Routing

give a verbal description; promote the development of skills to analyze, characterize, systematize, and draw conclusions.

nurturing a sense of self- and mutual respect; nurturing interest inhistory of another people, formulate your own position on the issues under discussion.

Basic concepts taught in class

Christians, Christianity, Gospel, Nativity of Christ, Second Coming, Last Judgment, Kingdom of God on earth, apostle

Organizational structure of the lesson

Stage number

Lesson stage

UUD

Actively there is

EOR

Time

teachers

students

Organizational stage.

Quick integration into the business rhythm

Greets students.

Checks readiness for lesson

Greetings from the teachers. Organize your workplace

D/Z check

Cognitive :

Communicative: monologue statement, evaluation of classmates’ oral response

Organizes frontalsurvey:

1) Why did Emperor Nero receive the nickname “the worst emperor”?

2) Make up questions for the crossword puzzle

Answer the questions:

1) The cruel acts of Nero: The duty of the Romans to attend performances where Nero performed.Execution of those who did not approve of the actor-emperor. Night attacks and robberies. Execution of hundreds of slaves. Accusing his teacher Seneca of conspiracy and ordering him to commit suicide. Fire 64 AD e. in Rome. Fight against Christians.

Setting the goals and objectives of the lesson. Motivation

Regulatory: accept and save the learning task.

Communicative: express their opinions, listen to the opinions of others

Creates conditions for students to develop an internal need for inclusion in educational activities and clarifies the thematic framework. Organizes the formulation of the topic and setting the goal of the lesson by students

From what event is modern chronology based?

In the textbook on page 30, read paragraph 3 (paragraph 1, 2) yourself, highlight the main idea from the text you read and give it a title.

What are people who worship Jesus Christ called?

What do you think we will talk about today?

What exactly do you think we will study within this topic? The teacher suggestsstudents have a ready-made set of verbs with which children formulate research tasks:

To figure out …

Explore...

Define …

Conclude that...

By studying the history of different countries, we

met religious

the beliefs of the peoples living in them.

Name the gods you believed in

ancient Greeks and Romans.

What do Greek and

Roman belief in gods?

Name the people who were first

came to MONEGOTHY?

What was the name of this god?

What is the main difference between religion

ancient Jews from the religion of the ancients

Greeks and Romans?

Remember what Emperor Nero accused Christians of. To what torment did he condemn them? Did he achieve his goal? Why?

The pagan religion did not give a person any consolation in life and did not promise anything after death. Beggars and slaves were especially disappointed with the pagan gods. A new faith was needed, and it arose. This is Christianity.

Problem: « Why Christianity emerges and spreads on the territory of the Roman Empire (despite cruel treatment) - one of the world religions»

Possible answer: from the Nativity of Christ

Jesus Christ is the founder of the Christian religion

Christians

Determine the topic of the lesson, goals

Possible answer:

Jupiter

king of the gods, god of thunder

Hera

Juno

patroness of women and motherhood

Hestia

Vesta

patroness of the hearth

Poseidon

Neptune

god of the sea

Ares

Mars

god of War

- paganism, polytheism

- The Romans and Greeks were pagans, but the Jews believed in one god.

Students’ perception and comprehension of new material

Regulatory: evaluate the results of their actions and make appropriate adjustments.

Cognitive: navigate in the textbook (on the spread, in the table of contents, in symbols); perform educational activities in oral speech; use sign-symbolic means

Communicative: express their opinion

Lesson plan.

1.What did the first Christians say about the life of Jesus?

2.Who were the first Christians

3. Belief in different destinies of people after death

1. The teacher organizes work with the map. Let's look at the map of the Roman Empire and remember where Palestine was located.

When did the new religion Christianity emerge?

Teacher's explanation? The new faith did not appear in Palestine by chance. It was the Jews who lived under the yoke of the Babylonians, Persians, Macedonians, and Romans. But they believed that the god Yahweh would send them a deliverer, or the Messiah.

Organization of work with the text of the textbook, paragraph 1, historical sources on page 269 “Sons of Light” from Qumran and “Teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount” on page 270.

Organizes work with new concepts:

Jesus Christ - a preacher originally from Palestine, the founder of the world religion - Christianity (God's chosen one).

Christianity - world religion,

based on life andteachings of Jesus Christ.

Bethlehem - the city where Jesus Christ was born.

Kingdom of God on earth - the kingdom of goodness and justice.

Judas – a disciple of Jesus Christ who betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver.

Apostles - messengers, disciples of Jesus Christ, who spread Christianity throughout the world.

Gospel – “good news”, stories about Jesus Christ recorded by the first Christians.

Idioms:

"Thirty Pieces of Silver" - payment for betrayal.

"Kiss of Judas" - a treacherous act under the guise of love and friendship.

The teacher asks questions to the class:

1) what does the teaching of Jesus have in common with the teaching

“sons of light”, what’s different?

2) Have the ideas of the Sermon on the Mount retained their significance for people of our time? Why?

Physical education minute

And now the guys are up,

They quickly raised their hands and waved

Turned right, left.

Hands raised again, stretched

Turned right, left.

Sit down quietly and get back to business!

2. Let's turn to the textbook, read the text of the second section, and answer the questions:

1)Where does the name “Christ” come from?

2)Who were the first Christians?

3)Who could become a Christian?

4) Who can enter the Kingdom of God?

5)Where did the first Christians gather?

6)What did they do?

7) Why were the Roman authorities hostile to Christians?

3. Organizes the study of the parable of Lazarus and the rich man on page 274.

What hopes did this parable raise for Christians?

What general answer can we give to the lesson problem?

1. Students work with a map

Find Palestine- Eastern

Mediterranean coast.

2017 years ago

Students read the text of the textbook, historical sources and answer questions.

Working with new concepts. Students write down definitions in their notebooks.

General: expectation of the establishment of the kingdom of God beyond the earth, the poor, the victory of good over evil.

Differences: Jesus did not call for hatred, he openly confessed his teachings

2) Yes, because Christianity teaches goodness, mercy, the ability to forgive

2. Read paragraph 2 of the textbook and answer the questions.

1) God's chosen one

2) Jews

3) everyone who had a difficult life (the poor, slaves, widows, orphans, cripples), people of different nationalities

4) everyone who is merciful forgives offenders and does good deeds

5) in the houses of fellow believers, in deserted and safe places

6) read the Gospels aloud, chose priests who led their prayers

7) Christians did not worship statues of emperors

3.Read the parable independently andanswer the question:

Christians believed that the souls of people who suffered during life would go to heaven after death, where they would be blissful.

Answer: This is a religion of salvation from evil and injustice. In the teachings of Jesus, the poor sought consolation, hope for a better lifeChristianity was able to spread among Roman citizens because the good deeds of Jesus Christ, his ideas about the salvation of the soul, the promise of the coming of the kingdom of God on earth, and new commandments attracted Roman citizens

Checking initial understanding

Cognitive:

Conversation with students.

Who became Christians?

What attracted them to religion?

Why did the Roman authorities persecute Christians?

Do the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount still have significance for people of our time?

Answer questions

Consolidation

Cognitive: are able to consciously and voluntarily construct a speech utterance in oral form

Fill in the missing words in the text

(see Attachment)

Insert words into text

Information about homework.

Regulatory: accept the purpose, content and methods of completing homework

Paragraph 56 o/v

Tasks to choose from:

Prepare messages “Miracles of Jesus Christ”

Task 66, 67 in RT on pp. 64-65

Describe the picture on page 268 of “The Gathering of the First Christians.” Guess what the priest tells the believers about.

Homework is written down in a diary.

Reflection (summarizing the lesson)

Regulatory: show openness in understanding their actions and self-esteem.

Organizes filling out the work self-assessment sheet during the lesson

Evaluate their work in class.

______________ __________________. When____________ _________. ___________. By this__________

______________ __________________________: _______________________

Consolidation. Fill in the missing words in the text

Jesus' disciples claimed that Jesus' father was______________ , who was worshiped by Jews, and his mother was ___________, a poor resident of a Palestinian city__________________. When____________ the time had come to give birth, she was not at home, but in the city_________. At the moment of Jesus' birth, the sky lit up___________. By this__________ sages from distant countries and simple shepherds came to worship the divine child.

When Jesus grew up, he did not stay in______________ . Jesus gathered his disciples around him and walked with them throughout Palestine, performing miracles: he healed the sick and crippled, raised the dead, fed thousands of people with five loaves. Jesus said: the end of the world, mired in evil and injustice, is approaching. The day of God's judgment of all people will soon come. It will be__________________________: the sun will darken, the moon will not give light, and the stars will fall from the sky. All who have not repented of their bad deeds, all who worship false gods, all evildoers will be punished. But for those who believed in Jesus, who suffered and were humiliated, there will come_______________________ - the kingdom of goodness and justice.

Consolidation. Fill in the missing words in the text

Jesus' disciples claimed that Jesus' father was______________ , who was worshiped by Jews, and his mother was ___________, a poor resident of a Palestinian city__________________. When____________ the time had come to give birth, she was not at home, but in the city_________. At the moment of Jesus' birth, the sky lit up___________. By this__________ sages from distant countries and simple shepherds came to worship the divine child.

When Jesus grew up, he did not stay in______________ . Jesus gathered his disciples around him and walked with them throughout Palestine, performing miracles: he healed the sick and crippled, raised the dead, fed thousands of people with five loaves. Jesus said: the end of the world, mired in evil and injustice, is approaching. The day of God's judgment of all people will soon come. It will be__________________________: the sun will darken, the moon will not give light, and the stars will fall from the sky. All who have not repented of their bad deeds, all who worship false gods, all evildoers will be punished. But for those who believed in Jesus, who suffered and were humiliated, there will come_______________________ - the kingdom of goodness and justice.

Worksheet on the topic "The First Christians and Their Teachings"

1. Read paragraph 1, page 256, paragraph 56 and add:

The birthplace of Jesus is _____________________________________________________________________

Parents of Jesus Christ – ____________________________________________________________

The city where Jesus was born is ______________________________________________________

What miracles did Jesus perform - __________________________________________________________

The Last Judgment will come for __________________________________________________________

The Kingdom of God on earth is the kingdom of ___________________________________________________

How did the expressions “thirty pieces of silver” and “kiss of Judas” come about?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Apostles are ________________________________________________________________________________

The apostles spread the teachings of Christ throughout _________________________________________________

The Gospel is __________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion (what did you learn?) _____________________________________________________________

2. Read paragraph 2 “Who were the first Christians” pp. 259,260, answer the questions and write down in the form of a diagram.

Who could become a Christian?______________________________________________________________

What nationality were Christians?_____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Under what conditions could a believer enter the Kingdom of God?___________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

How did the Roman authorities treat Christians?

Conclusion (what did you learn?) _______________________________________________________

Christian sedateness

The entire life of Christians was a model of moderation. Caring primarily about inner greatness and nobility, and valuing only spiritual treasures, they condemned everything that luxury had invented in the Roman state, overflowing with wealth, such as the construction of magnificent buildings, the acquisition of rich furniture, ivory tables, silver boxes, covered with purple and gold embroidered fabric, gold and silver dishes, decorated with carvings and precious stones (Clement of Alexandria, “On the Education of Children”). This is what the tormentors found in the upper room in which St. lived. Domna, the richest maiden of Nicomedia: Crucifix, book of the Acts of the Apostles, matting on the floor, clay censer, lamp and a small wooden box in which the Holy Gifts for Communion were kept (Baronius, “Acts of the Martyrs of Nicomedia,” Chronicle 29).
Christians did not wear bright colors; St. Clement of Alexandria approved of white (“On the Education of Children”) as a sign of purity, and moreover, this color was in common use among the Greeks and Romans. Christians also did not like very fine materials, especially silk (which were then of such value that they were sold for their weight in gold); rings, precious stones, curling hair, spraying oneself with perfume, visiting baths too often, excessive neatness - in a word, everything that can arouse sensual love and lust (C. Alexandria, “On the Education of Children”; “The Decrees of the Apostles”). Prudentius believes that the first sign of communication with Christians is a change in appearance and a renunciation of jewelry. Apolonius, an ancient writer of the Church, makes the following reproach to the Montanists, speaking about their false prophets: “Tell me, does a prophet spray himself with perfume? Does he like clothes? Does he play dice? Does he give money on interest? Let them say whether this is permissible or not? I will prove that their prophets do this" (Eusebius, "History...").
A certain martyr, wanting to expose a false Christian for treason, pointed out to the judges that this deceiver curled his hair, looked intently at women, that he ate a lot and emitted a wine smell (Baronius, “The Acts of St. Sebastian,” Chronicle 289). In general, outwardly Christians behaved sternly, or at least simply and sedately. Some of them, instead of ordinary clothes, wore a philosophical cape (Tertullian, “In Defense of the Philosophical Cap”), as, for example, Blessed. Augustine, Tertullian and St. Hercules, student of Origen.

They had almost no fun at all. They did not go to any public spectacles, neither to the theater, nor to the amphitheater, nor to the circus ("The Decrees of the Apostles"; Tertullian "On Spectacles"). Tragedies and comedies were played in the theater, sword fighting or baiting of animals took place in the amphitheater; the circus was intended for chariot racing. All these spectacles were part of idolatry and demonic festivities - this was already enough for Christians to feel disgusted with them; but besides that, they looked at them as the main source of corruption of morals. “Is it possible,” says Tertullian, “to admire the image of something that should not be done?” (“About Spectacles”). The theater was a spectacle of shamelessness, the amphitheater - inhumanity, while Christians were so far from this that they did not even want to look at executions carried out by justice. Both of these amusements served as food for passions (Blessed Augustine “Confessions”). And even visiting the circus, no matter how innocent it seemed, was strictly prohibited by St. fathers because of the disturbances that prevailed there and which daily led to quarrels, fights, and often even bloodshed. Moreover, the great expenses that went into these spectacles, the idleness that they nourished, the meeting of men and women who sat here together and could look at each other with complete freedom and curiosity - all this in the eyes of Christians was a subject worthy of blame.

Christians no less condemned dice and other sedentary games as harmful and, moreover, developing laziness (Clement of Alexandria, “On the Education of Children”). They condemned loud laughter and everything that excites it, that is, shameful body movements and words (Clement of Alexandria, “On the Education of Children”; St. Irenaeus, “The Constitutions of the Apostles”). They did not want to see anything indecent, low, unworthy of honest people in the life of a Christian, nor to hear from him stupid speeches and useless chatter, characteristic of the common people and, especially, women, which the apostle accuses. Paul, saying: “Let your speech always be with grace” (Col. 4:6). Silence was prescribed as a precaution against these disorders.

All this should not be surprising, for lovers of fun are often condemned and even cursed by Holy Scripture (Prov. 3:34; 12:18), and St. Paul condemns precisely what the Greeks called eutrapelia: funny conversations and actions (Eph. 5:4), from which Aristotle was pleased to compose a special virtue. In fact, the whole life of a Christian consisted of making amends for past sins through repentance and preventing future ones by mortifying passions. The penitent, since he wants to punish himself for the immoderate enjoyment of pleasures, must begin by renouncing the most permissible pleasures, for in order to destroy passion or, at least, weaken it, he must indulge it as little as possible. Therefore, a true Christian should never seek sensual pleasure, but only in passing receive that which is associated with the necessary needs of life, such as eating food and sleeping. If he enjoys something, then this pleasure must be true: such is rest after work, satisfying the weakness of our nature, which would be exhausted if the body were in constant action and the soul in unremitting tension. But to seek sensual pleasure and make it the goal of life is completely contrary to the duty of self-sacrifice, which constitutes the essence of Christian virtues. Physical labor or cessation of activity restores vigor to the soul; rest, food and sleep restore bodily strength; fun is of no use.

But no matter how harsh the life of the first Christians seems to us, we should not imagine that it was sorrowful. St. Paul certainly did not demand the impossible from them when he encouraged them to joy (Phil. 4:4). If they were deprived of excessive pleasures, which most people chase, then, on the other hand, they were free from sorrows and other passions that tormented them, since they lived without ambition and greed. Having no attachment to the blessings of this life, they easily endured troubles, their hearts were filled with the peace of a clear conscience, the joy of good deeds, through which they tried to please God, and, most of all, with sweet confidence in a future life in which there would be no sorrows.

For this reason, caring for their offspring did not bother them. They wished for their children, as well as for themselves, one good - to quickly move away from the world (Tertullian, “On Spectacles”). If they left them orphans, as often happened with the martyrs, they knew that the Church would be their Mother and that they would not suffer need for anything. Thus, they lived by their handicrafts or income, part of which they gave to the poor, without worries or needs, alien not only to low and somewhat unjust self-interest, but also to any desire to collect and get rich. Thus, when, between persecutions, some of the Christians began to collect property and look for treasures in the earth, the fathers considered this a disorder worthy of mourning (St. Cyprian, “On the Fall”). People so cold towards everything earthly could not be partial to sensual pleasures. “What pleasure,” says Tertullian, “can be compared with that which comes from contempt for the world, from true freedom, from a clear conscience, from the ability to be content with little and not be afraid of death? To trample under foot the pagan gods, to drive out demons, to heal diseases, to ask revelations, living for God - these are the joys, entertainment spectacles of Christians! (“About Spectacles”).

Union of Christians

This is how Christians lived separately, outside the whole society. In their meetings, under the name of the Church, the Greeks meant a meeting of the people to deliberate on public affairs. So the meeting of the people in Ephesus is called in Acts “the church” (Acts 19:32). Therefore, in contrast to the secular church, the assembly of believers was called the Church of God. Origen, refuting Celsus, compares these two churches and asserts decisively that judging even by Christians standing at the lowest level of Christian perfection, the Christian Churches seemed to be shining in the world. From the very concept of the Church it is clear that the Christians of each city formed a single society; and this was one of the main pretexts for persecution: their meetings seemed reprehensible, as disagreeing with the laws of government, and their unanimity, which in fact came only from mutual love, seemed to be a conspiracy (Tertullian, Apology).

Indeed, Christians of the same city or village formed close friendships with each other in meetings appointed for prayer and other pious exercises, where they saw each other almost every day. Here they had frequent conversations and consulted with each other even about unimportant things - they shared joy and sorrow. If one of them received special favor from God, everyone took part in it; if anyone was in a state of repentance, everyone asked for forgiveness. They addressed each other like relatives, calling each other father or son, brother or sister, depending on age and gender.

This union was strengthened by the power of the parents in their family and their subordination to the priests and the bishop, as the saint says. Irenaeus in his letters. The bishops were in close alliance with each other; without general consent they did not undertake anything important. Those belonging to the same circle often gathered at the Council when they had free time for this. Bishops from distant places conducted frequent correspondence among themselves, very convenient due to the excessive extent of the Roman autocracy, which the Lord purposely established in order to promote the success of the Gospel preaching (Origen, “Against Celsus”). These letters had a special form to protect them from forgery and cover up holy truths, which were especially necessary during persecutions (Cyprian, “To Clement of Rome,” Letter 9). For greater security, letters were sent with clergy, and in their absence with people specially chosen for this purpose. But since the Church of God was not limited to the boundaries of the Roman Empire, but extended its dominion over all the surrounding countries, the unity of faith and morals common to all Christians was worthy of even greater surprise given such a great diversity of peoples, especially when it was noticed that the true religion had weaned its followers from the most rude and reckless habits. After this, we can say that the Universal Church constituted exactly one body, the members of which were united by a union not only of faith, but also of mutual love.

Prayer

Thus, the newly baptized little by little entered into a new life, spiritual and grace-filled, which had previously seemed impossible to them, but now they found easy. Their first and main occupation was prayer; In accordance with the teaching of the Apostle Paul on unceasing prayer, Christians took all measures to direct their spirit to God and Divine things as often as possible. They always, whenever possible, prayed together (St. Ignatius, “Letter to the Ephesians”; Tertullian, “Apology”), being confident that the greater number of those asking God for certain benefits have a greater right to receive them, according to the word of the Savior (Matthew 18:19-20). Therefore St. Ignatius sets St. Polycarp, so that meetings should be frequent, and advises to inquire about the presence of each of the faithful by name. Added to the above-mentioned motivation was the fact that the presence of pastors usually gives more importance to public prayers, and those present by their example encourage each other to zeal and piety.

Public prayers, for which the faithful mainly gathered, were performed in the morning and evening. They were taught, therefore, to sanctify the beginning and end of the day ("Ordinances of the Apostles") and by no means excuse themselves with everyday affairs, which were only an addition to spiritual affairs. Morning prayers apparently replaced the morning Old Testament sacrifice, and evening prayers replaced the evening sacrifice, and were used to sanctify the beginning of the night. They were sometimes called lamps, because they were performed at a time when the lamps had already begun to be lit, and now, at this time, a well-known verse is sung, reminiscent of light. Public prayer usually consisted of a mutual kiss of peace (Tertullian, “On the Lord’s Prayer”). Those who could not be present in the meeting: the sick, those imprisoned, those traveling - gathered together as soon as possible, and if they were apart, they did not, however, stop praying at the appointed time.

In addition to morning and evening, they prayed at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock in the day and throughout the night. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and St. Cyprian clearly identifies all these prayers. They support them with examples from the Old and New Testaments and give deep reasons for this. Origen demands that we pray at least in the morning, at noon, in the evening and at night (“On Prayer”). The worshipers, according to custom, turned to the east and stood with their hands raised to the sky. The hours of prayer were counted according to the count of the Romans (Clement, "Stromata"), who divided the entire day from sunrise to sunset into 12 equal hours, but unequal as the days increased or decreased. The night was equally divided into 12 hours and into quarters, which were called guards or shifts, since in war the night guard was changed four times. Thus, if we take the example of the equinox, the 1st Roman hour will correspond to our 7th o’clock in the morning, the 3rd to the 9th, the 6th to noon, the 9th to the 3rd past noon, the 12th to 6th, from which it is clear that prayers throughout the day followed one after another every three hours.

In the middle of the night they got up to pray following the example of the psalmist (Ps. 119:62) and St. the Apostle Paul when he was in prison after the beatings he suffered along with Silas (Acts 16:25). Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and Origen mention this night prayer (Clement, “Stromata,” “On the Education of Children”; Tertullian, “To the Wife”), St. Cyprian speaks of it with praise (“On prayer at the end of the day”); in general, this skill of prayer vigil is approved by all the fathers, as very useful for the mortification of the flesh and for elevating the spirit to God in the most serene moments. It was also a rule to read the Creed every morning and in case of any danger (Blessed Augustine, “Conversation 42”; St. Ambrose, “On Virginity”).

Finally, in order to turn to God as often as possible and more strictly fulfill the commandment of unceasing prayer, special prayers were compiled for each activity, following the inspiration of St. Paul (Col. 3:17). Thus, all work, such as cultivating the land, sowing, reaping and collecting fruits, began and ended with prayers. They prayed when they began to build a house or live in it, when they began to weave canvas or sew a dress, or wear it, or do something similar. Examples of this kind of prayer can now be found in service books. Greetings at the beginning of the letter and at meetings did not consist of an ordinary expression of friendship, but of prayer (St. Chrysostom, “Conversation on the Epistle to the Thessalonians”). Actions not so important were accompanied by the sign of the cross, as by an abbreviated prayer. It was depicted on the forehead and used almost every minute, i.e. every time it was necessary to enter, exit, walk, sit down, get up, lie down, dress, put on shoes, drink, eat, etc. (Tertullian, “On Wine”; St. Cyril of Jerusalem, “Announcement of the Ascension”).

Meetings and liturgy

Those who belonged to the same church gathered on Sunday, called by the pagans the day of the sun, which was always respected by Christians, for it recalls the creation of light and the resurrection of Christ (St. Justin, “First Apology”). They also gathered on Friday, which Christians call the day of preparation. The meeting place was some private house, in which one of the dining rooms in the upper dwelling was separated. Such was the upper room from which young Eutychus fell during the full sermon of the apostle. Paul in Troas. It was on the third floor, sufficiently illuminated, and the faithful gathered there on the night of the resurrection to break bread, i.e. for the Eucharist, followed by vespers on the night of the Resurrection (Acts 20:7-11). Often persecution forced Christians to take refuge in dungeons outside the city, as is somehow confirmed by stone caves located near Rome, known as underground Rome (Baronius, Chronicles 224, 245). This was the case under the emperors Philip and Guardian (Eusebius, "History..."), and after the deposition of Paul of Samosata, Emperor Aurelian ordered the church house to be given to those who were awarded by the Italian and other faithful bishops (Eusebius, "History..."). Some of these open churches were located in private homes, as is known about the home church of Senator Pudens. Sometimes special buildings were built for this purpose. Shortly before the persecution of Diocletian, churches in all cities, starting from the foundation, were rebuilt and the persecution began with their destruction (Eusebius, “History ...").

In these meetings, prayer was performed, determined, as indicated above, by different hours of the day and night, and a bloodless Sacrifice was offered as an action that exclusively belonged to the priests. It was called either by names taken from Holy Scripture, such as vespers, breaking of bread, sacrifice, or by names accepted by the Church: synax, which means meeting; Eucharist, which means thanksgiving; Liturgy, which means public service. It was sometimes performed before sunrise, especially during persecutions, in order to avoid interference that the infidels could cause (Cyprian, “Letter to Caelilius”). In each church or in each parish, only one liturgy was celebrated, it was always celebrated by the bishop, and in his absence or illness - by the priests who were there and served with him. The charter of the liturgy, passing through different times and places, changed through the addition and abolition of some important rites, but in its essence remained unchanged. This is what we find about this from ancient writers.

After some prayers, the Holy Scriptures were read, first from the Old, then from the New Testament, the reading concluded with the Gospel, which was explained by the rector, adding instructions to this in accordance with the needs of his flock (St. Justin, “Apology”). After this, everyone got up from their seats and, turning to the east with their hands raised to the sky, prayed for people of all kinds: Christians, pagans, nobles and poor, and, mainly, for prisoners, the sick and other sufferers. The deacon encouraged those present to pray, the priest uttered an exclamation, and the people, as a sign of agreement, answered: Amen (“Ordinances of the Apostles”; St. Cyprian “Letter to Caecilius”). This was followed by the offering of Gifts, i.e. bread and wine dissolved in water, which served as the substance of the mysterious Sacrifice. Those present gave each other the kiss of peace: men to men, and women to women - as a sign of perfect unity; then everyone took the gifts to the priest, who on behalf of everyone brought them to God (Clement, “On the Education of Children”). Then, beginning the mystery, he inspired those present to lift up their hearts to God, to thank Him and glorify Him with the angels and all the heavenly powers, then, remembering the institution of the Eucharist and repeating the words spoken by Jesus Christ, he performed the mystery itself (sacrament - ed.) , after which he read the Lord’s Prayer with the people and, having received communion himself first, through the deacons, distributed the sacrament to everyone present (St. Justin, “Apology”). For everyone who entered the Church was obliged to receive communion, especially the altar servers (“Rules of the Apostles”). The Body of the Lord was received with the greatest caution and fear, so that not the slightest grain of Communion would fall to the ground.

To those who could not be present at the celebration of the liturgy, the sacrament was sent through deacons or church ministers - akolufs. Part of the Communion was kept for parting words with the dying, as a travel supply for the further journey awaiting them. The faithful were allowed to take Communion home (Tertullian, “To the Wife”) in order to receive communion every morning before eating food or in case of danger, for example, when it was necessary to go to martyrdom, because it was not possible to gather every day to listen to the liturgy. The communion, reserved for the healthy or the sick, consisted of only bread, while in the congregation everyone received communion under two types, except for young children, who received communion with wine alone. The meal of love, which in ancient times followed the communion of the Holy Mysteries, consisted of ordinary dishes, which all those present partook of in the same place. Subsequently, it was provided only to widows and beggars. At the table, a certain share was set aside for the bishop, even if he was absent. Priests and deacons received two shares, readers, singers and doorkeepers received one each (“The Constitutions of the Apostles”; Tertullian, “On Fasting”).

The secrecy of the sacraments

In these same meetings, all other sacred rites were performed, as long as nothing interfered with this; and that’s why they were so strict about not letting any of the infidels in, because the Savior’s injunction not to give holy things to dogs and not to cast pearls before swine was fulfilled to the fullest accuracy (Matt. 7:6). From this secrecy the sacred rites received the name sacraments, i.e. secret things about which an indestructible silence was kept. They were hidden not only from the infidels, but also from the catechumens. Not only did they not perform the sacraments in their presence, but no one even dared to tell them what was happening in the meeting, nor to pronounce in their presence the words used during the service, nor to talk about the properties of the sacred rite, and even less did they write about this, and if in public In a teaching or in a work that could fall into the hands of pagans, there was talk about the Eucharist or some other sacrament, then words that were incomprehensible and mysterious were used. This is the expression in the New Testament “to break bread” (Acts 2:42), i.e. to distribute consecrated Gifts, which could not be understood by the pagans. This precaution existed for a long time even after the freedom gained by the Church. It is necessary to exclude from here only apologies in which writers explained the sacraments to repel the slander brought against Christians.

Vasily Grigorievich Perov is best known as the founder of critical realism; his most famous paintings belong to the everyday genre. However, at the last stage of life, after experiencing disappointments, the author turns to subjects of a different kind. In the late 70s of the Goths of the 19th century, the author turns to the gospel theme, which can also be seen in the work “The First Christians in Kyiv.”

The film was based on historical events. The canvas depicts the first Christians who arrived on the territory of Ancient Rus'. They had no permanent shelter, and were forced to hide in gloomy cave shacks.

The action takes place at night: a group of people, huddled quite tightly together, read Christian prayers. They are dressed sparsely; on the left side, the figure of a gray-haired old man, wrapped in rags, especially stands out. In the center of the group, a priest with a long white beard kneels in a black cassock. The sacred book is open in front of him, his arms are outstretched, his eyes are half-closed.

The basis of the picture is not the historical moment itself, but its interpretation. The artist tried to convey precisely the psychological state of the characters in the picture, the experience of religious feelings. In this regard, he especially attracts attention to the face of the man standing behind the priest. His open eyes are raised upward, his gaze is attentive.

The mystical mood is created by the light contrast of the canvas, on which the entire picture is built. A mysterious darkness surrounds people. The source of color appears to be sacred books: one is located on the table in front of the image, and the second scroll is held by a young man and a girl. As a result, the viewer can clearly see only the faces of people filled with sincere faith, whom scriptures and prayers seem to pull out of complete darkness.

In addition to the description of the painting “The First Christians in Kiev” by V. G. Perov, our website contains many other descriptions of paintings by various artists, which can be used both in preparation for writing an essay on the painting, and simply for a more complete acquaintance with the work of famous masters of the past.

. Bead weaving Bead weaving is not only a way to occupy a child’s free time with productive activities, but also an opportunity to make interesting jewelry and souvenirs with your own hands.

History does not confirm the presence of churches among Christians of the 1st – 3rd centuries that resemble the places of worship of believers of modern historical churches. Although, if Jesus and the apostles had demanded it, their faithful followers could well have built or at least attempted to build Christian churches in the lulls between persecutions, because not all communities were poor, since among the believers there were noble people with money and power ( see Matthew 27:57, John 19:39, Acts 6:7, Acts 17:12, Acts 18:8). However, Christians built houses of worship or held meetings in large private households.

This fact is not disputed by some authoritative theologians of popular faiths. This is what Doctor of Theology, Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy A. P. Golubtsov (1860–1911), a specialist in church archeology and liturgics, writes about the places where the first Christians met in his work “From Readings on Church Archeology and Liturgics” (chap. “Places of prayer meetings of Christians of the 1st–3rd centuries”):

“The first Christian churches were, imprecisely and presumably, dining halls private houses. Electing these and not other rooms for their religious services meetings, Christians, no doubt, made some adaptations to them, in accordance with the needs of their worship. ... One can only assume with a high probability, however, that these devices consisted of preparing a table for celebrating the Eucharist, an elevation for the reader, places for celebrants and those praying... The custom of believers of the first centuries to gather for prayer and worship in the most spacious and comfortable houses of its fellow members... was not, however, only a forced phenomenon, and therefore did not cease with the apostolic and post-apostolic age.

Names of Christian churches house of worship or simply a house does not always indicate house premises for liturgical meetings, but is very often attached to churches, as open buildings».

This is confirmed by historical documents. The father of church history, Eusebius Pamphilus (263-340), in volume 8 (item 2) of Church History, talking about the persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian in 303, 304, wrote:

“We saw with our own eyes how houses of worship They were demolished from the top to the very foundation, and the Divine holy books in the middle of the square were set on fire.”

The apologist Tertullian (approx. 160 - 230) in his essay against Valentinian (Chapter III) spoke about the simplicity of the buildings of Christian churches (where he symbolically associates the dove with Christ, contrasting him with the serpent the tempter):

« House our pigeon simple, always in an elevated and open place and facing the light: the image of St. The Spirit loves the ascending image of Christ.”

In Book II of the Apostolic Constitutions (chapter 57), dated end of the 4th century, expounding the teachings of the Didascalia (Instructions of the Apostles first half of the 3rd century), the building of the Christian church of that time and the ministry in it are described:

“And you, bishop... When you gather the Church of God, then, like the helmsman of a great ship, with all knowledge, order the meetings to be formed, commanding the deacons, like sailors, to assign places to the brothers, like swimmers, with all care and sedateness. First of all, building let it be oblong, facing east, with porches on both sides towards the east, like a ship (the entrance of the Jewish temple was facing east, see Ezek. 47:1, Exod. 36:2 7, and the entrance of modern Orthodox churches and the vestibule are located on the western side of the building. - Author's note). In the middle let the throne of the bishop be placed, and on both sides of it let the presbytery sit and stand agile and lightly dressed deacons, for they are likened to sailors and overseers of the oarsmen on the sides of the ship; and by their order, in another part of the building, let the people sit with all silence and decorum, and the women - separately, and let them sit, observing silence (in the Jewish synagogue, men also sat, and still sit, separately from women. – Author’s note).

In the middle, the reader, standing on a certain elevation, should read the books of Moses and Joshua, the books of Judges and Kings, the books of Chronicles and the books of the return; besides this - the books of Job and Solomon and the books of the prophets.

When two readings have been completed, let someone else sing Davydov’s songs, and let the people sing along with the last words of the poems. After this, let the deacon or presbyter read the Gospel...

After the prayer, let one of the deacons take care of the Eucharistic offering.”

As we can see, the building of the early Christian church and the services in it are not very similar to modern Orthodox and Catholic churches and the liturgical regulations used in them.

According to archaeological and historical data, the first Christian churches as separate religious buildings began to appear in the 4th century, when the church came under the protection of state power. Due to the rapid increase in the number of believers, ministers, unfortunately, did not take the path of increasing the number or size of houses of worship, but began to build majestic temples, which they considered more worthy for the state religion, especially since this was supported by state appropriations. The church often erected its temples on the site of pagan ones, or simply rebuilt them. Therefore, it is partly clear where this desire for monumentality came from: the Christian religion, having become the state religion, found it impossible to have religious buildings inferior in splendor to the demolished pagan temples, which had beauty and grandeur.

In the first churches, as in the Christian houses of worship that existed before the 4th century, there was no iconostasis and altar, but there were pulpits (elevations) for preaching, baptisteries (pools) for baptism and rooms for receiving the Supper.

Liturgy, others ritual liturgical activities and rituals began to enter the church gradually. Today, many Orthodox Christians are misled by the fact that one of the liturgies bears the name of the Apostle James. They are sure that James - the brother of Jesus Christ - was the author of this liturgy. In fact, official Orthodoxy has never stated this. From the name itself it follows that this liturgy is Name apostle And its authorship is attributed to Jacob only by church tradition. This is what you can read about liturgies and in particular about the Liturgy of James on the website of the Orthodox Church “Pravoslavie.ru” (www.pravoslavie.ru) in the news information dated January 31, 2006. “The Liturgy of the Apostle James was celebrated for the first time in the skete of the Novo-Tikhvin Monastery” and on the official portal of the Tomsk Diocese (www.petripavel.tomsk.ru) in the material “Liturgy of the Holy Apostle James”:

“In the first years of Christianity, the liturgy was performed not according to the established pattern, but was the fruit of the primate’s prayerful fervor... Gradually gained experience - following prayers and sacred actions- was consolidated and formed into a stable order of worship. Thus the order of the liturgies was formed, bearing names apostles: for example, the liturgy of the Apostle James, the Apostle Mark, the Antiochian liturgy of the 12 apostles and others.”

And here is what Archpriest of the Orthodox Church Alexander Borisov (1939), candidate of theology, president of the Russian Biblical Society, writes in his book “White Fields” (chapter 3) about entering the church for worship according to strictly regulated regulations:

“At the beginning of any seminary manual on liturgics you can read that in the very first centuries of the existence of Christianity did not have a unified liturgical charter. There were biblical psalms, early Christian hymns, there were prayers or chants composed by the believers themselves or presbyters and bishops of early Christian communities. Later, especially since the time of Constantine the Great (IV century), in order to streamline worship (more precisely, its uniformity), liturgical regulations, or typikons, began to be introduced in large religious centers - Constantinople, Jerusalem, and monasteries. The typicon, called the Jerusalem one, appeared in the 6th century. ... All kinds of additions were made to the Typikon until the 11th century. In Russia, the current Jerusalem Charter (Typikon) was introduced at the beginning of the 15th century.”

In the church of the first centuries, not only were there no compulsory liturgies, but there were no services at all reminiscent of those held in modern churches. Early Christian sources do not confirm the fact that the church of the first three centuries held any complex daily service, much less a 24-hour service. Believers gathered together periodically, only adhering to the general plan for holding meetings established by themselves. This is how the apologist Justin Martyr (approx. 100 - 165) describes the weekly meetings of Christians in his local church in his work “First Apology” (item 67):

"On the so-called day of the sun (it’s Sunday now. - Author’s note) We have a meeting...; and read as much as time allows, the stories of the apostles or the writings of the prophets. Then, when the reader stops, the primate, through the word gives instruction and exhortation imitate the beautiful things there. Then we all get up and say prayers. When we finish the prayer, then... bread, and wine, and water are brought; and the primate also sends out prayers and thanksgivings, as much as he can. The people express their agreement with the word - Amen, and there is distribution to everyone and communion of gifts (bread and wine are distributed. - Author's note), over whom thanksgiving was made, and to those who did not exist they are sent through deacons.”

The fact that Christian communities in the first three centuries A.D. meetings were held according to established them order, is not confirmation that God permitted, much less commanded, the introduction of rituals and ceremonies into the New Testament church. Of course, the Creator does not accept disorder, “because God is not a God of disorder”(1 Cor. 14:33). However, there is no need to be confused order in a meeting during a divine service, which, of course, pleases the Creator, with numerous complex long-term ceremonies and rituals with which Christianity gradually began to “overgrow”.

What new could Christianity bring to the world?
Never before in the history of the world have two such unequal forces opposed one another as ancient paganism and young Christianity, the Roman state and the Christian Church. On the one hand, we see a powerful state that dominates religion, culture, and family life. On the other hand, we see the Christian Church in its beginnings, possessing neither wealth, nor art, nor science, having absolutely nothing except the gospel, except the word about the “cross,” that in the Crucified and Risen One salvation was revealed to all nations. To see the difference between paganism and Christianity, you need to characterize both.

From the very beginning, paganism, as the replacement of truth with lies, could not satisfy man. Polytheism dominated everywhere. Dead ritualism, reading formulas, all this has become incomprehensible not only to the people, but also to those who pronounce them. The people remained mute spectators during the ceremonies. The eastern cults that penetrated into the Roman state with their orgies and ecstasy also could not satisfy the pagans. Everything that Christianity could oppose to all the pagan power of this world was only a word, a testimony about Christ. And the first Christians, indeed, were such witnesses about Him and testified about Christ in word and life, love and suffering. The opposition of Christianity to paganism was in everything. While performing divine services, these poor people, fishermen, tent makers, did not have any pomp, but their worship was the worship of God in spirit and truth. On a certain day, Sunday, they gathered together, sang a song to Christ, performed prayers, and brought bread and wine. They began the meeting with prayer, ended it with prayer, and went home.

But a particularly important confirmation of the truth of Christianity was the life of its members. Christianity did not provide anyone with any external advantages. Those who accepted Christianity accepted it according to the deepest movement of their heart. This very entry into the Church was already a sacrifice, since a person who became a Christian had to break not only with eternal prejudices, but also with his father, mother, sister, brother, and perhaps leave his position. Not only in church, but everywhere, Christians tried to show themselves as Christians. Every moment demanded confession from him, and every confession brought danger. If a Christian went out into the street, pagan idols stood there, there were processions in which they carried idols and showed respect to them, which, of course, a Christian could not do. Whether he went to a shop, a tavern, or a workshop where there were tiny idols, often no bigger than a thumb, he couldn’t go there either. The custom required that when passing near the idols, libations should be brought and incense should be made. The Christian wanted to borrow money: the promissory note he had to sign contained an oath to the pagan gods. And life itself, both of an individual member of the church and of the entire community, was strict. For the so-called mortal sins: idolatry, blasphemy, adultery, debauchery, they were excluded from the community until complete sincere repentance. In their homes, Christians read the Holy Scriptures and sang psalms. Before every meal they prayed. At every exit and entrance, when dressing and putting on shoes, lying down and getting up, they placed the sign of the cross on themselves; and this was not a simple dead custom, but a living memory of the Crucified One.

Christianity brought a different view to; marriage and family life. The foundations of family life in paganism were in complete decay. Christianity proclaimed marriage to be free and, respecting personal freedom, left it to everyone to choose whether they would marry or not. From the very beginning, marriage was always sanctified by church prayer. A house where everyone in the family was Christian was like a temple of God. The Holy Scriptures were read in it, and prayers were performed together. Everyone fasted together, they were together in church, together during sorrows and joys, there was no hidden sign of the cross. “If you have a wife, then pray with her,” says the charter of the Egyptian church, “let the marriage union not be an obstacle to prayer.”

Women were also given their due place in Christian society. There could not be a healthy family life in a pagan society, since women did not occupy the proper position. Among the Greeks, she was her husband's slave; Among the Romans, although she was respected more, she still had absolutely no rights in relation to her husband. Antiquity never recognized women as having full human dignity.

Christianity, on the contrary, freed woman from slavery and placed her on the same position as man in everything that was highest in life, namely in relation to Christ and the Kingdom of God. Christian women performed with dignity as mothers, as deaconesses, as martyrs who fought together with men to receive incorruptible crowns.

If the vocation of a Christian woman was to serve God with a pure, chaste life, then it goes without saying that she should not have indulged in the unnatural luxury of the toilet, as was the case with noble ladies of that time. Becoming a Christian, she had to leave all this behind.

In the first centuries, Christian writers were especially up in arms against any kind of body decoration. Tertullian appeals to Christian women so that they do not place on their “sacred Christian head hair that may have been cut off from some scoundrel, perhaps a criminal, perhaps doomed to hell.” Tertullian expressively declares the decoration of the head and face a sin, because those who adorn themselves want to make themselves more beautiful than God created them, and thus blame God, the Creator of everything. The same Tertullian advocates simplicity and naturalness: “What grows is God’s, what is made artificially is from the devil.”

The gospel gave human rights to children for the first time. In ancient times they were powerless. The father of the family could raise the child, but he could also throw him away. There was no punishment for this. But Christianity for the first time taught parents to look at children as a gift from God, as a pledge for which they became responsible before God. The baptism of children soon came into general use, and thus even the little ones became participants in the blessings and benefits of Christianity. In a word, the Gospel taught us to look at children as the property of God.

Christianity had no less influence on changing the relationship between masters and slaves. God is no respecter of persons and before Him there is no distinction. The Church exhorted masters to view their slaves as brothers. The master could no longer treat as a thing the one who was his brother in Christ. But the Church also exhorted slaves to obedience; they were not to use the confession that their master was their brother in Christ as an excuse for disobedience. On the contrary, slaves, as Christians, should serve them all the more diligently. Poor treatment of slaves served as a reason for the master's exclusion from the community. It became customary to set slaves free. One rich Roman, during the reign of Trajan, having become a Christian, on the holiday of Easter granted freedom to all his slaves, of whom he had 1,250 people.

Exhorting newly converted Christians to live in accordance with the requirements of the faith they accepted, the Church instilled in them work, love for others, charity and, if necessary, to sacrifice their lives for the sake of confessing the name of Christ. Apostle Paul says: “... rather labor, doing with your own hands what is useful, so that you may have something to give to the needy” (Eph. 4:28). And indeed, the first Christians used their means not for enrichment and pleasure, but to serve their brothers, and in this loving use, labor first finds its best reward. Being poor, working with their own hands, they enriched many.

Following the Savior’s commandment: “love one another,” Christians tried to fulfill it in its entirety. For the pagans this was something new. Pagan antiquity is entirely and decisively selfish. She didn't know love. Antiquity did not know condescension towards the weak and oppressed. "Man is a wolf to man." “All beggars, according to Plautus, should be expelled from the state; the poor should not be accepted if they are sick.” The same Plautus says that “he who gives him food and drink does a bad service to the poor, because what he gives him only worsens and lengthens his life to his poverty.” Christians acted completely differently. Everything was common in the community. Each one served another, each one prayed for others. Anyone who asked was given alms. The very life of the Christian community served as proof: love reigns there! But in addition to general charity, every Christian considered it his duty to give charity privately. And they all did this according to the word of the Savior: “Give to him who asks you.” “When you choose persons,” says Lactantius, you must consider everyone who asks you to be a man, and the one who grows up with you does the same, because he considers you to be a man.”

The usual form of offering was an offering to celebrate the supper of love, the so-called agape (αγαπη). They brought bread and wine, some of which were selected for the Eucharist, and the rest went to the benefit of the clergy and the poor. The names of donors were recorded on special tables, so-called diptychs, and were remembered in prayer. Gifts for the dead were brought by their relatives on the day of their death - a wonderful custom that vividly maintained the connection between the present and the afterlife community. The funds that were in the Church were voluntary donations from all its members. These funds themselves served to feed widows and the poor. In general, the Church looked at the poor as its treasure. When the treasures of the Roman Church were demanded from Deacon Lawrence, he brought all the poor fed by the church, and said to the prefect: “here is the treasure of the church.”

Christians showed their love and charity not only to their fellow men, but also to the pagans. When during St. Cyprian's plague epidemic was raging in Carthage, and the pagans were leaving corpses and the sick in the streets, the bishop called on his community to help the dying. At his call, the community got down to business. Presbyters and deacons served the pagans, who, while helping others, sacrificed their own lives. Something similar also happened in Alexandria, during the reign of the emperor. Gallien.

Hand in hand with love went the suffering of Christians. The special meaning of martyrdom is revealed in the fact that death was the completion of the testimony declared by life. They rejoiced at their martyr's crown and thanked God for it. They did not curse their tormentors, but, on the contrary, prayed for them. The Scillitanian martyrs in Numidia (180), listening to the death sentence, thanked God and, having ascended the scaffold, once again fell to their knees and thanked again. Even with the grave suffering of Christians, we did not hear words of anger, hatred, malice. Nothing similar is found in the inscriptions of the catacombs. Martyrdom served as a priceless gift from God.

Thus, everything that we have seen that is new and glorious in the lives of Christians is from God. Start a new life, stop sinning, help the poor, love your enemies and lay down your soul for the name of Christ - Christians accepted and learned all this from the apostles, and they, in turn, from Jesus Christ.

Storchevoy S.V., lecturer PDS