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The Early Church Period (100-300): Historical Friday

As we move past the New Testament period things begin to change. The Apostles are gone, and with them the first hand accounts of Jesus Christ. We now look to those who sat at the feet of the Apostles who have now become leaders in the church. The void left by the Apostles is felt in every church, and their absence leaves room for dangerous new heresies to arise.

Brief History

The Early Church Period is a time of both persecution and growth for Christians. This time period produced some of the most influential and important theological work of all time. Over the next two hundred several very important thinkers and writers will emerge that will shape Christian thought for ages to come.

This period truly begins around the year AD 100 with the death of the Apostle John. The last books of the New Testament, written by John, are just now being circulated amongst the churches. A new threat has emerged; Gnosticism. This weird religion takes elements of Christianity (and many other religions) and tries to lure people in with talk of mysteries and the secret spiritual world. 

In order to combat this heresy we see the role of bishop emerge as separate from that of an elder. At first it is actually nothing bad. A church would choose one elder to serve as watchdog over what is being taught so that the other elders could focus on shepherding the flock. The elder chosen would be someone who could read and study the Scriptures (many still couldn't read at this point). What started as an efficient way to fight heresy (one man can make decisions faster than a committee) the role eventually became distinct and even elevated above the rank of elder.

Another important development is the formation of the canon of Scripture. The books of the Bible we know were all regarded as Scripture, but there wasn't any sort of formal list. This led to a man named Marcion (who we have talked about) trying to create his own, anti-Semitic version. This led to the churches agreeing that they needed an official list to make sure someone like Marcion couldn't cause trouble again.

Towards the end of this period we see what is called the Great Persecution. This event, which started in 303, called for an empire wide eradication of the Christian faith. Church buildings were burned, Bibles taken, and clergy arrested. Eventually every man, woman, and child in the empire was forced to confess that Caesar is god or be executed. This ended, along with the Early Church Period, with the arrival of Constantine.

Important Events

Death of the Apostle John (AD 95-100) - John was the last living Apostle. His death created a leadership vacuum that would eventually be filled by bishops.

The Quartodeciman Controversy (AD 150) - An argument brewed over which day to celebrate Easter on. Some said only on Sunday while others were celebrating it over the Passover weekend as well. This was the first time the bishop of Rome tried to assert authority over other churches.

Martyrdom of Polycarp (AD 155) - Polycarp was an influential early Christian who was executed for following Christ. The story of his death is incredible and is an inspiration for us trying to live for Christ today.

The Rise of Asceticism (AD 150-300) - Many Christians took to living celibate lives to serve God. This is an important tradition that would later on become law by the Catholic Church (which wouldn't exist for a while).

The Great Persecution (AD 303-313) - Started by Emperor Diocletian, this persecution saw the deaths of thousands of Christians.

Important People

Ignatius of Antioch - He is the first man that we know of who cultivated the idea of bishops. He was a disciple of the Apostle John and would later be martyred. 

Irenaeus - He wrote extensively against the Gnostics and has proven to be a very reliable witness about what they believed. He also wrote a lot about the idea of Reconciliation.

Origen - One of the first great Bible scholars, his method of studying Scripture was used for hundreds of years. He pioneered an allegorical reading of the Bible.

Marcion - Tried to create his own version of Scripture. Led to the formal list of books in the Bible.

Diocletian - Initiated one of the largest persecutions against Christians the world has ever seen.

Polycarp - An important leader in the early church period who died for his faith. 

Tertullian - The first person to use the term Trinity to describe God.

There are countless more I could mention, but these are some of particular importance.

Conclusion

This was a very influential time for Christianity. It was here that many of the things that would go on to define the faith were established, especially the Bible. This is my favorite time period to study simply because most everything we do or deal with can be traced back to this time period.

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