Unit 1 - Early Church History

Question 1

What is Superstitio?

Answer 1

The practices and beliefs of foreigners

Question 2

What is Utilitas?

Answer 2

Usefulness, for the good of society (the commonwealth or “Res Publica”)

Question 3

What is Piety?

Answer 3

A religious attitude; loyalty and obedience to the customs of Rome, and reverence / respect for the Gods

Question 4

What is the difference between a martyr and a confessor?

Answer 4

A martyr is a witness, died for Christ, and a confessor went to trial for belief in Christ, but did not die

Question 5

What is in the Biblical Canon?

Answer 5

i. Core Stories - main message of God as saviour
1) Exodus
2) Birth, life death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus
ii. Expanded Narrative - give context and reinforce core stories
1) Most of the Torah (Genesis to Joshua)
2) The Gospels
iii. Derivative Narrative - the history of the people
1) Life, faith, and actions of believers (Judges to Nehemiah, Judith, Tobit, Maccabees)
2) Actions of the Apostles (Acts of the Apostles)
iv. Organizational Literature - define leadership, deal with internal issues, etc.
1) Parts of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
2) I, II Timothy, Titus
v. Theological Literature - People living out the core faith events
1) Deuteronomy
2) Romans
vi. Instructional Literature - advancing the claims of faith, core story has power, authority, and relevance
1) Prophets (Isaiah-Malachi), wisdom books (Job-Ecclesiastes), Psalms, visionary materials (David)
2) Most of the Epistles, Revelation

Question 6

What is the Diatessaron?

Answer 6

The gospel combining all four gospeld made by TATIAN

Question 7

What is Logos?

Answer 7

logic (i.e. The Word Incarnate, Jesus is God with quotes from Old Testament)

Question 8

What are the three kinds of love in Greek?

Answer 8

• Plilia - brotherly love
  
  • Eros - erotic love
  • Agape - unconditional love

Question 9

What is usury?

Answer 9

Charging interest for loans, and the like

Question 10

What are the Gnostic faiths defined as? Are they esoteric or exoteric?

Answer 10

“knowledge”, often feared or suppressed

They are Esoteric (with secret knowledge, limited number have access to truth)

Question 11

What did Peter do?

Answer 11

○ Denied Christ at his trial
○ Was also called Cephas
○ Was crucified upside down

Question 12

What did John emphasize?

Answer 12

The eyewitness aspect

Question 13

What books did Luke write?

Answer 13

The Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostes

Question 14

What was significant about Thomas?

Answer 14

He had to be convinced that Christ had risen (touch the nail prints)

Question 15

Who was James?

Answer 15

Brother of Jesus

Question 16

Who was Ananias?

Answer 16

A high priest, had James stoned to death

Question 17

What sort of protest were martyrs modeled after?

Answer 17

Peaceful - such as with Eleazar the Scribe, a steadfast Jew

Question 18

What did Saul do?

Answer 18

Persecuted Christians, had a dramatic conversion experience, spread Christianity

Question 19

Who was Stephen?

Answer 19

The first martyr

Question 20

What did Marcion want?

Answer 20

No Jewish scriptures, and only Luke and Paul in the Canon

Question 21

What did Eusebius of Caesarea do?

Answer 21

Made a list of acknowledged, disputed, and rejected books, what the Bible was based on

Question 22

What did Iraneus of Lyon do?

Answer 22

Further developed the canon from Eusebius’ list

Question 23

What did Tatian of Syria make?

Answer 23

The Diatessaron

Question 24

What did Martin Luther do?

Answer 24

Reformed church (1517), translated Bible into Vernacular

Question 25

What was William Tyndale known as?

Answer 25

“Father of the English Bible”

Question 26

When was much of the old Testament written and why?

Answer 26

During / after the Babylonian Exile, so that the stories of the Oral Tradition were not lost

Question 27

Who are the two people disputed as the first church leader after Jesus’ death?

Answer 27

Peter and James

Question 28

What happens in Acts of the Apostles (5 major stories)?

Answer 28

○ Pentecost (given tongues)
○ Communal living
○ Stephen becomes a martyr
○ Saul’s conversion (Road to Damascus) begins preaching to Jews and Gentiles - 1st missionary
○ 49 AD - 1st great Church council - decide on Kosher laws and circumcision for new converts, allows Gentiles to convert directly (Main reason for split between Judaism and Christianity)

Question 29

What are the three main arguments in “Who Would Die For A Lie?”

Answer 29

i) they spoke as eyewitnesses
ii) the apostles had to be convinced
iii) the apostles became bold with their belief

Question 30

Why were the Christians seen as a threat to the Roman Empire?

Answer 30

They did not follow the Roman Gods, which was seen as harming society

Question 31

What are the core stories?

Answer 31

i. Core Stories - main message of God as saviour
1) Exodus
2) Birth, life death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus

Question 32

What is the expanded narrative?

Answer 32

ii. Expanded Narrative - give context and reinforce core stories
1) Most of the Torah (Genesis to Joshua)
2) The Gospels

Question 33

What is the derivative narrative?

Answer 33

iii. Derivative Narrative - the history of the people
1) Life, faith, and actions of believers (Judges to Nehemiah, Judith, Tobit, Maccabees)
2) Actions of the Apostles (Acts of the Apostles)

Question 34

What is the organizational literature?

Answer 34

iv. Organizational Literature - define leadership, deal with internal issues, etc.
1) Parts of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
2) I, II Timothy, Titus

Question 35

What is the theological literature?

Answer 35

v. Theological Literature - People living out the core faith events
1) Deuteronomy
2) Romans

Question 36

What is the instructional literature?

Answer 36

vi. Instructional Literature - advancing the claims of faith, core story has power, authority, and relevance
1) Prophets (Isaiah-Malachi), wisdom books (Job-Ecclesiastes), Psalms, visionary materials (David)
2) Most of the Epistles, Revelation