The early period is of particular importance in Church history, as is seen not only from the long debate on the subject but above all from the intrinsic structures of the early Church, which grew out of its unique situation and problems. It is also a historical unity, clearly distinct from the following Constantinian period.
A. The Demarcation
The early Church covers the period from about a. D. 30 till its recognition as a religion of the empire under C…