Spreading The Faith
It was important that disciples successfully spread the news of Jesus beyond local Judea. Around 70AD, the Romans responded to a revolt of the Jews against the Empire's rule by attacking and destroying Jerusalem. Almost all Jews in the local area were killed so that the only remaining opportunity to spread the faith was in other nations after that time. The Christian faith was considered illegal throughout the Roman Empire, and Christians were generally subjected to persecution in the first and second centuries. The intensity of persecution differed from one nation to the next since the central Roman Empire government delegated law enforcement down to the local emperor level. Each emperor enforced the ban on Christianity to different degrees, ranging in ferocity to include torture and killing of Christians. Since Christians were generally viewed as a threat to civil stability, they had to worship secretly in one another's houses. It was too risky to erect special purpose buildings during the first several hundred years. The services had standardized liturgy (sets of ceremonies) which included readings from the Scriptures, hymns, sermons, collection of offerings, and a Holy Communion service. Holy Communion, or Eucharist, is a rite that remembers the Last Supper of Jesus and His Apostles before He was crucified. Bread and wine are served to represent His body and blood. The elements of these worship services in the early churches remain today.
During their lifetimes, the Apostles were active in spreading the faith through direct teaching, having the credibility of being eyewitnesses. After they passed on, it became important to maintain the authenticity of the Word through a management line of succession derived from Peter. This line of succession consisted of Bishops who had the authority to control the activities of the Church and interpret the Word. From Peter on through time, newly appointed Bishops succeeded retiring Bishops as overseers of the churches and thus maintained an unbroken Apostolic succession, which the Catholic Church claims today with its Pope. Since there were many, sometimes conflicting, accounts of Jesus, the early churches had to control the authenticity of the information. Church leaders would meet to determine what writings were inspired by God and declare them canonized (officially recognized by the church). The Bible is a composite of many writings that became canonized in the early 300sAD, that includes only words from the original Apostles appointed by Jesus or from associates working with the Apostles.
