Archived Textbook

Introduction to Church History

This class will help the student to become familiar with the history of the church. The goal of this class is to give you a practical understanding of events that occurred throughout the history of the church. The church of Jesus Christ is alive. We will study the lives of some of the people who have been used of God as pillars in the church.

Definition of Church History

Church

The Greek word for church is ekklesia which means "those called together or those called out."

This class will study the church of Jesus Christ. The word church is used today to refer to the buildings that the saints gather in to worship, but it more accurately refers to the people. The Scripture uses the word church to refer to an assembly in a certain house or city (Romans 16:5, I Cor. 16:19, Col. 4:15). The church is more than a house or building, but it is the saints who are the body of Christ.

The Lord added to the church

Acts 2:47…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

After experiencing the great baptism of the Holy Ghost in the upper room, the disciples were powerfully influential in witnessing of Christ. In one day, 3,000 souls were saved and added to the local assembly. Every day, more and more were added!

There is only one church of God, and only God can add members to it. Humans have religious organizations and they can control the membership of them, but no human can say who is or is not a member of the church of God.

Jesus is the head of the church

Ephesians 1:22–23—And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body…

The church is referred to in this Scripture as the body of Christ. Jesus is the head of His body. In a physical body the head gives commands to the body to function and work. In the body of Christ, Jesus is the commander who gives instructions to His church to do the work of God.

The church was birthed by the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost. This class will include the study of the early church of Acts up to our current church period.

History

The word history comes from a word that means "learning by inquiry."

The Webster's dictionary defines history as "that branch of knowledge which deals with events that have taken place in the world's existence; the study or investigation of the past."

One writer said that "The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there." [1]

Christian

We are studying the history of the Christian church. The term Christian, meaning "to be like Christ or one who follows Christ," was first used in Antioch around AD 40 (Acts 11:25).

The birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ are the central events of the history of the world. History is recorded around Christ. Dates are listed as BC (before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) which is Latin that means in the year of our Lord. All of history centers on Christ.

[1] L. P. Hartley, The Go-Between (1953)

Why study church history?

Church history helps us understand what we believe

If you enter a Protestant church anywhere in the world, you will be greeted with a service that is similar to any other one you have previously attended. There will be differences of style, but you could expect an opening prayer, a time of singing, an offering, and preaching. Often times these will be in a similar order. Nowhere in the Bible is given a list of how to hold a church service, so how have we universally adopted a similar form?

It is because much of what we do and believe as Christians has been shaped by over two-thousand years of tradition, though often we don't recognize it. "Tradition" is often considered a bad thing in Protestant churches. We like to believe we are doing things exactly like Paul and the other apostles did in the New Testament, but nowhere in the Bible do we see that Paul wore a suit and tie to church on Sundays (in fact, Sunday being designated as the official day of Christian worship comes from tradition and not the Bible).

The tradition of the church can be a good thing. Many people have studied the Bible, prayed, and discussed many doctrines and ideas about how the church should live. We do not have to "recreate the wheel," and study all these subjects ourselves, but we can learn from what these people have passed down to us through tradition. We do not believe that tradition is better than Scripture, but we believe that tradition can help us understand the Bible.

If we study the history of the church, we will understand much about how this tradition came to be. Whether we study history or not, we will be influenced by history. The influence will come from the culture around us, conclusions we subconsciously arrive at, and the stories that are told to us. The danger is that without making a conscious study of how we came to be, we can easily arrive at the wrong conclusions.

To build up our faith

The study of church history gives us an appreciation of our heritage. Many men and woman have paid the price of their lives to carry this Gospel message. The Gospel has been preached through much difficulty and hardship.

Learn of the mighty revivals of the church

There have been some great manifestations of God's power throughout the course of the history of the Church. The same Holy Ghost that moved in those revivals is the same Holy Ghost that will move today.

You can see that God's hand has always been on His church

The repeat of history

The writer of Ecclesiastes said "there is no new thing under the sun" (Ecc. 1:9). History comes in cycles. By studying the past we can learn about the present. We can learn from the mistakes and successes of others. God is no respecter of persons. What God has performed for past generations He can do for our generation if we obey Him as they did.

Romans 2:11—For there is no respect of persons with God.

We can learn from the successes and mistakes of those that have lived before us.

God does not change

God deals with all men equally in all ages and at all times. How God dealt with men in times past is how He will still deal with men today. God has always required that men live a holy life and he has not changed that standard today.

God uses ordinary people

The God that used Peter, and James, and John is the same God that will use you. God uses ordinary people just like you.

To enrich the knowledge of the minister

A minister of the Gospel should not be ignorant of the rich history of the Church.

Seven periods of church history

THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

START: From the Day of Pentecost (AD 30)

END: To the completion of the New Testament (about AD 100)

THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

START: From the completion of the New Testament about (AD 100)

END: To the Edict of Constantine (AD 313)

This is a period of tremendous persecution of the church. The church was crushed beneath the iron heal of the Roman Empire.

THE IMPERIAL CHURCH

START: From the Edict of Constantine (AD 313)

END: To the Fall of Rome (AD 476)

The word Imperial refers to a king or ruler. This was a period in the history of the church that an emperor had much influence on the church.

THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH

START: From the Fall of Rome (AD 476)

END: To the Fall of Constantinople (AD 1453)

The Catholic church dominated Europe during this time.

THE REFORMED CHURCH

START: From the Fall of Constantinople (AD 1453)

END: To the End of the Thirty Year War (AD 1678)

This was a period when God used men like Martin Luther to stand up against the tide of Catholicism and preach the just shall live by faith. God raised up men throughout Europe to restore the Word to the church.

THE MODERN CHURCH

START: From the end of the Thirty Year War (AD 1678)

END: To the Twentieth Century AD (1950's)

This was a period of great revivals and missionary outreach. Up until this time there was never a concentrated effort to reach the world with the Gospel. It takes a great love of souls to travel to a foreign land and preach the Gospel. It was during this time that David Livingstone set up many missionary stations on the continent of Africa.

THE POSTMODERN CHURCH

START: From the Twentieth Century AD (1950's)

END: To the present day

We will study each of these periods individually. This chapter was only an overview of what this course will cover.

One: The Apostolic Church (AD 30–100)

From the Day of Pentecost to the completion of the New Testament

Details of the early church

The church's enduement

They received power, after the Holy Ghost came upon them (Acts 1:8)

The church's original location

The church began in the city of Jerusalem, but persecution would soon scatter them abroad (Acts 8:1).

The church's membership

The original members were all Jews. They didn't yet understand that the Gospel was also for the Gentiles.

The church's government

The twelve Apostles as a body governed the Church.

The church's doctrines

Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 2:36)

The resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:30–32)

The return of Christ (I Thess. 4:15–17)

The leaders of the Church

The Apostle Peter

The Apostle Peter was the spokesman among the Apostles. He assisted James at the Jerusalem Church. History records Peter was martyred in Rome about AD 67.

Stephen

He was one of the seven chosen to care for the needs of the church (Acts 6:8). He is described as a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost. He was used by God to do great wonders and miracles among the people. Stephen was the first Christian Martyr (Acts 7:55–60).

Philip

He established a church in Samaria. This church was recognized by the Apostles. This was the first church outside of Judaism. He also founded churches in Gaza, Joppa, and Caesarea (Acts 8:40).

The Apostle Paul

Saul's persecution

Saul was a leader in persecuting the Christians (Acts 8:3). He was the one that consented to Stephen's death. The persecution helped to expand the church (Acts 8:4).

Saul's conversion

Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus. He became a powerful preacher to both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 9:19–22). Saul's name was changed to Paul. Paul became the mighty apostle to the Gentiles.

Paul's missionary journeys

Paul took several missionary journeys to spread the Gospel. Paul established churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth. He formed the seven churches of Asia either directly or indirectly (Acts 19:10). The churches were established though much suffering (II Cor. 11:23–28).

He taught in the synagogues and received from the Holy Ghost much of the N.T. While a prisoner at Rome he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. History records Paul was martyred around AD 67.

James

James was the younger brother of the Lord. He is not to be confused with the Apostle James who was killed by Herod in Acts 12. "And he killed James the brother of John with the sword" (Acts 12:2). James was the presiding elder or pastor of the Jerusalem church. He recognized the Gentiles as part of the body of Christ. History records James was martyred around AD 62.

The Apostle John

John was the youngest of the Apostles. He arose as a leader after the death of the other original Apostles. John taught Ignatius and Polycarp who would become leaders of the Church.

The Church among the Gentiles

Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10)

Peter preached the Gospel in Cornelius' house. The Gentiles received the Holy Ghost while Peter was preaching (Acts 10:44–48).

Peter's report to the elders (Acts 11:1–18)

The Council at Jerusalem AD 48 (Acts 15:5–20)

The Apostles called a council of elders together to settle the question of whether the Gentiles should keep the ceremonial Law of Moses. Some of the people were insisting that the Gentiles be circumcised (vs. 5). The council decided that Gentiles do not need to follow the Jewish ceremonial law.

Paul rebukes Peter (Gal. 2:11–14)

The fall of Jerusalem in AD 70

The Jews broke out in rebellion against Roman rule in AD 66

The Roman general Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem

The city caught on fire, which caused the gold to melt between the bricks. Soldiers took apart the temple brick by brick to retrieve the gold. This event fulfilled the prophecy of Jesus concerning the temple.

Mark 13:2—And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

The animal sacrifices ceased when the temple was destroyed

God was done with Judaism

Two: The Persecuted Church (AD 100—313)

From the completion of the New Testament to the Edict of Constantine.

This sets forth the period when the church was crushed beneath the iron heel of pagan Rome, yet it never gave out such sweet fragrance to God as in those two centuries of almost constant martyrdom. The Edict of Constantine was an official decree that ended the killing of Christians in the Roman Empire. Constantine will be further discussed in the Imperial Church Period.

We have record of events of the first church period from the Bible, which we believe is inspired. We do not have biblical record for any other church period. This means that not all accounts that we will read are necessarily true. Two people can witness the same event and yet give completely different accounts of it. History is complicated because the sources may or may not be true. There is a saying, "history is written by the victors." This is because those that lost the battle were gone, and they were not able to write their own account of what happened.

Persecution

This was an intense period of persecution of the church. Those who weren't killed were forced into hiding and endured poverty and hardship.

Jesus foretold of the suffering of this period. Jesus encourages the saints not to fear. This is a prophecy of the suffering that was to come to the church.

Many were imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel during this period. It became against the Roman law to be a Christian.

In AD 303 the Emperor Diocletian began the tenth and fiercest persecution of Christians that is called "The Great Persecution." This was an attempt to remove Christianity from the face of the earth. It is said that Diocletian erected a pillar inscribed, "In honor of the extirpation of the Christian superstition." Many Christians were burned alive for their testimony. Christians were eaten by wild beasts in the arena.

Causes of imperial persecutions

Heathen worship was hospitable to new gods while Christianity was exclusive to the worship of the one true God

New gods were accepted by the heathen culture of Rome. Christians could not condone worship of false gods and would not accept the way of the heathen.

Idol worship was interwoven with life

Images stood in many houses to receive adoration. Sacrifices were made to gods at festivals. Images were worshiped at civil ceremonies. Christians did not practice this offering, so they did not fit in with society. Because Christians did not participate in the public pagan worship ceremonies, many people did not think that they worshiped at all and that they were atheists.

Emperor worship

Christians would not worship the emperor. Christians spoke of another "king." Christians were looked upon as being disloyal and plotters of a revolution.

Judaism had been an allowed religion in the Roman Empire

In the first century Christians had been considered a sect of Judaism, an allowed religion. After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, Christianity stood alone with no laws to protect them.

Secret meetings

The Christians started to meet in secret to protect themselves from persecution. The secret meetings of Christians aroused suspicion. They were accused of meeting in secret to plan an overthrow of the Empire. Because of the Lord's Supper and talk about eating the body of Christ, some people thought that they were cannibals.

Equality in the church

Christians looked upon all men as equal, thus destroying the social order of the nobles. This went against the order of Roman society.

Business interests

Christianity meant an end to the profitable business of making idols. The craftsmen supported the persecution of the Christians (Acts 19:23—28).

Prominent Martyrs and leaders of the Persecuted Church

Ignatius

Ignatius was bishop of Antioch in Syria. He had been a pupil of the Apostle John.

Ignatius was thrown to the wild beasts in the Coliseum. Standing in the arena as the lions approached him, Ignatius prayed, "I thank Thee O Lord, that Thou hast vouchsafed thus to honor me. I am God's grain, to be Ground between the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become a holy loaf for the Lord."

Justin Martyr

Justin Martyr was a philosopher who became a Christian after meeting an elderly man who explained how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. He was one of the first apologists, which is someone who uses reason and logic to defend his faith. He wrote several books which are still in existence that give us much information about this period. One of his prominent works is Dialogue with Trypho, a treatise refuting the Ebionites (Rev. 2:9).

He once wrote, "You can kill us, but cannot do us any real harm." He was beheaded in Rome in AD 165. His last words were, "I am a Christian, having been freed by Christ, and by the grace of Christ, I partake of the same hope."

Polycarp

Polycarp was bishop of Smyrna at Asia Minor. He was taught as a youth by the Apostle John. When the police came to arrest him, he treated them as guests. He fed them and asked for an hour to pray, but he took two hours.

They brought Polycarp to the proconsul, who threatened to burn him alive with fire if he would not deny Christ. Polycarp answered, "Eighty and six years have I served Christ, and He has done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King who has saved me? You threaten the fire that burns for an hour and then is quenched; but you know not of the fire of the judgment to come, and not of the fire of the eternal punishment. Bring what you will."

The proconsul pleaded with him to say, "Away with the atheists!" (meaning the Christians), so that they could let him go free. Polycarp turned to the crowd that was watching and motioned to them while saying, "Away with the atheists!" Because he would not recant his Christian beliefs, he was burned alive in Smyrna in AD 155. Polycarp was the last link to the Apostolic Church.

Ireneus

Ireneus was a student of Polycarp. He became bishop of Lyons (in Gaul) in AD 177. He stressed the fundamental Christian doctrines which were facing opposition from the Gnostics. The Gnostics believed in "secret knowledge" that only some believers would receive, but Ireneus reminded them that the Apostles taught in the open and not in secret. Some of his writings still survive today.

Origen (AD 185—254)

Origen was a humanist, which means that he read from secular sources, such as the Greek philosophers, and applied their ideas to religious thinking.

He believed that there were three levels of biblical meaning: literal, moral, and allegorical.

Tertullian (AD 150—229)

Tertullian said "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?" He was saying that the ideas of the philosophers (Athens) could not add anything to the doctrine of Christianity (Jerusalem). This was an attack against the humanists.

He believed that persecution came from God. He thought it was a tool used to separate the true believers from the false ones.

Simeon

Simeon was James' successor as head of the Jerusalem church. He was crucified by order of the Roman governor of Palestine in AD 107 during Trajan's reign.

Blandina

Blandina was a Christian slave girl who was tortured from morning until night declared, "I am a Christian, and no evil is committed among us."

Perpetua and Felicitas

A noble lady in Carthage, Perpetua, and her slave, Felicitas, were killed by wild beasts in AD 203.

Formation of the New Testament Canon

The word canon means "a rod, rule or measuring device."

Refers to the Biblical books that were judged to be of divine origin (inspired means "God breathed") and included as part of the Bible.

No precise date can be given for the full recognition of the New Testament Canon, but it cannot be placed earlier than AD 300.

False teaching arose during this period

Gnostics

Gnostics taught that people could be saved by secret knowledge. They get their name from Gnosisis, which is a Greek word for "knowledge." They believed that salvation was not freedom from sin, but it was freedom from ignorance.

They believed that Jehovah was an evil god who created this world to trap the souls of humans. To them, the natural world was evil, and so the souls of humans must escape it by this secret knowledge. This knowledge could not come from this world, but they way to receive it was through asceticism (denying the self). They would not share this knowledge with people outside their group.

Ebionites

Ebionites continued in the ceremonial Law of Moses, and were trying to influence others to do the same. They were Jews who thought that Gentiles should convert to Judaism. They rejected Paul as an apostle. They did not believe that Jesus was divine. The only writings that they used from the New Testament was chapters 3—28 of the Gospel of Matthew. They did not use the first two chapters of the Gospel, because they show Jesus as the Son of God.

Marcionism

They were followers of Marcion. This group was like the opposite of the Ebionites. They wanted Christians to completely separate from anything pertaining to the Jews. Marcion created a canon of the Bible that had only the Gospel of Luke (who was a Gentile) and ten of Paul's letters (which were edited to remove references to Judaism). He did not like the God of the Old Testament.

Montanism

They were followers of Montanus (AD 150—170s). This was a prophetic group that believed that the Holy Spirit spoke new things to the church. They believed that the members of the Trinity operated in different times:

• The Father worked in Old Testament times
• The Son worked in New Testament times
• The Holy Spirit works today

Sabellianism (also known as Modalism)

This group believed that there was one God who had three positions (or forms): Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Three: The Imperial Church (AD 313–476)

From the Edict of Constantine to the Fall of Rome.

Constantine

Constantine's Cross

He battled Maxentius for the throne at the Battle of Milvian Bridge (AD 312). Constantine was outnumbered by the army of Maxentius who also wanted the throne. The winner of this battle would be the next Emperor of Rome. Constantine claimed to have a vision of a cross, inscribed with the words, "In this sign conquer." The cross was the Greek letters chi (Χ) and rho (Ρ), which are the first two letters of the Greek word Christos (ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ), which is were we get our word "Christ." Constantine made this cross the symbol of his army, and had it placed on the shields of his men. Constantine won the battle and became the Emperor of Rome.

Constantine made a profession of faith and converted to Christianity

Many Christian historians have doubted the sincerity of his profession.

Edict of Toleration (Edict of Constantine) (AD 313)

An edict is an official decree or document. This edict granted freedom to all religions in the empire ending the Roman persecution of Christianity. It restored to Christians property that had been seized during Diocletian's reign.

Results of Toleration of the Church

The persecution of Christians ended

Christianity that flourished under persecution became worldly under government acceptance.

Churches seized during persecution were restored

New churches were built. The Roman basilica became the pattern for elegant church buildings. The basilica was a courtroom in the shape of a rectangle divided into isles by rows of pillars with a semi-circular platform at one end with seats for the officials. This is still the pattern today in the Roman Catholic Church. An example of this style of architecture is St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The official sacrifices ceased

The Roman citizens were no longer required to make sacrifices to pagan gods.

Churches were supported by the state

The temples of the gods had been supported by the public treasury. This money was now given to the churches and the clergy.

Clergy received special privileges

The clergy became a wealthy class. Men desired these positions for the monetary gain and power associated with the position.

Some parts of pagan worship were adopted by the church

Over time, there were some practices from the pagan Roman culture that became a part of the church. Some of the Roman gods are similar to the saints that the Catholic church prays to. Some people see similarity between the images and statues of Mary holding baby Jesus the Roman statues depicting Fortuna and Jupiter. There are some Christians who do not like to celebrate Christmas because the holiday has its roots in the pagan Roman holiday of Saturnalia.

Some people will say that Constantine started the Roman Catholic Church, but it must be remembered that traditions and beliefs of what the Catholic Church is in our day evolved over many years from what the church was in Constantine's time.

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

Constantine chose the Greek city of Byzantium for the new Capital and renamed it Constantinople (AD 330)

This increased the influence of the Roman bishop. The capital was now far away from Rome and the Empire was already in collapse.

The division of the Empire soon followed the building of the new capital

One Emperor could no longer protect his vast domain. The Adriatic Sea formed a natural barrier between the two divisions of the Empire. In AD 395 The Empire was split into the Eastern and Western Empires.

The Western Empire with Rome as its Capital survived until AD 476

The Eastern Empire with Constantinople as its Capital survived until AD 1453

This would become the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages (AD 500–1500).

Christian leaders of the period

Athanius (AD 296–373)

He was a defender of the faith in the Arian controversy. Arius the leader of this false teaching did not believe in the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity. He became bishop of Alexandria in AD 325. In AD 367 he wrote a letter recognizing the New Testament cannon that we use today. He was exiled five times for his doctrine.

John Chrysostom (AD 345–407)

He was referred to as "the golden mouth," because of his eloquence as a speaker. He was a bold preacher, a statesman, and an able expositor of the Bible. He became bishop of Constantinople in AD 398. He was banished for his stand for truth, and he died in exile.

Augustine (AD 354–430)

Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you." He became bishop of Hippo in North Africa in AD 395. He was a Chief defender of the faith in the Pelagian Controversy. This false teaching was promoted by Pelegius who did not believe in original sin. Augustine developed a reputation as a preacher, teacher, and writer.

Ambrose

Ambrose was governor of Milan. When the bishop of Milan died in AD 374, a riot broke out over who should be the next bishop. Ambrose stepped in to try to calm things down, and people in the crowd cried out that he should be bishop, even though he hadn't yet been baptized. He protested, but eventual became bishop.

When the emperor Theodosius had a stadium of people killed, Ambrose excommunicated him. Theodosius did repentance by putting on sackcloth and kneeling before Ambrose seeking forgiveness. This was a beginning of the government being submissive to the church.

We see a progression of the church's relationship to the state:

1. Church < State
2. Church = State
3. Church > State

Jerome

Jerome (also known as Eusebius) translated the Bible into Latin in AD 405. This translation became known as the Vulgate from the Latin word vulgus, which means "common."

Patrick (AD 390)

Patrick was a missionary from England to Ireland. He brought Christianity to Ireland, and the church in Ireland developed outside the hierarchical system of Rome. Ireland did not become Catholic until the 1100s.

Key events of the period

The Donatist Controversy (AD 312)

During the persecution of Diocletian, some of the church leaders surrendered copies of the Scripture to the government authorities. These church leaders became known as traditors because they betrayed the church.

In AD 311 a man named Caecillian was elected bishop of Carthage. Caecillian had been consecrated by a bishop who was a traditor. A North-African man named Donatus separated from the church in AD 312 because he did not believe that Caecillian should be allowed to be a bishop, since he was consecrated by a traditor.

Later Donatists rebaptized Christians who had denied their faith because of persecution.

The Council of Nicea (AD 325–460)

In the New Testament, especially the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus is equal with the Father, but there are not exact details given about the relationship between them. The question was, how could a person worship both Jesus and the Father and still be a monotheist (a person who believes in and worships only one god)?

Arius, who was an elder in Alexandria, began preaching in AD 318 that Jesus was not God at all, but that He was a celestial servant of God. This was his answer to the question about monotheism. Alexander, Arius' bishop, countered that if God cannot change, and if He has always been a Father, then that means He must have always had a Son.

This religious debate got the attention of Constantine, because riots had started because of it. In AD 325 Constantine called a council in Nicea to solve the debate started by Arius. More than 300 bishops attended.

The bishops created a statement of faith, which, after some additions made during another council in Constantinople in 381, became known as the Nicene Creed. All but two bishops signed the statement of faith, and they were exiled along with Arius. Following is the complete text of the creed:

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

(https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nicene-Creed accessed on 2018/08/23)

The creed says that Jesus is "light from light." How could you separate light from the sun? In the same way, how could you separate God (the Father) from God (the Son)?

The council did not "create" the idea of the Trinity, since the Trinity was a part of church worship since the beginning (for example, it was used in the baptism rite). In Nicea they formed the vocabulary to describe what they already believed about God.

The First Council at Ephesus (AD 431)

The Council of Nicea resolved that Jesus was both God and man, but there were still questions about the nature of Jesus. How much of Him was God and how much was man? Did He have two minds? Could Jesus have sinned because of the human side? Two church leaders gave answers to these types of questions. They were Nestorius and Cyril.

Nestorius

Nestorius was the bishop of Constantinople. He was a heresy hunter who tried to stop doctrines like Arianism from spreading.

Nestorius received the attention of other church leaders when he refused to use the word Theotokos, which means "Mother of God." He believed if the Son of God always existed, then He could not be born. He preferred the word Christotokos, which means "Mother of Christ." Nestorius also disliked Theotokos because of the emphasis that Apollinarianism placed on this word. Apollinarianism taught that Jesus had no human soul, but was divine God wrapped in human flesh.

He believed that Christ possessed two natures, but was still one person. He emphasized a distinction between these two natures, especially in the suffering of Christ. He said that it was only the human nature that suffered when Christ suffered, and not the divine nature.

Cyril

Cyril was the bishop of Alexandria. While Nestorius emphasized more of the human nature of Christ, Cyril emphasized more of His divine nature. He believed that Nestorius' emphasis of the two natures of Christ was harming the idea of the unity of Christ. If only the human nature of Christ suffered, then Christ was not an effective high priest, since it was only through divine suffering that Christ could atone for the sins of humanity.

The decision of the council

Because Nestorius did not want to use the name Mother of God for Mary, he was falsely accused by Cyril that he did not believe that Jesus was God. After some heated letters between them, a council of bishops was called to settle the debate.

The council was largely motivated by political factors. The Second Ecumenical Council of 381 declared that the bishop of Constantinople would be second only to the Roman bishop (the pope). This angered some of the other bishops, including Cyril, because it limited their power as bishops. So even though there were some legitimate questions about the doctrines of Nestorius, the council was also called because of jealousy of his position.

The council decided against Nestorius and he was exiled as a heretic. Even though he was exiled, people continued to believe his doctrine and Nestorianism still exists today as a branch of Christianity.

While their were some differences of doctrine between Cyril and Nestorius, much of their disagreement lay in how they emphasized certain parts of the doctrine of Christ and also from how they defined and used different words and phrases. They both were concerned with defending the faith against heresy. While it is impossible to know, we can't but wonder what agreement they might have come to if they had talked together about their ideas.

Though Nestorius was always considered a heretic, the Council of Chalcedon made decisions about the doctrine of Christ that closer to the ideas of Nestorius. Nestorius was also correct about how the name Mother of God would exalt Mary to a position that was more than she deserved. Over many years, we see the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church move Mary into the place where she is almost considered divine.

The Council of Constantinople (AD 381)

Some people did not believe that the Holy Spirit was God, because He did not speak for Himself. They said that He was not a person, but a spiritual force. This council was called to prove the divinity of the Spirit.

The Council of Chalcedon (AD 451)

This council was the final ecumenical council dealing with the dual-nature of Jesus. Its purpose was to finish the debate on the Trinity. In it, it was declared that Christ is "acknowledged in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation... the characteristic property of each nature being preserved, and coming together to form one person." Following is the full text of the definition made at Chalcedon:

Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.

(https://www.monergism.com/definition-council-chalcedon-451-ad accessed on 2018/09/03)

Since Nicea, the church emphasized that Jesus shared nature with the Father, but now they added to this how Jesus also shared nature with man.

It was the first council in which the pope played a major role, and the last that both East and West would regard as official.

Four: The Medieval Church (AD 476–1453)

From the fall of Rome to the fall of Constantinople.

The Medieval Church was covered by darkness

Isaiah 9:19—Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened,

Roughly, the period from the 5th to 15th century is referred to as the "Dark Ages."

Civilization and civility came to a halt

There was little or no advancement in literature, art, and science

There was much poverty and superstition filled the land. Other countries raided Europe and killed many people. There were many people killed by the bubonic plague that swept the entire continent.

Discussion: Does God still use judgment to punish people?

The Bible was withheld from the people

The church taught that only the priests could interpret the Bible. The common people were forbidden to read the Bible. The Bible was either in the original languages or in Latin which few people could understand even if they had wanted to read it for themselves.

The people were kept in darkness

The mass was said in Latin which no one could understand. Truth and science were suppressed by the Catholic Church. Galileo, the man who invented the telescope, was almost killed because what he observed through his telescope went against the official position of the pope who was supposed to be infallible.

The leaders of the church were immoral

Ideas of the church in this period

Communion

Communion was the center of Christian worship in this time. The Mass was said in Latin, and in many rural villages the priest was uneducated, so he was not able to give sermons. The clergy were allowed to sing, but the congregation was not allowed to sing.

Asceticism

Some people did not like how the church was growing in wealth and power. These people separated themselves from the world and lived in communities by themselves. They prayed seven times during the day and memorized large portions of Scripture. The men were called monks and the women were called nuns. The monks and nuns lived in separate communities.

Purgatory

The church knew that righteous people went to heaven and that wicked people went to hell, but what happened to people who were neither entirely wicked nor extremely righteous? Purgatory was developed over time as an answer to where average people go when they die. It is said to be a place where the average person is purged from what little sins they had.

Indulgences

These were documents that could be bought from the church to remove the punishment for sin.

Christendom

In this time, there was no distinction between the religious and the secular. The governments and the church shared (and sometimes fought each other for) power. All people born in a Christian country were automatically considered Christian.

The rise of the papacy

In the early church, the bishop of Rome (later to be known as the pope) was just one of many bishops. All bishops were equal in power. But by the end of this period, the pope was the most powerful person in the church. How did this happen? It happened over many years and it was because of the ideas of some of the popes.

Leo the Great (c. AD 400–461)

Leo was pope from AD 440–461. He said that papal power was given to Peter by Christ and that power was passed down from Peter to his successors. [1] He was the first pope to claim this power from Peter. He convinced both the Huns (who were from Central Asia) and the Vandals (who were from East Germany) not to attack Rome.

Gregory the Great (c. AD 540–604)

Gregory came from a religious family—his great-great grandfather was a pope. He was well educated and was a government leader. He was unwillingly made pope in AD 590, and he continued as pope until he died in AD 604. He called himself the "servant of the servants of God."

There were many problems in Rome, and he contacted the Emperor in the East for help. The Emperor had his own problems to handle, so he did not send help to Rome. Gregory decided to fix these problems himself. He took money from the treasury of the church to buy food for the people and to fix the aqueducts. The Lombards (who were a Germanic people) were conquering much of Europe. Gregory made diplomatic relations with them and convinced them not to attack Rome. By acting in these matters of government, Gregory was one of the first popes to emphasize the "temporal power" of the papacy. He said that the succession of Peter gave him power to make decisions about moral problems.

Donation of Pippin (AD 754)

The Lombards were again attacking the area around Rome, and Pope Stephen II could not depend on help from the Byzantine (Eastern) Empire. He wanted to find a new government leader to help him with this problem. He asked for help from Pippin the Short, who was king of the Franks (which would later be called France). Pippin promised that he would fight the Lombards and return the land that they had taken.

Donation of Constantine

This was a false document that said that Constantine gave the land around Rome to Pope Sylvester. It is believed that Stephen II used this document to convince Pippin to help him.

Charlemagne

Charlemagne took the throne in AD 771. On Christmas Day 800, the pope named him emperor. There was again a Christian emperor. There was still a question of whether the church or the government should be the highest leader.

The Investiture Controversy (AD 1076)

This was a power struggle between Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV. The government had power to appoint clergy, including the pope. Henry became emperor when he was only six years old, and so other leaders in the government helped make decisions while he was growing up. The church took advantage of this time to take back the power to appoint clergy. They knew Henry was too young to stop them. In AD 1059 they held a council that declared that nobility would have no part in selecting church leaders.

In AD 1075 Pope Gregory VII composed a document that said that the pope had sole power to rename an emperor. So the church now not only had power to appoint its own leaders, but also leaders of the government. By this time, Henry was an adult and he responded by saying that Gregory was no longer pope and called for an election for a new pope. Gregory then excommunicated Henry. This back-and-forth fighting continued between these two for a long time.

Innocent III (AD 1160–1216)

Innocent fought with the government leaders for power.

Concordat of Worms (AD 1122)

This was the end of the Investiture Controversy. The government and the church made an agreement that the church could appoint clergy. Only if the church had a dispute among themselves would the government solve the dispute.

The Inquisition

The Inquisition was a special court set up in the 1200's to deal with the heretics. Anyone who disagreed with the church was deemed a heretic. The heretics were hunted down and brought to trial by the church leaders.

The Holy Wars which are also called the Crusades lasted from AD 1095–1291

These wars were an attempt by the church to retake the Holy Land from the Muslims

The church convinced political rulers of Europe to lead the Crusades. The Muslims were gaining power in Europe. The church wanted to drive the Muslims out of Jerusalem and reclaim the city for the pope.

The crusaders failed to free the Holy Land from the control of Islam

The East-West Schism (AD 1054)

The following chart shows some of the differences between the Eastern and Western churches:

East	West
Used Greek	Used Latin
Priests could marry	Priests could not marry
Priests wore beards	Priests were clean-shaven
Nicene Creed says the Spirit comes "from the Father"	Adds "and the Son" (Called the Filioque Clause)
Different ceremonies for mass
Doctrinal differences

Pope Leo IX wanted Michael, the patriarch of Constantinople, to submit to him. The pope sent representatives to Constantinople, but Michael refused to meet with them. The representatives excommunicated Michael, and he in turn excommunicated them.

Some people separated from the Catholic Church

There were remnant groups in this period that were not part of the Catholic Church.

The Albigenes were located in Albi, France

They believed the New Testament provided the authority of their faith. They opposed the pope and the Roman Church. The Albigenes were persecuted by Pope Innocent III in 1208.

The Waldensians were located in France, Italy, and Switzerland

They were named after their leader Peter Waldo who had the Bible translated into the people's language. Waldo taught that Scripture is the authority of Christians. Their slogan was, "The Word of God speaks, and we ought to obey it."

Prominent leaders of the period

Boniface

Boniface was born in 680 AD. His birth name was Winfred. He trained as a Benedictine monk, and he spent most of his life as a missionary to the Germans.

Legend says that when he took an ax to the tree that stood as a tribute to the god of thunder, that lightning struck the tree and it fell to the ground.

Anselm

Anselm was born around AD 1033. In 1903 William II, the son of William the Conqueror, made Anselm the archbishop of Canterbury, but he wanted to keep the power to appoint clergy. Anselm refused to let William have this power, and as a result, he spent time in exile.

Henry I, the brother of William II, took over after his brother died, and he asked Anselm to return. Anselm did not get along with this ruler, either, and he was soon in exile again. He did a lot of writing in his times of exile.

Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas was born in AD 1225. He is possibly the greatest theologian of the Middle Ages. He introduced reason (based on ancient philosophers) into his theology.

John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe (1330–1384) was the first to translate the Bible into English. He is referred to as the Morning Star of the Reformation. He had followers, which were called lollards, which means "poor preachers." He stood against the Catholic Church. Following are some of the things he questioned about the church:

• The church's right to temporal power and wealth
• The sale of indulgences
• The worship of saints and relics
• The pope's authority
• Transubstantiation

He would have been killed by the Catholics had it not been for the protection of the English nobles. Wycliffe's preaching and Bible translation prepared the way for the Reformation. The Catholics hated him so much his body was dug up and desecrated years after his death.

John Huss

John Huss (1369–1415) had been a reader of Wycliffe's writings, and he strongly opposed the authority of the pope. He insisted that Christ alone was the head of the church and that only God could forgive sins. When brought before a council to be questioned about his beliefs, he said, "I would not for a chapel full gold recede from the truth." He was condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake by a council of the Roman Catholic Church.

Peter Abelard

[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Leo-I accessed on 5/14/2019.

Five: The Reformed Church (AD 1453–1678)

From the fall Constantinople to the end of the Thirty Year War.

There was still a remnant standing against false doctrine. This was a period when God raised up people to shine the light against the darkness of false doctrine.

The Renaissance

The light of learning

The Renaissance is a term that refers to the awakening of Europe to an interest in literature, art, and science. These are things associated with civilization.

The light of God's Word

The Word of God brought Europe out of the dark ages. It is not a coincidence that civilization was restored when the light of God's Word was also restored to the people.

The printing press was invented by Gutenberg in 1456 and the Bible was the first book printed (200 copies of the Latin Vulgate). Bibles could now be massed produced and placed in the hands of the common people because of this invention.

Discussion: Can normal people understand the Bible?

The light of truth

The movable type printing press became a powerful tool of the Reformation. The reformers printed books and pamphlets teaching against the doctrine of the Catholic Church and the doctrine of justification by faith. These new pamphlets gained in popularity and were circulated throughout Europe. Books had to be hand copied by scribes before the printing press was invented, but now books could be circulated quickly. People could read for themselves and make decisions based on fact and not only what a priest told them.

The Reformation

Reform means "to amend, change or improve." Reformers were trying to bring change to the church. Some of these reformers did not realize that the Roman Catholic Church was not going to change. They stood against what they saw as false doctrine. They were restoring the Bible into the languages of the people. The Catholic Church opposed laymen reading the Bible. Those who stood for truth were persecuted and began to realize the Catholic Church was not going to change. Protestant is the name given to those who protested the Catholic Church.

The Reformation in Europe

Martin Luther (1483–1546) in Germany

Martin Luther is considered to be the father of the Reformation.

He nailed 95 theses to the oak door of the Wittenberg Cathedral on Oct. 31, 1517. The theses stated his position against the Roman Church. He refuted what he saw as false doctrine of the church and denied the infallibility of the pope. Printed copies quickly flooded Europe and helped to spark the light of the Reformation.

He burned the papal bull. Bull is derived from the Latin bula which means "a seal." The name being applied to any document stamped with an official seal. In 1520, the pope sent Luther a bull accusing him of heresy. Luther burned the bull in the yard of the University of Wittenberg.

Luther was called to the Diet at Worms. A Diet is a council of rulers. In June of 1521, Luther was called before an imperial diet at Worms in Germany. Luther had been guaranteed safe passage by the German nobles to and from the council. He was commanded to recant by the Catholic Church leaders. Luther replied, "Unless I am convinced by proofs from Scriptures or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and will not retract, for it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."

A friend of Luther, who was a government leader, "captured" Luther and kept him in Wartburg Castle for one year. He did this to protect Luther from the church. During that year, Luther translated the New Testament and part of the Old Testament into the German language of his people.

Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531) in Switzerland

Zwingli became pastor of the main church in Zurich on January 1, 1519. He said he would preach through the Gospel of Matthew instead of using the lectionary. In 1522 some of his church members ate meat during lent, and he supported them by preaching on freedom. Under him priests got married, images were removed from the church, and the Mass was replaced by a simple service that emphasized preaching. He published works against the Catholics. Besides being a pastor, he was also a sort of civil leader. He was killed in civil war and John Calvin carried on the work.

John Calvin (1509–1564) in France and Switzerland

Around AD 1533 John Calvin broke from Catholicism, left his homeland of France, and settled in Switzerland as an exile. In 1536 he published the first edition of The Institutes of the Christian Religion.

Calvin was an outspoken preacher and author who preached salvation by faith. He stressed the authority of Scripture. Calvin taught the predestination of the elect. He said, "You cannot manipulate God or put him in your debt. He saves you; you cannot do it for yourself." Calvin's doctrine of predestination is contrasted by Arminianism, which is based on the belief that any man can be saved if they believe.

Calvinism	Arminianism
Total depravity All people are so depraved (sinful) that they cannot even trust God	Free-will Humans can choose good or evil
Unconditional election	Conditional election
Particular redemption	Universial redemption
Irresistible grace	The Holy Spirit can be effectively resisted
Perseverance of saints	Falling from grace

Jacques Lefevre (1455–1536) in France

He wrote a book called Justification by faith (1512) and preached salvation by faith. He translated the entire Bible into French. He never officially separated from the Catholic Church.

St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572)

Protestantism was growing in France despite opposition from the government. The protestants in France were called Huguenots. The Huguenots were led by admiral Coligny, and they wanted religious freedom. The French Catholics were led by the Guise family, who believed in the French tradition of "one king, one faith, one law." In the decade leading up to the massacre, France had three religious wars. Both groups used violence to try to get their way.

On August 18, 1572, the Protestant prince, Henri of Navarre, married the Catholic Margaret of Valois. The king hoped that the marriage would bring peace.

On August 22 someone tried and failed to assassinate the Huguenot leader, Coligny. The Huguenots were angered by this attack.

On August 23 the king decided that all the Huguenots should be killed, and on August 24 the massacre started before 4 in the morning.

Twenty thousand Protestants were killed by the Catholics on that day, and it is referred to as the "St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre." Many Protestant leaders were killed and many other Protestants fled the country for their own safety.

Anabaptists (1525) in Switzerland

To try to stop confrontation, Germany was divided into states based on religion. Some states were Catholic and others were Lutheran. This was because at this time, people treated the church and the government as if they were united.

This was also true in other parts of Europe. In Switzerland, a group of Christians were not happy that the authority of Rome was just replaced with another ruling religious government (namely the leadership of Zurich). They wanted a brotherhood instead of a powerful institution. They practiced democracy in the congregation. Everyone could speak for God, and not only bishops and councils.

This group also focused on individual salvation. On January 21, 1525, this group met and baptized each other. This was against the teaching of the official church of Zurich, which promoted infant baptism. These people became known as Anabaptists, which means "re-baptizers," because they had been already baptized as infants.

The Reformation in England and Scotland

Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy (1534)

In 1521 Henry attacked Luther's view of the sacraments, and so the pope gave him the title "Defender of the Faith." It is almost humorous that the pope gave him this title, because in just a short time after, Henry would completely move away from the organization that gave him that title.

After the death of his brother, Henry married his sister-in-law, Catherine of Aragon. They had no son together, and so Henry wanted to annul his marriage and marry Anne Boleyn. He used Leviticus 20:21 to found his case for an annulment.

The pope would not grant him the annulment, and so Henry appointed Thomas Cramner archbishop of Canterbury. The new archbishop gave him the annulment that he was seeking. Henry declared that the king of England was the head of the church.

Henry had two daughters. Mary was a Catholic, and Elisabeth was a Protestant.

Puritans and Separatists in England

King Henry VIII (1491–1547) drove the Roman Catholic Church out of England and formed the Church of England. The Church of England then became the official state church. Ministers and churches were then required to be licensed by the state. Those who opposed the official state church were called dissenters. Many of these dissenters, especially the non-licensed preachers, were put into prison. There were two groups that formed among the dissenters: Separatists and Puritans. Separatists were those who wanted to separate from the Church of England. Puritans were those who wanted to purify the Church of England.

John Bunyan (1628–1688) in England

John Bunyan was a powerful preacher of the Gospel among the dissenters. He preached salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. Bunyan preached without state sanction and spent twelve years in jail for preaching the Gospel. He wrote Pilgrim's Progress while he was in jail, and it is still in print today.

John Knox (c. 1510–1572) in Scotland

Knox fervent prayer became "Give me Scotland, or I die." He was a disciple of Calvin. He strongly opposed Mary Queen of Scots, who was a Roman Catholic. Actual physical battles were fought between the queen's men and the Protestants. He led parliament to outlaw the Catholic mass in 1560. The Protestant Church in Scotland, called the Presbyterian Church, became the official state church in 1567.

Reformers in the "New World" (America)

The Pilgrims who came to the New World were Separatists from England. They landed in the New World in the fall of 1620. They came for religious freedom from the oppression of the Church of England. They formed the Mayflower Compact which was the first document of self-government of the New World.

Change within the Catholic Church

The Council of Trent (1545–1563)

The main purpose of the council was to address issues and questions raised by the Protestant reformers. The actions of the reformers forced the Catholic Church to recognize that there were issues in the church that needed to be addressed. The Council of Trent was held in three stages between 1545 and 1563. Following are some of the decisions and results from the council:

• They made reform to the clergy. They decided that bishops could only hold office in one location, so that they could focus on their flock.
• They declared that Scripture and tradition have equal authority.
• They established the position of "infused righteousness" for justification. This means that God offers to the believer the opportunities and strength to be good, and it is up to the believer to respond.
• They confirmed the seven sacraments, which are baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, extreme unction (anointing of the sick), holy orders, and matrimony.
• They made clear the doctrine of the veneration of the saints. They claimed that the statues of the saints were not to be worshiped in themselves, but that there was a spiritual reality beyond the physical objects.

The Reformed Priests (Jesuits)

Initially known as "reformed priests," the Jesuits traveled with their elected Superior General Ignatius of Loyola to Rome where they offered their services to the pope in October 1534.

Before being dispersed on various missions for Pope Paul III, the pope established a papal bull Regiminimilitantis Ecclesiae (Latin for "To the Government of the Church Militant") declaring official approval of the Jesuits who are still in existence today. The Jesuits led a counter reformation against the Protestants.

Discussion: When is it good to separate from others that believe different than you? Should we fellowship with people who believe differently than us?

Six: The Modern Church (AD 1678–c. 1950)

From the end of the Thirty Year War of 1678 to the 1950's.

The Great Awakening (1700's)

The Great Awakening refers to a mighty revival in both England and America.

George Whitefield (1714–1770)

Mr. Whitefield was a powerful orator of the simple Gospel who at the age of 24 was forbidden to preach in the Church of England. He made the fields his chapel and preached to thousands of people in the open air. This was the beginning of revival in the western part of England. He preached in both England and America.

John Wesley (1703–1791)

The world was his parish. He preached to thousands of people in the open air. He preached throughout England and America starting many churches. He is the founder of the Methodist Church.

Jonathan Edwards (1703—1758)

He became a pastor in Northampton, Massachusetts at the age of 17. In 1741 he read his famous sermon entitled "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" to his congregation. Great conviction fell on the congregation while they were preaching and revival spread throughout New England.

The Second Great Awakening (1820's)

This was another mighty move of God revival fires spread also into England.

Charles Finney

Charles Finney was in the forefront of a great American revival. In the early 1820's Finney preached Gospel meetings in NY that stirred a second flame of revival fires. Finney was a man of faith and a fiery evangelist of the Gospel. Finney has been referred to as "America's foremost evangelist."

D. L. Moody

Moody shook America and England for God. He preached the simple Gospel in the common language of the people. It has been estimated that one million souls were saved in his ministry. He founded Moody Bible Institute which is still in existence today.

Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon was a "Prince of Preachers" who was the Pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle in London. He preached to more than 5,000 people weekly for 40 years.

God was restoring the preaching of the cross to the church

The Modern Missionary Movement

This was a period of great revival and concentrated missionary efforts. The world was an open door for missions.

Mark 16:15—And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Matthew 28:19–20)

William Carey (India)

William Carey (1761–1834) was the father of the modern missionary movement. He was a poor Englishman. For a time, he walked 8 miles each Sunday to preach to a church. He tried to convince people to go preach in other countries, but they said, "If God wants to save the heathen, He will do so, without your help or mine."

He sailed for India in 1793. He was the first modern missionary to India. There, he saw no converts for seven years. He did not spend much time condemning the Hindu religion, but instead spent his time speaking about Jesus, His death, and His Resurrection. He also formed the first missionary society. A famous saying of his is, "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God."

Adoniram Judson (Burma)

He got married on February 5, 1812, and within two weeks they were sailing for India from the United States. They started the trip working under the Congregationalists, but because Adoniram thought that the Congregationalists were wrong about baptism, he convinced his wife and another partner that was with them to become Baptists. He sent a letter of resignation when they arrived in India. The partner took the letter back, and went to try to raise money from the Baptists.

The government of India would not let them stay, and William Carey suggested that they should go to Burma. When they arrived in Burma, they started learning the language, opened a school for girls, and translated the New Testament. It was six years before they had their first convert. Adoniram spent two years in prison. Adoniram's wife, Ann, died at age 36. Judson established 63 churches, mostly among the Karen tribe.

David Livingstone (Africa)

He is referred to as the pathfinder of Africa. He pioneered the interior of Africa were white man had never gone before. He ministered among the Tswana people for ten years, but he saw only one convert. He established missionary stations and did much to promote the Gospel in Africa.

Hudson Taylor (China)

He founded China Inland Mission, which was a Missionary group that concentrated on spreading the Gospel far into the interior of China. He grew a beard and wore his hair long in a ponytail, which was the style of men in China at the time. He also wore the clothes of the native people of China. He said that, "It is not their denationalization, but their Christianization that we seek." He planted 849 missionaries, started 205 mission stations, and his missionary society had 125,000 converts to Christianity.

Discussion: Are missionaries helpful or harmful to local people?

The Azusa Street Revival (1906)

The Azusa Street Revival was a mighty outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Los Angeles California at the turn of the 20th century. God was restoring Pentecost to the Church.

The other notable preachers

Billy Sunday

Billy Sunday stood strong against alcohol and was a dynamic preacher of the Gospel.

Smith Wigglesworth

Smith Wigglesworth was an Apostle of Faith who had a tremendous healing ministry.

The Tent Revivals of the 1950's

Oral Roberts, A. A. Alan, Jack Coe, and William Branham travelled across America with large tents and preached. Jack Coe was a man with reckless faith. He would break crutches and throw canes when he prayed for the sick.

Seven: The Postmodern Church (AD c. 1950–PRESENT)

From the 1950's till the present time

The church is run by the ballot box.

Laodicea means rule by the people. Many of the churches today are run by the people. The name of this period describes the government of this period. The church is no longer being led by God instead they are running things themselves and doing things their own way.

Church of charisma

There is a false anointing (Matt. 24:5)

Jesus warned there would be false christs in the last days. The word Christ means anointed. There are many today with a false anointing that is not of God.

There are false prophets (Matt. 24:11, 24)

Jesus said there would be false prophets that would deceive many. There are many false prophets today in the charismatic movement. They replace the unction of the Holy Ghost with eloquence.

The charismatic movement came out of the Catholic Church

Church of Luxury & Corruption

The gospel of prosperity has replaced the Gospel of Jesus Christ in many of our modern churches

Many in the church today are preaching a prosperity gospel of monetary gain. People are told such slogans as, "plant your seed for your greatest need." They are told if they give they will receive the hundred fold blessing. They are told to speak their blessing into existence.