WHI.SOL6 Christianity

What did Constantine do for Christians?

In 313 CE Emperor Constantine gave Christians the freedom to openly practice their religion. It had previously been outlawed by various local Roman governors and later Emperors. Constantine even adopted the Christian religion on his deathbed.

What happened to Herod's sons?

Herod's sons inherited his kingdom in 4 BCE and divided into three kingdoms between them. When unrest in the community broke out again, Rome sent a prefect - military governor - to replace all of Herod's sons and take control over the region again.

Who was Herod?

In order to maintain control over Judea, the Romans appointed a non-Hebrew, named Herod, as King of Judea in 37 BCE. Herod converted to Judaism and even rebuilt the Temple of Jerusalem.

According to Paul, who did Jesus come to earth to save?

Paul taught that Jesus was a savior for both Jews and gentiles, or in other words, all people.

List three places that Paul preached.

Paul traveled through Asia Minor, Greece (Balkan Peninsula) and within Rome, preaching the religion of Christianity.

How and when did Paul die?

Paul was killed by beheading in 65 CE. It was the Romans (no specific group listed) that executed him, likely just for being Christian.

Name two people who spread Christianity.

Really in this section only one person is referenced as helping spread Christianity. That is Saul, who was known to the Greeks as "Paul". They are the same person. From previous lessons you know that Constantine helped spread Christianity later, as did Theodosius. In the next section the text references Peter, a close friend of Jesus, as also working to spread Christianity.

How did they kill him

Romans used a method called crucifixion to kill those accused of being rebels against Rome. Jesus would be hung from a cross (to boards that intersect perpendicularly) and left to die from exposure.

Explain the events that led to Saul becoming Christian.

Saul fell from his horse after being blinded by a bright light, while hearing a voice that said "Saul, why do you persecute me?" He was blind and paralyzed so his followers took him to Damascus where he was healed by a Christian. Form that moment on Saul believed it was voice of the resurrected Jesus that he heard and that he was actually the son of God.

What did Jewish people call non-Jews?

The term "gentile" was used by Jews in reference to all people that were non-Jewish.

What is a missionary?

A missionary is a person that tries to convert other to his or her religion. Often they travel to places that do not know of their religion.

What is a parable?

A parable is a story used to a moral or religious lesson. Jesus preferred to use this method of teaching.

What were the two most important Jewish laws?

According to Jesus the two most important Jewish laws were to "love your God with all your heart and all your soul", and to "love your neighbor as yourself."

What do you think Jesus meant when he said "Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God"?

According to Jesus your heart and soul should belong to God. You give those things to God, your material possession God does not care for. You give Caesar the material things, taxes, that he requests. He is not disputing Caesar's claim to rule over the area and does not think people should rebel, because Caesar cannot force them to give him their hearts and souls that belong to God.

Who was considered the Messiah?

According to the Gospels and his followers, Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah.

Summarize the story of Jesus's birth.

According to the Gospels, Jesus' mother was told by an angel that she would have a child that she should name Jesus. At the time, Jesus parents had to return to his father's hometown of Bethlehem for a census. When they arrived they could not find a room to rent and ended up staying a stable for shelter. It was in the stable that Mary gave birth to Jesus.

What happened to Jesus after he died?

After Jesus died a few of his followers removed him from the cross and took him to a carved from rock, to be buried. They did this on a Friday. When they returned on Sunday they found Jesus alive. This convinced them that he was the son of God, and gave them courage to begin spreading his teachings and stories of his life.

Who ruled over Jerusalem during this time?

Although a prefect was sent to manage Judea, the local affairs (business) were actually controlled by local Jewish leaders.

Did the Romans mind Christians worshipping their one god? What really bothered them?

At first the Romans did not care that the Christians worshipped a different deity, as they already had a large pantheon of deities. It was when the Christians refused to acknowledge the Emperor as a god or worship any of the Roman gods that the Romans became angry with the new religion. They believed that the Christian teachings were in direct conflict with Roman tradition as well (wealth vs simplicity).

Who had ruled over this area?

At one time the Kings David and Solomon each ruled over the Kingdom of Israel, and therefore the territory of Judea

What is baptism?

Baptism is a religious ritual by which a person is welcomed into a religion. Often it involved being rinsed or covered with water, sometimes at a place that is considered holy or sacred to the religion.

What did Jesus do before he began traveling and preaching?

Before Jesus began to preach his ideas and teachings in the region known as Galilee, he went into the wilderness and prayed for forty days.

How did Christianity give people hope?

Christianity gave followers hope because it taught that all people, including the poor and slaves could look forward to a better life after death, if they followed the way of Christ (followed Christian teachings)

List three ways Christians were executed.

Christians were executed in a variety of ways by the Romans after the religion was outlawed. These included crucifixion being burned alive (to death), and gladiatorial games against wild animals

Why did the Romans care that Christians believed in peace and love?

Christians would refuse to serve in the Roman army because of the messages of love and peace that were included in their religion. This was a requirement for Roman citizens.

What were Jesus' disciples?

Disciples was the title that Jesus gave to small number of his followers. These men were simple, plainspoken people that were laborers and fishermen

What did Theodosius do for Christians?

Emperor Theodosius banned pagan sacrifices in the Empire, effectively ending the old Roman religion. He was a Christian himself, and by his death in 395 BCE Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Who ordered Jesus to die?

It was a Roman general, Pontius Pilate, that ultimately ordered the death sentence for Jesus. He was executed on the grounds that he might start a rebellion, although he had originally been brought to the Romans to punish for blasphemy by Jewish priests.

What types of jobs did those men have?

Jesus disciples held jobs as laborers and fishermen

Where did Jesus first begin teaching?

Jesus first began teaching in the towns and villages in the region of Galilee. He first preached in synagogues, but as his following grew he had to move to open areas like streets and hillsides

Did God care more for the righteous or the sinners?

Jesus implies not that God cares more for sinners, but care more about sinners changing their ways than he does about those that are already righteous and obeying his laws.

What sorts of things did Jesus do that made people think he was the messiah?

Jesus is said to have performed miracles, such as healing the sick, and be befriended the poor and friendless (kindness). These actions led people to believe he was the Messiah.

Who does Jesus consider a neighbor?

Jesus seems to consider that act out of kindness and complete good deeds his neighbors.

What types of people did Jesus surround himself with?

Jesus surrounded himself with common people, the poor and sick.

Why was Jesus angry with the men doing business in the temple?

Jesus was angry because the temple was supposed to be a place of worship where one's mind is supposed to be focused on God and repentance. The men doing business were thinking about themselves and material possessions taking their minds away from God.

Where was Jesus born?

Jesus was born in part of the Ancient Kingdom of Israel, along the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, called Judea

Why was Jesus NOT born in Nazareth?

Jesus was not born in Nazareth because his parents had to travel to his father's hometown of Bethlehem for a census ordered by Augustus Caesar.

Who betrayed Jesus? Did Jesus know this would happen?

Jesus' disciple, Judas, betrayed him and turned him over to the Roman guard who were looking for him on the crime of blasphemy charged by the Jewish High Priest in Jerusalem. According to the Gospels, Jesus knew that he would be betrayed and killed by those that were his enemies.

What did Jesus preach about?

Jesus' teachings included the existence of God's mercy and love. He also urged followers to not only love God, but each other as well.

What type of religion is Judaism?

Judaism is a monotheistic religion, meaning they believe in only one God.

When did Judea fall under Roman control?

Judea fell under the control of the Roman Republic in 63 BCE.

Why would the inn have been crowded when Joseph and Mary arrived?

Many people likely had to return to Bethlehem for the census, which would have resulted in inns filling up quickly.

How do we know anything about Jesus?

Most of what we know about Jesus of Nazareth comes from writing created by his followers.

Why do Jewish people celebrate Passover?

Passover is the celebration of God's rescue of Jew from Egypt, about 1000 years before Jesus lived. It is actually the event when one of the plagues, death of the first born sons, was spared on Jewish families that painted their door mantles with the blood of a sacrificed lamb.

Where do Jewish people go to worship?

Synagogues are places of communal worship for people that practice the religion of Judaism.

Who are the four men who wrote the gospels?

The Gospels are credited to Jesus' disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

What are the gospels?

The Gospels are written records of Jesus' life and teachings, as recorded by some of his followers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They were used to help spread the teachings of Christianity.

Why did Jesus become known as Jesus Christ?

The Greek word for Messiah is "Christos", over time the Greek word was used to describe Jesus and he became known as Jesus the Christ, or Jesus Christ.

Why did the Jewish people hate the Romans?

The Jewish people hated the Romans because they were an outside force ruling over them, with different customs and beliefs. Many Jews believed their sacred scriptures gave prophecies that a savior would be sent to restore the Kingdom of David, which the Romans were currently preventing.

What is the New Testament?

The New Testament is part of the Christian holy book called the Bible. It contains the accounts of Jesus' life, known as the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

When were the gospels written?

The full Gospels were not written down until 30 to 70 years after Jesus' death, using both written records from the disciples and oral accounts.

When does our modern calendar begin and why?

The modern calendar in the western world begins the calculation or counting of years with what was believed to be the year that Jesus of Nazareth was born. Two reasons can explain the start of the calendar. The actual years being in correct can be attributed to the lack of written records by historians about the area at the time. The other reason for the calendar focusing around the birth of Jesus is because eventually the religion was adopted by the Romans and spread to many parts of the world.

What is a messiah?

The word Messiah means "anointed one", which was the name that the Jews used for the person they believed would be their savior from oppression.

Who was ruling Judea when Jesus was born?

Today historians believe that King Herod was likely the ruler of Judea when Jesus was actually born, probably around 6 CE.

What is tribute?

Tribute is like a tax. Money or resources are paid to a leader or government

When did people start seeing Jesus as the messiah?

When Jesus went to a preacher known as John the Baptist and was baptized in the Jordan River, John proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah that the Jewish people had been awaiting.

What sorts of things did Jesus grow up learning?

While little is written about Jesus' childhood, we can assume that like other children of the time in his community he took up his own father's trade, carpentry, and would have studied Jewish law and religious writings.