This article revisits the life of Jesus and the diversity of the early Christian church. The Christian movement probably began not from a single center but many different centers. This is whereby different groups of disciples of Jesus gathered and tried to make sense of what they had experienced with him. With each disciple spreading the ‘word’ to different places, the diversity of early Christian communities grew. Each of those groups probably had a very different take on what the significance of Jesus was. Some focused on his teachings and others on his life, death, and resurrection. The life of Jesus had different meanings to the early Christian communities.
Read more of Jesus and diversity of the early Christian church at
JESUS AND DIVERSITY AND STRUGGLES OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH
The diversity of early Christian communities came with challenges. The early Christians had a hard time discussing with each other concerning their faith. They also fought with each other to establish specific patterns and criteria for the organization of the community. The early Christian church established mutual responsibility for each other and care for the poor as part of their dossier. As diversity grew, various groups of Christianity borrowed from other religions to enrich the early Christian movement. Most Christian denominations try to explain how the teachings and life of Jesus relate to how we should live. Early Christians also emphasized unity, but never agreed on which kind of unity to have.
Read more of the struggles of the early Christian church at
JESUS OF NAZARETH AND THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY
To understand the life of Jesus and the birth of Christianity, one must understand the context of the Roman Empire. Jesus was a Jew, as were almost all of his early followers. The Romans had no tolerance for sedition or rebellion against their government. Jews and members of the early Christian church had a religious reason for resisting Roman control. They only recognized Yahweh as their true god. However, the Romans expected the Jews to worship the emperor as a god. Jesus claimed that realizing the kingdom of Yahweh could only happen after death. His life and teachings would later bring about the onset of the diversity of early Christian communities.
Read more of Jesus of Nazareth and the birth of Christianity at
Additional attachments
