The Church Grows Up

Part 2 of a 4-part series

As the church enters the 4^th Century several key historical events take place:

1. The Edict of Milan (AD 313) was a proclamation that declared Christianity legal in the Roman Empire and slowed the murderous persecutions against Christians.
2. This opened the door for “religious tolerance” of Christianity in the Roman Empire and paved the way for a blending of power between the sacred (religious influence) and the secular (political influence). The result was corruption and compromise which unfortunately also infiltrated the church, which will bring on the need for reform (that will be the topic of our next lesson).
3. Due to the continual battle against heretical teachings (primarily Arianism), many key church leaders (I call them Champions of Truth) in the church began meeting in large gatherings called “councils” in which they debated the essential doctrines of the Christian faith that remain the “orthodox” position of Christianity to this day.
4. The results of these “councils” were the formation of “creeds” or doctrinal positions that were taught and passed on by the Apostles and early first century church leaders – which were the same teaching that Jesus Christ taught them.
5. Since the heretical teachings of Arius attacked the very Nature of Christ and attempted to lessen the Deity of Christ; these councils made it clear that their position was that Jesus Christ was not a created being, that He is God in human flesh.
6. Another key doctrine that was decided upon by those at the Council of Nicaea was the Trinity. They affirmed the truth that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were One and they were co-equal and co-eternal.
7. Another key event that took place was the decision to accept the 27 Books of the New Testament as the whole/entirety of the New Testament canon. This occurred at the Council of Carthage in AD 397.

While all of these historical events are taking place, the great commission (spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ) remained the mission of the church. Several key leaders in the church saw to it that the message of the gospel remained the main purpose of the church without compromise. Others used the newfound power (political and religious) to seek their own personal gain through compromise and corrupt practices. The unfortunate result of this compromise will bring about persecution by the “church” against those who sought to expose their corruption. This will lead to the need for reform and change and God will direct those future “Champions of Truth” through Reformation and Revival to ensure that His Church will continue, and the “Gates of Hell” will be unable to prevail against it. Stay tuned for those next two lessons….

As the 1^st Century ends a few historical perspectives are needed to understand the church and how it impacted the next generation of believers/Christ followers:

1. The Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70
2. As a result of this siege of Jerusalem by Titus, the Jews will flee and many of the Christians from the Roman occupied region of Judea also scattered throughout the then “known world”.
3. By the time Jerusalem is destroyed, the church (thanks in part to the Roman roads, the expansion of their empire and other improvements) will have spread the gospel to (what was known to them at the time) the “uttermost parts of the earth”.
4. The Roman Empire remained the dominant empire deep into the 2^nd century but over time showed signs of failure until it eventually split into the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire (Byzantium).
5. Although the empire did fracture and many “Roman” emperors came and went (probably more bad emperors than good ones), the unfortunate result of this wicked empire was a deep hatred and animosity for both the Jews and Christians. The “religious” belief systems of the Roman Empire were a blend of hedonistic (human self-gratification) and pagan (anti-God) practices. This put them in direct conflict with God and there was no place in their system of belief for Jesus Christ.
6. As a result, Roman emperors and other leaders blamed the Jews and the Christians for anything that went wrong and often the result was persecution, torture and even death.
7. Although persecution was rampant, the spread of the gospel (Good News of the death burial and resurrection of Christ) didn’t stop or even slow down after the Apostles and early church leaders of the 1^st century passed on.
8. In fact, the preaching of the gospel and the acceptance of that good news, by faith is what transformed the heart of a later emperor named Constantine and opened a door to the world that has never been shut though many wicked leaders have tried over the centuries.

This lesson picks up after many of the Apostles and early church leaders have died either by a martyr’s death or natural causes. Those Apostles and early church leaders prepared a new generation of believers for what they knew (because it is what Jesus taught them or they received as direct revelation from God) was coming. There would be a rise of false teachers (antichrists) that would attempt to change, alter, or water down the truth that Jesus Christ is God, and the only way to the Father. They would do this through false teaching and the promotion of heresy and lessen/cheapen the Good News by claiming Jesus either wasn’t God or he was less than God which is utterly false! These false teachers failed in that attempt and continue to fail. New leaders would rise up and carry the torch into the second and third centuries and beyond. The church (the called ones) though still an organism became something that the “Gates of Hell” could not prevail against and remains His Church from then to now and until He returns. I hope you enjoy this lesson….