Church history: overview and key developments

Church History

The History of the Church

Intended Audience: A mixed group of high school and junior high school students with a background in the Christian Faith

Time Frame: One Session

Devotions:

"God said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you' (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV), and Jesus said, 'Surely I am with you always, to the end of the age' (Matthew 26:20). Although the pain may be great, we do not need to be afraid that the storms of life will destroy us, because Jesus is in the boat with us. His power can calm the seas and still the storms of life that threaten to pull us under." (Jayne, 1)

To elucidate the early development of the Bible from a linguistic and anthropological standpoint

To connect this history with the proliferation of the truths of Christianity

To examine a key transcript in consideration the implications of these truths as they were spread around the known world

To connect these considerations to the experiences of the students in the classroom

Materials Needed: "Song of the Three Holy Youths" Daniel 3:1-91

St. Jerome's the Vulgates, English translation.

Map of the Ancient World

Map of the Modern World

"There is no other God who can rescue like this."

Our lesson plan initiates with an examination of St. Jerome and his particular contributions to the spread of the Christian faith. By translating Hebrew and Aramaic texts into Latin in the 5th Century, Jerome would be a figure of substantial importance in seeing that the teachings of Jesus were accessible to worlds beyond the Middle East. This is a discussion which would employ Maps of the Ancient and Modern Worlds, with the discussion centering on the Ancient World Map and using the Modern World map simply as a point of reference for students. The map would be used to demonstrate the way that the linguistic breakthrough in Jerome's interpretation would produce geographical effects expanding the influence of Christianity.

This will be followed by a recitation of a significant passage interpreted by Jerome, within which discussion may be entertained regarding the way that Jerome's interpretation proliferated an important principle of Christianity. Further, this will allow us to connect such a principle to the lives of the students. For this purpose, each student will take a turn reading a passage from Daniel 3: "Song of the Three Holy Youths."

We will pay focus to specific passages of importance such as the following.

"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar" 'There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter.' If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up." (Daniel 3:16-18)