The History of Our Faith

The story of our faith begins around 2000 BC with Abraham, who was called by God to leave his home and was given a covenant promise: that he would be the father of a great nation through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. This covenant, a cornerstone of the Old Testament, established a unique relationship between God and Abraham's descendants, the people of Israel.

Through centuries, this nation experienced exodus from Egypt under Moses, received God's Law, and settled in the Promised Land. The era of the prophets followed, with figures like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel calling the people to faithfulness amidst political turmoil. Great empires like the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires rose and fell, leading to periods of exile and repentance for Israel. Later, the Persian Empire allowed the Jewish people to return to their homeland, setting the stage for the fulfillment of prophecies and the coming of the Messiah.

Christianity began in Jerusalem with a small group of Jewish followers of Jesus Christ. Following Jesus's death and resurrection, the apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, began preaching the gospel. The faith quickly spread beyond its Jewish origins, thanks to missionaries like the Apostle Paul, who traveled extensively throughout the Roman Empire.

Early Christians faced waves of intense persecution from the Roman authorities, yet the church grew exponentially. Believers met in secret, sharing the scriptures and sacraments, forming a resilient community that crossed social, ethnic, and economic lines. This period, known as the Apostolic Age and the Ante-Nicene period, established the core tenets of the faith and the canon of the New Testament.

After Emperor Constantine's conversion, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. The capital moved to Constantinople, marking the beginning of the Byzantine Empire, which became the center of Christian Orthodoxy for over a thousand years. This era saw the formalization of key doctrines through the Ecumenical Councils, such as the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), which affirmed the deity of Christ.

Theological and political differences between the Latin-speaking West and the Greek-speaking East grew over centuries. These tensions culminated in the Great Schism of 1054, which formally divided the Christian church into the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East. This division remains a significant feature of the global Christian landscape.

The medieval period in Europe was dominated by the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated by the Latin Church with the primary goal of recovering the Holy Land from Muslim rule. While they had profound impacts on trade, politics, and the transfer of knowledge, they also created a legacy of conflict and distrust between Christians and Muslims.

During this time, magnificent cathedrals were built, universities were founded with religious charters, and monastic orders preserved ancient knowledge. However, it was also a period where the church's significant political power sometimes led to corruption and conflict, setting the stage for future calls for reform.

In 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther published his Ninety-five Theses, protesting the sale of indulgences and challenging the authority of the Pope. This act ignited the Protestant Reformation, a movement that emphasized salvation by faith alone, the authority of Scripture, and the priesthood of all believers. Leaders like John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli further spread reformist ideas.

The invention of the printing press allowed these ideas to spread rapidly across Europe, leading to the establishment of Protestant churches (Lutheran, Calvinist/Reformed, Anglican) and sparking decades of religious wars. This era fundamentally reshaped the political and religious map of Europe and underscored the importance of personal faith and direct access to the Bible.

From the Age of Exploration onward, Christianity spread to the Americas, Africa, and Asia through missions and colonization. This expansion led to the faith becoming the largest and most geographically diverse religion in the world.

Today, Christianity is a global faith with a vibrant and growing presence in the Southern Hemisphere. The history of the church is a complex story of faith, human frailty, and God's enduring faithfulness. Understanding this long and often difficult journey provides crucial context for the scriptures and enriches our appreciation for the global, multi-cultural family of believers we are part of today.