History of the First Church - Term Paper Example

Eusebius - History of the First Church April 4, Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea was one of the first early Christian to compose a history of the Church which spanned from the first Apostles and concluded through his own time period. The current translation of these works comes from the second edition of the Greek text by Heinichen. Though Eusebius has been described by the likes of Socrates, Theodoret, and Jerome, the majority of information comes directly from his own writings. Eusebius was an intimate friend and admirer of the martyr Pamphilus and this fact is a distinguishing feature used to separate him from over a hundred others with the same name from the first centuries (Schaff 6). Nothing is known of the parents of Eusebius, though, it is clear from his works that he must have received an extensive education in philosophy, biblical and theological sciences. He was greatly admired and cherished as a man and regarded as one who was very influential over his colleagues. At one time he was Presbyter of the Church, though it is difficult to narrow down an exact date for this. Eusebius was born C. 260 and lived through May of 339. He was baptized and ordained at Caesarea where Pamphilus gave him the name ‘Eusebius Pamphili’, meaning “son or servant of Pamphilus” (Eusebius Of Caesarea). It is possible that Eusebius was imprisoned for some time by Roman authorities as he was taunted years later for having escaped through some acts of submission though this is verified. He began to write the Ecclesiastical History during the Roman prosecutions and it was revised several times between 312 and 324. He described this work as a full and complete documented history of the Christian Church in which he used many paraphrasing and quotes from outside sources. This allowed earlier portions of work to be preserved which adds significant historical value. Eusebius’ role in the doctrinal debates and disputes within the Catholic Church during the fourth century included issues regarding the nature of Jesus Christ, enquiring as to the possibility that he had always existed in some form prior to human. Eusebius knew nothing of the Western Church and his strength was not in being a historian. Eusebius became the Bishop of Caesarea in 313 and in 318 became involved in controversy stemming from the views of a Priest from Alexander who taught subordination of the son to the father, and Eusebius, accordingly, soon became a leading supporter of Arius. Eusebius’ style was one that “weaved short entries into a broader scheme” (Ferguson), though some considered him to be a mediator of propaganda. Despite criticism, his work remains imminent in our knowledge of the first three centuries within the Church. Though we have learned much of the Church’s history, little has been revealed of himself. His controversy with Arianism left him excommunicated for a time and endured much persecution. Eusebius’ early work was motivated by apologetics and in The Chronicle he outlined the principal events of Universal and Sacred history in order to prove that the Jewish people were an older secular group of people than others. He also wrote several works in praise of Constantine throughout his time period that may be considered a historical tone. His Church history begins with his six interests which include writing an account of the Holy Apostles, relating the events that happened within the Church: to recognize those who have presided over and governed the Church, to account for by name those whose governance and desire for innovation has resulted in errors, recounting the misfortunes of the Jewish people in their plots against the Savior and also to record the ways and means that have been afforded by the Savior. Though he did not discuss the Canon of the Scriptures in any of his first ten volumes, he later added them. Eusebius’ crucial point was to ponder the thought that if Christianity was the only true religion, why was it so late in coming to the world? In order to become of interest to Christians and non-Christians alike, Eusebius used tales of martyrdom, famous leaders, lively quotes and personal reflections. Complaints about Eusebius’ writing style included whitewashing what he did know and displayed no sense of doctrinal development. His sources were often careless and he believed that Christianity and the Roman state belonged together (Ferguson). Eusebius shares one factor with Marcellus of Ancyra and Saint Athanasius: a life long struggle to explain how the incarnate Logo’s is one with the father as well as one with creation (Meconi 708). Eusebius thought of Logo’s as divine, yet one with the created world. Eusebius’ Chronicle was mostly made possible by the many manuscripts in the library of Pamphilus. Canon was made possible by Eusebius’ ability to describe the past in an innovative way and he emphasized biblical chronology and also suggested the existence of civilization before the Jews (Hamilton 540). Eusebius frequently contradicts himself throughout his writings: at one time placing the death of James, brother of Jesus at 61, and then later decides it to be before the siege of Jerusalem. There is also some confusion over the authorship of the Apocalypse where at first he accepted it to be John in The Chronicle and later rejected this notion (Yamauchi 1079). Though Eusebius borrowed from other styles a lot, his work was still to be considered a new genre of the time. Eusebius wanted to show an unbroken lineage to prove that the Catholic Orthodoxy was “the true heir of the apostolic Church” (Minton 715). Eusebius sought to prove that Christians had always existed and passed along the views learned from Hegesippus drawing a line between orthodoxy and heresy. The triumph of Christianity under Constantine was all the more impossible in contrast of what had come before. Using chronology from the works of Cyprian and Tertullian, Eusebius could demonstrate the peace brought about by Constantine and strongly connect the triumphant Church with the persecuted previous one. Eusebius also authored the Preparation and Demonstration and such minor works as Martyrs of Palestine and The Life of Constantine. The Topography of Palestine is still considered the most important of works in its department and his views were wide and varied from Pagan to Christian. The Church History is not only valuable because of its many original sources, it possess an invaluable collection of knowledge no longer accessible to us. Subjects contained within The Church History include Abraham, Luke’s genealogy of Christ, Mary, mother of Christ, the pre-existence of Christ and Revelations (Eusebius). The Church History is not considered to be a work that is able to be read with any pleasure due to the sort of style that it is written in and many of his statements are now unable to be verified such as that the “apostles preached in the land of the isles of Britain”. It is impossible to know now where this information came from or what proof Eusebius may have had. His interest in the second century Catholic Church father Origen led to his combined writing with Pamphilus of “Apology of Origen,” defending the cleric’s teachings. Roman Catholics would likely not now regard him as an Orthodox Catholic with his sometime heretical views. Eusebius work at one point promises to refute the claim that Jesus performed no genuine miracles and was instead a wizard or a magician. Though miracle making is a very common theme in Eusebius’ writings in the Testimonium where he seeks to demonstrate that Jesus was genuine. Eusebius statements that Jesus won over many Jews and Gentiles alike while some have suggested this to be an impossibility and highly unlikely because Jesus’ mission was not directed towards the Gentiles. Though the minute details are uncertain, it is known that Eusebius followed Constantine shortly thereafter in death at close to the age of eighty years of age. Works Cited “Eusebius Of Caesarea.” Britannica Biographies (2011): 1. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Eusebius. “Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine.” CCEL. 2012. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Ferguson, Everett. “The Problem Of Eusebius.” Christian History 20.4 (2001): 8. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Hamilton, Alastair. “Christianity and the Transformation of the Book. Origen, Eusebius, and the Library of Caesarea.” Church History & Religious Culture 87, No. 4 (October 2007): 540-541. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Meconi, David. “Christ As Mediator: A Study Of The Theologies Of Eusebius Of Caesarea, Marcellus Of Ancyra, And Athanasius Of Alexandria. By Jon M. Robertson.” Heythrop Journal 50.4 (2009): 707-708. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Minton, Gretchen E. “The Same Cause And Like Quarell: Eusebius, John Foxe, And The Evolution Of Ecclesiastical History.” Church History 71.4 (2002): 715. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Pamphilus, Eusebius. Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine.” Document A Catholicaomnia. 1890. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Yamauchi, E.M. “Eusebius As Church Historian (Book Review).” American Historical Review 86.5 (1981): 1079. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Read More