How the Early Church Shaped Christian Beliefs

How the Early Church Shaped Christian Beliefs

Introduction: How Did Christianity Define Its Core Beliefs?

Jesus’ earliest followers were Jewish, worshiping in synagogues and observing Torah. But within 300 years, Christianity became a separate religion, defining:

✔ Who Jesus really was—Was he just a teacher, or God in the flesh?
✔ What books belonged in the New Testament—How were the Gospels and epistles chosen?
✔ How the Church became an institution—What led to the Catholic Church?

This article explores the key moments that shaped Christianity, from the first disciples to the rise of organized Church doctrine.

1. The Earliest Beliefs About Jesus (Before 100 CE)

The first Christians did not have a New Testament yet—they relied on:

1️⃣ The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) → Jesus as the Messiah of prophecy.
2️⃣ Oral teachings of the Apostles → Preached in synagogues & house churches.
3️⃣ The earliest written letters → Paul’s epistles (50-65 CE) spread Jesus' message.

A. What Did the First Christians Believe About Jesus?

✅ He was the Jewish Messiah (Acts 2:36).
✅ He was resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
✅ He had divine authority, but his full nature was still debated.

💡 No formal doctrine yet—beliefs about Jesus’ identity evolved over time.

2. The Formation of the New Testament (100-300 CE)

By 100 CE, Christians needed written records of Jesus’ life and teachings. The New Testament formed through:

A. The Four Gospels (70-100 CE)

  • Mark (c. 70 CE) – The earliest Gospel.
  • Matthew & Luke (80-90 CE) – Expanded accounts.
  • John (90-100 CE) – More theological and mystical.

💡 Why only four Gospels? Many writings existed (Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter), but only those that were eyewitness-based and widely accepted made it into the canon.

B. Paul’s Letters (50-65 CE)

Paul’s writings became the foundation for Christian theology, emphasizing:
✔ Jesus as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9).
✔ Salvation by faith, not works of the Law (Ephesians 2:8-9).

C. The Process of Canonization

By the 2nd century, Church leaders debated which writings were truly inspired.
🔹 Marcion’s Canon (140 CE) – A heretical teacher rejected the Old Testament, forcing the Church to define which books were authoritative.
🔹 The Muratorian Canon (170 CE) – First formal attempt at listing the New Testament books.
🔹 The Councils of Hippo & Carthage (393-397 CE) – Finalized the 27-book New Testament.

💡 The New Testament was not "invented" at one time—it developed over centuries through Church consensus.

3. The Divinity of Jesus: When Was He Officially Called God?

In the first 300 years, Christians debated:
💬 Was Jesus fully God, fully human, or both?

A. The Arian Controversy (Early 300s CE)

  • A bishop named Arius argued Jesus was created by God and was not fully divine.
  • This divided the Church—some believed in a fully divine Jesus, others in a created Jesus.

B. The Council of Nicaea (325 CE) – Defining Jesus as God

Emperor Constantine called a meeting of bishops to settle the debate.
✔ The Nicene Creed declared that Jesus was “of one substance with the Father”—fully God.
✔ Arianism was condemned as heresy.

💡 This was a turning point—Christianity now had a clear doctrine of Jesus' divinity.

4. The Rise of the Catholic Church

By the 4th century, Christianity evolved from a persecuted movement to a state-recognized religion.

A. Constantine and the Roman Empire (312 CE)

  • Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity after a vision before battle.
  • The Edict of Milan (313 CE) legalized Christianity.
  • Churches gained political power for the first time.

B. The Council of Nicaea (325 CE) – Birth of Orthodox Christianity

  • Christianity moved away from Jewish roots.
  • Sunday worship replaced Sabbath.
  • The Trinity doctrine became official.

C. The Council of Chalcedon (451 CE) – Jesus as Fully God and Fully Man

  • Finalized the belief that Jesus was 100% God and 100% human.
  • The Catholic Church became the dominant Christian institution.

💡 Christianity was now structured, with bishops, doctrines, and political influence.

5. What About Other Christian Groups?

Not everyone agreed with Rome’s version of Christianity.

🔹 The Gnostics – A mystical group that believed in secret knowledge.
🔹 The Eastern Orthodox Church – Split from Rome over theological disputes.
🔹 The Coptic Church – Developed separately in Egypt.

💡 The early Church was diverse, and many branches of Christianity formed over time.

Conclusion: Christianity Became an Organized Faith

✅ Jesus' first followers relied on oral tradition—the New Testament took centuries to form.
✅ The Church officially declared Jesus divine at the Council of Nicaea (325 CE).
✅ The Roman Catholic Church emerged as the dominant Christian authority.
✅ Christianity became separate from Judaism, with new traditions and doctrines.

Next: How Christianity Branched Out – From Catholics to Protestants

In the next article, we explore:
🔹 How the Catholic Church split into Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical Christianity.
🔹 The Reformation—when Martin Luther challenged the Pope.
🔹 How Christianity evolved into thousands of denominations today.

 

Explore the Full Series

🔹 Jesus in History: What We Know for Certain
🔹 Jesus as a Jewish Rabbi: Torah and Law
🔹 The First Christians: Jewish or Something New?
🔹 The Early Church & Christian Doctrine
🔹 Christianity Divided: Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant
🔹 Trump’s Evangelicals vs. Biblical Christianity
🔹 Where Does Christianity Go From Here?

📌 Read the full series and discover where Christianity is heading next.

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