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How Many Are Born Again Christian

Christianity is the most widely adept religion in the earth, with more than two billion followers. The Christian faith centers on behavior regarding the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While it started with a small grouping of adherents, many historians regard the spread and adoption of Christianity throughout the world as one of the most successful spiritual missions in human being history.

Christianity Beliefs

Some basic Christian concepts include:

  • Christians are monotheistic, i.e., they believe there'due south but one God, and he created the heavens and the earth. This divine Godhead consists of three parts: the male parent (God himself), the son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.
  • The essence of Christianity revolves effectually the life, death and Christian beliefs on the resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe God sent his son Jesus, the messiah, to save the world. They believe Jesus was crucified on a cross to offer the forgiveness of sins and was resurrected three days after his death earlier ascending to heaven.
  • Christians contend that Jesus will return to earth again in what's known as the Second Coming.
  • The Holy Bible includes important scriptures that outline Jesus'southward teachings, the lives and teachings of major prophets and disciples, and offer instructions for how Christians should alive.
  • Both Christians and Jews follow the Old Testament of the Bible, only Christians also encompass the New Testament.
  • The cross is a symbol of Christianity.
  • The most of import Christian holidays are Christmas (which celebrates the birth of Jesus) and Easter (which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus).

WATCH Jesus: His Life on HISTORY Vault

Who Was Jesus?

About historians believe that Jesus was a existent person who was born between 2 B.C. and 7 B.C. Much of what scholars know about Jesus comes from the New Attestation of the Christian Bible.

According to the text, Jesus was built-in to a immature Jewish virgin named Mary in the town of Bethlehem in the West Depository financial institution, due south of Jerusalem. Christians believe the conception was a supernatural issue, with God impregnating Mary via the Holy Spirit.

Very lilliputian is known well-nigh Jesus's babyhood. Scriptures reveal that he grew upwards in Nazareth, he and his family fled persecution from Rex Herod and moved to Egypt, and his "earthly" father, Joseph, was a carpenter.

Jesus was raised Jewish, and co-ordinate to nigh scholars, he aimed to reform Judaism—not create a new religion.

When he was around 30 years old, Jesus started his public ministry later on being baptized in the Jordan River past the prophet known as John the Baptist.

For about three years, Jesus traveled with 12 appointed disciples (also known as the 12 apostles), teaching big groups of people and performing what witnesses described as miracles. Some of the about well-known miraculous events included raising a expressionless human named Lazarus from the grave, walking on water and curing the blind.

READ More than: What Did Jesus Look Similar?

Jesus'south Teachings

Jesus used parables—short stories with hidden messages—in his teachings.

Some of the main themes that Jesus taught, which Christians later embraced, include:

  • Love God.
  • Honey your neighbor every bit yourself.
  • Forgive others who have wronged you lot.
  • Dearest your enemies.
  • Ask God for forgiveness of your sins.
  • Jesus is the Messiah and was given the authority to forgive others.
  • Repentance of sins is essential.
  • Don't be hypocritical.
  • Don't judge others.
  • The Kingdom of God is near. It's not the rich and powerful—only the weak and poor—who will inherit this kingdom.

In ane of Jesus'southward most famous speeches, which became known as the Sermon on the Mountain, he summarized many of his moral instructions for his followers.

READ MORE: The Bible Says Jesus Was Real. What Other Proof Exists?

Jesus's Decease and Resurrection

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Many scholars believe Jesus died between xxx A.D. and 33 A.D., although the verbal appointment is debated among theologians.

Co-ordinate to the Bible, Jesus was arrested, tried and condemned to decease. Roman governor Pontius Pilate issued the gild to kill Jesus after being pressured by Jewish leaders who alleged that Jesus was guilty of a variety of crimes, including blasphemy.

Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers in Jerusalem, and his body was laid in a tomb. According to scripture, three days after his crucifixion, Jesus's trunk was missing.

In the days afterwards Jesus'due south decease, some people reported sightings and encounters with him. Authors in the Bible say the resurrected Jesus ascended into Heaven.

READ MORE: The History of Easter

The Christian Bible

The Christian Bible is a collection of 66 books written by diverse authors. It's divided into two parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Attestation, which is also recognized by followers of Judaism, describes the history of the Jewish people, outlines specific laws to follow, details the lives of many prophets, and predicts the coming of the Messiah.

The New Testament was written later on Jesus's decease. The showtime iv books—Matthew, Marker, Luke and John—are known equally the "Gospels," which means "practiced news." These texts, composed sometime between 70 A.D. and 100 A.D., provide accounts of the life and death of Jesus.

Messages written past early Christian leaders, which are known as "epistles," make up a large part of the New Testament. These messages offer instructions for how the church should operate.

The Acts of the Apostles is a volume in the New Testament that gives an account of the apostles' ministry subsequently Jesus's decease. The writer of Acts is the same author every bit one of the Gospels—it is finer "part 2" to the Gospels, what happened afterwards Jesus's expiry and resurrection.

The terminal volume in the New Testament, Revelation, describes a vision and prophecies that will occur at the finish of the world, as well as metaphors to describe the land of the world.

READ MORE: A Tour of the Biblical Treasures at D.C.'s New Museum of the Bible

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History of Christianity

According to the Bible, the get-go church organized itself 50 days later on Jesus's death on the Mean solar day of Pentecost—when the Holy Spirit was said to descend onto Jesus's followers.

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Near of the first Christians were Jewish converts, and the church was centered in Jerusalem. Shortly afterward the cosmos of the church building, many Gentiles (non-Jews) embraced Christianity.

Early Christians considered information technology their calling to spread and teach the gospel. One of the most important missionaries was the campaigner Paul, a erstwhile persecutor of Christians.

Paul'due south conversion to Christianity afterwards he had a supernatural run across with Jesus is described in Acts of the Apostles. Paul preached the gospel and established churches throughout the Roman Empire, Europe and Africa.

Many historians believe Christianity wouldn't exist as widespread without the piece of work of Paul. In improver to preaching, Paul is thought to have written 13 of the 27 books in the New Attestation.

READ MORE: Inside the Conversion Tactics of the Early Christian Church

Persecution of Christians

Early Christians were persecuted for their faith by both Jewish and Roman leaders.

In 64 A.D., Emperor Nero blamed Christians for a burn that broke out in Rome. Many were brutally tortured and killed during this time.

Under Emperor Domitian, Christianity was illegal. If a person confessed to being a Christian, he or she was executed.

Starting in 303 A.D., Christians faced the most severe persecutions to appointment under the co-emperors Diocletian and Galerius. This became known as the Great Persecution.

Constantine Embraces Christianity

When Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, religious tolerance shifted in the Roman Empire.

During this time, at that place were several groups of Christians with unlike ideas about how to interpret scripture and the function of the church.

In 313 A.D., Constantine lifted the ban on Christianity with the Edict of Milan. He subsequently tried to unify Christianity and resolve issues that divided the church by establishing the Nicene Creed.

Many scholars believe Constantine's conversion was a turning point in Christian history.

The Catholic Church

In 380 A.D., Emperor Theodosius I declared Catholicism the state religion of the Roman Empire. The Pope, or Bishop of Rome, operated equally the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Catholics expressed a deep devotion for the Virgin Mary, recognized the vii sacraments, and honored relics and sacred sites.

When the Roman Empire collapsed in 476 A.D., differences emerged among Eastern and Western Christians.

In 1054 A.D., the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox church split into two groups.

The Crusades

Between about 1095 A.D. and 1230 A.D., the Crusades, a series of holy wars, took place. In these battles, Christians fought against Islamic rulers and their Muslim soldiers to reclaim holy country in the metropolis of Jerusalem.

The Christians were successful in occupying Jerusalem during some of the Crusades, but they were ultimately defeated.

After the Crusades, the Cosmic Church's power and wealth increased.

READ MORE: Why Muslims Encounter the Crusades So Differently from Christians

The Reformation

In 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther published 95 Theses—a text that criticized certain acts of the Pope and protested some of the practices and priorities of the Roman Catholic church.

Later, Luther publicly said that the Bible didn't give the Pope the sole right to read and interpret scripture.

Luther'southward ideas triggered the Reformation—a motion that aimed to reform the Catholic church. As a issue, Protestantism was created, and different denominations of Christianity eventually began to form.

Types of Christianity

Christianity is broadly split into 3 branches: Catholic, Protestant and (Eastern) Orthodox.

The Catholic co-operative is governed by the Pope and Catholic bishops around the world. The Orthodox (or Eastern Orthodox) is split into contained units each governed by a Holy Synod; at that place is no key governing structure alike to the Pope.

In that location are numerous denominations inside Protestant Christianity, many of which differ in their interpretation of the Bible and understanding of the church.

Some of the many denominations that autumn under the category of Protestant Christianity include:

  • Baptist
  • Episcopalian
  • Evangelist
  • Methodist
  • Presbyterian
  • Pentecostal/Charismatic
  • Lutheran
  • Anglican
  • Evangelical
  • Assemblies of God
  • Christian Reform/Dutch Reform
  • Church of the Nazarene
  • Disciples of Christ
  • United Church building of Christ
  • Mennonite
  • Christian Science
  • Quaker
  • Seventh-Twenty-four hour period Adventist

Although the many sects of Christianity take differing views, uphold separate traditions and worship in singled-out ways, the core of their faith is centered around the life and teachings of Jesus.

Sources

Christianity Fast Facts. CNN.
The Basics of Christian History. BBC.
Christianity. BBC.
Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Harvard Divinity School.
Life and Teachings of Jesus. Harvard Divinity School.
Legitimization Under Constantine. PBS.

HISTORY Vault

How Many Are Born Again Christian

Source: https://www.history.com/topics/religion/history-of-christianity