The Rise of Christianity Chapter 13 The Rise of Christianity

Lesson 1: Early Christianity Chapter 13 Lesson 1: Early Christianity Bell Ringer Turn to page 364-365. Complete questions number 1, 2, and 3 of the Step Into the Place activity.

Guiding Question How did the Jews respond to Roman rule? Judaism and Rome Romans allowed Judaism to be practiced throughout the empire Jews are kept under very strict rules and harsh punishment Hoped God would send a savior to restore kingdom of Israel

Control by Romans 63 BC - Rome took over Judah Allowed Jewish kings to rule AD 4 – Augustus names it Judaea, province of Rome Replaced Jewish king with Roman governor Tightly controlled by Roman empire Jews disagreed about how to deal with Romans Some fled, some cooperated, some wanted to rebel

Jewish Revolts AD 66 - Zealots rebelled against Romans Romans defeated them, destroyed their temple, killed thousands AD 70 – 1,000 Jewish rebels control a fortress called Masada Held off 15,000 Romans for two years AD 73 – Romans overtake the fortress Find only 7 survivors

Jewish Revolts (continued) AD 132 – Jews organize another rebellion Romans defeat them, force all Jews out of Jerusalem They declare no Jew can return to the city Jews establish communities elsewhere Ad 700 – Jews have settled from central Asia to Spain Would later spread throughout Europe and Americas Kept their faith alive through practice and study

Guiding Question Why was the life/death of Jesus of Nazareth important to his followers? A Jew named Jesus grew up in Nazareth, Galilee AD 30 – traveled around preaching religious ideas 12 followers (disciples) followed him

What Was the Message of Jesus Jesus preached that God would come to rule the world Urged people to give up selfishness He said that God created all people To love God and each other, not just follow his rules Preached using parables Used events from everyday life to help them understand Said God is loving and forgiving

How did Christianity Begin? Stories of Jesus spread quickly Many believed he was the savior, Most Jews disagreed Romans feared his popularity and message, he was a threat Jews were fed up with high taxes and strict rules Romans were angry they resisted AD 33 – Jesus travels to Jerusalem during Passover Excited crowds welcomed him as their savior Jesus and disciples celebrate with the Last Supper

Betrayal of Jesus One of his closest friends betrayed him to the Roman governor Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death He was crucified and died His followers mourned his death Christians believe he was resurrected and appeared to his disciples Mary Magdalene was the first to see him This belief led to the birth of Christianity

Guiding Question How did early Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire? Who were the Apostles? Early leaders who spread Jesus’ message were called apostles Began in Judaea and Galilee, traveled around the Mediterranean Those who followed became known as Christians, called him Jesus Christ Greek word Christos, “the anointed one” Churches were formed for worship and teachings Studied Hebrew Bible and early Christian Writings

Early Christian Leaders Apostles were important to the spread of Christianity Peter – helped set up a church in Rome (the Vatican) Paul – well educated Roman citizen who tried to stop Christianity Heard the voice of Jesus in Damascus, converted to Christianity Travelled throughout Med. and set up many churches What are Basic Christian Beliefs? Christians believed in one God Jesus was the Son of God People gained salvation by accepting Christianity Saved from sin, allowed to enter Heaven Christian Trinity Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit Pax Romana allowed Christianity to spread

Chapter 13 Lesson 2: The Early Church Bell Ringer Why were the apostles important to early Christianity?

Guiding Question How did Christianity change over time? Christianity and the Empire Christianity spread throughout the Mediterranean The Roman Empire contributed to its growth Christianity Spreads Roman controlled areas were peaceful Roads allowed Christians to travel easier Most people spoke the same languages (Latin or Greek)

Christianity Spreads (Continued) Christianity provided comfort to people during difficult times It gave the promise of a better life after death Christians lived in communities where they cared for one another Why Did Romans Mistreat Christians? Some Romans were afraid of the growing Christian population Romans expected people to worship the Emperor as a god Christians criticized the Roman religion Only God should be worshipped Would not serve in the army AD 64 – Nero blames Christians for starting a fire that destroyed most of Rome Christianity was outlawed Romans arrested/harmed Christians Some became martyrs

The Empire Accepts Christianity Early AD 300s – Diocletian tries to destroy the Christians They had grown to strong and he failed AD 312 – Constantine has a vision before a major battle Sees a cross and the words “In this sign you will conquer” Soldiers painted crosses on their shields and win the battle Constantine becomes a supporter of Christianity AD 313 – Edict of Milan Allowed all religions in the empire Gave money and built churches for the Christians AD 392 – Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Empire

Guiding Question How did early Christians organize their church and explain their beliefs? Organizing the Church Christians began practicing different forms of Christianity after the time of the apostles Christian leaders wrote down beliefs to ensure one form of Christianity Church Leadership The Roman Empire was used as the model for organizing the church Ruled by a hierarchy Clergy, Laity Women could not serve as church officials

Church Leadership (Continued) AD 300 – Individual churches were led by priests Led services and activities Bishops supervised dioceses, Bishops explained beliefs Bishops in charge of large regions were called archbishops Top 5 were in charge of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem Known as patriarchs Bishops met to define teachings of the Church Wanted Christians to practice the same beliefs Accepted teachings were doctrine, not accepted were heresies

What Writings Shaped Christianity? Leaders preserved stories about Jesus and the apostles AD 300 – Popular accounts of Jesus’ teachings were the writings of four apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John These were known as gospel The gospels and writings of other leaders became the New Testament Christian Bible is made up of both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament The Bishop of Rome The Bishop of Rome claimed power over the other bishops AD 600 – people began calling him the pope Latin churches as a group became known as the Roman Catholic Church Greek speaking Christians rejected the pope’s power and created the Eastern Orthodox Church