Course 4 Math Reasoning Crucifixions were common in the Roman Empire. They were so common that the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth was noticed only by a small group of dedicated followers. To understand the life and death of Jesus and the birth of Christianity, one must understand the context of the Roman Empire. Jesus was a Jew, as were almost all of his early followers. By A.D. 30, Rome's empire had expanded to cover virtually all of the lands adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, including the land occupied by the Hebrews. The Romans had no tolerance for sedition or rebellion against their government. But the Jews had a religious reason for resisting Roman control. The Romans expected the Jews to worship the emperor as a god. But the Jews' religion commanded them to worship only one god: Yahweh. Their refusal to worship any of the Roman emperors, infuriated those rulers. The emperors were used to getting their way, and they did not take the Jewish resistance lightly. In 26 B.C., the Romans established direct rule over the Jews. They appointed Pontius Pilate as governor of the territory in that year. Pontius Pilate had little tolerance for Jewish traditions. More than once, he pushed the Jews to the brink of revolt by violating their religious beliefs in their holy city of Jerusalem. He even took money from their holy temple's treasury to build an aqueduct. This action led to a suppressed rebellion that resulted in many Jewish deaths. According to Hebrew texts, it was believed that humans' time on earth was temporary. It was to be replaced by God's triumph over all human sins and the establishment of God's everlasting kingdom. They believed that this apocalypse, or end to the earthly world, would be brought about by a messiah. Many Jews were awaiting this messiah to deliver them from Roman rule and their earthly burdens. For some, this messiah was Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus of Nazareth Jesus began to teach in the Jewish tradition. He preached love and tolerance, and he was also believed to have performed miracles of healing the sick, walking on water and even raising the dead. Jesus claimed that there was a life after death for people who had faith in God. He said that the kingdom of Yahweh would never be realized on earth, but in a life after death. Jesus taught to love even enemies, because in light of the coming kingdom of God, there was no reason for hatred. A small group of disciples believed he was the promised messiah who would bring an end to Roman rule. But since Jesus did also say “My kingdom is not of this world”, many scholars believe Jesus didn’t plan to overthrow the Romans. Jesus' ideas were rejected by most of the Jews in Galilee, an area in northern Israel, where he first preached his ideas. Many Jews believed that Jesus was a troublemaker who was violating Yahweh's sacredness. He chose to go to Jerusalem to spread his word sometime between A.D. 30 and 33. Gaining followers in Jerusalem was not easy for Jesus. Not all Jews saw their religion or their relationship with the Romans in the same way. In fact, some of the high priests of the Jewish Temple supported the Romans. The high priest was appointed by Pontius Pilate to control Jewish affairs and to keep the Jewish population in line. Some historians argue that the priests received wealth and power for their cooperation with the Romans. Jesus decided to target these priests and their control of the Temple of Yahweh. It is believed that he saw them obstructing the conversion of the Jewish populace to his ideas. He coordinated an attack on the trading activities of the Temple, which were a great source of wealth to the priests. At the very least, this gave the Roman authorities the excuse they needed to arrest Jesus for sedition. However, there were larger reasons. His claim to have been the son of God was called blasphemy by the priests and also challenged their right to control the temple in God’s name. On the night of the Passover Seder, known to Christians as the Last Supper, Jesus was arrested. After dinner, Jesus was praying with his disciples at Mount Olive, where Judas of Iscariot, one of his disciples, had told Roman authorities he would be. Crucifixion and the growth of Christianity Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, who was uncertain how to proceed. Jesus' disciples were only a small minority, and the crowds demanded crucifixion. Pilate condemned Jesus to death. He was beaten and crucified. Three days after his death, Jesus' tomb was found empty. For the next 40 days, his disciples claim that they saw Jesus having risen from the dead. The resurrection story is central to the Christian beliefs of the divinity of Jesus and life after death. Many Jews rejected the notion of Jesus as their messiah. In the years that followed Jesus' death, the Romans treated the early Christians as a small, Jewish sect. This all changed with Paul of Tarsus. Paul began to spread Christian ideas more to non-Jews. Many of the poor, destitute people in the region took solace in the notions of a loving god and a life after death. The Romans persecuted these Christians who rejected Roman polytheism. But Paul traveled far and wide, and his successors did a remarkable job reaching converts. After almost four centuries of existing on the margins, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire in A.D. 395.

Question

Course 4 Math Reasoning Crucifixions were common in the Roman Empire. They were so common that the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth was noticed only by a small group of dedicated followers. To understand the life and death of Jesus and the birth of Christianity, one must understand the context of the Roman Empire. Jesus was a Jew, as were almost all of his early followers. By A.D. 30, Rome's empire had expanded to cover virtually all of the lands adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, including the land occupied by the Hebrews. The Romans had no tolerance for sedition or rebellion against their government. But the Jews had a religious reason for resisting Roman control. The Romans expected the Jews to worship the emperor as a god. But the Jews' religion commanded them to worship only one god: Yahweh. Their refusal to worship any of the Roman emperors, infuriated those rulers. The emperors were used to getting their way, and they did not take the Jewish resistance lightly. In 26 B.C., the Romans established direct rule over the Jews. They appointed Pontius Pilate as governor of the territory in that year. Pontius Pilate had little tolerance for Jewish traditions. More than once, he pushed the Jews to the brink of revolt by violating their religious beliefs in their holy city of Jerusalem. He even took money from their holy temple's treasury to build an aqueduct. This action led to a suppressed rebellion that resulted in many Jewish deaths. According to Hebrew texts, it was believed that humans' time on earth was temporary. It was to be replaced by God's triumph over all human sins and the establishment of God's everlasting kingdom. They believed that this apocalypse, or end to the earthly world, would be brought about by a messiah. Many Jews were awaiting this messiah to deliver them from Roman rule and their earthly burdens. For some, this messiah was Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus of Nazareth Jesus began to teach in the Jewish tradition. He preached love and tolerance, and he was also believed to have performed miracles of healing the sick, walking on water and even raising the dead. Jesus claimed that there was a life after death for people who had faith in God. He said that the kingdom of Yahweh would never be realized on earth, but in a life after death. Jesus taught to love even enemies, because in light of the coming kingdom of God, there was no reason for hatred. A small group of disciples believed he was the promised messiah who would bring an end to Roman rule. But since Jesus did also say “My kingdom is not of this world”, many scholars believe Jesus didn’t plan to overthrow the Romans. Jesus' ideas were rejected by most of the Jews in Galilee, an area in northern Israel, where he first preached his ideas. Many Jews believed that Jesus was a troublemaker who was violating Yahweh's sacredness. He chose to go to Jerusalem to spread his word sometime between A.D. 30 and 33. Gaining followers in Jerusalem was not easy for Jesus. Not all Jews saw their religion or their relationship with the Romans in the same way. In fact, some of the high priests of the Jewish Temple supported the Romans. The high priest was appointed by Pontius Pilate to control Jewish affairs and to keep the Jewish population in line. Some historians argue that the priests received wealth and power for their cooperation with the Romans. Jesus decided to target these priests and their control of the Temple of Yahweh. It is believed that he saw them obstructing the conversion of the Jewish populace to his ideas. He coordinated an attack on the trading activities of the Temple, which were a great source of wealth to the priests. At the very least, this gave the Roman authorities the excuse they needed to arrest Jesus for sedition. However, there were larger reasons. His claim to have been the son of God was called blasphemy by the priests and also challenged their right to control the temple in God’s name. On the night of the Passover Seder, known to Christians as the Last Supper, Jesus was arrested. After dinner, Jesus was praying with his disciples at Mount Olive, where Judas of Iscariot, one of his disciples, had told Roman authorities he would be. Crucifixion and the growth of Christianity Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, who was uncertain how to proceed. Jesus' disciples were only a small minority, and the crowds demanded crucifixion. Pilate condemned Jesus to death. He was beaten and crucified. Three days after his death, Jesus' tomb was found empty. For the next 40 days, his disciples claim that they saw Jesus having risen from the dead. The resurrection story is central to the Christian beliefs of the divinity of Jesus and life after death. Many Jews rejected the notion of Jesus as their messiah. In the years that followed Jesus' death, the Romans treated the early Christians as a small, Jewish sect. This all changed with Paul of Tarsus. Paul began to spread Christian ideas more to non-Jews. Many of the poor, destitute people in the region took solace in the notions of a loving god and a life after death. The Romans persecuted these Christians who rejected Roman polytheism. But Paul traveled far and wide, and his successors did a remarkable job reaching converts. After almost four centuries of existing on the margins, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire in A.D. 395.
cite evidence from the article to support your thoughts. What new understandings do you have about those who practice this religion after reading your article?
. What new questions do you have after reading?

GPT-4o mini · Answer

After reading the article, several key pieces of evidence support a deeper understanding of those who practice Christianity and the context surrounding its early development:

Cultural and Religious Context: The article highlights how Jesus was a Jew, and most of his early followers shared this heritage. This emphasizes that Christianity did not emerge in a vacuum but rather within a complex web of Jewish traditions and Roman governance. Understanding this context helps explain the initial resistance to Jesus’ teachings from many Jewish leaders, who saw him as a threat to their authority and the established religious order.
Contrast Between Jesus’ Teachings and Jewish Beliefs: The article points out that Jesus’ message focused on love, tolerance, and a promise of eternal life after death, which contrasted sharply with the Jewish expectation of a messiah who would triumph over earthly oppressors like the Romans. His statement, “My kingdom is not of this world,” indicates that Jesus did not advocate for a political uprising, reframing the idea of salvation and God’s kingdom. This understanding illustrates the divergence of early Christianity from mainstream Jewish beliefs.
Persecution and Growth of Christianity: The text mentions that early Christians were treated as a small sect within Judaism and faced persecution from the Romans, especially for rejecting Roman polytheism. However, figures like Paul expanded the message beyond Jewish communities, reaching non-Jews and offering a sense of hope to the destitute—a transformative moment for Christianity's growth. This suggests that Christianity's appeal lay in its promise of salvation and community in times of distress.
The Role of the Resurrection: The resurrection of Jesus is described as a central belief in Christianity that underpins the notions of his divinity and the concept of life after death. This foundational belief significantly distinguishes Christianity from other contemporary religions, creating a strong incentive for believers to practice and spread their faith amidst persecution.

New Understandings

From the article, one can gain a more nuanced understanding of early Christians as a marginalized group who found solace and identity in their faith despite overwhelming opposition. This context frames modern Christians' practices and beliefs as derived from a lineage of resilience and adaptation in response to historical challenges. This foundation may contribute to contemporary themes of faith, hope, and community among believers today.

New Questions

How did early Christians maintain their faith amidst persecution, and what specific practices did they adopt for resilience?
What were the key factors that led to the eventual acceptance of Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire?
How did the differing interpretations of Jesus’ message among Jews and early Christians evolve into the diverse denominations of Christianity we see today?
What role did gender and socio-economic status play in the spread of early Christianity, particularly through the efforts of figures like Paul?

These questions encourage further exploration into the complexities of early Christianity and its evolution over time.