Origin and Evolution of Christianity Research Paper

Origin and Evolution of Christianity - Research Paper Example Aspects of Christianity such as religious beliefs had been in existence even before the birth of Christ. The Old Testament, which was written before the birth of Christ has several prophecies on coming of Messiah whom Christians believe, is Christ. The history of Christian teachings became clearly spelt from the first century and is recorded in the New Testament. Christianity borrowed heavily from Judaism and other pagan concepts. A feature such as observation of Sunday as the Sabbath day was borrowed from non-Christian Romans while Christmas concepts were borrowed from Babylonians. Temples previously used by pagans were also turned into Christian places of worship referred to as churches. Christianity is currently the largest worldwide religion that is based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ who is believed to be the son of God. This paper focuses on the origin and history of Christianity and lays emphasis on Catholicism and Protestantism, which are the major Christian groupings. Non-Christians first used the term Christians as a form of mockery to refer to followers of Jesus in Antioch. Descriptions of the early church are recorded in the gospel and epistles within the New Testament. The life and teachings of Jesus are also recorded in the New Testament while the prophecy of His birth is recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible, a book used by Christians for spiritual guidance. Jesus of Nazareth is believed to be the pioneer of Christianity. However, Jesus’ disciples and other followers such as Mark and Paul established concrete Christianity. Paul prayed a vital role in establishing the basis of Christianity and he preached not only to Jews but also to Non-Jews.... Factors leading to the split were related to theological disputes especially on doctrinal issues. The major three groupings include Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. The Early Church The early Christian church comprised of Jewish Christians who followed Judaism and the Hellenistic Christians who were liberal and were not strict observers of Judaic laws. Early Christianity can be divided into apostolic period and the post-apostolic period. The early church greatly followed Jewish traditions. Circumcision was considered a prerequisite for gentiles to be accepted into Christianity. However, the early Christians disagreed on aspects such as the nature of Jesus and on whether to follow Mosaic laws (Jackson Web; Esler 22-25). Apostolic Period The apostolic period was the time that followed Jesus’ death. The Christian Church in this period was referred to as the apostolic church and was led by Jesus’ apostles and relatives who were fundamentally Jews. Je sus was also a Jew and had started a ministry of teaching and performing miracles at the age of thirty after his baptism by John the Baptist. After His death, the apostles continued with his work. He travelled throughout Judea preaching in synagogues, which made him to be referred to as a teacher (Ahmad Web). While doing his ministerial work, Jesus chose twelve disciples to assist Him in His teachings. The Disciples followed His teaching strictly, as they believed that He was the Messiah prophesied about in the Old Testament. During His ministry, several people became His followers, which frightened the Jewish political readers. He worked for three years after which the Romans who were