History of the Christian church and its 6 periods

The history of the Christian church arises as a result of the death of Jesus on the cross, his resurrection and the order given by Christ to his disciples, The Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20. From there and for more than two thousand years the church can be divided into six great periods.

History of the Christian Church

This story is based on more than two thousand years of the spread of the Christian church throughout the world. The history of the Christian church recounts events that actually happened, as well as the lives of real people who are the ancestors of Christ's followers today. If it had not been for these ancestors, the message or gospel of Jesus would not have been heard. Therefore, the entire Christian church of these days, we owe that testimony to them.

This article will walk through the most significant periods in the history of the Christian church. From the great commission of Jesus to his disciples to the Emperor Constantine, some three hundred years after Christ. If you want to delve into the mission given by Jesus to his disciples. I invite you to read: The grand commision Importance in Christianity! Where you will find the detailed explanation of the meaning, importance and characteristic of the important call as Christians.

The history of the Christian church from the time of Emperor Constantine to the reformation. How the gospel came to Europe, how the great Protestant missionaries managed to spread the gospel throughout China and India, but mostly to Europe.

The missions of the church for the evangelization of Latin America and other countries of the world will be discussed. In short, more than two thousand years of the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the knowledge of Jesus to the world.

The history of the Christian church is an interesting journey. However, we must consider that they are 2 thousand years. So obviously only the most relevant events and characters will be detailed in order to give a very detailed idea of ​​how the gospel spread in the world.

Starting Points in the Holy Scriptures

In addition to the great commission given by Jesus to his disciples in the text of Matthew 28:16-20, a verse about the early church can be found in the scriptures that is key in the history of Christianity:

Acts 1:8 (NIV): But, when the Holy Spirit comes upon youwill receive power and be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Before meeting Jesus, the disciples were waiting for a kingdom here on earth, according to the heritage of their Jewish culture. After meeting the rabbi and even more so after his resurrection, the disciples thought that the time had come for God to establish his kingdom with power.

Christ's perfect plan

But Christ had a better plan for them and told them the time is not yet. Because with the power of the Holy Spirit upon you, you will go out to be a testimony of me, even to the most distant regions of the earth. How could this that Jesus spoke to them be possible? How could they undertake such a mission, if they did not have financial resources, a professional education and that they only knew lands at a distance of around 150 kilometers? But even so Jesus Christ spoke to them of a universal vision of his church: To the most distant lands. Even more, in the scriptures it can be read at:

Matthew 24: 14 (NIV): And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Here Jesus tells the first men who would make up the primitive church, that before the world comes to an end, the gospel of the Kingdom must reach all the ethnic peoples of the Earth. So something that can be seen and verified throughout this period of two thousand years is this part of what was prophesied by Jesus Christ, the preaching of his gospel throughout all nations.

When speaking of the early church, reference is made to the early Christian church. You can read about this story and how it evolved in the article: The early church in Christianity What you should know!

The six general periods in the history of the Christian church

The XNUMX plus year history of the Christian church is divided into six general periods. These periods refer to the end and beginning of a specific era. Above you can see the starting point of the story, according to the scriptures. Marked by a special event that is the resurrection and ascension of Christ to the throne, at the right hand of the Father. Jesus Christ, before ascending, gives the revelation of the Holy Spirit to his disciples with a universal ministerial vision and not only for the Jewish people.

the apostolic church

This period of the early Christian church is known as the period of the apostolic church and Pentecost. The period of the Apostolic era in the Christian church, was established in a territorial space from the Euphrates River to the Tiber and from the Black Sea to the Nile River, as can be seen in the map of the missionary trips of the apostle Paul in the image No. 1. This era of the Christian church of the apostolic period culminates with the death of the last of them, the apostle John.

the persecuted church

Later comes the period in which the Christian church is persecuted between the second century and a part of the fourth after Christ. Generations and millions of martyrs were persecuted and cruelly killed for the cause of Christ. And contrary to what the Romans intended to eradicate the Christian church, it multiplied, reaching almost half the population of the Roman Empire.

the imperial church

Then comes the period of the imperial church with the coming to power of the empire of a Roman and Christian emperor, with the cessation of persecution and the killing of Christians. In this period the symbol of the cross replaced the eagle that the Romans waved as a standard. The city of Constantinople is based on the Christian faith, leaving behind the times of ancient Rome. Little by little Rome is leaving behind its pagan condition to establish itself as the headquarters of the Christian church.

the medieval church

Subsequently, the fourth period in the history of the Christian church begins, that of the Middle Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire. It begins with a disorganization due to the division of ethnic groups without leaders that leads them to organize themselves by kingdoms.

At this time the bishop of Rome has the pretension to obtain not only the control of the church but also the whole world. Another religious doctrine arises in this period, the Muslim. Which came with the intention of disputing control of the Christian nations

the reformed church

Later, in the 1517th century, the period of the reformed church began. In this period a relevant character emerges in the history of the Christian church, a Catholic monk named Martin Luther. This monk rebels against the Catholic and Roman Church after leaving a written statement at the door of the cathedral on the last day of October XNUMX. In this statement, Luther writes the bases of why he positions himself against the Roman Catholic doctrines, some bases based on the holy scriptures.

For these times also occurs the division of the church of Rome, in the Catholic and Orthodox. With this, countries of northern Europe founded their own churches and the counter-reformation also emerged as a strategy of opposition and brake on the reform established by Luther.

the modern church

After the Thirty Years' War in Germany, the religious nature of nations was fixed, such as Roman Catholic countries and Protestant countries, beginning the period of the modern church. Each of the periods seen in this short introduction is detailed below.

History of the Christian Church – Apostolic Period

This period begins from the ascension of Jesus until the death of the last of his disciples, the apostle John in the year 99 after Christ. In this stage, the primitive church begins to form, led by the apostles and made up of everyone who believes in Jesus as the messiah, the son of God, confessing him in his heart as his Lord and Savior.

Fifty days after the resurrection and ten after the ascension of Christ; It occurs on the day of Pentecost announced by Jesus to his 12 disciples, telling them: -When the Holy Spirit comes upon you with power-. That day, 120 followers of Jesus who were praying together with the apostles were baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit.

During that moment, all those gathered there experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit, through which God opened their understanding, they received the revelation of the Kingdom of God, as well as the power to proclaim the gospel. In this way all these people would become the ones who would initiate the testimony of the Gospel of Jesus.

Just as from that moment the Holy Spirit began to dwell in each of the members of the church body of Christ. On this point I invite you to read the article The church is the body of Christ: Meaning. Where you will know the definition of the term church body christ, a topic of great importance within Christianity.

pentecostal church

The first congregation of believers of Jesus at that time was called the Pentecostal church. In its early years it was limited to the City of Jerusalem and its surroundings. It was a church of a few faithful of the same Jewish race, united by the same spirit and all obedient to Christ.

Its main leader, according to the book of Acts, was the apostle Peter and next to him, also the apostle John. The fundamental doctrinal bases that Peter taught in his preaching were:

• Present Jesus as the messiah, the son of God
• The resurrection of Jesus
• Announce the second coming of Jesus

The church had 120 faithful who, based on their own testimony, announced the gospel, bringing other faithful closer to the feet of Jesus. There was no difference between the apostles and the faithful or laity, they all had the call as the body of Christ to preach the gospel. An example of this is Esteban, who, being one of the faithful, preached the gospel.

The church of this time was virtuous in terms of love, union, joy and the concern to serve the most needy faithful. But they had something that God did not like and that was that they lacked missionary diligence. Given this and despite the fact that God always supported all members of the church with prodigies and miracles. He also allowed persecution to take place against them, which caused the faithful to flee to other regions and with them spread the gospel wherever they went.

The expansion of the church (35 – 50 AD)

When the Christian church began to expand outside the borders of Jerusalem and for fifteen years, the controversy arose among the congregants as to whether or not the church should be exclusively for the Jewish people. This debate between conservatives and progressives was resolved in what was called the Council of Jerusalem in the year 50 after Christ.

After this council, the Christian church had established itself in Asia Minor, Syria and entered the territories of Europe.

At the beginning of this fifteen-year period, the apostles had remained in Jerusalem, and they chose seven laymen from among those who remained in the city to manage the church's funds for the poor.

One of the seven laymen was Esteban. Who would be the first martyr of the Christian faith for his preaching that the gospel should spread to the whole world. Stephen was stoned by an angry mob, which included a Jewish Pharisee and leading Christian persecutor named Saul of Tarsus. Who later he would be one of the most faithful men to the cause of the gospel, after being called by the risen Jesus himself, becoming the apostle Paul.

Another of the seven named by the apostles was Philip, who later had to flee because of the persecution, taking refuge in the region of Samaria. The Samaritans were a people who had mixed with other cultures and for this they were despised by the pure caste Jews. More, however, Philip preached the gospel to the Samaritans. He shared the same opinion as Stephen and established the Christian church in Samaria with the approval of Peter and John, apostles of Christ. This was the first church founded in Gentile territory.

The first churches outside of Jerusalem

In addition to the church in Samaria, Philip continued to preach and continued to establish Christian churches with converted Jews in cities such as Caesarea Philippi, Gaza, and Joppa. All considered at the time as Gentile cities, but also inhabited by a significant number of Jewish people. In this way it is that the non-Jewish people, that is, the gentiles listen and relate to the gospel of Jesus.

The apostle Peter entered all these churches to impart Christian teachings. It is during these times that he has a vision of the large canvas with different types of animals and where he hears a voice saying:

-What God has purified, do not call it impure-

(Acts 10:9-19)

Peter has the vision while staying at the house of Simon the tanner, a job that was considered impure by the Jews (Acts 10:6). Therefore Peter preaches in Caesarea in the house of the Roman official named Cornelius, an occasion where the Holy Spirit comes on all those present in the same way as on the day of Pentecost. With all this God gives Peter the revelation that he must preach the Gospel also to the Gentiles.

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus during his trip to Damascus was of great relevance for people to know Christ through his testimony. The testimony of a persecutor turned into one of the most faithful followers of Christ, the apostle Paul.

After the dispersion of believers from Jerusalem to other cities, some of them reached cities in Syria such as Damascus and Antioch. Cities where they preached giving testimony of Jesus even in the Jewish synagogues. Separate spaces were set aside in these synagogues for Gentiles who embraced the Christian faith, Jesus' message of salvation. Coming to worship in the same place Jews and Gentiles. When the apostles found out in Jerusalem, they were disturbed and commissioned Barnabas so that he would bring information about what was happening with the church of Antioch in Syria.

Later Barnabas returns for the apostle Paul and travels again with him to Antioch. These two leaders of Christianity go on other mission trips together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and authorized by the elders of the congregation. These trips were intended to establish teachings on Christian doctrine and faith in the churches of the regions they visited.

They carried the gospel message to Jews and Gentiles, they visited synagogues where they found Gentiles fearing God and attracted them to Christ. They met with the Christian churches and appointed their elders.

The church among the Gentiles (50 – 68 AD)

After the council of Jerusalem in the year 50, the universal church of Christ began to spread the gospel of Jesus without distinction of race. The testimonies that we have of this specific period can be found in the book of the Acts of the apostles, the epistles of Paul and the first epistle of Peter.

In these writings it can be seen that more and more faithful Gentile believers, as well as Jews who adopted the faith of Christ, were drawing closer to the cause of Christ. What caused hatred among the Jewish people, who provoked and persecuted Christians.

Three characters in the history of the Christian church stand out at this time:

-Peter the apostle, one of the pillars of the church and who died martyred in Rome in the year 67 after Christ.

-James, pillar of the church in Jerusalem and of the Jews converted to Christianity. This apostle wrote the epistle of Santiago of the New Testament. He dies during the year 62 after Christ, being assassinated inside the temple.

-And Paul, missionary traveler, useful instrument of God, an apostle who founded several churches and established among them teachings on theology and Christian doctrine. Thirteen of the 28 chapters of the book of Acts talk about the work of the apostle Paul. In addition, this apostle was an influence and opening of the gospel of Christ in cities of Europe.

Paul's ministry had great influence in the seven churches of Asia. Which were founded directly or indirectly by this apostle.

In short, Paul was imprisoned for more than five years, in Jerusalem, Caesarea and Rome. Even when Pablo was in prison, he did not stop being a missionary. He took every opportunity to preach the gospel of Christ. Pablo dies beheaded in Rome in the year 68 after Christ.

By the 50th year of the Christian era, nothing of the New Testament had yet been written. The gospel of Jesus was transmitted and taught from the testimonies of his first disciples. By the year 68, part of the New Testament texts were found among Christians, such as: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the epistles of Paul, James, First Peter and probably Second Peter.

The dark age (68 – 100 AD)

This period in the history of the Christian church is called the dark age, in a way because of the persecution that the church was suffering. But also because nothing is written about this part of history, nor is anything known about it. After Paul's death, the fate of the apostle's companions and assistants is unknown. As are Timothy, Titus, Apollos and other friends of Paul.

It is only until the year 120 after Christ that there are records of a primitive generation of the church that also appears totally different.

Around the year 66 after Christ, the Jews rebel against the government of the Roman Empire, with no chance of victory. In the year 70 occurs the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple already prophesied by Jesus. The Jews had the belief by their way of interpreting the old testament that they were destined to rule the world. However, the Romans attacked them. The Jewish nation after thirteen centuries of existence, is finally destroyed. Until its restoration in 1948 in a treaty established by the UN.

In the year 90 after Christ, the persecution by Rome of the Christian church continued. The apostle John is imprisoned in Ephesus and transferred to the Greek island of Patmos. During this time the apostle receives the revelation and writes the book of Revelation. It is believed that perhaps the apostle John died during the year 100 after Christ.

Seventy years after the Christian church was formed, there had been three generations of Christians. Churches were established in many countries and cities ringed between the Tiber and Euphrates rivers. As well as between the Black Sea and the northern part of Africa. Most probably also in Spain and Great Britain.

In a letter written by Pliny to the emperor Trajan dating from the year 112 after Christ, he says that Christians numbered in the millions. Churches were spread everywhere, while the temples of the pagan gods were abandoned. Both nobles and slaves attended Christian churches, and all received equal treatment.

No successor reference

Of the twelve apostles for this period the only survivor was John. There is no written testimony about successors of the first disciples. In the records that appear around the year 120, some apostles are mentioned. The titles of elders or presbyters and bishops, already from the book of Acts and in the epistles, referred to the fact that they could be exercised indistinctly by the same person. But in the new records the bishop appears with a superior authority to that of the elders, this representing the beginning of the ecclesiastical system in the church. Similarly, in the texts from the time of the apostles, deacons were already appointed as representatives of the church.

The religious worship of the Christian church comes from that which the Jews did in the synagogues. In this cult there were readings of biblical texts from the Old Testament, apostolic letters and the Gospels. They were sung along with biblical psalms and other Christian praise songs. Church members prayed with the faithful and visitors to then partake of the Lord's Supper.

Christian Church History – Period of Persecution

The Christian church was always the target of imperial persecution, although these were not continuously in succession emperors in power in Rome. Some emperors were more intense in their anger against the Christians, others persecuted them in a very light way, just as some were unimportant to them. In the same way, the causes for which they were persecuted were different from one emperor to another.

One of these causes was that the Christians rejected the forms of worship of the pagan people. The Roman people erected temples to worship statues of gods from foreign nations, out of underhand economic interest. They made the visitor feel at home and in return they obtained economic benefits. That is what Rome wanted to do with the Christians and they tried to place a statue of Christ in a temple, which was rejected by the Christians.

Another cause of Roman anger against Christians was that they refused to worship the emperor in power. Of which the Romans made statues to which they offered incense as if he were a God.

Also for the Romans the praises and adoration that the Christians did for a certain King Jesus was cause for anger, for which they accused them of being conspirators. They did not like at all the meetings that Christians held in underground caves and grottoes, accusing them of performing strange rites, as is the case of the Lord's cessation.

Although in the early years the empire accepted the Jewish religion and this protected Christians a little. After the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, the extermination and enslavement of Jews carried out in the year 70 after Christ; the Christians became exposed again to the hatred of the Romans.

The imperial persecutions (100 – 313 AD)

The Romans said that Christians behaved like revolutionaries, due to the equality of classes that they managed within the church. As revolutionaries they also considered them contrary to their government. Therefore, within the empire, professing the Christian religion was prohibited. Whoever professed it ran the risk of being banished.

Nero and Domitian, the emperors of the first century of the Christian era (68-86), were promoters of great hatred against Christians and the outbreak of great persecutions.

Later, in the period between the year 110 and 313 after Christ, successive attempts were made to eradicate the Christian church. In that period, several emperors succeeded each other in the power of Rome who were persecutors of Christians, of these, some were also considered by Rome as excellent emperors. As is the case of the emperors Trajan (year 117 AD) and Marcus Aurelius (year 165 AD).

In these times, when Christians were exposed to charges and they did not retract, the law that was death was applied to them. Among the Christians who were martyred during that time are:

• Simeon successor of James as bishop of Jerusalem, this martyr was crucified in the year 107 AD
• Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, condemned and thrown to wild beasts approximately AD 108 or 110
• Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, was executed at the stake, being burned alive. The Romans demanded that he curse the name of Jesus Christ, to which the bishop replied:

-86 years I have served him and everything he has done to me is good, how could I curse him? If it is my Lord and Savior!

• Justin, philosopher and one of the first Christian apologists, defender of the faith. He wrote several texts that still survive. He was martyred by order of Marcus Aurelius in Rome in 166 AD.

Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161 – 180 AD)

Emperor Marcus Aurelius was considered by Rome to be the best of emperors, and also a renowned writer on ethics. In the ancient capital of the Roman Empire, an equestrian statue is erected in memory of this emperor. But in addition, Marcus Aurelius was a great persecutor and harsh against the Christians. During his period of power in Rome, thousands of executions of Christians were carried out, who died with their throats cut or in Roman circuses.

Septimius Severus (193 – 211 AD)

After Marcus Aurelius there was a period of confusion in the Roman Empire. So the emperors who passed through the power of Rome did not give importance to the Christian church. Paying his attention to his own affairs of state, pleasures, etc. Until the arrival of Septimius Severus in the year 202 AD This emperor terribly attacked the Christian church, coming to be considered the antichrist. Christian persecution of him continued until AD 212, after Rome tried to revive the old religions.

The most severe persecutions of Septimius took place in Egypt and North Africa. Among the Christian martyrs who died executed by Severus are:

• Leonidas, father of the theologian Origen, was beheaded in Alexandria in 203 AD.
• Perpetua and a slave of hers named Felícita. Both women died thrown to the beasts.

Later and for a period of forty years, the Christian church passed into oblivion, without suffering persecution. During the time of Emperor Caracalla of the Severan dynasty, between 211 and 217, citizenship was ratified as a benefit for Christians. Another distinction was that only Christians in slave status could be crucified or thrown to wild beasts.

Emperor Decius (249 – 251 AD)

With Emperor Decius, Christian persecution resumes, only for a short time. After this emperor, the Christians lived a period of calm for about fifty years. However, some isolated periods of persecution occurred. As is the case in the year 257 AD, when Cipriano the bishop of Carthage dies. Cipriano was also a well-known writer and leader of the Christian church of the time, as well as the Sixth Roman bishop.

Diocletian (284 – 305 AD)

With the power of Rome in the hands of the emperor Diocletian and then in his successors until the year 310 AD, the Christians lived through the most terrible and relentless of persecutions. These rulers enacted ordinances that mandated the burning of Bibles. Believers were burned alive inside churches. They tore down churches throughout the empire. If the Christian did not renounce his faith, his citizenship was abolished.

Emperor Diocletian's successors kept Christian persecution going for another six years. Even Constantine I promulgated a Decree of Tolerance in the year 313 AD, ceasing all persecution. Constantine I was the first Roman emperor to legalize Christian worship, in addition to adopting Christianity to replace the paganism that Rome had been professing with its gods.

church organization

It starts from the edict of Milan decreed by Constantine I, the organization of the Christian church. During this period, the New Testament of the Bible was structured, the development of the ecclesiastical organization began, and a doctrine different from that of the early Christian church was implemented.

Even when the church had been experiencing great persecution, the Christian community had been experiencing progress in its organization. For one thing, the New Testament texts were probably completed around AD 110.

Similarly, some of these biblical texts were the cause of controversy regarding the inspiration of their writings. The members of the church in the East, for example, did not accept as God-inspired scripture the letters of Hebrews, James, the second letter of Peter and the apocalyptic text written by the apostle John. Contrary case with the Christian church of the West that if they accepted these texts as biblical writing of the New Testament.

On the other hand, in the eastern church they read other texts that for them were part of the Bible. Such as the book of Hermas, the letter of Barnabas, the twelve apostles and the apocalyptic book of Peter. The New Testament of the Bible was defined around the year 300 after Christ. According to the election of the churches and later confirmed by the council of presbyters, the full recognition of the New Testament of the Bible was then given.

church leaders

In the early Christian church, a zeal and respect was maintained for the apostles. Because these are the founders chosen by Jesus himself, as well as having received the anointing of divine inspiration. Due to all this, the apostles represented the leadership or authority of the church and were the ones who maintained control of it. During the period of the apostolic church, a faithful Christian could hold various positions at the same time, being able to be bishop, elder or priest.

But for this period and from the year 125 after Christ, the church acquired another form of organization. The bishops became the authority over their own diocese, exercising a style of government in it, with presbyters and deacons under their charge.

Later, from the year 150 after Christ, the bishops already had the authority to establish the laws and celebrate the councils. These changes regarding the organization of the church, could have been because of the persecutions, or because of the great growth and expansion of the church. An expansion that reached the borders of India and the region of Parthia, in northeastern Iran. The fact that heretical groups or sects were forming within the church also led to the need to establish an authority that would be in charge of applying doctrines of faith.

development of church government

The fact that the church lived under the norms established by the government of the Roman empire, made Christianity develop a government for the church in the same way. Changes in doctrine were initiated for that time. For example, in the times of the primitive church, the believer surrendered his will to that of Christ, moved by faith from the heart. The believer had the revelation and conviction that by believing in Christ, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in him.

From the establishment of the government in the church the believer was no longer moved by a spiritual faith but rather by a faith based on the intellect and reason. The church then assumes a rigid organizational system, thereby losing its sense of spirituality. Although there were still many servants who were ministered by the Holy Spirit.

In this period of the Christian church several theologians and schools of theology arose, such as:

• The school in Alexandria founded in AD 180 by Pantenus, an intensely believing philosopher
• Clement of Alexandria (150 – 215 AD), some of his books by this theologian still exist
• Origen (185 – 254 AD) one of the ablest expositors of theology, taught and wrote on many subjects. In all of them he showed mastery of knowledge and intellectual capacity.
• The school in Asia Minor
• Irenaeus, a great representative of the church, was martyred in about 200 AD
• The North African school located in Carthage, noted for the highly intellectual group of theologians in it, who shaped the theological thought of Europe. Outstanding of these theologians: Tertullian (160 – 220 AD) and Cyprian (258 AD)

Development of sects and heresies

The development and advances of theology in the Christian church gave rise to the formation of heretical sects and groups. In these times the church had a large majority of faithful and mystical Greeks from Asia Minor. These cultures established opinions and theories contrary to the scriptures. Of these groups there were three main:

• Gnostics
• Manichaeans
• Montanists

In the period of persecution, the church remained without correction, since those who opposed the Christian faith departed. As the word says, the tares were separated from the wheat. During this age the church was organized into a doctrine and system, like an army under a government.

History of the Christian Church – Imperial Period

This period of the Christian church (313 - 476 AD) from the point of view of the cessation of persecution can be considered as a time of Christian victory. Christianity in this period becomes the official church of the Roman Empire, becoming the Christian imperial church.

After the resignation of the terrible Emperor Diocletian in 305 AD, Emperor Constantine emerged a few years later, a man who, despite not being a believer, was friendly with Christians. His kind character with them was due to the fact that according to him he had experienced a vision, where in the sky there was a luminous cross that said "By this sign you will win". I use this expression as the famous motto of his army.

In 313 AD Constantine decrees the Edict of Milan with which he puts an end to Christian persecution. Later in the year 323, Constantine is elevated to the position of supreme emperor. In this position he legalizes Christianity becoming the official state religion

Constantine was not always benevolent, he usually acted justly, but on occasion he acted cruelly and tyrannically. Just moments before his death he was baptized into the Christian faith.

With Constantine in power in the empire, an era of tranquility began for the Christian church. There were no more persecutions or executions.

The restoration and construction of new temples

The task of restoring and opening Christian places of worship began. Even in places where temples had been demolished, they were built again, with the cities providing the resources for it.

The new temples built were made with the design of bearing the name of Roman basilica or court hall. The building design consisted of a rectangular space divided by rows of columns, forming corridors between the rows. At one end of the rectangle was erected a platform in the shape of a semicircle, destined for the seats of the clerics.

Constantine was the one who led to the construction of great Christian temples in cities such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Constantinople. The latter named after his name and where he established the new capital of the Roman Empire.

Two generations after all these constructions, they began to worship images within these temples. In the imperial church the temples were maintained with donations from the public treasury. Part of these donations were destined for the support of bishops, ministers and other officials of the church. Giving this rise to a dubious benefit of the State towards the church.

In the same way, the State granted the church some privileges, such as not being obliged to pay contributions. The complaints against the Christian church were resolved in trials that were made in the ecclesiastical courts.

Constantine being in power promulgated a decree prohibiting execution by crucifixion. And he went on to use the symbol of the cross as the insignia of his government.

The Christian Church as State Religion

The Christian church as the state religion caused the tares to be mixed with the wheat. For the interest of appearing politically and economically, people wanted to be a member of the church. It did not matter if they were actually true believers in Christ Jesus. Hypocritical, ambitious and/or unscrupulous people began to participate in Christian cults, motivated by personal interests.

Christian morality declined greatly, forming a very large abyss between what was the early church of great foundations. In religious cults there was no true and sincere worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Pagan festivals were accepted as church festivals, thus turning its heart to Roman paganism.

In the year 405 AD, the Christian church introduced images of saints and martyrs in the temples. Forgetting the commandment given by God to Moses in Exodus 20:3-4. In order to please the Roman paganism of worshiping their pagan goddesses of Venus and Diana, these female images were replaced by images apparently of the Virgin Mary, in order to convince the Christian faithful that they were worshiping the mother of Jesus. .

The Lord's Supper that the Christian made in memory of Jesus, became a sacrificial rite. The figure of the old man as preacher and minister of the church became the figure of the priest. With all this, the Christian church threw overboard the mission given by Jesus to his disciples in the great commission from which his history began. The Christians were not transforming the world, on the contrary they accepted that it was the world that governed the church.

The fruits of the spirit that were supposed to spring from a life transformed through Christ were replaced by ambition, pride, power and arrogance.

The division of the church

By establishing the relationship between the state and Christianity, it also caused a rupture between the Eastern Church and the Western Church. While the eastern church agreed to let itself be dominated by the state, the western church acted quite the opposite. The latter was gradually controlling the state.

However, in both the spirit of Christianity did not prevail. In these churches, a system of hierarchies had been established, influenced by corruption, becoming rather political organizations.

Foundation of Constantinople and Division of the empire

Constantine moved the capital of the empire from Rome to the Greek city of Byzantium, as it was a fortified place and had a natural geography with a great military strategy against invasions. He gave the capital the name of Constantinople, currently this city is Istanbul, the capital of Turkey. In the same way Constantine wanted to get away from the paganism of Rome, trying that the new capital was not contaminated with as many traditions as those of Rome.

Relations between the emperor and the bishop of the Christian church were very good. The State provided support to the church and, on the other hand, the church became a servant of the state. The humble and submissive character of the church members contributed to this situation.

In the year 375 AD, the division of the Roman Empire occurs, forming two independent empires. The Eastern empire, called Greek, and the Western empire, called Latin, were separated by the Adriatic Sea.

Even when Constantine eliminated the people from worshiping the image of the emperor, he did allow pagan worship in temples, thus showing himself tolerant of religions and supporting the conversion of his citizens through evangelization.

As emperor, Constantine suspended Rome's pagan title of pontifex maximus, or high priest. Which would later apply to all popes.

Constantine's successor emperors did not tolerate paganism. They applied dominant laws, transferred all donations to Christian temples. Constantine's son decreed the death penalty and confiscation of property for pagan idol worshippers.

At this time, some of the pagan temples were used as Christian churches, others were destroyed. By decree it was forbidden to say anything against the Christian religion.

birth of monasticism

At the dawn of the Middle Ages, the monastic spirit was born within the Christian church. It must be remembered that in the early church people lived as a family and its members participated in society in general. When Christianity became a state religion, frivolity among its members spread.

So the believers who wanted a life of spiritual growth, separated and formed groups. These groups devoted themselves to prayer and contemplative practices. This system of spiritual life originated in Egypt around 320 AD.

The person who started this way of life was Antonio, many later followed this path. Antonio decided to lead a life of simplicity, living in a cave in Egypt. He was known for his humility and purity of character. Soon these caves in northern Egypt were filled with his followers. And they were called anchorites, which means retirement. From these groups many other people adopted the same way of life.

The monastic movement spread more slowly in Europe. Where years later monasteries were established where prayer and work were united. The legal foundation under which the organization and direction of the monasteries would be governed, would be promulgated centuries later in the Law of Benedict of the year 529 AD.

Development of power in the church of Rome

The way the organization of the church developed was very similar to the government of the empire. Since the church thought that it should be governed in the same way. Starting from the beginning that the Roman Empire was a state ruled by an emperor who had absolute power.

From there the following arises, if the churches were already governed by the bishops, who then would govern the bishops? Which of the bishops should be appointed as head of all the bishops, called metropolitans or patriarchs. Which were the bishops of cities like Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople and Rome.

The rivalry between the cities of Constantinople and Rome began. The first had taken the title of capital of the world from Rome. On the other hand Rome over time was recovering prestige and power, therefore it demanded to rescue the title of capital. From the outset, the bishop of Rome designated himself as pope, father, and then left only the title of pope.

The disputes between the bishops of the five main cities to achieve ownership, became more and more frequent. In the end it was reached that the title should be defined between the bishops of Constantinople and Rome.

Rome's argument was that since the apostle Peter had been the first bishop of the city, Rome should hold the title of pope through Peter. In addition, the word Bishop meant to be a ruler of the clergy and of the church, in the same way they cited two verses from the Gospels as a basis for what they said, Matthew 16:13 and John 21:17.

In this way they said that all successor bishops in Rome should continue with the same authority.

Between Constantinople and Rome there was a lot of difference, on the one hand Rome formed the emperors. On the other hand, Constantinople was created by an emperor, therefore its nature was to be submissive to the order of the State.

Rome was controlled by the church, since it did not have an emperor in the entire region. The capital of the empire was far away, and the only authority its citizens recognized was the Roman pontiff.

Twenty-five years after Constantine's death in AD 337, the Roman empire that had stood for a thousand years disappeared from the world. However, as the Roman empire disappeared, the church prevailed with greater power and influence.

History of the Christian Church – Medieval Period

The period of the medieval church goes from 476 to 1453 after Christ, in it the progress of the papal power is developed. But also the growth, progress and decline were three stages that marked this historical period of the Christian church

Pope Gregory I was the one who started the papal boom and took on the task of converting pagan nations to Christianity through missions, one of which was sent to Great Britain. This pope was also the one who introduced the worship of images in the churches, in addition to the belief in purgatory and transubstantiation.

Gregory I was a pope who defended his title as universal bishop and great administrator, with power over the bishop of Constantinople. Similarly, the kingdoms of the world recognized the authority of the church as government. Because the church could apply justice, prevent tyrannies, protect the weak and assert the rights of the people.

For his part, the pope was condescending to the monarchies, even with the unbelievers, his interest was that it be a good government for the people. In order to maintain his authority, the pope made use of some false powers granted, since it was a time when no one questioned the word of a pope. Only until the XNUMXth century could the falsity of the documents be discovered:

-One where Constantine proclaimed the bishop of Rome over the emperors

-Some alleged provisions of the ancient bishops of Rome where they claimed the supremacy of the Roman bishop over the universal church and the independence of the church from the State. These provisions also stated that members of the clergy could not be tried by a civil court.

In this period of the history of the Christian church, Pope Gregory VII exercised the papacy between 1073 and 1085 and during his government in the church he achieved:

• Reform the corrupt clergy, which allowed the business of positions in the church after an economic benefit
• Lift the moral rules
• He established celibacy
• He eliminated the act of swearing in where the pope received the scepter and ring from the hands of the king or ruler after an oath of feudal loyalty.

Rise of Muslim power

In the medieval period of the history of the Christian church another religious power arises, the Muslim power. A doctrine that emerges from a man named Muhammad, who was born in Mecca in the year 570 after Christ. It was said that he was a prophet and preached the doctrine of Islam or submission to the will of God. His followers call themselves Muslims and are governed by the book of the Koran, which according to them contains the revelations that Muhammad received from the Angel Gabriel. Memoirs that were compiled and transcribed in the Koran after Muhammad's death in 632 AD. This doctrine recognizes the prophets of the Bible and the apostles of Jesus who lived before Muhammad. Except that for the Muslims, Mohammed is above any of them even above Jesus.

Starting the seventh century of the Christian era, Muhammad begins his pilgrimage preaching his message. When he began to have a group of followers, the persecution against the Muslims began, and Muhammad fled from Mecca in the year 622. Muhammad got all the Arab tribes to embrace his religion and recognize him as an authority. Muhammad manifests a change in aptitude to become a conquering warrior. He thus manages to conquer the territory of Palestine, Syria and provinces that had been under the rule of the Roman Empire, only Constantinople was left out of Muslim power.

A century after Muhammad's death, the Muslims had succeeded in conquering regions in the east between Persia and India. The Muslim doctrine and power established its capital in Baghdad, Iraq.

In the west, the Muslims had managed to conquer territories such as Egypt, North Africa and a large part of the territory of the Iberian Peninsula.

The Holy Roman Empire. Separation of the Latin and Greek churches

In the last years of the eighth century a character arises in the history of the Christian church known as Charlemagne. This man was a conqueror, legislator, reformer, and protector of the Roman church. This great conqueror managed to form a great empire that included much of Western Europe, northern Spain, France, the Netherlands, Australia and Italy.

At the end of the year 800 AD, he was crowned as Carlos Augusto emperor of Rome by Pope Leo III. During Charlemagne's rule, Europe was officially defined as the Holy Roman Empire.

Charlemagne reigned with power and wisdom, despite the mismanagement of his descendant, Louis I, the only surviving son. Just as the progress of other nations managed to curb the power of the Holy Roman Empire or Germanic as it was incorrectly called west of the Rhine.

Those progressive and independent nations recognized the figure of the emperor, but they did not obey him.

Subsequently, a power struggle began between the papacy and the emperors that continued until the arrival of the reform. With the result of the separation of the church from the state.

In the XNUMXth century, the separation of the Latin and Greek churches became official, but a struggle between popes and patriarchs continued for a century later.

The struggle between the Latin and Greek churches was on many occasions of a violent nature with features of controversy and relentless persecution that even spilled blood. The doctrine that separated both churches was that:

The Latin church maintained that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, while the Greek said that it proceeded only from the Father.

But the main cause of the separation of the churches was the matter of the demand of Rome to be the ruling church and that the pope should be the universal bishop.

The Crusades

Before the rise of Muslim governments, pilgrimages by the Christian people to the holy land in the territory of Palestine were customary. When the Muslim governments arrived in Palestine, they did not oppose the pilgrimages. But later the robbery, assault and death of the pilgrims began to happen, so the Emperor Alexius of the Eastern Empire requested help from Pope Urban II and the desire to liberate the Holy Land from Muslim rule was born in Europe. That's when the crusades are born

The first crusade was organized in 1095 AD by order of Pope Urban II. The crusade was made up of warriors from all over Europe who were called knights. These carried the cross on their clothing and banners as a badge. The first organized crusade had 275 knights and was led by Godfrey de Bouillon. This first crusade manages to take Jerusalem and Palestine in 1099, Godofredo is appointed Baron Protector of the Holy Sepulchre.

Then there were successive crusades in the face of threats against the kingdom of Jerusalem that they lost to remain under the rule of the Saracens. Although in a third crusade organized between 1189 and 1191, the domain of the Holy Land could not be rescued, King Richard the Lionheart of England managed to agree with Saladito, ruler of the Saracens. So that Christians would not be disturbed on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The fourth crusade is organized between 1201 and 1204 AD in order to dominate the city of Constantinople. Objective that what they achieve, they loot the city and place a government that lasted for 50 years.

In 1244 AD the Muslims took control of Jerusalem from the Saracens and since then it has been under their power. Later, in December 1917, the city of Jerusalem passed to the power of the British army.

During this period all war with objectives for the church was given the name of crusade, even when it was carried out in Christian territories and against heretics. The reasons for the defeats of the crusades in the attempt to liberate the Holy Land, was the lack of union in the kings and principalities. Each moved by their own interests.

The progress of monasticism

In relation to monasticism and after its organization, four monastic orders stood out.

-The order of the Benedictines, founded by Benedictine in 529 AD It was the largest of the monastic communities in Europe. These monks promoted the Christianization and civilization of northern Europe. They defended: Obeying the superior of the monastery, not owning property and chastity. -Cistercian Order, founded by Robert in 1098, in Citeaux France. This monastic community was formed to reinforce the Benedictine behavior that was becoming vitiated.

-The Franciscan Order, founded by Francis of Assisi in 1209 in Italy. This was the most numerous of all orders. It was present throughout Europe.

-Order of the Dominicans, founded by the monk Domingo in Spain in the year 1215. This order spread throughout Europe. They were preaching friars, they strengthened the faith of the believers. They fought heresy.

Monastic orders were also given to women similar to that of men. Monasteries throughout the European continent had libraries where ancient works of literature, both classical and Christian, are preserved. There the monks copied books and wrote about famous people of the time, memories of their time and stories from the past.

The writings of the monasteries in the Middle Ages were of great wealth for history. The monks were the teachers of the monasteries, from which the universities and schools were born. They were also missionaries and contributed to the expansion of the gospel to other continents.

The downside of monasticism

The monasticism was corrupted by the growth of its riches, being an indiscipline and immorality. The monasteries became places of iniquity. Each new order that was born sought to reform but in the end they reached the lowest levels.

At first the monasteries were maintained by their own jobs and trades. But time later they began to support themselves from the contributions that the rich families gave.

When the Reformation began in the XNUMXth century, the monasteries of northern Europe were suppressed and the monks forced to work for their livelihood.

During these times almost all the universities governed by ecclesiastics arise. beginnings of

History of the Christian Church – Reformation Period

The period of the history of the reformed Christian church takes place between the year 1453 and 1648, after the reform started in Germany. This reform would later spread through northern Europe to the rest of the world. The reform movement born in Germany gave rise to a multitude of churches that were not faithful to Rome or its pope.

The character who started the reform movement was the monk and university professor Martin Luther. What gave rise to Luther to start his movement was the indignation caused by the fact that Pope Leo X, began in the year 1517 the sale of certificates that according to him gave salvation to those who acquired them. And the funds raised from the sale of certificates would be used to build the temple of San Pedro in Rome.

After this audacity of the Pope, Martin Luther writes a statement setting a position against and bases his statement on the scriptures. The declaration contained 95 reasons to contradict the sale of indulgences, and once they were written, Martín nailed them to the door of the university where he was a professor.

Soon Luther's statement spread throughout Germany and the pope, upon learning of it, excommunicated him and ordered him to be arrested and handed over to Rome. The State takes the position of protecting Luther. From there the former monk resigns from the Roman Catholic Church.

Luther remains locked in Wastburg Castle in Thuringia for about a year, where he translates the New Testament into German, and then does the same with the Old Testament. He then returns to the University of Wittenberg and continues with the Reformation movement.

The southern princes rejected Luther's reform and remained faithful to Rome. On the other hand the northern monarchy, almost all accepted and followed Luther's reform movement.

In 1529 a meeting was held in Spain that sought to reconcile the reformers with the Catholics. But most of the attending rulers were Catholics, they did not allow Luther to impart his teachings in countries where Lutherans were a minority. But also where the Lutherans were the majority if Catholic teaching was allowed. To these disproportionate conditions, the response of the Lutherans was one of protest. From that moment the reformists are known as Protestants.

The Reformation in other countries

Luther's reformist movement begins to expand through the countries of northern Europe, who accepted it. Upon arrival in Italy and Spain it is rejected, in France and the Netherlands they were not clearly defined. Later, the reformist movement gained momentum with John Calvin, one of the most prominent theologians. Calvin published in 1526 a book called The Institutions of the Catholic Religion. Which would become the norms of the doctrine of the protestant movement.

After this the countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway finally embrace Luther's reform movement.

On the other hand, and before the reformist movement of Luther, in 1512 in France there was another reformer. This was Jacobo Lefevre who wrote Justification by Faith, this man had the same vision as the reformist Luther.

For his part, in England there was another reformist leader William Tyndale, this man translated the New Testament into English, which was the first version of the Bible in that language.

The reform movement in Scotland was led by John Knox in 1559, who founded the Presbyterian Church.

At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the only Christian church that existed was that of Rome. However, by the end of that century, both in Europe and in eastern Russia, other Christian churches already existed. Although there were organizational and doctrinal differences between these churches, they maintained five fundamental theses in common:

1. The church had to be founded on the Scriptures: The Catholic church set aside the Bible to impose its authority. The faithful did not have access to read the Bible, it was forbidden to translate it into a language other than Latin. The Reformation rescued the Bible, its teachings were the authority and were accessible to the people.
2. Second, they established that religion had to be rational and wise.
3. The relationship with God is personal. The Catholic Church had placed the priest between God and the believer.
4. Fourth, they all agreed on a spiritual religion
5. They referred to a national non-world church, churches independent of the state and of Rome

The Counter Reformation

The decline of the authority of the Catholic Church in much of Europe, led to this to reorganize. He set himself the task of finding strategies to disrupt the Protestant faith in order to stop its expansion. Then the counter-reformation was born, its discussion began in the council of 1545, with Paul III as pope.

The debate over the counter-reformation lasted 20 years, a period in which four popes succeeded each other from 1545 to 1563. During those 20 years, conservative reforms were carried out that allowed establishing the doctrinal bases of the church. The monastic order of the Jesuits was of great influence for the Counter-Reformation. This order, founded in 1534, was characterized by strict discipline, fidelity to the church and the monastery, as well as deep religious devotion.

Another strategy used by the Counter-Reformation was the active persecution against the Protestants, they used the sword, torture, and the stake. As is the case with the Inquisition in Spain and France, the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre.

The Jesuit order was very influential in the conversion of the peoples of South America, Mexico and part of Canada, also in India and surrounding countries, through their missionary journeys.

In 1618 the Thirty Years' War began with the participation of almost all the countries of Europe. This war brought a lot of suffering that lasted a whole generation in Germany. End Initially, this war was caused by the political-religious conflict between States related to the reform and those of the counter-reformation within the Holy Roman Empire itself. Later, with the intervention of different European powers, he gradually turned the conflict into a general war throughout Europe.

Christian Church History – Modern Church Period

This period began from the year 1948 from the reformist movements of the Christian church to the present times. During all those years many movements and doctrinal groups arose. But there were five movements that since the reform evolved and created the Christian churches in European countries such as England and Germany, the United States in America and from these countries to the entire world.

puritan movement

A radical and strict movement based on the doctrine of the churches of Geneva and Scotland. The Puritan movement contained within it two currents:

• One who was in favor of the Presbyterian system
• The current that sought for each church to be independent

The last of these currents was the most radical and they were called independent or congregationalists. Although they were against the Anglican system, they remained members of the English Church.

Methodist movement

Within this movement three preachers of great spiritual sense stand out: Juan Wesley, Carlos Wesley and Jorge Whitefield. John Wesley affirmed that every believer must have an internal spiritual knowledge, to be able to give a testimony of the Spirit. The followers of these men were called Methodists and in England they were called Wesleyan Methodists.

rationalist movement

Within the reform movement, the right was allowed for each person to make his own judgment regarding religion, what he thought of the Bible and the authority of the church. Some students then emerged who called themselves rationalists, who said that the Bible should be interpreted more with reason than with the spiritual and that it should not be considered as a supernatural book.

Anglo-Catholic movement

This is a movement that represents people with beliefs and practices that are based on Anglicanism emphasizing their Catholic heritage and identity from the Anglican churches. This movement arose at the University of Oxford in London in 1875, and what it sought was to separate the Church of England from the Protestant reform movement. And return it to the early Christian church of great faith, testimony, united in one spirit and of deep self-sacrificing interest.

modern missionary movement

The gospel of Jesus today can be heard in Christian churches that preach the truth of the scriptures, in Christian schools, universities, hospitals, and any institution. This great expansion of the gospel throughout the world has been achieved thanks to men and women who decided to undertake the work of a modern missionary movement following the order given by Jesus in the great commission.