Session 6 – The end of the early church In this last session we will look at Constantine, Nicea,...
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Transcript of Session 6 – The end of the early church In this last session we will look at Constantine, Nicea,...
Session 6 – The end of the early church
In this last session we will look at Constantine, Nicea, Augustine, and
John Chrysostom
We can by no means give all the information on any of those topics, but will get a very brief overview of those
individuals and the council
Emperor Constantine
A huge turning point in Christian history is the conversion of Constantine
Although there is much debate on how genuine his conversion was, it
played a huge role on the development of the Church
Some say that he claimed it simply for control because the Christians were
becoming the dominant group very fast
His conversion story is well known
He was in the process of taking control of both the east and the west portions of the Roman Empire, and during this he claimed
he had a vision
He said he had a vision of the cross
and was told to fight for this
He then won a major battle and
took control of the entire roman
empire
He issued the edict of Milan, which was given to stop the persecution
of the Christians
Everything literally changes overnight for the Christians, going from persecution to
being able to live normal lives
Some in the early church have called Constantine the 13th Apostles, because he
did so much good towards the church
Eventually the west/Rome portion of the empire would collapse… Constantine
moved the capital to Constantinople and the empire lasted around a thousand years
The council of Nicea
The council was called by Emperor Constantine
The primary goal of the council was the deal with the Arian heresy that had become a problem in the
early church
Constantine called the council due to instability inside the church (which
translated to instability in the empire) which he didn’t like
The council had 20 Canons it discussed and agreed upon, not all having
to do with Aryanism
There are many erroneous things said and written about the famous Council of Nicea.
For example, it was not:
- the beginning of the "Catholic Church"
-when Christianity decided Jesus was divine
- - when the New Testament was made official
To quote Eusebius Pamphilus: “The most distinguished of God’s ministers from all the churches which abounded in Europe, Africa, and Asia assembled here. The one
sacred building, as if stretched by God, contained people from [a very long list of
nations]. There were more than 300 bishops, while the number of elders,
deacons and the like was almost incalculable…
…Some of these ministers of God were eminent for their wisdom, some for the strict living, and patient endurance of persecution, and others for all three.
Some were venerable because of their age, others were conspicuous for their
youth and mental vigor, and others were only just appointed. The Emperor
provided them all with plenty of food.”
Hundreds of bishops attended, mostly from the eastern churches. Only around
eight officials came from western churches - Rome sent only two presbyters.
The council voted on the views of Arius, and the majority rejected them and said he couldn’t hold his position in
the church anymore
Here is a sample of the Canons from the Council of Nicea in 325 AD:
Canon 4 - a bishop should be appointed by all the bishops of that province...at least three bishops should meet to make this decision.
Canon 5 - provinces should honor excommunications pronounced by other
bishops in other provinces
Canon 6 - gives the bishop of Alexandria authority over bishops in Libya and other
local provinces
Canon 10 - no lapsed believer should be ordained
Canon 15 - ordained leaders shall not move from city to city on their own
accord
On July 25, 325 AD Constantine called for a fairly festive banquet to close the council.
Constantine had already gifted several bishoprics with funds and buildings prior to Nicea, but now he showed more generosity,
bestowing funds on many bishops in the great hall.
Constantine went around the hall greeting bishops, kissing many on the very wounds
that had been caused by Roman persecution.
Though the emperor was filled with great optimism, many bishops were not as thrilled.
It was also clear that the Church now was under a certain amount of governmental
control. Where bishops had been excommunicated, the emperor had
maneurvered to reverse those decisions, as with Eusebius.
Now an excommunicated bishop could be exiled by the government
Despite all this, the majority were happy because peace had come to the empire for the Christians, and
the persecution was over
Problems they dealt with (Arius) would still continue over the next several years
in the church
Augustine of Hippo was born in Thagaste, (the
modern day city of Souk Ahras in Algeria), on the
13th of November in 354. He died on the
28th of August in 430 in Hippo Regius (the modern day city of Annaba in Algeria)
November 13, 354 - August 28, 430 A.D.
Augustine of Hippo
He was a leader in the North African Church
His father died at an early age, and his mother (a Godly women) raised him
Augustine might be the most pivotal theologian in church history
Augustine was a great influence on the reformation that would come a
thousand years later
In his early life, he dabbled in types of Gnostic beliefs, and his mother kicked him out of the house when
he was doing that
Some people have fast conversion stories (Paul) but some have slow ones
Augustine's conversion was slow
He struggled with sexual sin (living and having relations with women)
early on in his life
He went to university and was influenced by the teaching of Ambrose
who was a professor
After struggling with his sin and desires, and finally becomes a Christian
When he joins the ministry and becomes bishop at Hippo, he begins to live a
celibate life style
It’s said that if someone claims they’ve read all of Augustine, they are lying
Augustine died in Hippo at the age of 75 when the Vandals were besieging the city (and
eventually took it)
Before the siege was complete and before Augustine had died, one of his helpers took his library and hid it so it wouldn’t
be destroyed
We will look very quickly at the list of writings by Augustine
There are so many that we won’t even read all the titles
386 Against the Academics386 On the Blessed Life
386 On Order386/387 The Soliloquies
386/387 On the Immortality of the Soul386-429 Letters
387/391 On Music387/389 On the Catholic and the Manichaean Way of Life
387/388 On Magnitude of the Soul388/389 On Genesis, Against the Manichees
388-395 On Free Choice388/395 Eighty three Different Questions
389 The Teacher389/391 On True Religion
391 On the Usefulness of Believing
392 Debate with Fortunatus the Manichee392/393 On the Two Souls, Against the Manichees
393 On Faith and Creed393/394 Alphabetical Psalm Against the Donatists
393/394 On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis. (An unfinished book)393/394 On the Sermon of the Mount
393-430 Sermons394 Against Adimantus
394/395 Explanation: Epistle to the Galatians394/395 Incomplete Explanation: Epistle to the Romans
395 On Continence395 On Lying
396 To Simplicianus, On Different Questions396 On the Christian Struggle396-426 On Christian Teaching
396-420 Expositions on the Psalms397 Against the Basic Letter of the Manichees
397-401 Confessions397-398 Against Faustus the Manichee
397/398 Against Felix the Manichee398 Sermon on Christian Discipline
399 On the Nature of the Good399 Against Secundinus the Manichee
399 Questions on the Gospels399-419 The Trinity
400 On Faith in Invisible Realities400 Consensus of the Evangelists
400 Against the Letter of Parmenian400 On the Work of Monks
400 On Catechizing Beginners400 Comments on Job
400 On the Inquiries of Januarius (Letters 54-55)400/401 On Baptism Against the Donatists
401 On the Good of Marriage401 On Holy Virginity
401/405 Against the Letters of Petilianus401-415 On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis
401 Against Cresconius the Grammarian405 On the Unity of the Church
406 On the Divination of Demons406/412 Exposition on Six Questions - Raised by Pagans
406-430 Tractates on the Gospel of John407/409 Tractates on the First Epistle of John410 On the Destruction of the City of Rome
411 Concerning the One Baptism, Against Petilian412 On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins and
infant.baptism412/413 On Faith and Works
412 On the Spirit and the Letter412 Brief Meeting with the Donatists
412 On the Grace of the New Testament (Letter 140)
413 On Seeing God (Letter 147)413-427 City of God
414/415 On Nature and Grace414 On the Good of Widowhood
415 Against the Priscillianist and the Origenists415 To Jerome (Letters 166-167)
415/416 On the Perfection of Righteousness417 On the Proceedings concerning Pelagius
417 On the Presence of God (Letter 187)418 On the Grace of Christ and Original Sin
418 On Patience418 Proceedings with Emeritus
418 Reply to the Caesarians418/419 Against an Arian Sermon
419 Eight Questions on the Old Testament419 Questions on the Heptateuch
419/420 On Marriage and Concupiscence419/420 On Adulterous Marriages
419/420 Against Adversaries of the Law and the Prophets
419-420 Against Gaudentius a Donatist Bishop419-421 On the Soul and Its Origin
420 Against Two Letters of the Pelagians420 Against Lying
420-422 On the Care of the Dead421 Against Julian
421-422 Enchiridion (Faith, Hope, & Love)422-425 On the Eight Questions, from Dulcitius
425 On the Creed, to the Catechumens426/427 On Grace and Free Choice426/427 On Admonition and Grace
426/427 Retractions427/428 Discussion with Maximus the Arian Bishop
428 Against Maximinus428/429 On Heresies
428/429 On the Predestination of the Saints428/429 On the Gift of Perseverance429/430 On the Usefulness of Fasting
429-430 Incomplete Works Against Julian
“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything
depended on you.”
“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes
men as angels.”
Some quotes by Augustine
“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”
The problem with talking about Augustine is there is far too much to address
Some of his most known books are Confessions, De Trinitate, The City of God
He addresses many Pagan ideas of his days
He gives us a new idea on addressing the problem of evil
He was the first to suggest that evil is simply the absence of good, and not
something within itself
He says that if God is all good, everything he makes would be good, and evil is
absence of that
A very humorous response that is used today actually originates with Augustine
What was God doing before he created heaven and earth? He was creating hell
for people who ask hard questions.
You cannot overemphasis the impact that Augustine had on the development
of the church
John Chrysostom (347-407 A.D.)
His father died at an early age, and he was raised by his mother
At the age of 40 he becomes a deacon
He was educated by a famous Pagan who said if Chrysostom didn’t become
a Christian, he would have been his successor
Some people loved his preaching so much that they kidnapped him and took
him to Constantinople to be the head of the church their
He had lived a monastic life, and when moved he got rid of all the expensive stuff
that he didn’t think the church needed
He was preaching at a time when the citizens of Rome were rebelling, statues of
Caesar were being pulled down, and people were being put in prison
People were very impressed by him, he spoke against the riots and reminded
people what Jesus said (Give to Caesar that which is Caesars)
He didn’t attend luxurious parties and didn’t ride chariots around the city like previous bishops, he wanted to create a
simple, God focused church and life
He spoke out against horse racing (sports) and gambling, and the crowds who came
to listen to him were huge
Some didn’t like him though…
Some bishops in North Africa got upset and brought false charges to the emperor in attempts to get John
Chrysostom in trouble
The emperor removed him from position of bishop because of these false charges, and
right as he did riots broke out in Constantinople because of it so they
brought him right back
He didn’t back off though like they hoped, and said the same things and
spoke the truth to the people
They took him a second time (trying to do it secretly) and excommunicated him
The emperors wife did not like John Chrysostom though, and pushed to
have him removed/ex-communicated
Immediately more riots broke out, one of which resulted in the cathedral he
preached in being burnt to he ground
He ended up being exiled due to false charges and died in exile
We have 600+ sermons and 200+ letters written by him, he was given the nick
name “The Golden Mouth”
Years later, the son of the emperor who had excommunicated John Chrysostom
gave an order to have his remains brought back to the capital
The emperor publicly repented for what his parents did to him and he was given
great honor from that point onward
“No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak
with anger.” – Chrysostom
“A comprehended god is no god.” - Chrysostom
Some quotes by Chrysostom
Memory Verse
Job 8:8 “For inquire, please, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers
have searched out.