Attila the Hun in
452. Afterwards he became famous and revered. He assumed a new role and
staked a fresh claim on the future of the Catholic church
 He slowly consolidated power and introduced the theology of the Papacy
 The word “pope”, originally expressed as “papa” (showing the shepherding care
given by the bishops to their flock) didn’t become reserved for the Bishop of
Rome until the 6th century (506)
 Early Christian writers (beginning with Irenaeus in the 2nd century) referred to
Peter and Paul as the founders of the church in Rome and as subsequent bishops
as successors of the apostles. “Many catholic Christians felt that a list of
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bishops traced back to Peter and Paul was a sure means of safeguarding the apoplectic message.” (pg. 134)
As the church grew and the threats increased there became a need for some
form of organizational structure. It developed in two ways:
1. The authority of the church councils and
2. The authority of certain bishops over other bishops
“As the church grew it adopted, quite naturally, the structure of the empire.”
(pg. 134)
As the empire was divided into four regions, so the church began to function as
four regions: Rome, Carthage, Alexandria and Antioch
From these four major centers smaller congregations were started in the
countryside
Surely, due to Rome’s stature, the Bishop of Rome grew in stature, power and
authority
Leo, Bishop of Rome makes his appeal for a Supreme Head of all Christendom.
Using Matt. 16:13; Luke 22:31-32 and John 21:15-17 he lays out a biblical
foundation for the Papacy
On October 30, 451 the council of Chalcedon gave the Bishop of Constantinople
the same authority as that of Leo
This represents the beginning of the split of the Roman Catholic Church into the
Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East
2. Split between Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church
 Today the Eastern Orthodoxy is that when man sins he doesn’t separate himself
from God but rather reduces his divine likeness
 Christ came to restore the likeness (icon) of God in man
 Icons play a large part in their faith
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