Sacramental Life of the Church

Question 1

What are the two ways?

Answer 1

One of Life
One of Death

Question 2

What four professions are prohibited for Christians in Chapter 3?

Answer 2

Augur
Enchanter
Astrologer
Magician

Question 3

According to the author, are Christians allowed to eat meat sacrificed to idols?

Answer 3

No, it is involved in the worship of dead gods

Question 4

According to the author what are the three steps that should be taken when baptizing someone?

Answer 4

1-Review all these things
2-Fast beforehand
3-Baptize in running water
If not running other water
If not enough water pour over the head 3 times

Question 5

When should Christians fast? Why?

Answer 5

Wednesday and Friday | Those who fast on Monday and Thursday are hypocrites

Question 6

What is unique about the Lord’s Prayer as listed in the Didache?

Question 7

Who can partake of the Eucharist?

Answer 7

Only those baptized in the name of the Lord

Question 8

What does the Didache say about what to do on the “Lord’s own day.” What three things take place on that day? What should a Christian that has a quarrel with another do? What phrase does the author use to refer to the Eucharist?

Answer 8

3 things take place | Gather together, break bread, give thanks ​
Quarreling | reconcile before joining together so that the sacrifice is not defiled
Eucharist | Pure Sacrifice

Question 9

What four positions of ministry are mentioned in the Didache?

Answer 9

Bishop, Deacons, prophets, teachers

Question 10

According to Ferguson, what three groups of people were not even considered for membership in the Church during this period? Which groups were required to quit their jobs before they could be baptized?

Answer 10

• Prostitutes, sodomites, and magicians were not considered
• Brothel keepers, actors in the pagan theatre, charioteers, gladiators, officials who put on the public games, pagan priests, military officers, and magistrates had to quit their jobs first
• Sculptors and painters must not make idols or they were rejected
• Pagan educators who had no other job could continue to teach paganism
• Soldiers should not kill or say a military oath
• Men with concubines must legally marry; the concubines must stay faithful

Question 11

What was the preffered day for baptism and what did catechumens do to prepare?

Answer 11

Easter Sunday

Catechumens spent the days before participating in fasting, prayer, confession of sin, attendance at scripture reading and instruction, and receiving exorcism of demons.

Question 12

Who is the first author to mention a “triple immersion” during baptism?

Answer 12

Tertuillian, but appears also to be the general custom and remains the practice in the Eastern Orthodox churches

Question 13

What verse was central to the common belief in the early Church that baptism was required in order to enter heaven?

Answer 13

• John 3:5 - • Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”

Question 14

In the early 2nd c., where did Christians meet for worship? On what day and at what time of day?

Answer 14

Sunday before sunrise, and again in the evening for a meal
Took place in the homes of more well-to-do members

Question 15

Justin Martyr gives us our “earliest explicit account of activities in the Sunday assembly.” What does he say took place when Christians assembled?

Answer 15

​Readings from the memoirs of apostles or writings of the prophets, a sermon based on the readings, prayer, the eucharist, and a voluntary contribution for those in need

Question 16

According to Apostolic Tradition 17, how long should a catechumen receive
teaching before he/she is brought into church membership?

Answer 16

3 years

Question 17

According to Apostolic Tradition 21, when were the two times that a baptizee was anointed with oil (and what were the called)?

Answer 17

Before baptism – oil of excorcism
After baptism – oil of thanksgiving

Question 18

In Apostolic Tradition 21, when were catechumens taught about the meaning of the bread and the cup of communion?

Answer 18

After baptism

Question 19

What part of the service were catechumens allowed to attend? What part were they not allowed to attend?

Answer 19

Allowed to remain for Scripture readings and sermon
Dismissed before the eucharist

Question 20

What does the term sacrament derive from? What does it mean? What was the word that the Greek speaking church used?

Answer 20

Latin - Sacramentum – an oath
Greek – musterion - mystery

Question 21

By the fourth century, how many acts had sacramental significance? What were they?

Answer 21

Three acts
Baptism
Eucharist
Chrism

Question 22

According to Ferguson, the idea of “penitence” as a church discipline was well developed by the end of the 2nd c. What were the five classes of Penitents that Gregory Thamaturgus described in his Canonical Epistle? (In EAST)

Answer 22

Mourners – stayed outside and asked the faithful to pray for them
Hearers of the word – could hear Scriptures and preaching from door
Kneelers – within assembly room, but dismissed
Bystanders – associated with faithful but did not commune
Restored – shared in communion

Question 23

According to Ferguson, after baptism, how many times were Christians in the early Church allowed to go through the process of penance in order to be restored to the Church community?

Answer 23

One time

Question 24

What are two fourth century documents that describe baptismal practice? Identify which one was written by an author with orthodox sympathies, and which one seems to have more Arian sympathies.

Answer 24

​The Catechetical Lectures – “orthodox” 348 CE by Cyril
​The Apostolic Constitutions – “Arian” late 4th century in Syria or Asia Minor

Question 25

According to Apostolic Tradition 21, when were the two times that a baptizee was anointed with oil (and what were the called)?

Answer 25

1 - if he declares the saying (I renounce you Satan..)before he enters the baptismal pool (oil of exorcism)
2 - When he comes out of the water of baptism (oil of thanks giving this time)
After their “second Birth” the bishop pours oil of thanksgiving on his hands and anoints them with the holy oil of god the almighty

Question 26

According to Ferguson, what are three aspects of Christian practice that derived from Old Testament concepts?

Answer 26

A priestly understanding of ministry
a sacrificial understanding of worship
the view of the church building as a holy temple

Question 27

What were the Greek and Latin terms used for catechumens who were in immediate preparation for baptism?

Answer 27

Greek: “photizomenoi” meaning “those being enlightened”
Latin: “competentes” meaning “candidates”

Question 28

Concerning the anointing of oil either before or after baptism, what was the difference between what Cyril’s church in Jerusalem and the Syrian church in Antioch thought that it represented? Because of their differing understandings, which church gave the anointing of oil before baptism, and which one gave it afterward?

Answer 28

Cyril: anointed after baptism to represent anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit at his baptism
Syrian: anointed before as a symbol of reception of the Holy Spirit

Question 29

According to Ferguson, what are the 13 parts of the liturgy that Cyril describes in his Catechetical Lecture 23 and Mystagogical Catecheses?

Answer 29

1. Washing of presbyters hands (Lavabo)
2. Kiss of Peace at invitation of Deacon
3. Sursum Corda “Lift up your hearts”
4. Prayer of Thanksgiving
5. Singing of Sanctus “Holy, Holy, Holy…”
6. Epiclesis call on God to send HS on bread and wine
7. Great Intercession
8. Lord’s Prayer
9. Invitation to Communion
10. Psalm 34 v. 8 and 11
11. Bread and Cup received
12. Thanksgiving
13. Benediction

Question 30

When did a systematic theology of penance develop into a sacrament?

Answer 30

​12th Century

Question 31

In what ways did the Medieval idea of penance differ from its Patristic predecessor?

Answer 31

Changed from being public and non-repeatable to becoming private and repeatable, and from being a punishment to becoming a positive part of the religious life

Question 32

Explain the term “catechumen”

Answer 32

Means “time of being instructed” and was a time for moral training in which leaders of the church would determine if you had the morality necessary to become part of the church, originally this time period was three years (before the rush on Christianity)