THE EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY  THE FAITH OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS

 WHAT DID JESUS’ DISCIPLES DO AFTER HIS DEATH? The faith of the early Christians is the perfect example of how God
wanted a united Church. Just like the first Christians, faith in our
A small community led by the apostles Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the Gospel. It is a spiritual
gift, and it is necessary to our salvation.
The first Christians followed the Jewish traditions
The small community of the early Christians follows the law of
 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHRISTIANS AFTER
love and lives in harmony with each other.
PERSECUTION?
They practice sharing and charity. Just like the humble beginning
Christianity spread throughout Roman Empire
of the Church, let us center our life in Jesus so that our moral life
will be focused on involvement for the common good.
The Church was established throughout Roman Empire
We are the present role models of a Christian community.
70AD is the destruction of the City of Jerusalem by the Romans
The perfect Christian community can be visible through our
put an end to institutional Judaism as a political power
sacramental life.
Paul contributed to the church in many significant ways. Paul
Actively participating in community prayer meetings and public
helped to spread the gospel far and wide, through his multiple
display of our faith would be a good start.
journeys and letters, conveying the message of Christianity and
the bible, preaching enlightening words of life and love, and
With these activities, we could influence others to join and be part
welcoming many people at the time.
of the joy that our faith brings.
2.1 THE FAITH OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS
 Faith Experience
 FOUR THINGS ABOUT THE LIFE OF THE EARLY
Different people have different experiences of faith.
CHRISTIANS:
They have diverse testimonies on how Jesus moved them to
small community led by the apostles
believe in Him.
follows Jewish tradition
He wants to make us into a better and more holy people, both on
the inside and the outside.
suffered many persecutions
 The characteristics of some who had a renewal or
Peter, Paul and the apostles spread Christianity
enlightenment in his /her faith:
 Things to remember:
read the Bible and share passages that are constructive to friends
Paul - his Roman name was Saul and is responsible for the spread
attend Mass every Sunday and reflect on the Gospel and homily
of Christianity.
give alms and extend assistance to the less fortunate
He converted the Gentiles or the non-Jew who were forbiddent to
enter the Jewish temples.
Be patient with people and events that seem to be disappointing
He wrote numerous letters to Christian communities to spread the
• THE SUFFERINGS OF THE EARLY CHURCH
words of Jesus.
Empathy is the feeling of caring brought about by such sensitivity.
Epistle - the Latin word for “ letter”
• What is the meaning of Christian suffering?
- the letters written by Paul to the early Christians.
It depicts the presence and reality of oppression and persecution
Paul had a vision of Christianity that made him a great missionary.
in the world. It presents an experience of physical pain and/ or
mental distress. Both in the O.T. and N. T. gives examples of
Katholikos - means the Church as universal.
physical, social, mental and spiritual persecution.
Nero - a Roman Emperor and a persecutor of Christians.
• Why were Christians persecuted in the Roman Empire?
During his reign as Emperor, Peter and Paul were martyred.
Christianity was a monotheistic religion. Early Christians held
AD 70 - the period of the destruction of the City of Jerusalem by firmly to the idea that all gods other than theirs were false gods
the Romans. and should not be worshipped. Also, Christianity was a new
religion. The Romans generally tolerated old faiths, but they saw
Pax Romana - is the period of time in Roman history when it is Christianity as a new thing and therefore as a mere superstition.
safe to travel Roman roads.
  What does the suffering and persecution tell about
Jesus’ followers?
The meaning of suffering is found in Jesus’ suffering, which is His
love for us, for our redemption. When we suffer with Christ, we
share in His sufferings, and at the same time his resurrection. This
suffering is called vicarious suffering.
• How did Christianity change from a persecuted sect to
a state religion in the Roman Empire?
In AD 306, Constantine became the Roman emperor. Like those
before him, He had allowed the persecution of Christians. In 312,
a conversion happened when he was waging a battle for
leadership in Rome. He reported seeing a Christian cross in the sky
along with these words:”In this sign you will conquer.”
He ordered his soldiers to put the symbol of the cross on their
shield and battle flags. Constantine and his troops were victorious.
The conversion of Emperor Constantine changed the condition of
Christians.
• What is the Edict of Milan?
This guaranteed the Christians full religious freedom. It was in
January 313 in Milan that marked the end of the persecution of
Christians. The age of martyrs ended. The era of a Christian
empire had begun.
 INTEGRATING HOLISTICALLY
The Church experiences many persecutions but she continues to
stand. She remains established because of the determined and
high-spirited members guided by God. They may be suffering but
God never abandoned those men and women who stood by the
faith that He has built. It shows that we can endure pain and
suffering if we have faith in Him.
In our moral life, our ancestors are perfect examples of how we
can be strong in defending our faith.
Everytime we attend Mass, do not forget to pray for our departed
members of the Church who have become instruments of what
we enjoy today.
The doctrine dimension of the lesson: “The Church will continue to
be present in spite of the problems and hardships she
experienced.
God will always be there to make it stronger and He will never
leave His Church.
• Challenge: As a grade 9 student, how to be guardians
and defenders of our faith?
Worship dimension: We include in our prayer and mass intention
our departed brothers and sisters.
 Things to remember:
Polytheistic – was the original Ancient Rome’s religion.
Constantine – made Christianity as the official religion of the
Roman Empire in AD 313.
Decius – the Roman Emperor who inaugurated the first empire-
wide persecution of Christians.
 The conversion of Emperor Constantine changed the
condition of Christians.
 The pronouncement of Christianity as the official religion
by Constantine immediately ended the persecution of
Christians.
 Christians were persecuted by the Romans during the
second century.
 The Roman Emperor Decius inaugurated the first
empire-wide persecution, ordering every single man,
woman and child in the entire empire to sacrifice to the
gods on pain of death.
 During the reign of Septimius Severus, during which two
of the most famous martyrs of the Roman period met
their end by being thrown to wild beasts
THE GROWTH AND SPREAD OF THE CHURCH
 Benevolence is showing goodwill and kindness to others
through openhanded actions.
 Understanding the following terms:
 Edict – an official order or proclamation issued by a
person in authority.
 Catholic - is simply derived from the Greek word
catholikos, meaning “universal.”
We call ourselves Catholic because it describes the scope of
Christ's saving mission and the extent of the community he
founded.
 Church Fathers -Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers,
or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential
Christian theologians and writers who established the
intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity.
 They are eminent teachers and great bishops
 Monasticism – is a religious way of life in which one
renounces worldly pursuits and devote himself/herself
in spiritual matters.
 Heresy - is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some
truth, which must be believed with divine and Catholic
faith.
 Ascetic - a person who lives a simple life, abstain from
the wordly pleasures and material satisfaction
 How did the persecution end and when did the victory
of Christianity make a great impression in the world?
 In A.D. 312, the Roman Emperor Constantine granted
Christianity a liberty after a miraculous vision at the
battle of Melvian, Bridge, which he believed granted
him victory over a pagan trival. Constantine legalized
 Christianity with his famous Edict of Milan in A.D.313
and continue to support and patronize the Church
throughout his reign.
 In A.D. 313, onward, the Church would continue in
power at the expense of paganism and all future
emperors would be Christians.
 Christianity did not come as a formal religion
immediately.
 In the year 380AD, it became the formal religion when
Thedosius put and end to all pagan practices and
temples.
 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHURCH AFTER THE EDICT OF
MILAN?
 The Church had developed a structure.
 A bishop led the Church in each City.
 Rome’s bishop is called the Pope.
 The start of the Roman Catholic Church.
 They established an organized government.
 There were eminent teachers and bishops called Church
Fathers.
 They developed a Christian creed or statement of
beliefs.
 WHO AND WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH AND
SPREAD OF THE CHURCH?
 The Church Fathers became Christian intellectuals and
theologians.
 Two significant Church Fathers were St. Jerome and St.
Augustine
St. Jerome -is particularly important for having made a translation
of the Bible which came to be called the Vulgate.
 Church Fathers
 St. Jerome - is known for the Latin translation of the
Bible as the Vulgate or common version.
 St. Augustine - He wrote the famous “City of God.”
which explains the salvation of mankind and God’s grand
plan.
 St. Benedict - was instrumental in providing order in the
early monastic movement.
 He was known for Benedictine Rule which provides
guideliness for people who intend to join and live the
monastic life.
 St. Thomas Aquinas was the greatest of the Scholastic
philosophers.
 He produced a comprehensive synthesis of Christian
theology and Aristotelian philosophy that influenced
Roman Catholic doctrine for centuries and was adopted
as the official philosophy of the church in 1917.
 Aquinas composed several studies on the Eucharist,
among which the most important fall into three genres:
the scholastic treatise or summa (especially the famous
Summa theologiae), biblical commentary, and liturgical
texts (the hymns, prayers and antiphons for the
Solemnity of Corpus Christi).
 St. Ignatius of Loyola -
 was a Spanish priest and theologian who founded the
Jesuit order in 1534 and was one of the most influential
figures in the Counter-Reformation.
 Known for its missionary, educational, and charitable
works, the Jesuit order was a leading force in the
modernizing of the Roman Catholic Church.
 Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) was a leader of the Spanish
Reformation.
 He founded the Society of Jesus, a religious order better
known as the Jesuits, and wrote the Spiritual Exercises
to guide the prayer life and spiritual formation of monks
who entered the order.
 Francis of Assisi, one of the Catholic Church's most
venerated and beloved saints.
 St. Francis is known for his ministry to the poor and
underprivileged, his care for nature and animals, and
founding the Franciscan order.Oct 4, 2019
 Famous Quotations:
 “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
- St. Jerome
 Our Heart were made for You, O Lord, and they are
restless until they rest in You.”
(St. Augustine)
 “Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as
to love.”
(St. Francis of Assisi)
 “Love takes up where your knowledge leaves off.”
(St. Thomas Aquinas)
The Church grow and spread:
 Their Faith in Jesus Christ
 God’s grace and guidance
 Many persecutions
 Teaching and lives of the Early Church fathers
  Making Christianity as the Empire religion

Most effective ways to spread Christianity:

 use social media to spread the Gospel

 Participate in Church and religious organizations like

Youth for Christ , Parish Youth Council, ....

 Set good examples of kindness which would inspire

others