Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
The Rise of Christianity
Main Idea
A new religion called Christianity developed within
the Roman Empire and gradually spread throughout
the Roman world.
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Christianity and Judaism
Judaism in the Roman World Roman Compromise
• Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth • Jews had to pay tribute to
developed into new religion— Romans but unwilling to
Christianity abandon religion for polytheistic
religion of Romans
• Many of teachings rooted in
beliefs, customs of Judaism • Roman leaders allowed Jews to
practice religion as long as they
• 63 BC, Romans conquered paid tribute, maintained civic
Judaea, chose new ruler for order
region, installed him as king
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Judaism in the Roman World
Reactions to Roman Rule
• Judaism had different branches, varying ideas on cooperation with Romans -
Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes.
• Zealots (4th Sect) called on fellow Jews to drive Romans from Judaea,
reestablish Kingdom of Israel
Zealots
• Zealots formed pockets of resistance against Romans of Judaea
• After mass uprising AD 66–70, Romans sacked Jerusalem, killed thousands
of Jews, destroyed Second Temple
Messianic Prophecies
• After revolt in 130s, all Jews banned from Jerusalem
• Not all Jews willing to take up arms; others waited coming of Messiah—
spiritual leader prophesied to restore ancient kingdom, bring peace to world
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Make Generalizations
What were two Jewish reactions to Roman
rule?
Answer(s): refused to give up religion; Zealots
wanted to rise up against Roman rule
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Jesus of Nazareth
Against this background, a spiritual leader named Jesus of Nazareth
emerged, teaching people to prepare for God’s Judgment Day.
Life Preaching
• Nearly all knowledge of Jesus • Jesus preached message of
comes from Gospels—first four renewal and warning
books of New Testament • Gathered group of disciples
• New Testament and books of • Created excitement by
Hebrew Bible make up today’s performing miracles of healing;
Christian Bible defending poor, oppressed
• Jesus born in Bethlehem, near • Instructed people to repent of
Jerusalem sins, seek God’s forgiveness
• Learned carpentry, studied • Must love God above all, love
writings of Jewish prophets others as much as self
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Death and Resurrection
Jesus’s popularity, crowds alarmed authorities who
feared political uprisings
• Jesus arrested, tried, sentenced to death
• According to New Testament, after crucifixion
– Jesus rose from dead
– Spent 40 days teaching disciples
– Ascended into heaven
• Followers believed Resurrection, Ascension revealed
Jesus as the Messiah
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Summarize
What was the main message of Jesus’s
teaching?
Answer(s): Followers must love God above all
else, and love others as they loved themselves.
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
The Spread of Christianity
After Jesus’s death, his disciples began teaching that all people could
achieve salvation—the forgiveness of sins and the promise of
everlasting life.
Apostles Paul of Tarsus Conversion
• Jesus’s 12 • Paul, originally • Paul had
disciples worked known as Saul, conversion on way
to spread message born in Tarsus, in to Damascus,
Asia Minor became Christian
• Earliest Christian
missionaries • Had actively • If not for his work,
opposed those Christianity might
• Apostles traveled
teaching that Jesus have remained a
widely, teaching
was the Messiah branch of Judaism
mostly in Jewish
communities
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Converting the Gentiles
• Paul believed God sent him to convert non-Jews, or Gentiles
• Paul helped make Christianity broader religion, attracted many new followers
• Helped establish Christian churches throughout eastern Mediterranean
• Paul’s epistles, or letters, to those churches later became part of the New
Testament
Roman Christianity
• Paul found some Jewish customs hindered missionary work among non-
Jews, dispensed with those requirements for Christians
• Paul emphasized new doctrines that helped distinguish Christianity from
Judaism
• Christianity spread; message of love, eternal life after death found appealing
• By AD 300, some 10 percent of Roman people were Christian
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Persecution
Results
• As Christianity spread through Roman world, some local officials feared
Christians conspiring against them; arrested, killed many Christians
• Those killed seen by Christians as martyrs, people who die for their faith
Threat
• Christians persecuted at local level, but large-scale persecution rare during
first two centuries after Jesus’s life
• Large-scale persecution by Romans grew as rulers saw Christianity as threat
Imperial Approval
• Spread of Christianity hastened by conversion of emperor Constantine
• AD 313, Constantine made Christianity legal within empire, Edict of Milan
• By late 300s, polytheism gradually disappeared from empire
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Find the Main Idea
What helped spread Christianity through the
Roman world?
Answer(s): Paul of Tarsus and other disciples;
Constantine’s conversion; outlawing of public non-
Christian sacrifices by Theodosius
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
The Early Christian Church
Communities Complex
• Earliest Christian churches not • Support included burial
only spiritual organizations but services, food, shelter
close-knit communities
• Christianity grew; organization
• Provided all kinds of support for became more complex
members
Deepening Faith Ceremonies
• Ceremonies developed to • During Eucharist, people eat
inspire people’s faith, make bread, drink wine in memory of
them feel closer to Jesus Jesus’s death, resurrection
• One ceremony was Eucharist • With baptism, people are
admitted to the faith
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Expansion of the Church
By about 100, priests who were trained in these ceremonies became
prominent within Christianity. The authority of the priests was based on
the authority Jesus gave the Apostles. This spiritual authority
distinguished the priests from the general congregation of the church.
Administrative Structure Peter the Apostle
• Church expanded, developed • Many believed Peter founded
administrative structure Roman Church, was first bishop
• Bishop oversaw church affairs, • Later bishops of Rome, popes,
had authority over other priests Peter’s spiritual heirs
• 300s, heads of oldest • Gospel of Matthew: Jesus gives
congregations, patriarchs, had Peter keys to kingdom of heaven
authority over other bishops • Therefore future popes inherit keys
Patriarchs did not recognize the popes’ supremacy claims at first, but
over time popes gained more influence within the Christian Church.
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Summarize
How did the Christian Church change as it
grew?
Answer(s): Special ceremonies and rituals
developed; priests became a special class within
Christianity; bishops had authority over priests;
the bishop of Rome became a pope.
