Timeline of Christianity

account of Christianity from the beginning of the current era (AD) to the present

This timeline is to show the history of Christianity from the beginning to the present. Question marks on dates mean that dates are not exact.

Western culture and Christian churches use the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar has been in use since 1582 when it replaced the less precise Julian Calendar. The Gregorian calendar began in Europe, in the reign of Pope Gregory XIII. The Gregorian calendar is now used almost everywhere in the world (except for calculating the holy days of other religions).

The Gregorian calendar dates years from before or after the birth of Jesus. Years that are before the birth of Jesus have the initials BC (before Christ) and years that are after (traditionally) have the initials AD (anno Domini – "in the year of our Lord"). Nowadays these are often written BCE ("before the Common Era") and CE ("Common Era").

The "year one" is the first year in "anno Domini" (the Common Era). There is no year zero. When the Gregorian calendar was calculated, the scholars tried to work out exactly when the birth of Jesus happened. The exact date is not certain, but most agree that it was between 6 BC and 4 BC.

Era of Jesus

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This list tells only about the things that happened in the part of the world where Jesus was born. This region is now called Israel and Palestine. In the time of Jesus, it was under the rule of the Romans.

Jesus began his ministry after his baptism by John and during the rule of Pilate, preaching: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matt 4:12–17). While the historicity of the gospel accounts is questioned to some extent by most critical scholars and non-Christians, the traditional view states the following chronology for his ministry: Temptation, Sermon on the Mount, Appointment of the Twelve, Miracles, Temple Money Changers, Last Supper, Arrest, Trial, Passion, Crucifixion on Good Friday (Mark 15:42, John 19:42), Nisan 14th (John 19:14, Mark 14:2, Gospel of Peter) or Nisan 15th (Synoptic Gospels), (7 Apr 30, 3 Apr 33, 30 Mar 36, possible Fri-14-Nisan dates – Meier), entombment by Pharisees Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus of the Sanhedrin, Resurrection by God on Easter Sunday, appearances to Paul of Tarsus (1Cor 15:3–9), Simon Peter (Luke 24:34), Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9, John 20:10–18), and others, Great Commission, Ascension, Second Coming Prophecy to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment, and establishment of the Kingdom of God and the Messianic Age. See also Chronology of Jesus.

Era of the Apostles

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Shortly after the Crucifixion of Jesus (Nisan 14 or 15), the Jerusalem church was founded as the first Christian church with about 120 Jews and Jewish proselytes (Acts 1:15), followed by Pentecost, the Ananias and Sapphira incident, Pharisee Gamaliel's defense of the Apostles (5:34–39), the stoning of Saint Stephen (see also Persecution of Christians) and the subsequent dispersal of the church (7:54–8:8) which led to the baptism of Simon Magus in Samaria (8:9–24), and also an Ethiopian eunuch (8:26–40). Paul's conversion to "Apostle to the Gentiles" is first recorded in (9:13–16, cf. Gal 1:11–24). Peter baptized the Centurion Cornelius, who is traditionally considered the first Gentile convert to Christianity (10). The Antioch church was founded. It was there that the term Christian was first used (11:26). Saint James was executed by Agrippa I (ruled 39–44) during a Passover (Nisan 15) (12:1–3).

Early Christianity

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Era of the Seven Ecumenical Councils

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Constantine called the First Council of Nicaea in 325 to unify Christology, also called the first great Christian council by Jerome, the first ecumenical, decreed the Original Nicene Creed, but rejected by Nontrinitarianism such as Arius, Theonas, Secundus, Eusebius of Nicomedia, and Theognis who were excommunicated, also addressed Easter controversy and passed 20 Canon laws.

Middle Ages

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Renaissance

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Reformation

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17th century

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18th century

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19th century

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20th century

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21st century

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Sources

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Footnotes

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  1. G. J. Goldberg. "John the Baptist and Josephus". Archived from the original on 2008-10-10. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
  2. A. J. MAAS (2003). Origin of the Name of Jesus Christ. Retrieved January 23, 2006. Walter Bauer's et al. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 1979, under Christos notes: "as a personal name; the Gentiles must have understood Christos in this way (to them it seemed very much like Chrestos [even in pronunciation ...], a name that is found in lit."
  3. Catholic Encyclopedia: Judaizers see section titled: "THE INCIDENT AT ANTIOCH"
  4. Theodosian Code XVI.1.2 Archived 2007-02-27 at the Wayback Machine Medieval Sourcebook: Banning of Other Religions by Paul Halsall, June 1997, Fordham University, retrieved September 25, 2006; IMPERATORIS THEODOSIANI CODEX Liber Decimus Sextus Archived 2006-05-04 at the Wayback Machine, Emperor Theodosius, George Mason University retrieved September 25, 2006; Theodosian Code XVI.1.2; Catholic Encyclopedia: Theodosius I: "In February, 380, he and Gratian published the famous edict that all their subjects should profess the faith of the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria (Cod. Theod., XVI, I, 2; Sozomen, VII, 4)."

Other websites

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