Date post: | 12-Jan-2015 |
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The Rise of Christianity
Historical Background – First Century AD
Palestine was under Roman rule Roman legions (troops) maintained control Roman emperors saw themselves as
“divine” - “son of God” Caesar Augustus was emperor at the time
of Jesus’ birth (Luke chapter 2) the Pax Romana- Roman Peace
Time of growth and expansion
The Emperor Tiberius ruled during Jesus’ ministry and time of his death
Roman governors (such as Pontius Pilate) were sent to oversee the provinces
Rome used local rulers to help govern example: King Herod was ruler of
Palestine
Caesar Augustus
The base of statue includes the image of the Greek god Cupid riding a dolphin. This expresses Augustus’ supposed ancestry to the goddess Venus (Cupid's mother) by way of his adopted father Julius Caesar.
Temple in Jerusalem- 1st Centurybuilt by King Herod
Focal point of Jewish life and religion
Historical Background Rome often allowed people in
conquered regions to maintain their traditional religion and culture As long as it did not conflict with Rome
Example: Jewish Passover in Jerusalem Rome also granted Roman citizenship
to some who lived under Roman rule Example: Paul was a Roman citizen
Historical Background The Jews in Palestine resented Roman rule
and sought to change the political status of Israel (zealots) Many Jews wanted to reestablish a Kingdom
of Israel under the leadership of a Messiah – king (like David)
Messiah (Hebrew) means “anointed one” Christ is Greek for Messiah
Rome was very concerned about Jewish uprisings and rebellions Fear of losing control Fear of violence
Example: Pilate went in Jerusalem during Passover to make sure there were no uprisings or problems in the city
Jewish Revolt AD 66-73 In AD 70 Rome put down a Jewish
revolt in Palestine (Judea) Thousands of Jews were killed by
Roman soldiers The Temple in Jerusalem was
destroyed by the Romans and much of the city was burned
The Arch of Titus (Titus was the Roman general who led the attack on Jerusalem ) was erected in Rome to commemorate the victory
Rome and the Destruction of the TempleAD 70
The Roman historian, Josephus, claimed that more than 1 million Jews died as a result of Rome’s brutal crackdown.
Roman troops burned and sacked the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Arch of Titus in Rome has a frieze showing the menorah and silver trumpets from the Temple being paraded into the city.
Jewish prisoners were paraded through the streets of Rome and strangled at the Forum.
Roman troops also raised a standard with the image of a pig on the ruins of the Temple in Jerusalem
Thousands of Jews fled Palestine to other regions of the Roman world (Europe, North Africa, other parts of the Middle East) This is known as the diaspora Judaism and Christianity continued to
spread as a result
Languages of the period Greek and later Latin were the universal
languages of the region New Testament was written in Greek
Jews often spoke many languages Hebrew Aramaic Greek Latin
Key terms Messiah (Christ) – anointed one Gospel – means good news
– the message of Jesus Apostles- those who knew and
worked with Jesus – early leaders of the Church
Peter – leader of the first century Church – one of the 12 disciples
Paul- missionary to the Gentiles – spread the gospel around the Roman world
Both Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome (during the reign of Nero)
The spread of the gospel and Christianity Roman roads, ships, and mail allowed
for the gospel message to be spread throughout the Empire
Greek and Latin were universal languages of the time The New Testament was written in
Greek
Jesus’ message was very attractive to many people Love Compassion Humility Justice Morality Salvation for all – Jew and Gentile alike Hope Promise of eternal life- the kingdom of God Respect for women
Jesus’ message was in stark contrast to Roman values of power, wealth, personal glory, and conquest Jesus to Pilate before his death- “my kingdom
is not from this world…”
Early Christians were often persecuted and killed in the Roman arenas
Christianity and Constantine Constantine - ruled as emperor 306-
337 AD Converted to Christianity
Christianity officially legalized as a religion in 313 AD – Edict of Milan
Council of Nicaea was called in 325 AD to unify the Christian Church
Nicene Creed – statement of faith 27 books of the New Testament
were compiled and became official
Emperor Constantine
Constantine and the Chi Rho
Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Empire in 395 AD
Christianity became the only legal religion in the Empire
Other religions were banned
How did the Christian Church impact the Roman Empire and Western Civilization Sunday became the official day of rest
and worship Slavery was abolished Roman (pagan) holidays were
transformed into Christian holidays – example: Easter
The gladiator sports ( blood sports) were abolished
Family ties were encouraged and grew stronger
Hospitals and orphanages were established Rome became center of the Roman
Catholic Church and papacy
St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome
Pope Francis
Vatican unveils bone fragments of St. Peter