Posted on 10/15/2020 9:03:46 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Around 2 and a half billion people across the globe are part of the Christian community. From a gathering of just a handful of people 2,000 ago to becoming the world's largest institution, there have been numerous key points on the way.
Here we highlight seven of the most important dates and incidents in Church history which have made us what we are today, and which possibly point the way to the future...
1. 50 AD: The Council at Jerusalem
Though we mark Pentecost as the birth of the Church, the Council at Jerusalem is where it began to take shape. The account is to be found in Acts 15. With the two most significant figures in early Christianity, Paul and Peter, present, a major decision was made. 'Some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, 'It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses,' we read. The response was foundational for the Church – in the words of James, 'God first looked favourably on the Gentiles.' This meant that from now on, the Church wasn't just to be composed of observant Jewish followers of Jesus, but also of Gentile Christians. Without this council, the billions of Gentile Christians in history wouldn't have been a full part of the Church.
2. May 20–June 19, 325: The Council of Nicea
The Council of Nicea was a vital event in deciding orthodox Christian doctrine. Called partly for political reasons by the Emperor Constantine, theologians and bishops met in the year 325. They were contending with Arianism, a theology which taught Jesus as a creature rather than creator. Not only did the Council decide that this was an incorrect view, it also prompted the writing of the Nicene Creed. That creed (which was amended 70 years later) codified the orthodox Trinitarian doctrine which Churches the world over still profess today.
3. July 16, 1054: The Great Schism
Although there had already been one split in the Church, in 451, the Great Schism was the first time that Christendom had been entirely divided into two camps. The Eastern and Western Churches had been growing apart in their theology and practice for hundreds of years. In 1054, the divide was formalised by the excommunication of the leaders of what became Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy by each other. There were a number of theological differences which caused the split, along with a power struggle. The Church remains divided almost 1,000 years later. Most Christians in the West are the inheritors of that western Christian tradition which formally dates from 1054. During the fourth Crusade, western Christian soldiers sacked Constantinople in 1204, which ensured centuries of enmity which are only beginning to be resolved now.
4. October 31, 1517: The beginnings of the Reformation
FIve hundred years ago, in 1517, Martin Luther sparked the Reformation. Though he wasn't the first dissident in western Europe, he was articulate, obstinate and forceful. The Western Church itself would divide as a result into Catholic and Protestant. Hot on the heels of Luther, other giant figures such as Jean Calvin in Geneva, John Knox in Scotland, Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich and Thomas Cranmer in England began to reform the Church; again, a mix of theology and politics was at play. Now, so many years later, there is good dialogue between Catholics and Protestants, but the formal division remains.
5. May 24, 1738: John Wesley's heart is strangely warmed
If the Reformation had created Protestantism, then it would be in England that what we now know as evangelicalism began. On May 24, 1738, John Wesley was sitting in a church in the City of London when he felt his heart 'strangely warmed'. This began a revival in England which was powered by what became known as Methodism. Alongside his hymn-writing brother Charles and his sometime sparring partner George Whitfield, Wesley became the pioneer of a revival which spread widely. He preached to vast crowds and inspired millions with his message. That message was carried across both sides of the Atlantic and led to the evangelical Church we know today.
6. April 9, 1906: Azusa Street Revival
In 1906, a movement began in California which would shape the face of the future of Christianity. The Azusa Street revival is considered to be the start of what we now know as the Pentecostal movement. Speaking in tongues, miraculous healings and other 'signs and wonders' were part of the movement from early on. Rapidly spreading across the United States, Pentecostalism has become a major player in world Christianity with countries as diverse as Brazil, South Korea and Nigeria emerging as powerhouses of Pentecostal Christianity. There are thought to be hundreds of millions of Pentecostal Christians in thousands of churches worldwide.
7. 21st century China
Though the first evidence of Christianity in China goes back as far as the 6th century it is the present day that is seeing China emerge as a global centre of Christianity. From negligible numbers 100 years ago, there are now at least 67 million Christians in China (rough estimate) – a number which looks set to grow fast. With China poised to become the world's biggest economic power during the 21st century, the future of the Church is in some part dependent on the form that Christian faith takes in China, and the way in which the government – which still partially represses Christian faith – reacts to it.
nice jotting. a quick and pleasing reminder of the power and continuing influence of Jesus Christ on His creation. Praise God and thanks for the post!
Would anybody insert the Jesus Movement, ~ 1965-1975?
bump
The orgs are a different thing than the Body of Christ Believers / Ekklesia / His One True Church, not any of the orgs, though many in the Body of Christ are in probably all the orgs.
Bookmark.
March 5, 1973 is my date in church history. On that date I repented of my sins in Pine Grove, CA and turned my life over to the mercy and love of Jesus the Christ. On that day I knew both the power of God and the power of hell were real.
Revelation 1:4-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Message to the Seven Churches
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—
6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Here is a study, that shows the churches in HIStory until now. 7 Letters To 7 Churches By Jack Kelley
The first 6 are all splits of one kind or another aren’t they?
This list is not as specific to Christianity itself, but on things that did or would impact the church. The analysis is original with me and is based on a pattern I noticed in the Genesis genealogy, particularly up to Noah and then the last generations before Abraham. It has a Judeo-Christian balance with considerations of the impact of Islam on both, rather than being only Christian and I think that is biblically important.
Feel free to make suggestions on the gaps.
Adam 0 = 0 - AD Christ born
Seth +130 = 130 - AD Hadrian desecrates the Temple Mount building a temple to Jupiter, sparking Bar Kochbah revolt
Enos +105 = 235 - AD Beginning of Roman “crisis of the 3rd Century”
Cainan +90 = 325 - AD Council of Nicea
Mahalaleel +70 = 395 - AD Final division of east and west Roman Empire foretold by Daniel
Jared +65 = 460 - AD Jews dispersed from Persia to Arabia, later influencing Muhammad
Enoch +162 = 622 - AD Muhammad’s Hijira to Medina 1 A.H.
Methuselah +65 = 687 - AD Construction of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount
Lamech +187 = 874 - AD Occultation of Shi’a Islam’s 12th imam
Noah +182 = 1056 - AD Expulsion by Muslims of Christians from Jerusalem, leading to the Crusades
Shem +500 = 1556 - AD (nothing specific)
Arphaxad +102 = 1658 - AD (nothing specific)
Salah +35 = 1693 - AD (nothing specific)
Eber +30 = 1723 - AD (nothing specific)
Peleg +34 = 1757 - AD (nothing specific)
Reu +30 = 1787 - AD Constitution establishing USA, later protector of Israel
Serug +32 = 1819 - AD (nothing specific)
Nahor +30 = 1849 - AD Failure of socialist revolutions, atheist Communist Manifesto leading to Soviet Union
Terah +29 = 1878 - AD Russian Jews initiate immigration to future Israel
Abram +70 = 1948 - AD Reestablishment of the Jewish state of Israel
Isaac +100 = 2048 - AD 2^11
I believe the United States had only one purpose in existence and that was to create a global environment against empires hostile to the Jews in which Israel could be reestablished and exist until Armageddon when God would defend an isolated Israel directly. Of course, that means that by that time the US would be gone, or at least no longer the defender of Israel because of apostacy which we are seeing, or both, gone as judgement for its apostacy when 1/3 of the world (approximately the size of North and South America), is completely destroyed in Revelation.
bookmark
Bkmk
Bkmk
Albright during the Clinton regime rule spilled the agenda of her fellow travelers, telling a reporter her goal was to no longer have the USofA be the lone super power. We are living in the last days of America the Republic under rule of law freedom. The population has been successfully dumbed down to forget our heritage. The decline of America is essential in satan’s plan for one world rule. I don’t believe I will be here to witness it first hand. I have not one problem that the Great Departure will not solve. God help the poor souls left hereafter the Body of Christ is gone.
“in the words of James, ‘God first looked favourably on the Gentiles”
Yes, from James, James the Just, the head of the mother church in Jerusalem, the church from whom Paul and Peter drew any institutional respect or integrity, and from whom Paul needed that respect.
James was one of three brothers of Yeshua.
Because where Christianity began to grow, in the cities of the Roman Empire, up through Syria, into Anatolia and over the Greece and Italy, the number of non-Jewish converts grew greater than the Jewish converts.
In the effort to sustain that mission to “the gentiles” and the writings that went along with it, it’s as if the importance of James at the early inception of Christianity was written out, in favor of more popular actors in Christianity’s spread.
At least they left in that was to James Paul went to get sanction for his mission to the gentiles, and James who gave it.
Have you ever read The Oracle by Jonathan Cahn?
Fascinating book about Israel being established again as a nation in the late 19th century, the 20th century, and so far up until now.
President Trump has played a key role in that and that is why I suspect, but am not sure, that God is going to have him re-elected. I think there are things that need to be put in place yet and that it’s something only a president friendly to Israel could or would do.
Yes, James was the key player in the Council at Jerusalem, although many people like to claim it was Peter.
But James was the one who chaired the meeting.
Are you forgetting that Saul/Paul received his ‘commission’ from Jesus directly, followed by an education from the Spirit BEFORE Paul began evangelizing? And Paul started his evangelizing with the Jews and continued in his efforts to reach Jews wherever he traveled? It appears that the first great counsel of the Body of Christ Believers found in Acts 15 is the point at which James relented to the Gospek being for the Gentiles as well as Jews who would believe in Messiah as crucified, raised, and ascended.
ping for later
1. Peter’s name occurs first in all lists of apostles (Mt 10:2, Mk 3:16, Lk 6:14, Acts 1:13), except Galatians 2. Matthew even calls him the “first” (10:2).
2. Peter alone receives a new name, Rock, solemnly conferred (Jn 1:42, Mt 16:18).
3. Peter is regarded by Jesus as the Chief Shepherd after himself (Jn 21:15-17), singularly by name, and over the universal Church, even though others have a similar but subordinate role (Acts 20:28, 1 Pt 5:2).
4. Peter alone among the apostles is mentioned by name as having been prayed for by Jesus Christ in order that his “faith may not fail” (Lk 22:32).
5. Peter alone among the apostles is exhorted by Jesus to “strengthen your brethren” (Lk 22:32).
6. Peter first confesses Christ’s divinity (Mt 16:16).
7. Peter alone is told that he has received divine knowledge by a special revelation (Mt 16:17).
8. Peter is regarded by the Jews (Acts 4:1-13) as the leader and spokesman of Christianity.
9. Peter is regarded by the common people in the same way (Acts 2:37-41; 5:15).
In Acts, Peter gave the sermon at Pentecost (Acts 1:14-36), led the replacing of Judas (1:22), worked the first miracle of the Church age (3:6-12), and condemned Ananias and Sapphira (5:2-11). His mere shadow worked miracles (5:15); he was the first person after Christ to raise the dead (9:40), and he took the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10). Peter’s name appears at least 54 times in Acts; James appears a total of four times.
Also, from Catholic Answers..
James’s speech the Council is a pastoral proposal, whereas Peter’s speech is a doctrinal declaration.
The content of Peter’s speech was a matter of divine revelation. It was God who chose to reveal that the Gentiles could be saved, for he had given them the Holy Spirit just as he did the apostles, cleansing their hearts by faith and making no distinction between the circumcised and the uncircumcised (Acts 15:8-9). Based on that revelation, Peter makes a doctrinal statement that is more than mere opinion: “We believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they [the Gentiles] will” (v.11). Peter doesn’t offer this view as what he thinks should be believed. He offers it as what is believed.
So what?
That doesn’t change anything about the Council at Jerusalem.
Nor does Scripture elevate Peter above any other apostle.
That’s all Catholics wishful thinking and justification and rationalization to justify their claims.
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