CHURCH HISTORY: THE APOSTOLIC ERA, The Spread of the Faith from Jerusalem to Rome and the Graeco-Roman Civilization

This text is taken from a very old book entitled THE ARK AND THE DOVE. It is a two volume opus for High School students in the United States during the early 1960's. The presentation is very simple and clear. It is educational and apologetic as well.

The two books were given to me as a gift by my former parish priest: Rev. Fr. Josefino Victor 'Fr. Jovi' Sebastian of the Diocese of Malolos and now assigned in Bocaue, Bulacan. The good pastor gave it to me to satisfy my insatiable and non stop questioning about the Bible, Church History, etc. Indeed, it helped me a lot and made me love the Holy Mother Church - The Roman Catholic Church - all the more.

Piece by piece I will be bringing to life this old book here in this Blog. I believe that the copyright is no longer operative for this one. It now belongs to the common patrimony of the faithful but if ever there is still a person or an institution with copyright authority over it then I will remove the text in this Blog. I decided to preserve the text of the book because my printed copy has started deteriorating rapidly. It is unacceptable for me to put into oblivion a wonderful testimony of faith contained in that material.

I hope that this will benefit your faith as it has done to the first year high school Abe Arganiosa way back 1982.

Jesus Returning the Keys to St. Peter by Jean Auguste Ingres, 1820

THE FIRST EPOCH –

CHRISTIANITY ANTIQUITY, 33 A.D. TO 476 A.D.

The first epoch of Church History we have designated as Christian Antiquity. It covers the years from the first Pentecost in 33 A.D. to the fall of Rome in 476. We shall subdivide it into two parts: the first, Early Growth and Persecution of the Mystical Body, 33 to 313 A.D., the second. Christ’s Mystical Body Defends True Doctrine Against Heresy, 313 to 476.

A. EARLY GROWTH AND PERSECUTION OF THE MYSTICAL BODY

FIRST CENTURY: THE ERA OF THE APOSTLES

1. Founding of the Church

With the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in 33 A.D., the Church springs to external life and activity. The Apostles and disciples are no longer a mere assembly of individuals, but members of the one Mystical Body of Christ, the Church of the Living God, and the history of the Church, properly speaking, begins.

From the Upper Room stream the twelve Apostles with glowing zeal for the spread of the Gospel. Peter preaches the first sermon to Jews and Gentiles gathered from all parts of the Empire. Three thousand join the Church. The other Apostles soon follow his example.

At first their efforts were only among the Jews and in Palestine. But soon the Holy Spirit showed them that salvation was for the Gentiles also. With the beheading of St. James the Great about 42 A.D. they left Jerusalem and scattered to every point of the compass, planting the seed of the Glad Tidings of Redemption wherever they went. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit the seed soon showed signs of divine fertility. A new supernatural life is born and begins to grow in once-pagan hearts.

The Two Pillars of the Roman Church, Sts. Peter and Paul, in fraternal embrace

a. St. Peter and St. Paul

St. Peter left Jerusalem after being set free by an angel. Acts 12, 1-17. He first fixed his Episcopal see at Antioch. Later, Rome, the imperial city and heart of the Roman Empire, became the See city of the head of the Church. Thenceforth it was the center of unity for all true followers of Christ.

At about this time (51-53 A.D.) the Holy Spirit strengthened and inspired St. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles to undertake three tremendous missionary journeys that led him into the lands on the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Aided, as were other Apostles, Paul preached, baptized, ordained bishops, and established the Church wherever he went. He has given us a brief record of the labors and sufferings he endured for the sake of Christ and the spread of His Church in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, 11, 24-28.

In the year 51 A.D. the first Church Council was held in Jerusalem. It was called to settle the vexing question as to whether the ceremonial observances of the Mosaic Law were binding on the Gentile Christians. St. Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, officially declared they were not, thus making the first ex cathedra pronouncement in the history of the Church.

The Stoning of St. Stephen, the proto martyr of the Church

2. Persecution Begins

Within thirty years of the establishment of the Church, the Apostles – such was their zeal - had made converts in all parts of the wide-flung Roman Empire and beyond. So many had become Christians that pagan Rome was disturbed.

a. First Persecution

On July 18, 64 A.D. a devastating fire broke out in Rome and destroyed ten of the fourteen sections of that great city. The degenerate emperor, Nero, to divert blame from himself, accused the Christians of having set the fire, and a terrible persecution broke out. This, the first great persecution, lasted from 64-68 A.D. The Christians were crucified, fed to the wild beasts, and used as living torches to light the Roman gardens for the night festivals, but by the power of the Holy Spirit of God they remained faithful.

St. Paul had been arrested in Palestine about this time, but he was sent to Rome for trial because, as a Roman citizen, he had used his right to appeal to Caesar. Acts 21, 17 to 28, 31. St. Peter was also apprehended and both suffered martyrdom in Rome on the same day, June 29, 67 A.D. The Prince of the Apostle was crucified, head downward, tradition tells us, on the Vatican Hill; St. Paul was beheaded on the Ostian Way, outside the city walls.

Christianity had spread quickly indeed up to this time, but once the soil had been moistened and enriched by the noble blood of the martyrs the triumphant march of the Church was like that of a forest fire before the wind. By sacrificing their natural life for Christ the martyrs gained eternal life for themselves and won supernatural graces for countless others.

A few years after the death of the two great Apostles, the city of Jerusalem was surrounded by Titus. Following a long and terrible siege and in the midst of famine and pestilence the city fell. Thousands were massacred and, in fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy concerning the Temple, not a stone was left upon a stone. Since that fateful day the Jews have been without sovereign, nation, Temple, or priesthood.

b. Second and Third Persecutions

There followed several decades of comparative peace, and then in the years 95-96 the Church once more found itself at death grips with pagan Rome. This time it was under Domitian in the second persecution. During it St. John suffered the ordeal of being placed in the vat of burning oil, from which he escaped unscathed only to be exiled to the island of Patmos where he was favored with the great revelations which he has recorded in the Apocalypse.

A third persecution followed quickly under Trajan as the century drew to a close. It continued far into the following century so we shall study it later. Nor were the persecutions the only trials of the Church. She was forced to defend the true doctrines of Christ against the heresy of the Simonians and especially that of Cerinthus who, with his followers the Cerinthians, denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. It was to combat this heresy that St. John wrote his Gospel in 98 A.D.

Map of St. Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey

3. THE GOOD NEWS SPREADS

By the end of this century, the Church, with the grace of the Holy spirit, had made immense strides, she had carried Christ’s Gospel to Scythia and Greece with the help of St. Andrew; to Phrygia and Asia Minor with the cooperation of St. Philip; to Arabia, and Armenia with St. Bartholomew; to Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia with St. Jude; to North Africa and Persia with Simon Zelotes; to Spain with St. James the Great, brother of St. John – to mention but six of the Apostles.

a. Aids and Drawbacks in the Spread of Christianity

The marvelous growth of the Church was due chiefly, as we have already indicated, to the guidance and assistance of the Holy Spirit. However, the truth and nobility of Christian doctrine itself attracted human minds and wills, and the zeal and tremendous labors of the Apostles, the unflinching conviction and courage of the martyrs, also aided. But there were at the same time serious obstacles.

The Roman religion was state religion. To preach any other was treason. The emperor was revered even as the gods. Besides that, the morass of depravity into which pagan morals had sunk was terrible and so depressing as to discourage any hope of redemption. On the contrary, the Christian code of morals was strict though noble. Moreover, false reports were circulated against the Christians and their religious rites.

These drawbacks, however, were balanced by numerous favorable conditions whish divine Providence had arranged. The Roman Empire united vast provinces in peace under a single government. There was a common language, Greek, which facilitated communication of ideas; a farflung network of excellent Roman roads; pagans hungry for what Christianity offered; a Gospel embracing the poor and the rich in a brotherhood of love; a doctrine of the forgiveness of sin, of the dignity of man, of a future life of eternal happiness.

These and other things there were which even from a natural point of view favored and helped the spread of Christ’s Church. Yet the task was so tremendous, the obstacles so great, the instruments used so weak that only one thing can explain the great success – it was a divine accomplishment; it was the work of the Holy Spirit operating through willing instruments.

Photograph of Codex Vaticanus, one of the oldest copies of the Bible

4. THE NEW TESTAMENT

In the course of these years of the first Christian century, not only was the Gospel preached everywhere, but the entire New Testament was committed to writing. Between 42 and 98 A.D. the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the twenty-one Epistles, and the revelations of the Apocalypse were set on paper. With the last word of the Apocalypse and the death of St. John, the period of public revelation was closed and the Deposit of Faith was complete. But even before this was accomplished the mustard seed – symbol of the Church – had already sprung up and was well on its way to becoming a tree.

If anyone should wish to read a first-hand, eyewitness account of the history of the Church in these early days he should take up St. Luke’s Acts of the Apostles in which are recorded the early deeds of the Apostles in Palestine and St. Paul’s astounding work for Christ. The Epistles give some added information concerning this period.