...VIRGINIA MARCH 2013 Abstract The Early Church was a minority religious movement which faced significant threats of persecution in their daily practice of faith. As a result there was no detailed structure of worship as seen in the present day Christian worship. However, worship in those days paved way for the current settings of various churches which have greatly evolved over time. Worship was characterized by several aspects such as baptism, organizing prayer meetings and gatherings, rejoicing through songs, listening to the scriptures, collection of charity and using their spiritual gifts among others. Additionally, during those early days of Christianity, Christians often met in church assemblies for the ceremonial get together meal (Lord’s Supper) or for thanksgiving and singing gatherings. This paper critically analyzes the various practices of early church such as the singing of psalms and hymns, gathering in church assemblies, vocal thanksgiving, the Lord’s Supper as well as the practice of baptism. Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………i Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………….ii 1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................1 1.1 What is Worship?...........................................................................................................1 1.2 Early Christian Worship………………………………………………………………2 ...
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...Evangelism in the Early Church [Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, November 14, 1985] by Joel L. Pless The primary mission of the Christian Church is to preach the gospel to all nations, it is to win souls for Christ. The fact that there are approximately one billion at least nominal Christians in the world indicates that Christ’s Great Commission has been at least partially carried out. This monograph will research how and by whom was the Great Commission enacted in the “early days” of the Christian church, during its first four centuries (100-500 A.D.) This research paper will not contribute creatively to the study of theology or methods of evangelism, but it will rather compile from a representative bibliography facts concerning evangelism in the early Church. Granted, research on this topic has been undertaken before by individuals with far greater academic credentials than the writer of these lines. But this monograph will attempt to condense the vast amount of material written on this topic into a monograph on evangelism in the early Church which is long enough to adequately cover the subject but still short enough to be interesting. This essay will approach the topic by asking the basic questions, why?, what?, who?, to whom?, and how?( William C. Weinrich, “Evangelism in the Early Church,” in Concordia Theological Quarterly, vol. XLV, (January-April 1981), pp. 61-74.) When possible, primary sources from the early Church fathers will be quoted in translation. The ultimate...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY WHAT THE DECIAN PERSUCTION REVEALED ABOUT THE CHURCH A PAPER SUBMITTED TO … IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CHHI 520 BY KIMBERLY SOUTER LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA FEBRAURY 19, 2014 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………. 3 THE CLIMATE ON THE EVE OF DECIUS’ EDICT…………………………………… 3 The Church in the Third Century………………………………………………….. 3 The Imperial Crisis of the Third Century (AD 235-284)………………………….. 5 DECIUS’ EDICT AND ITS EFFECT…………………………………………………….. 5 Cyprian…………………………………………………………………………….. 7 EXILES…..………………………………………………………………………………... 8 APOSTATES OR THE “LAPSED”…….………………………………………………… 10 MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS………………………………………………………… 12 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………. 14 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………. 16 INTRODUCTION Certain tensions existed with the rise of Christianity within the Roman Empire. Prior to the advent of Christianity and even up to 200 AD, Rome was relatively tolerant of religions. Judaism was accepted into the mix of various pagan religions of the Empire, and in its infancy Christianity was simply considered a sect of Judaism, which seemed to pose no real threat to the Empire because Jews did not seek to proselytize. However, Christians were zealous in their worship of Jesus and their spreading of His message, so that in the third century Rome’s policy toward the Christians changed. Persecution...
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...The Rise of the Papacy The rise to power of the Papacy in the Roman Empire during the 6-9th centuries is crucial to the history of the church. There were many theories as to why the Papacy earned such central power. Included in these were the rise of the early church, and also the negative and positive effects of individuals related tot he government of the Roman Empire. Altogether it took many steps in a long process for the Papacy to gain such control. What is clear though is that the Papacy held firm control until the reformation. This paper will expand on the reasons for the rise of the Papacy in power, what allowed for it to thrive, and also negative and positive impacts on the empire and even the world. Fall of the Roman Empire There were many factors, and theories that are included when one is speaking of the fall of the Roman Empire. One of the first theories centers around disease and plagues. Some historians maintain that the Empire was crippled, as many diseases and plagues circled the Empire. They crippled families, workers and even members who were involved with the government. Another small factor may have been the decay of the army. The army say an increase in more German peoples, which may have altered the morale of the army, and even the size of the army itself. One large theory also centers around the government of the Empire. Many historians also believe that the Roman Empire set itself up for failure.(1) In the way that the...
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...important in church history. As the early church began to expand, Christianity had to compete with a number of ethnic, philosophic, and mysterious religions in the Roman world. False teachings and doctrinal error began to surface inside and outside the church. To put an end to the confusion and restore doctrinal truth, God called a group of men, known as the Apologists, to defend the truth. The Apologists were scholarly men who took on the task of composing a defense and endorsement of Christian truths. Their objective, to dispel falsehoods and misunderstandings, and to point towards Christian truth. False teachings were found inside and outside the church. Examples of heresies in the church include Marcionism, a belief that there was a creator god who was evil and a redeemer god who was good. Ebionitism taught Jesus was not the second person in the Godhead. Instead, He was the prophetic successor to Moses. Montanism believed in celibacy and prolonged fasting. It also taught obedience to the Holy Spirit through His prophet Montanus and challenged church authority. Gnosticism, Manicheanism and Neoplatonism are examples of heresies outside the church. Gnosticism and Manicheanism are closely related, teaching among other things dualism believing spirit is good, material or physical is evil. God did not create the universe. Neoplatonism is a mystical religion based on the philosophical teachings of Plato. While these errant teachings were harmful to the early church, it forced...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY RESEARCH PAPER Early Church Missions A PAPER IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIRMENTS FOR THE COURSE HISTORY OF THE CHIRSTIAN CHURCH I CHH 520 BY RHEINLAND PFALZ, GERMANY ii CONTENTS INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 3 THE INITIAL SPREAD..........................................................................4 EVERY MEMBER WAS A SOULWINNER.........................................5 CONNECTING THE DOTS OF MISSION TO TODAYS CHURCH...7 METHOD OF MISSIONS.......................................................................9 THE ZEAL OF MODERN DAY MISSONS.........................................10 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................12 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................13 INTRODUCTION When one reads the biblical account of the early church one will find a group of believers being introduce to the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus during his ministry had been making mention of the coming of the Holy Spirit and his subsequent death. Although Jesus' disciples did not initially and fully understand the conditions and necessity of his death, he told them "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto...
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...David Walter History of Christianity Course TH 605. NA Dr. Louis DeCaro November 7, 2012 Church history is intertwined with many historical dates, events, and personalities. Two extraordinary influential personalities that shaped the landscape of early church history are John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Episcopal Church and Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. The organizational skills and leadership of John Wesley and Richard Allen is the foundation for the permanence of the Methodist denomination. John Wesley was an Anglican minister and Christian theologian. Wesley is recognized as the founding father of the Methodist faith. His conversion to Methodism occurred while attending an outdoor evangelism service conducted by George Whitfield. Wesley, an 18th Century preacher, held to Arminianism which was the prevailing faith of the Church of England. Wesley persuaded others to experience a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The traditions of Wesley, known as Wesleyanism, gave beginnings to many powerful church movements: Methodist, Holiness, Pentecostalism, Charismatic, and Neo-charismatic. Wesley stressing evangelism purified Arminianism and the doctrine of justified by faith was reformed. John Wesley was born June 28, 1703 in Epworth, Linconshire, England. He was the fifteenth child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley. As the custom of that day, his parents provided their children with an early education. John and...
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...THE CANONICAL BOOKS A PAPER SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR C. PAUL KING IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR HISTORY OF THE CHURCH I 301 DEPARTMENT OF CHURCH HISTORY BY GLENN ROGERS LYNCHBURG. VIRGINIA 10 NOVEMBER 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Reason or Need for Adoption of a Canon of Scripture 4 Key Events that were Influential in Recognition of the Canon 5 Individuals and Councils that Helped Shape the Canon 6 Conclusion 8 Works Cited 10 Introduction The Bible is one of the most intriguing books ever written. There is no other book in history that covers the same amount of time or the comprehensive aggregation of people and cultures as found in the pages of the Bible. The mysteries and wisdom of the Bible have held the attention of Biblical and non-biblical scholars for centuries. We know from the study of history that not all Jews agreed on which books belonged in the Bible. As a matter of fact Christians also debated what to include and exclude in the New Testament Scriptures. This was a major problem in the first two centuries of Christianity. Biblical historian Paul Johnson wrote in his book entitled History of Christianity, “After more than two centuries since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians faced a terrifying...
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...umich.edu/cgi/r/rsv/rsv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=5338807) Part 2 – 10 marks Answer the following questions in detail in complete sentences. You must respond in a minimum of 2-3 sentences. 1. What is the meaning and purpose of conversion in St. Paul’s life, and in the life of the Catholic Church? Conversion literally means "turning towards”. Conversion is someone turning towards God or the Church from sin or life of sin. St. Paul turned towards God after Jesus’ death. Paul had changed his mentality about his beliefs and the Messiah himself. 2. How did the early Church understand the “Law” in relationship to the new covenant, as presented in the letters of Paul? That is, what changes occurred with the new Covenant as opposed to the early teachings of Abraham and Moses? 3. What was the key law for the new Church? To answer this question, you will again need consider your response for question three. What element of Jesus’ teachings are new? 4. Describe the structure of the very early Church? Make sure to read the historical information provided in your textbook. Who was the Church during the lifetime of Jesus and following his death? The early structure of the “Church” was...
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...EMBALZADO HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY II April 16, 2013 Rev Ramylal Fernando Essay on the Origin of Baptist Denomination “Every Baptist ought to know why he is a Baptist, and to know it from the specific commands of God’s Word. Not to have such knowledge is for our churches to be harmed in every way.” –George W. Truett, First Baptist, Second Baptist, American Baptist, Southern Baptist, General Baptist, Independent Baptist, and Primitive Baptist – the list goes on and on. Many people are confused why there are so many different kinds of Baptist. Most of the Baptists don’t want to acknowledge one another. In this essay, we will look on the theories about its origin, and how the Baptist began in the Philippines. By knowing the history and the theories, we will gain a better understanding why some Baptists accept certain practices and why others do not. Let’s look on the 3 theories of the origin of the Baptist. THEORIES OF BAPTIST ORIGIN Succession Theory This theory upholds that Baptist exists since the time of John the Baptist. Many theologians advocate this theory, pointing to Jesus as the founder of the Baptist church. Robert Torbet used the phrase “Jerusalem – Jordan – John” and these Baptist churches have been the “true church” throughout history without unbroken succession of existence. Some who hold this position contend that earlier revolutionists in the Christian church were Baptists, though not in name Baptist but hold the same mark of a true church. These...
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...Christian history details around many various topics such as the role of women as well as the duty to care for the poor. Christians are commanded to help one another, primarily those with less means. As revealed throughout the New Testament, it is in a believers best interest to provide to the needy as those who give will lack nothing but those who ignore the poor will suffer (Proverbs 28:27). Throughout the Bible, it is also evident that men were predominantly the heads of families and crucial leaders in past time. With primary figures such as Abraham, Moses, and David in the Old Testament, history proves that the Bible is primarily patriarchal. Women, however, have played an integral part to the work of the early church. As the last disciples...
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...the question: to what extent did the Christian church influence the politics of the middle ages? The investigation will concentrate on the kingdom of the Franks from the reign of Clovis, who reigned from 481-511 CE, to the reign of Charlemagne from 768-814 CE. With this topic the investigation will go more in depth on why Clovis decided to convert to Christianity, how much power the Christian church had while Charlemagne was in power, how much the Christian church influenced how he reigned and how much influence the church generally had throughout the Frankish kingdom. These topics will be attempted to be answered by researching...
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...Mormonism Many people have capricious ideas about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The history of Mormonism reads much like a fairytale. It began in the early nineteenth century, in upstate New York. In the heart of a period plagued by religious tension and conflicting claims, a young man by the name of Joseph Smith Jr. sought to determine his position with God, and which church he should join. Shortly thereafter, Smith’s prayers were answered. Over the next several years, Smith experienced several substantial manifestations, including one from an angel by the name of Moroni, who told Smith as to where he could find the gold plates that would later become the Book of Mormon. Shadowing these events, Smith played a pivotal role in organizing a church that would later become known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly thereafter, devotees moved to an area just shy of Cleveland, Ohio, to a town called Kirtland, and through strong missionary work, the church saw an influx of new members. As the Kirtland community began to grow and prosper a new branch was formed in Missouri. Following the economic collapse of Kirtland in 1837, church adherents moved to join with the splinter group in Missouri, in a place known as Far West in Caldwell County. However, rising religious tensions eventually erupted into conflict, forcing those members of the Mormon Church to move once again. In 1839, the Saints found their selves on the banks of the Mississippi...
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...to figure out what these different things mean but the bottom line is, it doesn’t matter what we think and what we believe is going to happen. God is in control and God’s plan will be fulfilled regardless of what anybody thinks or believes might or might not happen. So how do we go about interpreting and understanding the book of Revelation? Dr. Cornelius Venema, president and professor of doctoral studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary and associate pastor of Redeemer United Reformed church in Dryer, Indiana published in his article in the Table Talk magazine, dated January 1, 2012. In this article he gives us a five examples on how we can approach and understand the book of Revelation. The first approach he calls the Futurist Approach. The futurist approach to the book of Revelation regards the visions of chapters 4–22 as referring to events that lie in the future. These events will occur immediately prior to Christ’s second coming and at the end of history. He goes on to say that many, though not all,...
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...Heaven). There is more than one way to understand this question based on what the words Christian Church mean. If it is taken to mean a local church, it is not uncommon to find churches that take certain texts (e.g., Matt. 28:19) and put them forward as their mission statement (Barram, 44). In such a case, they understand this, from reading Jesus’ words in Matthew, to be the purpose of their church. On the other hand, Christian Church could be taken to be the Universal Church, in which case, there is no easy answer. In the matter of this paper, the latter will be assumed, and therefore that will be the focus. Though, that focus will not aid in a collective answer, because of the diverse opinions within the Universal Church. For example, Christians share memes on social media supporting public displays of the Ten...
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