The document provides a summary of the history of Christianity from its origins to the modern era in 3 paragraphs: 1) Christianity began around 50 days after Jesus' resurrection in Jerusalem and initially grew as a Jewish sect before spreading to non-Jews through the missionary work of the apostles Paul and Peter. Over the next few centuries, as the Roman Empire grew weaker, the church became more powerful and hierarchical. 2) In the 4th century, the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and it became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. However, theological and political disputes later caused a schism between the Western Catholic Church based in Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church. 3) The Reformation in

1. The History of Christianity– 30th
April 2017
“Let the messageof Christdwell amongyourichly as youteach and admonishoneanother with all
wisdomthroughpsalms,hymns,andsongsfrom the Spirit, singingtoGodwith gratitudein your
hearts.” (Colossians3:16).
Christianityhashadan all-encompassinginfluence onsocietyatlarge—art,language,politics,law,
familylife,calendardates,music,andthe verywaywe thinkhave all beencoloredbyChristianinfluence
for nearlytwomillennia. Therefore forChristians,the storyof the church isan importantone to know.
The church began around 50 daysafter Jesus’resurrection.JesushadpromisedthatHe wouldbuildHis
church as we can read fromMatthew 16:18, “AndI tell you that you are Peter, andon thisrock I will
buildmy church,and the gates of Hades(therealm of the dead) will not overcome it.” Jesusalso
promisedthe comingof the HolySpirit whichhappenedafterhisdeathandresurrectionon the dayof
Pentecostwhichwe canreadfrom Acts 2:1-4. It was afterthat the church officially began. We canlearn
fromActs 2:4, “All ofthem were filledwiththe Holy Spiritandbegan to speak in other tonguesas the
Spiritenabled them.”Thatday three thousandpeoplerespondedtoPeter’ssermonandchose tofollow
Christ.
The initial convertstoChristianitywere JewsorproselytestoJudaism, andthe churchwascenteredin
Jerusalem.Because of this,Christianitywasseenatfirstasa Jewishsect,akintothe Pharisees, andthe
Sadducees.However,whatthe apostlespreachedwasradicallydifferentfromwhatotherJewishgroups
were teaching. Forexample we canlearnfrom Matthew5:43-44,“You haveheard that it was said,
‘Love your neighborand hate yourenemy.’ 44
But I tell you, love yourenemies and pray for thosewho
persecute you.”Yesradical teachingsfromwhatwas. Jesuscome not to abolishbut tofulfill the Law:
“Do not thinkthat I have come to abolishthe Law or the Prophets;I have notcome to abolishthem
but to fulfill them.” (Matthew5:17). He institutedanew covenantbasedonHisdeath as statedin Mark
14:24, “Thisismy bloodof the covenant, whichis pouredout for many,” he saidto them.” These “new”
teachings infuriatedmanyJewishleaders,andsome,like Saul of Tarsus,(weknow asPaul) tookactionto
stampout “the Way” whichtheycalledthe new movementaswe can readfrom Acts 9:1-2.
It isquite properto saythat ChristianityhasitsrootsinJudaism.The OldTestamentlaidthe groundwork
for the New Testament,anditisimpossible tofullyunderstandChristianitywithoutaworking
knowledge of the OldTestament.The OldTestamentexplainsthe necessityof aMessiah,containsthe
historyof the Messiah’speople,andpredictsthe Messiah’scoming.The New Testament,then,isall
aboutthe comingof Messiahand Hiswork to save usfrom sin.In His life,Jesusfulfilledover300 specific
prophecies,provingthatHe was the One the OldTestamenthadanticipated.
The Growth ofthe Early Church - Afterthe day of Pentecost,the church whichwas mainlyJewish was
openedtonon-Jews.The apostlePeterpreachedtothe Gentileswhoalsoreceivedthe HolySpirit. We
can learnthisfrom Acts 10:45-46, “The circumcisedbelievers whohad come with Peter were
astonishedthatthe giftof the Holy Spirithad been poured out even on Gentiles.” 46
Forthey heard
them speakingin tonguesand praisingGod. The apostle Paul (the formerpersecutorof the church)
spreadthe gospel all overthe Greco-Romanworld,reachingasfaras Rome itself andpossiblyall the
wayto Spain.By A.D.70, the year Jerusalemwasdestroyed,mostof the booksof the New Testament
had beencompletedandwere circulatingamongthe churches.Forthe next240 years,Christianswere
persecutedbyRome—sometimesatrandom, sometimesbygovernmentedict.Inthe 2nd and3rd

2. centuries,the churchleadershipbecame more andmore hierarchical asnumbersincreased.Several
heresieswereexposedandrefutedduringthistime,andthe New Testamentcanonwasagreedupon.
Persecutioncontinuedtointensify.
The Rise of the Roman Church - In A.D.312, the RomanEmperorConstantine claimedtohave hada
conversionexperience. He reignedfrom306–337 AD, and duringthisperiod Christianity beganto
transitiontothe dominantreligionof the RomanEmpire.About70yearslater,duringthe reignof
Theodosius,Christianitybecamethe official religionof the RomanEmpire. Bishopswere givenplacesof
honorin the government,andbyA.D.400, the terms“Roman” and “Christian”were virtually
synonymous. AfterConstantine,Christianswere nolongerpersecuted. Some Christiansretreatedfrom
Rome,choosingtolive inisolation asmonks,andinfantbaptismwasintroducedasameansof washing
away the original sin. The term“original sin”dealswithAdam’ssinof disobedience ineatingfromthe
Tree of Knowledgeof GoodandEvil and itseffectsuponthe restof the humanrace.
As the RomanEmpire grewweaker,the churchbecame more powerful,andmanydisagreementsbroke
out betweenthe churchesinthe Westandthose inthe East. The Western(Latin) church,basedin
Rome,claimedapostolicauthorityoverall otherchurches.The bishopof Rome hadevenbeguncalling
himself the “Pope”(the Father).Thisdidnotsitwell withthe Eastern(Greek) church,basedin
Constantinople.Theological,political,procedural,andlinguisticdividesall contributedtothe Great
Schismin1054, in whichthe Roman Catholic(“Universal”)Churchandthe EasternOrthodox Church
excommunicatedeachotherandbroke all ties.
The Middle Ages- Duringthe Middle AgesinEurope,the RomanCatholicChurchcontinuedtohold
power,withthe popesclaimingauthorityoverall levelsof life andlivingaskings.Corruptionandgreed
inthe church leadershipwascommonplace.From1095 to 1204 the popesendorsedaseriesof bloody
and expensivecrusadesinanefforttorepel Muslimadvancesandliberate Jerusalem.
The Reformation- Throughthe years,several individualshadtriedtocall attentiontothe theological,
political,andhumanrightsabusesof the RomanChurch.All hadbeensilencedinone wayoranother.
But in1517, a German monknamedMartin Luthertooka standagainstthe church, and everyone heard.
WithLuther came the ProtestantReformation.The Reformers,includingLuther,Calvin,andZwingli,
differedinmanyfinerpointsof theology.Buttheywere consistentintheiremphasisonthe Bible’s
supreme authorityoverchurchtraditionandthe fact thatsinnersare savedby grace through faithalone
apart fromworks as statedin Ephesians2:8-9, “Forit is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
and thisis not fromyourselves,it is the gift of God— 9
notby works,so that no one can boast.”
AlthoughCatholicismmade acomebackinEurope,anda seriesof warsbetweenProtestantsand
Catholicsensued,the Reformationhadsuccessfully dismantledthe powerof the RomanCatholicChurch
and helpedopenthe doortothe modernage.
The Age of Missionsand the modernChurch - From 1790 to 1900, the church showedan
unprecedentedinterestinmissionarywork.Colonizationhadopenedeyesto the needformissions,and
industrializationhadprovidedpeople withthe financial abilitytofundthe missionaries.Missionaries
wentaroundthe worldpreachingthe gospel,andchurcheswere establishedthroughoutthe world.
Today,the Roman CatholicChurchand the EasternOrthodox Churchhave takenstepsto mendtheir
brokenrelationship,ashave CatholicsandLutherans.The evangelical churchisstronglyindependent
and rootedfirmlyinReformedtheology.The churchhasalsoseenthe rise of Pentecostalism, the
charismaticmovement,ecumenicalism,andvariouscults.

3. If we learnnothingelse fromchurchhistory,we shouldatleastrecognizethe importance of letting“the
wordof Christdwell in[us] richly” assaidin Colossians3:16,“Let the message of Christdwell among
you richlyas you teach andadmonishoneanother with all wisdomthroughpsalms,hymns,and songs
from the Spirit,singingto Godwithgratitude inyour hearts.” Each of usis responsible toknow what
the Scripture saysand to steadfastlyattemptto live byit. Whenthe preacherforgetswhatthe Bible
teachesand attemptsto change whatJesustaught,chaos reigns. Therefore noone shouldchange Gods
writtenword. There are manychurchestoday,but onlyone gospel.Itis“the faiththat was once for all
entrustedtobelievers.”Maywe be careful topreserve thatfaithandpass iton withoutalteration,and
the Lord will continue tofulfill HispromisetobuildHischurch. “Dear friends,althoughI was very eager
to write to youabout the salvationwe share,I felt compelledto write and urge youto contendfor the
faiththat was once for all entrusted to God’sholypeople.” (Jude 3).