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| Lesson 3: Course Description: Church History: A Simple Chronology |
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Church history is rather complex, but an understanding of the basics is very worthwhile. The following is a simple chronology of church history adapted from Bruce Shelley's Church History in Plain Language: (30-70 AD) The Time of Jesus and the Apostles - The death and resurrection of Christ.
- The Christian faith is birthed and the gospel of grace is preached.
(70-312) The Age of Catholic Christianity - The spread of the Christian faith; martyrdom of the early believers.
- Early heresies sprouted; first church councils and the canonizing of scripture.
(312-590) The Age of the Christian Empire - Constantine declares Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire;
Age of great councils. - Christianity became a faith for the masses; start of Monasticism.
(590-1517) The Middle Ages - The fall of Rome and the Byzantine empire.
- Benedictine monks deployed as missionaries; the pope becomes the "ruler" of the church.
- The crusades: The church gains the world but looses it soul.
(1517-1648) The Age of Reformation - Martin Luther and the protestant movement.
- The start of denominationalism - Examples: Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist and Anglican.
- The papacy looses it power and influence.
(1648-1789) The Age of Reason and Revival - Secularism -- The mind becomes god; people begin to ask, "Who needs God?"
- Revivals such as Pietism, Methodism and the Great Awakening seek to restore God to public life.
(1789-1914) The Age of Progress - The message of Christ is carried to distant lands, but the faith continues to leave public life.
- Pluralistic and totalitarian societies see no relevance for Christianity.
(1912-current) The Age of Ideologies… |
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| To add a comment to "Lesson 3: Course Description: Church History: A Simple Chronology" |
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| February 08, 2008 |
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| Ya man thinks he can be anything if he lets his mind trick himself into believing that he holds the power himself. Without needing GOD. |
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| February 08, 2008 |
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| This is God's project Jeannie—not mine. If He tells me that He wants me to do it, I don't mind because I know that He is the One who is going to have to start generating the funds to do the work! But I've found something out. God always meets His need! If He wants it, He'll get it done! And He will use whoever will be obedient to His voice. |
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| February 08, 2008 |
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| Very Good Rev Wesley |
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| February 08, 2008 |
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Rev. Wesley,
I too have found the study of Church history to be very interesting and yes, very complex. I would encourage anyone to partake in the study, it helps to bring clarity on our present day. Remember, what you do today, become history tomorrow.
Pastor Aminata |
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| February 08, 2008 |
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| With so many denominations and different interpretations from church to church, I really look forward to find some understanding on how everyone got to where they are now. |
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| February 08, 2008 |
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| If we do not know the church history, we will never know the work of the Holy Spirit in the past. We should know the past to bring our future plans in accordance with His sovereign will revealed in the past. |
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| February 09, 2008 |
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| Thank you Pastor Aminata, for your observation that though Church history is complex it is also interesting and for motivating and inspiring your congregation to study this fascinating subject. If your congregation is led by the Spirit to enroll themselves in this e-Bible College, they may profile their name, gender, age, email address, mailing address, marital status and salvation experience by email to wesley.veda@gmail.com or by sending the corresponding information through the message center. As a first step to be enrolled for our on-line Bible College, they would have to add me as a ‘Friend’. |
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| February 09, 2008 |
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| I can assure you Barbara, that you will understand how every denomination got to where they are now with their different interpretations of Christian tradition. |
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| February 09, 2008 |
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| Thank you Brother Job, for Highlighting the life and ministry of the Holy Spirit in Church history. The adage used of history in general I believe also applies to the church: "Those who refuse to consider the past are condemned to repeat it". |
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| February 09, 2008 |
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| Thank you for your encouragement Makelly, How is your health.Praying for you. |
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| February 09, 2008 |
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| If God could sustain the Church through the Caesars and all that persecution, He can do it for us today. It is nothing compared to what they went through. |
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| February 09, 2008 |
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what happened to the age of discovery - (1492 - 1769) ?? It is characterized by colonization by missionary activity ?? This is important and critical becuuse both the Catholics and the Protestants move the faith from the EU's, Near East into other land ! While at it - 1912 - current /future idealogies - Do yo know China has is estimated to be the third largest Christian nation on earth (and growing fast !!) , with the future prospect of Christianity eventually becoming a Sino-centric religion ?
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| February 09, 2008 |
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Thanks for this bit of information Peter...seems like we are back in school together...perhaps Ms Shantha's class |
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| February 09, 2008 |
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O Connie, you have clearly been reading Foxs book of Martyrs. That we would be counted in that number, without us He will not. Hallelujah |
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| February 11, 2008 |
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| Eveything in the past is a shadow of the future! God has planned the whole of my life and of this world. i thank him daily for my salvation. |
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| February 11, 2008 |
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| The world today faces a crisis - greater than any in the past, for all the world is inevitably involved. The Word of God has its message for today; the light of God's revelation is the one source of information about what lies imrnediately ahead. World changes are imminent. An old order is passing - a new era is at hand. Troubles with perplexity and anxiety will increase as this era closes. Seeking the "old paths" of God's word, however, we may secure rest for our souls now, and life for ever in the Kingdom of God that is coming |
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| February 17, 2008 |
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I heard Rev.Jerry Rankin speak today (Pres. of International Mission Board, So. Bapt.) who lived in Indonesia for 23 years. He lamented that 3 million people were recently swept away by the tsunami...the mission board had been meeting to decide "who to send where", realizing the awful weight of having to decide who WOULDN'T be getting a Christian witness this year...and suddenly 3 million people WOULDN'T BE.....ever. Our lives are but a vapor. Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.
This precious time of study may be all the inspiration we get before we are called to go out into a wilderness of unsaved people, with Christ alone to befriend us. We need all the saints of history past to go with us...in memory. The great "cloud of witnesses." |
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| April 15, 2008 |
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My goodness, that last paragraph was prophetic and I am not even a prophet...
only a donkey colt. From February 17 to April 16...that is all it took.
Did I get prepared to go to India in the past three months? No.
Did I get inspiration to go? Absolutely....and confidence!
"An old order is passing - a new era is at hand. [If we have anything to do with it, the new era will be an India that is flooded with the Word in all the languages, provided with computers in the churches with DVD/CD players to play sermons rich in the Word, even if the listeners can't read and write, and GOD'S WORD WILL NEVER RETURN VOID. Let the Hindutva burn down the church....we'll build another one with another computer in it. THIS particular spirit of antichrist is going to be REMOVED and the church prevail. If I have to die so Hindus can live eternally, so be it.]
Troubles with perplexity and anxiety will increase as this era closes. Seeking the "old paths" of God's word, however, we may secure rest for our souls now, and life for ever in the Kingdom of God that is coming" [ Amen and Amen to that, brother Job.]
Re:
This is God's project Jeannie—not mine. [This is spoken by a man with a sense of truth!]
If He tells me that He wants me to do it, I don't mind because I know that He is the One who is going to have to start generating the funds to do the work! [It really didn't take Him all that long to generate the funds, Wesley. I met you...when? Thurs.Jan.31st according to my 1st email from you. I just discovered yesterday your poem of the New Year...so I didn't know you then, or I would have read it. It is fabulous. Write some more!]
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But I've found something out. God always meets His need! If He wants it, He'll get it done! And He will use whoever will be obedient to His voice. [Well, I hope I'm obedient enough for Him to use.] |
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