learning
May 15th 2004, 09:37 AM
This is from the book 'The Ultimate Guide to Christian History' and has some of the first debates of the Christian church.
Here's the first.
Whether new Gentile christians should become Jewish and follow the Mosaic law. The counsel of Jerusalem, after hearing from Paul and Peter, sent these lifestyle guidelines, since Peter pointed out that since they had received the Holy Spirit and were acceptable to God, how could they argue that God didn't accept them as they were.
Here are the guidelines, from page 95 of above book.
1. Abstain from food sacrificed to idols.
2. Abstain from eating blood
3. Abstain from eating the meat of strangled animals
4. Abstain from sexual immorality.
from the counsel of Jerusalem.
In the first few centuries, the debates were very important, and the first of importance was the 'person of Jesus Christ'
from above book page 113
"The early church drew a simple line in the sand doctrinally. It was the person of Christ.
Any belief that took away from either the humanity of Christ or the deity of christ was considered heresy." (see first John 4:1-3.)
Heresies from page 114
Ebionites 'were a Jewish-Christian sect that taught Jesus was merely a very obedient man who became the Messiah."
Docetism "(from the Greek verb 'to seem')
granted that Christ was not really a man, but only seemed to be a man and seemed to suffer and die.
Arianism '(which appeared in the next centuries) stated that Christ was of God, but not equal to God.
Gnosticism 'believed to possess a special knowledge of the spiritual and a disdain for the material world. Why would a Messiah have a 'body', of all things?"
Next came the debate over the canon, because of a heresy where someone said the Old Testament was not scripture, so the church figured out the canon of the Old and New Testament by the 'Council of Carthage' in 400 A.D.
Not in debate, but of importance was Tertullian, who in A.D. wrote books promoting the christian faith, his famous being 'Apologeticum' and also he was known for being the first person to use the Latin word for 'Trinity'.
from page 172 of above book
'In the Red corner: Jesus was one nature- divine and human at the same time.
And in the Blue corner: Jesus was of two natures - divine and human, but the two do not intermix.
Round 1. - 381 A.D. Second Ecumenical Council
The winner: the blue corner
Round 2. - 431 A.D. Third Ecumenical Council
The winner: the red corner
Round 3. - 449 The 'Robber Synod'
The winner: the red corner
Round 4. 451 The Council of Chalcedon
The winner: the blue corner
....The conflict continued to escalate and finally came to a head under the emperor Zeno, causing a split between the Eastern And Western churches.'
end of quote
Other debates were what Martin Luther put up his 95 thesis's for, were for debate. ie., the authority of the church over the authority of God's word, over things like indulgences, penace, etc.
Also, things like baptism, predestination, feewill etc., which are still debated today.
This helps me to see why there are so many denominations. Some hold to a certain position, and want that freedom to hold to that position. Other denominations came about with revival, and the 'older church' didn't approve of these revivals sometimes, so the 'newer' church was more or less forced out on their own, and formed their own 'societies' eg. Methodism.
Learning we have a rule against back to back postings by the same poster. Your post have been combined into one. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Thanks
Here's the first.
Whether new Gentile christians should become Jewish and follow the Mosaic law. The counsel of Jerusalem, after hearing from Paul and Peter, sent these lifestyle guidelines, since Peter pointed out that since they had received the Holy Spirit and were acceptable to God, how could they argue that God didn't accept them as they were.
Here are the guidelines, from page 95 of above book.
1. Abstain from food sacrificed to idols.
2. Abstain from eating blood
3. Abstain from eating the meat of strangled animals
4. Abstain from sexual immorality.
from the counsel of Jerusalem.
In the first few centuries, the debates were very important, and the first of importance was the 'person of Jesus Christ'
from above book page 113
"The early church drew a simple line in the sand doctrinally. It was the person of Christ.
Any belief that took away from either the humanity of Christ or the deity of christ was considered heresy." (see first John 4:1-3.)
Heresies from page 114
Ebionites 'were a Jewish-Christian sect that taught Jesus was merely a very obedient man who became the Messiah."
Docetism "(from the Greek verb 'to seem')
granted that Christ was not really a man, but only seemed to be a man and seemed to suffer and die.
Arianism '(which appeared in the next centuries) stated that Christ was of God, but not equal to God.
Gnosticism 'believed to possess a special knowledge of the spiritual and a disdain for the material world. Why would a Messiah have a 'body', of all things?"
Next came the debate over the canon, because of a heresy where someone said the Old Testament was not scripture, so the church figured out the canon of the Old and New Testament by the 'Council of Carthage' in 400 A.D.
Not in debate, but of importance was Tertullian, who in A.D. wrote books promoting the christian faith, his famous being 'Apologeticum' and also he was known for being the first person to use the Latin word for 'Trinity'.
from page 172 of above book
'In the Red corner: Jesus was one nature- divine and human at the same time.
And in the Blue corner: Jesus was of two natures - divine and human, but the two do not intermix.
Round 1. - 381 A.D. Second Ecumenical Council
The winner: the blue corner
Round 2. - 431 A.D. Third Ecumenical Council
The winner: the red corner
Round 3. - 449 The 'Robber Synod'
The winner: the red corner
Round 4. 451 The Council of Chalcedon
The winner: the blue corner
....The conflict continued to escalate and finally came to a head under the emperor Zeno, causing a split between the Eastern And Western churches.'
end of quote
Other debates were what Martin Luther put up his 95 thesis's for, were for debate. ie., the authority of the church over the authority of God's word, over things like indulgences, penace, etc.
Also, things like baptism, predestination, feewill etc., which are still debated today.
This helps me to see why there are so many denominations. Some hold to a certain position, and want that freedom to hold to that position. Other denominations came about with revival, and the 'older church' didn't approve of these revivals sometimes, so the 'newer' church was more or less forced out on their own, and formed their own 'societies' eg. Methodism.
Learning we have a rule against back to back postings by the same poster. Your post have been combined into one. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Thanks