Christianity in the 1st century

Christianity in the 1st centurydeals with the formative years of theEarly Christian
community. The earliest followers of Jesus composed an apocalyptic Jewish sect,
which historians refer to as Jewish Christianity.[3] The Apostles dispersed from
Jerusalem, founding the Apostolic Sees, presumably following the Great
Commission's decree to spread the teachings of Jesus to "all nations". Peter, Paul,
and James the Just were the most influential early Christian leaders,[4] though Paul's
influence on Christian thinking is said to be more significant than any other New
Testament authors,[5] but the relationship of Paul of Tarsus and Judaism is still
disputed today. The split of early Christianity from Judaism was gradual, as
Christianity became a predominantlyGentile religion.

Christian restorationists propose that the 1st century Apostolic Age represents a
purer form of Christianity that should be adopted in thechurch as it exists today.
Christians believe that Jesus is the
mediator of the New Covenant.[1]
Depicted by 19th century Danish
painter Carl Heinrich Bloch is his
Contents Sermon on the Mount (c. 30) in
which he expounds on the Law.
Life and ministry of Jesus
Some scholars consider this to be an
Apostolic Age antitype of the proclamation of the
Acts of the Apostles Ten Commandments or Mosaic
Christian creeds Covenant by Moses from the Biblical
Persecutions Mount Sinai.[2]
Christianity in Jerusalem
Peter and the Twelve
Worship liturgy
Defining scripture
Old Testament
New Testament
Early Christianity and Judaism
Jewish continuity
Jewish Christians
Split with Judaism
Spread of Christianity
Apostolic Fathers
Clement of Rome
Didache
Timeline
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links
Life and ministry of Jesus
The ministry of Jesus, according to the account of the Gospels, falls into a pattern of
sectarian preachers with devoted disciples. After being baptized by John the Baptist,
Jesus preached for a period of one to three years in the early 1st century AD. Jesus'
method of teaching involved parables, metaphor, allegory, sayings, proverbs, and a
small number of direct sermons such as the Sermon on the Mount. His ministry was
ended by his execution, by crucifixion at the hands of the Roman authorities by
demand of the Jews in Jerusalem. His surviving disciples then followed the Great
Commission to spread the teachings of Jesus to "all nations".

Christians believe that three days after his death, Jesus rose bodily from the
dead.[6][7][8][9] Early works by Jesus' followers document a number of resurrection
18th-century painting, The
Crucifixion, by Giovanni Battista appearances[10][11][12][13][14] and the resurrection of Jesus formed the basis and
Tiepolo. impetus of the Christian faith.[15][16][17] His followers wrote that he appeared to the
disciples in Galilee and Jerusalem and that Jesus was on the earth for 40 days before
his Ascension to heaven[18] and that he will return to earth to fulfil aspects of
Messianic prophecy, such as the resurrection of the dead, the last judgment and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God, though
Preterists believe these events have already happened.

The main sources of information regarding Jesus' life and teachings are the four canonical gospels, and to a lesser extent the Acts of
the Apostles and writings of Paul. Christianity's theology is largely founded and based on one central point found in these Gospels:
[19]
that Jesus died and rose from death as God's sacrifice for human sins.

Apostolic Age
Early Christianity may be divided in two distinct phases: the apostolic period, when the apostles were leading the congregations, and
the post-apostolic Ante-Nicene Period, when imperial persecution of Christianscontinued until the rise ofConstantine the Great.

The years following Jesus until the death of the last of the Twelve Apostles is called the Apostolic Age.[20] The Christian Church
came fully into being on Pentecost when, according to scriptural accounts, the apostles received the Holy Spirit and emerged from
hiding following the death and resurrection of Jesus to preach and spread his message.[21][22] The apostolic period produced writings
attributed to the direct followers of Jesus Christ and is traditionally associated with the apostles and apostolic times. This age is the
foundation upon which the entire church's history is founded.[23] Though congregations met in the houses of these followers of Jesus
Christ, this Apostolic Congregation, also called the "Primitive Church", was the community led by Jesus' apostles and, it would seem,
his relatives.[24]

Acts of the Apostles

The principal source of information for this earliest period is the Acts of the Apostles. However, there are scholars who dispute the
Historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles. Soon after the earthly ministry of Jesus, the Jerusalem church began at Pentecost
with apostles and others totalling some 120 Jews and Jewish proselytes,[26] in an "upper room," believed by some to be the Cenacle,
and thus "the first Christian church."[27] The Acts of the Apostles goes on to record the stoning of Stephen and the subsequent
dispersal of the church,[28] which led to the baptism of Simon Magus in Samaria;[29] and also an Ethiopian eunuch.[30] Paul's "Road
to Damascus" conversion to the "Apostle to the Gentiles" is first recorded in Acts 9:13-16. Peter baptized the Roman Centurion
Cornelius, traditionally considered the first Gentile convert to Christianity, in Acts 10. Based on this, the Antioch church was
founded. It is also believed that it was there that the termChristian was coined.[31]

Disputes over the Mosaic law generated intense controversy in early Christianity.[32][33] This is particularly notable in the mid-1st
century, when the circumcision controversy came to the forefront. The issue was addressed at the Council of Jerusalem where Paul
made an argument that circumcision was not a necessary practice for Gentile believers, vocally supported by Peter, as documented in
Acts 15. This position received widespread support and was summarized in a letter
circulated in Antioch. Four years after the Council of Jerusalem, Paul wrote to the
Galatians about the issue, which had become a serious controversy in their region.
Paul considered it a great threat to his doctrine of salvation through faith and
addressed the issue with great detail inGalatians 3[34]

Although competing forms of Christianity emerged early and persisted into the 5th
century, there was broad doctrinal unity within the mainstream churches.[35][36]
Bishops like Ignatius of Antioch (c.35-c.108) and later Irenaeus (d. c.202) defined
proto-orthodox teaching in stark opposition toheresies such as Gnosticism.[37]

In spite of intermittent intense persecutions, the Christian religion continued its

spread throughout theMediterranean Basin.

Christian creeds
The sources for the beliefs of the apostolic community include the Gospels and New
Testament Epistles. The very earliest accounts are contained in these texts, such as The Cenacle on Mount Zion, claimed
early Christian creeds and hymns, as well as accounts of the Passion, the empty to be the location of theLast Supper
tomb, and Resurrection appearances; often these are dated to within a decade or so and Pentecost. Bargil Pixner[25]
[38]
of the crucifixion of Jesus, originating within the Jerusalem Church. claims the original Church of the
Apostles is located under the current
The earliest Christian creeds and hymns express belief in the risen Jesus, e.g., that structure.
preserved in 1 Corinthians 15:3–41[39] The antiquity of the creed has been located
by many scholars to less than a decade after Jesus' death, originating from the
Jerusalem apostolic community,[40][41] and no scholar dates it later than the 40s.[42][43] Other relevant and very early creeds include
1 John 4:2, 2 Timothy 2:8[44] Romans 1:3–4[45] and 1 Timothy 3:16

Persecutions
From the beginning, Christians were subject to various persecutions. According to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, this
involved even death for Christians such as Stephen (Acts 7:59) and James, son of Zebedee(12:2). Larger-scale persecutions followed
at the hands of the authorities of the Roman Empire, beginning in 64 AD, when Emperor Nero blamed them for the Great Fire of
Rome.

Several of the New Testament writings mention persecutions and stress endurance through them. Christians suffered persecutions for
their refusal to give anyworship to the Roman emperor, considered treasonous and punishable by execution.

Systematic persecution of the early Christian church caused it to be an underground movement. Of the underground churches that
existed before the Edict of Milan legalized Christianity, some churches are recorded to have existed as the catacombs in Europe,
Catacombs of Rome, Greece, and also in the underground cities of Anatolia such as Derinkuyu Underground City.

Christianity in Jerusalem
The Christian community in Jerusalem, where Jesus, many of the twelve Apostles and many eyewitnesses originally lived (St Marks
monastery or House Of Mary), had a special position among Christian communities. The Desposyni (relatives of Jesus) lived in
Nazareth during the 1st century. The relatives of Jesus were accorded a special position within the early church, as displayed by the
leadership of James the Just in Jerusalem.[46]

The destruction of Jerusalem, seen as symbolic by supersessionism, and the consequent dispersion of Jews and Jewish Christians
from the city (after the Bar Kokhba revolt) ended any pre-eminence of the Jewish-Christian leadership in Jerusalem. Although
Epiphanius of Salamis reported that the Cenacle survived at least to Hadrian's visit in 130,[27] some today think it was rebuilt shortly
after this first Jewish war.[25] Early Christianity grew further apart from Judaism to establish itself as a predominantly Gentile
[47]
religion, and Antioch became the first Gentile Christian community with stature.

Peter and the Twelve

The Catholic Church position is that Jesus had essentially appointed Peter as the first Pope, with authority over the entire Church.[48]
This is derived from his seeming primacy among the Twelve in New Testament texts on Peter, namely Matthew 16:17-19, Luke
22:32, and John 21:15-17.

Irenaeus of Lyons believed in the 2nd century that Peter and Paul had been the founders of the Church in Rome and had appointed
Linus as succeeding bishop.[49] There is no conclusive evidence, scripturally
, historically or chronologically, that Peter was in fact the
Bishop of Rome. While the church in Rome was already flourishing when Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans about AD 57,[50] he
greets some fifty people in Rome by name,[51] but not Peter whom he knew. There is also no mention of Peter in Rome later during
Paul's two-year stay there in Acts 28, about AD 60-62. Church historians consistently consider Peter and Paul to have been martyred
under the reign of Nero,[52][53][54] around AD 65 such as after the Great Fire of Rome.
[55][56][57]

Worship liturgy
Liturgical services are based on repeating the actions of Jesus ("do this in remembrance of me"), using the bread and wine, and saying
his words (known as the words of the institution). The church has the rest of the liturgical ritual being rooted in the Jewish Passover,
Siddur, Seder, and synagogue services, including the singing of hymns (especially the Psalms) and reading from the Scriptures.[58]
Clement writes that liturgies are "to be celebrated, and not carelessly nor in disorder" but the final uniformity of liturgical services
only came later, though the Liturgy of St James is traditionally associated with James the Just.[59]

Earliest Christianity took the form of a Jewish eschatological faith. The book of Acts reports that the early followers continued daily
Temple attendance and traditional Jewish home prayer. Other passages in the New Testament gospels reflect a similar observance of
traditional Jewish piety such as fasting, reverence for the Torah and observance of Jewish holy days[60][61] At first, Christians
continued to worship alongside Jewish believers, but within twenty years of Jesus' death, Sunday (the Lord's Day) was being
regarded as the primary day of worship.[62]

Defining scripture
The early Christians likely did not have their own copy of Scriptural and other church works. Much of the original church liturgical
services functioned as a means of learningChristian theology later expressed in these works.

Christianity first spread in the predominantly Greek-speaking eastern half of the Roman Empire, and then extensively throughout the
empire by Paul and others. Ecclesiastical historian Henry Hart Milman writes that in much of the first three centuries, even in the
Latin-dominated western empire: "the Church of Rome, and most, if not all the Churches of the West, were, if we may so speak,
Greek religious colonies [see Greek colonies for the background]. Their language was Greek, their organization Greek, their writers
gy, was Greek."[63]
Greek, their scriptures Greek; and many vestiges and traditions show that their ritual, their Litur

Old Testament
The Biblical canon began with the Jewish Scriptures, first available in Koine Greek translation, then as Aramaic Targums. In the 2nd
century, Melito of Sardis called these Scriptures the "Old Testament"[64] and specified an early canon. The Greek translation, later
known as the Septuagint[65] and often written as "LXX," arose from Hellenistic Judaism which predates Christianity. Perhaps the
earliest Christian canon is the Bryennios List which was found by Philotheos Bryennios in the Codex Hierosolymitanus. The list is
written in Koine Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew and dated to around 100[66]

New Testament
The "New Testament" (often compared to the New Covenant) is the name given to the second major division of the Christian Bible,
either by Tertullian or Marcion in the 2nd century.[67] The original texts were written by various authors, most likely sometime after
c. AD 45 in Koine Greek, the lingua franca of the eastern part of the Roman Empire, though there is also a minority argument for
Aramaic primacy.

Early Christianity and Judaism

Jewish messianism has its roots in the apocalyptic literature of the 2nd and 1st
centuries BC, promising a future "anointed" leader or Messiah to resurrect the
Israelite "Kingdom of God", in place of the foreign rulers of the time. This
corresponded with the Maccabean Revolt directed against the Seleucids. Following
the fall of the Hasmonean kingdom, it was directed against the Roman
administration of Iudaea Province, which, according to Josephus, began with the
formation of the Zealots during the Census of Quirinius of 6 AD.

Jewish continuity
The early Christians in the 1st century AD believed Yahweh to be the only true
God,[68] the god of Israel, and considered Jesus to be the messiah (Christ)
prophesied in the Jewish scriptures. The first Christians were essentially all
ethnically Jewish or Jewish proselytes. In other words, Jesus preached to the Jewish
Painting by Rembrandt of Paul, one
people and called from them his first disciples, known as the Limited Commission of of the most notable of earlyChristian
Matthew 10:5-42, while the Great Commission issued after the Resurrection is missionaries, who called himself the
specifically directed at "all nations". "Apostle to the Gentiles." Paul, a
Hellenistic Jew, was very influential
Alister McGrath, a proponent of palaeo-orthodoxy, claimed that many of the Jewish on the shift of Christianity to Gentile
Christians were fully faithful religious Jews, only differing in their acceptance of dominated movement.
Jesus as the messiah.[3] The book of Acts records the martyrdom of Stephen and
James. Thus, Christianity acquired an identity distinct from Rabbinic Judaism. The
name "Christian" (GreekΧριστιανός) was first applied to thedisciples in Antioch, as recorded inActs 11:26.[69]

Early Christianity retained some of the doctrines and practices of 1st-century Judaism while rejecting others. They held the Jewish
scriptures to be authoritative and sacred, employing mostly the Septuagint or Targum translations, later called the Old Testament, a
term associated with Supersessionism, and added other texts as the New Testament canon developed. Christianity also continued
other Judaic practices: baptism,[70] liturgical worship, including the use of incense, an altar, a set of scriptural readings adapted from
synagogue practice, use of sacred music in hymns and prayer, a religious calendar, and ascetic practices. Circumcision was rejected
as a requirement at the Council of Jerusalem, c. 50, though the decree of the council parallels Jewish Noahide Law. Sabbath
observance was modified, perhaps as early as Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians16.1.

An early difficulty arose concerning the matter of Gentile (non-Jewish) converts as to whether they had to "become Jewish," in
following circumcision and dietary laws, as part of becoming Christian. Circumcision was considered repulsive during the period of
Hellenization of the Eastern Mediterranean.[71][72] The decision of Peter, as evidenced by conversion of the Centurion Cornelius,[73]
was that it was not required, and the matter was further addressed with the Council of Jerusalem. Around this same time period,
Rabbinic Judaism made their circumcision requirementeven stricter.[74]

The doctrines of the apostles brought the early Church into conflict with some Jewish religious authorities. Late 1st century
developments attributed to theCouncil of Jamnia eventually led to Christians' expulsion fromsynagogues.

Jewish Christians

James the Just, whose judgment
was adopted in the Apostolic Decree
of Acts 15:19-29, "...we should write
to them [Gentiles] to abstain only
from things polluted by idolsand
from fornication and from whatever
has been strangled and from
blood..." (NRSV)
worship by the end of the 5th century.[77]
Jewish Christians were among the earliest followers of Jesus and an important part
of Judean society during the mid to late 1st century. This movement was centered
around Jerusalem and led by James the Just. They held faithfully to the Torah
(perhaps also Jewish law which was being formalized at the same time), including
acceptance of Gentile converts based on a version of theNoachide laws (Acts 15 and
Acts 21). In Christian circles, "Nazarene" later came to be used as a label for those
faithful to Jewish law, in particular for a certain sect. These Jewish Christians,
originally the central group in Christianity, were not at first declared to be
unorthodox but were later excluded and denounced. Some Jewish Christian groups,
such as the Ebionites, were considered to have unorthodox beliefs, particularly in
relation to their views of Christ and Gentile converts. The Nazarenes, holding to
orthodoxy except in their adherence to Jewish law, were not deemed heretical until
the dominance of orthodoxy in the 4th century. The Ebionites may have been a
splinter group of Nazarenes, with disagreements over Christology and leadership.
After the condemnation of the Nazarenes, "Ebionite" was often used as a general
pejorative for all related "heresies".[75][76]
Jewish Christians constituted a separate community from the Pauline Christians but
maintained a similar faith, differing only in practice. There was a post-Nicene
"double rejection" of the Jewish Christians by both Gentile Christianity and
Rabbinic Judaism. It is believed that there was no direct confrontation or persecution
between Gentile and Judaic Christianity. However, by this time the practice of
Judeo-Christianity was diluted both by internal schisms and external pressures.
Gentile Christianity remained the sole strand of orthodoxy and imposed itself on the
previously Jewish Christian sanctuaries, taking full control of those houses of

The St. Thomas Christians or Syrian Malabar Nasrani community in Kerala, India, claim Jewish origins. However, if so then they
have lost many of their Jewish traditions because of western influences. These churches are also known as Syrian Christians as they
follow the traditions of Syriac Christianity and claim to be descendants of the early converts by Thomas the Apostle. Today, they
belong to various denominations of Christianity [78]
, but they have kept their unique identity within each of these denominations.

Split with Judaism

In or around the year 50, the apostles convened the first church council, known as the Council of Jerusalem, to reconcile practical
(and by implication doctrinal) differences concerning the Gentile mission.[79] While not numbered among them, this council has
often been looked to as ecumenical and the model for laterecumenical councils.

At the Council of Jerusalem it was agreed that Gentiles could be accepted as Christians without full adherence to the Mosaic Laws,
possibly a major break between Christianity and Judaism (the first being the Rejection of Jesus[3]), though the decree of the council
(Acts 15:19-29) seems to parallel the Noahide laws of Judaism. The Council, according to Acts 15, determined that circumcision was
not required for new gentile converts, only to abstain from "food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of
strangled animals and from blood." N
( IV, Acts 15:20).

There was a slowly growing chasm between Christians and Jews, rather than a sudden split. Even though it is commonly thought that
Paul established a Gentile church, it took centuries for a complete break to manifest. However, certain events are perceived as pivotal
in the growing rift betweenJudaism and Christianity. The Council of Jamnia c. 85 is often stated to have condemned all who claimed
the Messiah had already come, and Christianity in particular. However, the formulated prayer in question (birkat ha-minim) is
considered by other scholars to be unremarkable in the history of Jewish and Christian relations. There is a paucity of evidence for
Jewish persecution of "heretics" in general, or Christians in particular, in the period between 70 and 135. It is probable that the
condemnation of Jamnia included many groups, of which the Christians were but one, and did not necessarily mean
excommunication. That some of the later church fathers only recommended against synagogue attendance makes it improbable that
an anti-Christian prayer was a common part of the synagogue liturgy. Jewish Christians continued to worship in synagogues for
centuries.[80][81]

During the late 1st century, Judaism was a legal religion with the protection of
Roman law, worked out in compromise with the Roman state over two centuries.
Observant Jews had special rights, including the privilege of abstaining from civic
pagan rites. Christians were initially identified with the Jewish religion by the
Romans, but as they became more distinct, Christianity became a problem for
Roman rulers. EmperorNerva decreed that Christians did not have to pay the annual
tax upon the Jews, effectively recognizing them as distinct from Rabbinic Judaism. A coin issued by Nerva reads
fisci Judaici calumnia sublata,
This opened the way to Christians being persecuted for disobedience to the emperor
"abolition of malicious prosecution in
as they continued to refuse to worship thestate pantheon. It is notable that from c. 98
connection with the Jewish tax"[82]
onwards a distinction between Christians and Jews in Roman literature becomes
apparent. For example, Pliny the Younger postulates that Christians are not Jews
since they do not pay the tax, in his letters toTrajan.[83][84]

Spread of Christianity
Paul and the Twelve Apostles traveled extensively establishing communities in
major cities and regions throughout the Empire. The first Christian communities
outside of Jerusalem appeared in Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, and the political center
of Rome. The original church communities were founded by apostles and numerous
other Christians, soldiers, merchants, and preachers[85] in northern Africa, Asia
Minor, Arabia, Greece, and other places.[86][87][88] Over 40 churches were
established by 100,[87][88] many in Asia Minor. Mediterranean Basin geography
relevant to Paul's life, stretching from
Paul was responsible for bringing the Christianity to new parts of the world such as Jerusalem in the lower right to Rome
in the upper left.
Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, and Thessalonica.[89][90] By the end of the 1st century,
Christianity had already spread to Rome and to various cities in Greece, Asia Minor
and Syria. Major cities such as Rome, Ephesus, Antioch and Corinth served as
foundations for the expansive spread of Christianity in the post-apostolic period. Christianity spread very quickly throughout Asia
Minor.

Apostolic Fathers
The Church Fathers are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five
centuries of Christian history. The earliest Church Fathers, within two generations of the Twelve apostles of Christ, are usually called
Apostolic Fathers for reportedly knowing and studying under the apostles personally. Important Apostolic Fathers include Clement of
Rome,[91] Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna. In addition, the Didache and Shepherd of Hermas are usually placed among
the writings of the Apostolic Fathers although their authors are unknown.

Clement of Rome
Clement of Rome was best known for his letter1 Clement.[91] which was held in high regard by later Christian writers and even cited
as Scripture by Clement of Alexandria. In it, Clement calls on the Christians of Corinth to maintain harmony and order.[91] It is the
earliest Christian epistle outside the New Testament; indeed it is even included in the Codex Alexandrinus and in the Canons of the
Apostles and today is part of the Apostolic Fathers collection. Tertullian identifies him as the fourth Bishop of Rome, later called
Pope. Some see his epistle as an assertion of Rome's authority over the church in Corinth and, by implication, the beginnings of papal
supremacy.[92]
Clement wrote about the order with which Jesus commanded the affairs of the Church be conducted, and the selection of persons was
also "by His supreme will determined."[93] Clement also refers the way "rivalry ... concerning the priesthood" was resolved by or
through Moses and that likewise, the apostles "gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should
succeed them in their ministry."

The New Testament writers use the terms "overseer" and "elders" interchangeably. Clement also refers to the leaders of the
Corinthian church in his letter as bishops and presbyters interchangeably, and likewise states that the bishops are to lead God's flock
by virtue of the chief shepherd (presbyter), Jesus Christ. Bishops eventually emerged as overseers of urban Christian populations in
the early church, and a hierarchical clergy gradually took the form of epískopos (overseers, bishops), then elders and presbyters
(shepherds), and third weredeacons (servants).

Didache
The Didache is the common name of a brief early Christian treatise dated by most scholars to the late 1st century.[94] It is an
anonymous work not belonging to any single individual and a pastoral manual "that reveals more about how Jewish-Christians saw
themselves and how they adapted their Judaism for Gentiles than any other book in the Christian Scriptures."[95] The text, parts of
which may have constituted the first written catechism, has three main sections dealing with Christian lessons, rituals, and Church
organization. It was considered by some of the Church Fathers as part of the New Testament[96][97] (Deuterocanonical) c. 380[98] but
rejected as spurious or non-canonical by others,[99] and eventually not accepted into the New Testament canon. The Ethiopian
Orthodox Church does include the later Didascalia within its "broader canon" (though only the "narrower canon" has printed since
20th century), and theDidascalia was influenced by theDidache.[100]

Timeline
1st century Timeline
Earliest dates must all be considered approximate

7–2 BC Jesus is born in Bethlehem

6 BC Herod Archelaus deposed by Augustus; Samaria, Judea and Idumea annexed as Iudaea Province under
direct Roman administration,[101] capital at Caesarea, Quirinius became Legate (Governor) of Syria, conducted
Census of Quirinius, opposed by Zealots (JA18, Luke 2:1–3, Acts 5:37)
Galilee[102][103]
7–26 AD Brief period of peace, relatively free of revolt and bloodshed in Iudaea &
9 Pharisee leader Hillel the Elder dies, temporary rise ofShammai
14–37 Tiberius, Roman Emperor
18–36 Caiaphas, appointed High Priest of Herod's Temple by Prefect Valerius Gratus, deposed by Syrian Legate
Lucius Vitellius
19 Jews, Jewish Proselytes, Astrologers, expelled from Rome[104][105]
26–36 Pontius Pilate, Prefect (governor) of Iudaea, recalled to Rome by Syrian Legate V itellius on complaints of
excess violence (JA18.4.2)
28 or 29 John the Baptist began his ministry in the "15th year of Tiberius" (Luke 3:1–2)(Matt 3:1–2)
30 – Great Commission of Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations; [106] Pentecost, a day in which 3000 Jews
from a variety of Mediterranean-basin nations are converted to faith in Jesus Christ.
30–36 Jesus is crucified on order of Pontius Pilate. Christians believe he rose from the dead 3 days later
.
34 – In Gaza, Philip baptizes a convert, anEthiopian who was already a Jewishproselyte.
39 – Peter preaches to a Gentile audience in the house ofCornelius
37–41 Crisis under Caligula[107]
42 – Mark goes to Egypt[108]
44? Saint James the Great: According to ancient local tradition, on 2 January of the year AD 40,the Virgin Mary
appeared to James on aPilar on the bank of the Ebro River at Caesaraugusta, while he was preaching the Gospel
in Spain. Following that apparition, St James returned to Judea, where he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I
in the year 44 during aPassover (Nisan 15) (Acts 12:1–3).
44 Death of Herod Agrippa I (JA19.8.2, Acts 12:20–23)
44–46? Theudas beheaded by Procurator Cuspius Fadus for saying he would part the Jordan river (likeMoses and
the Red Sea or Joshua and the Jordan) (JA20.5.1, Acts 5:36-37 places it before the Census of Quirinius)
the Red Sea or Joshua and the Jordan) (JA20.5.1, Acts 5:36-37 places it before the Census of Quirinius)
45–49? Mission of Barnabas and Paul, (Acts 13:1–14:28), to Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe
(there they were called "gods ... in human form"), then return to SyrianAntioch. Map1
47? St. Thomas Christianity, now in several forms, is begun inIndia by Thomas.
47 – Paul (formerly known as Saul ofTarsus) begins his first missionary journey to modern-dayTurkey.[109]
48–100 Herod Agrippa II appointed King of the Jews by Claudius, seventh and last of theHerodians
50 Passover riot in Jerusalem, 20–30,000 killed (JA20.5.3,JW2.12.1)
50 – Council of Jerusalem on admitting Gentiles into the Church[109]
50? Council of Jerusalem and the "Apostolic Decree",Acts 15:1–35, same as Galatians 2:1–10?, which is followed
by the "Incident at Antioch"[110] at which Paul publicly accused Peter of J" udaizing" (2:11–21)
51 – Paul begins his second missionary journey , a trip that takes him through modern-dayTurkey and on into
Greece [111]

50–53? Paul's 2nd mission, (Acts 15:36–18:22), split with Barnabas, to Phrygia, Galatia, Macedonia, Philippi,
Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, "he had his hair cut of f at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken", then
return to Antioch; 1 Thessalonians, Galatians written? Map2
[112]
51–52 or 52–53 proconsulship ofGallio according to an inscription, only fixed date in chronology of Paul
52 Saint Thomas Christiansof India
52 – Thomas arrives in India and founds church that subsequently becomesIndian Orthodox Church(and its
various descendants)[113]
54 – Paul begins his third missionary journey[114]
53–57? Paul's 3rd mission, (Acts 18:23–22:30), to Galatia, Phrygia, Corinth, Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece, and
Jerusalem where James the Just challenged him about rumor of teachingantinomianism (21:21), he addressed a
crowd in their language (most likelyAramaic), Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians written? Map3
55? "Egyptian prophet" (allusion to Moses) and 30,000 unarmed Jews doingThe Exodus reenactment massacred
by Procurator Antonius Felix (JW2.13.5, JA20.8.6, Acts 21:38)
58? Paul arrested, accused of being arevolutionary, "ringleader of the sect of theNazarenes", teaching
resurrection of the dead, imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23–26)
59? Paul shipwrecked onMalta, there he was called a god (Acts 28:6)
60 – Paul sent to Rome under Roman guard, evangelizes on Malta after shipwreck [111]

60? Paul in Rome: greeted by many "brothers" NRSV:

( "believers"), three days later called together the Jewish
leaders, who hadn't received any word from Judea about him, but were curious about "this sect", which everywhere
is spoken against; he tried to convince them from the Law
" and Prophets", with partial success, said the Gentiles
would listen and spent two years proclaiming theKingdom of God and teaching the "Lord Jesus Christ" A ( cts
28:15–31); Epistle to Philemon written?
62 James the Just stoned to death for law transgression byHigh Priest Ananus ben Artanus, popular opinion
against act results in Ananus being deposed by new procuratorLucceius Albinus (JA20.9.1)
63–107? Simeon, 2nd Bishop of Jerusalem, crucified under Trajan
64–68 after July 18 Great Fire of Rome, Nero blamed and persecuted the Christians
64/67(?)–76/79(?) Pope Linus succeeds Peter as Episcopus Romanus (Bishop of Rome)
65? Q document, a hypothetical Greek text thought by many critical scholars to have been used in writing of
Matthew and Luke
66 – Thaddeus establishes the Christian church ofArmenia[115]
66–73 Great Jewish Revolt: destruction of Herod's Temple, Qumran community destroyed, site ofDead Sea Scrolls
found in 1947
68–107? Ignatius, third Bishop of Antioch, fed to the lions in theRoman Colosseum, advocated the Bishop (Eph
6:1, Mag 2:1,6:1,7:1,13:2, Tr 3:1, Smy 8:1,9:1), rejected Sabbath on Saturday in favor of The Lord's Day (Sunday).
(Mag 9.1), rejected Judaizing (Mag 10.3), first recorded use of the termcatholic (Smy 8:2).
69 – Andrew is crucified in Patras on the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece[116]
70(+/−10)? Gospel of Mark, written in Rome, by Peter's interpreter (1 Peter 5:13), original ending apparently lost,
endings added c.400, seeMark 16
70? Signs Gospel written, hypothetical Greek text used in Gospel of John to prove Jesus is the Messiah
70–100? additional Pauline Epistles
70–200? Didache; Other Gospels: Unknown Berlin Gospel, Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Thomas, Oxyrhynchus
Gospels, Egerton Gospel, Fayyum Fragment, Dialogue of the Saviour; Jewish Christian Gospels: Gospel of the
Ebionites, Gospel of the Hebrews, Gospel of the Nazarenes
76/79(?)–88 Pope Anacletus first Greek Pope, who succeeds Linus as Episcopus Romanus (Bishop of Rome)
80 – First Christians reported inTunisia and France[106]
80(+/−20)? Gospel of Matthew, theoretically based on Mark and Q, most popular inEarly Christianity
80(+/−20)? Gospel of Luke, theoretically based on Mark and Q, alsoActs of the Apostles by same author
 88–101? Clement, fourth Bishop of Rome, wrote Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians(Apostolic Fathers)
90? Council of Jamnia of Judaism (disputed), Domitian applied the Fiscus Iudaicus tax even to those who merely
"lived like Jews"[117]
90(+/−10)? 1 Peter
94 Testimonium Flavianum, disputed section of Jewish Antiquities by Josephus in Aramaic, translated to Koine
Greek
95(+/−30)? Gospel of John and Epistles of John
95(+/−10)? Book of Revelation written, by John (son of Zebedee) and/or a disciple of his
100(+/−30)? Epistle of Barnabas (Apostolic Fathers)
100(+/−25)? Epistle of James
100(+/−10)? Epistle of Jude written, probably by doubting relative of Jesus (Mark 6,3), rejected by some early
Christians due to its reference to apocryphalBook of Enoch (v14), Epistle to the Hebrews written
100 – First Christians are reported inMonaco, Algeria and Sri Lanka;[106] a missionary goes to Arbela, old sacred
city of the Assyrians[118]

See also
Ante-Nicene Period
Apostolic Age
Christian martyrs
Christian monasticism
Christianity in the 2nd century
Christianization
Chronological list of saints in the 1st century
Church Fathers
Development of the New Testament canon
Early history of Christianity
East–West Schism
Gospel harmony
Great Church
History of Calvinist-Arminian debate
History of Christian theology
History of Christianity
History of early Christianity
History of the Eastern Orthodox Church
History of the Roman Catholic Church
Jesuism
Hellenistic Judaism
List of events in early Christianity
New Testament view on Jesus' life
Persecution of Christians in the New T
estament
Timeline of Christian missions
Timeline of Christianity
Timeline of the Roman Catholic Church

Notes
1. Hebrews 8:6 (http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Hebrews+8:6–8:6&version=nrsv)
2. "Sermon on the Mount." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
. New York: Oxford University
Press. 2005
3. McGrath, p. 174
4. Dunn, p. 577
5. Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Churched. F. L. Cross (Oxford) entry on Paul
6. Grant, p.176
 7. Maier, p.5
8. Van Daalen, p.41
9. Kremer, pp.49–50
10. Gundry
11. Weiss, p.345
12. Davies, pp.305–308
13. Wilckens, pp.128–131
14. Smith, p.406
15. Johnson, p.136
16. Ludemann, p.8
17. Wright, p.26
18. "Christ's Life: Key Events"(http://christianity.com/Christian%20Foundations/The%20Essentials/11542555/).
Retrieved 2007-10-22.
19. Catechism of the Catholic Church, Loyola University Press, #651-655, pp. 170-171.
20. August Franzen, Kirchengeschichte, Freiburg, 1988: 20
21. Vidmar, The Catholic Church Through the Ages(2005), pp. 19–20
22. Schreck, The Essential Catholic Catechism(1999), p.130
23. Brown, Schuyler, p.10
24. R. Gerberding and J. H. Moran Cruz, Medieval W
orlds (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004) p. 51
25. Bargil Pixner, The Church of the Apostles found on Mount Zion
, Biblical Archaeology Review16.3 May/June 1990,
centuryone.org (http://www.centuryone.org/apostles.html)
26. Acts 1:13-15 (http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/?osis=niv:Acts.1:13–15:13)
27. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Jerusalem (A.D. 71-1099)" (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08355a.htm).
newadvent.org.
28. Acts 7:54-8:8 (http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Acts+7:54–8:8&version=nrsv)
29. Acts 8:9-24 (http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Acts+8:9–24:9&version=nrsv)
30. Acts 8:26-40 (http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Acts+8:26–40:26&version=nrsv)
31. Acts 11:26 (http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Acts+11:26–11:26&version=nrsv)
32. Acts 10 (http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/?osis=niv:Acts.10–10)
33. The Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04375b.htm) says of Cornelius: "The baptism of
Cornelius is an important event in the history of the Early Church. The gates of the Church, within which thus far only
those who were circumcised and observed the Law of Moses had been admitted, were now thrown open to the
uncircumcised Gentiles withoutthe obligation of submitting to the Jewish ceremonial laws ."
34. McGrath, pp.174-175
35. McManners, Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity(2002), pp.37-38
36. Davidson, p.155
37. Davidson, pp.169, 181
38. On the Creeds, see Oscar Cullmann,The Earliest Christian Confessions, trans. J. K. S. Reid (London: Lutterworth,
1949); on the Passion, see Rudolf Pesch,Das Markusevangelium, 2 vols., Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum
Neuen Testament 2 (Freiburg: Herder, 1976–77), 2: 519–20
39. Neufeld, p.47
40. Pannenberg, p.90
41. Cullmann, p.66
42. O' Collins, p.112
43. Hunter, p.100
44. Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament vol 1, pp. 49, 81
45. Pannenberg, pp.118, 283, 367
46. Taylor (1993). Pg 224.
47. Franzen, p.25
48. Saints and Sinners: A History of the PopesEamon Duffy, ch. 1
49. "ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus"(http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.iv.iv.html).
ccel.org.
50. Franzen, p.26
51. 16 (http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Romans+16–16&version=nrsv)
52. "Paul, St" Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
53. Pennington, p. 2
54. St-Paul-Outside-the-Walls homepage (http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/en/basilica/tomba.htm)
55. Historians debate whether the Roman government distinguished between Christians and Jews prior to Nerva's
modification of the Fiscus Judaicus in 96. From then on, practising Jews paid the tax, Christians did not.
56. Wylen, pp.190-192
57. Dunn, pp. 33-34
58. "LITURGY - JewishEncyclopedia.com"(http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=475&letter=L&search=Liturgy#
1418). jewishencyclopedia.com.
59. The traditional title is: The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord(http://www.ccel.org/ccel/
schaff/anf07.xii.ii.html); Ante-Nicene Fathers by Philip Schaff in the public domain
60. White (2004), p.127
61. Ehrman (2005), p.187.
62. Davidson, p.115
63. "Greek Orthodoxy - From Apostolic Times to the Present Day" (http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-orthodox-histor
y.asp). ellopos.net.
64. A dictionary of Jewish-Christian relations, Dr. Edward Kessler, Neil Wenborn, Cambridge University Press, 2005,
ISBN 0-521-82692-6, p.316
65. McDonald & Sanders, p.72
66. published by J. P. Audet in JTS (http://jts.oxfordjournals.org)1950, v1, pp. 135–154, cited inThe Council of Jamnia
and the Old Testament Canon (http://www.ibri.org/DVD-1/RRs/RR013/13jamnia.html) Archived (https://web.archive.o
rg/web/20070210102404/http://www.ibri.org/DVD-1/RRs/RR013/13jamnia.html)February 10, 2007, at theWayback
Machine., Robert C. Newman, 1983.
67. McDonald & Sanders p.310
68. G. Bromiley, ed. (1982). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, "God"
. Fully Revised. Two: E-J. Eerdmans
Publishing Company. pp. 497–499. ISBN 0-8028-3782-4.
69. E. Peterson, "Christianus" pp. 353–72
70. "BAPTISM - JewishEncyclopedia.com"(http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=222&letter=B&search=Baptis
m). jewishencyclopedia.com.
71. "CIRCUMCISION - JewishEncyclopedia.com"(http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=514&letter=C&search=c
ircumcision#2). jewishencyclopedia.com.
72. Hodges, Frederick, M. (2001)."The Ideal Prepuce in Ancient Greece and Rome: Male Genital Aesthetics and Their
Relation to Lipodermos, Circumcision, Foreskin Restoration, and the Kynodesme" (http://www.cirp.org/library/history/
hodges2/) (PDF). The Bulletin of the History of Medicine. 75 (Fall 2001): 375–405.doi:10.1353/bhm.2001.0119(http
s://doi.org/10.1353%2Fbhm.2001.0119). PMID 11568485 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11568485).
Retrieved 2007-07-24.
73. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Cornelius"(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04375b.htm). newadvent.org.
74. "peri'ah", (Shab. xxx. 6)
75. Tabor (1998).
76. Esler (2004), pp.157-159.
77. Dauphin (1993), pp.235, 240-242.
78. "stthoma.com" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110208073816/http://stthoma.com/)
. stthoma.com. Archived from the
original (http://www.stthoma.com/) on 2011-02-08.
79. McManners, Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity(2002), p.37
80. Wylen (1995), p.190.
 81. Wright, pp.164-165.
82. As translated by Molly Whittaker, Jews and Christians: Graeco-Roman Views, (Cambridge University Press, 1984),
p. 105.
83. Wylen, pp.190-192.
84. Dunn, pp.33-34.
85. Franzen 29
86. Vidmar, The Catholic Church Through the Ages(2005), pp.19–20
87. Hitchcock, Geography of Religion (2004), p.281
88. Bokenkotter, A Concise History of the Catholic Church(2004), p. 18
89. "Paul, St" Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005.
90. Acts 19 (http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/?osis=niv:Acts.19–19), 18:1-18a (http://www.biblica.com/en-
us/bible/online-bible/?osis=niv:Acts.18:1–18:1), 16:12-15 (http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/?osis=niv:A
cts.16:12–15:12), 17:1-9 (http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/?osis=niv:Acts.17:1–9:1)
91. Durant, Will. Caesar and Christ. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1972
92. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Pope St. Clement I" (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04012c.htm). newadvent.org.
93. "CHURCH FATHERS: Letter to the Corinthians (Clement)"(http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1010.htm).
newadvent.org.
94. Draper, JA (2006), The Apostolic Fathers: the Didache, Expository Times, Vol.117, No.5, p.178
95. Aaron Milavec, p. vii
96. Apostolic Constitutions"Canon 85" (approved at the Orthodox Synod of T
rullo in 692)
97. Rufinus, Commentary on Apostles' Creed 37
98. John of Damascus Exact Exposition of Orthodox Faith4.17
99. Athanasius, Festal Letter 39 (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf204.xxv.iii.iii.xxv.html) (excludes them from the
canon, but recommends them for reading) in 367
100. The earlier Didache seems to have been an influence upon it too. Johannes Quasten,Patrology, Vol. I (Christian
Classics, Allan, Texas, 1996, ISBN 0-87061-084-8), p. 37.
101. H.H. Ben-Sasson, A History of the Jewish People, Harvard University Press, 1976,ISBN 0-674-39731-2, p.246
102. John P. Meier's A Marginal Jew, v. 1, ch. 11
103. H.H. Ben-Sasson, A History of the Jewish People, Harvard University Press, 1976,ISBN 0-674-39731-2, p.251
104. Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Tiberius 36
105. "ROME - JewishEncyclopedia.com"(http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=352&letter=R&search=Sejanus#1
006). jewishencyclopedia.com.
106. Barrett, p.23
107. H.H. Ben-Sasson, A History of the Jewish People, Harvard University Press, 1976,ISBN 0-674-39731-2, The Crisis
Under Gaius Caligula, pp.254-256
108. Kane, 10
109. Williston Walker, A History of the Christian Church1959, p. 26
110. Catholic Encyclopedia: Judaizers(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08537a.htm) see section titled: "THE INCIDENT
AT ANTIOCH"
111. Walker, 27
112. Pauline Chronology: His Life and Missionary W ork (http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Pauline_Chronology
.htm),
from Catholic Resources (http://catholic-resources.org)by Felix Just, S.J.
113. Neill, 44–45
114. "Apostle Paul's Third Missionary Journey Map"(http://www.biblestudy.org/maps/pauls-third-journey-map.html).
biblestudy.org.
115. Wood, Roger, Jan Morris and Denis Wright. Persia. Universe Books, 1970, p. 35.
116. Herbermann, p. 737
117. "FISCUS JUDAICUS - JewishEncyclopedia.com"(http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=183&letter=F&searc
h=Fiscus%20Iudaicus). jewishencyclopedia.com.
118. Latourette, 1941, vol. I, p. 103

References
Brown, Schuyler. The Origins of Christianity: A Historical Introduction to the New estament.
T Oxford University Press
(1993). ISBN 0-19-826207-8.
Cullmann, Oscar, The Early Church: Studies in Early Christian History and Theology , ed. A. J. B. Higgins,
Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966
Davidson, The Birth of the Church(2005)
W. D. Davies, Paul and Rabbinic Judaism2d ed., London, 1965
Dunn, James D.G., "The Canon Debate," McDonald & Sanders editors, 2002
Dunn, James D.G. Jews and Christians: The Parting of the Ways, AD 70 to 135. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
(1999). ISBN 0-8028-4498-7.
Grant, M., Jesus: An Historian's Review of the GospelsNew York: Scribner's, 1977
Gundry, R.H., Soma in Biblical Theology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976
Hunter, Archibald, Works and Words of Jesus(1973)
Johnson, L.T., The Real Jesus, San Francisco, Harper San Francisco, 1996
Kremer, Jakob, Die Osterevangelien — Geschichten um Geschichte , Stuttgart: Katholisches Bibelwerk, 1977
Ludemann, Gerd, What Really Happened to Jesus?trans. J. Bowden, Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox
Press, 1995
Maier, P. L., "The Empty Tomb as History" in Christianity Today, March 1975
McGrath, Alister E., Christianity: An Introduction, Blackwell Publishing (2006),ISBN 1-4051-0899-1
Neufeld, The Earliest Christian Confessions, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964
O' Collins, Gerald, What are They Saying About the Resurrection? , New York: Paulist Press, 1978
Pannenberg, Wolfhart, Jesus–God and Man translated Lewis Wilkins and Duane Pribe, Philadelphia: W estminster,
1968
Smith, J. L., "Resurrection Faith Today", in TS 30 (1969)
Van Daalen, D. H., The Real Resurrection, London: Collins, 1972
Weiss, Johannes, Der erste Korintherbrief9th ed., Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1910
Wilckens, Ulrich, Auferstehung, Stuttgart and Berlin: Kreuz Verlag, 1970
Wright, N.T., "The New Unimproved Jesus", inChristianity Today, 1993-09-13
Wylen, Stephen M., The Jews in the Time of Jesus: An Introduction, Paulist Press (1995),ISBN 0-8091-3610-4

Further reading
Bockmuehl, Markus N.A. (ed.)The Cambridge Companion to Jesus. Cambridge University Press (2001).ISBN 0-
521-79678-4.
Bourgel, Jonathan, From One Identity to Another: The Mother Church of Jerusalem Between thewo T Jewish Revolts
Against Rome (66-135/6 EC). Paris: Éditions du Cerf, collection Judaïsme ancien et Christianisme primitive,
(French). ISBN 978-2-204-10068-7
Brown, Raymond E.: An Introduction to the New Testament (ISBN 0-385-24767-2)
Conzelmann, H. and Lindemann A.,Interpreting the New Testament. An Introduction to the Principles and Methods of
N.T. Exegesis, translated by S.S. Schatzmann, Hendrickson Publishers. Peabody 1988.
Dormeyer, Detlev: The New Testament among the Writings of Antiquity (English translation), Sheffield 1998
Dunn, James D.G. (ed.)The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul. Cambridge University Press (2003).ISBN 0-521-
78694-0.
Dunn, James D.G. Unity and Diversity in the New Testament: An Inquiry into the Character of Earliest Christianity
.
SCM Press (2006). ISBN 0-334-02998-8.
Edwards, Mark (2009).Catholicity and Heresy in the Early Church. Ashgate.
Freedman, David Noel (Ed).Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (2000).ISBN 0-8028-
2400-5.
Esler, Philip F. The Early Christian World. Routledge (2004). ISBN 0-415-33312-1.
Mack, Burton L.: Who Wrote the New Testament?, Harper, 1996
Keck, Leander E. Paul and His Letters. Fortress Press (1988).ISBN 0-8006-2340-1.
Mills, Watson E. Acts and Pauline Writings. Mercer University Press (1997).ISBN 0-86554-512-X.
Malina, Bruce J.: Windows on the World of Jesus: Time Travel to Ancient Judea. Westminster John Knox Press:
Louisville (Kentucky) 1993
 Malina, Bruce J.: The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology. 3rd edition, Westminster John
Knox Press Louisville (Kentucky) 2001
Malina, Bruce J.: Social Science Commentary on the Gospel of JohnAugsburg Fortress Publishers: Minneapolis
1998
Malina, Bruce J.: Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic GospelsAugsburg Fortress Publishers: Minneapolis
2003
McKechnie, Paul. The First Christian Centuries: Perspectives on the Early Church . Apollos (2001). ISBN 0-85111-
479-2
Pelikan, Jaroslav Jan. The Christian Tradition: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600). University of
Chicago Press (1975).ISBN 0-226-65371-4.
Stegemann, Ekkehard and Stegemann, Wolfgang: The Jesus Movement: A Social History of Its First Century .
Augsburg Fortress Publishers: Minneapolis 1999
Stegemann, Wolfgang, The Gospel and the Poor. Fortress Press. Minneapolis 1984ISBN 0-8006-1783-5
Tabor, James D. "Ancient Judaism: Nazarenes and Ebionites", The Jewish Roman World of Jesus. Department of
Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1998).
Thiessen, Henry C. Introduction to the New Testament, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids 1976
White, L. Michael. From Jesus to Christianity. HarperCollins (2004).ISBN 0-06-052655-6.
Wilson, Barrie A. "How Jesus Became Christian". St. Martin's Press (2008). ISBN 978-0-679-31493-6.
Wright, N.T. The New Testament and the People of God. Fortress Press (1992).ISBN 0-8006-2681-8.
Zahn, Theodor, Introduction to the New Testament, English translation, Edinburgh, 1910.

External links
New Testament Reading RoomExtensive online NT resources (incl. commentaries), yTndale Seminary
Scholarly articles on the New Testament from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Christian Origins
Guide to Early Church Documents

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christianity_in_the_1st_century&oldid=825736101

"

This page was last edited on 15 February 2018, at 02:59.

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of theWikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.