History of Christianity

Why do I believe the Bible is true

What is at stake ?
Is there a God ? No Have fun NOW ! Yes Which God is the real one ? Ri ht God

Wron God

!ur"ose of this "resentation

Give you an idea on ho# Christianity develo"ed durin the first $ centuries !rovide historically verified evidence of the faith of the founders of Christianity Give you evidence that the Bible is true

Is the Bible really true ?

%vidence &'

Historical (ccuracy !ersonal testi*onies of their founders +discussed as "art of the History of Christianity,

%vidence )'

Historical (ccuracy of the Bible

-e*ory fades Written records do not fade Obvious fact'

.he earlier the historical record is #ritten/ the *ore accurate it is !

0o' Ho# does the Ne# .esta*ent co*"are #ith historical #ritin s +about fa*ous "eo"le, around the sa*e ti*e ?

(ccuracy' Bible vs 1ulius Caesar

Jesus died Tacitus Caesar died Mark 30 AD 44 BC 100 yrs 60 AD 40 yrs 70 AD 350 AD
Earliest Surviving Copy Tacitus Earliest Surviving Copy Mark

950 AD

(ccuracy of Ne# .esta*ent

(ccordin to the scholars Nor*an Geisler and Willia* Ni2'

.he Ne# .esta*ent has survived in *ore *anuscri"ts than any other book fro* anti3uity +there are over 4/555 co"ies of Ne# .esta*ent books in e2istence/ #hile the second *ost nu*erous ancient docu*ent +Iliad, has about 655 co"ies, Ne# .esta*ent has also survived in a purer for* than any other book 7 a form that is 99.5% pure

History of Christianity

!art &'

When and Ho# did Christianity be in ? ("ostolic %ra +first century, %ra of the Church 8athers

!art )'

!art $'

When did Christianity be in ?

1esus Christ did not start Christianity Christianity started by

1esus9 disci"les +!eter/ 1ohn/ -atthe#/::, 1esus9 brother 1a*es +in 1erusale*, !aul +a"ostle to the entiles,

0o anyone #ho #ould kno# #hether 1esus really ca*e back alive/ it #ould be these "eo"le

8oundation of Christianity

What is the one thing that the #hole Christian faith is based on ?

Jesus resurrection fro* the death

0u""ortin *aterial'

&Co &4'&;' <(nd if Christ has not been raised/ then our "rocla*ation is worthless/ and your faith is also worthless:=

%2a*inin 1esus9 resurrection

Because this sin le fact is so i*"ortant to the Christian 8aith/ #e #ill s"end so*e ti*e lookin at'

Did Jesus really resurrect from His death ?

+&, >id 1esus really die ? +), >id 1esus really co*e back to life ?

>id 1esus really die ?

?ndis"uted' 1esus did die

1e#ish Historian 1ose"hus +&55 (>, #rote +non-Christian !,'

No# there #as about this ti*e Jesus:::/ a teacher of such *en as receive the truth #ith "leasure: He dre# over to hi* both *any of the 1e#s and *any of the Gentiles: (nd #hen Pilate/ at the su estion of the "rinci"al *en a*on st us/ had conde*ned hi* to the cross::::

?ndis"uted' 1esus did die

Ro*an Historian .acitus +65 (>, #rote in his (nnals'

Conse3uently/ to et rid of the re"ort/ Nero fastened the uilt and inflicted the *ost e23uisite tortures on a class hated for their abo*inations/ called Christians by the "o"ulace: Christus/ fro* #ho* the na*e +Christians, had its ori in/ suffered the e2tre*e "enalty durin the rei n of .iberius at the hands of one of our "rocurators/ !ontius !ilatus:::

>id 1esus co*e back to life ?

>id 1esus ca*e back to life ?

No #ay to "rove to you that an event ha""en/ unless you see it yourself

.ravel back in ti*e to *eet 1esus ?

!eo"le can tell the truth !eo"le can also tell fairy tales +lies, What sane "eo"le #ill not do is'

Give u" their life for a belief that they kno# it is a lie

%vidence of 1esus9 resurrection

Strong evidence that Jesus did'

Chan e in behavior of 1esus disci"les Confession of !aul Chan e in behavior of 1esus9 brother 1a*es .he #illin ness of 1esus9 disci"les/ !aul and 1a*es to die for their belief in 1esus9 resurrection

.he stron est evidence'

( bit of hu*an "syche@

( sane *an *ay die for a belief that he believes to be true +if that belief is not true/ then this *an has been fooled to ive u" his life, No sane *an #ill die for a belief that he kno#s to be false 1esus9 disci"les kne# the truth about 1esus9 resurrectionA and are #illin to give up their life for this belief

%vidence for Resurrection

!ut your *oney #here your *outh is'

!eter #as crucified in Ro*e in 66 (> !aul #as deca"itated in Ro*e around the sa*e ti*e +66 (>, 1a*es +brother of 1esus, #as stoned to death in 6) (> in 1erusale* B 1a*es #as the leader of the Church in 1erusale*

No sane *an #ill die for a belief that he kno#s it is untrue !!! .hese $ did !!!

History of Christianity

!art &'

When and Ho# did Christianity be in ? ("ostolic %ra +first century, %ra of the Church 8athers

!art )'

!art $'

("ostolic %ra' %*"o#er*ent

$$ ( fe# #eeks later' 1esus9 resurrection !eter and other disci"les of 1esus announced 1esusC resurrection in 1erusale* .he disci"les are not afraid for their lives@ Reason ???

!eter and other disci"les denied 1esus@ +scared,

("ostolic %ra' Chan e of heart

$$ $D $F 66 !aul #as killed by Nero +because !aul #as a Christian@, (ccordin to !aul' he #as converted to Christianity after seein and s"eakin #ith the resurrected 1esus +(cts E,

1esus9 resurrection !aul "ersecuted and killed Christians +accordin to his o#n #ords,

("ostolic %ra' Chan e of heart

$$ 6) 1a*es +brother of 1esus, #as stoned to death for his faith in 1esus 1esus a""eared to 1a*es after He has resurrected fro* the death +& Co &4, @ Seeing a death person coming back to life ill surely make someone into

1esus9 resurrection 1esus9 brothers did not believe that He #as the 0on of God +in fact/ they believed that He #as craGy 7 1ohn D'$74

("ostolic %ra' %arly *artyrs

$$ $D ;) ;D ;E

1esus9 resurrection

!st missionary mission of "aul #$cts !%&!'(

1a*es +brother of 0te"hen +first 1ohn, beheaded by *artyr, dies at the hands of 0aul +!aul, Herod B (cts &)') B (cts E

("ostolic %ra' !aul9s -issions

$$

1esus9 resurrection

;D ;E45 4) &st *ission )nd *ission (cts &$'; (cts &4';5 4D 4E !risoned (cts )$7)6

4$ 46 $rd *ission (cts &E7)$ 66

65 6) In Ro*e (cts )F7end

("ostolic %ra' Herification

$$ ;& Claudius e*"eror Claudius e2"elled 1e#s fro* Ro*e +0uetonius, !aul *et (3uila and !recilia/ t#o 1e#s in Italy that #ere e2"elled by Claudius +(cts &F'),

1esus9 resurrection

;E 45 4) ;D &st *ission )nd *ission

("ostolic %ra' !ersecutions

6; Rome burned By Nero )ero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most e*+uisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, I:::a vast multitude, ere convicted, not so much of the crime of incendiarism as of hatred of the human race. $nd in their deaths they ere made the sub/ects of sport0 for they ere rapped in the hides of ild beasts and torn to pieces by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set on fire, and hen day declined, ere burned to serve for

History of Christianity

!art &'

When and Ho# did Christianity be in ? ("ostolic %ra +first century, %ra of the Church 8athers

!art )'

!art $'

!ost ("ostolic' !ersecutions

!liny' &55 (> I1 have observed the follo ing procedure2 1 interrogated these as to hether they ere -hristians0 those ho confessed 1 interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them ith punishment0 those ho persisted 1 ordered

For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered !

!ost ("ostolic' !ersecutions

>ecius' );E 7 )4& I3nder the emperor Decius many persecutions arose against the name of -hrist, and there as such a slaughter of believers that they could not be numbered. 4abillas, bishop of $ntioch, ith his three little sons, 3rban, "rilidan and 5polon, and 6ystus, bishop of 7ome, 8aurentius, an archdeacon, and Hyppolitus, ere made perfect by martyrdom because they confessed the name of the 8ord.= B Gre ory

!ost ("ostolic' Official Reli ion

$&) Constantine e*"eror of the Western Ro*an %*"ire B fi htin under the Christian Cross sy*bol $&$ $)$ $); Christianit y only le al reli ion in Ro*an e*"ire $)4

%dict of Constantin -ilan' e e*"eror Christianity of the iven sa*e WHOJ% status as Ro*an "a an %*"ire reli ions

Council of Nicaea

Council of Nicaea ala >: Bro#n

$)4

Council of Nicaea

1esus #as not considered e3ual to God before the Council

1esus #as <*ade= e3ual to God by a close vote in the Council

>an Bro#n in a JI%R

%vidence that >: Bro#n lies

Gos"els #ere #ritten before $)4 and they all state that 1esus is <0on of God= !liny #rote'

Christians #ere accusto*ed to *eet on a fi2ed day before da#n and sin res"onsively a hy*n to Christ as to a od .he "ur"ose of the Council of Nicaea #as NO. to decide #hether 1esus #as God

Worst of all'

Council of Nicaea

$55K Bisho"s *et in Nicaea -ain issue to decide #as'

(rian Heresy .he 0on #as <be otten= B a created bein .here #as a ti*e #hen the 0on did not e2ist

(rius +)467$$6, tau ht that'

.he (rian heresy #as voted do#n by )EF a ainst )@ +so*e close vote,

8inal .hou ht

Ho# can #e tell Bible is .rue ? What is the *ain difference bet#een the Bible and other <holy books= ?? John 14:29 And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens you might believe ! Only God can kno# #hat #ill ha""en in the future Check out so*e "redictions !!!

!rediction' 1e#s scattered

Jer 9:1" I will also scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. After the destru#tion of Jerusalem in $% A& by the 'omans, Jews had no #ountry of their own ( they lived among other people for nearly 2%%% yrs )until the *+ formed the #ountry of Israel in 194,-

!rediction' Israel #ill return

Jer .1:1% /ear the 0ord of Jehovah, 1 nations, and de#lare it in the #oastlands afar off And say, /e who s#attered Israel will gather him and 2eep him, as a shepherd keeps his flo#2

!rediction' Israel #ill return

/os .:4 3or the Israelites will live many days without 2ing or prin#e, without sa#rifi#e or sa#red stones, without ephod or idol /os .:4 Afterward the Israelites will return and see2 the 51'& their 6od and &avid their 2ing 7hey will #ome trembling to the 51'& and to his blessings in the last days

!rediction of fluke ?

!eo"le fro* ancient history #ho had lost their country'

(ssyrians +defeated by Babylonians, Babylonians +by !ersians, !ersians +by Greeks, Ro*ans +by different barbarians,

Ho# *any of these survived *ore than a fe# enerations?

NON% !!! Why ?? .hey et absorbed into the "eo"le of the land ! .he 1e#s are the only "eo"le not absorbed !!!

-ore "redictions for you

( te*"le for God #ill be built in 1erusale* B You #ill see this ha""en When 1e#s in Israel say <!eace and 0afety=/ they #ill be attacked: .hey #ill suffer utter defeat and "ersecution: You #ill see 1esus return +and #hen you do/ and you are not yet a Christian/ it is then too late for you@,