Orthodoxy - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Orthodoxy

2

nd

CenturySlide2

Church

The new coverts came from various backgrounds which brought various cultures

Syncretism was important to Greeks

Take different pieces from different beliefs

This brought different interpretations

Of course we still have thisSlide3

Church

The response was Orthodox Christianity

Orthodox-Approved form of doctrine or theology

Church developed canons, creeds, apostolic succession. Slide4

Theology

Theology comes from

theos

and logos meaning God and word or rational thought.

Theology-The attempt to give a rational thought about biblical beliefs,

Heretics helped the church because it was forced to develop good theology.

Face Book will do the same!!!!!Slide5

False beliefs

Galatians-Paul curses those who add Jewish regulations to Christianity

1 John- Christians must believe that Christ came in the flesh

1 Corinthians-Historical resurrection of Jesus is necessary for saving faith.Slide6

False Beliefs

Ebionites

-Jesus was merely a man with scrupulous beliefs that became Messiah due to His obedience to the Law and was thus Justified.

Doecetism

-To seem-Christ was not really a man but a spectral appearance. Only seemed to suffer man’s sins. Slide7

False Beliefs

Gnosticism-Most widespread heresy

Gnosticism-Comes from gnosis meaning knowledge

Was within the church

Gnostic Judaism defied: Creation and other teachingsSlide8

Gnosticism

Gnostics believed they possessed a special knowledge

This knowledge was secret key to salvation

All matter is evil or at best unreal

Human is eternal spirit trapped in a body

Body is evil so final goal is to escape the body from this material worldSlide9

Gnosticism

Supreme Being had no intention of creating a physical world but only a spiritual one.

So, a number of spiritual beings were generated

One of these spiritual beings fell into error with Supreme Being and created the physical world. Slide10

Gnosticism

Since the world is spiritual, still bits in the world in human bodies so the humans must be liberated from this.

A spiritual messenger must come to the world and awaken us

The messenger bring the “gnosis” secret knowledge for salvationSlide11

Christian Gnosticism

Christ is the messenger

Since He came to earth and bodies are evil most reject Him having an earthly body

Most denied His birth on this argument

He did not do miracles and was tolerant of other beliefsSlide12

Christian Gnosticism

Social Class-Upper class lived in heaven by knowledge and middle class lived by faith in lower heaven and lower class had no opportunity for salvation.

Some say control the body of its passions to weaken power over the spirit

Others say spirit is good and cannot be destroyed so leave the body to its own devicesSlide13

Gnosticism

Gnostic societies were clubs limited to intellectuals

Women had more freedom in Gnosticism

Possibly why women see decreased role from first century church to second

Gnosticism was a big threat due to denying: Creation, incarnation, resurrection. Slide14

Gnosticism

Gnosticism is a warning to all who try to raise Christianity to an intellectual pursuit

In an effort to reconcile the Gospel, science,

and philosophy, the gospel was lost

Cannot tie gospel to latest theories of manSlide15

Marcion

Father was a bishop so he knew Christianity

Disliked Judaism and material world

Went to Rome in 144 and gathered a following but was soon found to be a heretic

Since the world is evil, its creator must be

God and the Father of Jesus are not Yahweh of the BibleSlide16

Marcion

Yahweh made the world; the Father only wanted a spiritual world

Yahweh through ignorance or accident made the world and placed humans in it

Yahweh is an arbitrary god and vindictive

Far above

Y

ahweh is the Father of Christians

Jesus was sent to save us but not born of MarySlide17

Marcion

OT was word of an inferior God so should not be read

Only books written by Paul and Luke were accepted because the rest had Jewish views.

More dangerous than Gnostics because he denied same things but formed a church with bishops and lingered on for a few centuries. Slide18

Creeds

Marcion

and Gnostics forced the church to start gathering a list of sacred writings

No council yet but over time agreed upon

Apostle’s creed used as baptismal confessionSlide19

Early Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God Almighty, and in Christ Jesus His only Son, our Lord-Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary-Who was crucified under Pontius

Pliate

and was buried and on the third day rose from the dead-Who ascended into heaven-And sits on the right hand of the Father-Whence He comes to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost-The Holy church-The remission of sins-The resurrection of the flesh-The life everlastingSlide20

Today

False teachings and heretics

Prosperity gospel

Loose interpretations on charismatic gifts

Everyone won’t think the same or have same convictions

Cannot compromise

the Gospel