HC1310: EARLY CHURCH

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HC1310 EARLY CHURCH

• INTRODUCTION II
• Tradition

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Early Church 100 A.D.
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Domitian 81-96
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I PETER 1.1-2

• Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the exiles
  of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
  Asia, and Bithynia, who have been chosen and
  destined by God the Father and sanctified by the
  Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be
  sprinkled with his blood. . .

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I PETER 1.8-9

• Although you have not seen him, you love him and
  even though you do not see him now, you believe
  in him and rejoice with an indescribable and
  glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome
  of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

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I PETER 1.22-25

• Now that you have purified your souls by your
  obedience to the truth so that you have genuine
  mutual love, love one another deeply from the
  heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable
  but of imperishable seed, through the living and
  enduring word of God. For
• All flesh is like grass
• and all its glory like the flower
• of grass.
• The grass withers,
• and the flower falls,
• but the word of the Lord endures
• forever.

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II PETER 3.1-2

• This is now, beloved, the second letter I am
  writing to you in them I am trying to arouse
  your sincere intention by reminding you that you
  should remember the words spoken in the past by
  the holy prophets, and the commandment of the
  Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles.

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Walker, A History of the Christian Church (4th
ed.) p. 33

• The last third of the first century. .
  .represents a time of crisis not only for Judaism
  but for the new Christian movement as well. The
  great leaders of the early yearsPaul, Peter, and
  Jameswere dead. Furthermore, the church was
  beginning to be noticed, if only occasionally and
  locally, by the authorities . . Not surprisingly.
  . .this time of trouble and transition brought to
  light serious debates and differences within the
  Christian communities themselves. Questions arose
  about the meaning and practical implication of
  their message concerning the risen Christ. It is
  understandable therefore that this era produced a
  significant spate of Christian literature and
  that this literature almost uniformly reflects
  the churchs need to stabilize their life and
  witnessto define their tradition and thus to
  establish their independent identity.

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CLEMENT OF ROME c. 30-c.100

• Author of First Clement which stresses formal
  authority against the unruly Corinthians.
• Roman Catholic Church counts him as 4th Pope.
• Perhaps mentioned in Phil. 4.3 (I ask you also,
  my loyal companion Syzygus help these woman for
  they have struggled beside me in the work of the
  gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my
  coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.)
• Martyred under Emperor Domitian

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IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH D. 117

• 7 letters (Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians,
  Romans Philadelphians, Smyrnaeans, Polycarp).
• Written en route to his martyrdom in Rome under
  Emperor Trajan.
• Distinguished between bishop and elder and
  defined monoepiscopate.
• Opposed early form of gnosticism.

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HERMAS (late 1st to early 2nd century)

• Author of The Shepherd his subject is visions
  and parables.
• Contemporary of Clement
• Perhaps former slave
• Perhaps Jewish

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Barnabas (late 1st-early 2nd century

• Wrote Epistle of Barnabas
• Familiar with allegorical method (Philo)
• Perhaps Alexandrian Jew

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PAPIAS (c.60-130)

• From Hierapolis (southeast Asia Minor)
• Author of Exposition of the Oracles of God
• Premillennial on eschatology
• Perhaps acquainted with John
• Claimed Marks Gospel based on Peters words
• Claimed that Matthew originally in Aramaic

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POLYCARP (c.69-160)

• From Symrna (west coast Asia Minor)
• Acquainted with John
• Compiled and preserved letters of Ignatius
• Confronted Marcion as the first born of Satan
• Martyred under Antoninus Pius

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DIDACHETeaching of the Twelve Apostlesc100/150

• Originated in Syria, Palestine, or Egypt
• Provides moral ordinances for community life of
  church
• Cultic teaching on baptism, fasting, prayer, and
  Lords Supper

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TRADITION (paradosis, traditio)

• Delivery

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TRADITUM

• A piece of specific information from the past,
  for which there is no independently acceptable
  evidence, and the validity of which is bound up
  with the sheer fact that it has been passed on.

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Adherence

• The adherence to a tradition is a fact of the
  structure of society. To put it differently,
  adherence is the social structure which possesses
  the tradition.
• Edward Shils

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FUNDAMENTAL SOCIAL ASSUMPTIONS OF TRADITION
(Pieper)

• The absolute superiority of the past over the
  present.
• Confidence in an enduring social structure.
• No premium on creative thought.
• Obedience to tradition by sheer allegiance.
• Truth is absolute