Christian Boot Camp
Part III

What it Means to be a Disciple Lesson 1

In the next 5 lessons concerning what it means to be a disciple, hopefully
we will be introduced to Christian history and foundational doctrine. If a
person knows the history and doctrine of Our Lord’s churches, he is bound
to appreciate them.

Church History

A brief history of Churches in America and Europe with emphasis on
Baptists
A person could find at least five marks of a New Testament church in
studying the Bible.
1. The mark that shows the church exalts and worships The Lord Jesus
Christ as the divine Son of God.
2. The mark that scriptures are its only authority for faith and practice.
3. The mark that the polity of the church is based solely on Scripture –
how it governs itself. The New Testament church is organized to have
congregational input but with elder lead authority.
4. The mark of believing, practicing and preaching the right doctrine.
5. The mark of an evangelistic heart.

Those who bear these marks are the historical churches of the Lord Jesus
Christ, regardless of the name the world gives it.
This lesson is to acquaint the student with a survey of Christian history to
show the development of the modern churches and to identify the historical
Church of Jesus Christ.

I. The Apostolic Period

From 100 AD (from the time of the Lord's crucifixion to the death of John).
Three things characterize this period and its history for the most part is
recorded in the New Testament itself.
1. Persecution
2. Propagation
3. Purity.

II. The Dark Period

From 5001500AD
The pages of this period of history dripped with the blood of the martyrs of
the nonconforming churches to Catholic rule.

III. The Reformation Period

1400-1600 ….Post tenebras lux….After darkness light

IV. The Modern Period

1600 to present

Learning Activities

Christian History
I. The Marks of a New Testament Church
A. List the marks.
1.______________
2.______________
3_______________
4.______________
5.______________

B. Which doctrines are especially important?
1.______________
2.______________
3.______________

II. The Apostolic Period
A. Record the date of this period ____________to _____________
B. List the three characteristics of this age.
1.______________
2.______________
3.______________

2
III. The Persecution Period
A. Record the date of this period from _________ to_________
B. List some perversions to the church in this period.
1.______________
2.______________
3.______________

C. The churches that did not attend the council called by Constantine
were called ____________________
D. List some of those churches.
1.______________
2.______________
3.______________
4.______________
5.______________
E. Those who baptized people who had been "baptized" as infants
were called _______________.

IV. The Dark Period
A. Record the date of this period from ____________to________
B. List some perversions of the "church" in this period.
1.______________
2.______________
3.______________
4.______________

C. How many Anabaptists are estimated to have died in 1200 years?
_________.

V. The Reformation Period
A. Record the date of this period from _____________to________
B. Record the name of the man who attempted to reform the
Catholic Church_________________
C. Record who started the Presbyterian Church_________________