CHAPTER 6 SECTION C

The Rise of Christianity

The Roman Empire Brings Change

I. The Rise of ChristianityA. The life and teachings of Jesus.1. The Roman Empire gained control of Judea in 63 B.C.. In 6

A.D.. Rome made this area a province of Rome. Biblical tradition stated that a Messiah would come to free the Jews from outside domination

The Roman Empire Brings Change2. Jesus was born between 6 and 4 B.C. in the town of

Bethlehem. He was a carpenter. Jesus had always shown a serious side and by the time he reached the age 30 he heeded the call of God to start his ministry.

The Roman Empire Brings Change3. Jesus taught and preached for three years and

performed miracles. His teaching followed the Jewish tradition of the belief in one God and a strict following of the Ten Commandments.

The Roman Empire Brings Change4. There is little in the historical writings about Jesus,

most of what we know comes from the New Testament. The Gospels were written by Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, and they are written between 60 and 120 years after Jesus died. The first followers of Jesus were called the Apostles.

The Roman Empire Brings Change5. Jesus’ preaching started attracting huge crowds and the

Jewish ruling council, The Sanhedrin, claimed that Jesus was teaching blasphemy, a contempt for God. The Jewish leaders convinced the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to arrest Jesus and Pilate accused Jesus of defying Roman authority. Jesus was tried and convicted and crucified. After three days Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, proving to the Apostles that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

The Roman Empire Brings ChangeII. Christianity Spreads through the Empire.A. The Mission of Paul the Apostle.1. Paul was about the same age as Jesus although the two

never met. Paul was a Jew who worked for the Temple in Jerusalem and he persecuted the Christians. While traveling in Syria he had a vision of Christ and he spent the rest of his life spreading the word of God.

The Roman Empire Brings Change2. In 66 A.D. a Jewish rebellion took place and by 70

A.D. the Romans had defeated the rebels and destroyed the Temple. The Jews rebelled again in 132 and he Romans deported the Jews throughout the empire. This was called the diaspora.

The Roman Empire Brings Change3. The rulers of Rome felt threatened by Christianity

because the Christians refused to accept Rome’s gods and because the new religion spread quickly throughout the empire. Persecution of the Christians increased in the 2nd century and thousands of believers were burned, killed and crucified.

The Roman Empire Brings ChangeIII. A World Religion.A. Christianity spread for several reasons.1. It embraced all people2. It appealed to many who were repulsed by Rome’s

wealth.

The Roman Empire Brings Change3. It offered a personal relationship with God.4. It promised eternal life to all who believed.

The Roman Empire Brings ChangeB. The ultimate victory for Christianity was when the

Emperor Constantine ended the persecution of Christians and in 380 Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Empire.

The Roman Empire Brings ChangeC. The early Church was led by Peter, who became a

Saint, and he was the Bishop of Rome. The Christians later declared him pope, leader of the Church.

The Roman Empire Brings ChangeD. Later on several men became known as fathers of

the church. Saint Augustine was a Bishop of the city of Hippo in North Africa. His most famous book was “The City of God”.

HW: TA 6 D• Read pages: 173 - 176• Copy and Define Terms (5)

page: 176• Copy and Answer Questions 15

& 16 page: 184