FOURTH CENTURY

GOVERNMENTAL FAVOR BRINGS DARKNESS

• The enemy of our souls changed his tactics from persecution to favor. The church was largely lulled to sleep.
• Constantine favored Christianity, but it's doubtful that he ever experienced a true conversion.
• Constantine used Christianity for political gain, in effect, bringing the world into the church.
• The degradation of the church had already begun previously, but the door now opened to a church of many unsaved Christians.
• Much more of the Scriptural pattern for the church was lost during this time.

• Church became one of many tolerated religions.
• Church was largely polluted by Gnostic paganism and the God-given pattern was all but gone. The moving of God?s Spirit was nearly non-existent. In a sense, the church ceased to be the church.
• 367 AD, canon of the Scripture officially recognized.
• Now, it became politically correct to become a "Christian," and many became notional "Christians" without any relationship with Christ.
• New laxity of behavior and belief introduced.
• The church now began to use coercion and persecution against any who dared to disagree with it.
• More disorders and heresies introduced into the church during this century.
• Civil government was centered at Constantinople. Church government was centered at Rome.

• 305, Diocletian attempts to annihilate the church.
• 307, Constantine began his rule
• 311, Persecution of Christians in Rome comes to an end. Christian church was not made the state church under Constantine.
• 313 AD, Edict of Milan: All religions legalized
• 313 AD, Donatists come into existence.
• Council of Nicaea decides against Arian theology.
• AD 381, Theodosius IX makes Christianity the State religion.
• New commitment to building church buildings and acquiring real estate.
• An estimated 1,540,000 Christians were martyred during the 4^th century.