Christianity in the First and Second Century: Growth, Persecution and Transformation

From its beginning, Christianity professed miraculous activity associated with a supernaturalIs a theological concept developed in Roman Catholic theology primarily by Thomas Aquinas that maintains that God dispenses his grace in at various times and places in ways that not only assist the natural world including human nature, but also... more power they referred to as the Holy Spirit. After the miraculous physical resurrectionThe doctrine that Jesus’ spiritual essence was reunited with his physical body and that other humans will likewise live again with their spirit or soul reunited with their material body. This term does not refer to the doctrine of the... more of Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more and his ascension to heaven, his followers met in Jerusalem on the Jewish festival day of PentecostComes from the Greek word for "fifty", and refers to the Jewish harvest festival also called the "feast of weeks", because it was held seven weeks (a week of weeks) and a day after Passover. Many Christian traditions view that... more, when thousands of devout Jews from around the world gathered to worship. The multitude spoke a variety of foreign languages from their respective lands. The assembly heard a sound like the rushing of wind, light shone from Jesus’s followers like flames of fire, and when the apostles spoke, the people understood their words as if they were speaking in each listener’s own tongue. That day, three thousand Jews converted to Christianity. These Jewish Christians returned to their metropolitan areas and helped spread the Christian message in the Jewish community throughout the diaspora.

At first, Christianity was exclusively a Jewish movement. These Jewish Christians continued to observe the lawIs a fundamental concept of Luthernism and is contrasted by Luther with the Gospel. For Luther, the law consists of God’s commands regarding how one should live which no one can fully obey. Consequently, the law functions to condemn and... more of Moses(Died c. 1400 B.C.) Moses was a Hebrew prophet who led his people out of slavery in Egypt. He instituted the Mosaic Law consisting of both ritual and moral elements. Many Christians believe that this law is part of God’s... more but rejected the rabbinic interpretation of Jewish lawIs a fundamental concept of Luthernism and is contrasted by Luther with the Gospel. For Luther, the law consists of God’s commands regarding how one should live which no one can fully obey. Consequently, the law functions to condemn and... more. Their acceptance of Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more as Lord led to charges of polytheism, and they were ostracized by the Jewish community. At the same time, they remained distinct from the growing number of gentile Christian converts, even though they accepted these gentile converts as Christians. They largely survived the Roman assault on Jerusalem by heeding Jesus’s warning to flee Jerusalem when they saw an invading army approach. They settled in Pella, a town on the other side of the Jordan RiverIs the location where Jesus was baptized. It is a 150 mile river that flows from the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel to the Dead Sea. more, and became known as the Nazarenes for their belief in Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more of Nazareth. They remained a distinct Christian community for four centuries. Even though some of the Christian offshoots adopted an antisemitic theology in the second and third centuries, the Nazarenes were not regarded as heretics by the main Christian Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more until the early fifth century, when it held that a personDerived from the Latin term persona and the Greek term prosopon. It is a technical term in Christian theology for the concept that the Trinity consist of three separate persons united as one essence with one of the persons (the... more could not keep the lawIs a fundamental concept of Luthernism and is contrasted by Luther with the Gospel. For Luther, the law consists of God’s commands regarding how one should live which no one can fully obey. Consequently, the law functions to condemn and... more of Moses(Died c. 1400 B.C.) Moses was a Hebrew prophet who led his people out of slavery in Egypt. He instituted the Mosaic Law consisting of both ritual and moral elements. Many Christians believe that this law is part of God’s... more and also be a Christian. By 500 CE the community of Jewish Christians had disappeared.

Christianity spread to the non-Jewish world after a Jewish PhariseeAn ancient Jewish sect which sought to establish strict observance of the Mosaic Law and oral tradition. Pharisees were perceived as being pretentious in their religiosity and their claims to personal righteousness. Pharisees stressed the omnipotence and foreknowledge of God... more named Saul—later changed to Paul—was struck blind from a vision while traveling on the road to Damascus to arrest the Jewish Christians. He was healed by the local Christian leader and converted to Christianity. He dedicated his life to spreading Christianity among the gentiles throughout the northern Mediterranean area and modern-day Turkey.

As the number of gentile converts increased, a dispute arose whether or not these gentile Christian converts needed to obey the Law of Moses(Died c. 1400 B.C.) Moses was a Hebrew prophet who led his people out of slavery in Egypt. He instituted the Mosaic Law consisting of both ritual and moral elements. Many Christians believe that this law is part of God’s... more, particularly the requirement of circumcision. The Christian leaders at the time called a council of the Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more leaders to address this issue in Jerusalem. After Paul(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 64) Apostle and early Christian missionary, whose letters are the earliest documents contained in the New Testament and thus the first extant writings in Christian theology. more and others laid out their positions, the Church’s chief apostle, PeterPeter (c. A.D. 1–65) was a Jewish fisherman, chosen by Jesus to be one of his 12 Apostles. Peter was a critical witness to many events in Jesus’ life and took on a leadership role after the death of Jesus... more, spoke. He explained why the gentile converts did not need to convert to Judaism and obey the lawIs a fundamental concept of Luthernism and is contrasted by Luther with the Gospel. For Luther, the law consists of God’s commands regarding how one should live which no one can fully obey. Consequently, the law functions to condemn and... more of Moses(Died c. 1400 B.C.) Moses was a Hebrew prophet who led his people out of slavery in Egypt. He instituted the Mosaic Law consisting of both ritual and moral elements. Many Christians believe that this law is part of God’s... more in order to be Christians in good standing. James, the brother of Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more and apparently the senior local leader, made a motion for the council to accept Peter’s position as the rule for the Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more, which was then adopted. Calling a council to resolve serious internal disputes regarding doctrineis derived from the Latin word for teaching, doctrina, and is an important aspect of Christianity more so than other world religions because Christianity focuses on the teachings and nature of Christ. more and practice became a traditionThis word comes from a Latin term meaning “to hand down,” that originally referred to the teaching of the apostles as handed down in the churches they founded, which led to these churches gaining authority of other locations due to... more of the Christian Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more that continues with the Roman Catholic Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more to this day.

At first, Christianity was considered a small Jewish sect by the Romans and was hardly noticed. They were excused from the obligatory religious rituals required of Roman subjects throughout the empire. Consequently, the initial opposition to Christianity came from the leadership of the Jewish community, which had rejected it from the start and tried to extinguish the movement.1 Jewish rabbis began to widely include Christians in their liturgical curse on heretics (the Birkat haMinimJewish rabbis began to widely include Christians in their liturgical curse on heretics (the Birkat haMinim, more, also referred to as the Twelfth Benediction) after Christians refused to participate in the First Jewish Revolt when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 70 CE and in the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 CE). Afterwards, Christianity no longer could rely on the protective umbrella of Judaism. Additionally, as Christianity attracted numerous gentile converts, its ideas regarding peace, nonmaterialism, and social equality began to sound dangerous to the ruling class, leading to waves of imperial persecution over the next 250 years.2

The early Christians’ dedication to holiness necessitated a level of separation from pagan society and led to aggressive opposition to idolatryFrom a Christian perspective, the worship of anything that is not the one true God. During the Reformation era, many Protestants, particularly those from the reformed persuasion, accused Catholics of idolatry for their veneration of the Eucharist, religious art, and... more and its associated sexual activity. Many Christian converts ridiculed the Roman gods or referred to them as demons. Many of the popular non-scriptural Christian stories being passed around emphasized the supernaturalIs a theological concept developed in Roman Catholic theology primarily by Thomas Aquinas that maintains that God dispenses his grace in at various times and places in ways that not only assist the natural world including human nature, but also... more power of the apostles to the diminution of the state’s authority. Some of these narratives also related the stories of women leaving their husbands and assuming leadership roles in the Christian community, contrary to the admonitions of Paul(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 64) Apostle and early Christian missionary, whose letters are the earliest documents contained in the New Testament and thus the first extant writings in Christian theology. more in his epistles. These stories further threatened the stability of the Roman household as well. Christianity’s egalitarian concepts were at odds with the entrenched stratified structure of Roman society, where obedience and honor flowed upward in hopes of obtaining favor in return. Couple this opposition to societal norms with the success of the Christians’ intense proselytizing efforts, and it is understandable why Christianity was oppressed by the state. What was surprising to the rulers, however, was how unwavering the Christians were under this oppression.

The persecution of Christians varied in intensity and by geography, like waves flowing over the Roman Empire(27 B.C.) After a period of unrest and competing generals jockeying for power, Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, becomes the first official Emperor of Rome, being known as Augustus. Octavian’s rule initiated an approximately 200 year period of... more. Persecution ranged from the ever-present social ostracization to economic sanctions, expropriation of property, torture, and even death. In 64 CE, Emperor Nero(A.D. 15 Dec 37–9 Jun 68) Nero was the first Roman emperor to deliberately persecute Christians beginning in AD 64 after the great fire in Rome. It is generally believed that both the Apostles Peter and Paul were executed under this period persecution. more used the Christians in Rome as scapegoats for his burning much of Rome to make room for his ambitious development project. He rounded up the Christians in Rome, burned many of them as human torches to light the streets of Rome, and sentenced the rest to death by other horrific means. It is generally understood that PeterPeter (c. A.D. 1–65) was a Jewish fisherman, chosen by Jesus to be one of his 12 Apostles. Peter was a critical witness to many events in Jesus’ life and took on a leadership role after the death of Jesus... more and Paul(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 64) Apostle and early Christian missionary, whose letters are the earliest documents contained in the New Testament and thus the first extant writings in Christian theology. more were both executed during Nero’s reign of terror. The next official record we have regarding the imperial attitude toward Christians came fifty-seven years later when Pliny the Younger, the new governor of Asiarefers to the Roman providences in what is now Turkey. more Minor (modern Turkey), sent a letter to Emperor Trajan(A.D. 53–117) Trajan was Roman Emperor from A.D. 98 until his death in 117. He was highly successful in military campaigns and in philanthropic governance. He permitted the continued persecution of Christians, but instructed that anonymous denunciations should no longer... more seeking guidance on how to deal with Christians. He wrote:

I have never before participated in trials of Christians, so I do not know what offenses are to be punished or investigated, or to what extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should be any distinction on account of age, or no difference recognized between the very young and the more mature. Is pardon to be granted for repentance, or if a man has once been a Christian is it irrelevant whether he has ceased to be one? Is the name itself to be punished, even without offenses, or only the offenses perpetrated in connection with the name?

Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have followed the following procedure: I interrogated them as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished.3

We have records of two second-century bishops who expressed this sentiment when they were executed for being Christians. The first was Ignatius. He wrote to the Christians in Rome asking them not to intervene on his behalf when he arrived as a prisoner because “I will not only be called a Christian, but really be found to be one” through his death. “Let me be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts that I may become the bread of ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installing a new king similar to the modern custom of crowning a king, so the term “Christ”... more,” referring to the Eucharist more and the last supper before Jesus’s death. The second was Polycarp(A.D. 69–155) Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna in present-day Turkey. Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle and is thought to have been ordained as the Bishop of Smyrna by John. Polycarp is one of the main Apostolic... more, bishopA person holding the ecclesiastical office that exerciseds authority over the laity and priests in a geographical area called a “diocese” where the bishop’s “see,” or seat, is located, which is referred to as his bishopric. Also see episcopate. more of Smyrna. Before his execution, he prayed, “I bless thee that thou hast granted me this day and hour, that I may share among the number of the martyrs in the cup of thy ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installing a new king similar to the modern custom of crowning a king, so the term “Christ”... more,” again referring to unity with ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installing a new king similar to the modern custom of crowning a king, so the term “Christ”... more obtained through the sacrament more of the Lord’s Supper and the spilling of their blood. 4

The most intense persecution occurred in the decade before Emperor ConstantineConstantine I (c. A.D. 272–337) was a Western Roman Emperor who, after a series of civil wars, became emperor of the entire Roman Empire. He strengthened the Empire through reforms and led successful military campaigns on the frontiers. He famously... more enacted the Edict of Milan(A.D. 313) Emperor Constantine I and Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan which expanded on the Edict of Toleration (Edict of Serdica) and granted religious liberty to Christians specifically, but also to all religions in the Roman Empire. more, which provided religious freedom throughout the empire in 313 CE. Paradoxically, the slaughter of Christians raised interest among the population as to why they remained so loyal to their beliefs. The more the empire spilled the blood of martyrs, the more Rome sowed the seeds of Christianity. Growth primarily occurred through individual conversionThis term is derived from the Latin word for “turning,” and is a theological term that refers to one turning his will from evil to good and is generally used to denote one becoming a Christian and/or joining a particular... more but also by having large families and living longer than the general population because of their healthier lifestyle. At first, Christianity primarily attracted women, the poor, and slaves.5 Over time, it steadily grew to include more members of the merchant class and, eventually, the upper class. Experts estimate that Christianity grew from its small beginnings at a steady rate of about 40 percent each decade to eventually comprise about 10 percent of the population of the Roman Empire(27 B.C.) After a period of unrest and competing generals jockeying for power, Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, becomes the first official Emperor of Rome, being known as Augustus. Octavian’s rule initiated an approximately 200 year period of... more when ConstantineConstantine I (c. A.D. 272–337) was a Western Roman Emperor who, after a series of civil wars, became emperor of the entire Roman Empire. He strengthened the Empire through reforms and led successful military campaigns on the frontiers. He famously... more became emperorRefers to the Emperor of the Roman Empire and its succeeding Byzantine Empire as well as the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, beginning with Charlemagne. more in 312 CE.6

This rapid growth put strains on the Church’s efforts to maintain orthodoxy. At first, the apostles’ epistles dealt with maintaining unity and purity in the Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more. They combated the efforts of Judaizers who insisted that the gentile converts needed to obey the Law of Moses(Died c. 1400 B.C.) Moses was a Hebrew prophet who led his people out of slavery in Egypt. He instituted the Mosaic Law consisting of both ritual and moral elements. Many Christians believe that this law is part of God’s... more. As the percentage of gentile membership increased, the emphasis shifted to fighting the influence of Greco-Roman beliefs and practices. As the number of gentile converts outstripped the number of Jewish members, the influence of Neoplatonism and other heretical ideas infiltrated the Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more, giving birth to a number of popular heresies, including Gnosticismis a broad label covering a wide range of non-orthodox forms of Christianity which proliferated in the early Church that devalued the material world and emphasized the need to acquire special knowledge to escape to a higher spiritual realm. The... more, Docetismis a word derived from the Greek term for “appearance” and was used to describe the idea held by many Gnostics that Christ only appeared to have a physical body but it was an illusion. more, Adoptionism, Marcionism, and a hybrid religion called Manichaeism. These primarily fall under the large umbrella referred to as Gnosticismis a broad label covering a wide range of non-orthodox forms of Christianity which proliferated in the early Church that devalued the material world and emphasized the need to acquire special knowledge to escape to a higher spiritual realm. The... more that mixed Christian theology with Greek philosophy and had a diminished view of the material world.8

The term Gnosticismis a broad label covering a wide range of non-orthodox forms of Christianity which proliferated in the early Church that devalued the material world and emphasized the need to acquire special knowledge to escape to a higher spiritual realm. The... more refers to a broad spectrum of groups founded on a dualist view of existence. They viewed our physical bodies as prisons for our celestial souls which are the essencethe English word generally used for the Greek term ousia, that is also translated as “being” or “substance” and refers to that which makes something what it is such as human nature is the essence of a human being. This... more of our being. Our souls are a fragment of the eternal divine light but are trapped in the darkness of our dirty, corrupt, evil physical bodies. Because humans live in darkness, we forget our divine origins and live in ignorance. The only way to escape this world of doom is through the acquisition of knowledge regarding our true identity. Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more did not come to earth to be crucified but to share this crucial knowledge. This is why they are referred to as Gnostics, which comes from a Greek word meaning knowledge. It means one who knows and is the opposite of an agnostic, or one who does not know.

Gnostics generally believed that there were three types of humans. The first group was referred to as mud people—notice the derogatory reference to the physical existence—who were hopelessly lost in materialismRefers to the popular concept in ancient philosophy that all things are made out of some form of matter, including God and the human soul, consists of the basic elements of earth, water, air, fire, and potentially the element in... more. On the other extreme were those who were completely self-aware of their chosen state as divine beings. In the middle were those who could choose to go either way. The middle group were the ones Gnostics tried to enlighten and were typically other members of the same local Christian congregations to which the Gnostics belonged. The Gnostics held that they had this quasi-secret special information. Some scholars think this belief in a predetermined categorization of human beings may have been the original source of a belief in predestinationThe Augustinian doctrine that God bestows the grace of salvation on some individuals while assigning others to hell, independent of human choice or actions. This concept was shared by Aquinas, Luther, and John Calvin, with Calvin emphasizing and expanding it... more by many Christians.

Gnostics adopted Aristotle’s and Plotinus’s geocentric understanding of the universe. They believed that the world was round and the center of the physical universe. Crystal spheres surrounded the earth with the moon revolving around the earth on the closest sphere, followed by the planets, and then the stars. The Gnostic’s goal was to get past this physical cosmosthe idea that the universe is one harmonious and orderly system. more to the eternal realm where time and matter did not exist. This was only possible through self-realization of our heavenly origin and acceptance of our identity as divine beings. The problem humans faced was that there were evil heavenly guardians who were trying to prevent people from escaping this material realm. So individuals needed to learn secret knowledge and esoteric interpretations of the Bible to get past these guardians and return to our divine origin. This also usually involved living an ascetic lifestyle with an emphasis on sexual purity and intense fasting to overcome the evil associated with our physical bodies.

Gnostics believed that there were many gods. Thus, many thought the God of the Jews was an ignorant and arrogant god who believed he was the only one. He was the one who created the material world that trapped humans in ignorance. He even forbade AdamAccording to Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures, Adam was the first human being created by God out of the dust of the earth as the last step of creation. All humans descended from Adam and his wife, Eve, after they... more and EveAccording to Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures, all humans descended from Eve after she disobeyed God and partook of a forbidden fruit, causing a fallen world of sin and suffering. (See Adam.) more from partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more, accordingly, was not associated with this evil God of the Jews. Jesus’s body was not even human but was either a phantasm or was created out of some other celestial substance. His suffering was only an illusion and not real. This belief is referred to as Docetismis a word derived from the Greek term for “appearance” and was used to describe the idea held by many Gnostics that Christ only appeared to have a physical body but it was an illusion. more. Another way Gnostics, and many Christians in general, tried to reconcile their Greco-Roman understanding regarding the fallen nature of temporalIs a technical term used in theology referring to this mortal physical existence in time as opposed to eternal divine existence outside of time. more existence with early Christian beliefs was to claim that Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more was adopted as the Son of God at his baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more, his resurrectionThe doctrine that Jesus’ spiritual essence was reunited with his physical body and that other humans will likewise live again with their spirit or soul reunited with their material body. This term does not refer to the doctrine of the... more, or his ascension. This is referred to as Adoptionism.

Gnostic groups were generally enmeshed with the local Christian congregations, which could have various Gnostic variations operating within these organizations like study groups. However, some groups segregated themselves from the broader Christian community, such as the CopticA branch of Christianity that was excluded from the Catholic and Orthodox traditions in the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451 that dealt with the incarnation of Christ. The Church in Alexandria, Egypt, that based on credible legend was founded... more congregation, which wrote the collection of compositions found at Nag HammadiA town in Egypt, situated on the Nile. In A.D. 1945, a collection of early Christian and Gnostic texts were discovered, including the Gospel of Thomas, estimated to have been written around A.D. 80. more. One leader, however, created his own new church that may have attracted an even greater following than the existing Christian Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more. He was an organizational genius named Marcion(A.D. 144) Marcion excommunicated in Rome. more.

Marcion’s ideas were similar to Gnosticismis a broad label covering a wide range of non-orthodox forms of Christianity which proliferated in the early Church that devalued the material world and emphasized the need to acquire special knowledge to escape to a higher spiritual realm. The... more in many ways but he believed we are saved by faithIn word for belief and faith is the same in Latin and most European languages, but in English faith often denotes an active believe, one that inspires action based on a belief. For Luther, faith and belief generally meant the... more alone, not by knowledge. He believed that there were two Gods: one the evil God of the Jews who created the physical world and the other good God who had nothing to do with this temporalIs a technical term used in theology referring to this mortal physical existence in time as opposed to eternal divine existence outside of time. more world and was kind and merciful. Unlike Gnostics, Marcion(A.D. 144) Marcion excommunicated in Rome. more taught that we actually belong to this evil material world, but we can escape it by believing in the good, loving, unknown God. Unlike orthodoxDerived from a Greek term meaning “right belief” and also “right worship.” When the term is not capitalized it typically refers to teachings in Christian traditions that are not heretical. When capitalized it refers to the mainstream Christian tradition in... more Christian theology, in which Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more comes to earth to redeem his own, Marcion(A.D. 144) Marcion excommunicated in Rome. more taught that ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installing a new king similar to the modern custom of crowning a king, so the term “Christ”... more came to earth out of selfless loveIn a theological discussion “love” refers to one’s love for God and neighbor and is often referred to as “charity” or the pure love of God. It does not mean giving alms to the poor. more to save people he had nothing to do with and to bring them to this unknown merciful God. This good God and ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installing a new king similar to the modern custom of crowning a king, so the term “Christ”... more had no vested interest in our well-being. They simply desired to help us out of sheer mercy, and all we needed to do to be saved and escape this horrible world was to believe in Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installing a new king similar to the modern custom of crowning a king, so the term “Christ”... more. Marcion(A.D. 144) Marcion excommunicated in Rome. more likewise taught that Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more did not have a human body but an angelic one that was not even born. Marcion(A.D. 144) Marcion excommunicated in Rome. more rejected the bulk of the Jewish scriptures, of course, but supported his teachings with Paul’s epistles and parts of the book of Luke.

Marcion’s theology of free graceIs a term used to identify unmerited assistance by God primarily to redeem and transform human beings. In the early and medieval church it also referred to God’s influence throughout existence. Redemptive grace is important to Augustinian theology which has... more attracted a large following that rivaled the size of the existing Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more throughout the Roman Empire(27 B.C.) After a period of unrest and competing generals jockeying for power, Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, becomes the first official Emperor of Rome, being known as Augustus. Octavian’s rule initiated an approximately 200 year period of... more. 9

Many of these Gnostic beliefs were incorporated into the theology of the Persian teacher Mani, who lived in the third century. Manichaeism became a major world religion in its own right, which taught that existence in this world consisted of evil and pain, similar to Buddhism. “In Manichaeism inner illumination reveals that the soul, which shares in the nature of God, has fallen into the evil world of matter and must be saved by means of the spirit or intelligence.”10 Christian forms of Manichaeism found their way into some Christian congregations but were rejected by the Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more at large. Manichaeism survived within the Christian Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more into the thirteenth century with the French Albigensian community which was later destroyed during the Crusades.

Christianity allegedly overcame Gnosticismis a broad label covering a wide range of non-orthodox forms of Christianity which proliferated in the early Church that devalued the material world and emphasized the need to acquire special knowledge to escape to a higher spiritual realm. The... more:

Yet the very bitterest opponents of the [Gnostic] system were in measure tainted by its influence, and it is a matter for consideration how far the practice of monastic asceticism, and the doctrineis derived from the Latin word for teaching, doctrina, and is an important aspect of Christianity more so than other world religions because Christianity focuses on the teachings and nature of Christ. more of predestination—which divides men into two classes, the one born to salvation, the other to damnation—are because of the teaching, not of the Apostlesfrom a Greek word meaning “messenger.” This term often refers to the original twelve disciples of Jesus that he selected , ordained and sent out to teach all nations and comprised of the ruling body of the early Church. Other... more, but of the heretic Manes.11

Another radical movement, MontanismWas an early heretical Christian movement, also referred to as “the New Prophecy,” that was founded by Montanus in the 2nd century in Asia minor (modern-day Turkey). more, emerged in the early Christian Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more, partially as a reaction to gnostic influence and its emphasis on rationality at the expense of an emotional relationship with the Divine. MontanismWas an early heretical Christian movement, also referred to as “the New Prophecy,” that was founded by Montanus in the 2nd century in Asia minor (modern-day Turkey). more stressed the need for a revival within the Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more and emphasized a personal experience with the Holy Spirit. The movement was founded by the prophet Montanus(fl. 2nd century) Founder of a “New Prophecy” in Phrygia (in modern Turkey), which advocated stricter moral discipline—for example, no remarriage of widows or widowers and the veiling of unmarried women—on the basis of statements alleged to be made by... more and was also referred to as the New Prophesy. Montanus(fl. 2nd century) Founder of a “New Prophecy” in Phrygia (in modern Turkey), which advocated stricter moral discipline—for example, no remarriage of widows or widowers and the veiling of unmarried women—on the basis of statements alleged to be made by... more had two female companions who also periodically prophesied and reflected the apocryphal writings of the time regarding the prophetic power of celibate women. The Montanus(fl. 2nd century) Founder of a “New Prophecy” in Phrygia (in modern Turkey), which advocated stricter moral discipline—for example, no remarriage of widows or widowers and the veiling of unmarried women—on the basis of statements alleged to be made by... more movement was known for its ecstatic behavior, including speaking in tongues, and its extreme ascetic lifestyle. This movement caught the attention of the influential Tertullian(c. A.D. 160–225) North African priest and theologian, the first major Latin Christian author. Despite the large number of his writings that have survived, his influence was limited because at the end of his life he joined the Montanist heresy. more in Carthage and flourished for a while. Its demise occurred when a prophesy regarding the date of Jesus’s second coming was not fulfilled. 12

After the death of the apostles, the early Christian Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more continued to grow in spite of persecution from without and turmoil within.

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Early Christian Beliefs that Changed the World

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Constantine and Third-Century Christianity