From the very start of Christianity, with the life of Christ and his Apostles, the Christian church lived as a tight-knit community, a religious minority surrounded by a society which, to a greater or lesser degree, was hostile towards it. Within Judaism, the Christian church began life as "the sect of the Nazarenes", while in the eyes of the Roman Empire it was considered an illicit religion (non-approved religion).
It is customary to categorise the persecution of the church up to 311 into ten periods. Back in the times of the New Testament, in particular Emperors such as Nero and Domitian persecuted Christians. Later, even those considered "enlightened Emperors" (such Trajan, Mark Aurelius and Septimius Severus) had a dislike for the Christian church and persecuted it. Under these Emperors, there were many who suffered for their faith or were martyred, such as Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Blandina the frail Christian slave-girl at Lyon (who throughout her trial and torture repeated the words, "I am a Christian, and we commit no wrongdoing."), Leonidas father of Origen at Alexandria, and noblewoman Perpetua along with her servant girl Felicity martyred together at Carthage.
One of the most intense persecutions of the church was under the Emperor Decius (249-251). The reason for this persecution was a desire to consolidate the unity of the Empire around the person of the Emperor, to whom incense was to be offered as an act of worship. The aim was not to kill Christians, but to force them to comply. One of the victims who died as a result of this persecution was the church father, Origen.
After the persecution under Decius, between about 260 and 303 there was a period of peace (the "Little Peace of the Church") during which time churches were not persecuted, but rather grew and erected purpose-built meeting halls (aulae ecclesiae).
The most intense period of persecution came at the start of the 300s, from 303 to 311, under the Emperors Diocletian and Galerius - this was known as the "Great Tribulation". At this time, Christians may have represented as many as 10% of the general population. Maybe those who persecuted the church thought it might be the last chance to suppress Christianity before it "took over". Four edicts were issued against Christians. Firstly, all buildings and copies of the Scriptures were to be destroyed. Secondly, all Christian pastors were to be arrested and imprisoned. Thirdly, all Christian pastors were to worship the emperor under the threat of torture. Fourthly, in 304, these same demands were extended to all Christians, under pain of death. A huge number of believers perished in this persecution, including a military commander called Sebastian, Pamphilus of Caesarea, and, in Britain, Alban the Martyr. The persecution came to an end in 311.
Membership of the Christian church was, of course, voluntary. In order to became church members, people underwent intensive learning and preparation called "catechising". This involved teaching, prayers, fasting, casting out demons, and "scrutiny". "Scrutiny" involved the person wishing to get baptised being asked various questions by the bishop, often supported by a "sponsor" or "god-parent", i.e. the Christian accompanying them on their faith journey and vouching for the new convert. The whole process of catechising could take as long as three years.
It is customary to categorise the persecution of the church up to 311 into ten periods. Back in the times of the New Testament, in particular Emperors such as Nero and Domitian persecuted Christians. Later, even those considered "enlightened Emperors" (such Trajan, Mark Aurelius and Septimius Severus) had a dislike for the Christian church and persecuted it. Under these Emperors, there were many who suffered for their faith or were martyred, such as Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Blandina the frail Christian slave-girl at Lyon (who throughout her trial and torture repeated the words, "I am a Christian, and we commit no wrongdoing."), Leonidas father of Origen at Alexandria, and noblewoman Perpetua along with her servant girl Felicity martyred together at Carthage.
One of the most intense persecutions of the church was under the Emperor Decius (249-251). The reason for this persecution was a desire to consolidate the unity of the Empire around the person of the Emperor, to whom incense was to be offered as an act of worship. The aim was not to kill Christians, but to force them to comply. One of the victims who died as a result of this persecution was the church father, Origen.
After the persecution under Decius, between about 260 and 303 there was a period of peace (the "Little Peace of the Church") during which time churches were not persecuted, but rather grew and erected purpose-built meeting halls (aulae ecclesiae).
The most intense period of persecution came at the start of the 300s, from 303 to 311, under the Emperors Diocletian and Galerius - this was known as the "Great Tribulation". At this time, Christians may have represented as many as 10% of the general population. Maybe those who persecuted the church thought it might be the last chance to suppress Christianity before it "took over". Four edicts were issued against Christians. Firstly, all buildings and copies of the Scriptures were to be destroyed. Secondly, all Christian pastors were to be arrested and imprisoned. Thirdly, all Christian pastors were to worship the emperor under the threat of torture. Fourthly, in 304, these same demands were extended to all Christians, under pain of death. A huge number of believers perished in this persecution, including a military commander called Sebastian, Pamphilus of Caesarea, and, in Britain, Alban the Martyr. The persecution came to an end in 311.
Membership of the Christian church was, of course, voluntary. In order to became church members, people underwent intensive learning and preparation called "catechising". This involved teaching, prayers, fasting, casting out demons, and "scrutiny". "Scrutiny" involved the person wishing to get baptised being asked various questions by the bishop, often supported by a "sponsor" or "god-parent", i.e. the Christian accompanying them on their faith journey and vouching for the new convert. The whole process of catechising could take as long as three years.
For those who were admitted to baptism, it was a major occasion. Baptisms were performed on the eve of Easter Sunday or on the Day of Pentecost. Those getting baptised formally forsook the Evil One, and declared their faith in Christ. They were then baptised in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, becoming "neophytes". They were now able to attend the second half of the Christian service, where they could join in praying the "Our Father" and share in Communion for the first time.
Those baptised came under the discipline of the church, and were expected to "live lives worthy of the gospel". Those who fell into sin were disciplined, and could be excluded from Communion. In the case of grave sins, such as marital infidelity or recanting the faith, there was a long procedure of restoration. Restoration began with confession of the sin to the bishop or before the church, after which there was a period of repentance during which time the person would be subject to restrictions and other requirements (penance). At the end of the period of restoration, the bishop would lay hands on the penitent, restoring them to full fellowship and communion. In some cases, it was held that this process of restoration could only be undergone once in a lifetime.
A major church leader in the 200s was Cyprian of Carthage (North Africa). Cyprian read the writings of the earlier Tertullian, and was wont to ask, "Give me the teacher." The focus of Cyprian's thought and writings was the church and its order. Cyprian lived at a time of severe persecution and also of various schisms. He insisted that there is only one holy catholic church, outside of which there is no salvation. Cyprian considered the bishop to be the rallying point of the church, and it is the bishop who holds the "keys" of baptism, Communion and admitting schismatics and lapsed Christians back into the fellowship of the church. Lapsed Christians can be readmitted to fellowship, but this would involve stringent church penance and, in some cases, up to the day they die. Cyprian held that the baptism of schismatics is valid, but only became effective when they return to the fellowship of the mainstream church. Cyprian held what we might consider to be Roman Catholic understandings of baptism as regeneration, of Communion as a "bloodless sacrifice". By this time, infant baptism was widespread and Cyprian supported the practice: "we all rather judge that the mercy and grace of God is not to be refused to any one born of man."
For the most part, the church in the early centuries was one and united, however from time to time local schisms occurred. A schism involved a group breaking away from the mainstream church. By contrast, heresy involved a serious distortion of Christian teaching. Often, schisms were the results of differences over issues of church discipline for example in connection with persecution of the church.
Examples of schismatic groups at this time and later would be Hippolytus of Rome who broke fellowship over the issue of adulterers being reconciled to the church. Also at Rome, Novatian opposed the reconciliation of those who had recanted. In the case of the Donatists of North Africa, the point of controversy was a bishop who had previously handed over the Scriptures to be burnt (this was called being a "traditor"), later taking part in an ordination (bishops were consecrated by the laying on of hands by three existing bishops). For the Donatists, holy actions such as ordinations depended on the holiness of the one administering. By contrast, Augustine taught that it is Christ who performs baptism or another holy action by the hands of the human celebrant; in this view, the sacramental action has force simply by being performed (ex opere operato) independent of the spiritual state of the one administering it.
By 311, the Christian church had spread to places such as Armenia (where it became the state religion around 301), and also Britain.
Those baptised came under the discipline of the church, and were expected to "live lives worthy of the gospel". Those who fell into sin were disciplined, and could be excluded from Communion. In the case of grave sins, such as marital infidelity or recanting the faith, there was a long procedure of restoration. Restoration began with confession of the sin to the bishop or before the church, after which there was a period of repentance during which time the person would be subject to restrictions and other requirements (penance). At the end of the period of restoration, the bishop would lay hands on the penitent, restoring them to full fellowship and communion. In some cases, it was held that this process of restoration could only be undergone once in a lifetime.
A major church leader in the 200s was Cyprian of Carthage (North Africa). Cyprian read the writings of the earlier Tertullian, and was wont to ask, "Give me the teacher." The focus of Cyprian's thought and writings was the church and its order. Cyprian lived at a time of severe persecution and also of various schisms. He insisted that there is only one holy catholic church, outside of which there is no salvation. Cyprian considered the bishop to be the rallying point of the church, and it is the bishop who holds the "keys" of baptism, Communion and admitting schismatics and lapsed Christians back into the fellowship of the church. Lapsed Christians can be readmitted to fellowship, but this would involve stringent church penance and, in some cases, up to the day they die. Cyprian held that the baptism of schismatics is valid, but only became effective when they return to the fellowship of the mainstream church. Cyprian held what we might consider to be Roman Catholic understandings of baptism as regeneration, of Communion as a "bloodless sacrifice". By this time, infant baptism was widespread and Cyprian supported the practice: "we all rather judge that the mercy and grace of God is not to be refused to any one born of man."
For the most part, the church in the early centuries was one and united, however from time to time local schisms occurred. A schism involved a group breaking away from the mainstream church. By contrast, heresy involved a serious distortion of Christian teaching. Often, schisms were the results of differences over issues of church discipline for example in connection with persecution of the church.
Examples of schismatic groups at this time and later would be Hippolytus of Rome who broke fellowship over the issue of adulterers being reconciled to the church. Also at Rome, Novatian opposed the reconciliation of those who had recanted. In the case of the Donatists of North Africa, the point of controversy was a bishop who had previously handed over the Scriptures to be burnt (this was called being a "traditor"), later taking part in an ordination (bishops were consecrated by the laying on of hands by three existing bishops). For the Donatists, holy actions such as ordinations depended on the holiness of the one administering. By contrast, Augustine taught that it is Christ who performs baptism or another holy action by the hands of the human celebrant; in this view, the sacramental action has force simply by being performed (ex opere operato) independent of the spiritual state of the one administering it.
By 311, the Christian church had spread to places such as Armenia (where it became the state religion around 301), and also Britain.
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