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MISSIONS IN THE POST-NICEAN CHURCH AD 350-500

From the Edict of Milan (or Tolerance) in 313, to the Council of Nicea (325), to obligation to be Christian or you

were not a Roman (375)

Shrine of supposed house of Ananias in

Damascus

Constantine enthrones Mary

and baby Jesus in church

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Missionary Methods Monasticism: Rule of St. Benedict (547) became the norm:

In Benedict’s rule the monk’s entire waking day, roughly seventeen hours, was divided among three activities: manual labor, the prayerful reading of Holy Scripture (lectio divina), and choral prayer, especially the praying of the Psalms. Even while the monk ate his sparse meals each day, he listened to one of his brothers reading Holy Scripture.

The monks and nuns pursued their goals – purity of heart and the gift of constant prayer – by ingesting massive daily dosages of Scripture. They gave themselves total to God not only by denying themselves and serving others, but by allowing themselves to become saturated in and absorbed by the power of God’s Word. Monks took seriously that principle of Jerome of Bethlehem (347-419) who said, “To be ignorant of the Scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ”

Witness of Lay People: merchants, soldiers, captives and travelers

Apologists – now given official sanction and freedom to publish especially against the heresies resulting from pagan infusion

Romanian monastery

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Doctrinal Controversies in West Pelagianism: Original sin did not affect human nature

– man responsible to choose to be good enough for salvation

Icons (between 4th-8th cent a constant debate to use icons) until forbidden by Leo III between 726 and 730. The 7th Ecumenical Council anathemized any veneration of images as idolatry in 787, but restored by Empress Theodora around 850

Authority of the bishop of Rome (Leo I claimed Petrine Primacy and thus the supremacy of bishop of Rome by 450

Salvation by trust in the Church and/or sacraments Penance and good works Salvation through the sacraments alone Eastern Church struggled with deity of Christ and

Western Church, with the means of salvation

Oldest icon of Christ (6th cent), St Catherine’s monastery, Mt Sinai

Keys given to Peter

Bishop of Rome’s cathedral

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Pelagianism controversy (Augustine vs Pelagius (d. 440)

Pelagius,(410) British Christian thinker, taught Adam’s sin only affected Adam –

All men are born as Adam was created: innocent until choosing to sin

Adam was only a bad example God’s grace enlightens man’s reason to

understand and to do God’s will Humans can choose to do God’s will without God’s

aid and are thus, responsible to be, and capable of becoming, righteous

Physical death has nothing to do with sin (purely biological)

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Augustine’s (d. 430) beliefs: Unity of all mankind – thus all sinned in Adam Men sin because they are sinners Thus unable to do good works for salvation Faith to believe is a gift of God God determines or elects some to be saved and

the rest to be damned (double predestination) True believers receive gift of perseverance in

the faith Thus he joined justification and sanctification in

the same salvific process His emphasis on the inner life minimized the

sacraments which brought criticism

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Semi-PelagianismPelagianism taught that man can effect his own salvation without divine

assistance; semi-Pelagianism taught that man could respond with God’s help

Pelagianism was condemned and Semi-Pelagianism was a compromise between the extremes of Augustine and Pelagius, but was condemned.

The beginning of faith is an act of free will, the increase of faith is the work of God – this was condemned in the Second Council of Orange in 529 after 100 years of debates

In the Reformation term was used to accuse anyone opposing Calvinism

Semi-Pelagianism taught man, unaided, would make the first move toward God, then God increases his faith, completing the work of salvation

Only within the authority and sanction of the Roman Catholic Church and its sacraments

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Rise of the Roman Bishop over the Church

In 445 Pope Leo I of Rome was declared by emperor Valentinian III, the Roman bishop over the bishop of Constantinople for 4 reasons:

1. Petrine foundation – supposedly from AD 422. Bishop of Rome was superior in the West – Bishop in the

East was smaller and subservient to Emperor3. Bishop over Rome was both political and religious power in

the absence of the emperor; in the East, the bishop had no political power

4. Western church was more conservative and fewer doctrinal issues; but Eastern Church was divided over many issues.

Any opposition to his rule, which had the force of law, was treated as treason

Leo the Great confronts Attila, 452

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Bishop Gelasius (492-496)

Argued with emperor and patriarch of Constantinople over monophysitism (single divine nature) which the East endorsed and the West considered heresy.

Reason for authority of the Church: if Church must give account for the deeds of kings, therefore, kings must submit to the Church.

Received title “Vicar of Christ” in Synod of 495 : “substitute for Christ”

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Clovis, King of Franks (d. 496) conversion by conquest

Converted to Roman Catholicism, due to wife’s insistence, then the whole army was baptized Whatever the religion of the prince or king, everyone in his

domain was obligated to be same religion Baptism did not matter whether salvation was understood or

not, just as it made no difference for a baby when baptized. Remaining tribes were Arian, thus must be subdued,

which gave a good excuse for conquest – the king assumed a kingdom mission of expanding the Church

Conquered most of Frankish tribes (France), converting all to Orthodox Roman Catholicism.

Foundation of coming Charlemagne Empire, and eventually the new Holy Roman Empire

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Augustinian Roman Catholic a- or Post-millennialism

Eschatology changed: paradigm shift

Apostolic Premillennialis

m

Augustine’s “City of God” gave blueprint for building the kingdom through a militant Roman Catholic Church, which became the official

view of the Church at Council of Ephesus (431)

Condemnation of premillenialism In Council of Constantinople 381 was caused by Church becoming

the kingdom (empire) or cesaropapism.

400 AD

Rise of Protestant

postmillennialism in 1800

1800 AD

The Church became the millennium, the Pope the substitute for Christ reigning on earth, and kings, the instruments for extending and protecting the Kingdom of Christ

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Major issues dividing early Christendom

Monophysitism: Christ only had one nature (divine) as opposed to Chalcedon position of 2 natures (one divine and one human).

Apollinarianism: Christ has a human body and a human “living principle,” the divine logos took the place of the nous, “thinking principle.”

Eutychianism: the human and divine natures were fused into one single nature.

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Lost in the shuffle With all these issues, world evangelism

was lost in secondary priority Redefinition: world domination and

control through the governmental powers became the means of fulfilling the Great Commission

Morality became whatever it takes to expand and maintain the “kingdom of God,” that is, the Roman Catholic Church

Thus the Dark Ages begin