This week will be a light week. I would like you to read through and journal… No vocabulary this week!
The Church of Rome (journal entry)
We ended with the Roman Empire conquering the church.
Remember the early Christians just wanted to simply worship Jesus. They read Scripture, sang, tithed and celebrated the Lord’s Supper. All that changed when Constantine I tried to unite the church and the Roman Empire. This led the way for Christianity to become the only legal religion in the Roman Empire.
Joining the church was only for convenience and social reasons. Because it was the only legal faith, people were becoming “believers” but were still pagans at heart.
By the Middle Ages the church lost the simplicity it began with and strayed from its biblical foundations.
Early on there were many independent churches. After the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem in AD 70, the importance of that church ended. All the churches respected the church at Jerusalem.
The Bible teaches that the church is the body of believers. The term “catholic” means universal or one. This term began being used to describe this “invisible” church- one that resembled the early church. This invisible catholic church would eventually dominate Christianity and distort the faith.
The Catholic Organization (journal entry)
Because there were so many churches and “believers” it would require an organization. The catholic church organization would come to dominate over all the churches with the church of Rome as its headquarters.
The apostle Paul thought highly of the church of Rome and records it in his letter to the Romans. But never did he say that the church was supreme over all churches.
Irenaeus, an early church father, declared that every church must agree with the Church of Rome. He even claimed that Peter and Paul founded the church of Rome which is not supported by Scripture. Ultimately the Church of Rome became the “capital” of the Catholic Church.
Church Leaders (journal entry)
The first century church had many leaders called deacons and bishops.
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain… Titus 1:5-7
One major error the church made was departing from the standards of Scripture on church organization. Soon the church, instead of having leaders, had only one bishop- which no longer was an overseer but a powerful church official.
The Bible talks about leadership and order in the church.
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” Do not admit a charge against an elder exception the evidence of two or three witnesses.-1 Timothy 5:17-19
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith… Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Hebrews 13:7,17
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:1-5
Ultimately, the bible declares that Christ is the true Head of the church. Ephesians 5:23
Corruption begins (journal entry)
The infiltration of these believers with pagan hearts, brought into the church all of their ideas and began corrupting the simplicity that the early church adhered to.
There was an idea called the apostolic succession, which said:
- that Christ had appointed the apostles to succeed His ministry on earth
- that the apostles had appointed bishops as their successors
- that these successors had in turn appointed successors of their own
- and that much, if not all, of the authority of the apostles (and ultimately Christ) had therefore been passed down in the unbroken line to the current bishops
The Bible did not support any of this. This false doctrine led to what was called the Petrine theory (Petrine theory, the basis of Roman Catholic doctrine on papal primacy, resting partly on Christ’s bestowing the “keys of the Kingdom” on Peter (the first pope, according to Roman Catholic tradition) and partly on Christ’s words: “And I tell you, you are Peter [Greek: Petros], and on this rock [Greek: petra] I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18)). This idea came when the bishops of Rome joined with the idea of apostolic succession and the misuse of Matt 16:18-19. It said:
- that Christ founded His church upon Peter (Matt 16:18)
- that Christ made Peter the visible head of the Church (Matt 16:19)
- and Peter transmitted this power to his successors, the bishops of Rome, the first of whom(after himself) he appointed.
The Bible never speaks about Peter acting as head of the church and in fact he warned against it in 1 Peter 5:1-3
This gave rise to the Roman Catholic Church- the Roman church is supreme over all churches and bishop is supreme over all bishops. These bishops became known as “pope” (Latin: papa or father), which went against Jesus’ instructions in Matt 23:8-12-
8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your [a]Teacher, [b]the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be [c]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be [d]exalted.
With this came in a whole lot of false doctrines, rituals, and traditions.
Boniface VIII- “every creature to be subject to the Roman pope is altogether necessary for salvation.”
John Wycliffe (journal entry)
John Wycliffe stood up against these false practices that were in the church. He gave the English people the Bible in their own language. He translated it from Latin to English and had copies written out by hand. Around this time the church was saying that the people could not read scripture themselves, only the bishops.
CVCA World History 