Christianity began as a small Jewish sect and, hundreds of years later, became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Jesus warned Jews that they must repent to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God. The death of Jesus and the delay of the end of days did not end the faith in his message. It did lead to a changing understanding of the religion. Christianity continued in the face of Roman persecution, ultimately obtaining the support of Emperor Constantine. Christianity became the official religion of the empire.
Origins
Mary and Joseph had a child named Jesus in the middle of the reign of the first Roman emperor. They lived in a tiny Palestinian town in Galilee, a small backwater, an outpost of the empire. Jesus proclaimed an apocalyptic message, which predicted that God’s final judgment was coming soon. A Jewish teacher, he preached to Jews, relying on Jewish teachings.
The Romans executed Jesus around 30 CE. Nonetheless, his message did not die out. Some of his followers believed Jesus rose from the dead. A talented new follower, Paul, felt he had a special duty to spread the message to non-Jews. Others spread the message too.
The expected end days did not arrive. Christianity adapted and continued to thrive.
Christianity Begins
Early followers of Jesus had many different views on the true nature of his message.
The books of the Christian New Testament, with multiple points of view and different tellings of the life and message of Jesus, reflect this complexity. The four gospels, for instance, provide different details regarding his birth, ministry, and even exactly when he died.
Paul thought non-Jews (Gentiles) did not have to follow Jewish religious law to be a true follower of Jesus. Others believed Paul was quite wrong. All Christians had to follow Jewish law.
Some Christians were Gnostics, believing they had special knowledge (gnosis) about how the world was an evil place. Jesus provided the secret knowledge necessary for our salvation.
Persecution
The Roman Empire had many different religions.
Most Romans were pagans. They followed a variety of faiths, believing in many gods. They had a duty to take part in official religious ceremonies. Church and state were united. If you did not honor Roman gods, the good of the empire would be at risk.
Romans respected Judaism as an ancient religion and allowed Jews to avoid worshiping the emperor. Christianity started as a small Johnny-come-lately religion, which many considered strange and troubling. The followers were strange newbies and appeared to be troublemakers.
Christians refused to take part in religious ceremonies that honored the emperor as a god. Romans had a generally open-minded stance on religion, but that bothered them. Christians refused to fight in Roman armies, disapproved of gladiator contests, and other Roman cultural traditions. Christians were “weirdos,” and many pagans ridiculed their beliefs.
Christians sometimes were scapegoats. The Emperor Nero blamed them for fires in Rome. The Romans persecuted Christians for their beliefs. The persecution is not as constant and widespread as sometimes portrayed. Nonetheless, many Christians died for their beliefs.
Some people respected the courage and sincerity of Christians. Christians held firm in the face of persecution. The religion grew stronger, even as it continued to be persecuted.
Some Reasons Christianity Spread
Paul spent many years taking missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire. The golden age of the Roman Empire (Pax Romana) provided an opportunity to spread goods and ideas, an early form of globalization. Christian missionaries spread the faith, soon reaching Rome itself.
People were attracted to the message of Christianity. Some beliefs, including stories of God’s son born of a mortal who died to save others, were not completely novel. Pagan beliefs had similar stories. They also believed in miracles, which helped convert people to the new faith.
Some Romans were also getting dissatisfied with old pagan beliefs. New ideas about one God, universal love, and caring for the needy were quite appealing. Christians helped the poor and cared for the sick. They had a universal message that everyone was eligible for salvation.
If you wanted to be a Christian, you had to accept their program. An organized and talented bureaucracy (clergy) developed to teach, practice, and enforce these beliefs. Christians began to develop communities of believers. They were still a small religion in the empire.
Different forms of Christianity began to fall by the wayside. A specific, appropriate set of beliefs (orthodoxy) became accepted. Specific books were accepted as a collection that became the “New Testament” (a new agreement with God based on the salvation of Jesus).
Emperor Constantine
The Pax Romana ended. The 3rd century was a period of economic, political, and military upheaval. Christians were often persecuted because they supposedly did not properly honor the gods. The gods demanded proper worship, or they would remove divine protection. Christians did not provide such worship. Also, in troubled times, there was less patience for outsiders.
The Emperor Diocletian, a great persecutor of Christians, split the Roman Empire into two. Emperor Constantine (306-337) battled for control of the West. He credited the Christian God for his victory. Constantine stopped the persecution of Christianity (Edict of Milan).
Constantine had worshiped a Roman sun god. He was exposed to Christian beliefs. Constantine allowed pagan religions to continue. Nonetheless, he provided special support to Christianity.
Christianity became more and more popular. It began in the century with about 10% of the population. More and more people became Christians.
Emperor Theodosius in 380 made Christianity the official religion (“Roman Catholic Church”) of the empire. Pagan temples and philosophical schools were ordered closed.
The once strange new religion had truly arrived.