Early Christian Ideas Of Redemption In Christianity

Early Christian Ideas Of Redemption In Christianity
Christianity is considered one of the most primeval religions that dates back to several significant
historical events. It was also the start of a widespread religion that believed in the humanity of God
and the divinity of Jesus which, led to the diversity of this religion. Christianity emphasizes the
teachings of key principals to form deeper relationships with God and to follow the conventional
ways of morality to Heaven. An orthodoxical example, in according to the Bible on the teachings of
Christianity communicated the Ten Commandments, that was sent by God to Moses to explain all
Christians the moral and righteous way of living. The theological definition of redemption in
Christianity lies in salvation which elaborates the importance of deliverance from sin as depicted by
Christ.
Generally speaking, the theology of redemption in Christianity is that "sins must be compensated
for, otherwise God's justice is compromised (343). As illustrated in the bible, Adam sinned when he
deliberately disobeyed God's command to not eat the forbidden fruit; therefore, God sent Christ to
restore the wholeness of the divine life of Christians. The servitude of Christ released humanity
from ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
First, it was fear which included the fear of death, the second burden consisted of the release from
guilt; it evaluates that unequivocal guilt reduces creativity and how we fail by not using talents and
good opportunities. The last but not least release "the Christians experienced was from cramping
confines of the ego" (333). It conveyed that love was restricted and if someone was to free the
Christians from such predicaments it would be the savior of God. Jesus was the force of this
effective transformation because of his love for his people, he saved them from suffering and
consequences. Christians had experienced Jesus's affection and became convinced that Jesus was
God
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The Christianity Of Persecution Of The Early Church
For Christians, the persecution of the early church is generally accepted as fact. So much so that we
rarely seem to consider the possibility that this is not the case. The martyrdom of saints for their
faith is taken for granted as historically accurate. Furthermore, we admire them, looking up to the
strength of their faith during the most challenging of times. But are we believing in a false history?
Are we taking the truth of Christian persecution for granted when it is, in fact, not true at all? And,
finally, are we placing too much significance on early Christian martyrs, thinking that they
demonstrate far more than they are able? According to Candida Moss, the answer to all three of
these questions is, yes. In her book, The Myth of Persecution, she argues that the church has
significantly overemphasized the extent to which early Christians were martyred. She also claims
that Christians expect a good deal more from what Christian martyrdom establishes than we can
actually gain.
To begin, it will be helpful to define what Moss means by 'martyrdom.' Moss offers a two part
definition for martyrdom. First, "individuals have a choice to either live or die, and (2) they prefer to
die, because they value either a way of life, a law, a person, or a principle more highly than their
own life."1 McDowell's definition is similar, but with a few subtle differences. He writes of it as
involving death for confession of the Christian faith. I should note that this understanding of

Dissimilarities Between Judaism And Early Christianity
The fourth valid criterion is indifference. This principle states "material is more likely to be deemed
historically reliable if its contents would have been a matter of relative indifference to the author of
the source in which it is found." A good example of this is found in Mark 6:3 when Jesus was
identified to be a carpenter. This statement by the author of Mark's Gospel is simply informative as a
matter of indifference and does not appear to be particularly relevant in terms of theology. This
method is also productive at excluding material. There are numerous contradictions found
throughout the New Testament that could have been introduced in order to serve the purpose of the
author. For instance, the books of Acts and Mark are quoted ... Show more content on
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This principle states "material regarding Jesus is more likely to be deemed historically reliable if it
strongly reflects the Jewish context in which Jesus works and also helps to explain or account for
matters pertinent to early Gentile Christianity." This criterion shows influences to both the criterions
of dissimilarity, and language and environment. In conjunction with dissimilarity, elements
attributed to the life of Jesus that is not reflective of either Palestinian Judaism or early Christianity
is deemed historically authentic. Contrary to dissimilarity and shifting more towards the language
and environment principle, the second half of this criterion holds that elements attributed to the life
of Jesus that reflect both Palestinian Judaism and early Christianity is also deemed historically
authentic. In other words, Jesus is viewed as the transitional figure between these two belief
systems. Meaning it is authentic if aspects of Jewish influence made their way into the belief system
of early Christianity. By correcting the narrow application of the criterion of dissimilarity, this
authentication guideline has merit by also taking into account the cultural influences during the shift
of belief

Conflicting Images Of God In Early Christianity
Christianity is among the few religion which has male power as a dominant power. This can be
possible that man has a fear that the feminine symbolism would make all the women strong and they
would think that men and women had same power and they were equal to men in all means. In the
article "what became of God the Mother? Conflicting Images of God in Early Christianity" Elaine
Pagels discusses that how the early development of Christianity God is seen as a masculine figure
and there is a lack of feminine references in Christianity religion. There are still many religions out
there which are believed to have male figure as their God and there are no female deities they
believe in and Christianity is one of them. They think male power rules

Early Christianity Essay examples
The earliest recorded text teaching Christianity has its roots buried deep within Judaism. The birth,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, created a new ideology of worship. The
Messiah is the savior for all people and of all sins. Paul carried the message of the Messiah to the
Gentiles. His missionary journeys and establishment of churches enabled the spreading of the
message throughout the Roman Empire. Christianity grew in acceptance; those that believed in the
Messiah separated and began to worship on their own. This marked the beginning of the split of
Judaism and Christianity.
Christianity experienced many pitfalls along the path to fulfillment. As in history, today we find
ourselves learning Christ's lessons ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Imperial persecution became wholesale throughout the Empire. Initially the Jewish community was
the instigators of this persecution of Christians. The book of Acts outlines several incidents
involving such persecution. During the decade of 60 A.D., periods of Roman persecution occurred,
however this persecution was sporadic. For example, Nero was ruler of the Roman Empire, under
his reign Rome was set on fire and burnt to the ground. Christians became the scapegoat for this
cowardly act. Tasitus wrote that perhaps Nero himself started the blaze, as an excuse to persecute
the Christians. Nero's acts of persecution were contained within the confines of Rome.
In contrast to the persecution experienced by early Christian followers, Christianity today does not
experience the level of outward persecution. Christianity is practiced in an atmosphere nearly void
of violence. It was not until the reign of Constantine when Christians were authorized to practice
their chosen faith. The "Ediet of Milan"(313 A.D.), gave official recognition to the Christian faith,
thus ending persecution within the Roman Empire. Before Constantine's rule, there were many
rulers eager to drive out the Christians. The Emperor Trajan (98–117 A.D.) established the first
official policy relating to Christians and how they should be dealt with. Diocletion and the
Apologists were the last of the persecutors in this era before Constantine. This marked the end of
open persecution

The Decline of Women's Roles in Early Christianity Essay
The Decline of Women's Roles in Early Christianity
"Suddenly Jesus met them and said, `Greetings!' And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and
worshiped him." (Matthew 28:9)# Near the end of each of the four Christian gospels, it is women
who first discovered that the body of Jesus was missing and who were the first to report seeing him
after his death. Certainly then, this is a major indication of the high involvement of women in early
Christianity. With such high status undoubtedly must have come power, influence, and important
positions in the early Church. But by approximately 750 C.E women had lost these major roles in
the Church, and the power and influence they once had. This essay will examine the decline of
women's roles ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A presbyter was one who would have taught Christian doctrine, had the authority to baptize,
consecrate the communion, and perform whatever other religious rites were necessary, which is why
the title is equivalent to that of priest or elder. Although it is hypothesized that women may have
held the title of bishop, it is not known for certain. Therefore only the positions of deaconess,
widows, and wives of clergy will be considered for this essay.
The Council of Carthage, circa 390 C.E. is one of the first to take influence away from Christian
women. Canons IV and XXV state that clergy, specifically sub deacons, deacons, and presbyters
should either separate from the wives they may already have had, or not get married, whichever the
case may be. Furthermore canon LXX states that any clergyman unwilling to do this would be
removed from his office.# Wives, having been influential in helping their clerical husbands within
the Church community have now been done away with effortlessly. As a result, clergymen no longer
have wives or children to leave their estates to, so presumably the Church or state would inherit the
unclaimed property. On the other hand, the Council of Trullo, called to order in 691C.E. by Emperor
Justinian II allows for clergy to have and cohabitate with their wives#,

What Role Did Women Play In The Early Development Of...
Christianity in the Roman era appealed to both women and men. Its sense of inclusiveness,
forgiveness, and other aspects of it changed the lives of many Roman people. However, there were
many different qualities of Christianity that led women to convert. Particularly in Jesus's life and
some time after his life, women were key figures in the development and spread of the religion.
Women had the important role of helping develop Christianity and spreading Jesus's teachings, and
this was important because they aided the survival of Christianity.
Firstly, women helped Jesus in his search for the nature of the divine, and his teachings. In the early
development of Christianity, disciples were persecuted by the Roman Empire (Strayer, 174).
Therefore,

Similarities And Differences In Early Christianity And...
Religion has become an integral part in human existence among all races. Different people and cites
define religion in different ways. Merriam Webster defines it as "an organized system of beliefs
ceremonies and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods." In the world we have different
religions that include Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism Islam and Judaism. In this research I will
bring about the relationship and differences in the early Christianity and Buddhism religions. The
early Christianity tackles the period of the first council in Nicea in 325 to the period after the death
of Jesus which many refer to as apostolic age. The worship and belief of a superhuman controlling
power are what we call religion. The dominant ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Christians believe in trinity one God in three; Father Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28; 19).
Christians believe it's through the death of the Jesus Christ that they were forgiven their sin. The
belief is that we are born sinners so through the death and resurrection we became pure (Romans
5:12–17). It's through believing in Christ that we have salvation. (Curtis, 2006). It is the human
weaknesses that lead to sin. They believe that salvation is achieved through good works and hence
personal righteousness must outweigh personal sin (Quran 23; 101–103) In almost a similar way,
Siddhartha who later became Buddha (the enlightened one) was a prince who was born in a palace.
Just like Jesus forfeited all the `luxury bestowed upon a prince. He walked the earth and got tried to
divert his attention from what he was set to achieve.
Using the above stands it is quite clear that the two spiritual founders of the two religions who
underwent through problems in the quest to save humankind. It is from their suffering teachings and
stands that the resulting religion is based. The two left their life of comfort to suffering even more so
as to give human beings a reason to live a life suffering (Sayre,

Roles Of Women In Early Christianity
Jane / Women and Christianity In early Christianity, the roles of men are more apparent and more
talked about than the roles of women. However, this does not mean women were not considered
important back then. In the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, Valerie Abrahamsen states that
in the book of Acts in the Bible, the author(s) "speak[s] highly of Christian women" by mentioning
their influence on the community. The book of Acts includes a letter from Paul, a very influential
apostle, to the Christians in Philippian, stating how Christian women should be like. He divided
Christian women into three categories. Overall, they were all to be submissive to the men of the
community. Wives were to love their husbands and educate their children

Robert Louis Wilken Writes Of Early Christianity From The
Robert Louis Wilken writes of early Christianity from the perspective of Roman historical accounts,
focusing on five major critics of the religion, and ultimately drawing the conclusion that these critics
were instrumental in helping Christians more clearly define their faith through self–examination and
defense of their own beliefs. With the exception of Pliny, whose opinions and actions were of little
consequence throughout the Roman Empire, true dialogue began to take place as Christian
philosophy was challenged by Galen, Celsus, Porphyry, and Julian the apostate. Wilken offers an
opportunity to view the history of the Christian faith as it was seen and perceived by Roman
officials and philosophers; the former concerning themselves more ... Show more content on
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10), though he would occasionally posture to demands from concerned citizens who had heard
rumors of strange and frightening rituals associated with certain groups(p. 15). While I cannot
discount the possibility of some factions incorporating animal or human sacrifice and ritual
cannibalism into their rites, there is a greater probability that these instances were misunderstood
and misinterpreted, and the information passed to officials would be considered suspect as to the
motive of the individuals spreading these scenarios. In my mind I pictured an innocent ceremony of
infant circumcision as witnessed by an outsider to Christianity. How deviant might that look to
someone from a culture that does not practice male genital mutilation? It would, no doubt, be
horrifying if they had no understanding of, or exposure to, either the Jewish or Christian faith
rituals, yet to other believers it was a natural part of initiating a child into the faith. Raising the
infant into the air as an offering of a new life devoted to God might also be perceived as a barbaric
and frightening sacrificial rite if one were not versed in the rituals of the Abrahamic faiths.
Pliny makes it clear that he has no personal experience in these matters, yet acts to appease those
who claim to witness these events. Trajan has no personal experience either, and still urges Pliny to
stop this group before their behavior becomes a

The Role Of Christianity In The Early Middle Ages
The boom of Christianity and the formation of Germanic kingdoms brought an end to the ancient
world and resurrected the middle Ages. Throughout the Early Middle Ages, Christianity was the
dominating religion with Rome being its largest supporter and the Latin language begin to make its
way through the mouths of every household. Yet, the middle ages initiated with a deterioration of
trade, culture, politics, and education. The Germans struggled adapting to the classical civilization.
However, a new civilization was beginning to evolve. It consisted of Christianity, the heritage and
culture of Germans, and Ancient Greek and Roman survivals. Christianity acted as an expression for
the people of Rome, and the Church was there place of comfort. People begin to depict life in a
different way. Religion brought hope, faith, and deliverance to the souls throughout the city of
Rome. They believed in the almighty power of God and that he whom followed the word of the
Lord shall prosper in all aspects of life. The only answer to seeing God was to abide by his word and
worship him in his house, the Church. People were so into Christianity that ... Show more content on
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They constructed a kingdom with centers in France and Germany. Under the leadership of
Charlemagne, the empire of the Franks reached its pinnacle. The Pope soon then promoted
Charlemagne to Emperor, which meant Charlemagne possessed a divine calling from God to protect
and spread the word of Christianity. With the Pope crowning Charlemagne as emperor, it connected
the German, Roman, and Christian components which evolved into a medieval civilization. This
didn't last long, since Charlemagne's successors were not able to hold the empire together. This
created major problems within the cities of Rome and Greece and Central Authority. They were
constantly invaded by Muslim Vikings, Central Authority was weakening by the second, which
shifted the era into the evolving of

Suffering In St. Augustine's The Readings On Early...
Suffering is a common feeling everyone experiences in life. Many Christians have different views
on suffering. Some may believe that being a Christian means they will never suffer because God
will protect them from suffering and everything that comes with it. Others feel as if suffering is
punishment or that they deserve it. In The Readings on Early Christianity, St. Anthony, St.
Augustine, and St. Patrick all believed that suffering was inevitable for Christians, and that God has
intentions for the suffering they experienced. St. Anthony was born in a Christian family and
believed that he should be obedient to his parents and God. He was satisfied in what he found and
didn't look for more in life. He was obedient to God when he collected money and donated it to the
poor (3). However, St, Anthony also believed that the devil attempted to lead him away from
discipline and this caused him to overthink his belief at times (4). Even though he is a Christian, he
said that suffering would be present in his life. St. Anthony said that he struggled by the grace of
God in him (4). This shows ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Augustine believed that people were selfish since they did not see God. Despite the many wonderful
things God created for human eyes to see, they have not glorified or given him grace (11). Believing
in God means accepting life and understanding that suffering happens daily. St. Augustine said that
all humans experience distress and that even the natural pleasures of life contain suffering (13).
Every human experiences distress, however, it remains a choice whether to find the good in it, or
blame it on God. St. Augustine wrote that in life there would be no pleasure unless there was desire
that preceded the pleasure (13). People should become Christians to not avoid suffering, but to
understand the reasons God puts us through it. God wants to strengthen lives and help them grow to
comprehend how suffering cannot be avoided, but dealt with, and that anything is possible with

Loans with Interest in Early Christianity and Islam Essay
Rami Ibrahim
0641174
BADM 4370 – History of Business
Instructor: Michael Morrone
Individual Assignment
Loans with Interest in Early Christianity and Islam
February 7, 2012 When an individual thinks of religion, the first thing that comes to a believer's
mind is the nonnegotiable worship of a supreme being(s) as a source of tranquility whenever he/she
is in distress. On the other hand, to a pro–secularization individual, religion only causes pricey
conflicts between different cultures and is considered an outdated practice which should not have a
place in today's society. What people in general tend to forget about religion is that it their respective
figures like Prophet Muhammad and Jesus wanted to promote a way of life that ... Show more
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Similarly the selling of barley for barley is Riba except if it is from hand to hand and equal in
amount, and dates for dates is usury except if it is from hand to hand and equal in amount." (Umar).
From an economical perspective, what the Prophet of Islam is referring to here is the idea that only
the actual value of dates should exist in any trade transaction. For example, a bank giving out a loan
for 100,000 dollars with an interest of 10% means that the 10,000 interest to be paid does not
actually exist in the economy and hence to the prophet this is considered riba because the bank is
gaining money out of nowhere. In the Sharia, the modern day solution to this banking issue is
Islamic banking which offers; "..more just and equitable distribution of resources; more responsible
and profitable lending due to the necessarily closer bank–client relationship; less volatile business
cycles; and more stable banking systems." (Evans, 1987) Similarly, early Christianity has the same
general view of usury, "In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and
increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith
the Lord God." (Exekiel 22:12). However, Islam tends to be stricter about preserving authenticity of
teachings of Allah or Prophet Muhammad because the teachings were meant to be implemented

The Woman's Role In Early Christianity
Following the years of Jesus' crucifixion and the origins of Christian religion what surprised me the
most was the story of Apostle Paul and the brief discussion in the video of the woman's role in early
Christianity. Following Jesus death in 51C.E. Paul's arrival in the Greek city Corinth brought the
message of salvation to not only Jews however gentiles as well. With the presence of pilgrims for
centuries in Corinth, the message of a Jewish messiah may have been peculiar to the citizens.
Specifically Paul preached about the death and resurrection of Jesus and the salvation that comes
with being a follower. In reference to Jesus death, Matthew 27:59–60 states," 59 Joseph took the
body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of
the rock". He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away". Also I
appreciated learning that even though Paul's message may have come across to some as strange,
gentiles seen light in the salvation and rituals that comes with Christianity. Professor Pagle said,
"Gentiles were attracted to the claims of salvation, baptism, rituals and the communities." ... Show
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Professor Clark claimed that, "In Paul's letters and the book of Acts, women owned the houses that
the early Christians met and women were his evangelist and friends just like the men." This
information was very exciting to me because the presence of woman is throughout the Bible is
evident however not in the same degree as the men of the Bible. To know that scholar's
acknowledge the role that women had as fellow Evangelist is wonderful and inspiring. The woman
also being able to provide the housing for Christians to convene was also new knowledge mentioned
in the

Similarities Between Early Christianity And Early Islam
Damion Britt
Western Civilization 210–04
Professor T. Acevedo
November 24, 2015
Essay #2
Early Christianity and Early Islam There were many similarities but also a couple differences within
the emergence and expansion of early Christianity and early Islam. Christianity as a religion consist
of people who believed in Jesus Christ and the followers were known as Christians. The Christians
believe that Jesus was the son of god and felt as though they need to follow his leadership. Islam as
a religion consist of people who believe in Allah as their true god to worship. All the people who
followed the leadership of the god Allah were known as Muslims. Both Christianity and Islam
originated from Judaism which was a belief of one god known as monotheism. Monotheism is the
god that they believe created the world and they say he cares about the behavior and beliefs of
human beings. The Christianity and Islamic religion spreading was socially similar, when focusing
on political help they were different, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For example in my sources it said that Muslims migrated to Medina to spread the word of their god
in the other region of Arabia Peninsula while Christians migrated to Constantinople to find
Constantine to help spread Christianity. Both of the religions were spread quickly due to socializing
and traveling. The more they traveled the more people they were able to spread their religions too.
Therefore it helped both religions expanded their beliefs in further regions. During this time period
people were often taken out of their homes due to the fact they did not like and believe in the
religion in the area. Although it was a setback because they were forced to leave they used it as an
advantage and informed others of their religion. Therefore both religions spread due to socializing as
they migrated to other

How Did The Spread Of Early Christianity
The earliest Christians did not have church building. They typically met in homes. (The first actual
church building so far found is at Dura Europos on the Euphrates , dating about 231.). They did not
have public ceremonies that would introduce them to the public, and they had no access to the mass
media of their day. So, to understand the steady and diverse expansion, we can have a conversation,
about the Apostle Paul, we don't run across many "big names" as missionaries in the first few
hundred years of Christians history. Instead, the faith spread through a multitude of humble,
ordinary believers whose names have been long forgotten.
Early Christianity was primarily an urban faith, establishing itself in the city centers of the Roman
Empire. Most of the people lived close together in crowed rooms. There were few secrets in such a
setting. The faith spread as neighbors saw the believers' coming together as one on a daily basis.
And what kind of lives did they lead? ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Justin Martyr, a noted early Christian theologian, wrote to Emperor Antoninus Pius and described
the believers: "We formerly rejoiced in uncleanness of life, but now love only chastity; before we
used the magic arts, but now dedicated ourselves to the true and unbegotten God; before we love
money and possessions more than anything, but now we share what we have and to everyone who is
in need; before we hated one another and killed one another and we would not eat with those of
another race, but now since the manifestation of Christ, we have come to a common life and pray for
our enemies and try to win over those who hate us without just cause." In another place Justin points
out how those opposed to Christianity were sometimes won over as they saw the consistency in

Christianity And The Early Stages
Have you ever wondered how Christianity was spread in the early stages? and what influenced it?
Rome held a huge part in both of these things. The Roman emperors, culture, and the Roman
religion all were things that influenced early Christianity very much. The time period in which Jesus
was on earth was probably the best time he could have come. It was a time of Hellenization, right
after Rome had taken over Greece. Most of the world was in the Greek empire before it was taken
over by Rome, so everything was Greek, and Rome adopted most of the Greek culture for their own
once they took it over. Everyone spoke the same language in that area, making it easy for Jesus to
communicate and share his word with everyone. Also, you have ... Show more content on
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The Romans also distrusted the Christians because many passages say things along the lines of
"eating Christ's flesh", and they accused Christians of cannibalism. The first–century Roman
emperors were Octavian, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.
Octavian was emperor from thirty–one B.C to fourteen A.D. His influence is that he built the Roman
roads, and he was the emperor when Jesus was born. Octavian was also responsible for the "Pax
Romana". Tiberius was emperor from fourteen to thirty–seven A.D. Tiberius appointed Pontius
Pilate over Judea and he was emperor when Jesus was crucified. Caligula was emperor from thirty–
seven to forty–one A.D. He did not have much influence on Christianity. Claudius ruled from forty–
one to fifty–four A.D. He made the Jews leave Rome in A.D forty–nine. Claudius was emperor
during the ministry of Paul. From fifty–four A.D until sixty–four A.D Nero ruled. Many say he was
the cruelest Roman emperor. He persecuted Christians the most of any emperor. Vespasian ruled
from sixty–nine until seventy–nine A.D. He destroyed Jerusalem in seventy A.D. Next was Titus,
who ruled from seventy–nine until eighty–one A.D. He finished the war against Jerusalem that his
father, Vespasian had started. The last first–century Roman emperor was Domitian. Domitian ruled
from eighty–one A.D until ninety–six A.D. He persecuted Christians

Early Christianity Research Paper
Early Christianity had a lot to do with the transformation of Rome and posed a challenge to the
Roman Empire. Christians were known as the enemy of Rome, primarily because they refused to
worship the emperors as the embodiment of Rome's Gods meaning they were denying his divinity
and authority. The one whom the Christians worshiped had been declared a criminal, was tried and
put to death the roman state. Christianity itself faced several challenges, it all began with the
teachings of Jesus Christ, and he lived and worked among his fellow Jews in Judea and galilee
around 30C.E. Jesus was known as Yeshua bar Yosef meaning son of Joseph by the Greeks. The
earliest writing ever know to mention Jesus were letters from his follower ... Show more content on
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There was another group of Jews in Rome they called themselves the Sadducees they collaborated
very closely with Rome and they controlled the hereditary temple. Their chief rivals were preachers
who believed in the prophetic word. They claimed to control the interpretation of the torah; they
believed that Jesus gave Moses the five books and a written one to go along with the five books and
it became a tradition in which they claimed their special inheritance. The Pharisees believed in life
after death and judgement day. They gained members and won souls through preaching and waited
for the arrival of the messiah whom God has promised will come. The Sadducees were very much
different from the Pharisees they took the torah a little more serious than the Pharisees did they
made strictly for just Jews to view and Jews only they did want anyone that wasn't born Jewish to
view it and the other group just basically let anyone who joined them Jew or non–Jew view

Explain How Were Persecution And Martyrdom Related In...
How were persecution and martyrdom related in early Christianity? To understand the relationship
between persecution and martyrdom we must look at what each word means. Let's start with
persecution. Persecution is the "active practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin,
religion, or social outlook; the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed." Suffering from
persecution is when someone or group of individuals demonize, ridicule, make fun of you for the
way you look, behave, or what you believe, to attempt to make you conform to their standards.
Persecution is usually, but not always, the precursor to violence or assault toward the individual or
group targeted. Now let's take a look at the meaning of martyrdom.

Who Marcion Is Important For The Development Of Early...
Not all would call him a Christian scholar, but he was the most interesting second century Christian
and also the most detrimental to the development of early Christianity and his name was Marcion. In
this essay I will be explaining who Marcion is and why he was so important for the development of
early Christianity. To start off my research paper my first resource was by Peter Head, The Foreign
God And The Sudden Christ : Theology And Christology In Marcion 's Gospel Redaction, in which
he talks about how many people back in the second century would not call Marcion a good
Christian, leader, or a reformer but was later a great influence for the New Testament. Head then
briefly introduces Marcion and who he was. Also, Peter Head ... Show more content on
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My next source by David William, Reconsidering Marcion's Gospel, addresses in his article that
Marcion was gathered from multiple different resources. Marcion's gospel was not written into the
text and was basically the same thoughts as Paul just with a few different ideas. Williams also states
his three general findings that he has as he studied Marcion thought out his life. Around 144 AD
Marcion expressed his beliefs to everyone and not just to the church. Most people at that time
thought that his beliefs were outrageous and they were frowned upon in that society. Marcion still
believed what he thought was right and created his own church. Even though he knew that giving
his opinion on religion was not a good idea during that time period he still did and got followers that
believed in what he was creating. Everyone that followed his lead and believed the same thing that
he did were called "Marcionites." (Head) According to David Williams not much information on
Marcion's gospel is found. Most of the information is gathered up from references and quotes found
in other literatures. (Williams) Marcion's gospel that they have pieced together are said to look
exactly like Luke's gospel. If Marcion was asked the question himself, he would say that he was
more like Paul rather than Luke. Marcion's belief was in some ways similar to Gnostic Christian
theology. Marcion was considered not a good Christian,

Women's Role In Early Christianity
When one thinks about the leaders of early Christianity, an orthodox vision of Jesus' male apostles
and disciples fills their head. While there is no doubt these men were important, their influential
women counterparts are often overlooked and underrated. For years, historians were perplexed at
the rapid spread of early Christianity, until they considered women. Women had a major role in the
rise and spread of early Christianity because they were not only numerous, but also influential in
leadership positions and converting others. More women joined the Christian Church than men
because Christianity was more appealing to women than any other religion or paganism. Christian
women enjoyed much higher status than the Greco–Roman women. They ... Show more content on
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This, however, still would not be enough conversions to account for this tremendous influx of
followers. Women had a large part in raising the number of followers and conversions in the first
five centuries of Christianity. There is a distinction between active conversion and secondary
conversion. Active conversion is when one takes part in their own conversion and shows a desire to
change one's beliefs; active conversions mostly took place in women. Secondary conversions are
when one's religious beliefs are influenced and guide by another; secondary conversions were
common in pagan men. There was an excess of marriageable Christian women and a deficiency of
pagan women which turned out to be problematic. Christian women were then encouraged to marry
pagan men. Paul encouraged women to marry outside the religion because, "an unbelieving husband
is consecrated through his wife" (Stark 240). In 200, the Bishop of Rome, Callistus, declared that
Christian women could live in "just concubinage" without being married (Stark 240). This was
necessary at the time, especially for upper class women, because if a Christian woman married
below her class, then she would lose much of her privilege and legal standing. This declaration from
the Bishop, along with the social acceptance, resulted in more marriages outside of the Church.
Peter shared similar feelings with Paul and thought

Early Christianity And Greco-Roman Culture
Considering the early Christian believes such as the old testament that prohibits the making of
graven images ,then it would be wise to analyze why the early Christians came up with their art in
the first place . The use of images in early Christianity played an important role especially in
spreading the religion .Most of the target converts were the Greco–Romans who had the culture of
art from the beginning . The influence that Greco–Roman culture had on the converts continued .
The converts continued to practice burial cultures such as use of catacombs to bury the dead .
Catacombs were common among the average and poor Romans while sarcophagi or marble tombs
were used by the wealthy(Guntram 40) . The Christians converts dug their catacombs

The Early Disagreements Within Christianity
I believe this is one of the reasons Christianity thrived because people needed some shrivel of hope.
7. Outline some of the early disagreements within Christianity. See (Christianity for the First 3,000
Years) for details. Consider the nature of Jesus, the Gnostic gospels, the Council of Nicaea etc. The
resurrection of Jesus himself is a concept that is hard to believe. How can a man come back to life,
and why is this the first time this has happened? Jesus was not written about till after his death. The
gospels were told by Jesus' apostles and their recollection of Jesus and his teachings. The Council of
Nicaea were Christian theologians who decided which stories about Jesus to include in the Bible.
The Council of Nicaea left out the Gnostic gospels "hidden knowledge" which talked about Jesus's
early childhood. Why should we believe the council when they left out the parts of Jesus' life they
did not agree with."Even those whose hearts were inclined to accept the new faith required some
intellectual satisfaction before they were willing to commit: How can God be three separate beings–
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit– and one indivisible being at the same time? If Jesus is "coeternal"
with God, why is there no mention of him in the two thousand–year tradition of Hebrew writings? If
Jesus is the divine Son of God, how could he experience such human emotions as temptation, fear,
and loneliness?" 1 (pg. 229) 8. Discuss the achievements of the Carolingian Dynasty. Under

Early Christianity Research Paper
In this day and age, Christianity is the most popular religion in the world boasting a following of
about 2.4 billion people, or 32% of the world's population. But this was not always so, it originally
came from a small sect of the Jewish religion. Over time it gained mass amounts of followers and
became its own faith, but this was not the original intent of Jesus. His intention was purely to spread
the word of the Lord and try and save humanity from their sins. The history of Christianity is
inseparable from Judaism and from the Jewish people themselves, as their religion is one of the
oldest in the world. In the Hebrew Bible (or the Old Testament) it describes that the Jews were God's
chosen people, destined to be an example to the rest ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
144). Christianity also greatly appealed to women, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 3:28,
pg. 145). At a time where women were no more than property, Christianity gave them a great refuge
from Roman society. It also offered many people a chance to travel and influence the lives of others
through their faith, giving their lives new meaning and horizons. Jesus as a prophet of the lord also
caused trouble for the Romans though, as he diminished many of the rules that Jews has always
lived under. Because of this discord, Roman leaders classified Jesus as a political rebel. He was
crucified in 33 CE, and rose from the dead three days later. This solidified his status in his followers'
eyes as the Messiah and the son of God. His resurrection became "one of the ultimate miracles
associated with his teachings, the sign that immortal life awaited those who believed in him as the
son of God." After 40 days he rose to heaven after promising to return at world's end. The Apostle
Paul's writings and teachings were the final break between the Jewish religion and Christianity. He
traveled throughout the Roman Empire writing letters to the citizens that were the first religious
teaching presented in an organized

The Influence Of Martyrdom On Early Christianity
In the early Church, martyrdom was considered a "baptism in blood," similar in itself to the baptism
in water. The baptism of martyrdom was at the origin of the conversion of many. To be a true
disciple is to die as a martyr. The rationale of costly discipleship is witnessing to non–Christians.
This shows that martyrdom can communicate much more deeply than any other discourse. It is
difficult to evaluate the intensity and scale of persecution against Christians of the first three
centuries; nevertheless what we have are some documents that shed light on the frequency of these
afflictions. During the first century, there were occasional persecutions under Nero's reign,
especially the fire of Rome in 64 CE, which Christians were accused of having

The Spread Of Christianity: The Early Christian Rituals
"Christianity first started about 2000 years ago in a place called Judea with Jesus and his disciples."
(#2). " The religion was created in Palestine on a small part of land of the eastern part of
Mediterranean. There was conflict was centuries, Christianity had been created in an atmosphere
very related to the spread of religion." (#5) The new religion rested in issues in the Jewish religion,
including a long–standing belief in the coming of a Messiah The emperor of Rome was known as
their ruler. Jesus was known to be a Jew. The meaning of Christianity is relevance and humanity
contribution. The History of Christianity began with the Old Testament. In the New Testament,
jealous only preached to a Jewish audience. Christianity was emerged ... Show more content on
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The Sanhedrin only accepted five books of Moses. Such as "The Pentateuch" and then there were
the more and strict Pharisees. The Sanhedrin at Jerusalem was made up of two, such as Pharisees
and Sadducees." (#3) The elders were know as the "priests" or the "bishop" and had normally served
the Apostolic. They were in control of the preaching and the baptisms but they also give needed
products to the ones in need.
"Ignatius was the bishop of Antioch in the early of the second century." (#3) He had written letter
that talked about how critical the forces in the church made the problem of society. "Clement and
Ignatius became important when people who were claiming for their spiritual gifts had faced the
church." (#3) Early Christianity was urban, and people are the farms had been extremely attached to
the ways and had followed the paganism that had been favored by the landowners. Most landowners
that then converted and built churches on their property in the 400 A.D., which had provided a
benefit for the priest. In North Africa and the East usually had their own

The Roman Empire: Early Judaism And Early Christianity
During the beginning of the Roman Empire, Christianity was perceived as a struggling religion and
was widely frowned upon by the early Romans: "after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and
the subsequent failure of the Bar Kochba rebellion, both early Judaism and early Christianity stood
at the beginning of a protracted struggle to define, defend, and reproduce themselves in the face of
other cultures, within which the adherents of these religions were obliged to live." For example,
Roman Emperor Nero persecuted many Christians due to his hatred towards them and their religion.
"The fire is, of course, famous for what Tacitus treats as its sequel – the attack on Christians who
suffered a variety of punishments, burning alive, crucifixion

Adam and Eve Essay 3
Adam and Eve
Marcie Smith
REL 250
Paxton Reed
November 16, 2008
Adam and Eve
The term subordination is used frequently in the context of Trinitarian discussion, and has a clearly
defined usage. Theologians of the past have spoken in some sense of the subordination of the Son
and the Spirit within the boundaries of orthodoxy. However, how do we define it when it comes to
women and the church? The story of Adam and Eve is a great place to start. It brings with it all of
the elements of love, respect, partnership, and subordination all rolled together. When I first started
to research this paper I was under the misguided assumption that Adam and Eve went down
together. As my paper evolved you will see I learned a little bit differently. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Feminists argue that women have had to struggle to overcome the patriarchally structured churches.
While scholars in ecclesiastical history and related fields have undoubtedly been influenced by the
huge developments in both women's history and gender history in the larger arena of historical
scholarship, they have also been influenced by the questions raised by feminist theologians about
the viability of women remaining within the Churches and the outworking of Christian doctrine in
the women's lives.
"Origins have therefore become important to some feminist scholars, especially those of faith, in a
rather distinctive way, as they have sought to bring to light–and , in some cases, discover–evidence
for the ways in which the Christian tradition has in at least some of its roots an equal place for
women" (Shaw, 2004). The place of women–and, indeed, men–in the early Churches is a historical
subject which is seen to have relevance to individuals and the Churches today: while Churches are
still debating the validity of the ordination of women, and even the extent to which laywomen can
participate in the worship and ministry of the Church, it is not possible to shy away from this.
One of the great strengths of feminist scholarship has been to show that no scholar works from a
neutral starting–point: the selection of topic and the evidence on which historians choose to focus
are shaped by their presuppositions. Ecclesiastical historians, influenced by their

The Afterlife In Early Christianity
The main sources of information about the afterlife in Christianity come from the Bible. A common
idea in early Christianity was that when death occurs they enter a sleep state (Penelhum 40). The
sleep state continues until the second coming, in the second coming they will be resurrected and
judged. Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe that at death they will exist in a disembodied state
and there an immediate judgment to determine the soul's destination (Luke and Gilbert 128). Those
whose souls have been purified before death will go straight to heaven. Those who have committed
Mortal, or unforgivable, sins will go straight to hell after death. However, those who have
committed forgivable sins but have not properly repented from those

Early Christianity
Justin Bowman
Early Christianity
The old testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, comprising thirty–nine books and
corresponding directly to the Hebrew Bible. Most of the books were originally written in Hebrew
between about 1200 and 100 BC. They comprise the chief texts of the law, history, prophecy, and
wisdom literature of the ancient people of Israel. The old testament and the new testament
connection between the two is the covenant. (McFarland 1/12) The new testament is the second part
of the Christian Bible, written originally in Greek and recording the life and teachings of Jesus and
his earliest followers. It includes the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, twenty–one epistles by
St. Paul and others, and the book of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Resurrection and the delay of parasouia was a key event in the New Testament. The way he
described the people of Jerusalem was that they were looking through colored glasses to see the
Resurrected Jesus Christ. Jesus was supposed to have the everlasting live. The disciples experienced
Jesus being reborn or resurrected. It was the first they have ever seen to have life after death. The
New Testament has four main Gospels; Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. A Gospel is a teaching of
Christ. Each Gospel is telling about how Jesus worshiped God and his disciples. The New Testament
was not written at one time and that it was not written by one man. At least eight different men
wrote different parts of the New Testament over a period of many long years. Although, we know
that we do not have all the writings of even these eight men. For example, Paul mentions in 1
Corinthians 5:9 that he had written an earlier epistle to the church at Corinth. That letter has not
been preserved for us. It is likely that some other writings of Paul, as well as those of Peter, James,
Matthew, etc., are not included in the New Testament and have been lost

The Influence Of St. Augustine's Readings On Early...
In the Readings on Early Christianity it describes the lives of three important religious figures that
have made a dramatic change in the world with their strict and heart filled methods of teaching. St.
Anthony patron saint of finding things or lost people, St. Augustine the patron of brewers and St.
Patrick the primary patron saint of Ireland are among some of the important figures discussed in the
readings. They had understood that they had to go through suffering to truly understand the true
teachings of god and spread the teachings to all of his followers so that god's followers and children
can progress in his religious aspect as well as a society together. St. Augustine is probably one of the
best examples of how Christian followers in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
St. Augustine of Hippo is the patron of brewers because of his conversion from a former life of
loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions. Before St. Augustine
transformation into a religious patron his life was a consistency of poor and bad choices which he
had no regrets for. He was however always sought after a higher calling and always searched for a
better answer. Like many people in this world we often know what we are doing is wrong and
despite reason we do it anyways, because life of pleasure and easiness is much more attractive than
the right choice sometimes. St. Augustine like many of us had his moments where he would make
the rights decision and in his teachings he described as," If all these things tug at our will with equal
force, and all together at the same time, will not divergent inclinations put a strain on the

Christianity In The Early Middle Ages Essay
Christianity in Europe during the Medieval Period encountered many hindrances such as corruption,
sex, the Avignon Captivity, and the Great Schism. However, even though the church encountered
many controversies which eventually undermined the foundation of the church, monastic revival
reformed the church and ultimately restored the original beliefs.
Corruption was present in many forms within the church during the medieval period. Many clergy
members were landowners in late medieval Christianity and if they were not, the church would
count on the nobles to share their profits from their peasants work. (Christian History, 2015) It was
also familiar for members of clergy to buy their positions in order to obtain power and wealth.
Priests were also known for visiting taverns, gambling, and having orgies with quarrels and
blasphemy. (Arnold, 1999)
From the Early Middle Ages, through the reign of Charlemagne, the church accentuated the
importance of clerical celibacy, however by Carolingian times, it became apparent that clerical
celibacy would be impossible to enforce. The church disclosed that not all ... Show more content on
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(Spielvogel, 285) The members of these orders were acknowledged for adopting lives of complete
poverty in retaliation to the growing wealth of the High Middle Ages. The Franciscans lived among
the people and preached repentance while aiding the poor. (Spielvogel, 285) Their selfless acts of
simplicity and poverty were effective in spreading the spiritual revival across Europe. The
Dominicans, established by Dominic de Guzman, who believed that a religious order of men who
lived lives of poverty but were able to preach effectively would be able to attack heresy, as a result,
many of the Dominicans were

The Spread Of Early Christianity
After close examination of the historical article provided, this document appears to be a letter
containing a firsthand account relating the procedures of the interrogation and persecution of
Christians during the spread of early Christianity. The author addresses the recipient of the letter by
proclaiming, "my lord" and further referring to his lord as his authority throughout the remaining
four paragraphs through the use of second person such as "you," "your name," and "your
instructions" (1, 3–5). As for the author's identity, we can assume that he is an authoritative figure of
high ranks with a powerful title, perhaps that of a high military officer or governor, due his
execution orders and description of his own brutal interrogations ... Show more content on
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However, the prompting of this argument is due to inward dissonance of his procedural knowledge.
Though the author concludes the necessity for punishment regardless of their "creed, stubbornness
and inflexible obstinacy," he is uncertain of what lengths he should proceed in his further
investigations and punishments in the light of his present circumstances surrounding the spread of
accusations and the multiples of Christians rapidly rising in his region (2). The recent event that the
author describes is the anonymous spread of accusations throughout his region. Though many
Christians denied such accusations as falsehoods and responded with prayers to the author's lord
while cursing Christ's name, the author (3). After granting many of those accused pardon after their
confessions, the author learns the rituals and practices of the Christians. After hearing the
descriptions of their meetings and assemblies without a direct causation to crime or disloyalty within
community and proceeding to torture two deaconesses, the author concludes that such assemblies
are "ordinary and innocent" and that their beliefs are only "depraved, excessive superstition" (4).
Here, we not only see evidence of the aggressive sentiments of Roman authorities towards
Christians, but also observe the Christians responsiveness from direct orders from the author. Due to
the author's forbiddance of "political associations," the Christians no longer eat

Ethical Issues In Early Christianity
Throughout early Christianity and continuing into modern day religion, many disagreements have
arisen regarding the correct set of beliefs to follow. While Jewish people traditionally follow the
Law of Moses, or the Torah, Christians follow Jesus and his apostles. Because of the large Jewish
population during the time in which the Bible is written, the Torah continues to be rigorously abided
by to earn salvation. However, many of the converted Jewish believers have varying stances on the
Torah. Although the well–respected book has been the most widely accepted guideline for years, the
apostle Paul challenged society with his complex stance. After Paul's transition to Christianity, he
considered the teachings of the Law of Moses to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Because the Torah requires its followers to be circumcised, many Jewish believers questioned
whether Gentiles could become Christians. Using Abraham as evidence, Romans 4:10–11 says,
"Under what circumstances was it [righteousness] credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or
before? It was not after, but before! And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the
righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised." Therefore, Paul explains that
circumcision is a blessing that should rightly come after faith. Although Jewish people believe that
circumcision should precede religious actions, Paul directly counters the idea to direct them towards
an authentic relationship with God. This is also represented in Galatians 5:6 when Paul writes, "For
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is
faith expressing itself through love." Throughout the Bible, the greatest command is to love one
another. Not only does this verse encompass that crucial Christian value, but it also addresses the
controversial issue of circumcision. Within this verse, Paul assures both Jews and Gentiles that
circumcision does not affect faith. Instead, circumcision means nothing unless it occurs through
faith and not before faith. Because of the true Christian morals and the knowledge of God's love, it
is finally accepted that anyone can have faith without being

The Ultimate Good: The Virtue Of Early Christianity
To take a stand against those who appose the ultimate good that a virtues Christian life can bring to
the world. Having fear is to not trust in God, which is where a Christian's moral virtues come from.
When one stands up for a friend or even a stranger, to protect them at the cost of they're own well
being. This is what the ultimate good is that not only the early Christian church spoke of, but what
the early Philosophers' were explaining. To do what is right for the better of man is the ultimate
good. "...a brave person is also rightly disposed regarding the danger of any other death, especially
since human beings can undergo the danger of any death for the sake of the virtue." According to
Aquinas, fortitude is a Cardinal virtue that is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
We see the struggles of those whom attack the Christian faith, and stand silent because we have not
the answer for them. How does one reason with out hurting the feelings of a society that is being
built on this very substance? We look to the Bible and read what God has Respired to us, and to live
out the virtues taught to the Christian community. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gentleness, self–control; against such things there is no
law." To show this attitude towards the lowliness of the people around us is the very virtues that Paul
is teaching. To be a giving person for those who "know not what they do." This is the same mercy
God shows us, except a hundred times more. "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is
honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if
there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." These are the
virtues of the good life. To love your enemy, your neighbor, your self, to love all is what the virtuous
Christian good life is. This brings peace and clarity to ones life that takes away the problems of the
world and places it in Gods hands. There is no self–centered attitude that fits

What Role Women Played In Early Christianity
In reviewing our reading assignment, it appears that the historic roles that women played in early
Christianity were just as important as the men were during that time. Jesus had many followers and
many of them were women, which were close to him like his twelve disciples. In reading the Bible,
Jesus interacted with a few women, from the woman that was accused of adultery in John 8:1–11),
to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:1–42 (Bible Gateway, 2018. Both encounters changed
the lives of the women and Jesus had gain more followers afterward, but there were a few that were
considered to be just as important as the twelve disciples were, they followed Jesus as the twelve
disciples did. Mary Magdalene, who was a mother of James, Joses, and Salome, and Mary was
whom seven demons had gone out, and then there was Joanna, who was the wife of Herod's steward
Chuza, as well as Susanna, just to name a few, who provided for them out of their own resources
(Allison Jr.,2005). In Mark 15:41 it also said ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Paul had many co–workers of those were Phoebe and Prisca (Priscilla), as well as Prisca husband,
Aquila (Harris, 2014 p 330). However, when Paul started to travel and speak the Gospel, a wealthy
woman by the name of Lydia was fascinated by Paul's preaching, insisted, that him and his
followers to stay with her in her home, which large enough to hold meetings. This was how Paul and
his followers would have meetings since there was not a Church. The owners of the homes would
lead these meetings, which were mainly women, but once more learned of these meetings, over the
years, men started to dominate the meetings and women did not lead as much this changed which
women roles changed. (Harris, 2014

Rise Of Christianity In The Early Stages Of The Roman Empire
REPORT: THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY
In the early stages of the Roman Empire, Christianity had been banned. Roman religion had rejected
it from being any form of religion. The Romans tolerated Christians when they were still a small
group of people. But as the faith began to grow among the people, they were no longer tolerated and
were viewed as a threat to the Romans. Christians were intermittently persecuted during the first two
centuries of the Roman Empire because Christian people at the time belonged to the lower class of
society. Therefore, they had no political power or aid.
Emperor Nero came to power in 54 A.D. and was known for his wicked ways. He persecuted many
Christians and was known to have used Christians and other people as human torches at his
banquets. And as entertainment, the Romans would leave helpless Christian people in their
Colosseums with vicious lions and would be eaten alive. During this time, the ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Many more persecutions happened during this time until about 311 A.D. when the Roman Empire
began to decline somewhat because of economic and social turmoil that created much anarchy in the
Empire. At this time Christians were considered a renegade because they did not worship the
emperor and because the faith still appealed to the lower class of society. The Christian's way of life
was very secretive. Their celebrations and services such as The Lord's supper were obscure and
secluded out of fear of persecution.
Then, finally, in the fourth century the Lord provided freedom for His people. The Roman Empire
came to grips with the fact that persecuting Christians would not make the faith disappear, but force
survivors to rally together and become a stronger body of Christ. The number of believers were
escalating. And because of that, in 311 A.D. the East declared Christianity to be a

Christianity : The Early Church And The Dawn Of The...
Since its inception, various leaders have contributed to the overall development of the Christian
Church, thereby effecting change and defining the trajectory of the Church as it stands today. In The
Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, Justo González points to
two apostles–Peter and Paul, or Saul–as exemplars of such leadership, and the evidence suggests
that both of these men had a considerable influence on the evolution of the Church. Concerning
credentials, both apostles were more than qualified to drive the advancement of the Church. Paul,
for instance, writes in Galatians 2:9 that Peter–whom the Roman Catholic Church considers the first
pope–was an "acknowledged pillar" in the early Church (González, 28). Likewise, Christian
scripture demonstrates the importance of Paul, mainly evidenced by the Epistles that he wrote such
as First Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon, First Corinthians, Galatians, Second Corinthians, and
Romans. González, therefore, argues that the Pauline epistles merit the Apostle's "greatest and most
unique contribution to the shaping of early Christianity," even contending that these letters "have
had a decisive and continuing impact on the life and thought of the Christian church" (33). While
one could clearly assert that either apostle has had a great impact on the development of the Church,
Paul has played an extensive role concerning the beginning of Christian philosophy and the study
and practice thereof,

Philosopher, Irenaeus: Early Apologists Against Christianity
Irenaeus Irenaeus, born 130–202, was one of the early apologists that defended Christianity against
Greco–Roman paganism and against Judaism; they also sought to protect it from modification and
heresies. He was born Smyrna, which was an ancient city in Turkey. Irenaeus was the pupil of
Polycarp, who in turn was supposed to be a disciple of John the Apostle. Irenaeus became the
Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul (modern Lyons, France). In 177, Pothinus, the Bishop of Lyons, sent
Irenaeus on a mission to Rome, however during Irenaeus absence severe persecutions of bishops
broke out in Lyons. In 190 or 191, Irenaeus negotiated with Pope Victor to lift the sentence of
excommunication laid by that pontiff upon the Christian communities of Asia Minor which
persevered in the practice of the Quartodecimans in regard to the celebration of Easter. Irenaeus is ...
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Also, we are all in immature moral state; however we have the potential for moral perfection.
Irenaeus emphasizes the virtue of faith. He believes that since there is not much reliable evidence of
God, we shouldn't start searching for a different god. Instead, we should always believe, because
this is the test from God. Irenaeus believes that God brings in suffering for the benefit of humanity.
Also, that evil and suffering are character building; evil offers the opportunity to grow morally. If we
were programmed to 'do the right thing' there would be no moral value to our actions. Irenaeus argue
that everyone will go to Heaven and of us will be given glorified bodies (recapitulation). Irenaeus
believes that Jesus' role is reduced to a moral example. Christ came into Jesus to impart some
esoteric knowledge, a "gnosis," that lifts the soul to higher plane above the material, fleshly world.
Irenaeus denies the Fall of Adam and Eve, by telling us that they were children when that happens,
so they weren't in their perfect form, as

Early Christian Ideas Of Redemption In Christianity

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