This paper can be written on anyone or anything within Christian History from 1A.D. to 1054 A.D. I think that I would like to focus on the Roman Empire’ influence on Christianity. After the death of the man Jesus Christ of Nazareth. A man that we know existed because he was written about not only be his followers but by historians at the time.
It became then a matter of what you believed. Some believed Jesus to be the messiah sent by God to save the world. While others believed him just a man who was original and attracted many followers but still just a man trying to teach his beliefs to others.
Jesus was persecuted by the Roman government and the Jewish leaders of his time. Eventually they crucified him because they were afraid of the following that he was attaining. A common date used for his death is Friday April 3, 33 AD . On this date Jesus of Nazareth was taken to the Place of a skull and crucified along side of two common thieves. The charge was blasphemy (because he claimed to be the King of the Jews). This all took place in the first century.
Jesus is believed by his followers to have resurrected in three days and he stayed among his followers and taught others for 40 days and then was ascended to heaven. After this his followers then began to teach the gospels of Jesus. They were still functioning as faithful jews. They just believed that Jesus had been sent as the Messiah to save the world.
These followers of Jesus had to meet secretly and keep to themselves because they were considered different and even considered a cult at that time and they were feared. But the spread of Christianity still started to happen. Then there was the great Pentecost when three thousand people were converted to Christians. This began to really scare the Roman government because of the number of followers and the power they could hold.
Christianity began to spread though and the Roman empire mad it easier because it was a large area focused on one law and one government. That unity made it easier to reach many people at the same time. The road system gave them easier access and more freedom, and the Roman legions enforced peace.
Around the year 50 Ad in the Council Of Jerusalem there was a split of the Gentile Christians from the Judaism laws. This making the Christian religion even more prominent. Christianity began to grow.
The Roman government banned Christianity because of it’s threat of competition for the peoples allegiance to the Roman Empire. Christians were seen as a real threat. They began to publicly persecute them in mob like scenes. In the year 250 AD the persecutions became organized actions of the Roman Empire.
In the year 258 AD the Roman Emperor Valerian I began Valerian’s massacre where he killed all of the Christian bishops, presbyters, deacons, Pope Sixtius II and the Anti Pope Novatian, and Cyprian Carthage. Trying to kill all of the leadership of the Christian’s.
When Roman Emperor Diocletian took over in 284 AD there was a fire that destroyed the imperial palace. It was never really confirmed who set the fire. But it is believed that it was ordered by other government officials to start more severe persecutions of the Christians again. Which it did from 303 AD to 311 AD Christian churches and scripture were burned, more Christians were killed, put in prison, and in work camps.
In 311 AD Galerius the new Roman Emperor issued an imperial edict that tolerated Christianity as long as it did not threaten the peace of the Empire. In 313 AD The Edict Of Milan issued by Constitine, Licinius and Galsrieus all Roman Emperor’s proclaimed religious tolerance and legalized Christianity.
In 324 AD Constantine I became the first Christian Emperor of Rome. In 325 AD in the Council Of Nicea the first unified Christian doctrine was formed. In 391 AD Christianity became the only legal religion in the Roman Empire.
This is how the Roman Empire helped to spread Christianity. Of course since then there has been a lot more spreading of this religion to all parts of the world. There has also been more separations in the religion. There are now many different denominations in the Christian religion now. I think that the different denominations weakens this religion.. I don’t believe in the separations. I believe that we all worship one God and that we all live under his rule.
By; Gwendolyn Kerr Simpson
I really enjoyed this course I learned a lot from it. The instructions were to write about a subject from this course so I chose this subject. I know that it is supposed to be ten pages but I feel that I have summed up the subject in the preceding pages and if I were to write more it would just be a lot of repeating of the same material. I hope that this paper is acceptable and if it is not that more explanation will be given to me and I can try again. Thank you so much for your time and your sharing of Knowledge.
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