Church History Week 2

Church History Week 2

In this weeks reading what I gathered about the church structure was fairly drastic in terms of the scope of change. In the beginning the church met primarily in houses and it was there the local leaders would lead in songs, reading of Scripture, and then communion. But leading into the 3rd century the church had evolved greatly. One of the most notable changes was the role of women in leadership. For most of the 2nd century there were understood leadership roles in the church. While these are in some debate the general idea is that there was a bishop, (or in some cases multiple), and then deacons. The bishops were tasked with leadership while the deacons handled the service aspect. In the early church it is fairly clear women had at least a semblance of leadership responsibility but by the mid- to late 2nd century, in order to combat heresy from the Gnostics, the leadership was almost totally masculine. 

Psalm 1 Reflection

After spending some time in Psalm 1 what really sticks out to me is in verse 2, "...who meditates on his law day and night." I think this really hits me because, here I sit, at my computer, looking ahead toward a long night of homework. I'm thinking about it, what all I need to do, how I am going to do it, but that's different from what the Psalmist is saying. Thinking about something is temporary, inevitably you will have thought through it to a point that is satisfactory in your mind, or quit because you don't feel you can give it anymore thought. No, the Psalmist uses the word "meditates" for a reason. Meditation is something more intense, something deeper. Meditation is this constant state, something kind of illusive but also ever-present. To "meditate on His law day and night" sounds like it is almost painful. God's law is almost haunting you. But what we gather from the rest of the text is that it isn't that at all. Instead, it is what will bring us the most joy. It has been said that God is most pleased when we find joy in Him. I believe this text is saying something similar. If we delight on the Law of God, or in a sense in Him, we will be like a tree planted by a stream, one that never withers and dies. His law is a constant state of nourishment for the soul. It was a welcome reminder tonight. 

Church History Blog Post #1

For my blog I will be tracing Church Structure through the various phases of Church History leading up to the Reformation.

In Gonzalez's book The Story of Christianity: Volume 1 the author takes us through the first and second centuries of the church highlighting different subjects throughout. As far as the structure of the church is concerned there are some interesting shifts that take place during this time period. After the initial spread of Christianity in Judea, the Gospel made its way through the Diaspora. The four corners of the Roman Empire were being brought this new teaching about Jesus and it was primarily delivered through the synagogues established by the Jews living in those areas. Christians would come into the synagogue meetings and explain how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law. This was met with one of two responses: Acceptance or Anger. The former saw Christianity spread like wildfire, the latter, saw persecution and barring from the places of worship. This led Christians to meet in homes. These often small and intimate meetings usually consisted of prayer, Bible teaching, and communion for those who were baptized. This is how the Church existed for much of the first and second centuries.