Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church

1. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church • The gifts of the Spirit had largely died out by the time of Augustine • Augustine developed a doctrine – “the purpose of the gifts was to authenticate or verify the writing of the Scripture, so the charismatic gifts ceased once the canon of Scripture was complete. • Calvin used Augustine’s writings to support the idea that spiritual gifts ceased in the first century.

2. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church • B. B. Warfield (Fundamentalism) “The Cessation of the Charismatic” borrowed from Calvin, who borrowed from Augustine. • Basically they together provided a rationalization for the absence of the gifts from the present day church. • The 20th century Pentecostal movement is unique, particularly because of its spread.

3. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church • According to D. Barrett the Pentecostal/charismatic Christians now outnumber the Reformation churches. • Prior to the 20th century there were only isolated episodes of Pentecostal phenomena. • In another sense therefore the 20th century outpouring is not unique, in that throughout Church history, God has sought to renew His Church by breaking in with the power of the Spirit, but for some reason, the larger church rejected these movements and they did not survive. • The modern Pentecostal movement is the first one in the history of the Church since the Apostolic Age to survive.

4. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church • Characteristics of the Ancient Church • Rise of hierarchy; diminishing role of laity. (negative development) • Apostolic age – only 2 officers • presbutero/’episkpo (used interchgangeably – implies no hierarchy) • diakono - Deacon • By the end of the apostolic age there were 5 major cities – Rome, Constantinople, Athens, Ephesus, Jerusalem.

5. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church • Characteristics of the Ancient Church • Rise of hierarchy; diminishing role of laity. • At the beginning of the 2nd century there had developed a distinction between presbutero and episkwpo. The Bishops of the 5 cities were elevated to positions of power. When the chief city of the Empire shifted to Constantinople, the Bishop of Rome took over political power in Rome. At this point hierarchy developed in the Church.

6. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church • Characteristics of the Ancient Church • Rise of hierarchy; diminishing role of laity. • d. Authority issues were confronted from the top down. POPE Vicar of Christ on earth CARDINAL/ ARCHBISHOP BISHOP PARISH PRIEST

7. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church POPE Vicar of Christ on earth CARDINAL/ ARCHBISHOP The Episcopal form of church government arose at the cost of the laity. Laity were excluded from the ministry. Sacerdotal system developed – clergy became the Instrument of administering the sacraments and “delivering” Religion to the people. BISHOP PARISH PRIEST

8. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church • Characteristics of the Ancient Church • 2. Period of Creeds and Councils (325-451 AD) Nicea-Chalcedon (positive development) • 4 major ecumenical councils were called to deal with heresies. Creeds developed that expressed the main elements of orthodox Christianity. • The modern Pentecostal movement has survived because it gave attention to the basic tenets of orthodox theology as found in the great creeds.

9. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church Characteristics of the Ancient Church 3. Completion of the New Testament Canon. (367-397 AD) Today’s NT canon was accepted in both Eastern and Western branches of the church. They didn’t give us the canon at Carthage; they merely recognised its authority as equal with the OT.

10. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church Characteristics of the Ancient Church 4. The Struggle of Church and State Initially the church was persecuted by the state, but by the end of the period the church was the recognised religion of the state. The church has generally not done well spiritually when it becomes part of the power structure. However, too much persecution wipes the church out completely. It has also been the means by which heretical doctrines have entered the church (e.g. penance, indefectability of the priesthood).

11. Charismatic Episodes in the Ancient and Medieval Church The Origins of Monasticism

12. Ancient Church – Charismatic “episodes” and “implications.” Two aspects of the information we have of this era. 1. WRITINGS - (“Fathers”) Apostles Apostolic Fathers 95-150 AD Latin=Western Clement of Rome Greek=Eastern Ignatius; Polycarp

13. Ancient Church – Charismatic “episodes” and “implications.” “The Shepherd of Hermas” early 2nd century documents. “The Didache.” Both have implications for charismatic activity in this period. They give directions for discernment of spiritual gifts. The things that are the most precious are the most abused – so the tendency is to jettison them, but with that reaction we lose life as well.

14. Ancient Church – Charismatic “episodes” and “implications.” Two aspects of the information we have of this era. 2. EPISODES – historical records. Secular church – the church which supports the hierarchy of the church. It is the “church in the world” supposedly ministering to the people of the world. (Seculorum.) The “religious” church (Sacerdotium) includes the monastic orders. Also called the “regular” church.

15. Ancient Church – Charismatic “episodes” and “implications.” • Types of monasticism – • Anchoritic – reclusive, live in isolation, severe asceticism. • 2. Cenobitic – communities.

16. 529 AD at Monte Casino, Italy, Benedict developed “regular” monasticism. Benedictine compartmentalised daily regimen into three aspects. WORK STUDY WORSHIP Prayer • In the dark ages the only really sane places were the monasteries. • “Brain drain” of Europe – brightest students left the world to study in monastries.

17. New orders developed at the beginning of the Renaissance. • Cistercians – mendicant (preaching, begging, ministering) • Augustinians – scholarship • Dominicans – preaching – Instrumental in the Inquisition – coercion instead of persuasion by preaching. • Jesuits – Ignatius Loyola • “Marines of the Papacy” – answered directly to the Pope. • Famous for: • 1. Late entry to monasticism – 16th century. • 2. Did not live in monasteries – individuals are assigned to educational institutions. Distinguished scholars. • 3. “Secret police” of the Pope. Intellectuals of the Church. • 4. Significant in Counter Reformation – Loyola and Xavier – missionaries of 16th Century.

18. Evidences of the gifts of the Spirit virtually died out in the “secular” church by 500 AD. Spiritual ministry was routinized. • In the church in Rome there were 7 exorcists – whose function was simply to be “bouncers” in church meetings. The true spiritual ministry of the church was taken from the laity and invested only in the clergy.

19. “Episodes” of manifestations of the Spirit died out in the secular church but have regularly appears in the religious orders throughout church history. • Up till 500 AD – the Old Catholic church • By 500 AD – became the Roman Catholic church. • 1054 – spilt between Eastern = Greek and Russian orthodox and Western = Roman Catholic church.

20. Within Old Catholic church • Secular church – parish church. • Religious orders – monasticism, repeated episodes of charismata • Heretical movements – when the church closed the doors to the Holy Spirit, He broke in, in another way. Most conspicuous work of the Holy Spirit.

21. Montanism/Montanus • A pagan priest of Cybele cult in Phyrgia, Western Asia Minor. • Converted in 150 AD. Saw that the church was quite successful but complacent. • Historians are critical of him because he was the instrument of revival, which threatened the established church. But, Tertullian joined the Montanists, and he was considered the greatest theologian of his day.

22. Montanus emphasized • Holiness – call for repentance • Urgency about the Second Coming • Empowering the Church – exercise of Spirit-gifts • There were extremes: • “Encratism” – exaggeration of holiness theme. Sins committed after baptism were unforgivable. Marriage considered unspiritual. • Specific dating and placing (Phrygia) of the 2nd Coming. • Abuses in exercise of spiritual gifts. Prophetic utterance equated in authority with Apostles’ teachings (i.e., NT writings).

23. Montanism • Total rejection by the Church • They could have rejected the abuses and received the emphasis. • The Montanists needed the church for balance and the church needed the renewing which came from their emphasis. • Virtually, all such revival movements were thrown out of the church and rejected as heretics or fanatics. • Heresy is soul-destroying error which ignores or rejects truths required for salvation. • Fanaticism – moving in energy of human effort and not in the Spirit of God. • Revival movements have deteriorated and been lost to the church, due to both heresy and fanaticism.

24. Successors of Montanism • Sabellianism • A view deriving from the thought of Sabellius, which was essentially a modalistic monarchianism: God is one being, one person, who successively takes on three different forms or manifestations. • Taught One Person in the Godhead, appears in different forms at different periods in history. The era of the Father, the era of the Son, and the era of the Spirit. • The Jesus only movement believe you must speak in tongues for salvation in the era of the Spirit. • Proculists – Trinitarians

25. Successors of Montanism • A view deriving from the thought of Sabellius, which was essentially a modalistic monarchianism: God is one being, one person, who successively takes on three different forms or manifestations. • Taught One Person in the Godhead, appears in different forms at different periods in history. The era of the Father, the era of the Son, and the era of the Spirit. • The Jesus only movement believe you must speak in tongues for salvation in the era of the Spirit.

26. PHILOSOPHIES OF CHURCH HISTORY • The Roman Catholic View TODAY’S CHURCH Development Continuity APOSTOLIC AGE

27. TODAY’S CHURCH PHILOSOPHIES OF CHURCH HISTORY 2. The Reformed and Dispensationalist View Discontinuity APOSTOLIC AGE Degeneration

28. TODAY’S CHURCH PHILOSOPHIES OF CHURCH HISTORY 3. The Restorationist View APOSTOLIC AGE Discontinuity Partial Recovery Apostasy

29. TODAY’S CHURCH PHILOSOPHIES OF CHURCH HISTORY 4. The Pentecostal/Charismatic View APOSTOLIC AGE Continuity Successive Waves of Recovery Degeneration