Final answer:
The Council of Jerusalem (Option 2) is an example of the early Church hierarchy exercising authority to decide that Gentile converts did not need to follow Jewish law to be Christians.
Step-by-step explanation:
An example of the hierarchical Church exercising authority in the early Church, specifically in the context of Gentile membership, is Option 2: The Council of Jerusalem. This council was convened to address the question of whether Gentile converts to Christianity needed to follow Jewish law. The decision made during the Council of Jerusalem was crucial in establishing the precedent that Gentile Christians did not need to adhere to the Jewish laws, such as circumcision, to be part of the Christian community. This event is an early instance of the Church hierarchy making decisions that impacted the beliefs and practices of the Christian faithful.
While the Council of Nicaea and Council of Chalcedon dealt extensively with theological disputes, particularly the nature of Christ's divinity, and the Council of Trent with the issues raised by the Protestant Reformation, it was the Council of Jerusalem that directly addressed issues of membership concerning Gentiles.