The Birth of the Early Church - Part 2
Rev. Dona Johnson | June 2, 2024
During the first three centuries of the early church, Christians suffered intense persecutions, shunning by Jewish neighbors and outcasted by family members. There was an on-going surveillance by Roman
authorities and the Sanhedrin.
Constantine became Emperor of Rome, he put But, when an end to the persecutions, ordered the return of the church properties which were confiscated and proclaimed freedom of religion, especially for Christians. He even had his soldiers engrave the Chi-Rho symbol, (the first two Greek letters in Christ) on their shields. Constantine thought if he paid homage to God, God would make him victorious in battle. Of course this was a skewed view of faith. Since he was also worshiping the Sun god.
Constantine eventually had a conversion which prompted him to do make more sweeping declarations. One has to remember that up until
Constantine’s reign, Jewish and Gentile Christians worshiped in homes. The home was the basic cell of the church. The early Christians also worshiped
in cemeteries and gathered in catacombs.
By the second century, Bishops were
introduced to oversee teaching, theological disputes and confront heretical teaching. Pagan beliefs were constantly being woven into the proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection. And this was a huge threat to the Christian message.
After his conversion, Constantine began to institute a more imperial protocol. He introduced incense (pagan ritual). Officiating ministers who once wore plain clothes were asked to wear luxurious vestments. Gestures of respect used in the presence of the Emperor were now incorporated within the worship experience, large choirs and alters were also added. Thus, the imperial/secular protocols of the Emperor were integrated into the structure of worship within the more elaborate churches.
The Roman Catholic Church is not on the scene as of yet. Christians were by and large still gathering in homes and the larger churches that had been built. Constantine found by organizing the new Jesus movement, he could solidify the
Empire and be victorious against invading armies and marauders. Eventually, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire and it spread as far as northern Europe. The state also had the power to settle theological issues and/or conflicts. And of course, there were many.
Christians who rebelled against the wealth, luxuries and all the pomp and circumstance of the more formalized church its worship protocols, fled to the deserts to withdraw from society. This began
what we call today the Monastic Movement. They moved into the deserts of Egypt and Syria, ate sparse meals, renounced most material possessions, prayed and memorized in their hearts the Scripture.
During his reign, Constantine called several councils. The Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., called Bishops from all over the Empire to discern the Arian controversy. The Nicene Creed, a beautiful credo was written as a way to put guardrails around the interpretation of Scripture and to reduce heretical teachings.
Also during this time, there was an intense effort made in theological writings, to establish and interpret the deep meaning of Scripture in their original languages—an attempt to get everyone on the same page.
Eventually Rome fell to barbarian invaders in 476 A.D. Pope Leo, who at that time had been the Bishop of Rome became the first Pope (Pope means father). This was done to reinstate stability. He expanded authority of the papacy and declaring authority over bishops and secular matters. This begins the very early history of the Roman Catholic Church.
It was not until the mid 1500’s, that the authority of popes and the Roman Catholic Church were finally challenged. Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic priest protested against the church’s corruption and the selling of salvation through the sale of indulgences. He called for the Pope to institute reforms. The Roman Catholic Church held Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus, “Outside the Church there is no salvation.” But Luther trusted Scripture and said, Faith in Christ alone, sola fide is what saves a person. Salvation can be found outside the church but not outside Christ. Let me preface this statement with Luther also believed the church was the incubator for faith. From Luther’s protest, the Protest-ant Reformation took hold and protestant denominations were also formed by other major reformers such as Calvin and Zwingli.
In concluding, it’s very important to know how the first Apostles formed Christ’s Church. The Church is born out of their eyewitness accounts, gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on the Apostle’s and those whom the Spirit still calls today to follow Jesus Christ. Iron sharpens iron, so Proverb 27:17 tells us. And so it is with the church. It was formed out of the crucible of trial, pain and suffering. The mission of the church lives on—to proclaim Christ crucified and risen. And you and I have a role in this proclamation. The church is always being forged anew, and always in need of reform as it responds to the changing culture and the sin of humankind.
I will end in the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Matthew 16:17-19 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Amen. Te Deum.