Editing History of Christianity (section)

=== First century ===
{{Main|Christianity in the 1st century}}
{{Further|Chronology of Jesus|Historical Jesus}}
[[File:Cristo crucificado.jpg|thumb|alt=image of Jesus hanging on a cross, crucified|[[Christ Crucified (Velázquez)|''Christ Crucified'']], by [[Diego Velázquez]] {{c.|1632|lk=no}}, depicting the [[crucifixion of Jesus]]]]
[[Christianity]] began with [[Jesus|Jesus of Nazareth]], a Jewish man and itinerant preacher in Galilee and the [[Roman province of Judea]] during the first century.{{sfn|Wilken|2013|pp=6–16}}{{sfn|Young|2006|p=1}} Much about Jesus is uncertain, but [[Crucifixion of Jesus|his crucifixion]] {{circa|30}} is well attested.{{sfn|Young|2006|p=24}}{{sfn|Law|2011|p=129}}{{sfn|Köstenberger|Kellum|Quarles|2009|p=114-115}} The religious, social, and political climate in both regions was extremely diverse and characterized by turmoil with numerous religious and political movements.{{sfn|Wilken|2013|pp=6–16}}{{sfn|Schwartz|2009|pp=49, 91}}{{sfn|Young|2006|p=25}} One such movement, [[Jewish messianism]], promised a [[Messiah in Judaism|messianic redeemer]] descended from Israel's ancient king, [[King David|David]], who would save Israel. Those who followed Jesus, called [[Disciple (Christianity)|disciples]], saw him as that Messiah.{{sfn|Wilken|2013|pp=8, 26}}{{sfn|Young|2006|pp=2, 24-25}}{{sfn|Uthemann|2007|p=460}}

Jesus was a [[Prophets in Judaism|prophetic]] figure who proclaimed an [[Eschatology|"end-of-the-world" eschatological]] message of the coming [[Kingdom of God (Christianity)|kingdom of God]].{{sfn|Broadhead|2017|pp=123, 124}} [[Incarnation]], the belief that God (or the Word of God) was embodied in Jesus,{{sfn|Uthemann|2007|p=460}}{{sfn|Young|2006|p=34}} and [[resurrection]], the belief that after his crucifixion, he [[Resurrection of Jesus|rose from the dead]],{{sfn|Wilken|2013|pp=6–16}}{{sfn|Young|2006|p=11}} were Christianity's earliest beliefs.{{sfn|Dunn|1994|pp=253-254, 256}}{{sfn|Uthemann|2007|p=460}} Its earliest rituals were [[baptism]], a [[Initiation|rite of initiation]], and the communal [[Eucharist]], a celebration in memory of [[Last Supper|Jesus' last meal]] before death.{{sfn|Strout|2016|p=479}}{{sfn|Young|2006|pp=32–34}}

The first Christian communities were predominantly Jewish.{{sfn|Klutz|2002|pp=178–190}}{{sfn|Goodman|2007|pp=30–32}} They gathered in [[house church|small groups inside private homes]] where the typical setting for worship was the communal meal.{{sfn|Esler|2017|p=11}}{{sfn|White|2017|p=686}} Elders (called [[presbyter]]s or [[bishops]]) oversaw the small groups, providing for the economic requirements of the meal and charitable distributions.{{sfn|Stewart|2014|loc=intro.}}{{sfn|McGowan|2016|p=370}}{{sfn|Brown|2012|p=64}}{{sfn|Reed|1905|pp=1-2}} [[Women in Church history|Women]] comprised significant numbers of Christianity's earliest members.{{sfn|Lieu|1999|p=5}} Religion had appeal because women could attain greater freedom through religious activities than Roman customs otherwise permitted.{{sfn|Gardner|1991|p=67}}{{sfn|Pomeroy|1995|p=xv}}{{sfn|MacDonald|1996|p=10-11}}{{sfn|Lieu|1999|pp=20–21}} The Pauline epistles recognize their presence in early Christian congregations.{{sfn|MacDonald|1996|pp=163, 167}}{{sfn|Cloke|1995|pp=5–7, 82}} Christianity likely began with fewer than 1000 believers, which grew to approximately one hundred [[Early centres of Christianity|small household churches]], each with an average of seventy members, by the year 100.{{sfn|Hopkins|1998|p=202}}

Of the original believers, Jesus kept twelve disciples close to him who became known as [[Apostles in the New Testament|the Apostles]].{{sfn|McBirnie|2013|p=19}} Saul of Tarsus, who became [[Paul the Apostle]], was a Jewish Pharisee who had not known Jesus and persecuted early Christians. According to his own account, his life turned in the opposite direction after experiencing a vision of Christ on the road to Damascus.{{sfn|Wilken|2013|pp=18-20}} Paul, [[Saint Peter|Peter]], and [[James, brother of Jesus|James, Jesus' brother]], were probably the three most influential Christians in the first century, but all twelve Apostles crossed the ancient world to share their message, founding churches, and creating converts who then also established churches.{{sfn|Shelton|2018|pp=4, 7}}{{sfn|McBirnie|2013|pp=18, 26, 28}}{{sfn|Wilken|2013|p=18}}

Christianity was largely an urban religion{{sfn|Naerebout|2021|p=21}} that spread through the [[Jewish diaspora]]{{sfn|Humfress|2013|pp=3, 76, 83–88, 91}}{{sfn|Bokenkotter|2007|p=18}} along the trade and travel routes.{{sfn|Bundy|2007|p=118}}{{sfn|Harnett|2017|pp=200, 217}}{{sfn|Hopkins|1998|pp=192–193}} Despite the martyrdoms of [[Saint Stephen|Stephen]] and [[James the Great|James]] the brother of [[John the Apostle]], and the imprisonment of [[Saint Peter|Peter]], the movement grew, reaching [[Antioch]], where converts were first called Christian by non-Christians.{{sfn|Bickerman|1949|p=110}}{{sfn|McBirnie|2013|p=23}} From Antioch, [[Barnabas]] and Paul went out as missionaries to [[Cyprus]], then [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]], where the gospel was received by both Jewish and [[Gentile|non-Jewish people]].{{sfn|McBirnie|2013|pp=30-31}} The largest cities in the Roman Empire, such as Rome, [[Alexandria]], Antioch, [[Ephesus]], and [[Carthage]], all had Christian congregations by the end of the first century.{{sfn|Fousek|2018|loc=Discussion}}

The conversion of Gentiles led to disputes with [[Judaizers|a group]] who desired observance of [[Law of Moses|Mosaic law]] including [[circumcision]].{{sfn|Westerholm|2015|pp=4–15}}{{sfn|Adams|Adams|2012|loc=p. 297}} James, Jesus' brother, called the [[Council of Jerusalem]] ({{circa|50}}) which determined that converts should avoid "pollution of idols, fornication, things strangled, and blood" but should not be required to follow other aspects of Jewish Law ([[KJV]], Acts 15:20–21).{{sfn|Fahy|1963|p=249}} As Christianity grew in the Gentile world, it underwent [[Jewish Christian#Split of early Christianity and Judaism|a gradual separation from Judaism]].{{sfn|Dunn|1999|pp=33–34}}{{sfn|Boatwright|Gargola|Talbert|2004|p=426}} Disagreements over Jewish law, progenitors of [[Rabbinic Judaism]], and insurrections against Rome, contributed to this separation.{{sfn|Marcus|2006|pp=87–88, 99–100}}{{sfn|Neusner|1972|p=313}} Nevertheless, Jewish Christianity remained influential in Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor into the second and third centuries.{{sfn|Wylen|1995|pp=190–193}}{{sfn|Marcus|2006|pp=96–99, 101}}

In the early centuries, the languages most used to spread Christianity were [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Syriac language|Syriac]] (a form of [[Aramaic]]), and [[Latin]].{{sfn|Wilken|2013|pp=2, 26}} Christian writings in [[Koine Greek]], including the [[four gospels]] (the accounts of Jesus' ministry), [[Pauline epistles|letters of Paul]], and letters attributed to other early Christian leaders, were written in the first century and had considerable authority, even in the formative period.{{sfn|Barton|1998a|p=14}}{{sfn|Porter|2011|p=198}} Letters sent by Paul the Apostle to [[Early centers of Christianity|Christian communities]] were circulating in collected form by the end of the first century.{{sfn|Ferguson|2002|pp=302–303}}