Keith returns to his quest through early church history. We resume chapter 6 in the book:
A History of the Christian Church
Williston Walker
Richard A. Norris, David W. Lotz, Robert T. Handy
Copyright © 1918, 1959, 1970, 1985 Charles Scribner’s Sons; Copyright renewed 1946 Amelia Walker Gushing and Elizabeth Walker.
The Close of the Apostolic Age
The variety and early Christianity
as an outsider looking in, you might think the church was unified and universal in its teachings. Paul himself knows of churches founded by other missionaries.
Romans 15: 20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation;
NASB
There was the core Christian church centered in Jerusalem. The growing territory of Paul’s churches established on his missionary journeys. Not to mention, the church at Rome was established before Paul wrote his famous letter of introduction to it. There are also other known Christian communities that were definitely outside the realm of Paul’s missionary travels.
Historical evidence
from a historical viewpoint, it would be nice if documents existed other than Scripture, in order to try and verify biblical events. Despite the Romans being meticulous record-keeping, nothing really exists for any records in the first century. One thing that can be done is to identify Christian writings that existed during this time., Although it isn’t always easy to date them with accuracy.
From the Roman historian Tacitus, we learn that in 64 A.D. a fire ”more serious and terrible”2 than any that had ever afflicted the city of Rome raged for more than a week and ruined ten of the city’s fourteen districts. In spite of the emperor Nero’s relief efforts and his expenditure of personal monies on reconstruction,
many suspected him of having started the fire in order that he might have the opportunity of rebuilding Rome in a more splendid style. Nero’s response to this rumor was to find scapegoats: ”those whom the populace called Christians, who were detested because of their shameful deeds.”
Christians were arrested and tried, not so much for arson, we are told, as for ”hatred of the human race”; and they were put to death by methods calculated to provide lurid entertainment for the public.3
Apparently, then, by Nero’s time Christians were recognized in Rome as a distinct group, independent of the Jewish community, and were unpopular because they did not mix with others but kept to themselves. The authorities and the populace, for that matter may have regarded them as an illicit secret society dangerous to public order.
The split between Jews and Christians
Christianity had solid roots in Judaism. Even that core group of Christian Jews began to split apart, and become their own distinguishable group. During the Jewish rebellion that took place between 66 to 70 A.D., when Christians separated themselves and took a neutral stance in the matter. By this time the Jewish Christian church had lost her first leader, James. His martyrdom came at the hands of Jewish leaders.
The neutral stance of the Christians during the Jewish rebellion would drive a rift between the two factions. Christians would soon be forbidden to participate in temple prayers. They were outcasts from the Jews, and didn’t quite fit in with the Gentile Christians.
The time period of the last third of the first century was a time for Christians to develop doctrines over questions that arose about the meaning and the practical implications of their message concerning the risen Christ. Scriptures that had been written down in the middle third of the century were now used for the purpose of stabilizing their religion.
Christian literature develops
the four Gospels, and their own distinct way, helped form to Christians future. Each of the Gospels represent the teachings and ministry of Christ, along with the events surrounding his crucifixion.
The synoptic Gospels are related in tradition and style. Scholars have a wider range of dates for each of them, but they were likely all written during the decade of 60 to 70 A.D. John seems to be the last written, and also as a wide range of dates. Although it could also have been written in the early 70s.
The purpose of all these Gospels is to record what the various pastors in the region had been teaching about Christs ministry and resurrection.
Non-Gospel writings
non-Gospel writings, namely the various letters and writings of Paul. Paul focused on addressing the problems of the church as a group. The writings also provided a basis for the churches’ self-understanding.
Using all the writings of the apostles that were recorded in the mid-century, allowed Christians to continue developing doctrine and unity throughout the final third of the century.
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