Ch. 6.3
 Roman power came to Judea around 63 B.C.
 Rome made it a province in 6 A.D.
 Local affairs controlled by the Sanhedrin, local court
 A group called the Zealots wanted to rid Judea of
Romans
 Others believed a Messiah was coming
 Jesus was born between 6 and 4 B.C. in Bethlehem
 Grew up in Nazareth
 Began ministry at age 30
 He stressed the importance of people’s love of God,
their neighbors and their enemies
 Had twelve disciples, performed miracles
 Ignored wealth and status
 Many believed him to be the Son of God
Why was Jesus put
to death?
 Jewish religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy
 Pontius Pilate sentenced him to death by crucifixion
 Jesus rose from death after three days
 Appeared to followers
 Ascended to Heaven
 The statement Simon Peter made about
“who Jesus is” found in the gospel of
Matthew 16:13-20.
 The belief that Jesus is the Christ
(savior/messiah).
Who helped spread
Christianity to the
non-Jewish world?
What kinds of challenges
did Christians face in the
Roman Empire?
 Paul (Saul) dedicated life to spreading and
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


interpreting Jesus’ teachings
A.D. 64 - Nero blamed fire on Christians
A.D. 66 – Zealots rebel
A.D. 70 – Temple destroyed – today, only
western portion of the wall still stands
Apostles Peter and Paul put to death
sometime after A.D. 60
 Thousand crucified, burned, or killed by wild animals
at circuses
 Martyrs inspired people to convert
How did Christianity
spread so quickly?
 Constantine conquers and gives credit to Christian
God
 113 A.D. – Edict of Milan
 Theodosius makes Christianity empire’s official
religion
 Nicene Creed defined the Church’s basic beliefs