history of early Christianity: 5 Things You Should Know

Question: Jesus and his first followers were all Jewish, yet within a century most Christians were not. What caused this big shift?

Answer: Paul, a Jew who became a follower of Jesus, traveled the Mediterranean and wrote letters to churches that now make up much of the New Testament. His welcoming of non-Jews turned a Jewish movement into a worldwide faith.

Question: Christianity began in a corner of the Roman Empire but reached Rome within about 30 years. How did the faith spread so fast?

Answer: The Pax Romana gave travelers safe roads and sea routes, and Greek let one message reach many peoples. Early Christians used the empire’s own systems to spread their faith.

Question: Romans accepted many gods from conquered peoples, yet Christians were often arrested and killed. Why were Christians targeted?

Answer: Romans saw honoring the gods and emperor as loyalty to the state, so refusing looked like treason. Emperors like Nero blamed Christians for disasters, and martyrs became heroes of the faith.

Question: For nearly 300 years, Roman rulers often punished Christians. Then in 313 AD, the punishments officially stopped. What changed?

Answer: Constantine credited the Christian God for his victory at the Milvian Bridge, and the Edict of Milan granted religious freedom. Within decades, Christianity went from hunted to favored.

Question: In 325 AD, Emperor Constantine called hundreds of bishops to a meeting in Nicaea, in what is now Turkey. Why did he gather them?

Answer: Bishops clashed over the teaching of Arius, who claimed Jesus was created by God and not equal to him. The council produced the Nicene Creed, a statement of belief many churches still recite today.