The Origins and Spread of Christianity

The Origins and Spread of Christianity

Judea:

the birthplace of Christianity

Judea: The birthplace of Christianity

• Judea, was the region where Jesus was born and had once been ruled by King David and King Solomon when it was part of Ancient Israel.

• In 37 B.C.E., Rome appointed a man named Herod to be the king of Judea. Although Herod was not Jewish by birth, he practiced the Jewish religion and rebuilt the Temple of Jerusalem. However, many Jews distrusted him, they viewed him as a puppet of the Romans.

• The Jews despised the Romans and in their sacred writings, they read prophecies that one day God would send a savior to restore the glorious kingdom of David. This savior was called the Messiah, or “anointed one.”  Anointed means “blessed with oil", or "chosen by God."

Multiple Choice

Many Jews hoped that God would send a savior, or

________ to restore the Kingdom of Judea.

• messiah

• lawyer

• christian

The Birth of Jesus

The Birth of Jesus

• Our modern calendar dates the start of the Common Era from the supposed year of Jesus's birth. However, after careful study, historians now believe that Jesus's birth occurred around 6 B.C.E., during the reign of King Herod

• Most of what we know about Jesus came from the writings of his followers: these writings comprise the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Among them are four Gospels, which are accounts of Jesus's life that were written in Greek some years after his death. 

• The followers' names have come down to us as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The Birth of Jesus

• The Gospel of Luke describes the story of Jesus's birth.  Jesus's mother, Mary, lived in a town called Nazareth in the Roman territory of Galilee. There, an angel appeared to Mary, told her she would have a child and that she should name him Jesus.

• Mary's husband, a carpenter named Joseph, set out from Nazareth to his hometown of Bethlehem, in the territory of Judea. Mary traveled with him and gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.

•  age 12, Jesus astonished the rabbis, or teachers, in the great Temple of Jerusalem with his wisdom and his knowledge of Jewish law.

• A teacher known as John the Baptist identified Jesus (age 30) as the Messiah—the savior the Jews had been waiting for.  

Multiple Choice

What are the Gospels?

• the book of life

• religions

• the accounts of Jesus's life

Multiple Choice

Who wrote the Gospels?

• John, Paul, RIngo, and George

• Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook

• Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

The Life and Death of Jesus

The Life and Death of Jesus

• Jesus called a small number to be his followers or disciples. They were mostly commoners such as laborers and fishermen.  Throughout his life, Jesus spent time with the poor and the sick, rather than those who were wealthy and powerful.

• Jesus based his teachings on traditional Jewish beliefs. However, the Gospels claim he put special emphasis on love and mercy. Of all the Jewish laws, he said, two were the most important. The first was, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul.” The second was, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Multiple Select

According to the Gospels, what did Jesus say were the two most important of all the Jewish laws? Pick 2

• "You shall love yourself with all your heart and all your soul"

• “You shall love your God with all your heart and all your soul”

• "You shall love all Gods with all your heart and all your soul"

• “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Life and Death of Jesus

• One of Jesus's favorite ways of teaching was through parables, simple stories with moral or religious messages.  Jewish law states that you should love your neighbor as yourself.  When asked, “Who is my neighbor? ” Jesus replied with the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  In this parable, a traveler was wounded and robbed on the road.  Two local people passed by and ignored him, but then an outsider called a Samaritan stopped and helped the injured traveler.  In this parable it is the outsider, and not the neighbors, who shows compassion and stops to help the traveler in trouble.  Because of the Samaritan's good deed, Jesus considered him a neighbor, worthy of love.

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The Last Supper

The Gospels tell that one of Jesus's disciples, Judas, had decided to betray him. After a final meal (“the Last Supper") with his disciples, Jesus went to pray in a garden. Judas then reported where Jesus could be found. As Jesus was led away under guard, the other disciples fled.

The Crucifixion

According to the Christian Bible, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, ordered that Jesus be executed. He was to be crucified, or tied or nailed to a cross until dead.

The Resurrection

The Gospels say that three days later Jesus rose from the dead and then appeared to his disciples, an event Christians refer to as the Resurrection. Belief in the Resurrection convinced Jesus's disciples that he was the Son of God.

The Missionary Work of Paul

The Missionary Work Of Paul

• One convert, someone who has changed their religious beliefs so they accept a different or new religion, was Paul, one of the most important people in Christianity.  He devoted his life to spreading the teachings of Jesus.

• Paul came from Tarsus, a town in present-day Turkey. Initially, he opposed Christianity and helped to persecute Christians.

• Paul made it his special mission to convert non-Jews, called Gentiles, to the new religion.   He spent several years visiting cities throughout the Greek-speaking world.

• Paul was imprisoned or jailed, in Rome, where he continued to write letters to other Christians.  Tradition says that he was beheaded by the Romans around 65 C.E.,

Multiple Select

According to the New Testament, how did Paul impact the spread of Christianity? Pick 2

• He converted many gentiles (non-Jews) to Christianity

• He spread rumors about the Roman emperor

• He spread the belief that Jesus was the Son of God

Christianity Spreads

Christianity Spreads

• As the number of Christians increased, many Romans viewed them as a threat to Roman order and patriotism.  Eventually, the Christian religion was declared illegal.

• For refusing to honor the Roman gods, Christians were sentenced to die in cruel and painful ways.  Some were crucified, and some were burned to death.  Others were brought into arenas, where they were devoured by wild animals in front of cheering crowds.

• .   In 313 C.E., Constantine announced the Edict of Milan in which he gave Christians the freedom to practice their religion openly.

• By 380, Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Multiple Choice

Why is Constantine notable in the history of Christianity?

• He allowed Christians to serve in the Roman army

• He was the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity