The Conversion of Constantine I

1
Lecture IV
The Conversion of Constantine I ????????
2
The 1st Tetrarchy in 3rd Century???????????
Augustus Diocletian
Augustus Maximian
Caesar Galerius
Caesar Constantius
3
The 2nd Tetrarchy in 3rd Century???????????
Augustus Constantius
Augustus Galerius
Caesar Severus
Caesar Maximinus
4
The Confusion of Tetrarchy in West?????????

• In 306, Serverus was appointed as the Augustus in
  west by Galerius, the Augustus in east.
• But, Constantine was supported by his fathers
  army to be the new Augustus.
• Maxentius defeated Servertus and declared as the
  Augustus together with his father Maximian.

Augustus Severus supposedly
Augustus Mexentius Son of Maximian
Augustus Constantine
Augustus Maximian
5
The End of the Confusion of Tetrarchy????

• In 308, under the imperil agreement among
  Galerius, retired Diocletian and Maximian,
  Licinius to be the Augustus in west with
  Constantine as his Caesar Galerius as the
  Augustus in east with Maxminus as his Caesar.
  Maximina shall retired and Maxentius as the
  usurper.
• Constantine arranged the death of Maximian in 310
  and Galerius died in 311.
• Constantine defeated Mexentius in 312 and
  Licinius defeated Maximinus in 313.

Augustus Mexentius Son of Maximian
Augustus Constantine
Augustus Licinius
Caesar Maximinus
6
The Early Life of Constantine I?????????

• Grows up as a military man under his father ????
• A pagan and inclined to monotheism which is tied
  up to the worship of sun.?????
• His father, Constantius, held a favorable opinion
  of Christians as peaceable citizens and protected
  them in West. ????????
• In 306, claimed to be the new Western Augustus
  under the support of his fathers troops.
  ?????????????

Feb. 272 May. 337
7
Conversion according to Lactantius and Eusebius
??

• In early 312, Constantine crossed Alps with his
  army and attacked Maxentius. ??
• Night dream or Day Vision HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERI,
  by this sign you will conquer ????
• Being instructed of the Christian faith and have
  the Labarum painted on the shield of his
  soldiers. ????
• Labarum Two Greek letters of the word Christ,
  Chi (X) and Rho, (p)
• On Oct. 28th 312, Constantine defeated Maxentius
  during the crucial battle at Milvian Bridge and
  became the sole Western Roman Emperor.?????

8
After His Conversion????

• The edict of Milan in 313AD, issued by
  Constantine with Licinius ????
• Toleration of Christianity
• Great favor to Christianity
• The tile of Pontifex Maximus ?????
• In 323 AD, Constantine defeated Licinius and
  became the sole emperor of Roman Empire ??????
• Constantine called the council of Nicaea in 325
  AD and regarded himself as sort of 13th apostle,
  the apostle of those who were outside of the
  church as he put it. ?????????
• Being baptized at death bed in May 337 ????

9
Implication of His Conversion ??

• Christianity does become the official religion of
  Roman Empire under Theodosius the Great in 392
  AD.????
• Constantine founded the city Constantinople as a
  Christian city, selecting an old fortress to
  build it that there were no pagan temple. ???????
• In 312AD the estimation of the Christian
  population within the empire is 15, and 50 years
  after his death, 387AD, 95 of the population was
  at least nominally Christians. ??????

10
Is Constantine a Real Christian? ?????????????

• Some may view the conversion of Constantine as
  the source of all doctrinal and moral impurity.
  ????
• Based on the observation on all the conducts
  toward Church after Constantines conversion, it
  appears Constantine did make some kind of sincere
  profession and commitment to Christ. ?????
• It ends the persecution and gave the church
  relative peace for a century to solve a lot of
  difficult problems, and prepared the church for
  the task of next 1000 years which is to convey
  the Christian truth to the so called Barbarians,
  the Germanic peoples of Northern Europe.
  ???????????????????????
• When we look back to this situation though, we
  can scarcely question Gods providence. ?????
• The main lesson on Constantines conversion is
  that God is still able to draw to himself
  influential figures in this worlds affairs. 1
  Tim. 2 ????

11
The Relationship between Church and State????

• Caesaropapism (323 AD), King David, Constantine,
  characteristic practice of Byzantine Empire. ??
• Two Swords Theory (490 AD), Luke 2236-38,
  Augustine and Pope Gelasius I. ???
• The Theocratic State or Ecclesiostocracy
  (1100-1300AD), Moses and Samuel, demonstrated by
  Gregory VII in 1100s and Innocent III in 1300s.
  ??
• Separation of Church and State (in modern time),
  Matt. 22. ????
• The Atheistic State.?????