What was the starting point of Christianity? Was it in a little town in Bethlehem, just as the lyrics of our favorite Christmas songs contend?

In truth, in the earliest days of Christianity, when Peter and Paul first set out to preach the gospel, the belief systems of early Christians were viewed as merely a new sect of Judaism. The appellation of “Christian” was a term developed by outside antagonists, which the so-called Christians wore with pride. It took time for Christianity to be fully cleaved away from its mother religion of Judaism.

A council was held in Jerusalem around 50 CE for the early church leaders to decide what would become the fundamentals of the new faith, such as what old rules and regulations from the Old Testament should remain for new believers. From Christianity’s earliest formation as a separate identity, it began to spread across the known world. The early Christians met in underground churches and, at times, even in graveyards to avoid persecution.

Yet, their very secrecy often spurned the wildest of rumors. It got to the point where Communion was even mistaken as an act of cannibalism! This led to the rise of Christian apologists, who were tasked with explaining the most fundamental elements to the lay public.

This book explores all of these aspects of early Christianity and more. In this book, you will learn about the following:

The ministry of Jesus
Who first spread the gospel
Early Christian outreach to the Greco-Roman world
Christian Gnosticism, Manicheism, and other Christian sects
The struggle of Christian apologists
The early martyrs of the Christian faith
The impact of the Council of Nicaea
How the church survived the fall of the Roman Empire

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