Why should you care about Church history?
1. avoid mistakes of the past
2. become inspired by heroism
3. get guidance and encouragement
4. trace doctrinal developments
5. enable you to do your own research
6. see your hidden presuppositions
Dating Systems
- BC = before Christ
- BCE = before common era
- AD = anno domini “the year of our Lord”
- CE = common era
For more on the life of Christ, see The Historical Jesus class on lhim.org
Major Events in First Century Christianity
- John the Baptist
- Ministry of Jesus Christ
- Death, Resurrection, Ascension
- Organizing in Jerusalem
- Scattering to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch
- Philip at Samaria
- Peter at Lydda, Joppa, Caesarea
- Paul at Cyprus, Turkey, Greece
- Paul at Crete, Sicily, Rome
Greco-Roman World
- Greek language
- Greek gods (though the Romans gave them new names)
- Greek philosophies (Stoics, Epicureans, Cynics)
- Roman government (Latin as official language)
- Roman culture
The Fire of Rome (AD 64)
- Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (aka Nero)
- July 19, 64 a fire broke out in Rome at shops near chariot stadium
- roughly 2/3 of the city destroyed
- Nero blamed the Christians, torturing and executing many
- This is probably when Peter and Paul died in Rome
- Even though we were so viciously persecuted, we did not stop believing nor did we stop spreading the gospel in Rome and in the Roman Empire
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