Christianity

History of Christianity

  • Founder: Jesus (4 AD - 30-33 AD)

    • Jewish Carpenter

    • Goal: Reform Judaism 

  • Where: Roman Empire

    • Jews taxed for using Temples + doing rituals

  • Jesus’ Teaching:

    • Preached equality for all

    • Evils of wealth (taxes collected by Government)

    • Temples and rituals should be free

  • Like a mention last week, Christianity emerged from a movement within Judaism 

    • Christianity emphasizes a personal relationship between God and people 

      • This attracted many Romans

  • The Origin 

    • Roman power spread to Judea - home of the Jews

    • The Jewish kingdom became independent

      • Rome took control of the Jewish Kingdom and made a province of the empire

      • Number of Jews believed they would be free again

    • According to the Bible, God promised savior known as the Messiah would arrive and restore kingdom to the Jews

      • After 2 decades of the Roman rule it was believed that the savior had arrived

  • Jesus was born in Bethlehem 

    • Historical record have very little about Jesus

    • Known from the teachings of the Gospels 

      • First four books of the New Testament

    • Took of Carpentry

    • Began public ministry

      • Preached, taught and performed miracles 

      • His teaching referred to, ideas from Jewish traditions (monotheism), belief of one god, loving others and the principles of the Ten Commandments 

      • God's personal relationship with each human being

    • God would end all wickedness in the world and would establish an eternal kingdom after death

  • The End

    • According to New Testament, Jesus visited Jerusalem and was greeted as a king, the bible said he would come to rescue the Jews

    • Pontius Pilate accused him of defying the authority of Rome

      • Arrested him and sentenced him to be crucified or nailed to a large wooden cross to die

      • Three days later the body was gone and a living Jesus began appearing to his followers

        • Ascended to heaven

    • Jesus began to be referred to as Jesus Christ

    • Christos is Greek meaning Messiah or savior

    • Christianity was derived from Christ 

Christianity Basics


Religious text = Bible

  • Old Testament = Torah

  • New Testament = Teaching of Jesus (written after death)

  • Place of Worship = Church

  • Holidays

    • Easter - March/April

      • Celebrates crucifixion/resurrection of Christ (Jesus)

        • Killed by gov. Pontius Pilate - feared rebellion/loss of Roman control

    • Christmas - December 25th

      • Celebrates birth of Christ

  • Old Testament - Occur first and shows us how the world began and how sin entered into the world 

    • Signifies the first five books of the Hebrew Bible - The torah

  • New Testament - Comes after and documents how the world is saved through what Jesus did for his people 

Basic Beliefs


Egalitarian religion

  • Salvation to all, actively converts 

  • All are equal

  • Monotheistic 

    • God = Trinity - father, son and holy spirit

      • 3 aspects of 1 god (pluralistic monotheism)

  • Jesus = Messiah - savior

    • View Jesus as the Son of God

  • Paul = (apostle - follower of Jesus)

    • Spread religion after Jesus’ death

  • Christian Egalitarianism - holds that all people are equal in fundamental worth and moral status 

    • Actively converts

    • All are equal 

  • Paul

    • Enemy of Christianity at first

    • While traveling in Syria had a vision of Christ and spent the rest of his life spreading and interpreting Christ’s teaching

    • Declared that Christians converts were not obligated to follow Jewish Law

      • Universality that enabled Christianity to become more than just a local religion