SLR: Church History Part 1: Persecution, Heresies, Famous People, and Deterioration of Faith

Background

I have always liked History, perhaps because there is this intricate feeling of reliving the past, the feeling of being a visitor experiencing the very lives of people hundreds of years ago. Talking about church history, it is full of tragedies and victories, all the extremes of human life vividly displayed in a kaleidoscope. This article acts as the summary of few takeaways I got from the recent course: The Church: From Pentecost to the Reformation.

By the way, the concept of history could have at least two meanings. 1st, it could refer to the events that happened in the past; 2nd, it could refer to the study of the past. Being lazy as I am, I usually want to simply enjoy the findings of more diligent historians and just read about the past. However, it is vital also to understand the process of producing these findings and know, that the history we read are mostly assumptions and logical deductions. The course teacher provides a perspective on the study of history: “In determining historical cause, the historian must carefully consider the impact of God’s divine control and human freewill” (Smeeton 2015, 304). In other words, factual events in history might be divine interventions of God, or they might happen due to some extempore burst of human action without any reasonable cause.

Now, let us revisit some historical moments from the past.

Persecution of Early Christians

The history of the Christian church begins after the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. During the Jewish festival of Pentecost, something extraordinary happened. After these events, the Christian community in Jerusalem grew steadily, accompanied by miracles and wonders. However, these were not easy times. Jewish religious leaders felt that their authority and dominance had been challenged, so they arrested Christians and tried to condemn them. The first Christian martyr was Stephen, and there arose “a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem”, which forced Christians to spread widely, taking the Good News about Jesus everywhere they went (Acts 8:1-8).

Again and again there were persecution of early Christians recorded in the book of Acts, as well as in the books of history. Not only Jewish religious folks persecuted Christians, soon also the Roman officials, including the emperor himself, began to persecute Christians. There are few reasons:

• Christians did not worship the emperor --> their loyalty was questioned
• Christians did not commit to Roman ways of expressing loyalty, such as declaring “Caesar is lord”, or offering incense to the emperor.
• Christians did not worship any visible images or artifacts --> they were thought to be atheists, because at the time Roman gods had visible images and statues
• Christians talked about eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus --> they were thought to be cannibals
• Christians spoke of love for their brothers and sisters --> they were thought to practice incest and hold sexual orgies
• Christians threatened the privileges of rich and powerful, because they believed that all men are equal

The persecution meant mostly death: they were arrested and taken to colosseums, or killed on the cross, or burned at the stake etc. Such severe consequences intimidated many, but the courage and commitment shown by Christian martyrs had even stronger influence on more people. Many new converts confessed their faith in Jesus, and Christian church grew rapidly through persecutions. This growth is called by Sell (1998, The Church in Victory) as “one of the marvels of history”. It is well concluded by Schaff (1992, 14), that this growth “furnished striking evidence of its divine origin”, and regarding persecution: “every genuine martyr was a living proof of the truth and holiness of Christian religion”.

Heresies Through the Centuries

In the early days of Christianity, apostles and church leaders faced many questions regarding the exact doctrine of this new religion. In the books of New Testament, Paul of Tarsus provided a comprehensive telling of fundamental Christian doctrines: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23); Jesus sacrificed Himself to pay for the sins of everyone (John 3:16-17, Romans 5:6-9), and everyone can be saved/justified by God through receiving/believing in this gift of Jesus (John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8-9). In addition, New Testament tells about bodily resurrection, return of Jesus, condemnation of sinners and Satan, and eternal glory with God for Christians.

However, there are numerous details regarding Christian life that are not defined: should Christians be living in seclusion or gain wealth in this world? Should church have temporal power (political, social, juridical, etc.)? Should there be only one church organization, or can there be many churches? Etc.
There are also numerous theological details left unstated: what is the nature of Jesus? How can God be one if Jesus is also God? Are the wine and bread really blood and flesh of Jesus? Cannot man live a good life and be fully acceptable to God?

Below is a table presenting the major heresies faced by the early church, and most of them have had continued influence throughout centuries until our days!


The heresies and pagan influences forced early Christian leaders to define orthodoxy doctrines regarding all aspects of life. Through the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit, the church emerged victorious from one heresy after another. However, human impact also accumulated, and the medieval church went far away from the way it was supposed to be.

Famous People

History is full of people we do not know, because most men lived and died without being acknowledged by any historian. This does not give credit to these men and women, because they certainly left their marks in the history! Though no human historian has recorded their lives, the divine Historian certainly has all the things in his famous book (Revelation 20:11-15). In the space below, I present few of the well-recognized historical persons, who had tremendous impact on the life of Christian church.

Polycarp (ca. 70-156) was the church leader in Smyrna (nowadays Izmir, Turkey), who knew apostle John personally. The description of the last words of Polycarp is touching: “The Proconsul continued insisting and saying, “Swear, and I release you; curse Christ.” And Polycarp said, “Eighty-six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong: how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”” (Smeeton 2015, 60). Then he was burned to death.

Tertullian

Tertullian (ca. 160-220), a.k.a. Father of Latin Theology, spoke out against the increasing worldliness in the church, and defended orthodox faith against Gnostics and Docetists. Tertullian provided theological definitions regarding Christ and Trinity, and he eventually joined Montanist movement as a protest against corruption of church.

Already back in the third century, Origen (ca. 185-254) developed the exegetical study of the Bible. Emperor Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which made Christianity a legal religion. The first pope is often held to be Leo I of Rome (440-461), who established papal primacy with the support from emperor.

Benedict of Nursia (ca. 480-547) founded the Monte Cassino monastery in 529, which started the Benedictine Rule, balancing the lives of monks between work, study, worship, and healthy living (Smeeton 2015, 119). Patrick (389-461) evangelized Ireland, which became predominantly Christian at his death. Theodore of Mopsuestia (350-428) introduced the grammatical historical method of interpreting the Bible. Jerome (ca. 345-419) translated the whole Bible from original languages to Latin, which became the official church Bible for the next thousand years!

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) is well known to modern scholars and students of theology: his books Confessions and City of God are classics, and his theology has impacted the church life in many ways. Augustine wrote against the various heresies at his time, and contributed to theological areas such as the doctrine of church, doctrine regarding human sinfulness and salvation, and doctrine regarding the grace of God.

Then few missionaries: the “apostle to the Germans” Boniface (680-754), the “apostle to the North” Ansgar (801-865), and the “apostles of the Slavs” Cyril and Methodius. There were also many reformers, who saw the spiritual decline of the church and wanted to change that trend: William of Occam (ca. 1290-ca. 1349) attacked superstitious aspects of Catholic religious life; Meister Eckhart (ca. 1260-1327) and other Christian mystics sought personal experience with God; Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) emphasized personal devotion and social involvement; John Wycliffe (ca. 1328-1384) translated the Bible into English; John Hus (ca. 1369-1415) highlighted the Bible as the absolute authority.

Medieval Church Map

These and many more testified for the vitality and power of Christian faith in the dark periods of Christian history. Many paid the price with their lives. Was it worth it? These brilliant men and women did not seek worldly glory, but they trusted their Lord to reward them justly, and they shall not be disappointed.

Deterioration of Christian Faith

The Christian faith has deteriorated since its beginning all the way through the 16th century. The church stayed united within the Roman church all the way until year 1054, when the Greek Orthodox church fully separated. From outward aspects, the overall Christian church continued its growth all this time, evangelizing and converting more and more pagans from surrounding areas. But internally, the quality of faith rotted away to give way to wealth and power.

This trend was mainly due to the increasing material wealth and political power yielded by papacy and church, which caused clergy to focus on wealth of this world instead of spiritual things. Despite the negative overall trend of secularization, the severe inquisitions showed that there were always those committed to Christ and wanted reform in the church.

Catholic theology also contributed to the spiritual decline, because it began to emphasize clergy as the necessary middle man between man and God, and it declared that there is no salvation outside of Roman Catholic church. Popes began to issue papal decretals, which were letters with binding authority similar to decrees of emperors. The climax of papal status and at the same time papal erroneous doctrine took place when pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) wrote the Dictatus Papae, which essentially gave papacy the authority and role of God on earth. How lost and blind these “holy men” were!

Selling of Indulgences

Catholic theology also supported the selling of indulgences to allow people to receive forgiveness of sins, and in their greed, the clergy popularized this practice and gained much wealth. The continued misuse of ecclesiastical power and abuse of the trust of people lead to growing discontent. As nation-states began to gain power and Renaissance began to sweep over Europe, the stage was set for the Protestant Reformation. That is the beginning of a new era, which will be discussed separately.

Conclusions

It is obvious that this article only scratches the surface of all the events between 1st and 16th century. Each event, person, and time deserves a longer study of their own. The failures of Christian church include immorality, the sale of grace of God, focusing on wealth and power instead of love and service, cruelty, crusades, and overall hypocrisy. The success of church lies on the God who created it, who calls people to follow Him, and leads the events in history.

My learning from this part of history is that God can use ordinary people in extraordinary ways. Another fact emerges also: the Christian church is founded on Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit actively protects, guides, and helps it to grow. The universal church does not refer to church organization but to the invisible body of truly committed followers of Christ, this should also teach us to not overlook other Christians. Most importantly, would this church history convince you about the faithfulness and goodness of God? It is because of His faithfulness that church has survived until now. History is very helpful in providing perspective, may God help you to see His deeds in the past, and trust in Him with your life for the future.



References:

Eckman, P. James. 2002. Exploring Church History. Wheaton: Crossway.
Schaff, Philip. 1992. History of the Christian Church: Volume II – Ante-Nicene Christianity A.D. 100-325. Grand Rapids: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Schaff, Phillip. 1994. History of the Christian Church: Volume III – The Middle Ages: From Constantine The Great to Gregory The Great A.D. 311-600. Grand Rapids: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Sell, Henry T. 1998. Studies in Early Church History. Willow Grove: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing.

Smeeton, D. Donald. 2015. The Church: From Pentecost to the Reformation, an Independent- Study Textbook, 3rd Edition. Springfield: Global University.

Sproul, R. C. 2005. The Unexpected Jesus: The Truth Behind His Biblical Names. Fearn, UK: Christian Focus Publications.

Sproul, R. C. 2011. What Is the Trinity?. Orlando: Reformation Trust.

SLR: What is Going on in Our World Today?

For a structured reading experience, you can go to here.

Introduction

The acronym “SLR” stands for Service Learning Requirement, which is a part of a course I am taking right now. This article aims to utilize some of the course material and present an evangelistic message to you, my readers. However, this is not meant to become a single-sided sermon on the evil of the world. Instead, I hope to pen down some of the phenomenon during the past years in various parts of the world, and provide some insights for your consideration.

Our World Today

As of September 2016, there has been major terrorism attacks in Europe, which have changed the way people feel about security. The economic down turn in Europe has also been evident for some years, causing increased financial insecurity. Environmental issues have occupied headlines more frequently, little by little erasing the hope for a better future. Technology has brought a lot of new gadgets and entertainment, which are becoming more mundane than ever.

The world is being united: English language removes obstacles in communication; airlines remove obstacles in geography; TV and internet remove obstacles in culture. People are becoming international, or actually more global than ever. What has this development brought to you? Perhaps more job opportunities outside of your native country? Perhaps more travel opportunities to see wonders of the world? Perhaps finding the one you love from other side of the globe? Perhaps all of these, or perhaps none.

What are also real in the world today: wars, famine, abundance, migration, comfort, natural disasters, high tech, tolerance, racism, communalism, individualism, pride, suffering, some love, and a lot of hate. Vengeance. Lies. Soap operas and X-factors, movies, stars, conspiracy theories, self-enlightenment, self-indulgences. Science is not the power driving society anymore; individual aspirations and ideologies have ascended the throne.

There are still some beautiful things in nature, people, life. But these are becoming rare. Or perhaps it is the observant who has learned to neglect better. How is our world today? What do you think?

Why Our World is as It Is Today?

Now, skipping the answer to “how is our world today”, I come to the question: why our world is as it is today? Below are few aspects, and I hope to hear your comments/feedback if any.

• The reasons of the unrest of world: There is no single reason that answers this question. Some say religion is the reason for wars, some say greed is the reason for totalitarianism, some say lack of love is why people hate each other, some say poverty is the reason for unrests. Actually, the condition of our world is nothing new, there has always been wars, murders, uprisings, and violent encounters. The difference is that we are now more aware of these due to advancement in broadcasting and technology. More NEWS has brought more information which has brought sympathy and eventually apathy.
• The reasons for unhappy people in the Western world: The postmodern ideology of the relativity of truth and reality has taken away any firm foundation on which an individual can build his/her life upon. Within the ideology, tradition is a constructed evil meant to control people; society is a necessary evil meant to keep order; and religion is a myth meant to comfort people. What postmodern people do not see is the setting of individual (subjective ideas) to become truth itself, which in turn leads to self-centricity = pride. In this condition, one accepts only values/ideas suitable for oneself, and rejects any “authorities” that do not agree. When one has thus isolated him/herself, one has also isolated oneself from happiness

• The reasons for unhappy people in the Eastern world: The glamorous and enjoyable material abundance occupying Western countries have become the single goal for Eastern countries. Without the Christian worldview, Eastern people tend to give no value to oneself, but rather sees community/family as a priority. Coupled with materialistic outlook developed in recent decades, people in the Easter world compare his/her success to others. They also compare rank, power, beauty, wisdom, wealth, and health, just to name a few. In this endless loop of comparison, people living in Eastern world do not become satisfied, and happiness eludes from them.
• The reasons for unhappy people in poverty: The answer seems obvious: they are poor! But, if we look deeper, it is not poverty itself that takes away happiness. Children are happy if they have family and friends, of course if they get their daily portion of food. If there is no daily portion of food, can the love and care of close people still bring happiness? To certain extend, yes. My view on this topic is, the world is biased in its treatment of people: rich becomes richer, poor becomes poorer. Greed and hording of wealth are fundamental reasons to poverty, and bribery system in most of poor countries only makes it more obvious. People in poverty could be happy if they are cared for, treated as human beings, and given the opportunity to change their lives. Holistic intervention helps.

• What is happiness? Postmodern mind will bring up this question, and it is a fair question to ask. Bible has a saying: “godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” (1 Timothy 6:6-7, ESV). The core here are godliness and contentment. I would agree. Godliness offers a set of values that are defined by God (assuming that the Christian God is real), which transcend time, space, culture, society, and which are claimed to bring happiness to every individual. Contentment is a choice of mind, an attitude of living, which helps people to accept happiness produced by godliness. Contentment doesn’t mean lack of ambition; it rather keeps ambitions honorable and worthy.
  One of the problems in the world today is that people are too busy to think, or too lazy to think deeply. Often we do not want to take the pain of delving deeper into our motives, values, thoughts, or emotions. In the text above, I have listed few observations, and below I will list few conclusions. Would you agree with them?

How Our World Should Be?

• Will our world be able to sustain itself? Recently there are more and more news regarding possibilities to migrate to Mars. Also, famous Stephen Hawking has deemed the earth to be inhabitable in less than 1000 years, likely under 200 years. Though I do not agree with Stephen about the way earth will diminish, I concur that current way humanity operates is not sustainable. Our selfish living and tremendous consumption of resources, in addition to pollutions produced, are toxicating the earth without any hope of recovery. Our so called “advancements in civilization” are only nice looking outward improvements without true internal change. People are as evil as ever, and more technology only offers more power to practice evil deeds.

• What then? The Bible tells us that before long, there will be major catastrophes on earth (Rev. 6:8; 8:7; 9:3-6; 11:6, 13, 19), and at the end God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1). Though the “short-term” outlook of our world is not very bright, biblical faith offers comfort and hope, for “God himself will be with them and be their God”, and “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 21:3-4). What is heaven? The essence of it is to be with the loving and righteous God, in full contentment, happy, and forever thankful for what He has done. There will be no hunger, no thirst, no longlines, no pain, no death, no sorrow; because God himself will rule and care. That is how our world should be.

• You might sigh at my quotations from the Bible, thinking it to be outdated or simply superstitious. Then again, have you really sought to disapprove what Bible says? Have you considered the consequences of God being real, and the Bible being really a revelation from Him? You can check some internet resources for deeper study, e.g. C.S. Lewis Apologetics, or Christian Apologetics Research Ministry. In the meanwhile, let me provide an presentation of Christian message for the world today.

• The Christian message for the world today: The Christian message for you today is actually nothing different from what was proclaimed in the first century AD by the disciples of Jesus Christ: “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:42-43). Another quote: “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39).

• How it works? Let me break it down for you.
  • We people are sinners in the eyes of God: we are not perfect as He is, we are selfish, proud, self-centered. We compare ourselves with others, which produce either pride or jealousy. We lack compassion, empathy, love. We lack the ability to not sin. (see Psalm 53:3, Romans 3:23, James 2:8-11)
  • We are not able to help ourselves: we cannot remit our sins, cannot remove the guilt, cannot redo what has been done, cannot help ourselves. Acknowledging this, we cannot help other people to remit their sins, as we cannot even help ourselves. (see Hebrews 9:22)
  • God has provided a way: Because God loves us and does not want us to suffer the consequences of sin, He chooses to forgive our sins. However, God is also just, so His nature requires a punishment for our sins. Jesus came to solve this problem: He led a perfect life in humility and power, then surrendered Himself to humiliation and torture, to shameful death on the cross. Jesus took the punishment of our sins, and was able to do so because He is the Son of God, and He did not sin. Jesus also rose from the dead, because death had no reason to keep Him. (see John 3:16-17, 1 John 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Luke 23:47; Romans 5:6, Matthew 26:26-28, Colossians 2:13-15, Galatians 1:4, 1 Peter 3:18; Acts 2:24, 2:32, 3:15, 4:33)
  • Do we choose the way God has provided? God has provided the way of redemption for our sins, salvation for our souls, and true peace and happiness in life. The choice is yours, whether to accept His gift, or to ignore it? To accept it, simply calm down and tell Him, tell Him about your weaknesses, imperfections, and that you cannot help yourself. Tell Him that you want to receive His gift for you: salvation, remittance of sins, the new life promised. Then thank Him for this gift. That’s it. (See John 1:12, Romans 10:9-13)
  

  • How to continue? Life continues, usually, also after your decision to accept salvation by Jesus. What I can recommend is that you would contact someone who is a Jesus -follower, and share with him/her what you have just done. It would also be good to get a Bible and starting to read, e.g. starting with Gospel of Mark, then the letter to Galatians, letter to Colossians, etc. You can also pray to God in the name of Jesus, whenever and wherever you are, regarding whatever issues, aloud or in your mind. Finally, it is important to find a healthy church where you can ask questions, experience love of the Christian family, and find your spot. Do not just keep this to yourself, our world needs more people like you. (see Matthew 5:13-16, Romans 8:14-16, Romans 8:26, Luke 11:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, Hebrews 10:24-25)

Final Remarks

The “How it Works” -section above might be lengthy, but I pray it is right for you, who are looking for answers and seeking for help. Your life does matter, and you have unique value in the eyes of God. He loves you!

I am open to hear from you and learn your story. I might also be able to answer some of your questions, if any. The goal of believing in Jesus and living as a Christian is not simply to receive salvation, or become a better person, or get ideas how to make this world a better place. The goal of believing in Jesus is simply that it is the best thing that can happen to us, and through us, it is the best thing that can happen to people around us and for this world. Believe in Him, follow His guidance in your life, build up a relationship with Him, and you will not be bored.

If you are already a Christian and have been following Jesus in your life, great! I want to bless you and pray that you continue to receive gifts from God, with which you can serve the people around you and build up your church. The gifts from God might be health, or an ability to care for people, or a skill to do something, or finances, or a power to pray, or humility. Do not despise what He gives to you, but use it to your full potential. I am sure you will find Him smiling at you when you do.

Have faith, have hope, enjoy Love, be blessed!

Revitalizing The Blog

It seems that this blog has been sleeping for some time, so now is a good time to ring the wake up call. What has happened during the past two years or so?

The monkey king in the picture is not the answer to the rhetoric question above. Two years has included a lot of things, especially in the mind-buzzing high-speed ever-changing environment of China. Maybe it's good to simply summarize, maybe just a few highlights or learnings, if it can rightfully act as an extended memory picture.

1. The biggest thing in the past two years: a transformation of mind. Towards the end of our stay, I felt that I have become a local person. I followed the local news, knew the tricks in dealing with various issues, checked traffic condition from the map before going out, checked regularly air pollution forecasts and planned our life accordingly. Everything was normal, part of life. It felt good to belong, but it also became exhausting. Life in a big city is not easy nor relaxing.

2. The Funniest thing in the past two years: there were so many, perhaps mostly related to our kids. But for me personally, some great colleagues at work have brought a lot of fun into everyday life. The jokes, the discussions, the attitude with which we handled our dwindling job. Very professional, mostly, and definitely unique in many ways. And I find it funny.

3. The happiest moment: This is a tough one, because I tend to find happiness often and in everyday lives. I am often thankful to God for minor details, and satisfaction brings a lot of happiness. Perhaps the major happy moments relate to the assorted meals I managed to enjoy all over the places, heh. Then again, the single most happiest moments relate to seeing and knowing that the lives of some of our dear friends have experienced God and changed. Simple as that.

4. The saddest moment: The saddest moment was, when the husband of my aunt was diagnosed with lung cancer at late stage, but he was kept unaware of the seriousness of it. I went to see him, but could not tell it to him, and could not openly discuss death with him. A couple of weeks later he died, only one day after finding out about the cancer. I think I should have boldly talked to him about things, now it's too late. The saddest moment is the wrong decision / lost opportunity, which can only be regretted. And to learn from.

5. The most touching experience: This also relates to sickness and death. A close family friend was diagnosed with pancreas cancer, went through couple of successful surgeries, but suddenly the cancer spread wider and he died after few months of hospitalization. He was a successful man in his career, artistic, sensible, and has a wife and daughter. He was sporty and tall, and owned a healthy frame. But towards the end, he was stripped one layer at a time, one title at a time, one thing a time, until he was weak, thin, hopeless. His wife stayed by his side until the end, but inside his thoughts, he had to surrender everything that used to be dear to him. I had couple of occasions to visit him, talk with him, pray for him, and tell him about salvation in Jesus Christ. He was willing to receive Jesus into his heart. Was it a desperate grasp of anything that could save him? I don't know. God knows. When I gave him a hug before leaving, he pulled me to himself and gave me a long hug, with tears. I am thankful I could be there for him.

6. The most beautiful thing: The smiles of people, the beautiful creation of God, the growing children, the tears of repentance and salvation. For me, the most beautiful things were minor details I observed through the mundane daily routine. And there were many!


An old man playing guitar and singing old tunes.



A train station right before heavy rain fall



Childhood delicacies: buns with chili, and Tofu with chili sauce



Sea side