CONSTANTINE

Constantine The spread of Christianity

Constantine The spread of Christianity

Introduction

Christianity started in present day Israel with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem of Galilee. Jesus was the legal son of Joseph and Mary. The Christian belief states that an angel came to Mary, a virgin, and explained to her that she would birth the son of god. Her betrothed, Joseph the Carpenter was too poor to afford housing because the Jews had to pay taxes to the Roman Governor. Some Christians believe that Jesus Christ was born in a cave near a stable. Others believe that he was born in a horse manger after a hotel clerk turned the family away on the eve of Jesus birth.

The New Testament holds that Jesus birth was heralded by divine signs and wonders. Guided by the words of an angel, foreign shepherds came and knelt in adoration before the holy child of god, born by Mary, who lay in the manger.(Shelley,1996)

Discussion

As Jesus Christ entered into adulthood, Christians believe that he began to exhibit his divinity and his purpose for the salvation of the human race. Jesus was observed performing many miracles including waking the dead and healing the sick. Many people began to believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and the son of God. In addition, after years of oppression by the Romans and severe hardships endured by the Jews, the population began to look at Christ as the answer to their troubles and not only as the spiritual savior but also the physical one. This was a natural progression for the majority of the Jews whose belief system had already planted in them the idea of the Messiah. Consequently, Christianity began as a small sect of Judaism.

John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River where again Gods blessings in the form of the Holy Spirit were publicly bestowed upon Jesus. It is believed that in order to prepare himself for his ministry, Jesus went into the wilderness. For 40 days and 40 nights he fasted and prayed, struggling with temptation and also later providing guidance for his followers. Christians emulate Jesus? lifestyle and follow his example in conquering temptation and fighting the devil. After his return from the wilderness Jesus gathered together 12 disciples who believed that he was Christ, and would help Jesus spread his message of religious reform and divine love. Jesus and his 12 disciples wandered through the settlements in Galilee and the surrounding countryside preaching and calling on people to believe in Jesus and his message.(MacCulloch,2010) A noteworthy number of common people welcomed Jesus because of his healing powers, his ability to teach through parables, and his message that every person could be saved. Unlike some aspects of the Jewish faith that segregated the population and favored the clergy over the common man, Jesus teachings appealed to the masses because of their simplicity and focus on love and spirituality rather than a strict adherence to rigid ...