Before Constantine The early Christian Church, "pre-Constantine Church," was a small, persecuted minority that existed in secret, often underground, and was characterized by its apostolic traditions, biblical teachings, and sacraments. The pre-Constantine Church was shaped by the experiences of the early Christian communities, including the apostles, martyrs, and faithful believers who had been persecuted by the Roman Empire.
Constantine's Conversion In 312 CE, Constantine, the Roman Emperor, had a vision of a cross before his battle with Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. He interpreted this vision as a sign from God and subsequently converted to Christianity. This event marked the beginning of Christianity's official recognition and gradual acceptance by the Roman Empire.
Constantine's Support After his conversion, Constantine became a strong supporter of Christianity. He not only tolerated Christians but also began to promote Christianity throughout the empire. In 313 CE, he issued the Edict of Milan, which granted Christians freedom to worship and prohibited persecution. In 325 CE, he convened the First Council of Nicaea, which established the Nicene Creed and set the stage for Christian orthodoxy. By the way all of the creed is biblical based.
The New Church The transition from the pre-Constantine Church to the Christian Church under Constantine and the subsequent Roman Empire was gradual and complex. The early Christian Church continued to exist, but it underwent significant changes as it adapted to its new status as an officially recognized religion. From previously a prosecuted church
Theological Changes The theological landscape of Christianity began to shift as it became more integrated into Roman culture from its pagan gods. The early Christian Church had emphasized the importance of biblical teachings, apostolic traditions, and sacraments. However, as Christianity became more mainstream, these emphases began to become formalized and uniform
The concept of a "formalized Bible" as we know it today didn't exist during the pre-Constantine Church era. The Bible, as we understand it today, was not yet compiled into a single book. Instead, the early Christian Church relied on oral tradition, apostolic writings, and existing Jewish scriptures.
Here are some ways the early Christian Church followed biblical teaching despite the lack of a formalized Bible:
Oral Tradition the Early Christian Church relied heavily on oral tradition, which was passed down through generations of believers. The apostles and other early leaders had received their teachings directly from Jesus and the prophets, and they shared these teachings with others through sermons, teaching, and mentoring.
Apostolic Writings The apostles and other early Christian leaders wrote letters, gospels, and other documents to share their teachings and experiences with the wider Christian community. These writings, such as the Epistles of Paul, the Gospels, and the Book of Acts, became an important source of biblical teaching for the early Christian Church.
Jewish Scriptures the Early Christian Church had a strong connection to the Jewish faith and recognized the Jewish scriptures (the Old Testament) as authoritative. They saw Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish prophecies and saw the Jewish scriptures as a preparation for the coming of Christ.
The Didache The Didache is an early Christian text that provides guidance on Christian living, worship, and ministry. It is often referred to as "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" and is thought to have been written in the 1st century CE.
Synagogues Many early Christians continued to attend synagogues and participate in Jewish worship services, where they would hear readings from the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament). This exposure to Jewish scriptures helped shape their understanding of biblical teaching.
The early Christian Church's reliance on these sources allowed them to follow biblical teaching even without a formalized Bible. However, this didn't mean that there wasn't some degree of diversity in interpretation and understanding. The early Christian Church was still a relatively young and developing community, and there were debates and disagreements about matters of doctrine and practice.
It wasn't until the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and subsequent councils that the process of canonization began in earnest. The Council of Nicaea established the basis for the canonical books of the New Testament, and subsequent councils refined and finalized the canonization process over the next few centuries.
