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Christianity began as a Jewish sect and remained so for centuries in some locations, diverging gradually from Judaism over doctrinal, social and historical differences. Despite the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire , the faith spread as a grassroots movement that by the third century was established both in and outside the empire.
Jesus began his ministry after his baptism by John and during the rule of Pilate, preaching: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 4:12–17). While the historicity of the gospel accounts is questioned to some extent by some critical scholars and non-Christians, the traditional view states the following chronology for his ministry:
Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant , across the Roman Empire , and beyond.
The text is very often shortened by means of signs and abbreviations. At any early date, Christian abbreviations were found side by side with those traditionally used in connection with the religions of the Roman Empire. One of the most common was D.M. for Diis Manibus, "to the protecting Deities of the Lower World." The phrase presumably lost ...
179 – Silures; traditional date, now considered questionable [1] 301 – Christianization of Armenia; 301 - Foundation of San Marino; c. 313 – Caucasian Albania (Udi) [2] c. 319 – Christianization of Iberia (Georgia) [3] [4] [5] c. 325 – Kingdom of Aksum (Ethiopian Orthodox Church) 337 – Roman Empire (baptism of Constantine I)
Coming from a Jewish background, early Christians believed in angels (derived from the Greek word for "messengers"). [142] Specifically, early Christians wrote in the New Testament books that angels "heralded Jesus' birth, Resurrection, and Ascension; ministered to Him while He was on Earth; and sing the praises of God through all eternity."
King Tiridates III made Christianity the state religion in Armenia in the early 4th century AD, making Armenia the first officially Christian state. [42] [43] It was not an entirely new religion in Armenia, having penetrated into the country from at least the third century, but it may have been present even earlier. [44]
Historiography of early Christianity is the study of historical writings about early Christianity, which is the period before the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Historians have used a variety of sources and methods in exploring and describing Christianity during this time.