The Early Spread of the Gospel

Christianity began among a very small group of Jesus' followers, many of whom were related to one another.  By about 30 AD/CE, there were probably about 1000 Christians.  In the next few years, the number rapidly grew into about 10,000 and soon, there were Christians even in the household of the Roman Emperor.  It was not until about the year 40 that they were known as "Christians" and the word was probably used by others as an insult word.

Paul carried the Gospel into Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and Malta during his missionary journeys and into Italy during his imprisonment.  In 52 AD/CE, Thomas carried the Gospel into India.  Thaddeus evangelized Armenia in 66 AD/CE.  By the year 80 there were Christians in Tunisia and France; by 100 they were in Monaco, Algeria, and Sri Lanka; by 196 they were in Persia; by 300 AD/CE it is estimated that 10% of the world's population was Christian; in 341 the Goths in Romania were evangelized.  A form of Christianity known as Nestorianism arrived in China in 635 and survived for several hundred years.

Today there are about 2.1 billion persons who identify themselves as Christian.

Christian Heresies: Nestorianism

Nestorius (b. ca 386 - d. ca 451) was the Archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) from 428 until 431, when he was condemned and removed from office for teaching that Christ exists as two persons, the human man Jesus and the Son of God, the Logos.  This was in opposition to the orthodox doctrine that Jesus is one person who is fully human and fully divine.  Nestorianism was condemned by the Council of Ephesus (Efes, Turkey) in 431.

The first known Christians in China (635) were converted by Alopen, a Persian.  Nestorian Christians are known to have been present in China until the 14th Century.

Christian Heresies: Eutychianism

Eutyches (ca. 380-ca. 456) was the Archimandrite of Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey).  He was an ardent anti-Nestorian and declared that Jesus had only a divine nature and not a human one.  His views were also condemned.  This is one of the many Trinitarian heresies.