Foundation of the Church Chapter 1 Part I The Church A.The Church 1. Scripture teaches us that the Church is the Body of Christ & Temple of the Holy Spirit. 2. It is through the Church that God carries out his plan of salvation for all people. The Church 3. The Church has 2 dimensions: a) Visible, hierarchical institution b) Spiritual, community with the healing & sanctifying power of God s grace. B.The Marks of the Church 1. The Church is One a) One God, one creed, and the pope as the supreme authority. The Marks of the Church 2. The Church is Holy a) Those who live by the Church s teachings in their entirety become holy. 1
The Marks of the Church 3. The Church is Catholic a)the word Catholic means universal The Marks of the Church 4. The Church is Apostolic a) Built upon the foundation of the Apostles b) The hierarchy can be traced back to the Apostles. Part II The Apostles A.Apostolic Tradition 1. The word apostle a) Greek word for one who is sent. 2. The apostles were the pillars of His Church & were sent to preach the Good News to all nations. 3. They were the first witnesses of Christ s life, message & Resurrection. Apostolic Tradition 4. The Apostles were the ultimate authority on the meaning of Christ s message. 5. Upon completion of their earthly missions, they passed on priestly powers & mission to their successors through the office of bishop. B.The First Christians 1. The first Christians saw themselves as Jews who followed Jesus, the Jewish messiah s way of life & teachings. 2. These Jewish Christians still practiced their Jewish religion. 2
C.The First Martyr The First Martyr 1. As the Church grew, it became clear that certain organizational steps needed to be taken to care for the material needs of its members. 2. The Apostles chose St. Stephen & six others to become the first deacons (pastoral ministers). 3. St. Stephen worked amongst the people working great wonders & signs 4. He was dragged before the Sanhedrin & accused of speaking words against this holy place & the law. The First Martyr 5. Stephen was stoned to death for his comments against the Sanhedrin. 6. His death marked the beginning of a severe persecution of the early Church. D.St. Paul 1. St. Stephen s stoning makes mention of a man named Saul who approved of Stephen s death & held the coats of the executioners. 2. Saul was a pious Jew who learned under the renowned Pharisee Gamaliel. 3. Paul was also a Roman citizen 1. Damascus E. St. Paul s Conversion a) Paul began persecuting Jewish Christians because he saw them as a danger to Judaism. b) On his way to Damascus to arrest Jewish Christians he met the Risen Jesus. St. Paul s Conversion c) While in Damascus, Saul met a Christian disciple Ananias, who through the Lord s instructions, helped Saul regain his sight. d) Saul was immediately baptized & took his Roman name, Paul. 3
St. Paul s Conversion e) After he was healed of blindness and baptized, Paul went to Arabia for about 3 years studying, praying and reflecting on his Damascus experience. F.Gentile Converts 1. Acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah did not sever the early Christians from their Jewish heritage, but Jewish law forbade the Jews to associate with or to visit Gentiles. 2. Were the Apostles responsible for reaching out to the Gentiles? 3. Wasn t Jesus message for everyone? Gentile Converts 4. The first gentiles to be baptized was Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and his family. 5. The vision from God showed Peter that the Church must be open to the Gentiles. 6. Many Jewish Christians objected to this. G.St. Paul s Contributions 1. Paul will be the link between Jewish Christianity and the Gentile World. 2. His background will enable him to become the Apostle to the Gentiles. St. Paul s Contributions 3. Saint Paul was a brilliant writer & theologian a) Scripture contains 13 of his epistles (letters) written to early Christian communities, all dealing with local problems. b) Paul s letters are the oldest writings in the New Testament St. Paul s Contributions c) St. Paul s writings would become central in the development of the Church s teaching to this very day. i. Examples ~the doctrines of the Cross, the Mystical Body of Christ, the power of grace, & the value of charity. d) Paul can be considered the most influential man in Christianity, besides Jesus. 4
H.Paul s First Journey 1. Paul and Barnabas began on Cypress and then worked their way through the seaside towns of Asia Minor. a) Many Jews rejected their message but many Gentiles accepted Jesus and small Christian communities were started. I. Paul s Second Journey 1. Paul s companions on his 2 nd journey were Silas, Timothy, and joining him later, Luke. 2. Philippi a) First place where the Good News was preached in Europe. b) Paul was well received by the Jewish community and a small Christian community began to grow there. Paul s Second Journey 3. Thessalonica well received by the Gentiles, but Jews were hostile, was accused of treason and smuggled out of town. 4. Athens few converts, laughed at, no community. 5. Corinth rejected by the Jews again, Paul turns to the Gentiles, converts many and in 18 months a sizable Christian community had started. J. Paul s Third Journey 1. Ephesusa) Jews rejected him again but Paul s message was accepted by the Gentiles and a large Christian community begins b) Paul faces persecution by the magicians and silversmiths of Ephesus whom he denounces. c) Paul is run out of Ephesus. 5
K. Council of Jerusalem 1. Cornelius baptism did not end the Gentile question. 2. Questions remained whether the Gentiles who converted to Christianity also had to observe Mosaic Law, including dietary laws & laws requiring circumcision. Council of Jerusalem 3. The Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem called a meeting to discuss the problem. 4. Paul and Barnabas came down from Antioch and described the deep faith of the Gentiles. 5. Peter spoke out in favor of the Gentiles. 6. James, the head of the Jerusalem community, supported Peter and settled the matter. Council of Jerusalem 1. The Decision a) Gentile Christians did not have to observe the complete Jewish Law and circumcision was not required. b) The essential criterion for baptism was belief in Jesus Christ. c) This decision was a major turning point in Church history. The Early Christians and Practices: The Spiritual Life of the Early Christians 6
A. 1. Monotheism a) Christians were often at odds with their polytheistic, pagan neighbors of the Roman Empire. b) There could be no compromise on this issue of one God; they therefore rejected all acts of sacrifice and public ritual which acknowledged pagan belief. c) This led many Christians to suffer greatly for their faith, even to the point of martyrdom, dying for the faith, particularly after the Edict of Nero, making Christianity illegal. 2. Scripture: a) First centuries of Christianity i. there was no set book for Christian doctrine; ii. the Bible was actually a number of separate books and letters, along with the Torah. b) It was also during this time that a number of books written by heretical groups were written to promote their own view of Christ, i. Ex. ~ the Infancy Gospel of Thomas written by the Gnostics. c) Beginning of the 5th century i. Formal list or canon of Scripture was established d) Not until the Council of Trent in 1546 that this list was considered definitive. e) The early Christians never considered the Scriptures to have authority apart from the interpretation of the Church through her hierarchy, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. f) Here we see the importance of the Church s Tradition which helps understand and interpret the Scriptures. 3. Slavery and Christianity: a) The teachings of Christ on the dignity of every human gradually will undermine the practice of slavery. b) Many of the first Christians themselves were slaves yet were treated as equals by their fellow Christians; the first three popes after Peter (Linus, Anacletus, and Clement) were former slaves. 7
4. Non-Violence: a) Differing opinions on serving in the Roman army. b) Some writers seemed to discourage it, while others outright condemned it. c) Many early Christians did serve in the Roman army and are recognized as saints, such as St. Maurice. d) Over the centuries the Church has developed a just war theory, developed by St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. 5. The Just War Theory 3 Criteria a) Must be declared by a legitimate authority, not by private groups or individuals. b) It must be waged for a just cause like protecting innocent life or preserving conditions necessary to basic human life. c) It must be waged for the right intention, not for vengeance, cruelty or power. 6. Other criteria were added later. a) must be the last resort; all other avenues to peace must have been tried. b) The means used to win must be moral. 7. The State a) Followed all the just laws laid down by the state. b) The Christians would not compromise in what would go against their commitment to Christ, (polytheism & emperor worship). 8. Money Matters a) Christians tended to the material needs of the whole Christian community, engaging in education, medical care, and the distribution of alms to the poor. b) Forbidden from practicing usury (charging excessive interest on a loan). 8
9. Sexual Ethics a) Early Christians rejected practices which were common in Roman culture at this time: abortion, infanticide, and the use of contraception (see p. 81). 10. Women a) In Roman and Greek cultures, women were seen as inferior to men in all areas. b) Christianity greatly improves the position of women. c) Many of the great saints and martyrs of the early Church were women, and the most venerated person after Jesus was the Blessed Virgin Mary. 11. Family Life (domestic church) a) where the ideal of Christian charity took its roots, and where love and service form its base b) this contrasted with the pagan culture s approach to the family where women and children were treated as property. Important Writings of the Early Christian Period A. The Apostolic Fathers 1. Apostolic Father a) the earliest Christian writers who came immediately after the Apostles, b) some have direct links to either the Apostles themselves or the communities the Apostles founded. c) special witnesses of the faith and give the Church a record of the beliefs and practices of the earliest Christians. B. Apologists 1. Apologetics a) theology that defends and explains Christianity; from the Greek apologia meaning defense. 2. Apologists of the early period of the Church would have to face three groups which raised objections to Christianity a) Judaism, Gnosticism, and Paganism 9
Apologists 3. Most of the apologists of this time were merely explaining Christian practices to a culture which viewed them with suspicion. a) EX ~ St. Justin Martyr C. Others 1. The Didache (Teaching) a) known as The Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles b) it is an important work which covers early Christian views on moral life, Baptism, fasting, prayer, the Eucharist, and the developing Christian hierarchy. Others 2. Tertullian: a) One of the greatest early apologists, who argued that far from Christianity being a threat to the Empire, were actually a great asset to it b) left the Church to join the Montanist heresy. 3. St. Hippolytus and The Apostolic Tradition a) he gives us a lot of information on the early rituals of the Church, particularly the sacraments. Others A. Martyr Martyrdom as the Greatest Testimony to Christianity 1. The word martyr means witness. 2. The majority of martyrs were average people who experienced the normal fears of the pain and suffering they would have to endure. 10
Martyr 3. The martyrs would become great witnesses to the faith, who amidst the ridicule and sadistic pleasure of the crowds in their suffering, would face their death with great peace, joy, and faithfulness, often leading bystanders to conversion. 4. Christians saw martyrdom as an honor and privilege, and ultimately a gift from God, for it was seen as the surest way of entering heaven 11