History of the First Church, Part 1

In this lecture, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about dividing the history of the Christian Church into main stages that show the growth of faith and the spread of evangelism from the founding of the first Church until modern times.

🔹 First – The Church before the Great Schism (451 AD):
His Holiness covers the Church’s history from its beginning by the Apostles until the Council of Chalcedon, when the Church was One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. He explains the rise of the Fathers of Faith and the Apologists, the era of martyrdom until the Edict of Milan (313 AD), the emergence of monasticism in Egypt, the flourishing of monasteries and theological schools, and the resistance to heresies through the early Ecumenical Councils.

🔹 Second – The History of the Church in Egypt:
He speaks about the foundation of the Coptic Church by Saint Mark, the early patriarchs, the School of Alexandria and its global role, the Origen controversy, Egyptian monasticism, heroes of faith in the Councils, the Chalcedonian schism, the Islamic conquest, the periods of Islamic, Mamluk, and Ottoman rule, and the modern era from Mohamed Ali until today. He also mentions the rise of the Clerical College, Sunday Schools, and the role of the Coptic Church in the ecumenical movement.

🔹 Third – Other Churches:
He discusses the Catholic Church and the Greek separation, the Byzantine Orthodox Church and its branches, the Protestant Reformation and its denominations, as well as the history of the Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses, concluding with the Ecumenical Movement worldwide.

🔹 The Early Church and the Apostolic Era:
His Holiness explains how the Church began on Pentecost through the work of the Holy Spirit, and how Christianity spread worldwide in 35 years through the Spirit’s power in the Apostles. He states that the Apostolic Age and the fourth century are the greatest in Church history regarding faith, monasticism, and holiness.

🔹 The Major Apostolic Churches:
He presents the origins of the main ancient churches: Jerusalem (the Mother Church), Antioch, Rome, and Alexandria. He emphasizes that the Apostles were universal bishops, not local ones, and that Saint Paul, not Peter, founded the Church of Rome, based on biblical and historical evidence.

🔹 Spiritual and Educational Aspect:
The Holy Spirit has been the driving force of the Church from the beginning—guiding, empowering, and choosing the servants. Therefore, His Holiness calls the Church today to walk under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as did the early Church, remaining steadfast in Orthodox faith and teaching.

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