From the very start of Christianity, with the life of Christ and his Apostles, the Christian church lived as a tight-knit community representing a religious minority in 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" (Trajan, Adrian, Mark Aurelius, Septimius Severus and Maximinus of Thrace) 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 Polycarp of Smyrna or Blandina the slavegirl from Lyon, or Perpetua and her servant girl Felicity 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. The aim was not to kill Christians, but to force them to recant. One of the victims of this persecution was the church father, Origen.
After the persecution under Decius, between 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 built places of worship.
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 clerics were to be arrested and imprisoned. Thirdly, all pastors were to worship the emperor under the threat of torture. Fourthly, in 304, these 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 a church member, people underwent intensive preparation called "catechising". This involved teaching, prayers, fasting, exorcism, 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. This whole process could take as long as three years.
For those who were admitted to baptism, it was a major event. Baptisms were performed on the eve of Easter Sunday or on the Day of Pentecost. Those getting baptised formally forsook Satan 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 obligated to keep its requirements. Church members were expected to "live lives worthy of the gospel". Those who fell into sin were disciplined, and could be excluded from 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.
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 often in connection with persecution of the church.
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" (Trajan, Adrian, Mark Aurelius, Septimius Severus and Maximinus of Thrace) 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 Polycarp of Smyrna or Blandina the slavegirl from Lyon, or Perpetua and her servant girl Felicity 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. The aim was not to kill Christians, but to force them to recant. One of the victims of this persecution was the church father, Origen.
After the persecution under Decius, between 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 built places of worship.
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 clerics were to be arrested and imprisoned. Thirdly, all pastors were to worship the emperor under the threat of torture. Fourthly, in 304, these 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 a church member, people underwent intensive preparation called "catechising". This involved teaching, prayers, fasting, exorcism, 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. This whole process could take as long as three years.
For those who were admitted to baptism, it was a major event. Baptisms were performed on the eve of Easter Sunday or on the Day of Pentecost. Those getting baptised formally forsook Satan 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 obligated to keep its requirements. Church members were expected to "live lives worthy of the gospel". Those who fell into sin were disciplined, and could be excluded from 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.
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 often 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, but it is the sacramental action has force by being performed (ex opere operato) independent of the spiritual state of the one administering it.
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. Cyprian held what we would consider to be a Roman Catholic understanding of baptism as regeneration, and of Communion as a "bloodless sacrifice". Cyprian held that the baptism of schismatics is valid, but not effective until they return into the fellowship of the church. Lapsed Christians can be readmitted to fellowship, but this would involved stringent church penance and, in some cases, up to the day they die.
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. Cyprian held what we would consider to be a Roman Catholic understanding of baptism as regeneration, and of Communion as a "bloodless sacrifice". Cyprian held that the baptism of schismatics is valid, but not effective until they return into the fellowship of the church. Lapsed Christians can be readmitted to fellowship, but this would involved stringent church penance and, in some cases, up to the day they die.
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