I. Ephesus (late 1st century, early 100s)

The Apostles whom Jesus chose fulfilled a central role as unique witnesses to the world of his resurrection from the dead. The first Apostle to die was James the brother of John in the year 44; the last to die was John around the year 100. During this time, the "baton" was passed from the Apostles, like Peter, John and Paul, to the next generation of Christian leaders. Ephesus was the place that Paul had "handed over" leadership of the church, and also the place where John was the last Apostle to die, and thus represents the first stage in post-Apostolic church history. 

The first generation of post-Apostolic writers were called the Apostolic Men or Apostolic Fathers. They included Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna (see below) and Papias of Hierapolis. Many of these were men who had been discipled by the Apostles. In Polycarp’s case, he had been discipled by John the Apostle at Ephesus. Besides these individuals, there are also a number of texts which date from the same period: the Didache, the Letter of Diognetus, Shepherd of Hermas and the Epistle of Barnabas.

The Apostolic Fathers were leaders of churches at the end of the first century and the start of the second. By this time, there was a diaspora of Christian communities around the eastern end of the Mediterranean and stretching as far west as Rome and maybe Spain. In many ways, their form of service and organisation was similar to that of the Jewish synagogues. Both the Christian churches and Jewish synagogues were part of a larger category of "societies" (societas), i.e. associations which brought together people with shared interests ranging from religious faith to grass-roots firefighters. With the exception of the Aramaic-speaking Jewish churches, the language of the services until the 300s was Greek, even at Rome. A key text dating back to this time and hailing from Syria is the Didache, which is basically a manual on Christian living and church life. Besides describing the "two ways" (exhortation to Christian living), arrangements for Christian baptism, and an early set prayers for Communion, the Didache describes the church being governed by "bishops and deacons” who were elected by rank-and-file church members.   

The Apostolic Fathers wrote letters to some of the churches - not dissimilar to the ones written by Paul and other Apostles. For example, Ignatius of Antioch, on his way to Rome, where he was eventually martyred in the Coliseum in 107, wrote letters to seven churches in cities he would travel through, such as Ephesus. These, and other writings by the Apostolic Fathers, touch on theological issues, for example, the incarnation or the Trinity, but they are mainly concerned with moral instruction and unity in the church. For example, they deal with divisions in churches, and appeal for unity. What is it that unites a local church? The answer the Apostolic Fathers gave was, the Lord’s Supper at which the leading elder of each city church presided. This role of the presiding elder came to be known as bishop, moving away on the terminology of Clement of Rome and the Didache, see above. A local church was one that shares communion together at the Lord’s supper. The Apostolic Fathers had a high view of communion, emphasising that we feed on the true body and blood of Christ. Ignatius referred to communion as the "medicine of immortality". 

The Apostolic Fathers' understanding of communion may reflect a deeper concern to uphold the reality of the incarnation ("the Word became flesh"), which was denied by Docetism, the teaching that Jesus only "appeared" to be human ("Docetism"). Here is what Ignatius had to say on this subject, "There is only one Physician, both carnal and spiritual, born and unborn, God become man, true life in death; sprung both from Mary and from God, first subject to suffering and then incapable of it--Jesus Christ Our Lord." 

This early generation of Christians also considered martyrdom the most noble way for a Christian to die. Ignatius of Antioch, martyred at the Roman Colosseum, anticipated the moment of his martyrdom: “I am God's wheat, and I am being ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, so that I may prove to be pure bread.” An even more famous martyrdom of this period was that of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, and disciple of the Apostle John. At the age of 86, Polycarp was required to offer worship to Caesar. His refusal led to him being taken to the local amphitheatre and eventually executed (this was approximately the year 156). Famously, in the midst of these events, Polycarp, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ, asked, "Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I now blaspheme my king, who saved me?" This would place Polycarp's birth or conversion at around the year 70. 

The New Testament describes churches being formed at Jerusalem and surrounding areas (including Samaria), then at Antioch, later in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), and then what is now Greece, and at the imperial capital at Rome. Paul refers to gospel work in Illyricum (northern Balkans), and to plans to preach in Spain. Besides the cities and places mentioned in the New Testament, at this time and later, the church also spread east, into Mesopotamia (Edessa, Arbela, Nisibis) and Parthia/Persia, south, into Egypt (Alexandria) and Libya (Cyrene), and west, into North Africa (Carthage). Increasingly, the Jewish contingent in the Christian church dwindled, for example after the events of 70 and 135 CE, which led to Jerusalem, renamed Aelia Capitolana, becoming a Gentile-only city. From 135, the bishops at Jerusalem were all Gentiles. A Jewish Christian community survived, relocating to places such as Pella (other side of the Jordan). Justin Martyr (100s) and Jerome (300s) refer, albeit not very sympathetically, to Jewish Christians who continue to keep the law. Within the Jewish Christian community, there appears to have been a distinction between the orthodox Nazarenes and the heterodox Ebionites, the latter having an inadequate view of Christ.   

While, in some respects, the understanding and practice of these first churches might feel distant from our own time, a brief quote from the Letter to Diognetus (approx. 130 or later) demonstrates the faith in the gospel we share with our brothers and sisters from the past, 

"In whom was it possible for us, the lawless and ungodly, to be justified, except in the Son of God alone? O the sweet exchange, O the incomprehensible work of God, O the unexpected blessings, that the sinfulness of many should be hidden in one righteous person, while the righteousness of one should justify many sinners!"