Winter 2017 ~ Religious Instruction Lesson #2 Middle Ages This lesson is historical in nature and therefore the only Bible reference used is the memory verse itself. Learning Objectives 1. The children will explore the change in the position of the Roman emperors toward the Christian church. 2. The children will recognize the influence they have on others by the example that they choose to be. Memory Verse: be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. --1 Timothy 4:12 (NIRV) Getting Started Wall of Perseverance Activity See: www.teensundayschool.com games Wall of Perseverance This game is designed to wear your kids out. You ll need a space along a wall. Feel free to play too. Tell the students that they are going to play a little game to see who has the most endurance (or perseverance). Please see the above website for detailed instructions and a guide to the discussion. Lesson Message: Choose to be an example. Teacher Background Information: (From God s Ways Volume 3) TEACHER NOTE: The following information is for YOU to read as you prepare for your lesson. This will give you the background information to help you understand and answer questions. This information is NOT to be read word for word or analyzed in detail during class. Refer to the section below entitled: WHAT DO THEY NEED TO KNOW? for the main points the children should understand. Teach the lesson using the Activity section and Real Life Application section. They will guide you as to how to teach the key ideas from this historical information. Remember to try and make it as fun and interesting as possible. Food/Snacks to enjoy during the lesson may help keep your student interest up as well, and you are encouraged to bring them in each week (or have a volunteer do so) as we explore the history of the church. Constantine s changes Against all odds, Christianity had gained a foothold in all areas of the huge Roman Empire during the first 3 centuries. 1
Lesson - Continued In 324 Constantine (285-337) became emperor of the entire Roman Empire, after already having become emperor of the Western part 12 year earlier. It had always been extremely difficult to keep the empire together it had come into being by conquering many peoples because the different sections of the population came out of varied traditions and spiritual influences. Gradually the population no longer respected and previous belief in many gods and emperor worship as before. There are two main reasons for this: on the one hand, the Christian faith, which was spreading more and more; on the other hand, totally new conceptions from the Orient brought back by traders. The emperor s influence on the people had weakened considerably. Constantine perceived Christianity, which more and more of his subjects professed, to be a potentially unifying force for his huge empire. That is why he endeavored to obligate the Christian church by granting preferential treatment and turn it into a political instrument of the state. Christian unity was threatened, however, because of the doctrinal dispute concerning the question of whether Jesus Christ was to be regarded as a being that is equal to God, or one that was created. Constantine took the initiative, and in the year 325 convened a council (i.e., church gathering) in Nicaea, a city in the north-western part of present-day Turkey. As the supreme religious authority of the Roman Empire (pontifex maximus) the Emperor, who had not yet been baptized, acted as if he were also the chief bishop of the church. About 250 to 300 bishops accepted his invitation, five of which were from the Western Church. Constantine listened to the opposing doctrines regarding the aforementioned issue, and pressed the bishops for a resolution. The outcome of the discussions is expressed in the Nicene Creed. We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, creator of all that is visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, born of the Father, begotten, (i.e. of the nature, character and being of the Father, God of God, light of light, the true God of the true God), born, and not created, from one being with the Father, through whom everything, which is in heaven and on earth, came into being, who descended from heaven and took on flesh for our sake as human beings and the sake of our salvation, became man, suffered and resurrected on the third day, ascended into heaven, shall come to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost. As for them, who say that there was a time, when he was not, and was not before he was born, and that he came into being from nothing, or who claim that the Son of God is of a different hypo-stasis (i.e. being) or substance, or is subject to change or alteration the Catholic and Apostolic Church curses them. Initially, the Christian church in the Roman Empire was united by the Nicene Creed, which, in the form modified at the Council of Constantinople in 381, is fundamental for the creed of most Christians, including that of the New Apostolic Church. Constantine made the Christian religion the state religion, and assumed the leadership of the church. He favored it more and more, but also brought his influence to bear for his personal advantage. Promoting the eastern patriarchy Both the Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Byzantium on the Bosporus again and again claimed to be the supreme bishop of the church. Emperor Constantine had the old, badly ruined city of Byzantium magnificently rebuilt and shifted his seat of government there. The city was renamed Constantinople in his honor. The Patriarch of Constantinople felt his claims to leadership of all Christianity were strengthened by the transfer of the imperial residence. 2
Lesson - Continued In general, the emphasis on church leadership was clearly put on the eastern Patriarchs. The Bishop of Rome was only recognized in a leadership capacity for the Apennine peninsula (i.e. presentday Italy) and Gaul. The origins of the papacy The expression pope was nothing out of the ordinary initially. Addressing bishops as papa (i.e. father) was common since the 3 rd century AD. The Roman Bishop himself used this form of address with the other bishops. As of 440 the title of pope became the official term used with reference to the Bishop of Rome. Schisms In 395 the Roman Empire was divided into independent Eastern and Western empires. This intensified the rivalry between the bishops of Rome and Constantinople. The Bishop of Rome emphasized that Rome was the only patriarchy in the western Mediterranean area. In the eastern region, several patriarchies also endeavored to achieve supremacy. Especially following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Easter Roman emperor laid claim not only to the administration of the entire church, but also to the right of approval when choosing a Roman bishop. This and other issues led to harsh clashes between Rome and Constantinople. In 484 these finally resulted in the first split into an eastern and western church, which lasted 35 years. In the meantime, another dispute concerning the nature of Christ had flared up. It could not be settled at the Council of Chalcedon (415), but afterwards led to the creation of Monophysitic churches (i.e. the Coptic Church in Egypt, as well as the national churches of Syria and Armenia). All three still exist today. The Bishop of Rome gains power Although the first split into a western and an eastern Roman church could be settled superficially, the conflict continued to swell for several centuries. Both regions diverged more and more, not only with respect to cultural and political but also theological matters. While the Patriarch of Constantinople came under the supervision of the Eastern Roman emper0r, the institution of the papacy could gradually become stronger, since there no longer was a Western Roman emperor. When Pope Leo III crowned Carl emperor of a new Roman Empire at Christmas in 800, this sealed the pope s position of power, including secular power. The final split of the eastern and western churches Over the course of the centuries, the two wings of the church grew further and further apart, both spiritually and culturally. In 1054 a final split came about at a gathering in Constantinople. The papal nuncios left a letter of excommunication on the main altar of the main church, Hagia Sophia, by which the Patriarch of Constantinople was expelled from the church. The latter in turn excommunicated the Pope in Rome and his following. The century-long battle for supremacy had led to the break up. From this time on, there was no more communication between the western and eastern church. The Pope was now the senior among the bishops in central and Western Europe. What do they need to know?: During the Middle Ages (300AD to about 1500AD), the church became the norm and also institutional. 3
Lesson - Continued Constantine - Roman Emperor in the 300's - Was a pagan emperor, however, when preparing for battle in 312, it is reported that he had a vision. In this vision, he was told to conquer by the sign of the cross. Moved by his vision, Constantine had every member of his army mark their shields with a cross. Constantine's army was victorious and this changed his thinking. - He issued the Edict of Milan (because he perceived Christianity to be a potentially unifying force for his huge empire) which was a proclamation of the tolerance of the Christian faith. This not only meant that Christians could exist, meet, and worship, but also that there were benefits to becoming a Christian. In some cases they were given tax breaks, special privileges, etc. - When Christian unity became threatened over a dispute on the doctrine regarding whether or not Jesus should be regarded as a being that is equal to God. As a result the Nicene Creed was created: o We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, creator of all that is visible and invisible. o And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, born of the Father, begotten, (i.e. of the nature, character and being of the Father, God of God, light of light, the true God of the true God), born, and not created, from one being with the Father, through whom everything, which is in heaven and on earth, came into being, who descended from heaven and took on flesh for our sake as human beings and the sake of our salvation, became man, suffered and resurrected on the third day, ascended into heaven, shall come to judge the living and the dead. o o And in the Holy Ghost. As for them, who say that there was a time, when he was not, and was not before he was born, and that he came into being from nothing, or who claim that the Son of God is of a different hypo-stasis (i.e. being) or substance, or is subject to change or alteration the Catholic and Apostolic Church curses them. Does the Nicene Creed look familiar? Compare the Nicene Creed with the Articles of Faith. Other good things that happened in this period of time: - The Bible was completed and brought together in one place. - Heresies (false teachings) were debunked and rejected. - The church became really organized and influential in the whole Roman world. Other not so good things that happened in this period of time: - It became pretty institutional and stale. - The Church was turned into a political instrument of the State or government. - Society was illiterate and couldn't read the Bible for themselves. Sometimes the church took advantage of that to advance its own cause. 4
Application to Real Life Lasting Influence Activity See: www.teensundayschool.com Activities Lasting Influence You will need a copy of the quiz sheets for each of your students (see the above website). Have the children complete the first quiz before going on to second one. The children may get a couple of the questions to the first quiz correct, but more than likely will not know most of the answers. Whether or not they are able to answer any of the questions to the first quiz, they will be able to come up with at least three persons for each category on the second quiz. You will explain why this is true using the discussion questions. Memory Work Suggestions 5 minutes 1. Recite the memory verse. 2. Practice finding the memory verse and/or Bible text in their Bible! 3. Play a game to review an article of faith (toss the bean bag/stuffed animal, the person who catches it says the next word try to go faster and faster). 4. Allow a volunteer (child) to lead the class in an opening/closing prayer. 5. What fruit of the spirit are discussed in today s lesson? Can you name all nine? Activity Ideas with Discussion Questions Teachers will need to print out the attached sheet for the children to follow along with this discussion. Mets vs. Yankees Activity To further illustrate how the people felt during this time period, use a scenario that your students would understand and would be relevant to them. For example, tell the children to pretend that they are all New York Yankee fans. Tell them that you (the teacher) are the king and you are a New York Mets fan. Therefore, since you are the king, all of them are now Mets fans. They have no choice in the matter. It doesn t matter what you believe or think. (Use an example that would mean something to your students.) The church had much influence over the people at that time. How do you think that made the people feel? How would you feel if you had to do things or believe things or follow things that you did not agree with or believe in? (Discuss together.) We are fortunate to not have this be the case today in our life time. Instead, we have the opportunity to be an example to others each day, based on what we believe. Read the memory verse again: be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. --1 Timothy 4:12 Paul says we should be an example for all believers: in speech, life, love, faith, and purity. 5
Activity Ideas with Discussion Questions - Continued SPEECH The words that you use matter. Communicating with friends, chatting online, texting, talking to your parents each indicate a deeper commitment, either to Christ or not. (Some may be answered; others are food for thought for the children) 1. How can your words set an example for those around you? 2. Are there things you say in front of some people that you don t in front of others? Is that wrong? Why/why not? 3. Is the way that you talk to others portraying your love and respect for God? 4. Is there a word or phrase you need to eliminate from your vocabulary? Is there a tone of voice you need to stop taking with people? LIFE The Greek word for life in this verse is literally translated conduct. Paul is saying that the way we go about living should serve as an example to others. 1. If a spy followed you around 24/7 and had complete access to everything you did, public and private, would they think you followed Jesus? Why/why not? 2. What daily habits do you have that are God-honoring? 3. Are your life plans and goals things that are Christ-like? LOVE 1 Corinthians 13 says that love is the greatest thing any person can do. Paul says here that the way that we love should reflect Jesus to others. 1. Honestly, how much do you love others? How do you show that you love others? 2. How well do you love your family and friends? 3. How well do you love your enemies? 4. Why do you think love is such a high value in Christianity? FAITH Paul also calls us to an exemplary faith. 1. How can your faith be an example to others? 2. How do you demonstrate faith in your life? 3. How could you demonstrate greater faith? PURITY Teenagers often get a bad rap in terms of purity of life. 1. What does it mean to be pure? 2. Does being pure mean not having any fun? 3. Why is it so important for us to live pure? How does this set us apart from others? Those are five practical things that you and I can work on to be better examples for believers who are older than us. Paul makes it a point to list these things to Timothy, and they apply to all of us. 6
Activity Ideas with Discussion Questions - Continued Play Follow the Leader When you were a kid, did you ever play follow the leader? One person would do something, and everyone else would follow suit. Play a few rounds of follow the leader. Pick one student to lead the class in doing something crazy. Whatever the leader does, the rest of the class must do the same. As the leader switches from one action to another, everyone switches too. Conclusion: That s really what Paul is suggesting here, that we follow Christ in every way in our speech, life, love, faith, and purity. Then people will know to whom we belong and, hopefully, be drawn to Him. Others will be encouraged by our example. You see, leadership is really just following God and Jesus teachings. Journal Reflection Question - What kind of person do you want to be in your life? What do you want to be known for? Write about it. Homework Ideas - Read at home the lesson titled: Life in a Monastery. - Learn the memory verse: Be still, and know that I am God --Psalm 46:10 (NIRV) - Work on memorizing Article of Faith #. - What do you like to do when you are all alone? Think about it before coming to class. 7
Activity Sheet be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. --1 Timothy 4:12 SPEECH ~ The words that you use matter. Communicating with friends, chatting online, texting, talking to your parents each indicate a deeper commitment, either to Christ or not. (Some may be answered; others are food for thought for the children) 1. How can your words set an example for those around you? 2. Are there things you say in front of some people that you don t in front of others? Is that wrong? Why/why not? 3. Is the way that you talk to others portraying your love and respect for God? 4. Is there a word or phrase you need to eliminate from your vocabulary? Is there a tone of voice you need to stop taking with people? LIFE ~ The Greek word for life in this verse is literally translated conduct. Paul is saying that the way we go about living should serve as an example to others. 1. If a spy followed you around 24/7 and had complete access to everything you did, public and private, would they think you followed Jesus? Why/why not? 2. What daily habits do you have that are God-honoring? 3. Are your life plans and goals things that are Christ-like? LOVE ~ 1 Corinthians 13 says that love is the greatest thing any person can do. Paul says here that the way that we love should reflect Jesus to others. 1. Honestly, how much do you love others? How do you show that you love others? 2. How well do you love your family and friends? 3. How well do you love your enemies? 4. Why do you think love is such a high value in Christianity? FAITH ~ Paul also calls us to an exemplary faith. 1. How can your faith be an example to others? 2. How do you demonstrate faith in your life? 3. How could you demonstrate greater faith? PURITY ~ Teenagers often get a bad rap in terms of purity of life. 1. What does it mean to be pure? 2. Does being pure mean not having any fun? 3. Why is it so important for us to live pure? How does this set us apart from others? 8