- Firstly, Christianity had to move many things out of the way. Secondly, the fiddler Nero blamed the Christians for burning Rome to the ground, and Christian persecution went ballistic.
- Thirdly, the power of the further Hell dwellers was arrayed against Christianity. They’re trying to crucify all of us. So, no walk in the park was in the cards. Christ, You know it isn’t easy; it’s as hard as possible. Hopefully, you’ll step in.
- Jews started the Christian Church. Paul recruited some Gentiles, and they blended into Christianity. Let the conversions begin. You can be assured that luck wasn’t a part of the play.
- MAJOR CHRISTIAN EVENTS ALONG THE WAY.
- The age of Jesus (3 years). The age of the apostles ( a few decades long). 60 AD, Mark’s gospel goes word of mouth. 68, Nero takes Peter and Paul out—70, Rome destroys the temple.
- 71, Jerusalem was out, so Christianity headquarters moved to Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. 301, Armenia becomes the world’s first country to adopt Christianity as the state religion officially. 325, Constine has his vision. 381, The Nicene creed is produced. 397, 27 books of the New Testament were authorized. 449, At Ephesus, Pope Leo asserts Papal supremacy. 597, St. Augustine becomes the first Archbishop of Canterbury. 800, Charlemagne is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. 1054, Great Schism – Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic churches separate. 1095, Pope Urban II authorizes the first Crusade to recover the Holy Land from Muslims. 1099, Crusaders conquer Jerusalem. 1187, Jerusalem was recaptured by a Muslim army led by Saladin. 1189, Third Crusade led by Richard the Lionheart of England. 1204, Sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. 1305, Papacy moved to Avignon following a dispute with Philip IV of France. 1378, The return of the Papacy to Rome. 1380, John Wycliffe translates the Bible into Middle English. 1453, Constantinople falls to the Ottoman Turks. 1517, Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses in Wittenburg, Germany, beginning the Protestant Reformation. 1523, William Tyndale completes his translation of the Bible into English. 1534 Ignatius of Loyola founds the Jesuits. (Counter-Reformation teaching order). 1534, Henry VIII becomes supreme head of the English church. 1545- 63, Council of Trent – Roman Catholic counter-reformation. 1611, Publication of the King James Version of the Bible. 1618-1648, Protestant/Catholic conflict in Germany (Thirty Years War). 1730-1760 The ‘Great Awakening’ – A revival movement among Protestants in the USA. 1738, John and Charles Wesley converted. They led an Evangelical revival in England and formed the Methodist church. In 1848, the Roman Catholic church proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. 1948, Formation of the World Council of Churches. 1962-64, Second Vatican Council. Significant reforms in the Roman Catholic church are initiated. 1999 the Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches signed the Joint Declaration on Justification. 2006, World Methodist Council adopts the Lutheran/Catholic Joint Declaration on Justification.
