CHURCH HISTORY PART 2 CHURCH HISTORY 7 Stages

CHURCH HISTORY PART 2

CHURCH HISTORY • 7 Stages of Church History (Willmington and others) – 1. AD 30 -100 The Apostolic Church – 2. AD 100 -313 The Martyr Church – 3. AD 314 -590 The Compromising Church – 4. AD 590 -1517 The Roman Catholic Church – 5. AD 1517 -1700 The Reformation Church – 6. AD 1700 -1900 The Revival Church – 7. AD 1900 -Rapture The Worldly Church

CHURCH HISTORY The Apostolic Church (30 -100) – Entire New Testament written – Gospel spreads thru the Roman world – Apostles Peter, Paul, John and the others

CHURCH HISTORY The Martyr Church (100 -315) Roman Persecutions Nero - 64 -68 killed Peter and Paul Domitian - 81 -96 Exiled John, killed thousands Trajan - 98 -117 Burned Ignatius at stake Laws passed against Christianity Pius- 137 -161 killed Polycarp Marcus Aurelius 161 -180 beheaded Justin Martyr Severus – 193 -211 killed Origen’s father

CHURCH HISTORY • Roman Persecutors Thracian - 235 -238 Commanded all Christian leaders to die Decius – 249 -251 Tried to exterminate Christianity Valerian – 253 -260 killed Cyprian, Carthage Bishop Diocletian – 284 -305 Most severe persecutor. For 10 years Christian were hunted down, burned, thrown to wild beasts, tortured, cruelly put to death. His wife and daughter professed Christ

CHURCH HISTORY • Defenders of the Faith – Justin Martyr – Irenaeus – Polycarp – Tertullian – Eusebius – Clement – Origen

CHURCH HISTORY • GERMS OF THE PAPACY – The Roman Church • Honored as Paul wrote the great epistle • Looked upon by Churches of Italy, Gaul and Spain with peculiar respect. • Rome destined to rule under scepter of cross • The expertise of this church was being felt in many areas. . Easter, Baptism, etc.

CHURCH HISTORY Seeds of Papacy (cont. ) – Many of early church leaders gave the Church at Rome pre-eminence – Clement of Rome in writing to Corinth begins to exercise authority – Roman church gives administrative advice, sends messengers, etc. to an important church in east. – Soon the Bishop of Rome was excommunicating churches for trifling matters

CHURCH HISTORY • Claims later made by Roman church: – Human and divine right to papacy – That Peter was appointed by the Lord for supremacy of jurisdiction – That these privileges were transferred by Peter to the church at Rome. – That Peter’s successors have same authority