Early Christianity

Question 1

Birth of Jesus (Date)

Answer 1

c. 5 - 4 B.C.

Question 2

Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection

Answer 2

c. A.D. 30 (case for A.D. 33 possible)

Question 3

When the Edict of Milan was passed

Answer 3

A.D. 313

Question 4

Edict guaranteeing religious freedom across the Roman Empire, especially Christians

Answer 4

Edict of Milan

Question 5

A.D. 325

Answer 5

Council of Nicaea (first) articulates position on the essence of Jesus

Question 6

A.D. 367

Answer 6

Athanasius outlines a statement on the NT canon

Question 7

Heretical teaching that Jesus was not divine but merely an exceptional human being

Answer 7

Arianism

Question 8

Theories against the Resurrection

Answer 8

Swoon/Semi-coma theory
Vision/Hallucination theory
Wrong tomb theory
Fraud theory

Question 9

[Late 18th C.] School of thought claiming that Jesus never lived but was invented

Answer 9

“Christ-myth” School

Question 10

Non-Christian/Pagan witness to the historicity of Jesus

Answer 10

Roman Annals by Cornelius Tacitus

Question 11

“They got their name from Christ, who was executed by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius.”

Answer 11

Cornelius Tacitus in his Roman Annals

Question 12

True or False: Had Jesus never existed, the Jews easily could have questioned his existence, but they never did.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

Reasons for Roman persecution of Christians

Answer 13

1. Viewed to be disloyal subjects of the Empire, treasonous
2. Thought to be atheists
3. Lifestyle charply contrasted Roman culture (particularly the upper class; Christians refused to go to the arena, theatres, or public baths)

Question 14

Emperor of the first empire-wide persecution

Answer 14

Decius

Question 15

Emperor of “The Great Persecution”

Answer 15

Diocletian

Question 16

Issued the Edict of Milan

Answer 16

Constantine and Licinius

Question 17

Made Christianity the Roman Empire’s state religion

Answer 17

Theodosius

Question 18

Significant reason for the spread of Christianity

Answer 18

It appealed across all classes and genders of society, especially the downtrodden

Question 19

Early Christians that sought to defend or explain Christianity

Answer 19

Apologists

Question 20

Early Christians to attack heretical ideas

Answer 20

Polemicists

Question 21

[Chief] defect found among church fathers

Answer 21

Sacerdotalism

Question 22

Sacerdotalism

Answer 22

The power of the priest as an essential mediator between God and man

Question 23

Signified the end of the “pilgrim church” era

Answer 23

Coucil of Nicaea

Question 24

True or False: The bishops attended the Council of Nicaea, but Constantine was absent.

Answer 24

False; both were present

Question 25

How many positions on Jesus' deity were discussed at Nicaea?

Answer 25

3

Question 26

Argued that Jesus was a created being at Nicaea

Answer 26

Arius

Question 27

Argued that Jesus has the same essence as the Father at Nicaea

Answer 27

Athanasius

Question 28

Argued a middle position on Jesus' deity at Nicaea, that he was of similar essence to the Father

Answer 28

Eusebius of Caesarea

Question 29

Representatives of the three Christological positions at Nicaea

Answer 29

Arius Athanasius Eusebius of Caesarea

Question 30

Bishop of Milan; [put Theodosius I under] church discipline [for murdering thousands in Thessalonica]

Answer 30

Ambrose

Question 31

Produced the Vulgate

Answer 31

Jerome

Question 32

Authorized Catholic Bible

Answer 32

Vulgate

Question 33

Language of the Vulgate

Answer 33

[Common] Latin

Question 34

Apocrypha

Answer 34

14 books of the LXX not part of the OT; rejected as canonical by Protestants and Jews

Question 35

Bishop of Hippo

Answer 35

Augustine

Question 36

Emphasized God's sovereign calling of the elect

Answer 36

Augustine

Question 37

Developed a Christian philosophy of history

Answer 37

Augustine

Question 38

Championed the Whole Tenor Principle

Answer 38

Augustine

Question 39

[Whole Tenor Principle]

Answer 39

[no section of Scripture should be interpreted apart from the whole of Scripture; likewise, no teaching contrary to the general tenor of the Scriptures should be developed from any particular passage]

Question 40

Monasticism

Answer 40

A way of life that emphasizes certain aspects: life in community, celibacy, poverty, worship

Question 41

Asceticism

Answer 41

Practice of strict self-denial, adopted by monastics

Question 42

Monk focused on poverty, chastity, and obedience

Answer 42

Benedict of Nursia

Question 43

Positive element of monasticism

Answer 43

Monastic schools were the seat of learning/[knowledge] preservation

Question 44

Negative aspect of monasticism

Answer 44

Developed false standards of holiness