Wk. 2 - 3rd & 4th Centuries Flashcards
Why did the church begin forming standard doctrines?
The heretics began forming their own
What was the goal of Irenaeus?
Refute Heretics and uphold doctrine
What are the Two Hands of God as discussed by Irenaeus?
Word and Holy Spirit - To instruct us
What did Clement of Alexandria want?
To help people go deeper into the faith
How did Clement view Pagan Philosophy
Believed Philosophy supported Christianity
According to Clement, What did God give to the Greeks?
Philosophy, just as God had given the Law to the Jews
What did Clement think of Reason?
Christians should use reason to build upon their faith
What approach did Tertullian take?
A legal approach
Why did Tertullian think scripture rightly belonged to the church?
It was written by the Apostles and had a clear line of possession from them to the current church
What did Tertullian think about Heretics scriptural interpretation
They had no right to interpret scripture because the Church was the rightful owner of scripture
What view of the Trinity did Tertullian reject?
The idea that F, S, HS were three “modes” of God
What is Patripassianism?
Heresy that God the Father suffered the Passion
What is Modalism?
Heresy that F, S, HS were Modes of God
How did Tertullian describe the Trinity?
One substance Three Persons
What was Origen’s goal?
To relate Christianity with Platonism
What did Origen believe must be affirmed
Standard tradition of doctrine
What was the tradition that Origen affirmed
God - One, creator and ruler of all
Jesus - Son of God, Fully Human & Divine
Holy Spirit - No less than father or son
Resurrection of the body
Did Origen engage in speculation
Yes, so long as it did not go against doctrine.
Why did Septimus Severus promote Syncretism?
Reign marked by disruption, wanted religious stability for the empire. Christians pushed back against this.
What did Septimus do as a result of Christian & Jewish resistance to Syncretism
Outlawed conversion
What did Decius believe was the cause of Rome’s troubles?
the abandonment of the old gods
How did Decius view Christians and Jews?
As a threat to the safety of Rome (Incurring the wrath of the gods)
What is a Confessor
A Christian who held firm to their faith through torture and persecution but were not martyred
How did Cyprain, Bishop of Carthage approach the issue of the Lapsed after Decius’ persecution?
Those who never sacrificed but submitted a false certificate were immediately readmitted. Those who sacrificed but repented were allowed readmittance on their deathbed or another opportunity to prove their faith (Martyrdom) Those who sacrificed but never repented were never readmitted
How did early Christians view Communion
Highest act of worship
Why did some Christians gather in Catacombs?
To be closer to those who have died. a Communion of the saints so to speak
What is the Fragmentum
Part of bread that was sent from one church to another church to be included with the church’s communion. To show connectedness among various churches
What were the three levels of leadership in the early church? (2nd-3rd c.)
Bishop, Presbyter, Deacon
How were widows treated in the early church
They were supported and given roles such as teaching catechumens
How did evangilism take place in the early church?
mostly in common daily life by people witnessing to their faith.
Why did the fish become a major symbol?
Biblical stories about fish but also the acronym for the Greek word ICHTHYS (Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior)
Who was emperor in the early 4th century?
Diocletian
Why did Galerius convince Diocletian to expel Christians from the military?
Christians had resistance to serving as soldiers so some fled and others refused to join.
How did Diocletian govern Rome?
Divided into 4 emperors. Two main emperors (Augustus) and two sub emperors (Caesars)
Who was the Caesar to Diocletian?
Galerius
How did Galerius become Augustus
Diocletian became ill and was convinced to Abdicate (the other Augustus was also convinced to abdicate)
Who did the troops back when Augustus Constantius died?
His son, Constantine
What happened 5 days before Galerius died?
He reversed his persecution on the Christians and gave them back their religious freedom
What is the Edict of Milan?
Agreement between Constantine and the Licinus included the end of Christian persecutions
How was Tertullian similar to Irenaeus in his Theology?
Both believed the church could demonstrate a clear and public link to the apostles
Both believed if there had been secret knowledge, the apostles would have passed it to the church
And both believed the heretics missed the underlying structure of scripture
How did Tertullian differ from Irenaeus?
He affirmed that the church “owned” the scriptures and that the heretics trespass when they attempt to use scripture.
What is Monarchianism
Doctrine that emphasized God as one indivisible being.
What are the two forms of Monarchianism?
Dynamic (Adoption) - Christ was a mere human who God’s Spirit descended upon at his baptism
Modalistic - Only one God who reveled Godself in three modes.
What was Cyprian of Carthage primarily concerned with?
Ecclesiology (ie. the church)
How did Cyprian understand the church?
as the Ark of Salvation. Nobody outside the church could be saved
What quote is Cyprian noted for?
You cannot have God for your father if you do not have the church for your mother.”
What did Cyprian believe about bishops?
Bishops hold the universal church together.
What is Clement’s stance on Greek Philosophy
Since truth is one, whatever truths the philosophers spoke of was the same truth given in Jesus Christ.
How did Clement classify Christians?
Simple - with basic knowledge
True Gnostic - Those who searched the faith for deeper knowledge
What was Origen’s view of Scripture?
3-fold
1. Literal/Historical
2. Moral/Tropological
3. Spiritual/Allegorical
What did Origen think we should do when we are confronted with scripture that seem absurd
When a scripture, taken literally would not be believable, we are to approach it from a figurative stance.
What are three components of Origen’s Theology
- God was pure spirit, unknowable, and unified
- We know this Transcendent God through God’s Wisdom/Word/Son
- Creation was a 2 part process. First spiritual, then through the fall, material
How did Origen view the relationship between Father and Son
Viewed Father as God absolutely but Son only derivatively. Therefore the Son is less than the Father.
