Simplicity of worship

Worship in the book of Acts was simple.

The believers met in houses and at the temple.

The temple was the centre of Jewish social life – believers met there.

The believers did not separate themselves from Jewish society.

Love feast – eating together and remembering the Lord’s death through the bread and the wine.

Meeting on the first day of the week.

Collection for the poor.

Believers met anywhere.

The simplicity of leadership in the early church – ministry gifts.

Leaders were:

Serving the body of Christ.

Building up the body of Christ.

Ministries producing ministries.

The simplicity of leadership through ministry gifts replaced by positions of power.

Ministries replaced by positions of power. Holding high office.

Justin Martyr (100-165)

Born Samaria

First Apology

Second Apology

Justin Martyr describes the simplicity of worship in his first Apology (c.150AD)

Justin Martyr (c.100-165) First Apology (c150AD).

Weekly Worship of the Christians

1. Believers met on the first day of the week

2. Read scriptures

3. Broke bread and wine and water

4. Extempore prayer by the leader called ‘the president’.

5. Singing

6. Bread and wine taken to the believers who are not present by the deacons.

7. Offering – leader has charge of the finances.

8. Distributes to those in need.

Simplicity of worship left no archeological evidence of Church life.

Early Church came together for

Fellowship (including eating together)

Teaching

Prayer

Had no special buildings for worship

No images or statues

Only evidence of early church in the first two centuries are writings.

Earliest known church building (c.240 AD) – Dura-Europos (Syria-Iraq border)

Dura-Europos - Oldest Church building.

Dates from about c.240AD.

Baptistry (Reconstruction) Picture of Jesus healing the Paralytic

Dura-Europos is situated by the Euphrates River on the border of Syria and Iraq.

Development Of Church Basilicas

The Old St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome

Built by Constantine (4th century)

The Early Church was a community of people living among the people.

Believers lived holy lives within the community

There was no separation from the community.

The idea of separating from society developed through emphasis on ascetism as a way of holiness.

The development of monastic communities contrasted with the simplicity of believers within the community.

Four Stages of the development of Monasteries (Schaff).

First Stage Asceticism and acts of self denial.Still closely associated with the Church in society.

Second StageLiving as a hermit. Anthony (c 251-356) Separation from society.Moved to mountain caves. Some remained on a high pillarSimeon Stylites (c.390-459) – father of the pillar saints.

Third StageDevelopment of MonasteriesPachomius (c.290-c.346) - first to organise monastic communities in the East.Gathered a community of hermits. Having all things common.Over 3000 monks.

Fourth StageDevelopment of monastic orders in the West: Arose around leaders. Began with Martin of Tours (c.335-c.400)Celibacy, Strict lifestyle, Totally submitted to authority of the Church

Second phase - Individuals isolating themselves from society

Anthony (c.251-356)

Life of Anthony written by Athanasius.

Lived in Alexandria, Egyptian.

Born into family of wealthy parents.

In 285 he gave up his wealth and began to live the life of a hermit.

Anthony resided in the desert.

Later Anthony resided in an old Roman Fort.

Went further into the desert. The monastery of St. Anthony the Great was later built here .

Anthony’s ascetic lifestyle became highly regarded in waging warfare against the devil.

Second phase - Individuals isolating themselves from society

Simeon Stylites (c.390-459) – father of the pillar saints.

Ruins of the pillar of Simon Stylites in Syria Wikipedia 'Simon Stylites' (CCASA 2.5)Simon Stylites on his pillar

Simon Stylites lived on his pillar in Syria for 37 years.

Third phaseMonastic communities

Pachomius (c.290-c.346)

The monastic community of Pachomius

The Bodmer papyrus probably came from here.

Basilica of Pachomius in the foreground

The place where the Gnostic Gospels were found is in the background

Nag Hammadi

The Gnostic Gospels were found at the Nag Hammadi library which was located here.

This was probably a library of the Pachomius monks. The books were probably hidden as the Gnostic Gospels were forbidden.

Nag Hammadi Codices

Fourth Phase - Rise of different monastic orders in the West:

Benedictine - Founded c.529 by Benedict of Nursia (c480 –c.543)

Cluniac - Founded in 910 at the abbey of Cluny, France.

Cistercian - Founded by Bernard of Clairvaux 1090-1153.

Franciscan - Founded by Francis of Assissi 1182-1226.

Dominican - Founded by Dominic de Guzman 1170-1221

Augustinian - Order founded 1244 by Pope Innocent IV d.1254.

Following the Rule of St. Augustine.

Patrick c.390 – c.461

At 16 taken captive by Irish pirates sold to farmer in Northern Ireland.

Worked 6 years as slave farmer.

Escaped went to Gaul

Went to Monastic School in Gaul.

Returned home but heard voices calling him back to Ireland.

Went back to Ireland c.432

Preached Christ to crowds in the open fields.

Planted many churches, baptised over 100,000 converts.

In Armagh founded a monastery.

Primary Source 'Confessions of Patrick'

Columba c.521 - 597

Irish Celtic Missionary

Born in Donegal County, Ireland.

Ordained deacon and priest c.551

In 563 left Ireland with 12 others. Landed on the Island of Iona.

Founded Monastery on Iona.

Evangelised the Picts.

Taught those who already confessed Christ.

Started many churches.

Retained close links with Ireland.

Died by the altar in his church while conducting midnight devotions.

The early church was led in simplicity by the Apostles.

The Apostles did not separate themselves from the community of believers.

There was no separation between clergy and laity.

The church was one body building itself up in love.

Celibacy was not a requirement of leadership.

The Apostle Peter was married.

Aquila and Priscilla were a married couple who led and taught the church together.

A church council was called at Jerusalem (Acts 15) but the final decision was made by James not Peter.

Peter was not above being corrected (Galatians 2)

Peter opposed those who lorded over the believers and John was opposed by one who lorded over the believers.

Leo meets Attila.

Painting by Raphel (1514)

Attila falls back in terror at the sight of Peter and Paul.

Leo (16th century) is the figure representing Leo

the Great.

Leo the Great (c.400-461)

´For the solidity of that faith which was praised in the chief of the Apostles is perpetual: and as that remains which Peter believed in Christ, so that remains which Christ instituted in Peter.` (The Petrine Doctrine of Leo the Great)

Sermon of Leo the Great

III. S. Peter's work is still carried out by his successors.

The dispensation of Truth therefore abides, and the blessed Peter persevering in the strength of the Rock, which he has received, has not abandoned the helm of the Church, which he undertook. For he was ordained before the rest in such a way that from his being called the Rock, from his being pronounced the Foundation, from his being constituted the Doorkeeper of the kingdom of heaven, from his being set as the Umpire to bind and to loose, whose judgments shall retain their validity in heaven, from all these mystical titles we might know the nature of his association with Christ.

And still to-day he more fully and effectually performs what is entrusted to him, and carries out every part of his duty and charge in Him and with Him, through Whom he has been glorified. And so if anything is rightly done and rightly decreed by us, if anything is won from the mercy of GOD by our daily supplications, it is of his work and merits whose power lives and whose authority prevails in his See.

The early church was built upon the Apostle’s doctrine.

Simplicity of faith – the gospel of Jesus Christ

The authority of Scripture alone (the Apostle’s doctrine).

The simplicity of faith in the authority of Scripture alone was replaced by unquestioned submission to the authority of the Church built upon tradition and faith.

Tradition held to be of equal authority as scripture.

The Church becomes the final authority

Pope holds the Keys.

Gregory the Great (c.540 – 604)Held highest civil office until he resigned after he inherited father's wealth in 575

Made father's home a monastery.

And in the same year (575) became a monk (Benedictine Order).

Built 6 other monasteries in Sicily

Became strict ascetic.

Appointed ambassador to Imperial Court in Constantinople 578 – 585.

Returned to Rome made Abbot of Monastery he founded.

Appointed Pope in 590

Pope Gregory sent Augustine to evangelise the British Isles.

Augustine arrived in Britain in 597 went to Canterbury with the aim of converting King Ethelbert.

Gregory the Great (Pope 590 – 604 AD)

Held tradition to be equal with scripture, and upheld the doctrines of:

• Good Works

• Penance

• Purgatory

• Veneration of Relics

• Mass as a sacrifice of the literal body and blood of Christ

• Celibacy of the clergy

• Liturgy in worship

• Episcopacy – Promoted the authority of the Bishop of Rome as head of the Church

• Missions – He sought the conversion of Anglo-Saxons.

• Music – Gregorian Chant

• Believed Church had the right to be involved in matters of State.

• Interpreted the Bible allegorically

The Donation of Constantine

12th century fresco from Rome showing the Emperor Constantine transferring worldly power to Pope Sylvester I during the 4th century.

In the 15th century the donation of Constantine was shown by Nicholas of Cusa to be a forgery.

It was forged in the 8th or 9th century during the Frankish Empire

The Donation of Constantine

…affirms that Constantine, when he was baptized by pope Sylvester, a.d. 324 (he was not baptized till 337, by the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia), presented him with the Lateran palace and all imperial insignia, together with the Roman and Italian territory.  

The object of this forgery was to antedate by five centuries the temporal power of the papacy, which rests on the donations of Pepin and Charlemagne.  

The only foundation in fact is the donation of the Lateran palace, which was originally the palace of the Lateran family, then of the emperors, and last of the popes. The wife of Constantine, Fausta, resided in it, and on the transfer of the seat of empire to Constantinople, he left it to Sylvester, as the chief of the Roman clergy and nobility.

Hence it contains to this day the pontifical throne with the inscription: "Haec est papalis sedes et pontificalis."  There the pope takes possession of the see of Rome. But the whole history of Constantine and his successors shows conclusively that they had no idea of transferring any part of their temporal sovereignty to the Roman pontiff.

History of the Christian Church, (1910 edition) Volume IV, Chapter IV, § 60, by Philip Schaff

Pope crowns Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor (800 AD)

The power of the Pope was increased through Charlemagne and Pepin. Land was given to the Pope and Charlemagne accepted his crown from the hands of the Pope

The False Decretals

In the mid 9th century a collection of letters belonging to Isidore, a Spanish bishop who died in the 7th century, were produced.

The letters consisted of Church law and pope’s letters. But also some letters claiming to have been written by Bishops of Rome from Apostolic times.

The letters claimed that the pope had been appointed by the Lord to be head of the Church, to govern according to his own will, and the pope had always used this delegated power.

The collection of letters are called the ‘False Decretals’.

The letters were held to have been authentic and increased the power of the Pope.

Hildebrand

Became Gregory VII (c.1020/1025-1085)

1. Increased power of the papacy

2. Introduced celibacy as a requirement of priesthood.

3. Investiture controversy – appointment of church officials.

Pope Gregory VII’s Dictatus Papae (1075) claimed that only the Pope as head of the Church could appoint Church officials.

Gregory VII (c.1020/1025-1085)

Henry IV wrote to Pope Gregory VII taking away his protection.

Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Henry IV.

Henry IV backed down

1077 Henry IV walked to Canossa in Northern Italy.

Henry IV stood as a penitent before the Pope.

Wore a hairshirt

Stood in the snow barefooted.

Pope lifted the excommunication.

The fact that the Pope was able to humiliate a King in this fashion elevated papal authority in the minds of the people.