Bible: Church History, Pentecost to the Present

From Pentecost to Augustine's death in 430. An illegal minority, three centuries of intermittent persecution and the martyrs it produced, the recognition of the canon, Constantine's legalization and the establishment that followed, the great councils at Nicaea and Chalcedon that fixed how Christians speak about Christ, and Augustine writing as the Roman world ended around him.

1. A movement with nothing+

   Read, analyze and argue about “A movement with nothing” (Acts 2:1-24 and Acts 2:36-47), and say Acts 1:8 by heart.

2. Persecution as a distribution system+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Persecution as a distribution system” (Acts 7:54-8:8 and Acts 11:19-26), and say Acts 8:4 by heart.

3. The martyrs, and what Rome thought it was doing+

   Read, analyze and argue about “The martyrs, and what Rome thought it was doing” (1 Peter 4:12-19 and Hebrews 11:32-40), and say 1 Peter 4:12 by heart.

4. Why an empire bothered+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Why an empire bothered” (Romans 13:1-7 and Acts 5:17-32), and say Acts 5:29 by heart.

5. How the Bible got its table of contents+

   Read, analyze and argue about “How the Bible got its table of contents” (2 Timothy 3:14-17 and Luke 1:1-4), and say Jude 1:3 (part) by heart.

6. Constantine, and the most consequential conversion in history+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Constantine, and the most consequential conversion in history” (Matthew 20:20-28 and Daniel 2:31-45), and say Matthew 20:26 (part) by heart.

7. Nicaea, and a fight about one letter+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Nicaea, and a fight about one letter” (John 1:1-18 and Colossians 1:12-20), and say John 1:1 by heart.

8. Two natures, and why the argument continued+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Two natures, and why the argument continued” (Philippians 2:1-11 and Hebrews 4:14-16), and say Philippians 2:7 (part) by heart.

9. Augustine, and a world ending+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Augustine, and a world ending” (Romans 7:14-25 and Romans 13:11-14), and say Romans 13:14 by heart.

A thousand years, from the desert monks to the burning of Hus in 1415. Monasticism and the preservation of learning, the conversion of Europe by monks and sometimes by force, the loss of the eastern and North African church, Christendom under Charlemagne, the split between East and West, the crusades, ordinary faith at parish level, the universities and Aquinas, and the first reformers.

1. People who left+

   Read, analyze and argue about “People who left” (Matthew 19:16-26 and Acts 2:41-47), and say Acts 2:42 by heart.

2. The conversion of a continent+

   Read, analyze and argue about “The conversion of a continent” (Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 17:16-31), and say Matthew 28:19 (part) by heart.

3. The half of the church that vanished+

   Read, analyze and argue about “The half of the church that vanished” (Revelation 2:1-7 and Psalm 137:1-6), and say Revelation 2:5 (part) by heart.

4. Christendom, and the kingdom that was not of this world+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Christendom, and the kingdom that was not of this world” (John 18:33-38 and 1 Samuel 8:4-22), and say John 18:36 (part) by heart.

5. 1054, and a split that had already happened+

   Read, analyze and argue about “1054, and a split that had already happened” (Ephesians 4:1-16 and John 17:20-23), and say Ephesians 4:3 by heart.

6. Holy war+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Holy war” (Matthew 5:38-48 and Romans 12:17-21), and say Matthew 5:44 (part) by heart.

7. What faith looked like at ground level+

   Read, analyze and argue about “What faith looked like at ground level” (1 Corinthians 14:6-19 and Psalm 119:129-136), and say Psalm 119:130 by heart.

8. Faith looking for reasons+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Faith looking for reasons” (Proverbs 2:1-11 and Acts 17:16-28), and say Proverbs 2:6 by heart.

9. Two men who said it first+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Two men who said it first” (John 8:31-47 and Jeremiah 26:1-16), and say John 8:32 by heart.

1517 to 1650. Luther from the indulgence controversy to Worms, the printing press and the German Bible, the substance of the argument over authority and justification, Zwingli and Calvin, the Anabaptists that everyone persecuted, the English Reformation and Tyndale's English, the wars of religion, and the Catholic reformation at Trent and in Teresa of Avila.

1. One monk's problem+

   Read, analyze and argue about “One monk's problem” (Romans 1:8-17 and Romans 3:19-28), and say Romans 1:17 (part) by heart.

2. Here I stand, and the machine that made it possible+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Here I stand, and the machine that made it possible” (Acts 4:1-22), and say Acts 4:20 by heart.

3. What the argument was actually about+

   Read, analyze and argue about “What the argument was actually about” (Ephesians 2:1-10 and Romans 4:1-8), and say Ephesians 2:8 by heart.

4. Geneva, and a system+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Geneva, and a system” (Romans 8:26-39 and Romans 9:14-24), and say Romans 8:28 by heart.

5. The ones both sides drowned+

   Read, analyze and argue about “The ones both sides drowned” (Matthew 5:1-16 and Acts 5:26-32), and say Matthew 5:10 by heart.

6. An island changes its religion four times+

   Read, analyze and argue about “An island changes its religion four times” (Isaiah 40:1-11 and 2 Timothy 4:1-8), and say Isaiah 40:8 by heart.

7. When Christians made war on Christians+

   Read, analyze and argue about “When Christians made war on Christians” (James 3:13-4:6 and Matthew 26:47-56), and say James 4:1 by heart.

8. Rome's own reformation+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Rome's own reformation” (1 Corinthians 3:9-17 and 2 Corinthians 13:5-9), and say 1 Corinthians 3:11 by heart.

9. What it cost and what it settled+

   Read, analyze and argue about “What it cost and what it settled” (Psalm 119:97-112 and John 17:11-23), and say Psalm 119:105 by heart.

1700 to now. Pietism and the Great Awakenings, the Enlightenment challenge and the churches' answers, slavery and abolition with the church on both sides, American revivalism and denominations, the missionary century and empire, the fight over how to read the Bible, the church under totalitarian states, civil rights, and the global south where most Christians now live.

1. Religion of the heart+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Religion of the heart” (John 3:1-16 and Acts 2:37-42), and say John 3:7 (part) by heart.

2. The argument with the modern age+

   Read, analyze and argue about “The argument with the modern age” (Psalm 19:1-14 and Acts 17:22-31), and say Psalm 19:1 by heart.

3. The same Bible, on both sides+

   Read, analyze and argue about “The same Bible, on both sides” (Philemon 1:8-21 and Galatians 3:23-29), and say Galatians 3:28 by heart.

4. Revival, and a country full of churches+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Revival, and a country full of churches” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21 and Acts 2:37-47), and say 2 Corinthians 5:17 by heart.

5. The century of missions, and the empire it traveled with+

   Read, analyze and argue about “The century of missions, and the empire it traveled with” (Romans 10:9-17 and 1 Corinthians 9:19-23), and say Romans 10:15 (part) by heart.

6. How to read the book, argued in public+

   Read, analyze and argue about “How to read the book, argued in public” (John 17:6-19 and 2 Peter 1:16-21), and say John 17:17 by heart.

7. The church under a state that wanted everything+

   Read, analyze and argue about “The church under a state that wanted everything” (Daniel 3:8-30 and Revelation 13:1-10), and say Daniel 3:18 (part) by heart.

8. Judgment running down like water+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Judgment running down like water” (Amos 5:18-27 and Luke 4:16-21), and say Amos 5:24 by heart.

9. Where the church actually is+

   Read, analyze and argue about “Where the church actually is” (Revelation 7:9-17 and Hebrews 11:32-12:2), and say Revelation 7:9 (part) by heart.