This document summarizes the key events and figures in the origins and spread of Christianity from Jesus to the 5th century AD. It describes Jesus and his teachings, the establishment of the New Covenant, the spread of Christianity by the apostles and Paul, Roman persecutions of Christians under Nero and Diocletian, the conversion and policies of Emperor Constantine which legalized Christianity, and the writings of Augustine addressing the fall of Rome.

1. The Coming of Christ

2. Jesus of Nazareth
• Most important human who has ever lived
• Mary was a descendant of King David

3. Jesus was Lord, Christ & Savior
• Lord because Jesus would fulfill the Davidic
Covenant
• Christ because he was the Messiah
• Savior because he would save his people from
their sad condition

4. The New Covenant
• Jesus’ death would mark the beginning of the
New Covenant
• The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
mark the most important turning point in
history
• The gospel – Jesus dies for the sins of humans
and has been raised again to save them
forever

5. Spread of Christianity
• Jesus told his disciples to tell all nations about
the Gospel (Matt. 28: 18-19)
• He gave the holy spirit to his people at
Pentecost and the Christian church was born

6. Saul of Tarsus
• He practiced Judaism which is the religion of
the Jews
• He tried to wipe out the Christian church

7. • Jesus confronted him and he was converted
• He became a leader in the spread of
Christianity
• Spread Christianity into Asia Minor, Greece,
Rome and perhaps even Spain

8. Paul taught two truths:
1. No one could be saved from sin by obeying
the conditions of the Mosaic Covenant
2. Jesus was the promised seed of Abraham
who would bring a blessing to all nations

9. Growth of Christianity
• Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple
burned by Romans
• This actually helped Christianity
1. Ended the persecuting of Christians from
Judaism
2. Drove Christians out of Judea

10. Roman Persecutions
• Emperor Nero blamed
the Christians for the
fire that swept through
Rome in AD 64

11. • Violent persecutions
were recorded by the
historian Tacitus

12. Emperor Diocletian

13. • The Great Persecution occurred under
Diocletian
• Had to offer sacrifices to pagan gods or be
tortured and killed

15. • Jean-Leon Gerome
• Oil painting
• French painter
• 1883

16. • Romans hoped that these persecutions would
put an end to Christianity
• Christianity was purified through the
opposition, not destroyed

17. Emperor Constantine
• He converted to Christianity
• Issued the Edit of Milan which put an end to
almost 300 years of persecution
• Moved capitol of Rome to Byzantium. The
people called it Constantinople.
(Constantine’s City)

18. Emperor Constantine

19. Council of Nicaea
• Organized by Constantine,
• They met to consider the deity of Christ
• They concluded there was only one God
• They affirmed the doctrine of the Trinity

20. The Trinity

21. Theodosius I
• Made Christianity the only recognized religion
in the empire. All others were illegal.
• Divided Rome into two empires: Roman
empire and Byzantine Empire
• The Roman empire was conquered by
barbarians and Christianity was blamed

22. Theodosius I

23. The City of God
• A book written by Augustine (North Africa)
after Rome fell
• Said that Christians should not fear Rome’s
fall. Empires come and go, but God’s city is
forever.

24. Augustine

25. Thinking Critically
• Suppose the United States were invaded by
another nation, and many of your friends
were fearful that Christianity would be
destroyed. What would you say to reassure
your friends?