Christianity In 100 C.E.

Paul Traveled extensively spreading his message of Christ Established many Christian communities Mixed Jewish-Gentile followers form communities Began to meet outside of synagogues in “house churches” AKA “ekklesia” meaning “assembly”

Trouble in Jerusalem By 67 CE, Zealots rose up in rebellion against the Romans The Roman army destroyed the Temple A devastating loss to the Judeans The Sadducees were no longer necessary Zealots were either killed in the fighting or completely demoralized The Essenes lost some of their monasteries and all of their hope These groups faded out of Jewish life The only groups surviving were the Pharisees and the Christians

Pharisees The Pharisees were able to hold onto their vision of what it means to live a Jewish life with out a Temple Their focus was the scriptures They became the foundation for Judaism as it has continued to exist today

Christian communities Those with Jewish roots mourned for Jerusalem But their faith survived because it was centered in Christ rather than in the Temple

After the destruction of the Temple A major split between the Way and Jews who followed the Law occurred after the Temple was destroyed Jewish identity was at stake; the new religion of Christianity threatened the very existence of Judaism. Within 60 yrs. of Jesus’ death, his followers were not allowed to enter the synagogues Even the ones of Jewish origins

The differences separating Jews and Jewish Christians grew even more serious the next few years In about 90 CE a group of rabbis came together in a place called Yavneh to discuss how to continue being Jews without the Temple Outcomes: 1. 1.Christians not allowed in the synagogues 2. 2.Scripture canon; they excluded 7 of the books in the Greek Old Testament because the Christians were using that version 3. 3.Next slide….   

Jewish council At Yavneh, the rabbis also decided not to rebuild the Temple because: of Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” The Rabbis decided that only prayer, repentance, and good deeds would replace the laws concerning sacrifices that Moses had taught.

In a way, Judaism now interpreted Temple Sacrifices the way Christianity did: No longer necessary

Christian scriptures In addition to the books of the NT, other books circulated that were crucial for the early Christian communities These other books are called noncanonical books: The Didache

Because the followers of Christ needed more guidance, a handbook was written This handbook reflected the concerns of a community with strong roots in Judaism It literally means “the Teaching” It helps to understand the social life and ritual practices of the early church It is recognized as the first “church manual” This Handbook was the foundation for what later developed as the Catechism., which contains the essential teachings of the church The Magisterium, the teaching body of the Church, compiles and writes the catechism

The Didache: its content Lead morally respectable lives Love one another Avoid evil desires, jealousy and anger Give alms to the poor Obey God’s commandments Instructions for the ritual practices. Ex: how to perform baptisms, what to pray, and how to celebrate the Eucharist Social interactions of the Christian community