Rise of Christianity in Rome

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Rise of Christianity in Rome
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The Teachings of Jesus

• Jesus born in Bethlehem in Judea
• He was both a Jew and Roman citizen
• He was baptized by John the Baptist

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Jesus Message

• By age 30, he began preaching publicly and for 3
  years he
• Preached
• Taught
• Did good works
• Performed miracles
• Contained many ideas of Judaism such as
  Monotheism and the 10 Commandments
• He emphasized Gods personal relationship with
  each human being.

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Jesus Message

• Stressed importance of love for God, neighbors,
  enemies and even their own selves.
• He gathered 12 apostles or pupils disciples
• Main source of information about Jesus comes from
  the Gospels the first 4 books of the New
  Testament of the Bible
• Gospels written by one or more of the apostles
  (disciples).

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Jesus Death

• The people called him the Messiah which means
  King.
• This worried the Roman and Jewish leaders,
  Pontius Pilate a Roman governor arrested Jesus.
• Sentenced to be crucified or nailed to a cross.

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Resurrection

• According to Gospels he rose from the dead and
  ascended to heaven
• One of the first apostles, Peter, spread the
  teachings of Jesus throughout Palestine and Syria

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Christianity Spreads

• Another apostle, Paul had enormous influence of
  the development of Christianity
• Spread during the Pax Romana where conditions
  were safe for travel on the Roman Roads.
• Paul stressed that Jesus was the son of God who
  died for peoples sins.

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Jewish Rebellion

• The Jews eventually rebelled against control of
  Romans
• About half million Jews died trying to break free
  from Roman control.
• This caused a Diaspora when mass Jews were
  driven from their homeland in Jerusalem into
  exile.

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Persecution of the Christians

• Christians would not worship Roman Gods viewed
  as opposition to Roman rule
• Some Romans blamed bad economic conditions on
  Christians
• When a disastrous fire occurred in Rome, and
  Emperor Nero blamed the Christians and ordered
  them to be persecuted.
• Thousands were exiled, imprisoned, crucified,
  burned or killed by animals in circus arenas

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A World Religion

• Christianity still survived because of widespread
  appeal
• 1. Embraced all people
• 2. Gave hope to the powerless
• 3. Appealed to people who rejected the
  extravagances of imperial Rome
• 4. Offered a personal relationship with a loving
  God
• 5. Promised life after death.