I.Jesus and the Early Church
     Throughout all eternity there are only two beings who so loved
     the world that they gave their only son.
     A.Jesus as both God and Man
          1.True Man so that, through His human obedience, He could
          cleanse humanity of Adam's disobedience
          2.True God because only God can redeem & restore humanity
          3.Teacher
          4.Exemplar
     B.Mary as Perfect Human
          1.Second Eve (perfect in belief, faith, obedience)
          2.Mother of God (theotokos)
          3.Mother of the Church
          4.Mediatrix of all graces
     C.Message of St. Paul
          1.Proclaims Jesus as the universal savior
          2.Preaching mission to Greeks and Romans
          3.Jesus Christ as the God/Man who atoned for our sins
          4.Promise of resurrection in Paradise
          5.Salvation the gift of a gracious and just God
          6.No imposition of Deuteronymic or rabbinic Law on Christians
     D.Threefold mission of Early Church
          1.Spread the Word: Preach & Teach the Gospel
          2.Explain & Justify Christianity to its enemies
          3.Maintain the Treasure of Faith
     E.Apostolic Fathers: Students of the Apostles
          1.Clement of Rome (30-97)
          2.Ignatius of Antioch (50-115)
          3.Polycarp of Smyrna (69-156)
II.The Early Church Fathers
     A.Justin Martyr (100-165)
          1.Defend & explain Christianity to its enemies
          2.Works directed to learned Israelites & Greco-Romans
          3.Fights Gnostics (Simon Magus, Maeander, Marcion)
     B.Irenaeus of Lyon (130-200)
          1.Pass on the Correct Teaching
          2.Apostolic Succession
               a.Jesus>John>Polycarp>Irenaeus
          3.Fight heresy, especially Gnosticism
          4.Creation is good, the world is good
          5.The world is a fitting stage for human endeavor
     C.Clement of Alexandria (150-215)
          1.Scholar evangelizing learned Greco-Romans
          2.Handbook of Moral Conduct for Christians
          3.Live righteously, for that is man's high estate
          4.Equality of men and women
     D.Origen (185-254)
          1.Critical edition of Bible in Hebrew & Greek
          2.Debates Greco-Roman enemies, Celsus
          3.Fights Gnosticism
          4.Some heretical ideas (pre-existence of souls)
     E.Tertullian (160-221)
          1.Atonement by Incarnation of the God/Man, Jesus
          2.Man must make satisfaction to the Lord via penetence
          and good works
          3.Exhortation to Martyrdom
          4.Fights Gnostics (esp. Marcion, Valentinian)
          5.Opposes overmuch use of Classical ideas
          6.Became a Montanist heretic in later life
               a.Follower of Montanus of Phrygia
               b.Pentecostalism of the Paraclete