The starting point of faith for the very first Christians was not the Bible.
The First Christians
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Transcript of The First Christians
The First Christians
The First Christians • Main Idea:
• Jesus’ life and a belief in his resurrection led to a new religion called Christianity.
The First Christians • Lecture Focus:• Have you ever
read news stories about
people sacrificing their
lives to help others…maybe a police officer or a
soldier...this is something that becomes very significant to Christians.
The First Christians • Jesus’ disciples
began to spread the message of Jesus
and his resurrection. • Small groups in the
Greek speaking cities of the eastern
Mediterranean accepted this
message, some being Jewish and some were not.
The First Christians • Those who accepted Jesus and his teachings
became known as Christians and referred to Jesus of Nazareth ad Jesus Christ.
• The word “Christ” comes from “Christos”, a Greek word meaning “Messiah”.
The First Christians • The early Christians
formed churches or communities for
worship and teaching of the new religion.
• They met in people’s houses or other private areas to discuss their faith…(there is not much left of early
churches for archeologist to
uncover)
The First Christians • Christians at first prayed and studied
the Hebrew Bible…the sacred writings of Judaism or commonly known to Christians
as the Old Testament.
• They also shared in a ritual meal like the
Last Supper to remember Jesus’
death and resurrection.
Who were Peter and Paul?
•Who were Peter and
Paul?
Who were Peter and Paul?• Apostles, or early Christian leaders who had been
chosen by Jesus to spread his message, played an important role in the growth of Christianity.
• One of the most important historical Apostle was Peter.
Who were Peter and Paul?• Simon Peter was a Jewish fisherman. He
had known Jesus while he was alive and had been one of the original 12 people
Jesus had chosen to preach his message.
Who were Peter and Paul?• Church of the Primacy of St. Peter
on the Sea of Galilee. • Traditional site where
Jesus Christ appeared to his
disciples after his resurrection and,
according to Catholic tradition, established
Peter's supreme jurisdiction over the
Christian church.
Who were Peter and Paul?• Christian tradition states that Peter went to Rome after the death of Jesus and helped set
up a church there. • Today the leaders of the Catholic Christians still
reside in Vatican city, which is inside of Rome.
Who were Peter and Paul?• Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome,
Italy.
Who were Peter and Paul?• It has an area of approximately 110 acres and a
population of just over 800…this makes Vatican City the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population.
Who were Peter and Paul?• In 64 C.E. much of Rome was destroyed in a
great fire.• Some say it was an accident, others said that
the Roman Emperor Nero had it started so that he could rebuild the city in his own
vision.
Who were Peter and Paul?• Nero had little use
for the new Christian religion so decided to blame
the fire on them and began arresting,
torturing and killing anyone associated with Christianity.
• Peter was the leader of the Christians so he was a principal
target of Nero's insanity.
Who were Peter and Paul?• Tradition states that Peter was crucified
during the persecution by Nero.• Tradition also states that he requested to be crucified head downward, feeling unworthy to
die in the same manner as Jesus.
Who were Peter and Paul?• Paul of Tarsus was another important
Christian leader. • He was a well educated member of the Jewish
faith and a Roman citizen.
Who were Peter and Paul?• Paul at first worked to
stop Christian ideas from spreading
• Paul persecuted Christians arresting and murdering them
as he went from city to city with his Roman
prefect escort.• The chief Jewish priest
in Jerusalem then sent him to Damascus, a city in Syria, to stop Christians in the city from spreading their
ideas.
Who were Peter and Paul?
Who were Peter and Paul?• While on the road to Damascus, Paul had an
unusual experience. According to Christian belief, he saw a great light, went blind for a
period of time and heard the voice of Jesus…his vision was later returned to show how
merciful God was.
Who were Peter and Paul?• From that moment on Paul was changed and became
a Christian, he spend the rest of his life spreading Jesus’ message.
• Paul traveled widely discussing his faith, founding churches throughout the Mediterranean and
spreading the message of love and forgiveness.
Who were Peter and Paul?• Paul fought a good fight…he converted many people to
Christianity and through the power of Christ, healed many of the sick and crippled people he came into
contact with.• Paul was sent to prison 3 times, and on his third time he
refused to forsake his faith in God…the Romans put him to death by beheading him.
What do Christians Believe?
•What do Christians Believe?
What do Christians Believe? • From the beginning, Christians taught that Jesus was
the Son of God and had come to save all people. • By accepting Jesus and his teachings, people could
gain salvation…a way to be saved from sin and allowed to enter heaven.
What do Christians Believe?
• Like Jesus, after death they would be resurrected and could join god in everlasting life.
What do Christians Believe? • Because of their faith in Jesus, Christians
began to understand God in a new way.• Like the Jews, Christians believed in the God
of Israel and studied the Hebrew Bible.
What do Christians Believe? • However, most Christians came to
believe that God existed in three persons: • Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
What do Christians Believe?
•This idea became known as the “Trinity”, which comes from the word
“three”…this idea does not exist in Judaism and
is a key difference between the faiths.