THEOLOGY - 2nd Quarter - LT

Theology – 2^nd Quarter LT

Lesson 1 : Jesus, the Foundation of the Catholic Church

v  Dr. Jose Rizal : Jesus

JESUS

Ø  Jesus was the foundation of the Catholic Church.

Ø  Did not provide blue print in founding the church

Ø  Became an inspiration to many

Ø  Gathered people from villages and towns which grew into the Catholic Church

-          Took meals together, celebrates joyfully

Ø  Dynamic Jewish preacher 2000 years ago - sermons

Ø  Miracle worker - healings

Ø  Spent His early years in Nazareth in Galilee

St. Paul:

“You form a building which rises on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the capstone.”

Ephesians 2:20

“Through Him the whole structure is fitted together and takes shape as a holy temple in the Lord; in Him you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.”

Ephesians 2:21-22

GOSPELS (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John)

Ø  Provided the important source of His life

Ø  Not meant to be a historical or biographical account of Jesus

Ø  Written to convert unbelievers to faith in Jesus as the Messiah

Ø  Matthew & Luke – His infancy (first 2 chapters)

Public Life of Jesus:

ü  Begins with baptism by John the Baptist at Jordan River

ü  Took meals together with his followers

ü  People had soothing feelings when they were called as the light of the world, the city of God and the salt of the earth

ü  They felt they were a family with those whose who has the same devotion to God

-          Common devotion to God’s will united them more than any bond of flesh and blood

-          Jesus sought out the social outcast

-          They felt the greatest treasure – absolute assurance of salvation, not dependent on their own achievements, but on the absolute goodness of God

CHRISTIANITY

ü  Emergence in 1^st century – revolved around Jesus

ü  His followers were inspired & strengthened by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost day

ü  Preached the word of God relating their experiences about Jesus

Vocabulary

• foundation– basis upon which something stands

• Pentecost – Christian feast on the 7^th Sunday after Easter commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles

• Catholic – of, relating to, forming the church universal; forming the ancient undivided Christian church or a church claiming historical continuity from it; comprehensive universal

Lesson 2 : The Spread of the Church

• The birth of the church occurred on Pentecost day after the resurrection.

PENTECOST

- “Birthday of the Church”  

- The 12 apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, which confirmed their faith and ignited in them zeal to witness publicly and urged others to believe, repent and be baptized.

• The church is inaugurated with the spectacular outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

“All were filled with the Holy Spirit”

Acts 2:4

•The Holy Spirit gave birth to the APOSTOLIC CHURCH – the first Christian community.

Three Functions of the Holy Spirit:

1. To give life to the whole body
2. To unify the whole body
3. To move the whole body

(cf. LG, 7)

Peter – led the apostles

                - with James and John

                - preached the first sermon and worked the first miracle

• They spread to the cities of Roman Empire

• The church remained completely Jewish.

                - Their new faith in Christ did not make them break with the Temple or the Law.

                - The Acts of the Apostles emphasizes how faithful they were to daily prayer in the Temple.

Jerusalem

- Their message was spread to the Jewish communities scattered along the Mediterranean coast.

STEPHEN

                • A Jew turned Jewish dissident

                • Was arrested and denounced by the highest court of the Jews (SAN HEDRIN) for speaking against the temple worship

                • Stoned to death

• His followers sought refuge and began to preach the Gospel.               

Antioch

- Preaching of the Gospel to non-Jews, the GENTILES.

- Made Antioch as center of missionary work among Gentiles.

- Converts were evangelized liberally and prevailed in Church

- When great members of Gentile converts began to stream into the church, a debate sprang up as to whether it was going to remain an exclusively Jewish affair or to encompass all of mankind.

SAUL of Tarsus (Paul)

                • stripped the church of its Jewish character and adapted it to reach out to all of mankind.

“What makes a man

righteous is not obedience to the Law, but faith in Jesus Christ… if the Law can justify us, there is no point in the death of Christ… when Christ freed us, He meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.”

Ga. 2:16, 21; 5:1 

• The conflict between the Gentile converts and Jewish Christians became bitter and the unity of the church was strained.

To resolve the conflict…

• The first council was held at Jerusalem (year 49).

                - Peter is in favor of the Gentiles and showed by the experience that the uncircumcised Gentiles also possess Spirit.

“We believe that we are saved in the same way as they are through the grace of the Lord Jesus.”

 Acts 5:11

• Paul started to make his ambitious goal – to travel and take the Gospel to the whole world.

• COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM – gave freedom to the Gentiles

• The labors of Paul  and other missionaries made the Church spread rapidly.

• Year 59 : Paul had exhausted his journey in the eastern Mediterranean.

• The expansion of Christianity owed much to general political, social, and cultural trends.

Favorable Conditions brought about by Rome’s dominance of the Mediterranean world:

• It bound together the diversity of people of many races and languages with its marvelous system of roads and shipping routes.

• The universal language at this point in time was Greek, which the missionaries had adapted in preaching the Gospel in almost all its large cities.

• The world was largely and relatively peaceful during the reign of Emperor Octavian Augustus.

                - more freedom for Christian missionaries to spread the church.

• There were intrigues, suspicions, and bizarre crimes.

- provided a great opportunity for a religion that could help fill the spiritual vacuum experienced by many.

Lesson 3 : The Church’s Leaders and System of Authority

v  The church presented itself as an institution towards the end of the 2^nd century.

-          Assumes a clear system of authority with its hierarchy

-          Jesus conferred authority on His 12 apostles

v  They were aware that there was a “Risen Christ” that brought the existence of the Church

v  Church is compared into a community of people formed by the apostles revolving around Jesus.

v  Matthew 16:13-19

-          Jesus asked Simon Peter who he is. He said, “You are the Son of God”

-          He assigned Simon Peter (son of Jonah) to be the “Rock”

-          On this rock he will build His church

PETER – first bishop of the church

BISHOP

ü  Greek : episkopos = “supervisor or overseer” = elder, presbyter

ü  Governed the churches collectively at first but gradually one man took over the power and concentrated the various ministertial works with his hands

ü  Presbyters – subordinates of the bishop

ü  Center of the congregation

ü  All-important functions were vested on him

ü  Has the right to lead public worship and administer the sacraments

ü  His authority was handed by the virtue of his succession in a line reaching back to the apostles

-          His teaching will be in conformity with his predecessor

3 ELEMENTS ON WHICH THE CHURCH BUILDS A DURABLE STRUCTURE OF AUTHORITY

1. through bishops

2. through a canon of Scripture -  body of writings recognized to contain the authentic tradition about Jesus, the church would be subject to them as an absolute norm of its life and faith

3. through the formulation of a creed – the church upheld its authority in asserting faith in our God, in the incarnation of God in Christ Jesus and in the Holy Spirit through whom prophets were inspired to foretell the salvation events

v  The individual churches that existed during the Roman Empire were aware of their unity in Jesus.

v  They kept the churches in touch with each other by frequent visitations

-          Bishops began to meet in synods

-          First synod – 160-175 in Asia

v  Some churches acquired the metropolitan status (ex: Rome, Alexandria, Antioch) – elevated them over the other churches

v  Rome – destined to possess a unique role as the center of Church unity.

-          1^st : It claims as the See of Peter and Paul

-          Pre-eminent example of the apostolic succession

-          2^nd : Capital of the empire – attracted many

-          3^rd: Influence over other churches – it became a very wealthy church known for its charity and willingness to provide assistance to other

Vocabulary

• institution– organization in a society or culture

• hierarchy– ruling body of clergy organized into orders or ranks each subordinate to the one above it

• deacon– subordinate officer in a Christian church; ranking next below a priest

• Canon – authorative list of books accepted as Holy Scripture; accepted principle or rule

• synod– ecclesiastical governing or advisory council; assembly of bishops

Lesson 4: Persecutions of the Early Church

v  ROME allowed many religions to flourish.

v  Romans declared war against the Christians

- they thought that their aim is triumph over other religions

NERO

Ø  Year 64 - persecution

Ø  Provincial governors were forced to persecute the Christians

Ø  Decius – one of the cruellest emperors

-ordered all Christians to make a public act of homage to Roman gods

 - Pope Fabian and Sixtus II – suffered and died at the hands of their torturers

v  Barbarians attacked the Empire’s gates

v  They blamed Christians for their suffering.

- their existence was an insult to Roman gods

EMPEROR DIOCLETIAN

Ø  his decree resulted to all Christian places of worship destroyed sacred books burnt

Ø  Christians cant assemble and are not protected by the laws.

Ø  2^nd decree: bishops, priests, and deacons were persecuted

GALERIUS

Ø  decree of 311 – permitted Christians to resume their religious gatherings

MAXIMUS DAIA

Ø  about to persecute Christians but Constantine came

CONSTANTINE

Ø  new conqueror of Italy and Africa

Ø  sole master of the Western World

Ø  stopped Christian persecution

Ø  hailed as Emperor  by his troops on the death of his father but immediately had to face a rival, Maxentius

Ø  won in Year 312 and attributed his victory to God

Ø  favored the Christians

Ø  made an agreement  (complete religious tolerance) with the ruler of the eastern half of the empire at Milan

Ø  Changes he made:

-imposed restrictions on pagan practice

-displayed Christian symbols

-attached the standards of the army to a cross decorated with the monogram of Christ and minted coins with his picture wearing a helmet stamped with the same monogram

Ø  intervened in Church affairs to secure unity

Ø  contributed so much for the church

-basilicas (over the alleged site of the tomb of Peter & Jesus in Jerusalem)

-donated his palace in Rome to the bishop of Rome for a residence

-many Churches in Byzantium (when he moved the capital of the empire)

Ø  bestowed significant privileges to the clergy

-exempted from military service & forced labor

-invested decisions of the bishop with civil authority

-modified the Roman law towards Christian values

-Sunday – rest day

Ø  punishments for offenses

MAXENTIUS

Ø  rival of Constantine

Ø  secured Rome as his stronghold

LACTANTIUS & EUSEBIUS

Ø  Christian writers

Ø  wrote 2 accounts on the eve of Constantine’s fateful battle with Maxentius

-Constantine in a vision of Christ was told to adorn and became victorious

-Constantine and his entire army saw a luminous cross, which appeared in the sky with the message “in this conquer”

CHALLENGES OF CONSTANTINE

o   Event in Alexandria, Egypt

-Presbyter Arius debated Alexander (his bishop) about God the Son’s relation to God the Father

-Ecumenical council at Nicea (May 20, 325) - He was forced to gather 220 bishops in the first general

-not settled; remained until he died

v  Church had many advantages but carried some drawbacks.

- Church’s freedom was violated – civil authorities exploited the relationship for political agenda

- power of State was used to enforce Christian doctrines – church was expected to support the state

- Church looked weak and corrupt

- Mass conversions were encouraged

- Dissenters were persecuted (menace to the unity of the State and the church)