Midterm Exam 1

Question 1

Ignatius of Antioch

Answer 1

Ignatius was the first bishop of Antioch. He wrote about the early Church’s hierarchy with bishops at the top, followed by presbyters and then deacons. He said that those under the bishop should respect him according to the power of God the Father. He also said that those who defer to their bishop are deferring to the Father of Jesus Christ, the Bishop of all. Just as Jesus did nothing apart from the Father, so should priests work with bishops.

Question 2

Dura Europos

Answer 2

Dura Europos was an outpost city located near the Euphrates river which was destroyed by the Persians in the 3rd century and left buried. The Domus Ecclesiae (House Church) is located there. The Domus Ecclesiae is a preserved church which provides information about the structure, layout, and interior art of early Christian gathering places. The room known as the baptistry is particularly useful in understanding what early Christians thought of the sacrament of Baptism. The art in that room depicts various scenes from both testaments of the Bible which would have been seen by a person being baptized. It follows then that the art in that room would have special significance to someone being Baptized.

Question 3

The Myth of Persecution

Answer 3

The Myth of Persecution is a book written by Candida Moss. The book discusses how the deep-seated identity of Christians as martyrs has shaped how Christians see themselves. Moss argues that Christian persecution was made up as propaganda to support the spread of Christianity. She says that Christians never faced severe persecution and martyrdom like that of which is commonly depicted in Christian writings.

Question 4

Polycarp

Answer 4

Polycarp was a second-century bishop of Smyrna. He was martyred, and his story was widely circulated in the early Christian world with the title of “The Martyrdom of Polycarp. This letter contains the first recorded use of martyr as it is understood today. Polycarp’s letter motivated Christians who were facing persecution. It explained that God was still on their side despite their hardships.

Question 5

Martyr

Answer 5

Before “The Martyrdom of Polycarp,” a martyr referred to a legal witness. After the letter was circulated, a martyr came to be known as someone who was persecuted for their beliefs. Christian martyrdom became a testament to the devotion of Christians to their faith in Jesus, even unto death. Martyrs shared in the suffering of Christ and inspired other Christians to persevere through persecution with the knowledge that God is in control.

Question 6

Decius

Answer 6

Decius was the Roman Emperor from 249-251 A.D. In December of 249, he required every citizen of the empire to go to a local temple to sacrifice to the gods and receive a certificate. When Christians refused, they were imprisoned and tortured. This persecution was not targeted at Christians but Christians did face severe punishments because of it.

Question 7

Pliny

Answer 7

Pliny the Younger was the Governor of Bithynia (Asia Minor) in 111 A.D. He wrote a letter to emperor Trajan about how he should deal with Christians. His letter resulted in a response from Trajan that set the standard for legal dealings with Christians within the Roman Empire. Pliny also provides an account that verifies that Christians were facing torture and execution because he was dishing out such things in his interactions with Christians.

Question 8

Presbyter

Answer 8

Presbyter is the early Church’s word for priest. Presbyters served under bishops and worked with deacons who were subordinate to them. Presbyters were the ones who administered the sacraments such as Baptism. Presbyters presided over the Church at the local level.

Question 9

Gnostics

Answer 9

Gnostics were an early Christian sect that diverged from orthodox Christianity and was eventually shut out completely. Gnostics believed in a hidden knowledge about God known as gnosis. They also believed that Jesus was a creature and not eternal like God the Father. Gnostic beliefs were on the losing side of the argument at the Council of Nicaea.

Question 10

Great Persecution

Answer 10

The Great Persecution was a suppression of Christianity at the turn of the 4th century. The edict of Feb 23, 303 ordered all churches to be destroyed, Bibles to be handed over, Christians to refrain from assembling and to renounce Christ in court. This was the single worst period of persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. This time of persecution resulted in many martyrs of the Church and consequently the dissemination of their testimonies throughout the Christian world, reassuring many of their faith.

Question 11

Council of Nicaea

Answer 11

The Council of Nicaea was called in 324 A.D. by Emperor Constantine. It met the following summer in 325 A.D. The council met to determine what kind of divinity Jesus Christ possesses. The result of the council was the rejection of Arius and his Gnostic beliefs and the assertion of Alexander of Alexandria’s beliefs in the unbegotten nature of Jesus. This council also created the Nicene Creed as a statement of their decisions about Jesus and His nature.

Question 12

Origen

Answer 12

Origen lived in Alexandria from c. 184-253 A.D. His job was to instruct Christians in central parts of the faith. His views did not align with Arius or Alexander, who’s viewpoints were tested at the Council of Nicaea. He taught that Jesus was eternal because He is described as the Wisdom of God in scripture and God could never been without His Wisdom, therefore Jesus must be eternal.

Question 13

Monasticism

Answer 13

Monasticism is a lifestyle that involves total devotion to God and a renunciation of worldly things and other goods like marriage and family. It is not for everyone, but in early Christian communities it became known as one of the ways to best live a holy life. Athanasius of Alexandria writes the Life of Saint Antony, giving a detailed description of the life of a monk who lived in the desert. Antony is seen as the father of monasticism, and his way of life becomes the life of the ideal Christian.

Question 14

Heresy

Answer 14

Heresy is something that deviates from a norm. In Greek, it means a philosophical sect or school. In ancient times it did not necessarily have a negative connotation. However, second century Christians established the modern understanding of heresy as a deviation from the Truth taught by the Church.

Question 15

Hypostasis of the Archons

Answer 15

The Hypostasis of the Archons is a Gnostic text describing the cosmology of Gnosticism. It was not intended to be read by those unfamiliar with Gnostic beliefs, so it is unclear and complicated. It rewrites the Genesis narrative and depicts the ordering of the divine and the created in a different way. The Hypostasis of the Archons is one of the only documents on record written by and for Gnostics.

Question 16

Marcion

Answer 16

Marcion was an early Christian figure who lived from c. 85-160 A.D. and was excommunicated for his beliefs. He held that the God of the OT and Jesus were in opposition to each other. The OT God was one of justice and was evil while Jesus was a God of love and was good. He rejected the OT entirely and only accepted a revised version of the Gospel of Luke and most of the Pauline letters as holding authority as Scripture.

Question 17

Irenaeus

Answer 17

Irenaeus was the Bishop of Lyons who lived from c. 130-202 A.D. He wrote Against the Heresies which identified heretics as those who intentionally misled others from the Truth. He denoted heresies as “wicked interpretations of genuine words.” He argued that there are not multiple “schools of thought,” but only one way of thinking which is the Truth.

Question 18

Euergetism

Answer 18

Euergetism was the Roman concept of benefaction. Benefaction meant doing good deeds for those in the social class below you with an expectation of repayment. This almost always took the form of public building projects and the putting on of games for the people of the empire. Benefaction was not the same as Christian charity, as it explicitly avoided helping the poorest of the poor.

Question 19

Septuagint

Answer 19

The septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Initially only the Torah was translated, but later the translation was expanded to include everything. It was translated in Alexandria and and completed around the 3rd century B.C. It was translated to accommodate the spread of Hellenism.

Question 20

Church/Ekklesia

Answer 20

In early Christianity the term ekklesia, or church, referred to an assembly of Christians. Church was often used to identify a local community of Christ-believers. It also could be used to describe the whole movement of those who believed in Jesus. Early on the use of the word church did not indicate one was speaking about an actual structure or building.

Question 21

Rodney Stark

Answer 21

Rodney Stark is the Author of the Rise of Christianity. In his book he argues that mass conversions are not needed to explain Christianity’s rapid growth. He says that regular, exponential growth over three centuries is sufficient to explain this rate of expansion. He utilizes the Social Network Theory which says that people are likely to join a group if they feel stronger ties to group members than to non-group members.

Question 22

Arius

Answer 22

Arius was a theological opponent of Bishop Alexander of Alexandria in the fourth century. He was a Gnostic and taught that Jesus was a creature. He holds that if the Son were eternal, there would be two Gods. He and his followers were excommunicated following the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.

Question 23

Synagogue

Answer 23

Synagogues are Jewish houses of worship. They are places where Jews gather to pray and to read the Torah. Sacrifices cannot be made in them. The structure and art found within synagogues is similar to that of early house churches. This suggests that Christians took stylistic ideas from synagogues and implemented them in the repurposing of houses into early churches.

Question 24

The Book of Revelation

Answer 24

The Book of Revelation is an apocalypse, or a disclosure. It is not the only apocalypse, as there are quite a lot of them. Revelation reveals the bigger picture as to what is going with the persecution that John, the author, and other Christians are facing. It provides these Christians hope that God is in control and that He is allowing all these things to happen as a part of His divine plan.

Question 25

Apocalypse

Answer 25

An apocalypse is a disclosure or unveiling. Apocalypses are typically pseudonymous. Apocalypses reveal the bigger picture about the reality of the universe. It typically involves a divine messenger bringing someone a vision. This vision allows that person to see the workings of God’s hand amidst whatever else is going on in the universe.

Question 26

Acts of the Apostles

Answer 26

The Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of the narrative described in the Gospel of Luke. It consists of two parts, the first focused on Peter and the second on Paul. Acts was written in the 80s A.D. The Acts of the Apostles describes how Christians should interact with both Gentiles and Jews.

Question 27

Constantine

Answer 27

Constantine was one of four Roman Emperors in the divided empire in the early first century. He gains control of the entire empire by 324 A.D. He has a conversion experience where God shows him a sign and he defeats his opponent in battle after witnessing that sign. He becomes a Christian after that and soon discovers the disunity in the Church. He calls the Council of Nicaea in 324 A.D. to settle the issue of the nature of Jesus Christ with relation to the Father.

Question 28

Antony

Answer 28

St. Antony is considered the father of monasticism. He was a monk who lived in the desert and was isolated for many years. He ultimately attained a state of profound holiness after doing battle with demons for a long time. His devotion to the ascetic lifestyle was seen as the ideal way to be a Christian by many.

Question 29

Apatheia

Answer 29

Apatheia is a term coined by Stoics which means passionless. It refers to a state of mind where one balances the passions and the pursuit of truth. Apatheia is the goal of monastic life where one seeks to control the body. Apatheia utilizes discipline to train the body to do battle with demons while pursuing the Truth that is God.