A Brief History of Denominationalism

What follows is a history of the rise of the denominations. At first it will be brief, but as time permits, I will get more detailed with each denomination. The sections are broken down semi-chronologically within each church represented, starting with the New Testament church which is commonly referred to as the churches of Christ (Romans 16:16). Unlike many of my articles, this is not wholly taken from scripture for obvious reasons. As time permits, I will establish as many primary sources for this information as I can. 
== The New Testament Church ==
AD 33 - Jesus dies, is buried, and rises again from the grave, founding His church (Heb 9:15-17).  He ascendes into Heaven becoming King of the Kingdom (the church).  At the resurrection, all the faithful who died before the cross are added to the church/kingdom of Christ, their sins finally washed away in His blood.
AD 33 (50 days later) - Peter preaches at Pentecost in Jerusalem.  3000 souls of the living are added to the church. (Acts 2)
AD 33-AD 100 - Christ's church is established through the work of the Apostles with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  They are guided into all spiritual truth (2 Pet 1:3) and the faith is once and for all delivered to the Christians (Jude vs 3).  During this time, Paul establishes the church at Rome appointing Clement, Linus, and Anacletus as the first elders.  At this time, the terms presbuteros (elder/presbyter), episkopos (overseer/bishop), and shepherd/pastor (poimen) all refer to the same office, a plurality of men meeting the qualifications in 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1 over each individual autonomous congregation.  Deacons are a separate office of men who are appointed (qualifications in 1 Tim 3:8f) to serve the physical needs of the congregation.  Deacons are not in a position of authority as elders/shepherds/bishops.
Peter is in Babylon (1 Peter 5:13) which is Jerusalem (Revelation 14, 16-18), not Rome, along with the other 12 preaching the gospel to the circumcision (Gal 2:7-8) while Paul preached largely to the Gentiles of the Roman Empire. In Acts 20:17-31 Paul warns the elders at Ephesus that there would be wolves that would rise up later from among the eldership of the church that would lead people astray.
== Proto-Catholicism ==
150 AD - Ignatius begins to write concerning his desire that there be a separation between the office of elders/shepherds and that of bishop.  His pattern, which is distinct from the scriptures, is that there be one bishop over the plurality of elders/shepherds.  
170 AD - Letters from leaders within various congregations have taken to Ignatius's desires and have now separated the office of bishop from that of elder/shepherd with a singular bishop over the eldership.  Some congregtions, mostly in the far west, reject this new structure.  The formation of synods in various regions begins to take root.  Big congregations in the city began to take oversight of smaller congregations in outlying towns. Proto-Catholic denomination forms.  
185 AD - evidence of a  line of succession back to the Apostles becomes of interest, and a distinction begins to grow between a Jew-like clergy and the laity. 
200 AD - Tertullian formulates the foundation of the doctrine of Original Sin and that all men inherit the GUILT of Adamn's sin.
240 AD - major heretical sects develop: Neoplatanism, Manichaen Gnosticism, Ebionites (Judaizers), Monarchianism, Donatists.
250 AD - Cyprian is the chief one to fully solidify the hiearchy of the clergy and the idea of succession back to the Apostles.  Cyprian accepted the tradition that the church at Rome had been founded by Peter (rather than Paul), and that Peter was the chief of the Apostles - the rock upon which the church was built.  Cyprian believed all bishops to be of equal rank, but his views concerning Peter encouraged the exaltation of the Roman bishop.  Cyprian also solidified the distinction between clergy and laity and pushed for the clergy to be considered priests with special powers (in distinction from the Biblical priesthood of all Christians). He expands on Turtullian's work with Original Sin.  This doctrine is not widely accepted yet and infant baptism is not widely practiced at this time.
313 AD - Edict of Milan declaring Christianity safe to practice and no longer persecuted.
325 AD - Constantine calls the first ecumenical council at Nicea to deal with the Arian threat and the doctrines surrounding the nature of Christ as a member of the Godhead/Trinity.  Constantine calls himself "the bishop of bishops".  Many bishops submit to this call and are at the council.  The Proto-Catholic church thus establishes its ties to earthly governments by submitting to the authority of Caesar.
~400 AD - Augustine, a former Manichaen Gnostic and Neo-platonist, is now converted and bishop of Hippo.  Can't give up his sex life and turns to his Gnostic roots to shift blame from himself.  Gloms on to the idea of hereditary sin, Original Sin, and similar doctrines to justify himself.  Uses Pelagius (an elder and prolific writer from Britain) as a foil for his plans by making up 14 accusations against Pelagius.  Pelagius represents in this conflict the Orthodox teachings that Augustine is trying to get rid of in favor of these newer teachings.  By getting Pelagius condemned, Augustine gets the Orthodox teachings represented by Pelagius condemned and these new doctrines become Orthodox.  Even though Pelagius was exhonerated 3 times.  Through bribery and the impending fall of Rome, Pelagius is eventually branded a heretic. Proto-Catholicism further distinguishes itself from the NT church.
== Roman Catholicism ==
590 AD - Gregory I is the first formally to employ the titles Servus Servorum Dei and Pontifex Maximus (a title formerly used by the Caesars of Rome).  Submits to the authority of the Eastern Roman Empire (for the next 200 years) and the Catholic church structured the way we see it today is fully realized.
756 AD - Stephanus II (or perhaps III depending on how you count and why) breaks away from the Eastern Roman Empire and establishes the Papal States (Roman Catholic Church or RCC).
800 AD - Leo III crowns Charlemagne on Christmas Day establishing the Holy Roman Empire and the authority of the RCC over the rulers of earthly nations.
1054 - The Great Schism: The last vestiges of the power struggle between Rome and Constantinople returns full force with disagreements on several major theological issues. On July 16, 1054, Pope Leo IX excommunicated Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople, and the Patriarch retaliated by excommunicating the Pope. Communion between the East and West is broken and the Eastern Orthodox Church became a separate entity.
1184 AD - Lucius III sent bishops to southern France to track down heretics called Catharists.  Waldensians/anabaptists (churches of Christ - surviving autonomous congregations of the NT church) are hunted down in Germany and Britain.
== Protestantism ==
1517 AD - Martin Luther nails the 95 Theses to the door of the All Saint's Church in Wittenberg and the Protestant Reformation officially begins.
1517 - RCC and various powerful Protestant churches continue to persecute the anabaptists congregations (which referred to themselves commonly as the churches of Christ).  During this time, Calvinism (or Reformed) had an affect on some anabaptist congregations and a division arose where some referred to themselves as Particular Baptists (Reformed) and General Baptists (Traditional now referred to as Provisionists).  The General Baptists held that water immersion was only for believing adults, but dropped the idea that water baptism saved as first taught by Zwingli.  The Particular Baptists or Reformed Baptists held to Limited Atonement and that only those who God elected before the foundation of the universe could be saved.  Those anabaptists groups, some still calling themselves the churches of Christ (see the Bow Lane church of Christ for example) still believed that water immersion saved, and that atonement was for all.
1834 - executing heretics ends by both the RCC and Protestant groups.
== Restoration Movement - 1790-present ==
Barton Stone and later the Campbells (influenced by the churches of Christ over in Europe) broke away from their denominations and founded churches of Christ by rejecting all creeds, manuals, and traditions and going back to the pattern found in the Bible.  This was later called the Restoration Movement in America, though the church of Christ had never completely gone away.
Category:Denominationalism