February 22, 2005 The Early Church's First Four Centuries

by Fr. Stephen Dominic Hayes, O.P.
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When I was going through school we did the Greeks and Romans but then we fast-forwraded through to Columbus and 1492. A lot of people don't know ancient history at all. The whole business of the Church's beginnings is shrouded in mystery. Some of the early years are in scripture itself. We have some references to the Church in the first century but they're fairly scant outside of Christian literature.

I will try to explain this the best I can. The dates for Jesus are given as 6b to 30ad. That would be 36 years, some of these dates are pretty soft. There is a Roman coin that shows a ram looking over a head of a star. It was in 6ad and it commemorates a kind of sovereignty occurring in the house of David. The Romans probably struck it because they put their own rule over Judea in the same year. Some people think this refers to the Bethlehem star.

Roughly 6 - 28ad, our Lord is in his hidden life. The last three years of His life would be when everything was happening and then His resurrection and ascension is the beginning of the Church's life. We have the Acts of the Apostles as a witness to this. Dates on this would be 30 to a few years before 62ad.


62-65 marks the date of the Peter and Paul and the first persecution of Nero. There were 10 emperors who persecuted Christians.

The next section I would say is 62 - 96 from Nero to Trajan in terms of emperors. The death of Peter and Paul facilitated crisis in the Church because the the apostles are beginning to leave. The pattern in Jerusalem was as such, gathered together and listened to the apostles afterwards they celebrated the breaking of bread in their homes (the Eucharist) they were faithful to the fellowship.

This marks the beginning of the Church community. The brethren on the first day saved 3,000 souls and then they start being persecution, St. Stephen, and others. The apostles scattered with their flock. So, the Church got propagated through persecution.

Jerusalem gets too 'hot' so Peter goes to Antioch, And it is there when they are called Christians for the first time. It is different from Jerusalem because it had a lot of greek culture there. The city people and businesses were in greek but normal/everyday speaking was Aramaic.

Antioch was important from the early days by the year 62. In here we find Christian communities in most of the large cities of the empire and outside of it. The reason for this is the Roman empire had put to rest their external enemies. The network of roads helped trade and the exchange of ideas so we find Christian communities growing up in these Jewish communities. The Roman empire was about 10% Jewish. Some of these would have been Palestinian Jews and others would be converts. The Jews were also treated very well.

After 62ad, it becomes obvious that the apostles aren't going to be with us forever and Jesus is not coming back yet. We know He's coming but not yet. The teaching of the apostles was the way the Faith was communicated. We don't have a New testament yet. The apostles that are witnessing are beginning to leave us. One by one they are put to death. Only one that doesn't die as a martyr; who marks the other date I gave, you, 96ad, the last of the apostles to die.

The material that we have is associated with John is that it combines both sophisticated theological and primitive. He was in Ephesus near Turkey until 96ad.


There is another date that is crucial; 70ad. That marks the day, in accordance with the prophecy of Jesus, that the temple was be destroyed. Jews revolted and the Romans crushed them savagely. Jerusalem was under siege and they were reduced to cannibalism inside the walls. Another famous stand was at Herad's dessert fortress, the zealots, who were one sect of the Jews and the essenes who were monastic, they made their stand there. And in the Roman history it's written that they put themselves up in that fortress that was in a plateau above the dessert floor. There was no way to get to it other than by crawling up the side. It's not something you can march armies up. So, The Romans built a ramp to the top. It took them two years. When the Roman legionnaires came to the top the defenders had all committed suicide.

It was a disaster for Judaism. The whole area that is in the bible is gone by the year 70. The samaritans became the "priests of all people" the zealots were gone and the pharisees were left to be responsible to resurrect Judaism. And that's associated with the year 90ad.


At this time there is a separation between the communities that exists today. The first Christians were Palestinian Jews. Very quickly gentiles came into the Faith. Once they saw the gentiles receive the spirit, they were welcomed in the church. But what do you do with non-Jewish table habits? It's not kosher. Many things were repulsive to Jews, the first council made the first regulations for the Church. Even in the Acts of the Apostles, they have a council and it exercises authority. They began with "it has seen good to the Holy Spirit and to us." they count their deliberations along with the Holy Sprit. Not just from man.

The Church has always seen itself as a reality that is overseen by the Holy Spirit. Can you name any other institution that has been around since the Roman empire? An unbroken line of CEO's as the centuries go on, the Church continues because the Holy Spirit given by Christ protects her. It's a womb for saints. It is within her that people are shaped for glory. Her special purpose is to maintain the truth of Christ to the world. These are themes that resound through the whole of Church history.


Let's talk about Truth for a bit. During this time we have the formation of the New Testament and the books begin to be written, they're not always accepted however as scripture. Some books get very quick acceptance; Peter, and Paul's writings. The Gospels come in through different communities and circumstances.

We have four main bases of Christianity at this time, Jerusalem (until 70ad) the Christian community continued to be there though. This becomes more and more a place of pilgrimage as well. There is the Antioch community; well educated and was where Peter was before Rome. Rome itself where Peter and Paul were put to death. Then there is the foundation made in the other great commercial city in the ancient world, Alexandria in Egypt. Where Saint Mark was.

In the shape of the Gospels, Mark is associated with Peter, Luke is close to Paul, but I wouldn't say the Acts is Pauline theology. (Luke being the author of Acts.) Luke's Gospel has a lot on the power of the Holy Sprit.

Matthew's Gospel has an interesting history. Matthew the apostle wrote down sayings of Jesus in his own language. Each one translated as best he could. One thing we know is that the Gospel of Matthew we have is not the Gospel he wrote. It may be a translation to greek.

The other two Gospels in Mark and Luke track almost exactly. John's Gospel is much later, John has always struck me as this is the Gospel that was written with the other three in front of it. Reading the accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke, they all talk about Jesus baptism. But John has nothing. However, we have John's account of Jesus baptism, it's a twist on the others. The other three have the last supper but in John we don't have that. In fact, it's upside down. In Matthew, everyone dips but Judas, but in John the only one to dip is Judas. Then he leaves early after communion (don't even get me started on leaving early) because he has a business appointment.

Another thing about John's Gospel it has been adapted at least once. It said Jesus went about baptizing but then it said the disciples went around baptizing. An editor seemed to go through to make it clear what the apostle really meant.

The Dates of the Gospels... Mark: 62-65 around the death of Peter some have dated it earlier, there is one scholar that is being laughed at, but based on some scrolls, has claimed a date of 43. Which would put it within 10 years of his resurrection which would be amazing. Matthew is assigned to 70, Luke to 80, John 96

By the death of the last apostle the Gospel is written in place and most all the writings are compiled. Some say Paul's letters to Timothy may have been adaptations of several letters. The oddest one is the revelation of John, there is all kinds of theories as who wrote it and when.

When I say the dates above I say when it was written not when it was accepted or used.

We find the third bishop of Antioch was one of the first of the Christian writers outside of the scriptures. In one of his letters he mentions the Bethlehem star, which only appears in Matthew. He is almost certainly the one who put it in the pulpit of Antioch. So he would have been bishop while that was written. If you look between the lines, you can see the history of how things got into the pulpits.

Revelation was written by John but they say it wasn't John the apostle because the greek seems to be two different people entirely. The greek in the apocalypse is awful greek, from someone who speaks a Semitic language first and foremost. It was suggested that perhaps it was John's but a secretary honed the Gospel. The Eastern Church didn't accept revelation until about the 4th century. They still don't read it liturgically.

The interesting thing here is we find that the scripture itself is not fully in place in the Church until the beginning of the 5th century. That's amazing. The writing and the acceptance of the scriptures. Why not the letters of St. Ignatius or pope Clement? Why Mark's Gospel and not Thomas?

The Church settles on these as representing the Jesus she preaches. There was no copyright on God, He never wrote a book. What he did, is He founded a church and set the Holy Spirit over her. And that is how we understand the scriptures.


From the earliest time we see a formation of sacraments; a pattern of the way things are done. Jesus, at the last supper said, "Do this in memory of me" which is the taking of the wine, the bread and the blessing of it, the breaking of the bread and the Holy Communion.

The Eucharist is celebrated many ways in the different parts of the Church. There are four major centers and there will be a fifth, the 'new Rome.' There is different ways this is celebrated and Sunday becomes very important from the tradition of meeting Jesus on Sundays between the resurrection and the ascension. The pattern of Sunday worship is based on the meeting with Christ, not the going to temple. It takes different shapes in different ways.

The sacraments are administered with a fundamental structure which the Church figures out what that is by meditated on them and she looks at the practices in the Church to bring them out. Practical questions were asked.


Jesus sometimes was coopted by people outside the Church. This is a good time to talk about heresy. By 90ad there is a clear distinction between Judaism and Christianity. Christianity was not accepted. Only people who were admitted to baptism would have Eucharist. This meant that you had people who heard rumors that they eat flesh and blood. And they misinterpreted things they heard. Christians also took very seriously their allegiance to God and nobody else so there was a distance between them and others around them.

There was a duty to the state who gives you laws and food so why not offer incense to the statue of divine Augustus? Christians won't do that. Jews would do it because it was more of a tribal religion but Christianity was not like that and they took their religion seriously.

How dangerous is this religion to the health and life of the state? They don't take part in ceremonies, they don't go to the games. The Government is not happy with the Christians because they're not playing the game; they're not fitting in. So, persecution begins with an uncomfortability around Christians and then it became full-blown persecution.

There were some emperors, Marcus and Dioclesion, who were called "good emperors" that cared about the health of the Roman state, and precisely for that reason they persecuted Christians. But Commodus just cared about feeding his belly so he didn't persescute the Christians.

The latter persecutions are the worst, Nero's was over shortly but Dioclesion was very systematic. His didn't break out until around 303ad near the end of his reign. He would offer the Christians to offer incense then before their god. If you don't, you die, if you do, they give you a certificate. Sometimes people would pay for the certificate. We have some in museums with these certificates in them. There are some where the clerk, the judge and the whitness have the same family name.

This provoked a crisis in the sacraments. What do you do with someone who does this? They have denied Christ. Can you give absolution to such a person? That was a question in the ancient Church. A famous "visionary" suggested that Jesus won't forgive some sins. Murder, apostasy, adultery, idolatry. They were considered sins that cannot be forgiven. This was a running gun battle between several bishops.

Cornelius I said they will give absolution but in those days confession was still pretty tough. You do a public confession of sins. Then you would be driven out of church until you finish your penance which sometimes lasted until the end of your life. Thank God for the Irish monks in the 8th century!

It was a time of great penance. One of the things Christians were doing in this period were preparing themselves for martyrdom. There was young women would live their lives for the Lord, before there were religious orders in this time. Some would be outed when they ask the girl to marry. After 3 or 4 of these refusals they would surmise she's Christian. What kind of woman turns down a good marriage again and again?

Many of the virgin martyrs were put to death this way. St. Agnes was one of them, put to death at the age of 12. Do you know what 12 looks like? She was facing all sorts of tortures. She didn't quake. She chose to live and die for Christ. She received on the way to her execution more offers of marriage. They thought she exemplified the old Roman courage and this brought more people to the girl.

Additus, we don't know his real name, he was attending the games and he was so moved by what the Christians were going through he leapt into the arena to share in their glory.


Along with persecution is a growth of apologetics. If you're being persecuted you need to tell people that you're not what they think you are. So many writers sprang up encouraging Christians and others wrote defences of the Faith. Ignatius of Antioch encouraged Christians; the first to mention the "Catholic Church."

The apologetic writers where Totoleran and Oregen and an anonymous letter, that seemed to be to a provincial governor, explains who Christians are. He explains the Eucharist, and other aspects of Christian life.


The third thing that happened is that because the Church could not control everything they taught, this was the birth of heresy.

You find the first heretics came from outside Christianity and coopted Jesus as a teacher. You find that now where people want to say He's an "ascended master" like Buddha but He's not God, etc. The first group that taught this was the Gnostics. We find these in the references of St. John. So, against this you have apologists like Eraneaus who wrote around 175ad. He had a detailed a book called "Against Heresies" there seemed to be hundreds of heresies in his own time. Very strange philosophical and spiritual systems. Nicolaitans, Ophites, Marinates (sp).

Gnostics had a greek philosophy that Jesus was a spiritual man who was never incarnate. The Gospel of Thomas had this idea in it, it's well after the apostolic period. The Jesus in it you wouldn't recognize. He was never incarnate, Jesus didn't die on the cross, he switched Simon of Cyrene for himself and rose to heaven laughing at the fool below him. This is not the Jesus that the Church knows!

You find these books every so often like the Qur'an and the book of Mormon, and so forth. The purpose is basically the same, to undermine the Faith and what was already given.

Marcion had the opposite effect. His bible exclusively was the Gospel of Luke, the Acts and the epistles of Paul. Polycarp, who taught Irenaus and sat at the feet of John the apostle was the Bishop. Marcion asked Polycarp to recognize them. He said, "I do, as the spawn of Satan." It's nice to have bishops that speak their mind!

The Church had a hard time controlling the growth of heresies, it wasn't until later that they could do much about it. Many people were converting which made most of the latter persecutions more frantic.

Dioclesian initiated a system to consolidate the empire he appointed a co-emperor and they appointed successors. The empire was divided into two sections for this. He retired and his successors came in and in the end it began to be problematic. The eastern emperor persecutory terribly.

Constantinus Clorus married a Christian named Helena and their son was Constantine and he was appointed as Caesar of Spain, Gaul, and Britain. When civil war broke out among emperors he was declared emperor by his own troops, and when Constantine met his opponents he saw a vision of the Christian cross. He placed the cross on the shields and they won the battle. He and his Co-emperor issued an edict of tolerance and he rebuild the empire. He never was baptized until his deathbed.

Question: Was that normal for people in public office to not be baptized until later?

Yes, if you had to go to confession during your reign, would you not want to be out in front of the Church doing penance the rest of your life!

A heresy founded by a priest in Alexandria. The Arian heresy said Christ was made by the Father, not divine, but the instrument in which God views the world. The Father is Jesus' God and the world looks to Jesus as a God. Jesus and the Father are really distinct. They are two beings, one is made. This was their teaching.

This is a good example of a heresy. What you do is take a true idea and make a system out of it. Do you know where you recall this doctrine today? (Answering: Mormonism) The Mormons have three. But the other is Jehovah's witnesses.

This is something that the Catholic Church got language on in it's councils. Arianism was simple and appealed to many but it doesn't fit within Catholic theology. He takes one thing and simplifies the Truth into falsehood.

In some cases bishops were elected who were Arians. This became a problem within Christians and then it affected the government because they wanted to get the bishops together to work it out. So in 325 the council of Nicea worked it out. Where God is one substance with three persons.

Question: Was the Arian heresy the origin of... (didn't catch it all)

It was a reaction to it. So you ended up with Monophysitism which was the other direction. This was another Egyption heresy. It meant there is only one nature in Jesus Christ. The notion is taken from the words of St. Athenatius who was a defender of Catholic Truth. When he said the word of God took flesh, they interpreted this as the Divine Son took the place of the human body. So there was a human body but a divine soul. That means Jesus is not human. The other thing such as His death, how does one die who is not human. The separation of soul and body so if you die without a soul, you can't really die.

The interesting thing is that after the death of Constantine, the Arian party got in good with Constantine's brother who became emperor. Who started pushing Arian bishops into everyplace he could. He nearly got out every Catholic bishop in the world.

His nephew Julian was brought up with an old fashioned education and early on loved the pagan literature of Rome. Julian was assigned a chaplain who ended up detesting him and Christianity. When he was emperor, he shut down the Roman empire's alliance with the Christian church. He renovated paganism, he gave statutes and laws to the pagan priesthood for celibacy. He established the old festivals and took out the Christian ones. He took out the bishops (most of the Arians) and eventually he was murdered. He fought in the far east and died with an arrow in his throat.

The next emperor, Theodosius, was a Catholic and he re-established the Catholic Church until 395ad. He established the official religion of the empire as Christianity. The senate had tried to return the paganism to the senate chamber and Theodosius refused it.


That brings us to the end of the fourth century. See how far the Church came in this short amount of time? In 410ad, the Goths, who were a federated people, marched on Rome and sacked it. There are differences now, the Goths didn't touch any Churches, because they too were Christians. They were Arians but they respected Christ and knew His churches.

By the end of the 4th century the Church was now a player in history instead of a small group/band.

In 5th century more people were converted; those who didn't even hear of Rome.


Question: You were going into the four centers of Christianity. Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria?

The 5th was Byzantium which Constantine made.

Question: We know the first four popes were considered traveling popes because they didn't necessarily settle into Rome. When did they finally settle in Rome?

Pope clement is associated with Rome. Peter moved around, Linus was another that went around but they mainly did stay around Rome. Clement we know from his two letters. He didn't move around though, he wrote from Rome. John the apostle was still around at that time but we have a successor of Peter who is correcting the Church from Rome which is interesting that John was not made Pope.

I have never heard the business about the first four traveling, I know they moved around but not officially.

Question: Early on in the first century you mentioned the word "bishop". When did the Church develop their local hierarchy and interact with each other.

We seemed to be very shattered in that first century. What seemed to happen in those places is that the clergy, in the area after the bishop was lost, presented a new person to the people and they accepted him. There were appointments of bishops in different places especially in the great centers. There were Church councils that said that some bishops of different areas appointed other lesser cities.

We find the pattern in the new testament. If you read Timothy's letters. St. Paul is sending Timothy to preside over an area that already has presbyters. You can see the present division of labor between priest, bishop and apostle there where it becomes quite clear when the apostles are gone. Ignatius of Antioch says every church must have a bishop and priests, etc.

But what Paul does in the letter of Timothy, who he has laid hands on, tells him to preside over the church overseers. Which I would say he is providing a bishop over the local priests. So, Peter uses the word interchangeably. He calls himself the presbyter presiding over presbyters. But by 110ad we pretty much find everywhere this structure of bishop priest and deacon.

Question: Nicea was the first council?

Jerusalem was the first on in Acts of the Apostles. The first big council after that was the council of Nicea. There were other small ones. Jerusalem was the basis for all future councils. You have this going on in the Acts of the Apostles. You did have local councils of bishops in an area. Like heresies that were restricted to a particular place.

Question: What would you say is a good book on how the canon of the bible was put together?

It depends, I hesitate to give you one book. "Reading the New Testament" by Pheme Perkins. Nice readable book.

Our help is in the name of the Lord. (Who made heaven and Earth.)