The True History of the Early Christian Church

NOW REVEALED--

THE TRUE HISTORY OF

THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

A Thesis

Presented to the

Graduate School Committee

Ambassador College

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Arts in Theology

by

Ronald D. Kelly

May 1967

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS IN THE EARLY CHURCH

LIST OF ROMAN EMPERORS

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE:

THE WORLD PREPARED

Chapter I ¡ª THE ROMANS BUILD AN EMPIRE¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­1

The Empire Begins

Preparation in Advance

Prophesied Hundreds of Years Before

Even More Fully Prepared

The Empire Solidified

Roman Law and Government

Chapter II ¡ª TRADE, TRAVEL, AND COMMUNICATION¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­.6

Empire-Wide Travel

Safety and Speed of Travel

Communications an Added Tool

The Preparation Complete

A Final Summary of the Positive External Preparations

Chapter III ¡ª MORAL DEGENERACY IN THE EMPIRE¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...11

The Decline of Roman Morality

Family Life

The End Result

The Roman Games

Religion in the Empire

Chapter IV ¡ª JUDEA, THE SPRINGBOARD¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­.¡­16

Four Hundred Years of Development

First the Pharisees

Next the Sadducees

Finally the Essens

The Dispersion

The Proselytes

Time was Then Complete

PART TWO: THE LIFE AND

TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST

Chapter V ¡ª CHRIST, THE PROPHESIED MESSIAH¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­..21

Prophesied Five Hundred Years in Advance

From Secular Writings

First, Herod the Great

The Taxation of Cyrenius

The Prophecies Fulfilled

Chapter VI ¡ª CHRIST, THE DESIRE OF NATIONS¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.29

The Temple Glorified

The World Sought a Savior

But What about Other Nations?

Jesus Christ Really Did Exist

Chapter VII ¡ª THE MESSAGE CHRIST BROUGHT¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..33

Christ Brought the Gospel

Few to Understand

A Coming Government

But What about God¡¯s Laws?

Even the Sabbath?

The Selecting and Training of a Ministry

Christ¡¯s Death and Resurrection

PART THREE: THE RISE

AND DECLINE OF CHRISTIANITY

Chapter VIII ¡ª THE BEGINNING OF CHURCH HISTORY¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­38

God Sends His Spirit

How to Count Pentecost

Upon Whom Was the Church Built?

The Ministry of Peter

The Other Apostles

The Ministry of Paul

Persecution Sets In

What Did the Apostles Teach?

Did They Do Away with the Laws and the Sabbath?

Chapter IX ¡ª THE GREAT CONSPIRACY¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­.45

Simon Magus, the Father of Heresy

Simon Not Converted

Babylonian Mystery System

The Origin of the Babylonian Religion

The People Followed Nimrod

The Mystery System Spreads

Simon Moves to Rome

Simon Magus, Not Simon Peter, at Rome

A Falling Away

The Changing Times

Cerinthus in the East

Mithraism, Another Counterfeit

The Gnostics

The Origin in Clear

The Gnostics Gain Influence

The Establishment of Heresy

The Conclusion of the First Century

A Great Change in the Church

You Can Know

APPENDIX

GLOSSARY OF CHURCH HISTORY TERMS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS IN THE EARLY CHURCH

DATE

BIBLICAL

EVENTS

EVENTS IN

PALESTINE

Herod made

king of Judah

40 B.C.

Octavian (Augustus)

becomes Emperor

27 B.C.

Death of Herod

3 B.C.

4 B.C.

Birth of Christ

Judah made a

Roman province

6 A.D.

9 A.D.

Christ confounds teachers

at Jerusalem

Death of Augustus¡ª

Tiberius becomes Emperor

14 A.D.

Caiaphus made Jewish

High Priest

Pontius Pilate made

governor of Judea

25 A.D.

26 A.D.

31 A.D.

Christ baptized and

begins His ministry

Christ crucified

(April 25)

Church receives

Holy Spirit (June 18)

Simon Magus

baptized

35 A.D.

Paul converted

27 A.D.

31 A.D.

31 A.D.

Pilate sent to Rome

Herod Agrippa made king

of Judea and Samaria

36 A.D.

37 A.D.

42 A.D.

Matthew written

43 A.D.

James is martyred

Agrippa dies

44 A.D.

47 A.D.

Paul¡¯s First Journey

49 A.D.

Council at Jerusalem

50 A.D.

Paul¡¯s Second Journey

Gospel goes to Europe

exactly 19 years after

founding of the Church

Paul writes I and II

Thessalonians

51 A.D.

Gaius (Caligula) made

Emperor at Rome

Claudius made Emperor

41 A.D.

50 A.D.

EVENTS IN

ROMAN EMPIRE

51 A.D.

52 A.D.

Paul writes Galatians

53 A.D.

Paul¡¯s Third Journey

Felix made Procurator

Herod Agrippa II

made Tetrarch

Claudius banishes the

Jews from Rome

DATE

BIBLICAL

EVENTS

53-55 A.D.

Paul¡¯s stay at Ephesus

EVENTS IN

PALESTINE

Nero becomes Emperor

54 A.D.

55 A.D.

55-56 A.D.

56-58 A.D.

59 A.D.

59-61 A.D.

60-62 A.D.

62 A.D.

64 A.D.

64 A.D.

65 A.D.

65 A.D.

66 A.D.

Paul writes

I Corinthians (spring);

II Corinthians (fall)

Paul writes Romans

Paul imprisoned

at Caesarea

Paul appeals to Caesar;

is sent to Rome

Paul writes ¡°Prison Epistles¡±

Philippians, Ephesians,

Colossians, Philemon

James (Christ¡¯s brother)

writes his epistle

James (Christ¡¯s brother)

is killed

Paul writes Hebrews

Paul visits Asia Minor,

perhaps also Spain

and Britain

Festus made

Procurator (60 A.D.)

Albinus made Procurator

Florus made Procurator

Galba becomes Emperor

Otho becomes Emperor;

Vitellius becomes Emperor;

Vespasian becomes Emperor

69 A.D.

Destruction of

Jerusalem by Titus

70 A.D.

75 A.D.

Peter writes I Peter

77 A.D.

Peter writes II Peter

Titus becomes Emperor

79 A.D.

Death of Peter

Domitian becomes Emperor;

Christian persecutions

81 A.D.

80¡¯s A.D. (?)

John writes

I, II, and III John

Jude writes

his epistle

95-96 A.D.

John writes Revelation

85-87 A.D.

Conflagration at Rome¡ª

Persecution of Christians

Paul returns to Rome

Writes I Timothy, Titus,

II Timothy

Paul¡¯s death at Rome¡ª

probably beheaded

68 A.D.

80 A.D.

EVENTS IN

ROMAN EMPIRE

96 A.D.

Nerva becomes Emperor

98 A.D.

Trajan becomes Emperor

100-101 A.D.

Death of John

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