Basics Flashcards
(124 cards)
1
Q
Clement of Rome
A
• prominent Christian leader in Rome
• I Clement, epistle (A.D. 95-6, traditional dating); letter addressing the factions at Corinth. Younger members had ousted presbyters from their positions; Clement called for the members to be restored to their positions.
2
Q
Cyprian of Carthage
A
• c. A.D. 200-258, martyred
• bishop of Carthage
• converted c. 246 by Caecilian, a presbyter
• born into a wealthy and noble family, after conversion sold his estates for the poor, vowed chastity and was baptized; avid study of the Scriptures and Tertullian
• acclaimed by the people as head of whole North African clergy, aptly administered the bishopric, martyred in A.D. 258
• Hebrews not canonical (Tertullian had att’d it to Barnabas)
3
Q
Ignatius of Antioch
A
• second or third bishop of Antioch
• escorted under armed guard from Antioch to Rome, martyred c. 110 under Emperor Trajan
• en route stopped at Smyrna and Troas, wrote 7 epistles including to Polycarp; desired to be martyred
• thrown to wild animals in the Coliseum, ‘coax the wild beasts that they may become a tomb for me’; ‘Allow me to be an imitator of the suffering of my God’ (Kruger, Christianity at…, ch. 2)
4
Q
Tertullian
A
• born c. 150 A.D. in Carthage
• well educated, converted c. 195
• became leader of Montanist sect c. 205 in Africa due to ‘envy and laxity of the clergy in the Roman church’—Jerome
• prolific writer; coined term ‘rule of faith’ (Apostles’ Creed); opposed Marcion’s canon (wrote five volumes against him)
• believed Hebrews to be written by Barnabas
• wrote Apology to governors of the Roman provinces: ‘The oftener we are mown down by you, the more in numbers we grow; the blood of Christians is seed.’
5
Q
Barnabas
A
• companion and co-worker of the Apostle Paul
6
Q
Polycarp
A
• bishop of Smyrna; martyred A.D. 155
• knew Papias of Hierapolis and Apostle John
• sent copies of Ignatius’ letters to the church in Philippi after his martyrdom
7
Q
Irenaeus
A
• bishop of Lyons, Gaul (c. 178)
• listened to Polycarp’s sermons as a child
• succeeded Bishop Pothinus, who was tortured in 177 during the interrogations over the riot at Lyons. He was over 90 years old
8
Q
Gnosticism
A
1945 Nag Hammadi, Egypt, 13 codices found detailing Gnostic thought, among them the Gospel of Thomas
• Gnostic thought was very diverse
• physical world created by Elohim, the god of Judaism (demiurge)
• salvation comes through release from the physical world and back into the spiritual world
• special knowledge of origin and destiny of man through JC
• docetism and J was simply an emanation from the true God
9
Q
Emperor Domitian’s reign:
A
c. AD 81-96, persecuted Christians
10
Q
Who was Tacitus?
A
Roman historian, c. AD 116
11
Q
Who was Suetonius?
A
Roman historian, c. 120
12
Q
Justin Martyr
A
c. AD 103-165, Christian philosopher and apologist
• martyred under Emperor Marcus Aurelius
• wrote two Apologies to Antoninus Pius (c. 151-55) as formal petitions; the only example of a libelli among the 2nd century apologists
13
Q
Emperor Antoninus Pius
A
Reigned c. AD 137-161
14
Q
Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs
A
Account of 12 Christians before the Roman proconsul Saturninus Carthage, North Africa (c. AD 180)
‘Thanks be to God, today we are martyrs in heaven’
15
Q
Lucian of Samosata
A
c. AD 115-200
• well known rhetorician and satirist
• wrote The Passing of Peregrinus (c. AD 165), a satire on Christianity which portrays Christians as uneducated simpletons with low social status
16
Q
Galen
A
c. AD 129-199
• physician and philosopher, and friend of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus
• prolific author who disagreed with but respected Christianity; C was invalid due to lack of proof
17
Q
Celsus
A
published True Doctrine (c. AD 177), an extensive critique of Christianity
• philosopher and one of C’s most influential critics in the second century
18
Q
Quadratus
A
2nd century apologist who presented his work to Emperor Hadrian (c. AD 125)
• defended J’s miracles by explaining that those healed survived to ‘our own time’ (Kruger, Christianity…, ch. 2)
19
Q
Aristides
A
Athenian philosopher and Christian apologist
• presented his work to Hadrian (c. AD 125)
• wrote Apology, in it he shows that many core beliefs (virgen birth, etc) were already established by the early second century
20
Q
Epistle to Diognetus
A
Mid-2nd century
• focuses on defense of C in light of its “newness” and represents Christians as ordinary
21
Q
Tatian
A
Born in Syria (c. AD 130), student of Justin Martyr
• wrote Diatessaron and Oration to the Greeks (c. 165)
22
Q
What were the standard political and ethical charges leveled against Christians in Rome in the 2nd century?
A
• insubordination
• subversion
• atheism
• incest
• cannibalism
23
Q
Athenagoras
A
Christian philosopher and apologist from Athens
• wrote Plea for the Christians (c. 177), addressed to Marcus Aurelius and Commodus
24
Q
Theophilus
A
Bishop of Antioch in second century
• wrote To Autolycus (c. 180), three volume work contrasting the Christian God with the Greco-Roman gods
25
Didache
Church manual from the very beginning of the 2nd century and one of the earliest C texts outside of the NT
• ancient account of the inner workings of the Church but not written by Apostles
• written during a time when the Church was transitioning from less formal to more formal ecclesiastical structure
26
Eusebius
c. AD 260-339
(Cambridge, ch. 3)
Fourth-century bishop and church historian of Caesarea, wrote Ecclesiastical History and De vita Constantini
27
Ebionites
Second century group of Chist-followers who believed salvation relied on the Jewish system of law (e.g. circumcision, etc)
• repudiated Paul as a result
• rejected the virgin birth and the divinity of J (born naturally of M & J as a normal man, but was later adopted by the Holy Spirit as Messiah due to his holy life)
• the Ebionites were rejected by the major C leaders of the second century (Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Origen)
28
Marcion of Sinope
Wealthy merchant and ship owner who joined the church in Rome in AD 144 and made a large financial donation
• rejected the OT dttf that it was written by an inferior and morally questionable deity. The G of the Jews was diff from the G of the C’s.
• regarded Paul as highly authoritative
• taught Docetism, J ‘appeared’ on Earth fully grown
• 11 book canon (Luke and 10 letters of Paul)
• Marcionites were known for fasting, strict dietary regulations and refusal to marry or have sex (similar to Gnostics)
29
Emperor Hadrian
Reigned AD 117-138
30
Seven Gnostic leaders
Cerinthus, Basilides, Valentinus, Ptolemy, Heracleon, Theodotus, Carpocrates
31
Montanism
Prophetic group that emerged c. 165 in Phrygia, Asia Minor under the prophet Montanus and prophetesses Maximilla and Priscilla
• prophetic utterances
• ecstatic experiences
• apocalyptic fervor (immanent return of J)
• asceticism (fasting and celibacy)
32
Seven undisputed letters of Paul
Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians,
1 Thessalonians, Philemon
33
7 tenets of the ’rule of faith’
1. There is one God, creator of heaven and earth
2. He spoke through the OT prophets regarding the coming Messiah
3. J is the Son of God, from the seed of David, born of the virgin Mary
4. J is the creator of all things, who came into the world, God in the flesh
5. J came to bring salvation and redemption for those who believe in him
6. J was crucified under Pontius Pilot, raised bodily from the dead, and exalted to the right hand of God
7. J will return again to judge the world (Kruger, Christianity..., ch. 5)
34
Challenge: early Christians used apocryphal books in their writings, therefore there was no Canon in the second century
• ‘use’ of apocryphal writings does not necessarily mean they were being quoted as Scripture
• apocryphal books were not cited nearly as often as real Scripture books, even if they were in fact being used as Scripture. “It’s misleading to use the occasional citation of noncanonical books as grounds for denying that there is any canonical consciousness at all” (Canon Revisited, 220)
35
What book did Walter Bauer write in 1934 and what was the thesis?
Orthodoxy and Heresy in Early Christianity
• “orthodoxy” is simply the term given to those who “won” the debate in early C. Early C was too diverse to identify a clear orthodox camp and heretical camp. The current canon is not an accurate portrayal of “original” C and are this not authoritative.
36
Historical criticism began in which period of history?
The Enlightenment
37
What is the historical-critical approach to the canon?
The approach which says that the canon is merely a human process, it exists only due to external (human) influences. There is nothing inherent in the canon to explain its existence and therefore its authority over man is limited.
38
Where does Roman Catholicism claim to derive its holy authority?
The Scriptures, tradition, and the Magisterium (the office composed of the pope and his bishops);
The RCC denies that ultimate authority lies in the Scriptures alone. It alone claims the right to interpret Scripture, tradition and which writings constitute Scripture and tradition in the first place.
39
Two facets of the Roman Catholic approach to the canon:
• epistemology: the canon exists on its own authority, but we only know this because the Church has told us this
• ontology: the canon only exists because of the Church, it is “derivative” of the Church
40
Evidence against the ontological approach to the canon of the RCC:
• according to Ephesians 2:20, the apostolic message is the foundation of the Church, not the reverse
• the early church already had a canon that did not need to be recognized by infallible declarations
• the canon itself declares its own scriptural status (2 Pet 3:16; 1 Thes 2:13; Gal 1:1-24) w/o reference to contingency
• the RCC never made a formal declaration about the canon until the Council of Trent (Kruger, Canon Revisted, ch. 1)
41
Two problems w/the RCC deriving its infallibility from Scripture:
• it’s circular reasoning to say that at the same time that it alone interprets Scripture and derives it’s authority from Scripture
• there is little scriptural EV supporting RCC infallibility
42
Problem w/the RCC establishing its infallibility historically or developmentally:
• Church history shows that it is very fallible, therefore, these are not infallible grounds;
• also, Paul’s rebuke of Peter, and Peter’s acceptance of it, is evidence that Peter was not infallible (see Galatians 2)
43
Problem w/the RCC self-authenticating its infallibility to define Scripture:
• it’s obvious circular reasoning
• it removes the need for a canon at all since it is the Church which gives meaning to the canon
44
Define the Canonical-Criticism model of canon of Brevard S. Childs
It is the view that the canon can only be understood in its final form, after having been formed, edited and molded after 300 years by the Church. Canon cannot be properly understood by discovering what it was in an earlier period (for ex, the first century) because it was still transitory up until about the fourth century.
45
Define the existential/neoorthodox model of Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, and Rudolph Bultmann
Canon is defined by the subjective experience of the individual who then responds to it; it’s an “experience” of God’s word, not a document containing God’s authoritative word over the Church. God can speak through the canon (which is contradictory and even mythical) or any other book for that matter.
46
Problems w/the existential/neoorthodox model:
• canon loses its meaning, along w/defining its boundaries
• the Church becomes authoritative over the canon rather than the reverse
• Scripture itself attests to the importance of its historical accuracy; “if J did not rise from the dead then our faith is futile” 1 Cor 15:17
47
7 epistles of Paul that are widely regarded as authentic:
Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians,
1 Thessalonians, and Philemon
48
Where and when were the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered?
1947 in Qumran, Israel
(West Bank)
• 800 scrolls containing fragments of every book of the OT except Esther, dating from 250 BC to AD 50
• entire manuscript of Isaiah, dating to c. 75 BC; this manuscript was compared w/one from AD 1008 in the Masoretic text (Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible)—95% accuracy
49
What did Papias mean by “living voice”?
Eyewitness testimony from the disciples of Christ as opposed to oral tradition, for the purpose of writing good history
50
Kruger’s three tenets of the self-authenticating model canon:
Divine Qualities, Apostolic Origins, Corporate Reception
51
In many cases ‘oral testimony is not antithetical to written testimony, but rather is the foundation for it—the former naturally leads to the latter as the eyewitness die out’
(Kruger, Canon Revisited, 181)
-How oral tradition leads to written tradition-
52
Which ancient document rejected the Shepherd of Hermas as not authentically apostolic due to the fact that it was written “very recently, in our own times”, as well as Paul’s supposed letter to the Laodiceans?
Muratorian fragment c. AD 180
53
According to Kruger, what was the “framework” the early Christians had for the canon?
Covenant provided the framework.
54
What was the “compelling reason” for the canon?
Redemption
55
What were the means by which the canon was implemented and disseminated?
The apostles
56
Epistle of Barnabas
C. AD 130, theological treatise popular with Christians
57
Possible reasons why Justin Martyr refers to the canonical Gospels as “memoirs of the apostles” and does not mention the names of the Gospels:
• “memoirs” was used in classical literature to refer to writings, and it’s possible J wanted to ensure the Gospels were classified as literature
• he could have been using Papias as a source, who says Mark wrote down what he “remembered”
• unbelieving Jews and Gentiles would not have had an interest is the names of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, etc) (Canon Revisited, 225)
58
“It is not possible that the Gospels can be either more or fewer than the number they are. For, since there are four zones of the world in which we live and four principle winds.”
What rationale do many scholars give for this statement of Irenaeus?
This statement seems to be a result of a longstanding tradition within the church about the fourfold Gospel rather than a theological rationale for the existence of four Gospels. It’s simply a poetic acknowledgement of the solid fourfold Gospel.
59
Several church leaders who used apocryphal Gospels in their writings yet did not consider them canonical:
• Serapion, Bishop if Rhossus (c. AD 200), acknowledged that the Gospel of Peter was not scriptural even though it was used in the church at Rhossus
• Clement of Alexandria quoted apocryphal sources often while affirming four, and only four, traditional Gospels received by the church (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
• Origen often quoted apocryphal writings while affirming that the church only received the traditional four
The apocryphal works were sometimes useful for information while not being on par with Scripture, thus they were sometimes used in church writings.
60
Eusebius’s list of “rejected books” (orthodox but not canonical):
Acts of Paul, Shepherd of Hermas, Apocalypse of Peter, Epistle of Barnabas, Didache, Gospel of the Hebrews
61
Eusebius’s list of “heretical books” (unorthodox “forgeries” and “altogether wicked and impious”):
Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Matthias, Acts of Andrew, Acts of John
62
Eusebius’s list of “disputed books”:
James, Jude, 2 Peter, and 2 and 3 John
63
What do Gamble and Ehrman say about the consensus of the church regarding the canon?
There was no official declaration of the church that ratified the canon. Rather, it was accepted on general consensus of almost the whole church. (Canon Revisited, ch. 8)
64
What three early church leaders refer to scripture in their writings as if it is “closed”, implicitly citing the inscriptional curse in Deuteronomy?
• Irenaeus
• Dionysius of Corinth
c. AD 170
• Origen c. 250
65
Emperor Diocletian’s persecution dates:
AD 303-311
66
In which writings from the second century can the rule of faith (or portions of it) be found?
Tertullian, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Aristides, Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Rome, anonymous author of Epistle of the Apostles, Epistle to Diognetus
67
How does the rule of faith provide evidence against Bauer’s thesis?
The rule of faith shows that there was a substantive portion of C that adhered to certain core doctrines; as opposed to widespread uncertainty regarding orthodoxy
68
How does Second century leadership throughout the church provide EV against Bauer’s thesis?
1) the primary leaders of the C movement in the second century were from what would be considered the orthodox camp (Tertullian, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Aristides, Ignatius, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Papias, Hegesippus, Theophilus of Antioch, Dionysius of Corinth and more...C at the Crossroads, p. 146)
2) most were bishops elected by their local constituency, not strategically placed in that role by higher powers;
3) there is no indication that heretics like Marcion, Basilides or Cerinthus, or their followers holding the title of ‘bishop’; it was not normal for a Marcionite, Ebionite or Gnostic to hold the office
4) there was no higher church structure to suppress these groups at this time
69
How does manuscript EV and quotations from C writings provide EV against Bauer’s thesis?
• The number of C manuscripts from the second and third century outweigh the number of apocryphal texts
• orthodox texts are cited far more often by church leaders than apocryphal texts; for example Clement of Alexandria cites Matthew 757 times but only cites apocryphal texts about 16 times
70
What standard do both sides of the ‘orthodoxy’ debate agree upon when determining if a doctrine is ‘orthodox’?
the teaching of the apostles—the apostolic message was regarded by almost all C groups as the earliest, most authentic version of C. (C at the Crossroads, p. 157); (Kostenberger, 82-83)
71
What is liturgy?
the form of church worship
72
What was the first Council to expressly legislate on the number of canonical books?
Council of Laodicea in Phrygia,
c. 363 A. D.
• included all books except Revelation
73
Paul of Samosata
Unitarian (Monarchian) bishop of Antioch c. 250, he denied the existence of the Trinity and the deity of Jesus
74
Who was Sabellius?
Unitarian, early-mid third century
• excommunicated c. 261 by Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria
75
Hippolytus of Rome
Eminent theologian and scholar of his time; wrote Philosophumena
• Opposed bishops Zephyrinus (202-218) and Callistus (218-223) due to their Patripassian beliefs
76
Who was called “the father of orthodoxy”?
Athanasius (died c. 373)
77
Six church fathers of the fourth century who were trained in the pagan classics
• Basil, Gregory of Nazianzen, and Julian the Apostate studied together in Athens
• Chrysostom, Augustine and Jerome
78
What is unique about the three Cappadocians’ descriptions of nature?
They wrote wonderful descriptions of it as a blessing from God, unlike the pagan classical literature, which largely ignores nature’s beauties (Socrates believed it was useless to study nature).
79
What did Gregory of Nyssa believe about the doctrine of Redemption?
He was Orthodox, however he believed in the final restoration of all things; the plan of redemption was absolutely universal and all souls would be eventually united to God.
80
Who was the greatest influence on Gregory of Nazianzen’s religious character?
His mother Nonna
81
What was Gregory of Nazianzen’s greatest professional strength, which was above Basil’s and Gregory of Nyssa’s?
Oratory
82
Cyril of Jerusalem
• Bishop from 350-386 but deposed by the Arian Acacius of Caesarea in 357; then reinstated after the death of Constantius in 361; deposed again and banished by Valens and reinstated by Theodosius in 379 until his death in 386
• firmly orthodox
• not to be confused with Cyril of Alexandria of the Nestorian controversy
83
What does ‘Chrysostom’ mean?
Greek for ‘Golden-Mouthed’; he was the greatest expositor and preacher of the Greek church
84
What is significant about the learning, theology and personality of Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444)?
He was clearly orthodox against Nestorius and highly learned, however, he did not demonstrate love towards others in his behavior, as commanded by 1 Corinthians 13.
85
Who was Firmianus Lactantius and what was his most important work and his nickname?
Latin (Italy) Church father and orator during the time of Constantine;
• wrote Divine Institutes, a refutation of heathenism and defense of C;
“Christian Cicero”
86
When did Lactantius die?
c. 330
87
When did Hilary of Poitiers die?
A. D. 368
88
A clear proponent of the Bauer thesis in the twentieth century and professor of New Testament studies at the University of Marburg:
Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976)
• divorced faith from history (anti-supernatural and historical critical methodology)
89
Twentieth century scholar of the University of Manchester who concluded that the Apostles’ Creed differed from the creeds of the
NT (1 Corinthians 15), based on Bauer’s thesis:
Arnold Ehrhardt (1903-1963)
90
Students of Rudolf Bultmann who taught at Harvard and Claremont Universities and applied Bauer’s thesis to the apostolic period in a book titled, Trajectories through Early Christianity (1971):
Helmut Koester and James M. Robinson
91
The first scholar, from the University of Durham, to thoroughly assess the NT in light of Bauer’s thesis in his book, Unity and Diversity in the NT (1977):
James D. G. Dunn
92
Princeton professor who brought Bauer’s thesis to a popular audience in her books, The Gnostic Gospels (1979) and Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (2003)
Elaine Pagels
93
Bart Ehrman is professor of religious studies at which university?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
94
Scholar who mounted the first major critique of Bauer’s thesis:
Henry E. W. Turner
(Durham University)
95
What is the standard by which we decide what constitutes ‘orthodoxy’ and ‘heresy’ or ‘unity’ and ‘diversity’ in church doctrine?
The message of the Apostles is the accepted standard.
96
Dionysius of Corinth on a “closed” canon:
Mid second century bishop, referred to his own letters as “inferior” to the “Scriptures of the Lord” thereby implying that new letters were not canonical
97
Who was Velleius Paterculus?
First century historian who wrote History of Rome, which covers large portions of Roman history as well as Julius Caesar
98
How many manuscripts back up History of Rome by Velleius Paterculus?
1 mutilated manuscript (Kostenberger, 207)
99
When was the New Testament written?
A. D. 50-90
100
What is our earliest NT manuscript?
The John Rylands papyri
c. A. D. 125; contains a fragment of John 18; “P52”...this dating is undisputed among scholars
101
If all significant textual variants are equally viable, then what does this mean for the field of textual criticism?
It undermines the field itself and thus calls into question any knowledge of ancient history
102
Who founded Christian Science?
Mary Baker Eddy
103
What is the title of the Christian Science bible?
Science and Health
104
What does Jacob mean?
‘Usurper’
105
What makes us think the gospels are eyewitness accounts?
Because they contain eyewitness data
106
Are different endings to the gospels contradictory?
No, due to the fact that they are not making opposite claims; the endings are not opposite, they are only different
107
When did Emperor Claudius rule?
A. D. 41-54
108
True or false: the canon was accepted on general consensus by almost the whole church?
True (Canon Revisited, ch. 8)
109
What does Bar-Cochba mean?
son of the stars (CH, vol. 2, 37)
110
When was Pliny the Younger governor in Asia Minor?
A. D. 109-111, during the reign of Trajan
111
When was Symeon bishop of Jerusalem martyred and how was he killed?
A. D. 107, by crucificion
112
How old was Symeon of Jerusalem when he was martyred?
120 years old
113
What two places suffered heavy persecution during the reign of Trajan?
Syria and Palestine (CH, vol. 2, 47)
114
How do we know the account of Ignatius’ martyrdom is reliable?
We don’t, the account is only a tradition, it’s not reliable
(CH, vol. 2, 47-48)
115
What three facts about Ignatius are not disputed?
His existence, his position in the early church, and his martyrdom…everything else about him is questionable (CH, vol. 2, 47-48)
116
Why did Pliny the Younger persecute Christians?
Because it was so popular in Asia Minor that the temples and animal sacrifices were being abandoned
(CH, vol. 2, 46)
117
How old was Polycarp when he was martyred?
At least 86
118
How was Origin’s father (Leonides) martyred?
Beheaded under Septimus Severus
119
Who became a Christian after Potamiaena’s execution?
One of her executioners, named Basilides, who was then beheaded
120
What was the name of the Roman slave girl who gave birth in the same dungeon as Potamiaena and later thrown to wild beasts?
Felicitas
121
According to Schaff, what is the date of Cyprian’s martyrdom?
September 14, 258 A. D. (under Valerian)
122
According to Schaff, how was St. Laurentius of Rome martyred
(A. D. 258)?
Slowly roasted to death, but the account is unreliable (CH, vol. 2, 63)
123
What was the first persecution to officially cover the whole Roman Empire?
The Decian persecution (beginning
A. D. 249)
124
When was the ‘Era of the Martyrs’?
The persecution of Diocletian (Schaff CH, vol. 2, 64-65)
