Early Church Development and History
The Church of Jesus Christ or the Christian Church has grown massively since 30 A.D. The original design of the church was a local congregation of New Testament believers where a group of equal elders (or presbyters) governed only within their own local church. Bishops back then could be married as cited in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Roman Catholic and Orthodox systems were non-existence as there was no promotion of purgatory, no Pope, no Mary veneration, and no cardinals. So, anyone telling someone that bishops can't be married is preaching heresy and falsehood. Back then, there were no pope, but there were bishops, deacons, and other church leaders. The Bible in 1 Timothy 4:14 cited the office of overseer (bishops) and elder (presbyters). Before 150 A.D, the terms of bishops and elders were the same office and were used interchangeably as found in Titus 1:5-7. Each church had more than one elder/bishop being equal in power. There was no organization larger than the local church. Each bishop in each local church had equal power worldwide. So, the presbyters or bishops, deacons, and other helpers worked in one church. That is why Paul and Peter wanted the presbyters to help the church. The Didache, Polycarp, and Clement cited presbyters and deacons plus bishops to help the early church. So, Apostolic secessionism from the Catholic Church is refuted as the early Church was heavily decentralized and filled with bishops and deacons along with elders (presbyters). The Roman Catholic claim of Peter being the first bishop of Rome is dubious as the church of Rome was governed by multiple elders, who were also called bishops. Peter, as the Bible and history has proven, was an Apostle and evangelist of the Gospel, not a bishop. Catholicism teaches the false doctrine of apostolic succession or that Peter was the first Pope and any Pope after Peter in Rome would be a succession (as to Roman Catholics, Peter was chosen as head of the apostles). The Bible is clear that the Apostles have equality of power and authority. When Jesus Christ said to Peter, he referred to the rock as the faith confessed on the supreme rock of the Messiah as mentioned by Cyril, Chrysostom, and other scholars. Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Testament who gave authority to the 12 apostles (John 17:6-8, 17-20). He promised the Holy Spirit would remind them of all of what he said and guide them into all truth. When Jesus told Peter about binding and loosing authority, the gave the same command to all the apostles in Matthew 16:19 and in Matthew 18:18. The New Testament bishops developed after the rise of the apostles, but they didn't resemble modern-day Catholic bishops. NT bishops had to be married as found in 1 Timothy 3:2, but the bishops in Catholicism are celibate by force.
The modern idea of a pope or even an idea of a single bishop ruling a local church or the entire church didn't exist back in the first century. It is assumed that Linus, Anacletus, and Clement were Roman presbyters or presbyter-bishops (in the New Testament sense of the term) at the end of the first century. From 150 A.D. to 250 A.D., the church changed from equal elder ruling a local church to the rise of a single bishop over the eldership (Episcopal Presbytery). This means that there is the rise of the exalted elder which was a departure of the original design of God's church. In 150 A.D, there was the rise of the exalted elder (or bishops) over other bishops in a local church. By 200 A.D, there was the rise of the episcopal presbytery which means that local churches were governed by a single bishop or overseer (Episcopate) over a group of elders (Presbytery). The exhaled elder of the 150 A.D. became a distinct office from the eldership. That means that the bishop is over the eldership, the single office of elder/bishop are split into 2 separate offices, and one bishop rules over the eldership. By 250 A.D., there was the rise of the Diocesan Bishop. This means that bishops of larger churches started to exercise control over smaller churches. Bishops began to control not only their own local churches, but a group of local churches within a geographic area that is known as a diocese. Even back then, bishops started to gain too much power which wasn't sanctioned by the New Testament or Jesus Christ. With the Diocesan bishop, still no single bishop controls the whole church. This refutes the lie of Roman Catholicism saying that the bishop of Rome should rule the whole church as only Jesus Christ is the leader of the whole church.
From 250 A.D. to 451 A.D., we have the change from Diocesan Bishops to three Metroplitans and the 5 Patriarchs. This is part of the Oligarchic diocesan episcopate. This new oligarchic diocesan episcopate caused the direct creation of the Eastern Greek Orthodox patriarchal systems. By 300 A.D., there were metropolitans. This means that these Metroplitans rule over diocesan bishops. So, the diocesan bishops from the largest cities became metropolitans. In 325 A.D., the Nicene creeds list the Metropolitans of the bishops of the largest and most politically plus economically powerful cities being Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria. By 381 A.D., we have the rise of the 5 patriarchs. The metropolitans of the very largest of the large cities were Patriarchs. They were in Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. The Patriarchs ruled over the Metropolitans from the smaller large cities. The exception was Jerusalem which was granted patriarchal status because the church started there. The 5 patriarchs were listed in the Second Ecumenical Council as the bishops of Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria. The patriarchs were like 5 mini-Popes ruling in a monarchal manner within their own territories. The bishop of Rome would not explicitly claim to rule all of the Christian world until 606 A.D. The other four patriarchs would later be known as the Eastern Greek Orthodox Church, where the patriarchs are 14 today.
From 451 A.D. to 588 A.D., the growth of the five patriarchs continued. Pope Leo I in 451 A.D. claimed that he was the successor of Peter. Yet, the concept of a permanent successor of Peter is unscriptural and a product of the falsehoods of the bishops of Rome. Pope Leo I was never the universal bishop, even though Gregory I would make the false claim that Leo was the universal bishop. By 533 A.D., Roman Emperor Justinian I proclaimed the Bishop of Rome, Leo I to be the head of all churches. The rest of the world ignored the claim of Justinian I.
From 588 to 606 A.D., the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Rome competed against each other in claiming rulership of all Christians. John IV the Faster, patriarch of Constantinople claimed to be universal bishop in 588 A.D. There is a power struggle between Old Rome (in Rome, Italy) and New Rome (in the East at Constantinople). Gregory I the Great was Patriarch of Rome from 590 to 604 A.D. Gregory I (who still made the false claim that he was the successor of Peter) denied the universal bishop title for John IV the Faster and for himself, Gregory I. Gregory I said that John IV claiming that title is a sign that the antichrist is near. In 602 A.D., the Roman Emperor Maurice is murdered by a coup by Phocas. Phocas became the emperor. Gregory died in 604 A.D. He is replaced by Sabinian who reigned for 2 years, he died in 606 A.D., and the new bishop of Rome is Boniface III. Everything changes with Boniface III. Phocas writes that the new Bishop of Rome Boniface III is the head of all the church and the bishop of Rome. Boniface III agrees with this lie, and he has the title of universal bishop causing the modern-day Roman Catholic system to arise. Catholicism is not accepted from the East and split fellowship with Rome permanently in 1054 A.D. in the Great Schism. Boniface III died in 607 A.D. on February 19. By this time, we have suffragan or cardinal bishops. So, the centralization of the church into one bishop or religious leader is not what God intended. It is important to note that from 30 A.D. to the present, there were always churches independent of the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church that followed righteousness, followed excellent doctrine, and spread the Gospel to save souls constantly. The church is to be independent, autonomous, with preachers (and other religious clergy people), believers (made up of all saved people throughout the whole world), and has no leadership but Jesus Christ. So, we have two paths of church history. We have the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ filled with inspiration, power, and love spanning almost 2,000 years. Also, we have another thread of people who added heresies and false doctrines to create false doctrines and apostate doctrines.
*Numerous false doctrines would grow fast from 314 to 1500 A.D. like the veneration of angels and dead saints in 375 A.D., the veneration of Mary in 431 A.D. (via the Council of Ephesus), extreme unction in 526 A.D., the doctrine of purgatory in 593 A.D. by Gregory the Great, kissing the Pope's feet in 709 A.D. (when the Word of God forbids such actions as found in Acts 10:25-26, Revelation 19:10; 22:9), holy water used by a priest in 850 A.D., the mandatory celibacy of the priesthood by Pope Hildebrand, Boniface VII in 1079 A.D. (when Jesus never called for this, Peter was a married man and Paul said that a bishop can have a wife and children), the dogma of transubstantiation made mandatory by Pope Innocent III in 1215 (The New Testament is clear that communion is the memorial of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Even early Christian scholars Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, etc. said that communion is a remembrance of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross), the restrictions of books by the Council of Valencia in 1229 A.D. (when the World of God is meant to be read by all cited in John 5:29 and 1st Timothy 3:15-17. Back in the day, the Roman Catholic forbid people to read the Bible in his or her own language independently), and the promotion of the Scapular in 1287 A.D. We know about the origins of Christmas, Easter, and Lent, so we don't have to follow manmade holidays to be true believers in God.
The 1700 Year Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea
The First Council of Nicaea met in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (in Iznik, Turkey today) from May to the end of July of 325 A.D. This council of Christian bishops was an ecumenical council that wanted to deal with the issue of the Trinity. Before 325 A.D, the concept of the Trinity was already embraced by the Church long before Constantine was the Roman Emperor. Constantine in 312 A.D. claimed to see a vision from God a shape similar to across in front of a sun. Many believe that after this, he converted to Christianity. He claims that he saw the words in this sign conquer. According to Eusebius, Constantine dreamed a voice said that have his soldiers mark upon their shields the X with the line drawn through it and curled around the top. Then, Constantine won a battle. Yet, this image of the sun god is related to paganism. Constantine made Christianity adopted by Rome. He repealed the persecution edicts of Diocletian. Constantine unified church and state in Rome. This was wrong as the Church shouldn't be merged with a pagan system. Many Jehovah Witnesses and other anti-Trinitarians believe in the lie that the Trinity was formed by the Nicene Council in 325 A.D. The issue was the heresies like Arianism promoted by Arius and other people who refused to believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ. The Council debated on the issue of the divine nature of God the Son and his relationship wtih God the Father. It also dealt with the observance date of Easter and early canon law. The first part of the Nicene Creed was embraced by the council. The council started by the Christain clergy of Alexandria, Egypt. Archbishop Alexander of Alexandria and Athanasius believed in the Trinity and the presbyter Airus rejected the Trinity. Alexander taught that Jesus as God the Son was eternally generated from the Father, while Arius and his followers asserted that the Father alone was eternal, and that the Son was created or begotten by the Father, and thus had a defined point of origin and was subordinate to the Father.
Arius was a person who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. Arius accused Alexander of following the teachings of Sabellius, who taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were one person, rather than the view held throughout the east that they were distinct. Arius believed in the heresy that the Son of God never existed eternally, being a created being. He believed that since Christ was begotten, he had an origin, but the New Testament teaches that Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God, bmeaing that Jesus Christ was preexistent before Creation. The Son of God is the eternal God in human flesh. Arius' friend was Eusiebus. Alexander raught that Jesus Christ was the same substance (or Greek word homoosia) as the Father being God. Bishop Alexander's young deacon was Athanasius. Alexander called a local council of bishops from Egypt and Libya, which sided with Alexander's view. Arius refused to subscribe to the council's decision, and he and several followers were excommunicated and exiled from Alexandria by Alexander. Arius then traveled to churches around the Roman east and wrote to bishops to gain support of his view. Among Arius' supporters were Eusebius of Nicomedia and Eusebius of Caesarea, and they advocated for his view and his restoration to the church in Alexandria. Alexander also circulated letters defending his own position. Parallel to the theological controversy between Alexander and Arius was the Melitian schism in the Alexandrian church. Melitius, bishop of Lycopolis, had acted in the stead of the imprisoned bishop Peter I of Alexandria during the Diocletianic Persecution, but after Peter's death in 311 refused to give up his right to ordain clergy or recognize the authority of Peter's successors Achillas or Alexander.
Alexander called a local council of bishops from Egypt and Libya, which sided with Alexander's view. Arius refused to subscribe to the council's decision, and he and several followers were excommunicated and exiled from Alexandria by Alexander. Arius then traveled to churches around the Roman east and wrote to bishops to gain support of his view. Among Arius' supporters were Eusebius of Nicomedia and Eusebius of Caesarea, and they advocated for his view and his restoration to the church in Alexandria. Alexander also circulated letters defending his own position.
The Western Roman emperor Constaine defeated the eastern empeor Licinius and was the sole urler of the Roman Empire in 324 A.D. Constantine was ccontroversial, and people debate whether he was a closet sun worshiper or not. Constantine claimed to embrace Christianity, but he followed the union of church and state. Constantine's letter was carried to Alexandria by Bishop Hosius of Corduba as his representative. Hosius apparently then presided over a synod at Alexandria concerning the date of Easter, before calling a council of Eastern bishops in Antioch. This council endorsed Alexander's position and issuing a statement of faith that held that the Son was "begotten not from non-existence, but from the Father, not as made, but as genuine product" and contained anathemas against Arius. Eusebius of Caesaria was also temporarily excommunicated because of his contention that the Father and the Son were of two different natures.
The expenses of the council, including the travel of the bishops, were paid by the imperial treasury. Contemporary reports of attendance range from 250 to 300, with the figure of 318 given by Athanasius of Antioch becoming traditionally accepted. 318 is also the number of members of Abraham's household given in the Book of Genesis. Lists of signatories to the final decisions of the council contain 200–220 names. With presbyters and deacons attending each bishop, the total attendance may have been between 1200 and 1900. Most of the bishops were eastern, with about twenty from Egypt and Libya, another fifty from Palestine and Syria, and more than one hundred from Asia Minor. One bishop each from Persia and Scythia were present. The few western attendees were Hosius, Caecilianus of Carthage, Nicasius of Die, Marcus of Calabria, Domnus of Pannonia, and Victor and Vicentius, two presbyters representing Bishop Sylvester of Rome. Of the eastern bishops, the principal supporters of Arius were Eusebius of Nicomedia, Eusebius of Caesarea, Menophantus of Ephesus, Patrophilus of Scythopolis, Narcissus of Neronias, Theonas of Marmarike, Secundus of Ptolemais, and Theognis of Nicaea. The principal anti-Arians included Alexander of Alexandria, Eustathius of Antioch, Marcellus of Ancyra and Macarius of Jerusalem.
The council was held in Nicaea's imperial palace. The bishops most likely assembled in a rectangular basilica hall based on Eusebius of Caesarea's description. Emperor Constantine opened the council with the bishops coming in. Athanasius used logic and the Scriptures to promote the doctrine of the Trinity. According to the book "Lecturers on the Book of Revelation," from Dr. Harry Ironside, a black man who was a hermit marched in the council to say that his marks from the beasts in an amphitheater are marks of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he can't care the blasphemy. Later, the man said that Jesus Christ has eternal Deity that inspired the crowd in the Council of Nicaea. The Council debated for weeks and formed the Nicene Creed as a summary of the Christian faith. The original Nicene Creed read as follows:
"We believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
begotten from the Father, only-begotten,
that is, from the substance of the Father,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God, begotten not made,
of one substance with the Father,
through Whom all things came into being,
things in heaven and things on earth,
Who because of us men and because of our salvation came down,
and became incarnate and became man, and suffered,
and rose again on the third day, and ascended to the heavens,
and will come to judge the living and dead,
And in the Holy Spirit.
But as for those who say, There was when He was not,
and, Before being born He was not,
and that He came into existence out of nothing,
or who assert that the Son of God is of a different hypostasis or substance,
or created, or is subject to alteration or change
– these the Catholic and apostolic Church anathematize."
The creed was amended by the First Council of Constantinople in 381. The Creed said that Jesus Christ is said to be "of one substance with the Father", proclaiming that although Jesus Christ is "true God" and God the Father is also "true God", they are "of one substance". The Greek term homoousios, consubstantial (i.e. of the same substance) is ascribed by Eusebius of Caesarea to Constantine who, on this particular point, may have chosen to exercise his authority. The significance of this clause, however, is ambiguous as to the extent in which Jesus Christ and God the Father are "of one substance", and the issues it raised would be seriously controverted in the future. The heretic Arius refused to accept the Nicene Creed. Eustathius of Antioch was deposed and exiled in 330. Athanasius, who had succeeded Alexander as Bishop of Alexandria, was deposed by the First Synod of Tyre in 335, and Marcellus of Ancyra followed him in 336. Constantine banned Arius which was just for a short time. In 333 A.D., Constantine opened contact with him, Arius revised his beliefs, and the synod of Jerusalem readmitted him from his exile. He lived in Alexandria, Egypt. Ten years after the Council of Nicaea, Constantine the Great, who was himself later baptized by the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia in 337 AD. Constantine and his son banished Athanasius from Alexandria. The Arian persecuted him. Athanasius heroically defended the truth that the Son is God, of the same substance as the Father and the Holy Spirit. He lived until 373 A.D. He wrote many books against the Arian heresy.
Arius returned to Constantinople to be readmitted into the Church but died shortly before he could be received. Constantine died the next year, after finally receiving baptism from Arian Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, and "with his passing the first round in the battle after the Council of Nicaea was ended." The Nicene Council dealt with Easter and other issues. However, Nicene Christianity did not become the state religion of the Roman Empire until the Edict of Thessalonica in 380. In the meantime, paganism remained legal and present in public affairs. Constantine's coinage and other official motifs, until the Council of Nicaea, had affiliated him with the pagan cult of Sol Invictus. At first, Constantine encouraged the construction of new temples and tolerated traditional sacrifices. Later in his reign, he gave orders for the pillaging and the tearing down of Roman temples. The Council of Nicaea is not superior to the Word of God, but it was right to believe in the deity of Jesus Christ and concepts found in the Holy Trinity. The term Trinity was already in use, with the earliest existing reference being by Theophilus of Antioch in cs. 180 A.D. (AD 115–181 in reference to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit was referred to by several Church fathers), though many scholars believe that the way the term was used indicates that it was known previously to his readers. Also, over a century before, the term "Trinity" (Τριάς in Greek; trinitas in Latin) was used in the writings of Origen and Tertullian, and a general notion of a "divine three", in some sense, was expressed in the 2nd-century writings of Polycarp, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr. The heresy of Oneness (of what preachers like heretics like Gino Jennings embrace as Jennings believes in the discredited Apocrypha books) believes that the Father became the Son, and the Son became the Spirit. This heresy was invented by Praxeas promoting Monarchianism. Oneness believers like Zephyrinus and Callistus wanted to be the head of the church when no man is a bishop of bishops as said by Cyprian and Tertullian. There was no Roman Catholic Church ruling Christianity before 325 A.D. as Roman Catholicism is a product of gradual development being crystallized by 606 A.D. by Pope Boniface. Before 606 A.D., bishops in cities and towns of the world were leaders of the Christian church under the Lord Jesus Christ. We can assume that the term Trinity possibly could have been used before Theophilus. Athenagoras promoted the concept of the Holy Trinity. This is the real history that cultists and anti-Trinitarians don't want you to know.
Glory be to God.
By Timothy