## The Complete Construction of the Universal Church (312-406 AD)

### **312-337 AD - CONSTANTINE'S FOUNDATION**

*(Already detailed above)*

- 312: Vision/Battle of Milvian Bridge

- 313: Edict of Milan (tolerance)

- 321: Sunday Edict

- 325: Council of Nicaea

- 337: Constantine dies after deathbed baptism

---

### **337-361 AD - THE SONS' CONSOLIDATION**

**Constantine's Sons Divide Empire:**

- **Constantius II** (East), **Constans** (West), **Constantine II** (died 340)

- All three were raised Christian, unlike their father

- **Immediate change:** No more religious hedging

**340-350 AD - Doctrinal Wars:**

- **Council of Antioch (341):** Eastern bishops reject some Nicene formulations

- **Arian Controversy Resurges:** Empire splits between Nicene and Arian Christians

- **Political Tool:** Each emperor backs different theological factions

- **Result:** Christianity becomes weapon in imperial power struggles

**350-361 AD - Constantius II's Dominance:**

- **Sole Emperor:** Defeats all rivals, rules entire empire

- **Forced Arianism:** Uses imperial power to impose Arian theology

- **Bishop Exiles:** Banishes pro-Nicene bishops (including Pope Liberius)

- **State Doctrine:** Christianity now completely subordinate to imperial authority

---

### **361-363 AD - JULIAN'S PAGAN REVIVAL**

**"Julian the Apostate":**

- Constantine's nephew, raised Christian but secretly pagan

- **362 AD:** Openly declares for traditional Roman religion

- **Systematic Reversal:** Attempts to undo 50 years of Christianization

**Julian's Anti-Christian Program:**

- Removes Christians from government positions

- Defunds Christian churches and returns money to pagan temples

- **Edict on Teaching:** Bans Christians from teaching classical literature

- **Jerusalem Temple:** Orders rebuilding of Jewish Temple (to disprove Christian prophecy)

- **BUT:** Dies in 363 fighting Persians before completing program

**The Failure:**

- **Two Years Only:** Too short to reverse institutional changes

- **Popular Resistance:** Christians now too numerous and entrenched

- **Economic Reality:** Christian networks controlled too much wealth

---

### **363-379 AD - THE CHRISTIAN RESTORATION**

**Jovian (363-364):**

- Immediately restores Christian privileges

- **Lesson Learned:** Christianity now too powerful to eliminate

**Valentinian I & Valens (364-378):**

- **Split Administration:** West (Valentinian) and East (Valens)

- **Religious Policy:** Valentinian tolerant, Valens pro-Arian

- **Key Development:** Christianity becomes regionally variant

---

### **379-395 AD - THEODOSIUS THE GREAT: THE FINAL PHASE**

**380 AD - Edict of Thessalonica:**

```

"We command that those persons who follow this rule shall embrace the name of Catholic Christians. The rest, however, whom We adjudge demented and insane, shall sustain the infamy of heretical dogmas."

```

- **Official State Religion:** Christianity becomes mandatory

- **"Catholic" Defined:** Nicene Christianity = legal Christianity

- **Heresy = Crime:** Non-conforming Christians now criminals

**381 AD - First Council of Constantinople:**

- **Completes Nicaea:** Finalizes Trinitarian doctrine

- **Hierarchy Established:** Constantinople = "New Rome" in ecclesiastical rank

- **Imperial Control:** Emperor convenes, presides, enforces decisions

**382 AD - Altar of Victory Removed:**

- **Symbolic Victory:** Last pagan symbol removed from Roman Senate

- **Christian Senator Majority:** Pagans now powerless minority

- **Cultural Shift:** Roman identity = Christian identity

**391-392 AD - The Pagan Purge:**

- **Serapeum Destroyed:** Major pagan temple in Alexandria demolished

- **Olympic Games Banned:** 1000-year tradition ended

- **Pagan Sacrifice = Death Penalty:** Complete criminalization

- **Temple Closure:** All remaining pagan temples shut down

**394 AD - Battle of the Frigidus:**

- **Last Pagan Army:** Theodosius defeats pagan general Arbogast

- **Christian Victory Banner:** Army fights under Christian symbols

- **Symbolic End:** Final military defeat of organized paganism

---

### **395-406 AD - THE INSTITUTIONAL COMPLETION**

**395 AD - Empire Permanently Split:**

- **Arcadius** (East), **Honorius** (West)

- Both child emperors under Christian regents

- **Church Power:** Bishops become effective rulers in many regions

**397 AD - Council of Carthage:**

- **Biblical Canon Established:** 27 New Testament books officially defined

- **Scripture = Church Authority:** Only church can interpret Bible

- **Imperial Backing:** Canon has force of imperial law

**400-406 AD - The Final Elements:**

**John Chrysostom (Archbishop of Constantinople):**

- **"Golden Mouth":** Most influential Christian preacher

- **Anti-Jewish Sermons:** Systematizes Christian anti-Semitism

- **Imperial Conflict:** Even powerful bishops must bow to emperor

**Jerome's Vulgate (405 AD):**

- **Latin Bible:** Greek and Hebrew texts translated to Latin

- **Western Standard:** Becomes official Bible for Western empire

- **Language Shift:** Christianity now speaks Latin, not Hebrew/Aramaic

**Alaric's Approach (406 AD):**

- **Barbarian Pressure:** Gothic armies threaten Rome itself

- **Christian Empire Vulnerable:** Military problems despite religious unity

- **Identity Crisis:** Are Christian Romans still Romans?

---

## **THE COMPLETED TRANSFORMATION BY 406 AD:**

### **Institutional Structure:**

- **Emperor:** Supreme head of church and state

- **Bishops:** Imperial administrators with religious authority

- **Canon Law:** Church rules have force of imperial law

- **Hierarchy:** Pope, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests

### **Doctrinal Framework:**

- **Trinity:** Official divine doctrine

- **Biblical Canon:** 66 books defined and closed

- **Latin Christianity:** Western empire speaks/thinks in Latin

- **Anti-Judaism:** Systematic theological separation from Jewish roots

### **Cultural Dominance:**

- **Pagan Elimination:** All public pagan practice illegal

- **Christian Calendar:** Holidays, weekly rhythm, yearly cycle

- **Imperial Theology:** Caesar + Christ = Divine Authority

- **Social Control:** Heresy = treason, conformity = citizenship

### **The Ultimate Achievement:**

**In 94 years (312-406), Constantine's heirs had:**

1. Made Christianity mandatory

2. Criminalized alternatives

3. Established imperial religious authority

4. Created institutional framework lasting 1000+ years

5. Eliminated Jewish and pagan competition

6. Merged Roman power with Christian symbols

**By 406 AD, "The Way" of Yeshua was completely buried under the Roman Church.**

The vision Constantine claimed in 312 had become the most successful religious-political fusion in human history.