Chapter 2: Spreading the Message Lynch

Notes 2011

I. Christians endure persecution for the first three hundred

years…

Martyr:

Edict of Milan:

• Martyrdom is the ultimate witness to a person’s faith; a martyr bears

witness by ______________ for the faith
• Persecutions in began in ___________________
• _________________ persecutions affected the Church most profoundly
• Many factors made ________________ more susceptible to persecution:
o Once separated from Judaism, it was ____________
o Spread quickly throughout the empire
o ___________ the worship of _____________ and the __________ of the
Romans
o Its members met in secret
• ____________ initiated the first Roman persecution
• Many Roman emperors persecuted Christians after Nero
o Some Christians would leave the area or hide
o Many Christians suffered ____________ and ____________ during
these periods
• Constantine became in control of the entire Roman world in 324
o He became Christian on his death bed

II. The Church develops structures and statements of beliefs…

Apologist:

Orthodoxy:
Heresy:

Canon:

Tradition:

o The Church needed to addressed ways it expressed its beliefs, the way
it celebrated and ritualized its beliefs, and the way it structured itself
o Once persecutions has subsided, Christian apologist began to
formulate a Christian __________ (intellectual study of religious matters)
o It took the power of the _____________________ to come to a true
understanding of God and Jesus
o The Church had to decide which books to include in its canon
o Although a number of ___________ circulated the Christian community in
the first century, only _________ of them were accepted as part of the
_________________
o Questions asked when choosing what Gospels to include:
 What the work written by an eyewitness to the events, by
someone who actually knew Jesus or an apostle?
 Did the writing accurately reflect the teachings of Jesus?
 Had the writing been used in liturgical settings by Church
communities?
o The Bible is not the only source available to us for the transmission of
beliefs, we also have the ______________ of the Church
o Communicates the _________ and _____________ of the Church

III. Through development in its theology, liturgy, and initiation, the

Church takes shape…
 o Sacramental life began to take shape
o ______________________ went through a process of formation which
prepared them for entry into the Christian community
o Much like RCIA, which was restored into the Catholic Church after
Vatican II
o The RCIA process models the initiation process for those received into
the early Christian community

IV. During the first three hundred years, leaders emerge who guide and
shape the Church…

Bishop:

Presbyter:

• The Church is one body, with many members who have different
functions
• As the Church grew, defined structures of authority grew with it
• At an early stage, the model that exists today became the standard
model
o Individuals were appointed to lead local communities (like bishops,
today)
o ____________ assisted these local leaders, especially in the important
work of caring for people with special needs in the community
o Eventually, ______________ became exclusive representative of the
bishops as local communities expanded farther

V. In conclusion, during the Fourth Century, the Church emerges as the

dominant religion of the Roman Empire