The History of Christianity: First Six Centuries (From the Beginning to the Accession of Pope Gregory the Great (A.D. 590)

1. The History of Christianity: First Six Centuries
(From the Beginning to the Accession of
Pope Gregory the Great (A.D. 590)
Teaching at COTR College
Vishakapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh from 5-15th Feb 2020
Dr. POTHANA

2. The Study of Church History
We learn from church history how God’s plan of
redemption has been worked out from the time of
the end of the first century until today
“The events of this world’s history set the stage
upon which the drama of redemption is enacted.”
The sovereignty of God over all of history.
“Remember this and stand firm,recall it to mind,
you transgressors,remember the former things of
old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God,
and there is none like me,declaring the end from
the beginning and from ancient times things not
yet done,saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,and I will
accomplish all my purpose,’calling a bird of prey
from the east, the man of my counsel from a far
country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I
have purposed, and I will do it. (Isa 46:8-11).

3. What three cultures had the greatest
impact on the development
of the Christian Church?
• Hebrew
• Greek
• Roman

5. I. The Greek World
A. Political History
2. Alexander the Great (d. 323 BC)

7. I. The Greek World
B. Hellenism
1. Definition:
Alexander’s attempt to
convey the Greek ideals
– the emulation of mid-
fifth century Athens
under Pericles; the
promotion of Greek
science, math, art,
literature, and
philosophy.

8. I. The Greek World
B. Hellenism
2. Significance:
Hellenism exported
Greek religion,
philosophy, and
language
throughout the
region where the
early church
spread.

9. I. The Greek World
C. Religion
1. Pantheon of gods and goddesses
a. anthropomorphic
b. capricious
c. immoral
d. supernatural
e. immortal

10. I. The Greek World
C. Religion
2. Hero worship
3. The Delphic Oracle
4. Ruler cult
5. Personification of Fortune and Fate
6. Magic
7. Mystery religions

11. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
1. Socrates (c. 469-399 BC)
“Socratic method” of questioning
Knowledge is chief virtue
“Correct thoughts lead to correct
acts”
Ethical values associated with
Christianity
Challenged anthropomorphism of
gods
Raised human ethical
responsibility
Influenced Plato and Aristotle

12. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
Plato (c. 427-347)
The doctrine of the two worlds:
The material things around us are
not the ultimate realities; instead
they are the shadows of universals
which exist before and apart from
individual, physical objects. As in
the parable of the people in the
cave seeing shadows cast on the
wall, we comprehend only shadows
and echoes of reality in this world.

13. D. Philosophy
2. Plato (c. 427-347)
b. The immortality and per-existence
of
the soul:
Plato taught the per-existence of souls
and their transmigration, or
reincarnation, after death.
Furthermore, because of his belief
that only the spiritual has
permanence, he affirmed the eternal
death of the body. These tenets of
his doctrine are opposed to Christian
resurrection,but early Christians
pointed to Plato’s assertion of the
immortality of the soul for support of
their hope.

14. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
2. Plato (c. 427-347)
c. Knowledge as reminiscence:
The Platonic doctrine of knowledge is based on a
uncertainty of the senses as the means of attaining
true knowledge. The senses can supply infor-
mation only about objects of this world, not about
ideas. Since true knowledge is only the knowledge
of ideas, Plato taught the theory of reminiscence
whereby the individual “remembered” ideas held
over by the Pre-existent soul. Obviously main-
stream Christianity did not accept per-existence or
reminiscence, but distrust of sensory perception
lingered, especially through Augustine’s theory of
knowledge.

15. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
2. Plato (c. 427-347)
d. The Idea of the Good:
The origin of the world is the work of a divine craftsman,
or deity, that took formless matter and gave it
form, imitating the beauty of the Idea of the Good.
The parallels with Genesis powerfully influenced early
Christian thought. The differentiation between the
Idea of the Good and the craftsman of the universe
established a dichotomy between the Supreme Being
and the Creator, which is entirely foreign to biblical
thought, but which became rooted in the minds of
some scholars who wished to assert the
impassiveness of God simultaneously with his activity
in the world. This source plus Plato’s monotheism led
to a discussion of God that utilized Platonic termin-
ology for the Idea of the Good: God is impassive,
infinite, incomprehensible, and indescribable.

16. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
3. Aristotle (384-322 BC)
a. He rejected Plato’s doctrine of knowledge
by reminiscence and said that learning
comes through experience. Thus, he
pioneered the study of logic and the
sciences of biology, physics, and
psychology.

17. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
3. Aristotle (384-322 BC)
b. Aristotle described the person as a
whole being with integrated body
and soul: the soul does not exist
apart from the body although some
aspect of the soul is not physical and
survives death.

18. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
3. Aristotle (384-322 BC)
c. He affirmed the presence of an
impersonal, ultimate divinity termed the
“Prime Mover,” which was the epitome of
knowledge, actively causing all motion and
passively attracting all objects by its
magnetic, supreme perfection.

19. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
3. Aristotle (384-322 BC)
d. Most of Aristotle’s works were lost to the West
for seven hundred years until the rediscovery of
his works on logic revolutionized Christian
theology in the thirteenth century. Meanwhile,
Plato’s idealistic realism profoundly influenced
the theology of early and medieval Christianity
through Augustine and others. Islam, however,
benefited from Aristotle’s influence on the
sciences and, for a time, outperformed the West
technologically.

20. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
4. Stoicism - Zeno of Citium (c. 342-270 BC)
a. The human soul is a spark of the universal
World Soul, which endues the individual
with personal dignity and joins all
humanity as one family. They championed
slaves and other outcasts of society.

21. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
4. Stoicism - Zeno of Citium (c. 342-270 BC)
b. Salvation for the Stoic came through
proper exercise of reason and will; only
the inner man truly counted.

22. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
4. Stoicism - Zeno of Citium (c. 342-270 BC)
c. Stoics were highly predeterministic,
rejecting Fortune and embracing Fate,
whom they considered to be an expression
of the benevolent World Soul which moved
events toward the best solution for the
common good. Therefore, true virtues were
self-control and duty: to remain unmoved by
the circumstances of life. They held no
doctrine of permanent immortality so what
mattered was living responsibly in this
world.

23. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
4. Stoicism - Zeno of Citium (c. 342-270 BC)
d. Leading Romans embraced Stoic
philosophy, including Cicero and Seneca,
Nero’s tutor Epictetus, and Marcus
Aurelius, who incorporated them into his
Meditations.

24. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
5. Epicurus (341-270 BC)
Pleasure is the chief goal in life and is defined
as the “absence of pain.” Epicurus did not
advocate, however, a life of debauchery. He
taught that physical appetites had to be
satisfied, but only in moderation, and he ranked
spiritual fulfillment above bodily pleasure. He
advocated atheistic materialism: all moral and
ethical relationships were pursued primarily for
personal well-being; also utilitarianism: “What’s
in it for me?”

25. I. The Greek World
D. Philosophy
6. Summary of Philosophy
These philosophers were all preoccupied with
an unsatisfied quest for the purpose of life –
humanity in search of destiny. Most of them
used philosophy as the means to answer the
needs of a society with virtually no moral
foundation and no personal God. The
bankruptcy of philosophy was evident in the fact
that they asked questions for which they had no
answers, but they prepared the way for the Lord
Jesus Christ to answer these needs.

26. E. Summary of Religion and Philosophy
The Greeks described their gods in one of two
ways:
1. Anthropomorphism: Gods were “humans
writ large,” with the same passions and
weaknesses, just greater beings.
2. Logical generalization: Description
depended on logical syllogisms such as:
God is perfect, a perfect being must have
all knowledge; therefore, God must be
omnipotent.
E. Summary of Religion and Philosophy
Both of these descriptions have fatal flaws:
1. Anthropomorphism: This approach concentrated
too much on the desires of humans and blurred
distinctions between the natural and the
supernatural.
2. Logical abstraction: This approach depended on
man’s limited understanding of the universe and
divine purpose. For example, consider this
syllogism: God is perfect, perfect beings do not
suffer; therefore, God cannot suffer. This concept
is erroneous according to the New Testament.
Also consider immutability and the Incarnation.

27. II. The Roman Empire
A. Augustus Caesar
• On January 16, 27 BC, Octavian assumed the title
“Augustus.”
• He transformed the republic into an empire which
he extended from Spain and Gaul to Syria and
North Africa.
• Through dual government, which combined the
rule of the senate and the emperor, he restored
order and unity to Roman government torn by civil
war for 80 years.

28. II. The Roman Empire
A. Augustus Caesar
The establishment of the Empire brought about three results critical to the
growth of the church:
1. Roman law
2. Pax Romana (27 BC – 180 AD)
3. Roman roads

29. Roman
Roads in
Tunisia
North Africa
2005

30. II. The Roman Empire
B. Culture
1. The Law
2. Hellenism
3. Language
Latin and Greek

31. II. The Roman Empire
C. Religion
1. Polytheism
2. Syncretism
3. Emperor worship
4. Ceremony
5. Philosophically based

32. C. Religion
6. Mystery religions
•These cults were derived mainly from the East
•They involved secretive ceremonies and initiations
•Their members were attracted by promises of fellowship and immortality
•Many cults believed in a savior-god, who had died and risen again
•Many sought to release the soul from the flesh, which they perceived as
contaminated (dualism)
•Some practiced asceticism and cleanliness;
others engaged in ritual debauchery

33. II. The Roman Empire
C. Religion
6. Mystery religions
a. Magna Mater cult:
The Great Mother
loved a virgin born
shepherd and
achieved his
resurrection after he
died.

34. Communion meal
Baptism (in the blood of a bull)
Membership from all strata of society
Belief in Unconquered One
Belief in afterlife/heaven
Flood heritage
Birthday of Mithras was December 25
Worshiped in Mithraeum, an underground cavern/crypt
C. Religion
6. Mystery religions
b. Mithraism
Similarities to Christianity:

35. D. Factors in Graeco-Roman world favorable
to the spread of Christianity:
1. Universal language
2. Roman roads
3. Pax Romana
4. Roman citizenship gave privileges to some missionary preachers
5. A unified empire broke down many
cultural/nationalistic barriers
6. Mystery religions and Greek philosophy
prepared many for the advent of Christ

36. A. Geography
Palestine was located
at the crossroads of the
great trade routes
between Egypt and
Mesopotamia,
Rome/Asia Minor and
Arabia. However it was
not a cultural center –
just a backwater
province.
III. The Hebrew Nation

37. B. History
1. Alexander’s defeat of Persia (331 BC)
led to the voluntary dispersion of Jews for
commercial enterprises throughout the
Alexandrian Empire.
Alexander brought Hellenism into Palestine
but allowed the Jews to retain their religious
identity.

38. 2. After Alexander
a. Ptolemaic Egypt dominated Palestine (331-198 BC)
b. Syrian Seleucids accelerated Hellenization (198-142 BC).

39. B. History
2. After Alexander
c. Maccabean revolt against
Antiochus IV Epiphanes (166-142) and his
successors earned Jews their freedom.
d. The Hasmonean dynasty ruled Palestine
independently (142-63 BC) until Roman
conquest.

40. B. History
3. Roman domination
a. Civil War (67 BC)
b. Pompey conquered Jerusalem (63 BC)
c. Herod (the Great) was pronounced King of
Judah by the Roman Senate (40 BC)

41. III. The Hebrew Nation
C. Religious Parties
1. Pharisees
2. Sadducees
3. Zealots
4. Herodians
5. Essenes
6. Samaritans

42. III. The Hebrew Nation
D. Common Tenets
1. Ethical monotheism
2. Eschatological hope

43. III. The Hebrew Nation
E. The Diaspora
1. Voluntary dispersion
2. Involuntary dispersion
3. Synagogues
a. Ten families
b. Five-point liturgy
1) The Shema (Deut. 6:1-4)
2) Prayer
3) Reading of the Scripture
4) Sermon
5) Benediction

44. E. The Diaspora
3. Synagogues (continued)
c. Focal points for winning converts to
Judaism:
1) God-fearing Gentiles = proselytes of the
gate
2) Proselytes of righteousness
d. Early centers of Christian missionary
activity

45. III. The Hebrew Nation
E. The Diaspora
4. Language
a. Greek
b. Septuagint (LXX)
5. Hellenization
Philo of Alexandria (26 BC – 53 AD)

46. Summary:
Jesus Christ came
at God’s appointed time in history,
fulfilling the Father’s purpose
in a well-ordered
but morally bankrupt society seeking to
answer
the meaning of existence.

47. Dr. P. V Rao
pothanav@gmail.com
+91-8309511427