Teachings of the Early Christian Church
ARE THEY THE SAME TODAY?
New Articles Added Weekly
A Unified Faith?
The Second Century
Few people realize that after the apostles the early Christian church's beliefs varied widely. The church lacked central authority and structure to preserve a unified faith. The apostles were already dealing with false beliefs within the church and it only got worse once they were gone.
Various regions had their own writings that they revered or considered scripture that formed the basis for their beliefs. Some views eventually became so polarizing that adherents of opposing beliefs in the fourth century rioted and even killed one another. Alas, whatever happened to the simple faith where Jesus said by the love that you have for one another will the world know that you are my followers (1)
Look at the church today. We have all sorts of resources that few in the early Christian Church could have even begun to dream about and yet we are more divided than ever.
Early church history helps provide insight into how some of the major beliefs of the church today are quite different from the simple Christian beliefs of the first century.
(1) (John 13:35)
WHY?
Why didn't the Apostolic Church Baptize in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:18,19 NASB)
There is not one instance in the New Testament where believers were baptized or healed by any other name than, Jesus. How are we to understand this verse if we don’t baptize in the actual name of the Father (YHWH, which we don’t even know how to pronounce); or the name of the Holy Spirit (Does the Holy Spirit even have a name?); but only in the name of the Son (our Lord Jesus the Messiah)?
“In the name of,” also means “by the authority of.” For example, a policeman saying, “open up in the name of the law,” actually means “open up by the authority given me by the law”. The Father gave Jesus all authority, then Jesus gave believers the authority to make and baptize disciples from all nations, but they were told not to leave Jerusalem, until they were given power from on high through the Holy Spirit. So in the name of or by the authority which the Father gave to the Son, which he gave to believers through the Holy Spirit, we are to make and baptize disciples from all nations in the name of Jesus the Christ or Messiah. Matthew 28:19 is not a formula for baptism but the authority for believers to do so.
The Early Church had a "God" Problem
The First Century
The earliest Christian Church was basically a Jewish sect. Jesus was a Jew. The apostles/disciples that he taught were Jews. The earliest followers were Jews. After Jesus's death and resurrection they continued to practice Jewish laws, including dietary restrictions. They worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem and in local Jewish synagogues. The main difference from mainstream Jews was that they considered Jesus to be the Messiah that the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures) predicted would come. The Jewish faith was fiercely monotheistic. There was only one God. Had the earliest Christians believed anything else they would not have been welcome to worship with them. During his ministry Jesus prayed to his father reiterating this important point saying, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3 NASB)
Things were changing though. The Apostle Paul began spreading the message of Jesus the Messiah as the savior to not only the Jews but also the non-Jew (or gentiles) throughout the Eastern part of the Roman Empire and finally Rome itself before his death.
In 70 AD the city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed and the church was no longer dominated by the Jewish Church in Jerusalem.
The four gospels telling the story of Jesus were written in the first century. The last gospel written, the Gospel of John considered to have been written in the last decade of the first century refers to Jesus being God; whereas the other three earlier gospels do not. Other New Testament writers occasionally refer to Jesus as God although the overall emphasis of the New Testament is that Jesus is Lord and that the Father is not only the one God but also the God of Jesus.
The Second Century
The second century found the early church still believing that the Father was the Supreme God overall and Jesus was second to him. But criticism was mounting that this no longer was a monotheistic belief.
The split with Judaism became pronounced as the Jews objected to Jesus being called the son of God or a man considered divine and sharing rulership with God.
Concerning the Holy Spirit the majority of key figures in mainstream Christianity were not calling the Holy Spirit God or a separate divine entity but an extension of God with personal attributes.
The church struggled to define the makeup of Jesus. Prominent leaders proclaimed Jesus was God, but he was also man. Others said he was either just a man, or just a spiritual being that appeared to have a physical body; or he was actually made up of two beings, a human named Jesus and a spiritual being named Christ. Some of these competing views were immensely popular with second century Christians.
The Third Century
Most third century Christians believed that Jesus was divine, but they were still trying to figure out how that worked in relation to God the Father. Prominent Church leaders still considered the Father as the source of all things and the God of Jesus.
In Northern Africa, Tertullian of Carthage coined the Latin word 'Trinitas," ("Trinity," in English) to describe the one God as three persons who are one in unity of substance, condition, and Power.
Origen of Alexandria, Egypt wrestled with how Jesus could be a begotten son of God yet still be God without beginning. He came up with the phrase "eternal generation," to substantiate the concept.
The belief that Jesus was fully God but was also human gave birth to the view that Jesus had two natures united in a single individual.
The Fourth Century
The fourth century was the most consequential for the church since it's inception. It started with the most brutal persecution by the Roman Empire under the Emperor Diocletian in an effort to eliminate Christianity. Scriptures and church buildings were burned, and clergy were executed or imprisoned.
The conversion to Christianity by the Emperor Constantine (312 AD) and the subsequent declaration that Christianity was legal in the Roman Empire (313 AD) was a dramatic reversal of fortune.
A loosely defined and evolving trinitarian understanding of God was predominant among Church leadership; but in the eastern part of the empire the majority of believers followed the teaching of a priest named Arius which considered the Father the one and only supreme God and Jesus a creation of God. This caused instability and civil unrest particularly in Alexandria, Egypt.
To prevent the unrest from spreading Constantine called together 300 Bishops to decide on doctrinal issues and standardize church practices. Though most of the bishops were from the eastern part of the empire they adopted what is called the Nicene Creed in 325 AD, establishing the absolute deity of Jesus and rejecting the teachings of Arius.
After Constantine's death in 337 AD The Empire was split between Constantine's Sons. Constans (ruling the West) supported orthodox Nicene Christianity and Constantius II (ruling the East) supported Arianism (the teachings of Arius) the very doctrine condemned at Nicaea. Eventually Constantius II became sole emperor and under duress many of the Bishops were forced to sign a document supporting Arianism or be exiled. Once Constantius II died the church reverted back to a Nicene Orthodoxy.
In 380 AD the Edict of Thessalonica by Emperor Theodosius I, established Christianity as the sole mandatory official religion of the empire. Pagan temples were closed and the practice of any other religion was banned. Being the sole official religion brought new challenges and wealth to the Church and its leaders.
In 381 AD at the First Council of Constantinople the Holy Spirit was declared divine and was to be worshiped as the Father and the Son, all three being co-equal and eternal. This was the official establishment of a trinity style belief. Over the next few centuries further details of the Trinity were refined to reflect the interaction between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and account for the concept that Jesus was considered fully God and fully man.
Who is Jesus's God?
The 1st and 2nd century church believed the Father was the God of Jesus partially based on the following verses.
- …that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6)
- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3)
- The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (2 Corinthians 11:31)
- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
- That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. (Ephesians 1:17)
- We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. (Colossians 1:3)
- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)
- …and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:6)
These verses indicate in simple and clear language that the Father is Jesus’ God even after he ascended into heaven and was glorified with the glory he had before the world existed (according to John 17:5, Acts 2:33 and Acts 5:31). In First Corinthians 15: 23-28 (below) the Apostle Paul projects into the eternal future and Jesus is still subject to his God and Father.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:23-28 NASB)
Is it any wonder the early church leaders considered Jesus second to his Father the Almighty God even into the third century? Still, they had to find a way to justify the instances where Jesus is called God without creating the scenario of multiple gods.
How is Jesus God?
Jesus is never called God the Son, Almighty God, or Yahweh; so in what way is he God? Let's start by looking at the life of Joseph which parallels the life of Jesus and I believe also foreshadows the role of Jesus after his death and Resurrection.
Joseph was rejected by his brothers. As time passed, they thought that he was dead (see Genesis 42:13), but he ended up being second in command over the nation of Egypt. He was in a position to save his family and others from death from the approaching famine. Pharaoh put him over everything (even the palace, all except the throne which pharaoh himself occupied) to deal with the preparations and eventually the administration of the food supply to save the nation. Joseph was so much like Pharaoh that his brother Judah said to him, "Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh.” (see Genesis 44:18), As far as rulership and authority Joseph was equal to pharaoh in function, it is evident that he was not equal to Pharaoh himself; because Pharaoh placed him in that position.
Sounds a lot like the story of Jesus doesn't it? Jesus was rejected by his fellow countrymen, and they thought he was dead after he was subjected to the humiliation and terrible death on the cross. Yet he was very much alive having been resurrected and exalted to the right hand of God after procuring a way of salvation for his people and the rest of the world. According to 1st Corinthians chapter fifteen, Jesus must rule until he has subjected all rule, authority, and power to himself. Of course that excludes the Father, who being God also exalted him to that position. The last enemy to be subjected to him (i.e. put underneath his feet) is death. At which time he will surrender back to God the rulership God gave him.
- 24 Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:24-28 NASB)
The Apostolic Church understood that the Father was God of all and that Jesus was placed by him in a second position of rulership. This is the same context that we should understand Jesus's relationship to God the Father.
It is also significant that the Biblical Hebrew word for God or god, Elohim, is used not only to identify the one Almighty God, pagan gods, and even angels, but also, at times, human beings who act with divine authority—specifically judges or rulers appointed to represent God's justice on earth, who held the power of life and death over others (see Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:9; Psalm 82:6).
The Messiah the Jewish people were expecting was not a god but a man; a descendant of King David chosen and anointed by God to be an Earthly King over Israel forever. This ruler will be a righteous judge (see Isaiah 11:3-4) whom God has entrusted all judgment to (see John 5:22). As such he could be called “God,” but of course that would not make him the Almighty “God.” Psalms 45:6,7 considered a messianic psalm demonstrates this very principle. First God calls the Messiah, “God,” then he identifies himself as the messianic king’s God who anointed him as king.
- 6 Your throne, God, is forever and ever; The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice. 7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your companions. (Psalms 45:6,7 NASB)
We shouldn’t leave this subject without looking at the main verse used to indicate Jesus is God, from the Gospel of John.
- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 NASB)
The Word of God is elsewhere identified as Jesus (see Revelation 19:13). If Jesus is the Word of God, then Jesus is God. Seems pretty straight forward, eh? A lot of confusion results from looking at the term “God,” in John 1:1 more like a name than a title or position. Consider the following illustration. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Bob, and the Word was Bob. How can you be with someone you are? Even when expressed in such simple terms it seems contradictory. Now look at it as a title or position: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the King, and the Word was King. Doesn’t seem quit as confusing, but it still begs for an explanation of what is meant by “king.” Is this a co-regency in which both reign together, so you have two kings? Do the two make up what is considered one king? Or could it be a case where the king hands over active rulership of his kingdom to his son without giving up his throne. Wouldn't both still be considered king?
Now apply the last principle to Christ and God the Father as described in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. If the Father, the Almighty Supreme God put Jesus in a position of active divine rulership as God (a title), but not over the Almighty Himself wouldn't Jesus still be considered God? Doesn't that bring us right back to the issue of two Gods even if Jesus is in a lesser position? I believe that is why the Apostolic Church predominantly referred to Jesus the Messiah as "Lord," even though this messianic king could and is called, "God" (see Psalm 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:8-9), by God the Father Himself.
Fully God and Fully Man? The God Problem x2
In the first few centuries of the early church it not only struggled with whether Jesus was God, but also how Jesus could be both God and man at the same time. Why would they think that? Simple reason --- the Bible calls him both. If Jesus is the eternally begotten God as he is described by the Nicene Creed in AD 325, how could he ever stop being God even if he became a man?
Around AD 200 Tertullian described Jesus as having two “substances” or “states” (divinity and humanity) united in a single person. Over the next centuries this view was further refined by the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451). The council defined Jesus as possessing two distinct natures — one fully divine and one fully human — which existed "without confusion, without change, without division, without separation."
If the immortal God is one single being consisting of three persons, Jesus being one of the three --- then how could he die on the cross? That’s where the two natures comes into play. His human nature experienced death while his God nature lived on. Sounds somewhat similar to some of the Gnostic viewpoints that the early church considered heresy. With two natures his human nature showed limited knowledge by not knowing when he would return (see Mark 13:32, Matthew 24:36). His human nature was capable of intellectual growth (see Luke 2:52). His human nature hungered, grew weary, experienced deep emotions including agony and distress (see Luke 22:44) In practice this view ascribes anything that is incongruous with Jesus being God to his human nature and vice versa. So for Jesus to experience humanity he voluntarily chose not to rely on his divinity. Thus when Philippians 2:7 says that Christ emptied himself it was not giving up divinity, but was taking on the limitations of a servant. Does that really make it any clearer?
The Third Council of Constantinople (AD 680-681) determined that since Jesus had two natures, he must also have two wills that correspond directly to those natures. These days Jesus is often described as being 100% God and 100% man at the same time. This premise violates basic logic: a single entity cannot fully embody two mutually exclusive realities at the same time. It also violates the claim of Hebrews 2:17,18 which clearly states that he had to be made like us in all things (i.e. totally human) to be a sacrifice suitable for sin and to fulfill his priestly role before God on our behalf. (see also Hebrews 9:11-12)
- 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brothers so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:17,18 NASB)
If the man Jesus Christ is only “God” (a title) because of the rulership position that God the Father placed him in, then he could be one person with one nature that was totally subject to the will of God. While this is a simple solution, arriving at that conclusion is no easy task. There are a lot issues that need to be dealt with first.
Let’s deal with one. If Jesus is truly a man why would God allow him to be worshiped? Doesn’t this show he is more than a divinely appointed ruler who is called, “God?” It is important to understand the Greek word for worship in the original New Testament writings can be translated in a variety of ways such as --- bow down, do obeisance, pay homage or fall prostrate. It is up to the translator to choose which one fits best. In ancient times any of these actions might be appropriate when standing before a king, not just God. In Hebrews 1:6 we find a very interesting and revealing statement about Jesus.
- And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.” (Hebrews 1:6 NASB)
In the original Greek, “Let all the angels of God worship Him” is actually a command! Why would God have to command his angels to worship (bow down etc.) Jesus, if Jesus was God?
The God Problem Solved?
I believe the Apostolic Church already had the best solution. After Jesus’s resurrection the emphasis of preaching was on the Lordship of Jesus and identifying him as the Christ (the anointed one or Messiah). In the recorded instances of baptizing it was either in the name of the Lord Jesus or Jesus Christ. The very core and focus of the New Testament is Jesus as Lord and as Christ, not as God.
In the first recorded sermon after Jesus’s resurrection, Peter emphasized
to a large crowd of Jews on the day of Pentecost, that Jesus of Nazareth was a man (see Acts 2:22) whom they were very familiar with... a man whom God made both Lord and Christ (the anointed one or Messiah).
- "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36 NASB)
The question is, what kind of “Lord” is he? Peter quoted Psalms 110:1 in Acts 2:34-35, as a Messianic prophecy. It's important to note that in the original Greek, the language of the New Testament, the portion of verse 34 that says, "the Lord said unto my Lord" --- does not differentiate between what type of Lords are being referred to --- whereas the original Hebrew from the Old Testament does. Psalm 110:1 (which Peter quoted in Acts 2:34) reads, "Yahweh says to my Lord (master). [see all English translations of Psalm 110:1, see all English translations of Acts 2:34] If you check out the link for Psalm 110:1 you will see that most translations translate the first Lord (God's name, Yahweh or YHWH in the Hebrew) as “LORD” in all caps, whereas the second Lord referring to Jesus is translated as a capitalized “Lord” (meaning "master"). Peter didn't say anything about Jesus being anything other than the man God raised from the dead and exalted to be both Lord (master) and Christ (the anointed one, the Messiah). Yet, even with this simple message those that repented and were baptized were added to the church and considered saved.
You might wonder at this point, how could Jesus in the centuries that followed be elevated to a position of being co-equal to the Father and being himself God, as one of the persons of the Trinity. I don't believe that this was the result of some evil conspiracy, in fact quite the opposite. I believe it was the result of misguided devotion and the human tendency to elevate what you revere or idolize. This was further magnified when those beliefs were under threat as evidenced by the need for even more specific creeds throughout the centuries that put Jesus in an elevated position not supported by the Bible.
Note: I'd recommend reading the entire chapter of Acts 2. It presents an excellent picture of the earliest church's core beliefs, place of worship, practice of fellowship and attitudes toward one another.
Christian Living
The Absolute Necessity...
The absolute necessity of what? Shortly before he left them, Jesus told his disciples to wait for it before they went anywhere else. On one of Paul's journeys through Ephesus he encountered a group of disciples. Before he knew much about them, he asked if they had received it. What was so important, so vital?
Jesus told his disciples that although he would be leaving them he would send a substitute for his physical presence; the Holy Spirit an advocate, a helper (i.e. Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor) to be with them forever to teach and guide them into the truth and show them what was to come. If you want a deeper relationship with God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ you must receive the Holy Spirit.
What Happens After Death?
Comfort one another with these words?
The early Christian church was expecting Jesus Christ to return and establish his kingdom on earth within their lifetime. At the church in Thessalonica (in what is now Greece) when some of their fellow believers died, the believers were concerned; perhaps even alarmed that they would miss out.
Soul Man?
So what are we? A basic description of the makeup of man is found in the beginning of the Hebrew Scriptures (what Christians call the Old Testament). God formed man from a combination of the dust of the earth and the breath of life from God. Then man became a living breathing creature (being, person, or living soul).
The trouble with “Hell”?
The problem with "Hell" in the New Testament is, it is a translation of three very different meaning words in the original Greek text with a single English word, “Hell.”
Basic Gehenna 101
Jesus spoke of a fiery Gehenna as an illustration of the fate which awaited those who ignored the commandments of God, I'm sure it made a vivid impression on his listeners.
Hades
The Hebrew word for the grave (figuratively or generally, the grave, where the dead reside, not a specific grave or graves) is “Sheol.” Sheol's Greek counterpart in the Septuagint and the New Testament is “Hades.”
Follow the BODY!
If you want to get to the bottom of something in a murder mystery it often pays to “follow the money.” Well, in the case of understanding the mystery of death and eternity it is an absolute necessity to “follow the body!”
Where the Hell is Gehenna?
Jesus said it would better to loose a body part that caused us to sin rather than have our whole body cast into Gehenna (usually translated “Hell”). The fact that a mortal physical body can be thrown into a place analogous with the fiery dump of Gehenna tells us a lot.
Everlasting, Eternal and For Ever and Ever
Describing the fate of mankind at the judgment, Jesus used an illustration of a shepherd dividing sheep from goats. Jesus said in Matthew 25 of the two groups (the goats and sheep representing the unrighteous and righteous) before him that the unrighteous would go to “eternal” punishment and the righteous to “eternal” life. Both these instances of “eternal” are the same Greek word. So shouldn't they mean the same length of time since they are used in a comparable way in the same sentence?
Is Anybody In Heaven or a Fiery Hell Yet?
Jesus said when he returned, not at a persons death; he would reward each person according to what they have done. What are the implications...
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.