The Early Church - 2nd century
...He engaged in debates and disputations with non-Christians of all varieties, pagans, Jews, and heretics. He opened a school of Christian philosophy and accepted students, first at Ephesus and then later at Rome. He was later put to death for refusing to renounce Christianity. Three works of Justin that have been preserved are The First Apology, The Second Apology and The Dialog with Trypho the Jew. In the year 144 AD Marcion, who was the son of a bishop was excommunicated for rejecting the writings of the Old Testament, rejecting most of the New Testament, and teaching that Christ only appeared to be human (Docetism) and that Christ was not the Son of the God of the Jews, but the Son of the good God, who was different from the God of the Ancient Covenant. His challenge helps the church realize the necessity of formally recognizing the canon. As they arose in the very infancy of Christianity and adopted from the beginning a strong ecclesiastical organization, parallel to that of the Catholic Church, they were perhaps the most dangerous foe Christianity has ever known. In 150 A.D. Clement of Alexandria was born. He was an apologist who used Plato to support Christianity, and tried to reach gnostics by showing that only the Christian had real "gnosis." He helped establish the allegorical method of interpreting scripture. His works make up a large proportion of The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. II . The year 156 AD was the beginning of the Montanist movement, called by its followers "The New Prophecy", this movement is known to us as Montanism after its founder Montanus, who converted to Christianity. The first protest in the way of separation from the growing corruptions of the times was the movement of the Montanist churches. The montanist movement, were an aescetic movement with apocalyptic visions. They claimed the Spirit spoke directly through their prophets and prophetesses. They held that science and art, all worldly education or gay form of life, should be avoided, because such things belonged to paganism. The crown of life was martyrdom. The movement spread with great rapidity and was known in Rome and the West by the end of a decade. Montanism made its most famous convert in the North African Christian writer Tertullian who was attracted by its seriousness and moral rigor. The movement was later condemn by the bishops of Asia Minor. In 161 AD Marcus Aurelius becomes emperor. He ruthlessly persecuted Christians, believing them a threat to the imperial system. In the year 185 AD Origen was born. He is the Pupil of Clement of Alexandria, he further develops the allegorical method. He was a celebrated Christian writer, teacher, and theologian. Origen was very important to the early church. He was the most accomplished biblical scholar of the early church. He was a voluminous writer whose works includes letters, treatises in dogmatic and pra...