In my second post in my first series called, 'Christianity Introduced', I thought it would be beneficial to go into a little more depth about the history of the faith.
"It began with a small number of people, has spread throughout the centuries, and is now the largest religion in the world."
Source: Cup of Couple, Pexels.com
So how did Christianity begin? How did it become the largest religion in the world? Read below for some insight, and I hope this blesses you!
Let's start from the beginning...
As I mentioned in my first post in this series, the Christian faith is centred around the birth, death, resurrection and teachings of Jesus Christ, who we believe is 'The Son of God' (Mark 1:1). You can read the first post here.
In Matthew 28:19-20, we hear of 'The Great Commission.' This is a command by the resurrected Jesus which states, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (NIV)".
Bear in mind that there were already a multitude of people who were following Jesus at this point, but they were being persecuted and even killed by the Romans. God used Paul, a man who was once a heavy persecutor (Galatians 1:13) of those who followed Jesus, to essentially be the one to begin the process of telling the Gentiles the Gospel ('Gentiles'-those who weren't followers of Jesus).
Apostle Paul wrote over half of the New Testament in the Bible, and is regarded as one of the heads of the early church. He went to countries, such as Rome and Malta (Acts 28) to tell the people there, about Jesus. The Apostles and followers of Jesus also fulfilled The Great Commission, they went to Jerusalem (Acts 1-7), Judea and Samaria (Acts 8-12), among other regions, to spread the Gospel.
Let's fast-forward a bit:
In 313 AD, the Roman Emperor, Constantine I (also known as 'Constantine The Great', introduced the Edict of Milan, which legalised the practice of religion, including Christianity, throughout the Roman empire. In 380 AD, Christianity became the official state religion.
Source: Atlas Obscura
What is interesting is that Constantine converted to Christianity, after having a vision/dream before his battle in Rome. He dreamed of the Greek symbols 'chi' and 'rho', an X with an R (it looks like a long P, drawn through the middle) -this is a popular Christian symbol.
He made his army and himself go into the battle behind the initials of Christ interwoven with a cross, whilst Maxentius, (the person he was in battle against), displayed the banner of the Unconquerable Sun as his battle standard. Constantine ended up winning the battle. He was touched by what he saw and sought to seek out others who would help him understand it better. His quest ultimately led him to the Christian faith.
Source: Classichistory.net
There was growing concern...
During the High Middle Ages (a period known for significant growth in Europe, economic revival and an increasing population), the gap between Eastern and Western Christianity widened, leading to the East-West Schism of 1054. This was an event that led to the break up between the Eastern Orthodox church and the Roman Catholic church. There was also growing criticism of the Roman Catholic structure and concerns about the corruption that was taking place.
Such events, led to the Protestant Reformation in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Protestant branch of Christianity was introduced, and with this, came a difference in doctrine (compared to Roman Catholic church). For example, Protestant Christian's believed that people should read and interpret the Bible for themselves, rather than relying on a Pope. This movement was started by Martin Luther, a German teacher and monk. He grew increasingly concerned about the doctrine and state of the Roman Catholic church and wanted to challenge them.
Source: Britannica.com
The Renaissance
This occurred between the 14th and 17th centuries, which marked the transition from the Middle Ages, to modernity. It was a time of 'rebirth' and discovery. The rediscovery of classical philosophy, art and literature boomed, while global exploration was also becoming more common place.
This led to a new way of thinking, doing and opened up new cultures to European commerce. Some of the greatest authors, scientists, artists and thinkers, came about during this period. Leonardo Da Vinci, a famous scientist, painter, artist and inventor, and Michelangelo, a well-known painter, architect, poet and engineer, are a few examples.
The 'Enlightenment' period, took place in the late 17th century, and was a time where people moved away from a collective ideology, to more individualised perspective on things. It was also a time where more people preferred and wanted to use logic, reason, proof and science as an explanation for things, and not just walk in blind faith anymore.
During the 1730s and 1740s, 'The Great Awakening' was sweeping through the US. This was a series of revivals that occurred in certain areas, preachers, such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield tried to stir up the people in the Christian faith. New Christian denominations popped up too, such as the Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists and Charismatics.
Source: ThoughtCo.com
Where we are now
From France, to Brazil, Canada and South Korea, Christianity has spread to many countries all over the world. As of 2020, the Bible has been translated into over 704 languages. I believe people are becoming Christians everyday (Mark 1:15).
In the UK, you and I can walk down the road on a busy Saturday and walk past people talking into a microphone, asking for two minutes of your time, or handing you a leaflet, all in an effort to advance The Great Commission. All in a mission to tell you about Jesus and The Gospel.
I'll end this weeks faith post with a scripture:
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."- Matthew 24:14 (ESV)
I hope you enjoyed this week's post!
Until next time, be encouraged!
Useful links:
'History Summarised: Spread of Christianity'- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A86fIELxFds
'Church History explained in 15 minutes, AD 33-Present'- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnq_kiQicnE