When Was Christianity Created?

Christianity’s public life in Acts begins at Pentecost, when the disciples in Jerusalem are filled with the Holy Spirit and speak to Jews from many nations. The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Jesus is the one they confess. The Council of Nicaea in 325 states the faith. It does not create the church.

Key Points

• Acts 2:1CloseAnd when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.Acts 2:1 · King James VersionOpen source says that when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:4CloseAnd they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.Acts 2:4 · King James VersionOpen source says they were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues.
• Acts 2:5CloseAnd there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.Acts 2:5 · King James VersionOpen source says devout Jews from every nation under heaven were dwelling at Jerusalem.
• Acts 11:26CloseAnd when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.Acts 11:26 · King James VersionOpen source says the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
• Jesus is the one that church preaches. What Religion Was Jesus? is his life under the law, before that name.
• Did Paul Invent Christianity? is the claim that the faith starts with Paul. Who Started the Catholic Church? quotes Catholic, Orthodox, and Reformed texts and does not pick a side.
• What Happened at the Council of Nicaea? is 325. When Was the New Testament Written? is earlier than that council.

Pentecost

Acts 2:1CloseAnd when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.Acts 2:1 · King James VersionOpen source is the day of Pentecost, the disciples together in one place. Acts 2:4CloseAnd they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.Acts 2:4 · King James VersionOpen source says they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:5CloseAnd there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.Acts 2:5 · King James VersionOpen source sets the crowd: Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven, dwelling at Jerusalem. The first public preaching in this chapter is to them, about Jesus.

The books that carry this account are dated on When Was the New Testament Written?. The copies are How Many New Testament Manuscripts Are There?.

The Name at Antioch

Acts 11:26CloseAnd when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.Acts 11:26 · King James VersionOpen source, King James Version:

And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Acts 11:26 · King James Version

The same verse says Barnabas brought Saul to Antioch, and that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught many people. The name is given to the disciples there. It is not a name the Gospels put on Jesus during his ministry in Galilee. What Religion Was Jesus?

Who Founded It

The church in Acts preaches Jesus crucified and raised. The Resurrection of Jesus What Is the Deity of Christ? The Trinity is the confession of one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19CloseGo ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Matthew 28:19 · King James VersionOpen source is the commission to baptize in that name.

Did Paul Invent Christianity? answers the claim that Paul created a different religion from Jesus. Who Started the Catholic Church? quotes the Catechism, an Orthodox account, and a Reformed confession on whether that church is the one Jesus founded. It does not decide the question. What Do Anglicans Believe? quotes the Church of England on a British church in the Roman period and on the break with the pope in the sixteenth century.

Nicaea Is Not the Start

What Happened at the Council of Nicaea? is the council of 325 and the creed it issued about the Son. Bishops met because the faith was already being preached and already being disputed. The council is not the day the church begins, and it is not the day the New Testament was written. What Is the Coptic Orthodox Church? quotes Alexandria’s own account of Mark in Egypt and of which councils that church receives.

Frequently Asked Questions

When Did Christianity Start?

In Acts, at Pentecost in Jerusalem, with the name Christian first used at Antioch. Acts 2:1CloseAnd when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.Acts 2:1 · King James VersionOpen source Acts 11:26CloseAnd when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.Acts 11:26 · King James VersionOpen source Nicaea is 325.

Who Founded Christianity?

The church confesses Jesus as its Lord. Paul is an apostle in that church, not a founder who replaces him. Did Paul Invent Christianity? Claims about Peter and the popes are on Who Started the Catholic Church? and Who Was the First Pope?. Those pages quote the churches and do not pick a side.

Is Christianity Monotheistic?

Christians confess one God. The Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not three gods. Tawhid and Christian Monotheism is the same confession set beside the Qur’an.

What Are the Key Beliefs?

One God, Jesus truly God and truly human, and the resurrection. The Trinity What Is the Deity of Christ? The Resurrection of Jesus What Do Muslims Believe? is the neighbor’s confession, not a second copy of these pages.

What Does “this generation shall not pass” Mean?

Matthew 24:34CloseVerily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.Matthew 24:34 · King James VersionOpen source has Jesus say that this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. The verse sits in a discourse about signs, the temple, and the coming of the Son of man. It names “this generation” and “all these things.” It does not print a calendar year.

Did Christianity Begin as a Rejection of Judaism?

The first hearers in Acts 2:5CloseAnd there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.Acts 2:5 · King James VersionOpen source are Jews in Jerusalem. Jesus himself lived as a Jew under the law. What Religion Was Jesus? When Was Judaism Established? The parting is about who the Messiah is, and about whether he is God. Why Don’t Jews Believe Jesus Is the Messiah?