1. Discuss the 7 ecumenical councils. There were 7 ecumenical (worldwide) councils that were and have been recommended by many churches. They were (1) Nicaea I (325AD), (2) Constantinople I (381AD), (3) Ephesus (431AD), (4) Chalcedon (451AD), (5) Constantinople II (558AD), (6) Constantinople III (681AD), and (7) Nicaea II (787AD). The Nicaea I council resolved the issue about the nature of Christ and His relationship with the Father. He was fully divine and possessed the same nature as His Father. Constantinople I dealt with the condemnation of modalism, Montanism, and Apollinarianism. Ephesus was not as significant as the others, but it did condemn Nestorius and Pelagius. Chalcedon decided that Jesus was totally human and totally divine, that Mary was the theotokos, and that the Tome by Leo III should be accepted. Constantinople II condemned the monophylites. Constantinople III condemned the monothelites. Nicaea II condemned iconoclasm and decided that images should be allowed.

2. List the 9 reasons that explain the rise of the Papacy. The 9 reasons for the rise of the papacy were (1) Constantine, (2) able bishops in Rome, (3) geographical location, (4) moving the capital from Rome to Constantinople, (5) the five doctrinal controversies (Arian, Nestorian, Pelagian, Iconoclasm, and the 7 councils), (6) Germanic invasions, (7) Monasticism, (8) political and military alliances which completed the union of church and state, and (9) Gregory I.

3. Discuss the reasons 6, 7, and 8. The Germanic tribes invaded Italy during the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries. Rome had been feeling the pressure since the 2nd century. The Germanic tribes were made up of the Goths, Lombards, Franks, and so forth. They pushed into France, Spain, and Italy. These invasions helped the Roman bishops in the following ways: (1) the Roman Emperor was taken out of Rome (got him out of the bishop's way) and moved to Constantinople in 330AD because of the Germanic tribes threat and (2) the Germanic tribes were more congenial with the Roman bishop than the Roman troops had been. Many of them had actually been won to the church (as opposed to the Lord). The first fall of Rome was around 410AD, and the final fall of the Roman Empire was in 476AD. Some of the Germanic barbarians were already Arian Christians, so their indoctrination into the church was not as difficult. This led to the final stages of the union of church and state with the church coming out on top.

The 7th reason for the rise of the Papacy was Monasticism. The incentives for being a monk were that (1) missions were pushed forward and promoted by monasteries to convert the pagans, (2) union of church and state had removed all the suffering from Christianity so believers sought out the monasteries to enhance their sufferings for the faith, and (3) paganism drove pure Christians from the local churches in search of real purity. Martin Luther called the monks the fleas on God's fur coat. He was not saved in the monastery. The first legitimate monastery was started by Benedict of Nursia in 529AD (the Benedictine order). Over time, this order became very corrupt even though it had initially been a significant missionary force. In 596AD, Gregory sent Augustine (not the one of Hippo) to evangelize England. He was very successful and turned the entire nation to Christianity. Boniface came from England in the last half of the 8th century and brought Christianity to Germany. To replace the corrupt Benedictine order, Cluny was selected in the 10th century. This order preserved purity by making it submissive to the bishop of Rome, and this helped the rise of the Papacy.

The 8th reason was the political and military alliances. The Roman bishop was able to accomplish the union of church and state.

4. Discuss reason 9 - Gregory I (590-604). Gregory was very skilled and easily the most talented bishop of Rome between 325AD and the Protestant Reformation. Some have said that he was the best pope ever, and Dr. Diemer calls him the first pope. His main contributions were: (1) that he was the most able bishop for at least a millennium, (2) his union of the Roman church and the German military (others did this but he did it better), (3) that he established the idea that every priest ordained would be based on approval by the bishop of Rome, (4) that he emphasized the need for a celibate clergy to ensure devotion to the church, (5) that he revised the church music and liturgy so that all churches would have identical worship, (6) that he sent Augustine to England, and (7) that he finalized the sacramental system for the church (Aquinas would later finalize the 7 sacraments of the church). Gregory started the belief in purgatory. He was a great organizer.

				Tom of Bethany

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Lesson 20. Expansion of the Papacy (600-1054AD)

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