The Rise of Christianity
Name _________________
Section 1 – The First Christians
 Timeline - - Read pages 343-347 of the textbook and write about the historical
importance of each of these dates in Jewish history. Add 2to 3 more events to this
timeline.
63 B.C.
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
A.D. 6
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A.D. 66
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A.D. 132
A.D. 700
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Parables help simplify ideas that might otherwise have seemed very complicated.
Parables showed how people could apply Jesus’ teachings to their everyday lives. Compare
and contrast parables to Aesop’s Fables.
Parables
Aesop’s Fables
Choose one of the following to complete.
1. Paraphrase a parable to make it easier to understand.
OR
2. Choose a parable or teaching of Jesus that is in the textbook or a different parable
and make an art piece to explain its meaning.
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
Jesus taught “love your neighbor as yourself” in the middle of tense situations. When
Jesus was teaching, the Jews were a defeated people. Whom did the Jews consider as
their neighbors? What might they have thought about Jesus’ message?
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What did Jesus teach?
Christian
beliefs
Section 2 – The Christian Church

Complete the diagram.
Reasons for
Growth of
Christianity
 How did Constantine’s conversion affect his position as emperor?
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Write a paragraph about the basic beliefs of Christianity using the following beliefs:
Messiah
Salvation
Resurrection
Gospel
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Contrast - How did the Jews and Christians differ in their belief about Jesus and his
message?
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Predict – How would the growth of Christianity have been affected if the emperor
Constantine had not become a Christian?
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The Rise of Christianity
Directions: You will create a concept web over the rise of Christianity. You will place the terms inside of your web and connect words by lines and writing
connector phrases between the words. Try to make as many connections as you can. Most words connect to multiple other words. Your connector
phrases are explanations of how the two terms relate to one another.
Messiah
Disciple
Parable
Resurrection
Apostle
Salvation
Persecute
Martyr
The Rise of Christianity