Lesson 1: The Age of Catholic Christianity 70-321 AD
1. The Spread of Christianity
A. From Jerusalem to Antioch in Syria to Ephesus to Rome
B. Why did it spread?
1) The passion of the church
2) Their visible love
3) Their universal offer of salvation
4) The martyrdom of the faithful
2. Persecution
Their distinctiveness
Slander
The charge of atheism
Rome’s demand to worship Caesar
3. Though Rome was normally tolerant of other religions, it became intolerant of The Formulation of Truth or Orthodoxy
Because of the rise of error, there had to be an official statement of accepted belief.
Concerning Jesus
1) As God – to refute the Ebionites
2) As Man – to refute the Gnostics
Concerning Scripture
1) What would Christians die for? What was the Bible?
2) To answer Marcions, who denied the Old Testament and to answer Montanus, who denied the apostles.
4. The Rise of the Episcopacy or the Supremacy of the Bishop
By the 2nd century, the pastor became the central “overseer” or “bishop” of the local church. Soon, he would be the head of the church.
Why?
1) To answer heresy
2) For the re-admission of apostates during the persecutions.
Should the people who denied Christ under torture be readmitted to the church?
Cyprian of Carthage said that the confessing church could forgive the sins of apostates, provided that a system of penance be established. Two schools of thought responded to Cyprian.
1) Those of Novatian, who said the church as a “school of saints” and apostates could not be reinstated. Only God could forgive, not the bishop or any Christian.
2) Those of Cornelius, who said the church is a “school of sinners” and the bishop could forgive all.
5. A split arose. Cornelius was accepted and was elected bishop of Rome. As a result of this split, four germinal ideas arose:
The holiness of Christians could be sought for forgiveness or sainthood.
There was no salvation outside the church.
Forgiveness could be earned by penance.
The bishop had the power to grant forgiveness. In effect, the bishop had become the means of grace!
6. A Defense to the Intellectuals – The Rise of the Apologist
A. Until the 2nd century, a Christian had 2 choices – narrow unthinking orthodoxy or the total Gnostic acquiescence to Greek thought.
B. Now he had a third choice.
1) Christians felt a necessity to speak to the world in its rationalistic pursuit of truth.
2) There came a man in Alexandria who did just that: Clement, “A Messenger of Christianity.”
a. In philosophic garb, he brought about the first Rationalistic setting forth of Christian doctrine.
b. He demonstrated that Christianity is a religion of truth for the thinking man.
c. His student was Origen, who wrote the first systematic theology.
Service Project
Fellowship Ideas
Witnessing Testimonies
Prayer requests
Notes
Overall Theme: From a handful of fishermen in AD 30, Christianity spread across the known world by AD 400 and replaced every other religion. This happened without an army, money, influential people, buildings, or formal organization — despite Roman opposition. It is one of history's most incredible stories.
Context from the Book of Acts (AD 30–60): The first 30 years are covered in Acts. After that, the spread continued in "ripples" from major cities.
Factors that aided rapid spread:
Roman roads and the Pax Romana (Roman peace) enabled safe travel.
Common Greek language across the empire.
Existing Jewish communities familiar with the Old Testament.
A morally and spiritually sick Roman Empire ready for change.
How the church operated:
Spread by apostles (as missionaries/planters) and ordinary people, including commercial travelers and slaves.
Churches often started by unknown believers (e.g., the church in Rome was likely not founded by Paul or Peter).
Composed mostly of lower classes, slaves, and few "noble" or influential people (as Paul notes in 1 Corinthians).
No church buildings, headquarters, committees, or large funds.
Simple structure: local churches led by elders and deacons; evangelists for conversions; prophets for God's word.
Worship practices:
Believer's baptism by immersion.
Lord's Supper with bread and wine.
Mix of fixed prayers and spontaneous prayer.
Singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (no musical instruments or choirs).
The three major battles the early church fought and won (AD 60–400):
Spiritual Battle (with other religions, especially starting with the Jews):
Fought for the uniqueness and exclusivity of Christianity — Jesus is the only Son of God; salvation is in no other name; it cannot be mixed with other faiths.
Jews tried to absorb Christianity into Judaism (requiring Jewish laws like circumcision); Stephen became the first martyr for resisting this.
Jesus warned against mixing (new wine in old wineskins, new cloth on old garment).
Persisted with groups like the Nazarenes/Ebionites for ~300 years.
Won by AD 400: Christians could follow Jesus without adopting Judaism; pagan temples were deserted.
Mental Battle (with Greek philosophy and intellect):
Internal fight against twisting Christianity to fit human philosophy or intellect.
Key heresies: Marcionism (rejected much of the Old Testament and parts of the New, creating "two gods"); Gnosticism (spirit good/matter evil; Jesus only appeared human, no real body/death/resurrection).
Defended by early church fathers (e.g., Irenaeus in Against Heresies, John emphasizing "the Word became flesh").
Key outcomes: Formation of the New Testament canon (largely settled by ~AD 200 from apostolic writings); early creeds (e.g., Apostles' Creed affirming God as Creator, Jesus' real birth, death, and bodily resurrection); church councils.
Won by AD 400 with the Nicene Creed (AD 325): Jesus is "very God of very God," "begotten not made," "of one substance with the Father" (fought especially against Arius by Athanasius).
Physical Battle (with the Roman Empire):
10 major waves of persecution from Nero (AD 64) to Diocletian (AD 303), driven by irrational hatred ("they hated me without a cause").
Nero: Blamed Christians for Rome's fire; horrific tortures (skinned, burned as torches, crucified).
Examples of martyrs: Ignatius (fed to beasts, wrote encouraging letters en route); Polycarp (refused to curse Christ after 86 years of service); Blandina (tortured extensively in Lyon); a North African mother who prioritized Christ over feeding her baby.
Pliny (governor) was puzzled by Christians' moral lives yet tested them with "Caesar is Lord."
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church" (Tertullian) — the church grew under persecution; suffering sorted true believers.
Ended with Constantine's conversion (AD 312: vision of the cross, "In this sign conquer"); he made Sunday a day of rest and elevated the status of women and slaves.
Outcome by AD 400: The spiritual battle was fully won; the church had "captured the world" for Christ. Christianity became the dominant (and eventually only major) religion in the empire, spreading even to places like Britain (via soldiers; St. Alban as early British martyr), Africa, Syria, and India.
Relevance for Today (Pawson's application):
The same three battles continue, often more subtly: spiritual (syncretism/one-world faiths that sideline Christ's uniqueness), mental (redefining Christianity to fit modern philosophies), physical (persecution in some regions).
Learn from history to avoid repeating past mistakes and draw inspiration from the faithfulness of early believers.
Fight with truth, love, and boldness — God often uses "nobodies" powerfully.
Key People
Cyprian of Carthage (key figure in strengthening episcopal/bishop authority during persecutions):
Cyprian addressed the problem of Christians who had lapsed (apostates) under torture. He taught that the confessing church could forgive their sins if a system of penance was established. This sparked major debate and split the church into two camps. Cyprian’s approach helped develop ideas of penance, sainthood, “no salvation outside the church,” and the bishop as a means of grace.
Novatian (leader of the strict party):
Novatian took a much harder line. He viewed the church as a “school of saints” and insisted that apostates could not be readmitted by the church—only God could forgive such serious sins. This position caused a schism.
Cornelius (bishop of Rome, leader of the opposing view):
Cornelius represented the more lenient position: the church is a “school of sinners” that could forgive all sins (including apostasy) through a structured system of penance. His view prevailed; he was elected bishop of Rome. Together with Cyprian’s ideas, this contributed to four key emerging principles in church structure:
The pursuit of holiness/sainthood as tied to forgiveness
“No salvation outside the church”
Forgiveness earned through penance
The bishop’s power to grant forgiveness (making the bishop the “means of grace”)
Clement of Alexandria (early apologist):
Clement offered a “third way” for educated Christians—neither narrow orthodoxy nor Gnostic speculation. Speaking in “philosophic garb,” he presented Christianity as a religion of truth for thinking people, acting as a “Messenger of Christianity” and providing the first rational, philosophical defense of the faith.
Origen (Clement’s student):
Origen built on this by writing the first systematic theology, further strengthening the intellectual defense of Christianity.
Introduction & Overall Theme
Covers the first 370 years of Christianity: from a small group of fishermen in AD 30 to the dominant faith across the known (Roman) world by AD 400.
The church achieved this without armies, money, political power, or influential people — despite fierce opposition from the Roman Empire.
By the end of the Book of Acts (around AD 60), churches existed in major Mediterranean cities.
Factors that helped rapid spread:
Roman roads and Pax Romana (peace allowing travel).
Common Greek language.
Existing Jewish communities familiar with the Old Testament.
A morally and spiritually sick pagan empire hungry for truth.
Spread occurred mainly through ordinary believers (travelers, slaves — there were ~60 million in the empire), not just apostles.
Early Church Structure & Practice (Very Simple)
Local churches: groups of believers meeting in homes; led by elders and served by deacons.
No church buildings, central organization, or large resources.
Apostles planted churches; evangelists focused on conversions; prophets delivered God's word.
Worship:
Believer's baptism by immersion.
Lord's Supper with bread and wine.
Mix of fixed and spontaneous prayers.
Singing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (no musical instruments or choirs).
The Three Major Battles the Early Church Fought and Won
Pawson emphasizes that the church's success came from recognizing and winning these three battles:
Spiritual Battle (with other religions, beginning with the Jews)
Fight for the uniqueness and exclusivity of Christianity: Jesus is the only Son of God; salvation in no other name; cannot mix with other faiths.
Refused to blend with Judaism (e.g., Stephen martyred for this stance; rejected "new wine in old wineskins" idea).
Romans wanted syncretism (place Jesus in the Pantheon with other gods) — Christians refused and were accused of "atheism."
Lasted ~300 years; opposed groups like Nazarenes/Ebionites.
Victory: Christianity remained distinct; parallels modern interfaith movements or one-world religion efforts that sideline Christ.
Mental Battle (with philosophy, beginning with the Greeks)
Internal battle to keep the faith pure against intellectual attempts to reshape it.
Major heresies:
Marcionism: Rejected the Old Testament, split God into two (harsh OT God vs. loving NT God), cut parts of the New Testament.
Gnosticism: Matter/ body evil, spirit good; Jesus only seemed human (phantom); denied real death and resurrection; drew from various pagan philosophies.
Defended by leaders like Irenaeus (wrote Against Heresies), Origen, Tertullian, Athanasius.
Key outcomes:
Formation of the New Testament canon (recognized apostolic writings by ~AD 200).
Development of creeds (e.g., Apostles' Creed: affirms God as Creator, Jesus born of virgin, died, rose again).
Church councils to clarify doctrine.
Victory: Preserved biblical truth; modern parallels include existentialism or redefining Christianity to fit current philosophies.
Physical Battle (with the Roman Empire)
Persecution due to irrational hatred ("they hated me without cause" — John 15).
About 10 major waves from AD 64–303.
Notable examples:
Nero (AD 64): Christians used as human torches.
Pliny the Younger (AD 110): Tested Christians by forcing them to say "Caesar is Lord."
Martyrs like Ignatius (bishop of Antioch, fed to beasts), Polycarp (refused to curse Christ), Blandina (slave girl tortured in Lyon).
Decius and especially Diocletian (AD 303): Widespread destruction of churches, Bibles, and believers.
Church grew during persecution ("blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church").
Ended with Constantine's conversion (AD 312 — vision of the cross: "In this sign, conquer").
Issued edicts of tolerance; made Sunday a rest day; improved status of women and slaves.
Council of Nicaea (AD 325) addressed Arianism (denial of Jesus' full deity) and produced the Nicene Creed.
By AD 400: Pagan temples largely deserted; Christianity effectively the faith of the empire (later made official state religion).
Conclusion & Relevance Today
By AD 400, the church had "captured the world" for Christ — spread even to places like Britain (St. Alban), North Africa, Syria, and India.
The three battles (spiritual, mental, physical) continue in different forms today.
Pawson stresses learning from church history to avoid repeating past mistakes and to draw inspiration from faithful believers.
The early church's simple, powerful faith and willingness to suffer provide a model for us.
Flavius Claudius Julianus (Emperor Julian, reigned 361–363 AD)
For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galileans support not only their own poor but ours as well, all men see our people lack aid from us." — Letter to Arsacius, High Priest of Galatia
"These impious Galileans not only feed their own poor, but ours also; welcoming them into their agapae, they attract them, as children are attracted, with cakes."
Polycarp prayed: "I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ".
