Chapter 19 Section 3 The Spread of Christianity

1. Chapter 19 Section 3The Spread of Christianity

2. Standards • S.S. 6.7.7 • Describe the circumstances that led to the spread of Christianity in Europe and other Roman territories. • ELA Reading 6.1.4 • Monitor expository text for unknown words or words with novel meanings by using word, sentence and paragraph clues to determine meaning.

3. Anticipatory Set • How fast can word spread? • Hours? • Minutes? • Seconds? • From the beginning, Christianity began to spread through other lands, however, there was some persecution on the way.

4. Objective • Students will learn about the spread of Christianity across the Roman Empire.

5. Language of the Discipline • Persecute • Peter • Paul • Gentile • Conversation • Martyr

6. The Early Christians (Input) • The early Christians faced great challenges • They were often persecuted like Jesus • Persecuted means to be treated unfairly for your beliefs • Leaders like Peter and Paul led them through this difficult time

7. Peter (Input) • After the death of Jesus, Peter became the leader of the disciples • Peter’s Hebrew name was Simon, but Jesus recognized Simon’s rocklike loyalty and called him “Rock,” which is petra in Greek • Later other apostles and disciples became important leaders in the church • Some of their actions were recorded in the Book of Acts of the Apostles • Acts is the 5th book of the New Testament

8. Jews or Gentiles (Input) • Despite their disagreements with Jewish leaders, the first Christians still considered themselves Jews • They respected Jewish customs • They read the Hebrew Bible • They went to temple and prayed • According to Acts, thousands of Jews in Jerusalem became Christians before the first Gentile, or non-Jew, was reported as joining. • Some Jewish priests and leaders became Christians, but most told their followers to reject Christian beliefs

9. Jews or Gentiles (Input) • At first, one of the greatest Jewish teachers, Gamaliel, advised other leaders not to bring violence against the Christians • Christianity continued to grow and other leaders decided to take action • Apostles began leaving Jerusalem to spread the word of Christianity to people in other places • This led to more Gentiles becoming Christians

10. The Conversion of Saul (Input) • Saul of Tarsus was one of the people persecuting Christians • He was the student of Gamaliel • He believed that Christians should be arrested and punished for their faith • Saul even traveled outside Jerusalem to find and arrest Christians • On one of his trips he had an experience that led him to convert Christianity • Conversion is a heartfelt change in one’s opinions or beliefs, especially in religion

11. The Conversion of Saul (Input) • After his conversion Paul told people he had seen the risen Jesus and spoke to him • He also said that Jesus had told him to take a message of Jesus to the Gentiles • Saul spent the rest of his life just doing that

12. The Travels of Paul (Input) • Several years after his conversion, Saul believed that God was telling him to take a trip to bring the teachings of Jesus to many other people • After he began his journey to Cyprus, Saul became better known by his Greek name Paul • Paula and his friends started churches in Cyprus and Asia Minor and then returned • Eventually Paul traveled through Greece and many other countries • Wherever Paul went he started churches and made disciples

13. The Travels of Paul (Input) • He was arrested for his faith several times • Once he was taken in chains all the way from Jerusalem to Rome • Paul used his time in prison to write epistles, usually to churches he started • Some churches were having problems spreading teachings that Paul and other apostles disagreed with • As a result Paul’s epistles explained Christian beliefs in detail • Paul also spread the belief that Gentiles did not need to follow all the Jewish customs to become Christians • As more Gentiles came to the church, Jewish customs began to weaken.

14. The Travels of Paul (Input)

15. Reasons for Growth (Input) • Christian beliefs began to spread to Europe, Mesopotamia, Persia, and North Africa • Several factors assisted the spread of Christianity • Roman roads, which made it possible for people and ideas to move across the empire (The PaxRomana) • Common Language; most civilized people spoke Greek in addition to their own language • The ideas of Christianity appealed to many people. People who no longer believed in polytheism were attracted to monotheism • People were glad to hear that everyone was equal in God’s sight whether they were a slave or free, male or female, Jew or Gentile.

16. Roman Persecution (Input) • The growth of Christianity worried Roman officials • The Romans tolerated most religions, as long as everyone worshiped the Roman emperor as god too • Christians and Jews made Roman leaders angry because they refused to worship the emperor • They then faced persecution • When a great fire destroyed much of Rome, the Emperor Nero, blamed the Christians • Large numbers of Christians were rounded up and killed

17. Roman Persecution (Input) • The Roman emperor Titus destroyed Jerusalem to put down a Jewish rebellion • Jews and Christians were scattered farther throughout the Roman world • Persecution caused some to bond in their faith • It also produced martyrs, or people who are remembered because they were put to death for their beliefs • The courage of martyrs strengthened the faith of many other Christians

18. The End of Persecution (Input) • After Nero, persecutions continued off and on, until the reign of the Emperor Constantine • Constantine had a powerful dream just before a key battle • His dream told him to fight under the sign of the cross • After winning, he ended persecution of Christians • Christianity was the established religion of the Roman Empire

19. The End of Persecution (Input) • Eventually Rome became the center of the Latin-speaking church in Western Europe • Religious leaders in Athens, Greece continued to lead Greek-speaking Christians in Eastern Europe and Asia • The two branches of Christianity grew apart • Physical distances and disagreements about religious practices also contributed to the division • In A.D. 1054, the Eastern and Western churches separated permently

20. The End of Persecution (Input) • Later divisions came about because individual Christians disagreed with church leadership about specific practices and beliefs • Today there are many branches of Christianity • Most people who consider themselves Christians today share the basic beliefs of the earliest Christians • Together, they make up about one third of the world’s population

21. The End of Persecution (Input)

22. Check for Understanding • Please determine the BEST answer for the following question. • Please write your answer on your white boards and wait for the teacher’s signal. • On the teacher’s signal, hold up your white boards.

23. Checking for Understanding #1 Fill in the blank • _______________ are people who are remembered because they were put to death for their beliefs • Martyrs

24. Checking for Understanding #2 Answer the following question. • Who was the leader of the apostles after the death of Jesus? • The leader of the apostles after Jesus’ death was Peter

25. Checking for Understanding #3 Answer the following question. • Why did both Christians and Jews face persecution? • Both Christians and Jews faced persecution because they refused to worship the Roman emperor as god too.

26. Guided Practice/Independent Practice • Guided Practice • Complete questions 1 - 2 on the reading comprehension worksheet. • Raise your hand and wait to get stamped. • If you received an “R” go to the back table with Ms. Graham. • Independent Practice • Once you have been stamped moved to independent practice and complete numbers 3and 4on the reading comprehension worksheet. • Homework • Note-taking guide on the reverse side.