Transcript Church History

Church History
ACTS 1 to this Kinship
2000 years in 40 minutes.
Compiled by John Ensworth,
West Springfield Kinship
Why Study Church History?
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Learn the Mistakes of History → Avoid
them?
Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to
repeat it.
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Discover our own roots
(Restoration Movement, Vineyard)
Avoid swinging the pendulum
Grace ↔ Legalism
Doctrine ↔ Zeal, Emotion, Heart
Asceticism ↔ Freedom
The beginning
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Acts 1 +
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Reading from “Introduction to Church History”
Persecution & Growth
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The Temple priests went after them in Acts 4
First a warning, then a beating, then murder.
Stephen – the first martyr – Acts 7:54-60
Scattered the church and spread the word
world wide.
Paul’s Conversion
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Saul of Tarsus, a devote Pharisee (present at
the stoning of Stephen)
Was heading to stamp out believers in
Damascus - Acts 9
Met Christ along the way
Annanias was sent by God to help Paul
Was baptized and received the Holy Spirit in
Damascus –then went to Arabia for 3 years
Gal 1:17-19
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16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach
him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who
were apostles before I was, but I went immediately
into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to
get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen
days. 19I saw none of the other apostles—only
James, the Lord's brother.
Paul planted, taught and
wrote
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Worked and spent time with some of the
disciples ((Barnabas), Peter, James)
Church in Antioch
Cyprus and Asia Minor (Turkey)
Macedonia
Greece – Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea,
Corinth
Ephesus – then imprisoned in Rome 2 years
Crete
Other early church planters
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Bartholomew – Armenia
Andrew – Southern Russia and Ukraine
Thomas – Persia and India
Matthew – Ethiopia
James (younger) – Egypt
Jude – Assyria and Persia
Mark (not the apostle) – Alexandria
Peter- Babylonia (? – or name for Rome)
After the apostles and friends
passed away…
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The Apostolic Fathers:
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Apostolic or Post-Apostolic Fathers (c. 95-105 AD)
The Apologists (c. 140-200)
The Polemicists (c. 180-225)
The Scientific Theologians (c. 225-460)
(Arbitrary periods and designations, but
useful)
The Apostolic Fathers
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Purpose: To exhort and edify the church
Writers/Writings:
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Clement
Papias
Ignatius
Polycarp
(c. 95-105 AD)
Shepherd of Hermas
Barnabas
Didache
The Apologists
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Purpose: To defend the Faith
Leaders:
Justin Martyr, Tatian, Tertulllian
(c. 140-200 AD)
Early Schisms and Heresies
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Judaizers
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Gnostics
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Marcionites
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Montanists
legalism
humanity of Jesus, deep knowledge, we are divine
souls trapped in material world by imperfect God/spirit,
matter = evil, our spirit = good
Jehovah an evil god- Hebrew bible rejected
charismatic, newer prophecies supersede apostles,
were ‘possessed by God’ when they spoke
Early Schisms and Heresies
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Novatianists
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Arians
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Ebionism
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Monarchianism
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Manicheism
purity of the church, back sliders (those who
renounced Christ under persecution) not
readmitted to the church
deity of Jesus and different relationship between the
Father and Jesus – nontrinitarian
opposed Paul, discounted his writings and teachings
rule of one- bothered by the trinity – power of
God sank into Jesus over time
Gnosticism with strong Oriental religious elements –
mix of light and dark (good and evil). Christ came to help the light side.
The Polemicists
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Purpose:To attack error.
Leaders:
Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Cyprian
(c. 180-225 AD)
The Apostolic Church Drifts…
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Leadership/Church Organization
Doctrine of Baptism
Asceticism, Monasticism etc.
Creeds, Liturgy, Church Calendar,
Sacramentalism
Sacerdotalism/Priesthood The Lord’s Supper
becomes a sacrifice/supernatural
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Hermeneutics –
arriving at truth
system of studying something and
The Scientific Theologians
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Purpose: To develop scientific methods of
biblical interpretation
Theologians:
Alexandrian – Pantaenus, Clement, Origen,
Athanasius, Cyril
Western- Jerome, Ambrose,Augustine
Eastern – Theodore, John Chrysostome
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(c. 225-460 AD)
More Persecution -Rome
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Earliest official persecution – 64-100 AD
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blame for fire of Rome July 19, 64 AD
95AD originally directed at Jews who didn’t
pay taxes
Imperial Policy – 111-161 AD
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response to many leaving paganism
mobs called for Christian blood and this
was discouraged by Rome at first
More Persecution -Rome
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Marcus Aurelius – 161-180 AD
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Sent spies out to find Christians
(didn’t wait for mobs or reports)
Riots and mobs not checked
1000’s thrown to lions and beheaded
including Justin Martyr
Still not considered an all out war on
Christianity empire wide
More Persecution -Rome
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Persecution across the empire 249-305 AD
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1000th year anniversary of Rome celebrated
Looked back on earlier glory and wondered what
messed it up…Christianity?
Decius 249-251 AD – state religion needed
Valerian 253-260 AD – was favorable towards Christians
at first – many Christian leaders killed later on
260-303 AD – quiet period
303-305 AD – Diocletian(east) /Maximian (west) Destruction of Christian places of worship and holy
books decreed.
More Persecution -Rome
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Toleration under Constantine from 313 AD+
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Holy Roman Church becomes legal 313 AD
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Fall of Roman Empire –September 4, 476 AD
The Canon
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First (messed up Gnostic) cannon –
Marcion 140 AD
Destruction of scared writings by the Romans
in 303 AD showed need to know what is
worth dying for.
What is Canon?
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Writings inspired by God.
(Which ones?)
Apostle writings.
Those close to the apostles.
Moral and doctorial elements match
apostle writings?
Satisfied Hebrew Bible prophecy.
The four gospels and Acts.
Canon and Paul
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Paul's letters were circulated with the first
NT canon
250 AD – Had the four gospels, 13 epistles
of Paul + 4 books not in the NT today.
Hebrews was disputed – author unknown
Given to Constantine in 330 AD
Councils of Carthate
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393 AD (St. Augustine was bishop)
apparently set the current NT canon
397 AD – no additions or subtractions
will be made.
Approaching the Middle Ages
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325-681 AD
Theological controversy and the Fall of
Rome
The Roman Catholic Church forms –
reference to it in 107 AD
Catholic = “the one church formed by
Jesus and the apostles”
Legalized under Constantine 313 AD
Pope Gregory the Great
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540-604 A.D.
Transformed the bishopric of Rome into a
papal system
Introduced major changes in the liturgy and
standardized it (though didn’t actually create
Gregorian chants)
Helped bring together the branches of Roman
Catholic theology that were developing
Penned famous commentary on Job which
defined how commentaries were to be done.
Clarified ideas:
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Original Sin
Forgiveness through baptism
Purgatory
Converted the Eucharist from a
sacrament into a sacrifice for
redemption
Islam Created
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Islam came into existence 622 AD
Mohammad traveled to the Christian world to
find a religion to unite the Arab world
Was rejected
Took elements from Judaism, Christianity and
Arabian heathenism
Preached 13 years in Mecca against
polytheism, then flight to Medina in 622AD.
Islam Created
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Conquered Mecca in 629 AD
Died 632 AD ruler of the Arabian peninsula
Qur’an formed about 650 AD
Major schism : Sunni (largest ~90%) and
Shi’ite (7 to 15% of Muslims) late 600’s
Now 1/5th of the world (.9 to 1.4 billion)
(Christianity 1.9 billion presently)
Present percentage of population that is Muslim by
country.
Present percentage of population that is Christian by
country.
Middle Ages and the Catholic
Church
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Charlemagne was crowned ‘emperor of
the Romans’ by Pope Leo III 800 AD
Took this to mean he was the leader of
all Christendom as well
 The Holy Roman Empire 800 AD
Was Christianity for almost 200 years.
(Napoleon abolished the empire in
1806  1000 years later!)
Schism 1054 AD
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The 1st great rift.
The western (Latin) branch
The eastern (Greek) branch
Today The worldwide Catholic Church is made up
of 1 Western Latin and 22 Eastern Catholic
autonomous particular churches, all of which look
to the Bishop of Rome (the Pope), alone or along
with the College of Bishops, as their highest
authority on earth for matters of faith, morals and
church governance.
Crusades
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Crusades: 1095AD - to the Holy Land to
contain/push back Islam – failed ultimately
Inquisition: 1184 to 1230’s – sought to assure
religious and doctrinal unity within Christianity
through conversion, and sometimes
prosecution, of alleged heretics.
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Spanish 1478-1834, Portuguese 1536-1560+
Roman 1542-mid 1800’s
(including Galileo Galilei 1633)
Decline of the Medieval
Church 1305-1517 AD
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Rise of nationalism
Backlash against the Inquisition
Reaction against money-raising efforts of the Church
(indulgences, oppressive taxes)
Moral Laxity (especially 1400’s)
Secularization of the church (the Renaissance)
The Crusades
Babylonian Captivity of the papacy (the pope was a
virtual prisoner of the king of France 1305-1377)
Papal Schism – Incompetent Pope Urban VI (13781417)
The Protestant Reformation
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The 2nd great rift.
Germany in 1517 with Martin Luther
Concluded with the Peace of Westphalia in
1648. (ended the 30 and 80 years war, France, Germany, Sweden, Dutch, and the
Holy roman Empire – Christians could worship freely wherever they were).
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Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses
On the Power of Indulgences to the door of
the Wittenberg Castle Church, which served
as a pin board for university-related
announcements. These were points for
debate that criticized the Church and the
Pope.
The Protestant branches…
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The most important Protestant groups to
emerge directly from the reformation were
the Lutherans, the
Reformed/Calvinists/Presbyterians, the
Anabaptists, and the Anglicans.
Subsequent Protestant denominations
generally trace their roots back to the initial
Reformation traditions. It also accelerated the
Catholic or Counter Reformation within the
Roman Catholic Church.
Christian Branches
The thread of True Christianity in
the Middle Ages?
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Paulicians
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Arnold of Brescia
650-900’s Asia Minor – Some Gnostic
elements, but accepted the OT, Gospels, Paul’s letters –
and condoned the prophetic and tongues
1100 Italy – gave his
possessions away, land to the government, opposed the
pope – taught of the trinity (also Héloïse)
The thread of Christianity in the
Middle Ages?
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Peter of Bruys
1110 Northern Italy – taught in
opposition to the Roman Catholic Church
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Taught children younger than the age of understanding cannot
be saved by baptism, ornate churches do not make the Church,
the cross should not be a Christian symbol, there is no
transubstantiation, you can’t sacrifice and pray or give alms for
the dead – good deeds cannot profit the dead.
Waldensians
1175-1500’s Peter Waldo,
Switzerland – taught the value of poverty, public preaching and
the personal study of scriptures (Mennonites and Baptists trace
their roots through the Waldensians)
The Reformation
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John Wycliffe England, 1324-1384
John Huss Bohemia, 1374-1415
Martin Luther Germany, 1483-1546
Ulrich Zwingli Switzerland, 1484-1531
William Tyndale England, 1494-1536
John Calvin France, 1509-1564
John Knox Scotland, 1505-1572
John Wycliffe 1324-1384
Translated Vulgate into English
Opposed indulgences, idols, priesthood
The Pope is the antichrist (later years)
Followers known as Lollards
Declared heretic 1401:
The Anti-Wycliffite Statute
John Huss 1374-1415 Bohemia
Influenced by Wycliffe
Bible the only authority
Only God can forgive sin
Burned at the stake
Hussites virtually wiped out by the Inquisition
Brethren and Moravian Churches
(Anabaptist and/or Pietist movements)
John Huss Burned at the stake, 1415
A quick Review
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God and His Spirit started the Church – Acts 1
Jewish then Roman persecution spread it
The Holy Roman Church traces it’s roots to the
apostles and was ‘the main show in town’ until
the reformation from 1517 to 1648.
Martin Luther 1483-1546
Augustinian Monk
95 Theses in Wittenburg
Studied Romans
Salvation by Faith Only
Scripture Only to know about God
Predestination – believed in, but
shouldn’t be discussed
Book of James a “book of straw.”
(will ‘burn up’ and not remain
canon over time)
Kept much of Catholic worship
practices
Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531)
Swiss Reformer
More radical than Luther
Rejected almost all Catholic forms of
worship.
Differed on the Lord’s Supper – set a
table down the isle and men and
women sat – bread and wine served
on boards and wooden cups
His influence led to the Anabaptists
Principle influence on John Calvin
William Tyndale 1494-1536
Protestant reformer
Translated the Bible into Early Modern
English
First to use the new medium of print
Arrested and jailed in 1535 in the
castle of Vilvoorde outside of
Brussels, Belgium
Was tried for heresy and treason, was
strangled and burnt at the stake in the
castle courtyard.
Much of his translation made it into
the King James Version in 1611
The Anabaptist Movement (1530’s and later)
The Radical Reformation
Menno Simmons 1496-1561
Martyrdom of Anabaptists
The Anabaptist Movement
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Baptism by immersion of adults after
confession of faith for salvation.
Bible the only authority.
Separation of church and state.
Emphasized both life and doctrine
Pacifists (usually)
Many became martyrs
Began evangelistic, but became exclusive and
withdrawn. (Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites)
Tended to be very schismatic
John Calvin 1509-1564
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Influenced most strongly by Zwingli
Strongly influenced by theology of Augustine
Most influential theologian of the Reformation
Emphasized Historical/Covenantal Theology
Wrote Institutes of Christian Religion
Established an autocratic theocracy in Geneva
Best known for his strong emphasis on
Predestination
TULIP
TULIP
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Total depravity of mankind
every person is this by default
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Unconditional election
God decides who will be saved ultimately
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Limited atonement
The atonement of Christ applies only to those saved
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Irresistible grace
The Holy Spirit CAN overcome all resistance and save
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final Preservation of the saints
If you are saved, you are saved. If you return to
willful sinning/evil etc. you never were saved or you
will return to Him before the end.
The Church of England
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Traces it’s roots to 597 AD
Is the officially established Christian church in England, and
acts as the "mother" and senior branch of the worldwide
Anglican Communion
Reformed insofar as many of the principles of the early
Protestants as well as the subsequent Protestant Reformation
have influenced it, and does not accept Papal authority.
Catholic in that it views itself as the unbroken continuation
of the early apostolic and later medieval universal church,
rather than as a new formation. In its customs and liturgy it
has retained more of that tradition than most other reformed
churches.
Other Important Figures in the
Reformation
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John Knox 1505-1572. Brought Calvinism to
Scotland. Became the Presbyterian Church
Puritans. 1559+ England. Congregational
autonomy. Became the Congregational
Church
Other Important Figures in the
Reformation
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Baptists. 1612 (Anabaptist origins)
Added believer’s baptism to Calvinism.
Quakers. 1648 Literally quaked.
A charismatic, emotional movement.
Other Important Figures in the
Reformation
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Anglicans 1560’s – The Church of England – a
doctrinal system of worshipping God falling
somewhere between Roman Catholicism and
Protestantism – adopt the Apostles Creed and
Nicene Creed for example. King James Bible.
Book of Common Prayers.
Methodists: John Wesley started it near 1730
reacting to apathy in the Church of England.
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Formed in Oxford, England
Anglican Church roots
Christian Branches
God’s Big Corrections
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A number of revivals has reoriented the
Church to God and his plan –
this might be a good topic for a future
kinship…
Fast Forward to the late 1800’s in the
western U.S.
International Church of the
Foursquare Gospel
An evangelical Pentecostal denomination
(evangelical = personal conversion and
authority of the Bible + preaching and
proselytizing)
(Pentecostal = direct personal experience of
God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit –
similar but different from the Charismatic
movement.)
(denomination = a religious group sharing a
common name, tradition, identity, doctrine,
theology, philosophy, religious pluralism or
even ethics)
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International Church of the
Foursquare Gospel
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Foursquare Gospel from revival in Oakland Co.
1922
Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944) was a
controversial female evangelist founded
Foursquare church in 1927 in LA.
Parents were Methodist, but she was an atheist
when young
L.I.F.E. Bible College
Has grown to 1,844 churches in the US
More than 30,000 churches worldwide
International Church of the
Foursquare Gospel values
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The Bible as the inspired word of God
The Trinity
The atoning death of Christ for sinners
Salvation through the grace of God by Faith Alone
in the Lord Jesus Christ
The necessity of sincere repentance and
acceptance of Christ
The new birth (Sanctification)
The daily growth through power, prayer, love and
service
International Church of the
Foursquare Gospel values
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Baptism by immersion
The memorial of The Lord's Supper as church
ordinances
The baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of
Speaking In Tongues
The Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit
Divine healing
The imminent return of Jesus Christ
Final judgment
Evangelism
Tithing and Offerings
Foursquare and other
denominations
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Foursquare Church formed the "Pentecostal
Fellowship of North America" in 1948 in
Des Moines, Iowa together with the Assemblies of
God, the Church of God, the Open Bible Standard
Churches, the Pentecostal Holiness Church, and
others.
In 1994, the Fellowship reorganized as the
Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America
after reconciliation with African Americans,
particularly the constituency of the
Church of God in Christ.
Calvary Chapel –
nondenominational churches
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Started in 1965 in Southern California
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Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa
Broke away from the Foursquare Gospel
denomination, Santa Anna California over
“Does the Holy Spirit speak through prophecy today?”.
Became associated with the Jesus Movement
(Christian element of the hippie element late 1960’s
and early 1970’s – west coast U.S. then worldwide
until it faded out in the early 1980’s)
1000+ churches worldwide
Calvary Churches
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Nondenominational / Protestant
A mostly Episcopal church governance
(tracing roots to Anglicanism)
Tongues and prophecy not normal part of
Sunday service – but are doctrinally valid
Often teach Genesis to Revelation – verse by
verse, chapter by chapter, book by book.
Topical studies may be misleading.
The Vineyard
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Considered an Evangelical church
‘in-between’ Charismatic and Pentecostal
denominations.
In 1974 a fellowship began in
West Los Angeles with Kenn and Joannie Gulliksen,
which was led to take the name of the "Vineyard"
(Isaiah 27:2-3; John 15:5.)
John Wimber
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When John was conscripted by God he was,
in the words of Christianity Today, a "beerguzzling, drug-abusing pop musician, who
was converted at the age of 29 while chainsmoking his way through a Quaker-led Bible
study" (Christianity Today, editorial, Feb. 9 1998).
He began church planting and became the
pastor at Calvary Chapel church –
Yorba Linda, California in 1997.
Influences on John Wimber
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“George Eldon Ladd’s
(1911-1982 Baptist minister and Fuller
Theological Seminar professor)
theological writings on the kingdom of God
convinced John intellectually that the all the
biblical gifts of the Holy Spirit should be active
in the church.”
Influences on John Wimber
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“Encounters with Fuller missiologists Donald
McGavaran and C. Peter Wagner (Global
Harvest Ministries, co-founder of the World
Prayer Center – former New Life Church
member Colorado Springs) and seasoned
missionaries and international students gave
him credible evidence for combining
evangelism with healing and prophecy.”
Vineyard Roots
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In 1982 John Wimber’s church became a
Vineyard and other pastors and leaders from
the handful of Vineyard churches began
looking to John for direction.
The Vineyard movement was born and
spread quickly around the world.
Vineyard Core Principles
1.
2.
3.
4.
God the King and the Holy Trinity
God the King: The Creator and Ruler of All Things
Counterfeit Kingdom: Satan and Demonic Hosts
The Kingdom in the Creation of Man, the Fall and
The Doctrine of Original Sin
5. God's Providence, Kingdom Law and Covenants
6. Christ the Mediator and Eternal King
Vineyard Core Principles
7. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
8. The Sufficiency of Scripture
9. The Power of the Gospel Over the Kingdom of
Darkness
10. The Church: Instrument of the Kingdom
11. Baptism and the Lord's Supper
12. The Kingdom of God and the Final Judgment
Vineyard Today
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John Wimber passed away
November 16, 1997.
The Association of Vineyard churches
include 1,500+ churches worldwide.
The Woodbridge Vineyard
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The church’s founding pastor,
Jim Robb, along with his wife
Beverly, moved to the Northern Virginia area
in the winter of 1987, following completion
of his studies at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Woodbridge Vineyard
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Jim and Beverly began the process of gathering
people to form the core of a new Vineyard church
plant.
They met in homes until they had their first public
meeting at Fred Lynn Middle School (next to our
future church location).
The church grew rapidly and was able to move
into its current facility
(at 13550 Jefferson Davis Highway)
in May of 1990.
Woodbridge Vineyard in
Change
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March 2002, Jim Rob died of a heart attack in
California (he was attending a distance learning
class at the Jack Hayford School but he had to go
to the actual school once a quarter for 1-2 weeks in
California)
After a search, Rick Frantz was called as the new
senior pastor July 2002.
Woodbridge Vineyard in
Change
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May 2006, Rick Frantz resigned.
Dan Davis (the associate pastor at the time)
became the current pastor.
The church is poised to move to it’s own
facility sometime Fall 2007.
VCF Woodbridge Core Values
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Worship
Word
Prayer
Fellowship
Training
Ministry
W.A.L.K.
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We use the acronym “W.A.L.K.” as a framework
for discipleship.
W – Worship (Putting God first in all that we do and
recognizing his sovereignty)
A – Align (Making the necessary adjustments to line
ourselves up with God’s will and to live as Jesus lived)
L – Look & Listen (Looking to see where God is at
work and listening to know how to respond)
K – Kommit (Committing to step out in faith to
respond as the Lord directs – taking risks to make a
difference)
Our Kinship?
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Formed April 18th,2007 as a planned
split of the Smith Kinship.
It was created to serve a number of
Vineyard families in Springfield, VA.
Both kinships are getting large again.
Putting it all together
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God and His Spirit started the Church – Acts 1
Jewish then Roman persecution spread it
The Holy Roman Church traces it’s roots to the
apostles and was ‘the main show in town’ until
the reformation from 1517 to 1648.
Our church doctrine traces to the reformation,
then Anglican, Methodist, Four Square
Churches, Calvary Chapel, and John Wimber
and the Vineyard Movement.
References
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Based on a presentation by John Oakes, PhD
Apologetics Research Society Link
Nelson’s Quick Reference:
Introduction to Church History
Wikipedia
www.vcfwoodbridge.org
www.vineyardusa.org
Additional Information
didn’t have a place for this in this
thread.
Lessons Learned From the Early
Church
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Avoid convenient but unscriptural
organizational structure.
Resist the trend toward ritualism in our
worship.
Do not overreact to false doctrines.
Avoid relying on creeds to defend truth.
Do not overemphasize the importance of
physical sacrifice, prayer or any other good
spiritual activity
Stress good methods of Bible exegesis