History of World Christianity Week 2

Turning Point: Fall of Jerusalem

Separation of Christianity from Judaism

Shift in the Center of Authority

Judaism: After 70 AD, Jewish identity centered on the synagogue, rabbinic teaching, and Torah observance (since the Temple was gone).

Christianity: Authority shifted toward Jesus (Matthew 28:18) and the apostles’ teaching. This reinforced the theological conviction that access to God was no longer tied to the Temple system but to Christ himself.

Reinterpretation of Covenant and People of God

- Christians increasingly saw themselves as the true heirs of God’s promises (Galatians 3:7, Romans 9:6–8).

- The church began to emphasize a new covenant identity in Christ, distinct from ethnic Israel.

- This raised theological questions about the role of Israel, the Law, and Gentile inclusion (Romans 9–11).

Law and Grace

- Dietary laws, circumcision, and ritual purity lost binding significance for Gentile believers (Acts 15).

- The gospel became increasingly universal, not tied to Jewish cultural identity.

Christology and Fulfillment

- Christians emphasized Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the true Messiah.

- The destruction of the Temple was interpreted as confirming Jesus’ words (Luke 21:6) and reinforcing him as the final sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10–14).

- Theological reflection deepened around Jesus as the mediator of a better covenant (Hebrews 8:6).

Worship and Community

Without the Temple, Judaism centralized around the synagogue; Christianity developed distinct worship patterns:

  * Lord’s Supper instead of sacrifices

  * Baptism instead of circumcision as covenant marker

  * Sunday instead of the Sabbath as the central day of gathering

Missionary Impulse

The break widened the door for the Gentile mission. Christianity increasingly saw itself as a faith for all nations, not just a sect within Judaism.

Theologically, this highlighted the universality of the gospel (Matthew 28:19–20).

A Turning Point

Constantine (285-337), the son of Constantius Chlorus, the western co-emperor of the Roman Empire, was proclaimed emperor by his troops at his father’s death in 306. However, he had a rival for the throne in Maxentius. 

After some more battles eventually Constantine the sole emperor.

Edict of Milan of AD 313

In 313, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan,

What did it do?

All persons, including Christians, were free to worship as they wished. Christians also were to receive compensation and the return of previously confiscated property

This granted Christians freedom of worship. Because of Constantine, Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire.

Rusten, Sharon with E. Michael. The Complete Book of When & Where in the Bible and throughout History. Michael E Rusten, 2005, p. 116.

A Turning Point

The Arian controversy

Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria.

He believed the following about God.

His Doctrine of God

“We acknowledge one God, Who is alone in-generate (agenneton, i.e., self-existent), alone eternal, alone without beginning (anarchon), alone true, alone possessing immortality, alone wise, alone good, alone sovereign, alone judge of all, etc.” Noll, Mark A. 2012. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. Third Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

His Doctrine of Christ’s Nature

Arius was preaching from the Bible, with Proverbs 8:22 as a central verse,

Proverbs 8:21–23 NKJV

21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries. 22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

Arius and his followers argued their doctrine from this verse, which speaks of the creation of wisdom, and from the common early Christian understanding of Christ as “wisdom’ (, ). 

These errant teachers stated that

These verses subordinate Christ, the Son, to the Father, who alone is God and who had begotten—that is, created—a Son.

Other passages they pointed to in support of their view were in the Gospels where Jesus spoke of the Father as “greater than I” (John 14:28) or where Jesus was said to grow (Luke 2:52) or to suffer human privations (thirst in John 4:7 and 19:28, fatigue in John 4:6). He likewise made much of passages elsewhere in the New Testament that called Jesus the firstborn (for example, Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15). and  and the words “only begotten” John 1:14

Thus, according to Arius, it was not true to say “Always God, always Son” or “At the same time Father, at the same time Son,” meaning that God the Father and God the Son are co-eternal and both possess the quality of deity. 

Arius proclaimed that “before [the Son] was begotten or created or defined or established, he was not for he was not unbegotten” and that “the Son has a beginning, but God is without beginning.” For Arius, the Son is a creature and is not eternal.

Arius knew the power of music, so, he put his theological ideas to a catchy tune. His followers sang in the streets,"There was a time when the Son did not exist." Arius’s heresy brought forth the theological rebuttal of Alexander, bishop of Alexandria

Council of Nicaea July 4, 325

To maintain peace, Constantine convened a council in the village of Nicaea, in northern Asia Minor.

More than 300 bishops made their way to Nicaea; many elders and deacons—including Athanasius of Alexandria—were also present.

On July 4, 325, Constantine called the council to order and declared himself a bishop and an apostle.

The Development of the Nicene Creed

Key Player in the Doctrine of Christ’s Nature: Athanasius of Alexandria

He was trained in Alexandria as a theologian. He moved up rapidly as reader, deacon, and theological adviser for Bishop Alexander

He was short and dark-skinned. He was so short that his enemies called him "Black Dwarf." 

He developed from Scripture the key understanding of salvation as humanity’s re-creation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Through his death the incarnate (human) Word took on himself humanity’s God-appointed destiny of defeat by death. Through his resurrection the glorified, incorruptible, incarnate (human) Word renewed and recreated immortal humanity’s corruptible, fallen nature

By uniting his deity with our humanity, the eternal Word of God defeated death and raised the humanity of those who believe in him to the sure hope of immortal glory.

He was present at the Council of Nicaea as a deacon serving his overseer Alexander. After Alexander died Athanasius replaced him as bishop.

1. Christ was true God from true God.

Jesus himself was God in the same sense that the Father was God. Differentiation between Father and Son may refer to the respective tasks each took on or to the relationship in which each stands to the other. But the key matter is that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all truly God.

2. Christ was consubstantial [of one substance] with the Father.

Noll, Mark A. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. Third Edition, Baker Academic, 2012, p. 48.

3. Christ was begotten, not made.

That is, Jesus was never formed as all other things and persons had been created but was from eternity the Son of God.

4. Christ became human for us humans and for our salvation.

This phrase succinctly summarized the burden of Athanasius’s concern, that Christ could not have brought salvation to his people if Christ were only a creature. Humanity could not pull itself up to God. Salvation was of God.

 Noll, Mark A. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. Third Edition, Baker Academic, 2012, p. 49.

Marcion and Early Gnosticism

•The God of the Old Testament and the Father of Jesus Christ were two different deities.

•The physical world was evil; therefore, Jesus only seemed to have a physical body, and the Father of Jesus would not resurrect anyone’s physical body.

•The Christian life should deny all physical pleasures, even sexual relations between spouses.

•The teachings of several apostolic texts contradicted Marcion’s teachings.•In response, Marcion created a canon—or “authoritative list”—of writings for his followers.

•Marcion’s list included only 11 books: An edited version of Luke’s Gospel and ten of Paul’s letters.

How Did the Churches Respond?

Christians responded by:

1. Clarifying what sort of Christian writings should be authoritative or canonical.

2. Summarizing their faith in a confession known as the Rule of Faith.

3. Giving bishops (overseers) in certain cities the responsibility for maintaining doctrinal integrity in their churches.

The New Testament Canon

By the early 2nd century, many writings were circulating among Christians; many of them claimed to have come from Jesus or his first followers.

Many of these writings were written in Gnostic communities, based on Gnostic experiences rather than any historical testimony about Jesus.

Three standards emerged to determine which writings ought to be considered authoritative:

1.Must be connected to eyewitnesses of the risen Lord or to close associates of eyewitnesses.

2.Could not contradict other authoritative writings.

3.Should be recognized by churches throughout the world.

From the very beginning, the churches recognized as authoritative:

•The four Gospels

•The Acts of the Apostles

•The epistles of Paul

•At least one of John’s epistles

Some disagreements persisted for several years over whether the other NT books could be clearly connected to eyewitnesses of Jesus.

By the late 4th century, the “New Testament canon” had been settled.