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Church History, Part 2

Servants Preparation Curriculum

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Church History, Part 2 – The Persecution of The Church

Objectives:

  1. To introduce the different stages in The Christian Persecution
  2. To state the martyrdom of the disciples
  3. The recognize the famous 10 stages of Roman Persecution
  4. To realize the martyrdom in the current times

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The Persecution of The Church

“But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Mathew 10:17-20)

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The Different Stages of Christian Persecution

  1. The Jewish persecution against the disciples and the believers
  2. The Idol - persecution of worshippers all over the world
  3. The Christian Persecution
    1. The Catholic Church persecuted The Coptic Orthodox church in Egypt (5th - 6th) centuries
    2. The Catholic Church persecuted The Protestant Church in Europe (16th - 17th) centuries
  4. The Arab Persecution (from the 7th century until….)
  5. Persecution in the 21st Century

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The Jewish Persecution

  1. Arrested St. Peter and St. John after healing the lame man
  2. Arrested and flogged the disciples
  3. St. James The Great, The Son of Zebedee, was martyred by the sword around 44 AD
  4. St. James The Less (Jesus’ Cousin), The Bishop of Jerusalem was martyred in Jerusalem around 63 AD
  5. St. Simon Cleopas, The Bishop of Jerusalem, was martyred in Jerusalem around 107 AD

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The Jewish Persecution Cont.

St. James The Great and St. James The Less

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Church History, Part 2 – The Persecution of The Church

Objectives:

  1. To introduce the different stages in The Christian Persecution
  2. To state the martyrdom of the disciples
  3. The recognize the famous 10 stages of Roman Persecution
  4. To realize the martyrdom in the current times

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The Martyrdom of The Disciples

  1. St. Andrew was crucified between two trees in Greece around 60 AD
  2. St. Peter was crucified upside down in Rome around 67 AD
  3. St. James The Great was beheaded in Jerusalem around 44 AD
  4. St. John died of old age around 100 AD
  5. St. Phillip was crucified in Turkey
  6. St. Bartholomew/Nathaniel was skinned alive then beheaded in Armenia
  7. St. Mathew was stabbed in the back by the Sword in Ethiopia
  8. St. Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India around 72 AD

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Identify The Apostles Below

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The Martyrdom of The Disciples Cont.

  1. James The Less was stoned and clubbed in Jerusalem around 63 AD
  2. Simon the Zealot was martyred with the sword in Persia/Iran around 65 AD
  3. St. Jude/Thaddeus was killed by the axe in Iran around 67 AD
  4. St. Mathias was stoned and then beheaded in Jerusalem
  5. St. Paul was killed by the sword around 67 AD
  6. St. Timothy was beaten and dragged into the streets and stoned when he was around 80 years old

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St. Paul’s Martyrdom at Rome around 67 AD

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Martyrdom is The Strongest Proof of Faith

  • The disciple's life ended in martyrdom as this is the strongest proof of the true Christian faith (Jesus Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection)
  • They will not give up their life for fake stories
  • Unless they are confident in Jesus’ Divinity and His kingdom in Heaven they will not accept to die as martyrs
  • We honor them by portraying their icons in the Church and naming altars/churches/children after them

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Identify where each disciple was martyred

  • Thomas, Mathew, Jude, and Simon the Zealot

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Identify where each disciple was martyred Cont.

  • Nathaniel, Philip, Andrew, Peter, Paul, and James

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Church History, Part 2 – The Persecution of The Church

Objectives:

  1. To introduce the different stages in The Christian Persecution
  2. To state the martyrdom of the disciples
  3. The recognize the famous 10 stages of Roman Persecution
  4. To realize the martyrdom in the current times

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The Famous 10 Stages of Roman Persecution

  1. There are 10 Roman Emperors who harshly persecuted The Christians
  2. Persecution first started in Rome then spread throughout the empire
  3. Persecution was interrupted by times of peace, so the church tolerated it

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Causes of Persecution

  1. The idol gods are upset because the Roman Emperors allowed Christians to live among them
  2. The Christians are to blame for losing in war
  3. The Christians are to blame for natural disasters
    • Flood, famine, plague, earthquakes, etc.
  4. The Christians are accused of secret underground cult meetings
  5. The Jewish conspiracy against The Christians

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1. Nero (54-68 AD)

  1. He killed his mother and wife
  2. He burned the city of Rome for 9 days
  3. He blamed The Christians for it
  4. He killed thousands and thousands of Christians
  5. He dressed them in shirts made with wax, fixed them to trees in his garden, and set them on fire to illuminate his garden

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1. Nero (54-68 AD) Cont.

  1. The Great Fire of Rome

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1. Nero (54-68 AD) Cont.

  • Nero was an erratic person
  • He used to dress in causal way at night and go to bars
  • He used to sing in theaters
  • He got into horse racing entertainments

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1. Nero (54-68 AD) Cont.

  • He tried St. Paul two times
  • The first time, he set him free
  • St. Paul said: “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. The Lord Is Faithful But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion” (2 Timothy 4:16-17)

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  • The second time, he ordered him to be executed by the sword
  • He ordered crucifixion of St. Peter

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Paul & Peter’s Martyrdom

  • St. Peter was crucified upside down
  • St. Paul was executed by the sword

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2. Domitian (81-96 AD)

  • He killed his brother
  • He killed many of the Roman Senators and took over their lands and farms
  • He ordered The Christians killed and took over their possessions
  • During his reign, St. John The Beloved was boiled in oil and then sent to exile at Patmos
  • Timothy died during his reign

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St. John The Beloved

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3. Trajan (98-117 AD)

  • Thousands of Christians were put to death daily
  • Officially declared war against Christianity

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  • St. Ignatius was martyred during his time
  • St. Ignatius was a disciple of St John the Beloved
  • St. Ignatius was the bishop of Antioch/Syria
  • St. Ignatius was the child Jesus picked and spoke with among the disciples

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St. Ignatius

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4. Marcus Aurelius Antonius (138-180 AD)

  • Thousands of Christians were put to death daily
  • Officially declared war against Christianity

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  • St. Ignatius was martyred during his time
  • St. Ignatius was a disciple of St John the Beloved
  • St. Ignatius was the bishop of Antioch/Syria
  • St. Ignatius was the child Jesus picked and spoke with among the disciples

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4. Marcus Aurelius Antonius (138-180 AD) Cont.

  • He persecuted The Christians out of fear they would destroy the state

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  • He martyred St. Polycarp of Smyrna
  • He was a disciple of St John the beloved
  • The emperor said “reproach Christ and I will release you, But Polycarp answered, “86 years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, who has saved me”

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5. Severus (193-211 AD)

  • He feared the alarming growth of Christianity
  • Irenaeus, The Bishop of Lyons and disciple of St. Polycarp, was beheaded in in 202 AD
  • The Martyrdom of Origen, A Father in Alexandria
  • Tertullian, lived during this time period and documented persecution

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Irenaeus, The Bishop of Lyons

  • He Preached in South France
  • He fought many heresies
  • He defended The Orthodox Faith

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6. Maximus (235-238 AD)

  • He focused his persecution against the clergy
  • He planned to exterminate all the Christians
  • Numerous Christians were slain without trial and buried in big heaps (50-60 body per pit)

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7. Decius (249-251 AD)

  • He feared the growth of Christianity and the emptiness of Heathen temples
  • Some Christians were sacrificed to false gods or tortured to death and some decanted Christ under persecution
  • St. George was tortured and martyred during his reign

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The Martyrdom of St. George

  • Venerated as saint in:
  • Egypt, England, Rome, Greek, and Russia

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8. Valerian (253-260 AD)

  • Extreme and severe persecution across the empire that did not spare women or children
  • Cyprian, The Bishop of Carthage, was martyred

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Cyprian, The Bishop of Carthage

  • He was born in 200 AD at Carthage
  • He died on September 14, 258 at Carthage

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  • The Western and Eastern Feast Day is September 16

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9. Aurelian (270-275 AD)

  • He was a victorious military leader against the Barbarian, German, and French armies and united The Roman Empire
  • He imposed the SUN as a single God to his citizens, so they believe without betraying their own gods
  • He requested to be be officially hailed as dominus et deus (Master and God)

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10. Diocletian (284-304 AD)

  • The worst persecution
  • He issued 4 Decrees/Edicts
  • The first one was as follows:
    • Churches should be destroyed
    • Sacred scriptures should be burned
    • Christians of position will lose their honor and those of lower ranks lose their liberty
  • The second edict was as follows:
    • Leaders of the Christians are to be thrown into prison

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10. Diocletian (284-304 AD) Cont.

  1. The third edict was as follows:
    • Christian leaders who would not sacrifice should be thrown into prison
    • They suffered cruel tortures

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  • The fourth edict was as follows:
    • All Christians everywhere should sacrifice on threat of being put to death in a war of extermination

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The Edict of Toleration

  • In 305, Diocletian got severely ill, abdicated the throne and was replaced by Galerius, his successor, who continued persecution in the East part of the empire until 311

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  • On February 23, 311 Emperor Galerius issued edict of Toleration , which granted Christians forgiveness, freedom of worship and the status of religio licita. (Recognized religion in the Roman Empire)

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The Coptic Calendar

  • The Coptic Church, to acknowledge the terrible persecution under Diocletian’s reign, decided to make the year of his enthronement (284) the beginning of its Coptic Calendar of The Martyrs

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  • To calculate the current Coptic year:
  • The current Julian year – 284 = The Coptic Year of The Martyrs

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The Coptic Calendar

  • The Coptic Church, to acknowledge the terrible persecution under Diocletian’s reign, decided to make the year of his enthronement (284) the beginning of its Coptic Calendar of The Martyrs

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  • To calculate the current Coptic year:
  • The current Julian year – 284 = The Coptic Year of The Martyrs

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Church History, Part 2 – The Persecution of The Church

Objectives:

  1. To introduce the different stages in The Christian Persecution
  2. To state the martyrdom of the disciples
  3. The recognize the famous 10 stages of Roman Persecution
  4. To realize the martyrdom in the current times

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The Martyrdom in The Current Times

  • Persecution and Martyrdom will never stop since the kingdom of the devil is at work as Jesus said - the tares will grow next to the wheat

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  • In the last days, the devil will be loosened to inflict more harm on the church

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  • Persecution happens all over the world at different levels

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The Martyrdom in The Current Times Cont.

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Souls Under The Altar

“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed” (Revelation 6: 9-11)

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Jesus’ Promise

“The gates of hell shall not prevail against it” Mathew 16:18)

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Church History, Part 2 – The Persecution of The Church

Objectives:

  1. To introduce the different stages in The Christian Persecution
  2. To state the martyrdom of the disciples
  3. The recognize the famous 10 stages of Roman Persecution
  4. To realize the martyrdom in the current times

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Memorization Verses

  1. “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23)

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  • “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (Romans 8:35-36)

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