distinction he made.

He says, “The church was collected there [at Jerusalem] of the Gentiles; the first
bishop after those of the circumcision, was Marcus.” [5] Before that time the bishops had been of the
circumcision, or Jews; now they are of the Gentiles, because the Gentiles are the only ones who can come
there to worship. Therefore we can see here a very decided change of attitude in Christian worship at this
time.

Anti-Jewish Feeling
From this time on the Christians desired to differentiate as much as possible between themselves
and the Jews. An anti-Jewish sentiment began to come in because the Christians did not wish to give any
basis for being classified as Jews, and therefore tried to get as far as possible from Jewish ritual. We hear
such remarks as, “Whoever loves the Jews. . . . should not enter in amongst them [Christians] and
ministers.” [6] This feeling increased as time went on, and finally we hear Constantine say, “Let us then
have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd. [7] He also passed a law to the effect that “no
Christian should remain in servitude to a Jewish master.” [8] The third Synod of Orleans passed a law that
“Christians must not marry with Jews, nor even eat with them.” [9] At the Synod of Laodicea (about 365
AD.) they passed a decree that “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday [“Sabbath,” original].
If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out [anathema] from Christ.” [10] Thus we see
that this anti-Jewish sentiment forced the church to make some decided changes in its practice and
organization. Also about this time another important movement was seriously affecting the church.

Gnosticism Prevails
To understand why the church took the attitude it did regarding the day of worship, we must
understand something of its condition. Clement and Origen, teachers in the Christian school at Alexandria,
were enamored with the Neoplatonic philosophy of Ammonius Saccas and Plotinus. These men believed
that the great principles of truth were to be found in all religions. There might be different names of God
and expressions of faith, but the fundamental, underlying principles were all the same. Thus they were
accepting the tenets of faith of the religions in their midst, and becoming like them.
Doctor Harnack, a church historian, says, “More than any before it, the second century is the
century of religious fusion, of 'Theocrasia.' The problem was to include Christianity in this religious fusion,
as one element among others, although the chief. The 'Hellenism' which made this endeavor had already
attracted to itself all the mysteries, all the philosophy of Eastern worship, elements the most sublime and
the most absurd, and by the never-failing aid of philosophical, that is to say, of allegorical interpretation,
had spun them all into a glittering web. It now fell upon-I cannot help so expressing it-the Christian
religion; it was impressed by the sublime character of this religion; it did reverence to Jesus Christ as the
Saviour of the world; it offered to give up everything that it possessed-all the treasures of its civilization
and its wisdom -to this message, if only the message would suffer them to stand. As though endowed with
the right to rule, the message was to make its entry into a ready-made theory of the world and religion, and
into mysteries already prepared for it. What a proof of the impression which this message made, and what a
temptation. This 'Gnosticism'-such is the name this movement has received-strong and active in the
plentitude of its religious experiments, established itself under Christ's name, developed a vigorous and
abiding feeling for many Christian ideas, sought to give shape to what was still shapeless, to settle accounts
with what was externally incomplete, and to bring the whole stream of the Christian movement into its own
channels.” [11]
“The first stage of any real influx of definitely Greek thought and Greek life is to be fixed at about
the year 130. It was then that the religious philosophy of Greece began to
effect an entrance, and it went straight to the center of the new religion. It sought to get into inner touch
with Christianity, and conversely, Christianity itself held out a hand to this ally.” [12]

Influence of the Jewish War

The second century was an important period in the history of the church. It was a period of great
changes, a period when the church was struggling with Gnosticism, and when many of the Gnostic