Module 2: The Early Church
Hi everyone, and welcome to the second module of the History of Christianity 1 Course. In this section, we'll be looking at the early church during and directly after the time of the New Testament.
This module will help you to understand the history of the church in Jerusalem and how it began to move out of Judea and Samaria, and toward the ends of the world. You will learn about the activities of the first apostles which are not narrated in the New Testament. And you will explore how the church crossed cultural boundaries and some of the issues and pastoral concerns which were experienced during this time period.
The student will have opportunity to evaluate the longer-term effects of these movements, approaches, and practices, and the lessons that can be learned from the early church. This module will also aid the student to work through how the lessons learned are applicable in their own life and ministry.
Introductory Scenario
Assuming that you are at least generally familiar with the story of Jesus and the New Testament church after Him, imagine that you did not know any history of what happened after what is told in the New Testament itself. Based only on the history in the New Testament, what would you expect would happen after that? What do you think would be the natural continuation of that story? Why would you think things would continue in the way you have imagined? What would the early Christians do and why? What would you expect would be the response to the early Christians? And what difference would those things make to the world at that time? How would learning the way that those early Christians lived out the continuing effect of Jesus help you to live out the continuing influence of Jesus in your own situation? Please consider these questions and be watching for material that will help you answer them as you work through this module.
Module Objectives and Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:
- Describe the history of the apostles and the early church directly after the New Testament, including the spread of Christianity.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the reasons why the apostles and early leaders did what they did, and what resulted from their work.
- Understand the dynamics of the relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers, and the implications for current ministry to be learned from the transition and tensions between cultures.
- Summarize some contributions of the writings called
The Apostolic Fathers.
- Place the Major people and issues from this period in a general chronology.
Instruction Guides
In this section, you'll find links to important instructional documents for this module. Click the following links to open each document. There is a set of instructions for individual study and a document for group study.
Textbook Content
In this section, you'll find a study guide for the textbook reading for module 2. And then you'll find the link to a practice quiz covering this textbook reading.
This section also contains a review quiz to test your understanding of the textbook material for this module. By clicking the banner below, you will be given a series of questions, in random order. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once.
Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the Submit
button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.
Lecture Content
In this section, you will find the video lectures for the Early Church module. Click each banner to open access to the video. There are also links with the video if you prefer to watch on the Rumble or YouTube interface or download just the audio to listen offline.
Reviews
In this section, you will find the review slides from the course lectures for module 2. This is a convenient way to view and review the summaries for each lecture. Click the banner to open the slide show.
Click the prev.
and next
buttons (bottom right of the slide) to move through the slides. You can also click on any thumbnail to go directly to that slide.
Discussion/Reflection Questions
This section contains questions for further thought and discussion from Module 2. It is recommended that you take time to think through these issues in order to thoroughly grasp the significance and explore the application of the material you are learning. These questions can also be used as essay questions in a classroom setting exam. Below, you will find links to the Response and Application Reflection Instructions for Individuals, and the Response and Application Discussion Instructions for Groups. And you will find a link to the detailed question document for this module. Or Click the banner below to view the questions in a simplified format.
The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:
- What can we learn from the example of the Apostles and other early leaders?
- What can we learn about Cultural Issues?
- What else did you learn? How does it apply?
(Optional) Timeline - Part 2
This section contains instructions for an optional Timeline activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.
Step Two of the Timeline should include the following information:
- The main events from the New Testament period and the period immediately following, through the middle of the second century.
- The apostles and other main leaders of the early church and their significance.
- The significant writings and doctrinal ideas from the New Testament and early church.
Annotate any significant ideas and principles which were formative for the early church, and which are applicable to the current church and Christian life.
(Optional) Principles Chart - Part 2
This section contains instructions for an optional Principles Chart activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.
Step Two of the Principles Chart will add any important principles noted from the history of the apostles and the early church, including lessons learned from the writings of this period.
It is suggested that the student begin this activity before watching the Guiding Principles
portion of the lecture. Then the student may supplement their work after learning additional insights from the Guiding Principles.
Primary Source Reading
This section contains instructions and resources for the Primary Source Reading activity. The student should read a minimum of 10-20 pages from a primary resource or resources discussed in this module's lecture and write or discuss a brief response to their reading. Below is a link to detailed instructions for the Primary Source Reading, which contain a list of recommended resources, by module. And click the banner below to access a list of recommended resources with links to where they may be found.
The following is a list of the recommended primary sources for this module. This list contains links to the resources in print and/or online format. These links may change, so feel free to search for other sources for these same titles. In addition, please do not feel you are limited only to this list. Feel free to choose from any primary source from the period and topic covered in this module:
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The Acts of the Apostles,Many versions in print and online
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The Apostolic Fathers,Print ISBN : 978-9354172885, 978-0801031083, 978-0140444759, or 978-1683590644
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Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History - Book 1, ch. 4 - Book 2, ch. 4Print ISBN: : 978-1565638136, 978-0140445350, or 978-0825433078
Online : ccel.org, or Newadvent.org
Review Quiz
This section is a link to a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 2. By clicking the banner, you will be taken to a series of questions, in random order. Answer each question and then push the Submit
button to check your answers. Every question must be answered before you can submit the quiz. At the end, you will be shown your score for the entire quiz. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once. Click the banner to begin the quiz.
Here is a review quiz for the material covered in this module's lectures. Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.
Module Completed!
Congratulations, you have reached the end of the second module. I hope that you have found it rewarding and have noticed personal growth.
I encourage you to continue on the next module as soon as is convenient. The button below will take you to Module 3.
