Rise and Spread of Christianity
MAIN IDEAS
 Christianity built upon the Jewish belief in
one God and the concept of a Messiah.
 The disciples of Jesus came to believe that
he was the Messiah.
 According to the Gospels, Jesus was
executed but rose from the dead. Christians
believe that this makes freedom from sin
and death possible for everyone.
 Christianity emerged at a time of
widespread unrest in the Roman
province of Judaea (Palestine).
 Christianity is based on the life and
teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
 Christ comes from the Greek word
“christos” which means “messiah”
or “anointed one”
Christianity’s Jewish Roots
Roman Judea
Looking for a Messiah
 Christianity grew from Judaism and ideas of
Jesus—a Jewish teacher
 Romans conquered Jewish kingdom of Judah
(Judea) in 63 B.C.
– Jewish kings had to be approved by Rome
 Many Jews sought freedom from foreign rulers
 Sacred writings promised a Messiah who would
free them
– Some believed the ruler would be descended from King
David
The Life of Jesus
Birth and Early Life
 There are few written historical accounts of
Christianity's early history. What we know
comes from the writings of disciples
(followers)
– Writings are called Gospels (good news)
Gospels—accounts of Jesus’ life by
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
 Along with other writings, they make up New
Testament
 Gospels say Jesus was born in
Bethlehem
–raised in Nazareth by Mary and by
Joseph, a carpenter
–Christians later celebrated his birth
on Christmas
The Teachings of Jesus
 Jesus preached justice, compassion,
coming of God’s kingdom
– delivered teachings in parables—stories with
morals
– asked people to love and pray for enemies; to
live simply, humbly
 Some Jewish leaders angered by Jesus’
teachings
– were upset that some followers claimed Jesus
was the Messiah
The Death of Jesus
Arrest and Trial
 The claim that Jesus was the Messiah was a
threat to Roman rulers
– power, authority of Roman rulers was questioned
– followers called Jesus “king” when he came to
Jerusalem
 During Passover, Jesus criticized running of
Jerusalem Temple
– Jewish leaders appointed by Rome arrested Jesus
– turned him over to Romans for punishment
The Story of the Resurrection
 Jesus was executed by Roman governor Pontius Pilate
– executed by crucifixion—hanging on cross until suffocated
– buried in tomb with stone blocking entrance
 Gospels say that the third day after death, followers went to
tomb
– tomb was empty; some followers say Jesus walked, talked with
them
 Account of resurrection proved to followers that Jesus was
divine
– Resurrection—return to life
– Followers believed Jesus gave life to create new world
– in new world sin and death are defeated
 Christians believe crucifixion was on Good Friday
– Resurrection was on Easter Sunday
The Resurrection
 The apostles belief in the physical
resurrection of Jesus was the foundation of
a church to promote his teachings.
 The message of the apostle Peter’s first
sermon was that Jesus had died and risen
to be with Yahweh and that baptism marked
the adherence of those who accepted his
resurrection.
REVIEW QUESTION
 What event made Jesus’
followers believe their leader
was divine?
The Early Christians & The New
Faith
 Romans followed a number of religions and also allowed
a great deal of freedom to other religions.
 Jews and Christians began to disagree on religious
grounds, and Christianity slowly became a separate
religion.
 Jews and early Christians shared the same basic beliefs,
but differed on the idea of the messiah.
 At first, Christians concentrated on trying to convert other
Jews.
 After serious debate, the early Christians decided to
preach Christianity to the Gentiles.
Christianity might have remained
a purely Jewish sect had it not
been for Saul of Tarsus
St. Paul: Apostle to the
Gentiles
Paul of Tarsus
 a Jewish Roman citizen
 converted to Christianity and took the name
Paul
 made three long journeys throughout Asia
Minor and along the coast of the Aegean to
spread Christianity and establish Christian
communities.
The Works of Paul
 Paul's Roman citizenship, the good roads,
and listeners open to new ideas helped Paul
spread Christianity in the Greek-speaking
world.
 Emphasized that Christianity was not just a
sect of Judaism
The Works of Paul
 Taught that Jesus, by his death and
resurrection, had fulfilled the prophecy of
Judaism and initiated a new age.
 Taught that Jesus was the son of God, the
giver of a new law, and preached that Jesus’
teachings were open to all
The Works of Paul
 Made a significant break with Judaism
– Seek converts
 According to tradition, while in Rome, Paul
preached and taught for two years before
being executed.
Rome's Early Response
 At first the Romans paid little attention to the
Christians.
 Some Romans were quite suspicious of
Christians, and Nero blamed them for
starting a major fire that destroyed much of
Rome.
 Although by A.D. 100 there was a law
condemning admitted Christians to death, it
was seldom enforced.
PERSECUTION
 Great persecutions of
Christians began in 3rd
century AD
 Christian intolerance of
pagan beliefs bred powerful
retaliatory hatred of
Christians
– Accused Christians of
cannibalism, atheism, and
of being haters of mankind
– Charged with being sneaky
and with dishonoring the
emperor
– Also blamed with all the
evils that afflicted the state
The Attack on Christianity
 In A.D. 250 Emperor Decius ordered the
execution of all Christians who refused to
worship the Roman gods.
 Up until A.D. 311, Christians suffered two
more waves of persecution under two
different emperors.
 Roman mobs destroyed Christian churches
and sacred books. Christians were fired
from jobs, forced to leave the army,
attacked, and killed.
REVERSAL OF FORTUNE
 In the end, the persecutions did not
succeed in eliminating Christianity
– Too many Christians protected
each other
– Persecutions also created
martyrs who inspired others
– Came to an end with death of
Galerius and then Constantine
officially protected them
 Constantine credited with
being the first Christian
emperor
Constantine
Constantine
 Leading his army into battle when he
saw a blazing cross in the sky.
 Beneath were the words:
In Hoc Signo Vinces
“In this sign,
conquer”
Constantine
 Placed himself and his army under the
protection of the Christian God
 After his victory, he declared himself a
Christian and supported Christianity
throughout the empire.
 Baptized on his deathbed in A.D. 337
Constantine and the growth of
Christianity
 issues the Edict of Milan allowing for
religious toleration
 made it legal for Christians to worship, gave
money to the church, and became involved
with church decision-making.
 gave Christianity the support of the Roman
authorities, but also combined religion and
government.
VICTORY
 Theodosius became
emperor in 379 AD and
proclaimed Christianity to
be the official religion of
the state
– Christians immediately
begin to persecute
pagans
 Destroyed temples or
converted them into
churches
– Church firmed up its
organization and settled
disputes with powerful
intellectual strength
How did the Roman Empire help
spread Christianity?
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During Pax Romana, missionaries traveled safely
Roman Roads helped to spread quickly
Constantine converted
Constantine built churches in Rome and
Jerusalem
 Religious freedom
 Christianity becomes official religion of the Roman
Empire
The Spread of Christianity by 600