Rise of Christianity
A. Fill in the blanks:
1. Christianity was founded by Jesus of Nazareth.
2. The twelve loyal followers of Jesus was known as apostles.
3. Emperor Theodosius made Christianity a legal religion in the Roman Empire.
4. The capital of the Roman Empire was shifted to Byzantium.
5. St. Peter's Church is the religious headquarter of Christians.
B. Name the following:
1. Birthplace of Jesus: Bethlehem.
2. Person who baptised Jesus: John, the Baptist.
3. Roman Governor who sentenced Jesus death: Pontius Pilate.
4. Holy book of Christians: The Bible.
5. Emperor who made Christianity the official religion of Roman Empire: Theodosius I.
C. Choose the correct answer:
1. The medieval period in Europe started with the -
i) fall of Roman Empire. [✓]
ii) Renaissance. [ ]
iii) age of discovery. [ ]
iv) birth of Christianity. [ ]
2. ____________ predicted the coming of a Messiah to free the Jews from Roman oppression.
i) New Testament. [ ]
ii) Gospel. [ ]
iii) Bible. [ ]
iv) Old Testament. [✓]
3. Jesus was raised in ___________
i) Palestine. [ ]
ii) Nazareth. [✓]
iii) Jerusalem. [ ]
iv) Rome. [ ]
4. _________ travelled around the Roman Empire to spread Jesus' teachings.
i) St. Paul. [✓]
ii) St. Peter. [ ]
iii) Theodosius I. [ ]
iv) Constantine. [ ]
5. After ___________ , Jesus appeared before many disciple for forty days.
i) crucifixion. [ ]
ii) resurrection. [✓]
iii) birth. [ ]
iv) baptism. [ ]
D. Answer the following questions in brief:
1. What is the origin of the term 'medieval'?
= The term ' medieval' originated from the Latin word 'medium aevum' which means 'related to middle ages'.
2. What did the Old Testament promise to the Jews?
= The Old Testament promised to the Jews that a Messiah(Christ) would release them from the oppression of the Romans.
3. Who was St. Peter?
= St. Peter was one of the apostles of Jesus.
4. Why was Jesus sentenced to death?
= Jesus was sentenced to death because he was a threat to the political authority of the Romans.
5. Why were the Jewish leaders hostile towards Jesus?
= The Jewish leaders were hostile towards Jesus because of his growing popularity.
E. Answer the following questions in details:
1. Describe the early life of Jesus.
= Around 4 BCE, a boy named Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea to Mary. Mary's husband Joseph was a carpenter. Jesus is believed to be from the same timing as King David, who freed Israel from external powers. Jesus was raised in Nazareth in northern Palestine. He learned the Jewish scriptures while growing up. At the age of 30, he was baptised by his cousin, John the Baptist.
2. Explain the resurrection of Jesus. What happened after the resurrection?
= Following his death on the Cross, Jesus' body was kept in a sealed tomb. On the third day after his death, his disciples found the tomb empty. It is believed that Jesus resurrected from death that day.
After resurrection, Jesus appeared before many disciples for forty days before ascending to Heaven.
3. Explain the life of Jesus after the divine revelation.
= It is said that a divine revelation asked Jesus to liberate common people from evil forces and guided them to walk on the path of love. Jesus felt that it was his duty to free the minds of people hatred and revenge. Jesus travelled through Galilee for three years with a group of twelve loyal followers, preaching his message. These twelve followers of Jesus were known as apostles.
4. What were the main teachings of Jesus? Are they relevant in the modern world?
= Jesus preached unconditional love for God as our father.
Jesus also taught to love our neighbour as ourselves.
He also laid emphasis on forgiving others for their sins as God loves everyone unconditionally.
In today's world, there is continuous decline of human values. So the teaching of Jesus is vary much needed for our redemption knowingly or unknowingly.
5. Write a note on the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
= Emperor Constantine officially converted to Christian faith in 312 CE. In 313 CE, he issued the Edict of Milan which made Christianity a legal religion in the Roman Empire. Monks travelled far and wide to spread the message of Christ. Gradually Christianity spread over the whole of Europe. The Bible became the central and the most sacred text for Christians. In 380 CE, Emperor Theodosius I made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.