A brief 6 pages to gives the reader a general knowledge of church history from 30 AD to about 1000AD And the effect Islam had on the church
CHURCH HISTORY Part 1 -:- [From Christ to The Pope]Published 20151109 -:- Revised 20250829
NB: I am dyslexic so please bear with me. Bible references are from MKJV unless noted otherwise.
AIM --- The aim of this talk is to give the listener a general knowledge of church history from the time of Christ to about 1000AD.
REASON ---It is important for a young Christian to understand Church History for the following reasons –
It gives them a basic knowledge of how and when different doctrines developed.
It gives a young Christian a better foundation as to what they believe and why.
REFERENCES & EQUIPMENT ---
MKJ= Bible
references are from the Modern King James Bible unless noted otherwise.
WH= Classic Time
line of World History by Sebastian Adam [based on Ussher’s ‘Annals of the
World’] (9m wall chart)
HYY= History Year
by Year (by Dorling Kindersley Ltd)
GPF= Great People
of Faith and Wisdom (by Readers Digest)
HCC= History of The
Christian Church (by Philip Schaff) via e-Sword 1882 Edition. [Phrases underlined
for ease of cross-reference.]
FBM= Fox’s Book of
Martyrs – via e-Sword
WP= Wikipedia
CN= e-Sword
Commentary Notes by “NAME” on Bible Ref “BOOK CH: Vrs” e.g. [ref CN Clark on Dan
7:7].
EN= Microsoft
Encyclopaedia Encarta 2006. with reference word to be used, e.g. [ref EN i.e. Protestantism]
EB= Encyclopædia
Britannica 1999 Edition
NA= New Advent.
Catholic Encyclopaedia with reference word to be used, e.g. [ref NA i.e.
Jesuits, The]
TV= Television
for Slide presentations.
DISCLAIMER -- Clearly I don’t want to upset anyone’s faith or beliefs. That’s why most of this work is made up of “quotations” from reputable articles you can source to verify. HCC is in old ‘1880’ English so direct quotes are somewhat hard to understand. To change it too much would make it harder to find the references. If a reference is underlined you can use that exact wording to find the original article.
REVISION
I might at times make reference to prophecies. This is for the benefit of those who understand the historic viewpoint.
In the years 30-70AD the early Church was persecuted by the Jews until the fall of Jerusalem, which is memorialised by the phrase HIP HIP HOORAY. They were also persecuted by other groups, the Temple of Diana incident. [ref MKJ Act 4:18, 5:18, 7:59, 14:19, 16:22…]
Spreed of Christianity
“The Celtic church existed in England, Ireland, and Scotland, independently of Rome, long before Augustine; it also sent offshoots to Germany, France, and the Low Countries…… The legend traces it to St. Paul and others. The venerable Bede († 735) says, that the British (Christian) king Lucius (about 167) applied to the Roman bishop Eleutherus for missionaries…………..
…………Asia; the apostles spread the new religion over Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor. According to Pliny, the temples of the gods in Asia Minor were almost forsaken, ... In the second century Christianity penetrated to Edessa in Mesopotamia, and some distance into Persia, Media, Bactria, and Parthia; and in the third century, into Armenia and Arabia. Paul himself had spent three years in Arabia,... There is a legend, that the apostles Thomas and Bartholomew carried the gospel to India. …the Christian teacher Pantaeus of Alexandria went to India about 190AD, and that in the fourth century churches were found there……………
…………North Africa, Mark.. according to tradition, laid the foundation of the church of Alexandria. The Copts in old Cairo, the Babylon of Egypt, claim this to be the place from which Peter wrote his first epistle (1Pe_5:13); but he must mean either the Babylon on the Euphrates, or the mystic Babylon of Rome. Eusebius names, as the first bishops of Alexandria, Annianos (a.d. 62-85), Abilios (to 98), and Kerdon (to 110). ……..………Without statistics, the number of the Christians is purely conjecture. By the close of the third century an estimated one-tenth of the subjects of Rome were Christians, that is about ten millions souls. This does not account for Christians among the heathen beyond the Roman world” [ref HCC vol2 ch1:11]
the Ethiopians. He would have then take the gospel to Ethiopia.
"The legend traces Christianity in Russia back to the Apostle St. Andrew, who is especially revered by the Russians. Mouravieff
commences his
history of the Russian church with these words: “The Russian church, like the
other Orthodox churches of the East, had an apostle for its founder. St.
Andrew, the first called of the Twelve, hailed with his blessing long
beforehand the destined introduction of Christianity into our country.
Ascending up and penetrating by the Dniepr into the deserts of Scythia, "[ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:37]In 230AD. -- ARIAN CHRISTIANETY arose. The teaching that Christ was subordinate to God the father and The Holy Spirit was only a power NOT a person of the Trinity. (ref. Originated from the works of Oregin and Dionysius of Alexandria) [ref HCC..vol 2 ch 12 :14
By 313AD there were the 10 persecutions under Rome, Nero 68, later the worst ten yrs under Diocletion ended 313AD [ref FBM Ch2 pt1].
For the historic interpretation the Diocletion era is prophesied in Rev 2:10 “And you will have tribulation ten days”
313 The Roman Emperor Constantine became a Christian. The Edict of Milan was also in 313AD Licinius and Constantine met in modern day Milan and granted tolerance to All Forms of worship in effect legalizing Christianity.
This brings us to the end of the first major persecution period of the Christian church. From this period onward Christianity receives a sense of “political correctness”, in that it became fashionable in politics to be a Christian. Emperor Constantine was a Christian, and if you wanted to rise in politics you would also become a Christian.
Q&A -- Any Questions
LESSON – CHURCH HISTORY Part 1
To get through this quickly I hope to list the “Major” event and characters that God used to fashion our Christian world and faith.
Chronologically they do over lap.
In the next lessons I hope we can study the major characters that contributed to the development of the various Christian doctrines.
WHO DEVELOPED WHAT WE BELIEVE “The Creeds”
170–350 Various Christian Creeds developed, listed below are the Ante-Nicene rules of faith (i.e. pre Nicene) [ref HCC Vol2 Ch12:141]
Iranaeus (Gaul) a.d. 170. …differs from the Apostles in that Christ did not descend into hell
Tertullian Creed (North Africa.) a.d. 200….
Origen (Alexandria) a.d. 230 …. Which was Arian as mentioned before [ref HCC..vol 2 ch 12 :145]
Cyprian Creed (Carthage) a.d. 250… Which leaves out the virgin birth and ascending from hell
Novatian Creed (Rome) a.d. 250… Which leaves out the virgin birth and ascending from hell
Gregory (Neo-Caesarea) a.d. 270… Which leaves out the virgin birth and ascending from hell
Lucian (Antioch) a.d. 300
Eusebius (Caesarea, Pal.) a.d. 325
Cyril (Jerusalem) a.d. 350… differs from the Apostles Creed in that Christ did not descend into hell
NB: MOST of these creeds were being developed during the ten savage persecutions
313 The Edict of Milan 313AD Constantine came to power so Christianity was “the flavour of the month”.
324 Constantine founded a new capital to the east in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). For centuries Rome was the centre of religion and power. So this may well have been the “dangling carrot” which helped the bishop of Rome to seek pre-eminence.
325 1st Ecumenical Council (called by Constantine). The Nicene Creed was formed. “The central point of the Nicene doctrine in the contest with Arianism is the identity of essence or the con-substant-iality of the Son with the Father, and is expressed in this article of the (original) Nicene Creed: “[We believe] in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God; who is begotten the only-begotten of the Father; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God, and Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.”” [ref HCC Vol3 Ch9:127]
340 The Apostles Creed (Rome.). Later alterations were finalized at the second ecumenical Council in 381.
381 At this second council the Emperor “Theodosius the Great enforced uniformity of belief by legal penalties in fifteen edicts between 381 and 394. Honorius (408), Arcadius, the younger Theodosius, and Justinian (529) followed in the same path. By these imperial enactments heretics, i.e. open dissenters from the imperial state-religion,” (Orthodox Christianity), “were deprived of all public offices, of the right of public worship, of receiving or bequeathing properly, of making binding contracts; they were subjected to fines, banishment, corporeal punishment, and even death.” [ref HCC vol.2 ch12:137]
This would be the first hint of Rev 13:17 “no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast,…”
Q&A -- Any Questions
WORSHIP OF MARY, MARTYRS AND SAINTS AND RELICS
I have done a word search in the History of The Christian Church via e-Sword using the phrase “worship of Mary”. I suggest you do the same because it is very interesting. I particularly looked for the earliest dates. The following is a micro snap view of about 40 chapters.
“the dignity of Mary, i.e., of her perpetual virginity” was held by Epiphanius (367), Jerome (383) bishop Bonosus of Sardica (392)
“invocation of her powerful intercession” prayer examples from Ephraim Syrus († 379), Gregory Nazianzen († 389),
“commemorates the announcement of the birth of Christ by the archangel Gabriel… first trace of it occurs in Proclus .. 430”
“ceremonial purification of the Virgin, forty days after the birth of Jesus… supposed to have been introduced by Pope Gelasius in 494”
“The Ascension, or Assumption rather, of Mary is celebrated on the 15th of August. [ref HCC vol.3 ch7:81-84]
“glorification of Mary, ...her assumption into heaven,..The belief is based upon the story, told by Juvenal of Jerusalem to the emperor Marcian at the council of Chalcedon, 451, that three days after Mary’s burial in Jerusalem, her coffin but not her body was found by the Apostles. Juvenal afterwards sent the coffin to the emperor. Even Augustine had shunned to believe that the body of the mother of our Lord saw corruption” [ref HCC 5-16:130]
Relics “Martin, and his accomplices stole from the reliquary in one of the churches of the Byzantine city …the bones of Elisha, all except the head, ..The Holy Lance … The Holy Grail was found in Caesarea in 1101. The bones of the three kings, Caspar, Melchior, and Belthazar, .. found, in 1156, the remains of Ursula and the virgin martyrs, put to death by the Huns, … objects transmitted to Western Europe from the East were Noah’s beard, the horns of Moses, the stone on which Jacob slept at Bethel, the branch from which Absalom hung, our Lord’s foreskin, his navel cord, his coat, tears he shed at the grave of Lazarus, milk from Mary’s breasts, the table on which the Last Supper was eaten, the stone of Christ’s sepulchre, Paul’s stake in the flesh, a tooth belonging to St. Lawrence. Christ’s tooth, … two relics of the ass which bore Christ to Jerusalem.
The holy coat, the blood of Christ, and his cross ... Christ’s holy coat is claimed by Treves and Argenteuil as well as other localities. It was ..seamless .. woven by Mary, which grew as Christ grew and was worn on the cross…At different dates, vast bodies of pilgrims have gone to look at it; the largest number in 1891, when 1,925,130 people passed through the cathedral for this purpose. Many miracles were believed to have been performed.
The arrival of some of Christ’s blood in England, Oct. 13, 1247, was solemnized by royalty..(with)..scenes of English medieval history.”
.[ref HCC 5-16:131]
.
Q&A -- Any Questions
START OF PAPAL SUPREMACY
The Roman Catholic Church links the “supremacy” of the papacy over the church to the belief that Peter was the first bishop of Roma.
Some beliefs are:-
1/ Jesus said in Mat 16:18 That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. --- so, Peter was “The Rock” and hence the founder of the Church.
2/again Mat 16:19 ...I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ..etc --- so Peter had control over who goes to heaven or Hell. Thus his Triple crown, & his keys on his belt.
3/In 1Pt 5:13... Peter writes from “Babylon”. The Roman Church claims this to mystically mean Rome.
4/ Peter served 7yrs in Antioch 25 in Rome, died under Nero in 65. So he was in Rome as of 40AD???
Above is the coat of arms for the Vatican City State. NB. the Triple crown and keys to Heaven & Hell
Question 1—Paul was on the road to Damascus 35AD, went to Arabia 3yrs =38AD (Gal 1:16-24) then to Jerusalem saw Peter, then to Syria. 14yrs later went to Jerusalem saw Peter (Gal 2:1) = 51AD. [ref CN PNT Gal 2:1]. If Peter was the bishop in Rome, how is that possible?
Question 2-- Book of Romans was written about 58AD. In closing Paul sends greetings to everyone except Peter! WOW!! If Peter was in Rome, Paul has just snubbed Peter openly in writing! So how could these scriptures make any sense if Peter was in Rome as of 40AD?
.
How these beliefs began I have no intention to go into them in this lesson. I invite you to do your own study. [ref HCC vol.1 ch4:26]
If you come up with some excellent material, and would like to present it to this group, see me later and we can plan how and when!
.
But these beliefs must have gathered enough momentum that by the year 380AD, the Emperor Theodosius declared the following:-
380 In Emperor Theodosius's edict ‘De fide catholica’ of 27 February 380, enacted in Thessalonica and published in Constantinople for the whole empire, by which he established Catholic Christianity as the official religion of the empire, he referred to the western Bishop of Rome, Damasus, as a pontifex, while calling the eastern Bishop of Alexandria, Peter, an episcopus
The word "pontifex" later became a term used for Christian bishops, including the Bishop of Rome, and the title of "Pontifex Maximus" was applied within the Roman Catholic Church to the Pope as its chief bishop. It is not included in the Pope's official titles, but appears on buildings, monuments and coins of popes of Renaissance and modern times. [ref WP] [ref HCC vol.3 ch3:27]
The papal supremacy issue has been a major contributing factor, to the unfolding of world and church history, and still is to this day
Q&A -- Any Questions
THE CANON
393 The Canon is the name we give to the 66 books that we call the bible. “The first express definition of the New Testament canon, in the form in which it has since been universally retained, comes from two African synods, held in 393 at Hippo, and 397 at Carthage, in the presence of Augustin, who exerted a commanding influence on all the theological questions of his age.”. [ref HCC vol.2 ch12:138]. And obviously the Old Testament remained unchanged. The Apocalypse and Apocrypha went through stages of acceptance and rejection. “The Church of Rome, at the Council of Trent, settled the Canon, including the Apocrypha” [ref HCC vol.7 ch1:9] And the book of Revelation or the “Apocalypse” is accepted by both Catholic and Protestant churches as part of the Canon.
405 The Scriptures were translated by Jerome into Latin called the “Latin Vulgate” – later into English the “Doo’a” which is the only English version sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church. [ref WH]. Latin was the language of the Empire
440 St Patrick founded a flourishing church in Ireland. “He was in his youth carried captive into Ireland, … He escaped to France or Britain, was again enslaved.” In a vision “He saw a man, Victoricius, who handed him innumerable letters from Ireland, begging him to come over and help them. He obeyed the divine monition, and devoted the remainder of his life to the conversion of Ireland (from a.d. 440 to 493)….The Christianity of Patrick was substantially that of Gaul and old Britain, i.e. Catholic, orthodox, monastic, ascetic, but independent of the Pope,” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:14]
451 The Monophysite Controversies. The council of Chalcedon brought to the boil a schism over the issue of the physical nature of Christ. The Monophysites “rejected the Eutychian theory of an absorption of the human nature into the divine, but nevertheless held firmly to the doctrine of one nature in Christ; and on this account, from the time of the Chalcedonian council they were called Monophysites”…[as in MONO = one]. The “battle” went on for over one hundred years… [ref HCC vol 3 ch9:134].
NB This was a similar argument to Arianism and was later resolved, as the popes power grow stronger.
Q&A -- Any Questions
FALL of ROME and its Effect on Papal Power
Rome crumbled in several stages. The four horseman of the apocalypse is an accurate example of the fall of Rome. Revelation Ch6 vs3-8
White horse- Victories 96-180.. Red- Civil Wars 185-284.. Black & Balances- High Taxes 200-250.. Pale- Death & Famine 250-300.
303 Diocletion came to power, Rome was hungry, so he fed Christians to the lions. But Rome first fell to a foreign power in 410AD
“The barbarian invasions of Alaric (410), Genseric (455), Ricimer (472), Vitiges (537), Totila (546), and the Lombards (754), turned Rome into a heap of ruins and destroyed many valuable treasures of classical and Christian antiquity.” [ref HCC vol 2 ch7:83]
NB: These invading kings were all Arian Christians. Each invader was confronted with “Pontifex Maximus”. The invading Kings would have been in a sticky situation, does he do as he pleases, “at the expense of his salvation”! Or dose he bow to papal power??
Q&A -- Any Questions
Some examples are: -
“The Gothic king Alaric, on entering Rome (410), expressly ordered that the churches of the apostles Peter and Paul should be spared, as inviolable sanctuaries; and he showed a humanity, which Augustin justly attributes to the influence of Christianity (even perverted Arian Christianity) on these barbarous people.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.1:7]
“When Attila, king of the Huns, the “scourge of God,” after destroying Aquileia, was seriously threatening the capital of the world (a.d. 452), Leo, with only two companions, crozier in hand, trusting in the help of God, ventured into the hostile camp, and by his venerable form, his remonstrances, and his gifts, changed the wild heathen’s purpose.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:63]
“A similar case occurred several years after (455), when the Vandal king Genseric, … pushed his ravages to Rome. Leo obtained from him the promise that at least he would spare the city the infliction of murder and fire; but the barbarians subjected it to a fourteen days’ pillage,” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:63]
.
“Odoacer, who first assumed the kingdom of Italy (476-493), was tolerant toward the orthodox faith, yet attempted to control the papal election in 483 in the interest of the state, and prohibited, under penalty of the anathema,” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64]
“Odoacer, who put an end to the western Roman empire in 476, was incited to his expedition into Italy by St. Severin, and, though himself an Arian, showed great regard to the catholic bishops. The same is true of his conqueror and successor, Theodoric the Ostrogoth, who was recognized by the east-Roman emperor Anastasius as king of Italy (a.d. 500), and was likewise an Arian. Thus between the barbarians and the Romans, as between the Romans and the Greeks and in a measure also the Jews, the conquered gave laws to the conquerors. Christianity triumphed over both.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.1:7]
“On the fall of the empire the pope became the political subject of the barbarian and heretical (for they were Arian) kings; but these princes, as most of the heathen emperors had done, either from policy, or from ignorance or indifference, allowed him entire freedom in ecclesiastical affairs.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64]
.
Q&A -- Any Questions
THE DEVELOPMENT of PAPAL POWER
How did the fall of Rome affect the church? ……. Well let’s go over the Key religious issues again.
Ancient Rome developed under the control of an enforced state religion. Dissenters were either enslaved or butchered.
313 Emperor Constantine declared religious freedom. (but the mindset of a singular state religion would have still been there!)
380 The bishop of Rome was given the title of “pontifex” and the barbarians accepted this title and authority.
381 Remember that Emperor Theodosius enforced Christian belief. So the Empire was back to an enforced state religion!
451 The council of Chalcedon. This was the beginning of a new power struggle. The new Eastern Emperor Marcian ordered the council
be held in the east near Constantinople. It basically reiterated the Nicene council and the Apostles creed. This was the beginning of the power shift from the Emperor to the Pope. And later culminated with the issue know as The Three Chapters which we will cover soon.
Each time Rome fell to invaders, the bishop was left as the only hope for the salvation of the city and its people from slavery or death.
The legends of Leo vs Attila and Genseric lead to the thought that perhaps he was a genuine Godly man, or just an astute politician.
476 to 536 The Western Empire was ruled by Arian kingdoms in Roma. And “pontifex” rules them by the threte of anathema or excommunication. The bishop of Rome as “pontifex” would soon learne that he has the same power over the Easten Emporer.
Only 16 years later comes this decree from Pope Gelasius I.
“Gelasius I. (492-496) clearly announced the principle, that the priestly power is above the kingly and the imperial, and that from the decisions of the chair of Peter there is no appeal.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64]
NB As the Pope sees himself, he is above ANY power on earth. This was also a building block for the infallibility of the Pope. WOW!!
ROMAN LAW
529 - revised 534 -- “the celebrated Codex Justinianeus, which thenceforth became the universal law of the Roman empire, the sole text book in the academies at Rome, Constantinople, and Berytus, and the basis of the legal relations of the greater part of Christian Europe to this day”. [ref HCC vol.3 ch.3:18] NB This would become a useful tool for the Popes fight against heretics and taking their property.
533 the Eastern Emperor Justinian sent his general Belisarius to destroy the Vandals controlling Nth Africa and Italy. The Vandal Kingdom was crumbling. And on 9th Dec 536 Belisarius army entered Rome with a victory procession in the old style . Rome was again soon besieged by the Goths. Belisarius finally took the Ostrogothic capital of Revenna in 540. [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64] . [ref HYY p102]
Q&A -- Any Questions
The Puppet Pope (plus 1260 yrs = 1798) Berthier
538 “Vigilius, a pliant creature of Theodora, ascended the papal chair under the military protection of Belisarius” (538-554) “Pope Silverius … was deposed … and banished to the island of Pandataria and in 540 he died”. [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64]. There was considerable political game play behind his appointment. Justinians wife Theodora was a Monophysite. She skilfully coerced Justinian to support the Monophysite liturgical formula “God was crucified for us”, and bribed Vigilius with the papal chair and money to comply. Once he was instated as pope he reneged!! His pontificate was a shambles, full of skulduggery, faint protests and public humiliation. “he was dragged through the streets with a rope around his neck,” During his time in office arose the issue of the The Three Chapters
The Three Chapters
553 “the violent controversy of the Three Chapters, of which it has been said that it has filled more volumes than it was worth lines.” [Ref vol.3 ch.9:144]. It reads like the “who’s who” of doctrine and schisms! Monophysite, Origenistic, Dyophysites, Nestorians Theopaschites etc. The main issues were; the nature of Christ’s body, the Virgin birth, the Trinity of the God Head and so on. I suggest you logon and read.
“To put an end .. Justinian, without …the pope, convoked at Constantinople, a.d. 553, the Fifth Ecumenical Council….. 5th of May to the 2nd of June, under the presidency of the patriarch Eutychius of Constantinople. It anathematized the Three Chapters; that is, the person of Theodore of Mopsuestia, the anti-Cyrillian writings of Theodoret, and the letter of Ibas,” [Ref HCC vol.3 ch.9:144].
“And notwithstanding this, Justinian broke through the decrees of the fifth council, of 553, without the consent, and in fact despite the intimated refusal of Pope Vigilius. In the middle ages, however, the case was reversed. The influence of the pope on the councils increased, and that of the emperor declined;” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:65]
NB Again This would become a useful tool for the Popes fight against heretics and their beliefs.
Q&A -- Any Questions
Rise Of The 10 KINGDOMS And The Fall Of The Roman World (Dan7)
Also called The Dark Ages or Middle Ages. From 476AD to Charlemagne 800AD, or to 1000AD the revival of learning. [Dictionary]
At this point invite students to have a close look at the Wall Chart of World History. Indicate the yr 400AD and the brake up of the Roman Empire
Show also the slide of “The Barbarian Invasions” [ref HYY p98]
540 the Persians under Khusrau I had risen to power and captured Antioch, forced Justinian to pay 5000 pound in gold to get it back.
The same year there was wide spread plague in Egypt. Hence lose of manpower, food production, increased Taxes.
542 The Ostrogoths under Totila returned to control most of Italy. Belisarius was sent west to regain it, but with limited supplies he failed.
546 Rome fell again to the Ostrogoths. The Byzantines retook Rome in 547, but it fell again to Totila in 550.
552 Justinian sent two huge armies to finish off the Goths in a battle in the Apennines, thus ending conflict over Italy.
572 The Byzantine Emperor Justin II went to war with Persia, who in turn struck back and took parts of Syria. Justin was now bankrupt!
575 The Byzantines were fighting the Lombards who had migrated through Hungary to northern Italy and were settling in.
582 The Avars (or Huns) followed the Lombards and settled into Austria, conquering some Byzantine towns on the way.
This is just a short 40 years example of the Roman World events from 400 to 800AD when Charlemagne became Emperor. Kingdoms were rising up and shaking off the old Roman world. You can see why it was called The Dark Ages. The only learning a young man would receive would be the Art of War or the need for survival. [ref HYY p102-103]
If viewed from the Historic Interpretation the other Kingdoms that came up to become the ‘Ten Toes’ of Dan ch.7 were: -
808 Bulgaria, 810 Venice independence, 911 Russia, 962 Germany, 973 England, 987 France, 992 Poland and 1001 Rome. Later came Spain and Portugal. But there would never be a united world empire again. Like iron and clay they could not mix.
A short quote about Augustine in 430, (a different Augustine to the 596 missionary to England), “He left no will, …except his library; this he bequeathed to the church, and it was fortunately preserved from the depredations of the Arian barbarians.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.10:178].
So burning and looting was a common “recreation” of conquering armies for millennia and still is today. Yet it would seem in some cases destruction did not extend to Church property… Until Islam!
ISLAM and its EFFECT on THE CHURCH
I don’t intend to do any detailed study of Islam. Others have more knowledge than I. I only wish to highlight its effects on Christianity.
610 “Mahomet first received his revelation, 613 he began preaching Mecca. 622 Then came “Hegira” or hijra his flight to Medina with his family and followers. There he built a Political and religious power base. Meccan forces attacked often, then surrendered when in 630 he took the Ka’abar the holiest shrine in the Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad’s rule was then unchallenged.” [HYY page 108] [Rev ch.9]
As Islam spread across the old Roman Empire it brought with it both reform and devastation.
638 “Alexandria and Antioch, were lost by the conquests of Islam, The immense library at Alexandria was burned by order of Omar (638), who reasoned: “If these writings of the Greeks agree with the book of God (the Koran), they are useless and need not be preserved; if they disagree, they are pernicious and ought to be destroyed.” In the eighth century, however, the Saracens themselves began to cultivate learning, to translate Greek authors, to collect large libraries in Bagdad, Cairo, and Cordova. The age of Arabic learning continued about five hundred years, till the irruption of the Moguls. It had a stimulating effect upon the scholarship of the church,…Constantinople was the centre of the literary, activity of the Greek church during the middle ages.” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.13:136]
“Image-worship…worship of saints,..become a general habit among the people in the Eastern church” [ref HCC 4-10:101] This became a major taunt by both Jews and Moslems. The Moslems destroyed any items of idolatry along with manuscripts etc in their conquests.
Emperor Leo III., called the Isaurian (716-741) had denied the Arabs Constantinople many times by using a secret weapon “Greek Fire”.
726 “Leo was influenced by a certain bishop Constantinus of Nakolia in Phrygia,” and his desire to curb Islam’s charges of idolatry.
730 “he commanded the removal or destruction of all the images”. He was unable to enforce the edict outside the Eastern Empire.
729 Pope Gregory II. was infuriated ..“Seventy years afterwards the West set up an empire of its own in close connection with the” Pope
[ref HCC 4-10:101]
Thus a separation. The East became the Greek Orthodox Church, rejected image worship until 842 then resumed it. Where as the West retained image worship and developed into the foundation of the Roman Catholic Church. (Whom do you thank for that -- Mahomet?)
Q&A -- Any Questions
THE THREE KINGDOMS “PLUCKED UP BY THE ROOTS” [Dan 7:8]
Looking back to the West, the kingdoms of Europe were starting to establish them selves and their territories. But the question of Arianism still remained a thorn in the side for the pope. The Arian’s would in some cases savagely mistreat the Catholic Church when they entered a region. Some barbarian peoples were converted; they were Arian as of “Goths till 587..the Suevi in Spain till 560..the Burgundians incorporation in the Frank empire in 534..Longobards till” about 695 [ref HCC vol.3 ch.9:122]. Three Arian Kingdoms were destroyed.
496 The Merovingians (Franks) under Clovis who was converted to catholic along with 3000 of his warriors. Then “St. Remigius even advised the war of conquest against the Visigoths, because they were Arians.” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:22]
534 “The Vandals, the rudest among the Teutonic tribes, made an exception; they fiercely persecuted the orthodox Christians in North Africa (since 430) and desolated…labors of St. Augustin. Their kingdom was destroyed under Justinian (534),” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:21]
755 “Pepin … defeated the Lombards, and bestowed the conquered territory upon the pope” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.4:55]
790+ “Towards the close of the eighth century, Pepin and Charlemagne, in the interest of France and the papacy, destroyed the independence of the Lombards … and transferred the greater part of Italy to the Eastern empire and to the Pope “ [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:21]
The “UPSIDE” !! Is that the Western Empire was of One Christian faith, (Roman Catholic). And Islam overran the Arians in the East.
Kingdoms were becoming established and each Monarch would seek the approval of the pope to ratify their “divine” legitimacy. And if the pope did not approve he could have rulers excommunicated, or order his people not to pay taxes and/or numerous other penalties.
“The oath the emperor takes to the pope is not the oath of fealty, (loyalty), such as a vassal, (subject or servant), renders, but a promise to protect him and the Church.” [ref HCC vol.6 ch.1:8]
808 “this political alliance of France and Germany with the Italian papacy was completed by Charlemagne and Leo III., and lasted for many centuries. Rome had the enchantment of distance, the prestige of power and culture, and promised to furnish the strongest support to new and weak churches. Rome was also the connecting link between medieval and ancient civilization, and transmitted to the barbarian races the treasures of classical literature which in due time led to the revival of letters and to the Protestant Reformation”
[ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:25]
590 to 1049 “Conversion of the Northern and Western Barbarians ….It was a baptism by water, rather than by fire and the Holy Spirit. The preceding instruction amounted to little or nothing; even the baptismal formula, mechanically recited in Latin, was scarcely understood. The rude barbarians, owing to the weakness of their heathen religion, readily submitted to the new religion; but some tribes yielded only to the sword of the conqueror.” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:6]
Q&A -- Any Questions
THE POWER OF THE POPE
A famous man once said, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”. I will leave you with this description of the personality and the character of the person who was leading the Christian world unopposed from about 1073AD, and this characteristic continued until 1798AD.
1073-1085 Pope Gregory VII “was convinced that,.. he was,..the successor of Peter,..the vicar of Christ in the militant Church. He entirely identified himself with Peter as the head of the apostolic college,..the keeper of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; ..He..appealed to the..words of Christ, Mat_16:18, Mat_16:19, as..to himself. The pope inherits the lofty position of Peter. He is the Rock of the Church. He is the universal bishop…He is intrusted with the care of all Christendom (including the Greek Church, which never acknowledged him). He has absolute and final jurisdiction, and is responsible only to God, and to no earthly tribunal. He alone can depose and reinstate bishops, and his legates take precedence of all bishops. He is the supreme arbiter in questions of right and wrong in the whole Christian world. He is above all earthly sovereigns. He can wear the imperial insignia. He can depose kings and emperors, and absolve subjects from their oath of allegiance to unworthy sovereigns.” [ref HCC vol.5 ch.2:11] NB: I strongly suggest you look up this reference your self. .. it’s AMAZING!
You can see that I have abbreviated the above. It has been derived from some 27 “brief propositions preserved among Gregory’s letters.”
CONCLUSION
Islam pushed like a pincer movement around Western Europe. Taking a large portion of the East right up to the walls of Constantinople. They took all North Africa, Spain and up to about 400 km north of the Pyrenees into France where they were halted by Charles Martel in 732AD. Then in 762 the Islamic Arabs then moved their capital to Baghdad, later settling into an uneasy peace with the Christian East and West, which lasted for nearly 300 years. Their conquests lasted 150 years. [Rev 9:5. “tormented 5 months”. ie. 5x30 days=150 days/150 years]
I will leave you with nearly 1000 years of history to digest. While you chew on the events that moulded the Church during that time, you might like to join Joy and I in a cuppa and some nibbles. And I will be happy to answer any questions.
In my next talk I hope to cover briefly the Reformation and factors that caused it to erupt.
Then in later talks we can study each of the Reformers in detail.
Thank you very much for attending.
(Total Reading Time 80 minutes)
Q&A -- Any Questions
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