Famous phrase very appropriate to bring us closer to early christianity or protocristianismo:

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of christians.”
— Tertullian (century II d.C.)

This sentence, uttered by one of the first christian apologists, sums up the paradox of christianity: the more you tried to destroy it, the more it grew.

Protocristianismo / early Christianity: full and detailed study

Here's a dossier synthetic but comprehensive early christianity (approx. first century–the beginning of the IV). Includes chronology, sources, beliefs, practices, organization, expansions, doctrinal disputes, persecution, biblical canon, archaeology and heritage. Quote primary sources and academic at the bottom of each block.

1) definition and periodization

• Temporal scope. Often spans from the Jesus movement (ca. 30) and the apostolic age until the legalization of christianity in the roman Empire (Edicts 311-313) and the threshold of Nicaea (325). In the academic practice, it is useful to distinguish: phase apostolic (ca. 30-70), subapostólica (70-150) and II–III centuries (150-300). This division responds to changes in authority, texts, and ecclesiastical organization. Overview in Britannica.

2) historical Sources earliest

• Roman authors.
  • Tacit he says that after the fire of Rome (64), Nero he blamed the christiani and struck them; specifies that the name comes from “Christus”, which is executed under Pontius Pilate (c. 30-33).
  • Pliny the Younger query the emperor Trajan (111-113) on how to prosecute christians: describes meetings at dawn, “a hymn to Christ as to a god”, and rules to not pursue without a formal complaint. Response of Trajan confirms policy not to “chase” but punish if they persist.
  • Suetonius mentions riots “at the instigation of Chrestus” and the expulsion of jews by Claudio (49), and alludes to the punishment of christians under Nero.
• Jewish authors.
  • Flavius Josephus contains two passages about Jesus (Testimonium Flavianum, Ant. 18.3.3) and on Santiagothe brother of Jesus (Ant. 20.9.1). The majority of specialists consider the core the Testimonium partially true with tweens christian post.
• Christian sources primitive.
  • Authentic letters of Paul (50) and the gospels (70-100). The most ancient manuscripts preserved include P52 (excerpt from John, dated ca. 125-175), test of circulation very early.
  • Didache (late s. I–beginnings s. II): manual of morals, liturgy (Eucharist and baptism) and local organization. Preserves eucharistic prayers very simple.
  • Ignatius of Antioch (ca. 110): testimony structure triple (bishop, priests-deacons) in several churches.
  • Eusebius of Caesarea (early fourth century), Ecclesiastical Historysummarizes traditions, lists, and disputes earlier.

3) Traits doctrinal nuclear and diversity, early

• Christology and soteriology. From the year 50, Paul proclaims to The crucified and risen jesus as Lord; in the s. II appear formulations diverse (e.g., Irenaeus: wrap; other: accents “victorious” on the defeat of the powers). This core is further corroborated by the liturgical use that describes Pliny (“sing to Christ as to a god”).
• Internal diversity. In the centuries I–II co-existed currents judeo-christian (e.g., ebionites), pauline and schools gnostic; the finding of the Nag Hammadi library (1945) showed gospels and treated cutting gnostic (Thomas, Philip, etc), expanding our understanding of this plurality.

4) Practices and community life

• Baptism and Eucharist. The Didache teaches about baptism by immersion (or infusion if there is not enough water) and conserves eucharistic prayers sober (cap 9-10). Justin Martyr (ca. 150) describes the Sunday assembly: readings, homily, and prayers, the kiss of peace, bread and wine “eucharisted”, and collection.
• Rhythm and discipline. Meetings weekly (first day), fasting and charity organized. Pliny testifies meeting “in fixed day before dawn” and oath moral (not to steal, not to commit adultery).
• Spaces of worship. Predominance of house-church. The domus ecclesiae of Dura-Europos (Syria, 233-256) is the archaeological example best preserved pre-constantiniano, with room for assembly and baptistery with fresh.

5) Organization and leadership

• The gifts of the spirit to charges stable. In the century, I passed of apostles, prophets and teachers priests/epíscopos (supervisors) and deacons local. At the beginning of s. II, Ignacio it testifies to the monarchy episcopal in many cities, with the presbytery and deacons subordinates. Britannica summarizes the functions and evolution.
• Urban network. Structure city-church (epíscopo local) connected by correspondence and synods occasional (e.g., disputes over the date of Easter/“quartodecimans”).
• Female participation. The fonts mentioned deaconesses and widows with a role of assistance and catechesis; figures as Phoebe (Rom 16) and the tradition of Key (Minutes apocryphal) reflect meaningful spaces, although the institutional development tended to clericalizing leadership. (Synthesis of panorama in Britannica and Apostolic Fathers).

6) Relationship with judaism and “parting of the ways”

The movement was born in the judaism of the Second Temple; the destruction of Jerusalem (70), and the growing incorporation of gentiles accelerated the differentiation. References Claudio and disturbances “by Chrestus” point to internal tensions in the jewish diaspora of Rome to the middle of the s. I.

7) doctrinal Disputes and answers

• “Heresies” and apologists. Marcion, gnostics (Valentine, Basilides), montanists, etc arouse responses Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origins and others. Literature apologetics (e.g., Justin, Apology I) explains faith and worship to authorities and philosophers.

8) Persecution: scope and documentation

• Century I: repression local (Rome 64, Nero), attested to by Tacit and Suetonius.
• Century II: Pliny–Trajan set praxis: do not look for them actively, but punish persistence.
• Century III: first measures imperial general. Decio (250) requires pamphlets of sacrifice (libelli), preserved in egyptian papyri; whoever refuses is sanctioned. Valeriano (257-260) and then the Great Persecution of Diocletian (303-311) intensify the pressure.

9) Formation of the canon of the New Testament

• II–III centuries: collections cuatrievangelio and pauline letters circulate widely; the Fragment Muratoriano (Latin text which probably reflects a list romana the end of s. (II) shows the crystallization of the books, accepted and discussed.
• Eusebio (I have 3.25) distinguishes between “recognized”, “contested” and “spurious”.
• Letter Festal 39 of Athanasius (367) offers the first list exact of 27 books the NT such as today, a milestone in the fixation canonical (although the reception full was progressive).

10) Manuscripts and transmission of textual

• Papyrus early. P52 (Jn 18, ca. 125-175), P46 (the pauline epistles, early third century) and others display format codex (do not roll) adopted by christians from the early.
• Great codices (s. IV): Sinaiticus and Vaticantestimony of a NT wide and relatively stabilized (context eusebian).

11) Geography, languages and sociology

• Expansion from Judea-Galilee to Syria (Antioch), Asia Minor, Greece, Rome and Egypt already in the s. I–II; in the s. III consolidates the shaft Rome–Alexandria–Cartago and communities siriacas and coptic-egyptian.
• Languages: koine Greek predominates; arise traditions Latin, syriac and coptic. Overview in manuals of history and Eusebio.

12) Archaeology and material culture

• House-church (Dura-Europos), catacombs (Rome) with symbols (fish, anchor, prayerful), baptisterios with biblical iconography. Dura-Europos is key as single building christian assembly pre-constantinian definitely identified and preserved archaeologically.

13) Ethics and ethos community

• Moral commitments (no stealing, no adultery, truthfulness, mutual aid) are listed in Pliny and the Didache; the practice of charity and assistance the poor, widows and orphans was distinctive and strengthened networks of solidarity.

14) Tensions and “orthodoxy” pop-up

• Front Marcion (canon reduced, antithesis Law-Gospel) and gnostics (soteriologías esoteric), bishops and theologians developed a “rule of faith” public (creed) and a succession teacher/bishops as a guarantee against doctrines itinerant. Eusebio preserves lists of bishops and stories antiheréticos; Irenaeus systematizes the rule.

15) Towards the institutionalization (late s. III–early fourth century)

• After the Great Persecution (303-311), christianity emerges with structure episcopal consolidated corpus canon almost set, urban network extensive and a theology with a basic consensus (trinitarian monotheism in gestation). The way to the era constantinian it will transform public life, the architecture, and the literary production. Synthesis Britannica.

Annexes key thematic

What to learn from the liturgical texts oldest

• Didache 9-10 offers first eucharistic prayers: thanksgiving on chalice and the bread, accent community (“gather your Church to the ends of the earth”). They are simple, no developments in sacramental later.
• Justin Martyr (ca. 150) describes the Sunday mass: readings “of the apostles and prophets”, a homily, prayer in common, a kiss of peace offerings, great prayer, and fellowship sent to absent. It is the the first “x-ray” full of Sunday worship.

(B) documentary Evidence of persecution universal (s. III)

• The libelli 250 (e.g., papyrus Teadelfia, Berlin; and Oxyrhynchus) prove the state requirement of sacrifice and to get certified under Decio—not a mere local hostility.

C) Canon and authority

• The Fragment Muratoriano reflects a process: general acceptance of the 4 gospels, Facts, pauline letters, and other; doubts about some (e.g., Revelation of Peter). Eusebio put tags (“homologoumena”/“antilegomena”). Athanasius (367) it enshrines the listing 27; his reception was gradual.

Conclusion

Primitive christianity was not monolithic: it was born as messianic jewish movement which, in contact with the greco-roman world, it evolved into a Church urban transimperial. Your cohesion came from: (1) a core kerygmático (death and resurrection of Jesus as Lord), (2) practices shared (baptism, Eucharist, Sunday), (3) network episkopal that ensured continuity and discipline, and (4) a corpus of writings discerned progressively in dialogue/clash with alternative doctrinal. The documentation roman (Tacitus, Pliny, Suetonius), jewish (Josephus), christian (Didache, Ignatius, Justin martyr, Eusebius), the archaeology (Dura-Europos), and the palaeography (P52 and other papyri) allow us to reconstruct with high reliability of this process between the years 30 and the beginning of the IV.

What you should know” in 10 points?

1. External evidence solid (Tacitus, Pliny, Suetonius, Josephus) corroborates the existence of Christ/“christiani” and persecutions spot from 64.
2. The movement is born within judaism and the difference gradually (40-100).
3. The kerygma: Jesus, dead and risen, exalted as Lord; Sunday worship-centered word and table.
4. The Didache preserves the liturgy and discipline, more primitive.
5. The episcopal structure (bishop, priests-deacons) emerges clearly at the beginning of s. II.
6. There was doctrinal diversity significant; Nag Hammadi shows the range gnostic.
7. The persecutions were variables: local in the s. I–II; universal with Decius and Diocletian.
8. The canon the NT was formed gradually (s. II–IV), with milestone in Athanasius (367).
9. The archaeology confirming house-church and cults baptismal early (Dura-Europos).
10. The manuscripts older (P52, P46...) is evidence of the early diffusion textual and use of the codex.