There is nothing
in Scripture about the church in Constantinople. What little can be gleaned was
that Byzantium (an early name for Constantinople) was in the general area of Paul’s
travels (Acts 16:11–12). Additionally, all seven churches in Revelation
(Revelation 2–3) are in Asia Minor, near Byzantium.
Neither talks about Byzantium/Constantinople, but it does show that the area was under Christian influence. Byzantium was
renamed Constantinople when the capital of the Roman Empire was moved there in
AD 330. That move elevated its ecclesiastical (church) influence. In AD 381,
the bishop of Constantinople was elevated to a level of primacy that directly
competed with that of Rome’s lead bishop, introducing theological tension between the churches in Rome and Constantinople. That was the initial seed for the “great
schism” in 1054. Constantinople was
home to significant theologians, including John Chrysostom, who was said to have a “golden tongue” and was one of the greatest preachers in church history. While the Roman Empire
fell, with the Western half, including Rome, in 476 and the Eastern half, with Constantinople,
in 1453, Rome and Constantinople remain key ecclesiastical cities today. Rome remains
the center of Roman Catholicism, and Constantinople (and other key cities) the center of
Eastern Orthodoxy. Note that neither represents biblical Christianity any longer,
though true adherents may remain in either sect.
Because of its
significant influence, Byzantium (Constantinople) was an early major center for the production of Bibles. That made it a major contributor to initial English translations
such as the King James Version. Even though older manuscripts have since been
found, with modern translations relying more heavily on those other manuscripts, the influence of the KJV, and thus the Constantinople church, remains
with us today.
Constantinople
was also one of five major spiritual centers in the Eastern Roman Empire and,
together with the others, remains influential through Eastern Orthodoxy. Unfortunately, that influence
is largely negative, being a cautionary tale against spiritual drift. While
having orthodox roots, Eastern Orthodoxy, over the years, was heavily influenced by tradition (similar, though in different ways, to Rome) and by a heightened
appreciation for mystery that obscured truth. Today, Eastern Orthodox churches
are found throughout Europe, with a strong presence in
parts of the United States.
Because the
gospel has been officially lost by the Eastern Orthodox church, blending
justification with lifelong transformation and sacramental participation, and
not teaching clearly that sinners are saved by faith alone in Christ, they are
no longer a true church. However, there may still be genuine believers within it who do not fully adhere to all of its teachings. Thus,
Christians are advised to lovingly engage their members, carefully avoiding their errors, while not automatically rejecting them simply because of
their affiliation with that church.
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