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Church History

Explore the importance of studying church history to learn from past mistakes, discover our own roots, and avoid swinging to extremes in doctrine. This course covers key periods in church history, from the early church to the Reformation and Restoration Movement.

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Church History

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  1. Church History John Oakes, PhD Apologetics Research Society

  2. Why Study Church History? • Learn the Mistakes of History → Avoid them? Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. • Discover our own roots (Restoration Movement, Campus Ministry, ICOC) • Avoid swinging the pendulum Grace ↔ Legalism Doctrine ↔ Zeal, Emotion, Heart Asceticism ↔Freedom

  3. Church History: How Should we “do” Church? • Is David Bercot Right? Are Viola and Barna Right? • Will the Real Heretic Please Stand Up! • Pagan Christianity. • Assumption: If they did it, we need to do it. • House Churches, Pacifism, Withdrawal from worldly entertainment, Musical Instruments, Baptism • No! The Make an incorrect assumption. • Some of these were expedients. • Some of these reflect cultural realities. • Bottom line, by faith, we trust the scriptures • But!!! We can learn a lot from their good examples.

  4. Week 1 John 10/10 a. Intro to Church History AD 90-325. The big picture. b. Heresy and division. c. Drift toward Western Catholicism. Week 2 Robert 10/17 a. Cultural background to the early church, especially in the 1st century.Greek, Jewish and Roman culture. b. Evangelism and the spread of Christianity, Church of the East to AD 500. Week 3 John (and Robert?) 10/24 a. Augustine, Catholicism and Church Councils. b. Medieval Christianity. Aquinas et al.

  5. Week 4 John and Robert 10/31 a. Pre-Reformation: Albigenses, Waldo, Wycliffe, Huss. b. Cultural background to the Reformation, Counter- Reformation. c. Reformation: Luther, Erasmus, etc. Week 5 John and Robert 11/14 a. Reformation (cont.) Zwingli, Radical Reformation, Anabaptists, Calvin b. The Enlightenment and its influence on Christianity. c. 18th century. Puritans, Baptists, Methodists, Great Awakening. Week 6 John and Robert 11/21 a. Background to the Restoration Movement. O’Kelly, Stone, Campbell, Scott, Christadelphians, Lipscomb, etc. b. Restoration Movement in 20th century. Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, Church of Christ, ICOC.

  6. How is True Christianity Lost? • Growth of splinter, heretical groups with false teachings. • Gradual drift of the “true church” from biblical practice for good and sincere reasons.

  7. Early Schisms and Heresies • Judaizers legalism Gal 1:8 • Ebionites Denied deity of Jesus • Gnostics Deny humanity of Jesus, deep knowledge • Docetism Jesus not a physical person • Marcionites Jehovah an evil god. Established canon. • Montanists Charismatics, modern-day revelation • Novatianists Division over purity of the church • Arians Denied deity of Jesus

  8. Gnosticism: The Gospel of Judas “But you [ie. Judas] will exceed all of them.  For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.”

  9. Another way to lose it: The Church Drifts • Orthodoxy vs Orthopraxy • Heterodoxy vs Heteropraxy • Theme: Almost all these examples of drift from Orthopraxy started out as a reasonable and seemingly wise response to a real problem (heresy) at the time! • Irenaeus: Defended against heresy using “Church tradition”, The rule of faith, and the authority of apostolic succession.

  10. The Apostolic Church Drifts… • Leadership/Church Organization • Doctrine of Baptism • Asceticism, Monasticism • Creeds • Sacerdotalism/Priesthood clergy and laity • Lord’s Supper becomes a sacrifice • Sacramentalism: Liturgy, Church Calendar • Veneration of “Saints” • Hermeneutics • Allegorizing of Scripture vs Historical/Analytical approach

  11. Lessons Learned From the Early Church • Avoid convenient but unscriptural organizational structure. • Resist the trend toward ritualism in our worship. • Do not overreact to false doctrines. • Avoid relying on creeds to defend truth. • Do not overemphasize the importance of physical sacrifice, prayer or any other good spiritual activity • Watch for tendency to develop a clergy/laity division • Stress good methods of Bible exegesis

  12. Highlights in 3rd and 4th Centuries • Persecutions • Decius 249-251 Valerian 253-260 • Diocletian 303-304 Galerain, Licinius • Edict of Milan 313 Toleration of Christianity • Constantine, Emperor of all Rome 323 • Beginning of “Christendom” • Council of Nicaea • Arianism • Nicene Creed • Julian the Apostate

  13. Augustine (354-430) The Sovereignty of God • Laid groundwork for Christendom, Medieval Christianity and Reformation theology • The City of God, Christendom, Church and State • Original Sin: Mankind totally depraved • Predestination • Sacramentalism Baptism, Ordination etc ex opere opero • Transubstantiation • Immaculate Conception • Reacted against Donatists • Reacted against Pelagius, Pelagianism

  14. Ecumenical Church Councils • Nicaea 325 Arianism Jesus fully divine (consubstantial with the Father), homoousios vs homoiousious, Nicene Creed • Constantinople 381 Holy Spirit also consubstantial with Father • Ephesus 431 Jesus both human and divine, Condemned Nestorius (one nature after the hypostatic union), Condemned Pelagius, Mary theotokos • Calchedon 451 “Without confusion, without change” against Monophysites (Alexandria) who said Jesus changed when he took on human form, Without division, without separation against Nestorians (Antioch) who separated Jesus into two persons. The “hypostatic union.” Protect the mystery. • Constantinople 553 Condemned Origen • Constantinople II 680 Opposed Monothelitism (one divine will) • Nicaea II 787 Condemned Iconoclasm

  15. Branches of Christianity after 500 • Western Christendom Rome Legalistic and Hierarchical • Easter Christendom Byzantium Spiritual Experiential, Mystical • Coptic Church (Alexandria, Cairo) Monophysite One nature. Alexandrine School. Focused on divine nature of Jesus and minimized his humanity. Mary: Theotokos • Church of the East Nestorianism Dyophysite. Two Natures. Antiochene School. Focus on human nature of Jesus and his suffering. Mary: Christotokos

  16. Highlights of Medieval Christianity • Final Schism of East and West 1054 • Corruption of the Papacy • Celibacy of Priests mandatory • Baptism by sprinkling adopted • Purgatory, Cult of Saints, Indulgences, etc. • Crusades • 1st 1096-1099 Capture Jerusalem, Establish Feudal States • 2nd 1147-1149 Complete failure • 3rd 1187-1192 Capture Acre, Mediterranean coast • - 8th 1270-1271 • Cult of Mary • Growth of Monasticism in West • Dominicans (Dominic, 1170-1221) • Franciscans (Francis of Assisi 1182-1226)

  17. True Christianity in the Middle Ages? • Paulicians 650-900’s Asia Minor • Albigenses, Cathars 1000’s-1200’s Southern France • Henry the Monk 1100 • Arnold of Brescia 1155 Italy • Peter of Bruys 1140 Northern Italy • Waldensians 1175-1500’s Peter Waldo, Switzerland

  18. The Late Middle Ages: Scholasticism • Emphasis on Reason. No contradition with faith. • Reliance on Aristotle • Universities Established • Studied Rhetoric, Dialectic and Expounded on Scripture, Aristotle and Roman authors. • Penance emphasized, Mary more personal that Jesus • Anselm (1033-1109), Abelard (1079-1142), Ockham • Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): Doctor of Western Christendom • Forerunner to Humanism, Renaissance and Reformation and Counterreformation.

  19. The Reformation • John Wyclif England, 1324-1384 • John Huss Bohemia, 1374-1415 • Martin Luther Germany, 1483-1546 • Ulrich Zwingli Switzerland, 1484-1531 • William Tyndale England, 1494-1536 • John Calvin France, 1509-1564 • John Knox Scotland, 1505-1572

  20. John Wyclif 1324-1384 Translated Vulgate into English Opposed indulgences, idols, priesthood The Pope is the antichrist Followers known as Lollards Declared heretics 1401

  21. John Huss 1374-1415 Bohemia Influenced by Wyclif Bible the only authority Only God can forgive sin Burned at the stake Hussites virtually wiped out by the Inquisition Brethren and Moravian Churches

  22. John Huss Burned at the stake, 1415

  23. Martin Luther 1483-1546 Augustinian Monk 95 Theses in Wittenburg 1517 Studied Romans Grace Through Faith Only Scripture Only Predestination Book of James a “book of straw.” Kept much of Catholic worship practices

  24. Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) Swiss Reformer More radical than Luther Rejected almost all Catholic forms of worship. “Four bare walls and a sermon.” Differed on the Lord’s Supper Lord’s Supper and Baptism are “symbolic ceremonies.” His influence led to the Anabaptists Principle influence on John Calvin Died as a soldier fighting a Catholic Swiss canons.

  25. The Anabaptist Movement (1530’s and later) The Radical Reformation Menno Simmons 1496-1561 Martyrdom of Anabaptists

  26. The Anabaptist Movement (cont.) • Baptism by immersion of adults after confession of faith for salvation. • Bible the only authority. • Separation of church and state. • Emphasized both life and doctrine • Pacifists (usually) • Many martyrs • Began evangelistic, but became exclusive and withdrawn. (Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites) • Tended to be very schismatic

  27. John Calvin 1509-1564 • Followed Zwingli • Most influential theologian of the Reformation • Emphasized Historical/Covenantal Theology • Wrote Institutes of Christian Religion • Established an autocratic theocracy in Geneva • Best known for his strong emphasis on predestination/monergism. • God has two wills: his revealed will (1 Tim 2:3-4) and his secret will: foreordination of souls • Calvinist denominations: Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, Puritan, Baptist, Anglican(?)

  28. TULIP John Calvin • Total depravity of mankind • Unconditional election • Limited atonement • Irresistible grace • final Preservation of the saints

  29. The Catholic Reformation Erasmus 1466-1536 • Sought to reform Roman Church acc to humanist principles. • “Praise of Folly” attacks relics, pilgrimages, monasticism, Catholic hierarchy • “On the Freedom of the Will” 1524 • Greek New Testament 1514

  30. The Counter-Reformation • Council of Trent 1545-1563 • Eliminated many Medieval excesses (indulgences, etc.) • Gave official status to many Catholic teachings. • Declared church tradition equal to biblical authority. • Condemned Luther and others as heretics. • Confirmed works sanctification. • Confirmed sacraments, especially the priesthood. (opposing the priesthood of all believers)

  31. Other Important Figures in the Reformation • William Tyndale Translated NT from Greek and OT from Hebrew. KJV was a revision of Tyndale. Martyred 1536. • John Knox 1505-1572. Brought Calvinism to Scotland. Became Presbyterian Church • Puritans. English dissenters. Congregational autonomy. Became Congregational Church • Baptists. Added believer’s baptism to Calvinism. • Quakers. Literally quaked. Charismatic, emotional movement. Pietist/pacifist offshoot of Radical Reformation.

  32. Jacob Arminius (1569-1609) • “Arminianism” • Semi-Pelagianism? • Opposed supralapsarianism • Prevenient grace. God foreknows, but does not predetermine. • Calvinism makes God the author of sin. • Methodists, Restoration Movement

  33. Pietist and Revivalist Movements • John (1703-1791) and Charles (1707-1788) Wesley • Stressed holiness, piety, personal relationship with God • Arminian theology • Reformer of Anglicanism • Strong organizer: “Methodism” • George Whitehead Revivalist Preacher • Friend of Wesley, but differed on Calvinism. • Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening (1730s and 40s) • “A sinner in the hands of an angry God.” • Sought an outward sign of God’s grace.

  34. The Enlightenment and the Church • Isaac Newton and the Mechanical Universe 1687 Principia. • DesCartes and Rationalism. • David Hume, Voltaire and others begin to apply skepticism to Christian Theology • Deism: Intellectual/Rational revision of Christianity Deny trinity, virgin birth, resurrection of Jesus, etc. Joseph Priestly establishes the Unitarian Church. Franklin, Washington, Jefferson all deists. • John Locke and logical empiricism.

  35. The Stone/CampbellMovement Restoration or Reformation?

  36. Influences • Francis Bacon and inductive logic: the scientific approach to the facts of the Bible. • John Locke: the “Christian Philosopher” • The Scottish school of Common Sense Philosophy (Adam Smith, Thomas Reid, etc.) • The Seceder Presbyterians, the Sandemanians and other radical restorationist sects.

  37. James O’Kelly We are “Christians simply”

  38. Rice Haggard 1769-1819 “One thing I know, that whenever non-essentials are made terms of communion, it will never fail to have a tendency to disunite and scatter the church of Christ.”

  39. Barton W. Stone 1772-1844The heart of the movement The Cane Ridge Revival The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery “Let Christian Unity be our Polar Star.” “I do, so far as I see it consistent with the word of God.”

  40. The Presbytery of Springfield, sitting at Cane Ridge, in the county of Bourbon, being, through a gracious Providence, in more than ordinary bodily health, growing in strength and size daily; and in perfect soundness and composure of mind; but knowing what it is appointed for all delegated bodies once to die: and considering that the life of every such body is very uncertain, do take, and ordain this our Last Will and Testament, in manner and following,…. And with that the Springfield Presbytery no longer existed and the Stone movement began.

  41. Thomas Campbell 1763-1851 Emigrated to Pennsylvania 1807 Suspended by Presbyterian Church The Declaration and Address 1809 Principles for unity of Christians.

  42. Alexander Campbell 1788-1866The mind of the movement Joined Thomas from Scotland 1809 Believers only baptism 1812 Campbell/Walker Debate 1820 The Millennial Harbinger 1830 Bethany College 1840

  43. Walter Scott (1796-1861) First evangelist in the movement “Restored the gospel” in 1827 The five step “plan” of salvation Scott’s: faith, repentance, baptism, remission of sins, Holy Spirit CoC today: hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptized

  44. The crowning event of the early years: • Stone and Campbell met for the first time • Decided to form a unified movement • Problems: • Christian (Stonites) or Disciple (Campbellites) • 2. Emotional vs intellectual movements (preachers vs teachers) • Teaching on baptism • Ordination of ministers • 5. Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

  45. Hermeneutics of the Movement “Command, Example and Necessary Demonstrations.” “Where the Bible speaks, we speak, where the Bible is silent, we are silent” Sought Bible “facts.” Weak on principles. Tended toward legalism.

  46. The Turning Point: Were they a unity movement (a reformation) or a restoration movement? Stone and Campbell favored reformation (example; the Christadelphians) Walter Scott, Benjamin Franklin, Tolbert Fanning, David Lipscomb and others moved toward restoration. Sought “the perfect pattern.”

  47. The Dominating Influences in the Movement • The Colleges (Bethany College, David Lipscomb College, etc.) • The Periodicals (editor/bishops) (The Millennial Harbinger, The American Christian Review, The Gospel Advocate, Firm Foundation, etc.) • These were forces for unity and for division

  48. Points of disunity/division • Evangelism and inter-church organization (the Missionary Society) • The Civil War: pacifism, slavery, etc. (The Missionary Society supported the North) • The “instrument.” Moses Lard: “No preacher should enter a church where an organ stands.” • Daniel Sommer and David Lipscomb. • 1906 US Census acknowledged two separate groups: The Church of Christ and the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ.

  49. David Lipscomb (1831-1917) “Father” of the Church of Christ Founder of Lipscomb University Editor of the Gospel Advocate 1866-1917 Daniel Sommer “Watchdog” for the brotherhood. “Daniel Sommer was a militant who left a legacy of legalistic wrangling and divided congregations.”

  50. Other Controversies • One cup, Sunday School, “anti” churches • Premillennialism • For the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ; The Ecumenical Movement. Open Membership. • UCMS (United Christian Missionary Society) vs. NACC (North American Christian Convention) • Two denominations by about 1950

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