Sola Scriptura Scripture Alone

1
Lecture II
Consolidation of the Church in 2nd and 3rd
Centuries ????
2
Who Came First, Heresy or Orthodoxy??????

• Heresy came first and the Orthodoxy was merely a
  response to the heresy (the Liberal View) ????
• Orthodoxy came first.????
• By definition, a heresy is a deviation from
• 2 Tim. 113 ?????????????????????????????????
  (Titus 21, Judas 3)
• The dogma, the official teaching (truth), comes
  in reaction to error.
• The distinction between the theological error and
  heresy??????????

3
Gnosticism, the Earliest Heresy ?????

• Origin ??
• Basic premise shared among various sects ????
• Major attacks on Christianity ?????????
• The consequence ?????
• Early key representatives ?????? (Simon Magus,
  Cerinthus)

4
The Issue of Authority?????

• Three types of Authorities appealed by Early
  Church ????
• Monarchical Episcopacy
• The formation of creeds
• The establishment of Canon
• Three pillars of authority in Roman Catholic
  Church?????????
• The magisterial authority of the church
• The tradition
• The authority of Scripture
• The real authority must be found in the Holy
  Sprit speaking through the Scriptures ?????

5
The Development of Episcopacy???????

• Episcopos (Bishop) and Presbyteros (Elders) in NT
  (1 Tim 31-7 Titus 15-9) ?????????
• The emergence of one leader and the claim of
  Apostolic succession ????????????
• Ignatius (35-107 AD) and I Clement (98 AD)

6
The Beginning of Creedal Formulations (1)???????

• Creed is from Latin Word Credo I believe??
• Scriptural Basis ????
• Deut. 64-5 ????,?????????????????????????????????
  ??
• Matt. 16 16 ???????,?????????????
• 1 Cor. 153-5a????????????, ??,
  ?????????????????, ?????? ??????, ??????,
  ????????
• Rom. 109?????????, ???????????, ?????
• Two wrong views on creed ??????
• No Creed but Christ
• Traditionalism

7
The Beginning of Creedal Formulations (2)???????

• Using of creed in early Church ?????????
• To check the faith of the adult converts during
  Baptism ceremony
• To guard the wrong views of Christ in Church
• Apostle Creed ????
• Final form in 8th century
• Substance in 5th century
• Question form in 3rd century
• Could be dated back to early 2nd century

8
The Establishment of NT Canon (1)???????

• Two Dangerous Directions in Early
  Church???????????
• Marcions trimming of the Canon (110-160 AD)???
• Traveled to Rome in 142-143 and attracted lots of
  people.
• His Scripture includes revised Luke, and ten
  Pauline epistles.
• Being excommunicated by Church of Rome in 144.
• Montanisms adding to Scripture with supposed
  prophecy (170 AD)?????
• Founded by Montanus in Phrygia.
• Montaus together with another two women,
  Priscilla, and Maximilla claimed to have direct
  revelation from Holy Spirit adding to the
  Scripture through the prophecy and charismatic
  gifts,
• They emphasized strict standards of conduct,
  zealous martyrdom.

9
The Establishment of NT Canon (2)???????

• The question, what are the writings really do
  constitute the Scripture? ???
• Three aspects from historical development
  ?????????
• Internal evidence of apostolic authority within
  NT Scripture (Col. 416 1 Thess. 213 Gal.
  16-9)
• Quotes in the early church fathers (Clement,
  Justin Martyr, Irenaeus)
• Other early translated versions
• Conclusions, by end of 2nd century ??
• No more questions about the Gospels, Acts,
  thirteen Pauline Epistles, 1 Peter and 1 John
• Some hesitation on the Books Hebrews, James, 2
  Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude and Revelation.

10
The Establishment of NT Canon (3)???????

• Further Historical Developments ????
• Eusebius Bible
• Athanasiuss Easter Letter in 367AD
• Council of Carthage in 397AD under the influence
  of Augustine
• Jeromes Vulgate in 405AD
• Luther, Calvin and Westminster Confession (1640s)
• Reformed Positions ??
• There are evidences but it is really the work of
  Holy Spirit that produces the Canon and persuades
  Church what is the Canon.
• It is not that the church came first and it
  produces the Bible but the Holy Spirit produced
  the Bible and guided his people in recognizing
  the books of Canon.

11
Important Early Church Fathers???????

• Greek Fathers (East)
• Ignatius (35-107 AD)????, Bishop of Antioch
• Polycarp (69-155 AD)???, bishop of Smyrna
• Irenaeus (130-200 AD)???
• Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD)????????
• Origen (185-254 AD) ???

• Latin Fathers (West)
• I Clement (98AD)??????
• Justin Martyr (100- 165AD)??????
• Tertullian (155-220 AD)???
• Cyprian (200-258 AD) ???, Bishop of Carthage

12
Origen, the most influential Christian theologian
in 3rd century???

• His Life (185-254AD)
• The Synthesis of philosophy and faith
• His Major Works
• Hexapla, edition of OT in Hebrew and Greek
• Commentaries, allegorical interpreting principle
• On First Principles
• His Influence
• His hierarchical view of Trinity leads ultimately
  to Arianism.
• His views about preexistence of souls, final
  restoration of all spiritual beings were
  condemned in 5th Ecumenical Council,
  Constantinople II (553 AD).

13
Heresies in Early Church????????

• Ebionism (70- 300 AD)
• Docetism (100 AD)
• Marcionism (144 AD)
• Montanism (170 AD)
• Sabellianism or Modalism (200s AD)
• Dionysius of Alexandria (247-264 AD)
• Novatian Schism (251 AD)
• Paul of Samosata (260-272 AD)

14
Sabellianism or Modalism ?????????

• Background Taught by Sabellius early 3rd century
  in Rome.
• Major Teaching Father, Son and Spirit are modes
  of the same being, or successive roles adopted
  for the purpose of divine redemption plan.
• Also being labeled as Patripassianism, the
  doctrine that the Father suffers.