Introduction

Christianity began in the early Roman Empire about 2,000 years ago. The religious movement first developed in the Roman province of Judaea in the Middle East. There, opposition to Roman occupation was spreading among Jews. Many of them came to believe that a final struggle was near and that it would lead to the coming of a savior, or Messiah. This figure would destroy the Roman army and introduce a period of happiness for the Jewish people.

Into this setting was born Jesus of Nazareth (ca. 3 BCE–29 CE). According to Christian scripture, or religious text, he was raised by deeply religious Jewish parents. His ministry began when he was about thirty, and he taught by preaching and telling stories to his followers. Beginning in the late first century, accounts of his life and teachings were collected and written down to help build a community of faith. These books were later called the gospels.

The first followers of Jesus Christ described how he preached of life after death. He also taught about the importance of devotion to God and love of others. Much of his ministry reflected ideas about God and morality that came from Jewish tradition. However, he made powerful enemies by saying he was the Son of God and the Messiah (Christus in Greek, the origin of the English word Christ). Jesus asserted that he had come to create a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly one. Still, his large number of followers made Roman officials nervous. Roman official Pontius Pilate had Jesus arrested and killed. On the third day after Jesus’ death, some of his followers declared that he had risen from the dead. His return to life, or resurrection, became a central Christian belief.

Religious ideas and practices

After his death, Jesus’s memory and his teachings survived and spread. Believers met in small groups, often in private. They celebrated a ritual, later called the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper, recalling Jesus’ last meal with his disciples. They also spoke of Jesus’ return to the world and the promise of heaven on Earth in the near future.

Paul of Tarsus was a well-educated Jew who converted to Christianity. Paul traveled the Roman Empire spreading Jesus’ ideas. His writings on Jesus’ ideas later became part of Christian scripture (holy texts). The earliest Christian converts included men and women from all social classes. They were attracted to Christ’s teachings for various reasons. Jesus’ message offered the promise of eternal life after death for all who believed in him.

He urged care and help for the poor. The fellowship he started also provided a sense of identity, community, and spiritual kinship that was welcome in an uncertain world.

As the number of converts increased, the Church grew and became more organized. Large buildings for worship were built. They were tended by priests, bishops, archbishops, often modeled on officials of the Roman Empire. Christianity became more formal and centralized.

Educated men who became Christians developed interpretations of issues that were unclear in early texts. These interpretations became official based on decisions made at church councils. However, not everyone agreed on the same interpretations. These disagreements often led to the formation of different branches within the Christian religion.

Christianity had sacred books, but most people at this time could not read. As a result, rituals became more important than texts as the faith spread. Saints were people who had lived (or died) in a way that was spiritually significant. Objects connected with saints, such as their bones or clothing, became relics with special power. Churches that housed saints’ relics became places of pilgrimage for those seeking help or blessing.

Saints were people who lived in a spiritually important way. Objects connected with saints became relics with special power, including bones or pieces of clothing. Churches that housed saints’ relics became places of pilgrimage for those seeking help or blessing.

Society and family life

Some of Jesus’ teachings were very progressive for this time period. For example, Jesus considered women the equal of men. However, these ideas were later rejected by Roman officials, and later, church officials. Many men saw these beliefs as attacks on the family and male-dominated society. By the late first century male church leaders were placing restrictions on female believers. Women were forbidden to preach and banned from official positions outside of women’s convents. Convents are Christian communities for women to live and practice their religion.

According to Scripture Jesus also had harsh words to say about wealth. As an institution, though, the Christian Church became very wealthy. As it grew, it acquired land and buildings, and ran large estates and commercial enterprises.

Political developments and the spread of Christianity

The third century brought civil war, invasions, and chaos to the Roman Empire. Hoping that Christianity could be a unifying force, Emperor Constantine (r. 306–337 CE) supported the Christian Church with money and laws. In return he expected the support of church officials in maintaining order. Helped in part by its favored position, Christianity became the leading religion in the empire. In 380 CE the emperor Theodosius made it the official religion.

As Christianity gained political power, it also spread outside of the Roman Empire. Missionaries and Christian travelers brought their teachings to new people. Often, existing local religious customs mixed with Christian teachings. By 400 CE, there may have been 10 million Christians in the world. Today, there are more than 2 billion.

Primary source: The Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew is the first book in the Christian New Testament. It contains a collection of Jesus’ teachings, usually called the Sermon on the Mount. Among these are the following:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also… (Matthew 6:19–21)