CHRISTIAN CHURCH THE FIRST CHRISTIANS

Transcription

1 CHRISTIAN CHURCH THE FIRST CHRISTIANS

2 Jesus of Nazareth is Born Jesus teachings make people think in a different, more loving way. He makes them want to change their lives for the better. He fulfills the prophesy. Jesus is crucified and rose from the dead. Christianity is born.

3 After the Resurrection, the Apostles went into hiding.

4 After Pentecost, the Apostles were given courage to spread the message of Jesus. They traveled to different parts of the Mediterranean area and became missionaries. Peter went to Rome to spread the Good News.

5 Those who accepted the teachings of Jesus were known as Nazareans or people who followed The Way. They were part of the Jesus Movement. They formed communities for worship and teaching of the new faith. They met in people s houses, many of whom were owned by women. They prayed and studied the Hebrew Bible and shared in a communal meal to remember the Last Supper. These were the first Masses.

6 A New World Religion was born: the daughter religion of Judaism. This religion embraced all people- men, women, children, poor, enslaved, and nobles. It gave hope to the powerless It appealed to those who were disgusted by the luxurious lifestyle of wealthy Romans. It offered a personal relationship with a loving God. Its teachings promised eternal life after death. The religion spread so quickly because of the well-built Roman roads and Pax Romana.

7 Persecution of the Christians Saul of Tarsus tried to stop the spread of ideas. Roman emperors persecuted the Christians. Emperor Constantine granted all Romans, including Christians, religious freedom. New Testament Bible was written.

8 Saul of Tarsus was a persecuter of the early followers of Jesus. He held the cloak of Stephen as he was stoned to death. St. Stephen is considered the first martyr of the Church.

9 Saul of Tarsus c. 10 AD 68 AD The story of his conversion is found in the Acts of the Apostles ( 26: 9 21 ) He was a Jew from Tarsus, a major city in Asia Minor He was a Pharisee and a Roman citizen He was a tent-maker He received a very good education He learned the language and history of the Romans, Jews, and Greeks.

10 He opposed the followers of Jesus, calling them heretics. He was on his way to Damascus, Syria to try to stop the spread of those who followed The Way. He had a vision and encounter with the risen Christ that led him to accept the very religion he had opposed.

11 After Saul was converted and baptized, he began using the Latin name, Paul. He traveled extensively as a missionary, preaching and converting Gentiles. Gentiles are those who are not Jewish. He was imprisoned many times and came close to death often, once during a shipwreck.

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13 Paul worked as a missionary for 35 years. He wrote letters, called epistles, to the churches in Rome, Greece, and Asia Minor. Many of the epistles were written while in prison. In 68 AD, Paul was a Roman prisoner who eventually was put to death for his beliefs.

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15 Roman government persecuted the Christians because Christians refused to worship the emperor as a god. In 64 AD, Emperor Nero set the city of Rome on fire and blamed the Christians. St. Peter is believed to have been killed at this time. Christianity was made illegal. Many Christians became martyrs for their faith. Some persecutions took place in the Coliseum.

16 Two martyrs during this time were St. Perpetua of Carthage and her servant, St. Felicity. Their faith was an inspiration to other martyrs who would come after them. Perpetua kept a journal while in prison. She wrote to her brother.. Stand firm in your faith, love one another, and do not let our suffering weaken you. What would you die for?

17 Another martyred saint during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian was St. Lucy. Legends grew out of her courage. She was said to have been tortured by blinding her. She is the patron saint of blindness. How courageous would you be if your faith was threatened?

18 Christians wanted to bury their dead out of respect. Since it was the Roman custom to burn the bodies, the Christians buried their dead outside of the city in underground burial places, called catacombs. The bodies were stacked in slots along the side of tunnels. The walls were painted with images from the Bible or of the martyrs who died for their faith. These paintings were called frescoes.

19 In 70 AD the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem.

20 The last great persecutions of the Christians were carried out by the Emperor Diocletian in the early 300 AD. It failed and the Romans realized that this new faith was too strong to be destroyed. The next Roman emperor was Constantine who came into power in 306 AD. He was a fierce and successful warrior born in Serbia.

21 In 312 AD, Constantine changed his policy toward Christianity. He ended the persecutions of the Christians. In a decree known as the Edict of Milan, he made Christianity legal. Along with his mother, Helena, he built churches, used Christian symbols on coins, and made Sunday a holy day of rest and worship. He traveled with a moveable chapel. He eventually converted to Christianity at the end of his life. He established the city of Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) as the center of Christianity. It remained that way for a thousand years. He was buried in Constantinople s Church of the Apostles in 337 AD.

22 In this sign you will conquer In Hoc Signo Vinces

23 St. Helena and the True Cross.

24 In 335 AD, Saint Helena built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on the site of Jesus crucifixion and burial.

25 Theodosius was Constantine s successor. He made Christianity the official religion of Rome in 392 AD. All other religions became illegal.

26 The Gospels, Good Word, were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. ( AD) The Bible was originally written in Greek. St. Jerome translated it into Latin, the official language of the Roman Empire. ( c.385 AD ) Besides the Gospels, there were other writings that influenced the early Christians. Doctors of the Church wrote books to explain the Church s teachings. St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo wrote The City of God, one of the first history books written from a Christian viewpoint. ( 410 AD )

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28 Council of Jerusalem 49 AD Gentiles could be included in the new faith. Council of Nicaea 325 AD We believe in One God, Three Persons. Council of Ephesus 431 AD Mary is the Mother of God. Theotokos (God Bearer) Council of Chalcedon 451 AD Jesus is truly Human and truly Divine.

29 Later Councils: Council of Trent Vatican Council I Vatican Council II

30 Monasticism A monastery is a place where men live together as monks to devote their lives to the service of God. A nunnery or convent is where women live as nuns with the same purpose. When these groups formed they needed a set of rules by which they could organize their lives. In 530 AD, St. Benedict founded the monastery of Monte Cassino and wrote the Benedictine Rule. The monks followed rules so they could live holier lives. Listen with the ears of your heart.

31 Organization of the Early Church Christians turned to the Roman Empire as a model to organize their Church into a hierarchy.

32 PATRIARCHS ARCHBISHOPS BISHOPS PRIESTS LAITY

33 The Bishop of Rome became the most important bishop and was called the Pope, meaning father. This marked the beginning of what was called the Roman Catholic Church because it was based in Rome. The word catholic means universal.

34 The Bishop of Rome was also the Patriarch of the West and also claimed authority over the East. He claimed power over the other bishops because he believed he had the authority of Peter. St. Peter had preached in Rome. His diocese was in Rome, the capital of the empire. The Greek speaking Churches would not accept the pope s authority over them. There were many disagreements between the West and the East.

35 In 1054 AD, the Eastern Church, located in Constantinople, split from the Western Church, located in Rome. This was called the schism, or separation into the two major branches of Christianity. The Western Church continued to call themselves the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Church was called the Eastern Orthodox Church.

36 Roman Catholic Church Leader was the Pope who had authority over the bishops Pope had authority RRoman over all kings and emperors Priests may not be married Latin is used in services Eastern Orthodox Church Leader was the patriarch along with the bishops he ran the church as a group Emperor had authority over officials of the Church Priests may be married Local languages were used in services (Greek and Russian)

37 Popes have unsuccessfully tried to reunite the two Churches back together. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have had some success in new dialogue with the Eastern Orthodox Church.

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