Early Christianity By: Rebekah Bender History 101

One of the most well known religions of the world is Christianity. This religion is based of the life of Jesus Christ. Many have shaped the world’s view and teaching of this religion. Christianity can take on many forms. It has also changed as the years have gone by. Over time many different individuals have been known to change the course of Christianity. A few of the men that we will read about today are Paul, Constantine, and Augustine. These men left a lasting mark on Christianity and helped shape it into what it is today.

Paul was not always a Christ follower. However, he had an encounter that would change his life forever and many other lives as well. Paul became a leading missionary to his own Gentile people. Before the teaching of Paul, one would have to convert to Judaism. Paul taught that Christianity was for everyone not just the Jewish people. The ministry of Paul grew and he had many people who came to Christianity under him. Paul’s ministry is still looked at today as the founding of Christianity because he welcomed all into the religion. Before Paul Christianity was all about religious law. He changed that with teaching people to have a relationship with Christ. They still followed a lot of religious law but the relationship with God was by far the most important. Under the ministry of Paul the “church” was born.

Christianity changed under Constantine. After Constantine had converted from worshiping Sol Invictus to worshipping Christ many under his rule did as well. With all the change that was taking place people needed boundaries and leaders. Bishops were put into each major city to act as a guide for the people. Christian communities were now called Patriarchs. Under Constantine, Christianity took a turn more towards religion. Although he believed in the Holy Trinity, he also believed that certain men on earth were sent here to be Christ’s representatives. These men would create the doctrine of which Christianity would follow. Although Constantine believed in the Holy Trinity, he also believed that certain men on earth were sent here to be Christ’s representatives. These men would create the doctrine of which Christianity would follow.

Augustine was a man that was a big part of the growth and development of Christianity. Augustine did not come to Christianity naturally. His father was not a Christian but his mother was. He search and believed in many different religions before finally settling on Christianity at the age of 33. He studied and search for truth and wound up back to Christianity. This was on his own accord. He felt that man needed to be saved and could only be saved by the grace of God. Augustine believed that all human were prone to evil doing and it would only be by the grace of God that one would not commit a sin. He believed we were all born this way. Augustine believed that God predestined some for eternal life in heaven and predestined some for eternal damnation. One could not decide for them selves it was only by the grace of God that he would choose you.

Although, the view of Christianity has changed over the course of many years I would argue that it roughly remains the same today. Today some believe in the Holy Trinity that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three in one. Others believe that Jesus was just a prophet. However, everyone that practices Christianity knows it falls on the basis that we all are need of saving. Many Christians today believe that God sent his Son Jesus to die on a cross to save the world. This is the teaching of Paul. Today Christianity bases it belief fully on the Son of God, Jesus and His salvation. Not much has changed in that respect.