Evolution of a Religious Superpower: Acts of the Apostles

The New Testament of the Bible is one of the most influential pieces of written work of its era in modern times. Within this scripture lies the book of Acts, otherwise known today as Acts of the Apostles, in which the conception and development of Christianity is documented. As of the year 2000, approximately 33 percent of the entire world was of the Christian faith. Throughout the book, the religion evolves from an unlawful cult led by the twelve apostles appointed by Jesus himself to a belief that would later on in history become the most dominant religion the world has ever known.

The book of Acts begins with Jesus appointing twelve men to be his apostles, to dedicate their lives to spreading the Gospel throughout the world. However, these seemingly ordinary men were not alone, for Jesus was always present, performing miracles wherever the Apostles traveled. In addition, the Apostles were given the ability to speak foreign languages so that they would be able to spread Christianity to other parts of the world. Peter, the leader of the Apostles, delivered a sermon to a gathering of people, in which he orates a detailed account of the resurrection of Jesus and the powers invested in the twelve men. Following the presentation, 3,000 people were baptized into the Christian community. Rumor of the Apostle's powers combined with the dogmatic following that developed after the sermon, Christianity began to embed itself into other cultures. Once the potential converts were enticed, the Apostles claimed that Jesus was not in fact dead as most believed, but that the twelve of them were able to communicate with him and use the powers that he bestowed upon them.

This, however, caused a great deal of turmoil amongst the Jews, as they do not believe in resurrection, thus the claim that Jesus was present with the Apostles was not only absurd, but a violation of their fundamental beliefs. As a result, the Apostles were put on trial by whichever country they were in at the time on countless occasions. Twice they were imprisoned, and both times were mystically liberated by an angel. This, of course, had a profound effect on the local populations, as they witnessed potential proof that supported the claims of the Apostles. As a result, both the Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) began to question their own beliefs. Many of these effected people converted to Christianity, further adding to the rapidly expanding following.

It is here that the Jewish religion underwent a great theological shift. The church divided into two groups: the Hellenists and Hebrews. The former are those who were born Jewish, but have Greek ancestry. Hebrews were of solely Jewish culture. Naturally, such segregation caused instability within the church, as the Hellenists felt as though they were being discriminated against. Seven leaders were elected to represent the best interests of the Hellenists. Once such leader was Stephen, who orates a long diatribe to the Sanhedrin, a Jewish faction, that ultimately results in violent repercussions. Stephen is stoned to death and becomes a Christian martyr. If history has proven anything, it is that martyrs have a way of provoking action. This act of murder would only strengthen the bonds shared between Christians.

Another theocratic change occurred when Peter baptized the first Gentile Christian. Up until that point, Christians had Jewish roots, so the induction of a non-Jew into the religion was revolutionary. As a result, the church in Antioch-where the Gentile was baptized-became dominated by Gentile Christians. This further diversified the followers of Christianity, which is a great appeal for people. The more accepting a religion, the more comfortable and secure people will feel within that religion.

Religion is an artificial manifestation, an apparatus used to combat fear and uncertainty. It is not important what people believe in (although certain beliefs at during that time period could result in severe punishment if not kept discreet), but rather simply that they believe in something. The role of religion is to provide comfort, to ease the pain of a loss or to justify unfortunate events. It is because of this that Christianity ultimately became so popular. During times of strife, which were not a rarity at that time, it was comforting to have people capable of performing miracles on their side. That way, they would be assured that someone could help in the event that something goes wrong. It was also a relief to know that Jesus was in fact among them at all times, acting as a guardian of the people in some fashion (through the Apostles). The Jewish faith beliefs that Jesus is deceased, never to walk the Earth in any form other than through the words of his followers. That belief is not nearly as comforting as that of the Christians.

It is primarily for that reason that Christianity was able to grow at such an astounding rate. In a stringent religious community such as that of the Jews, it was extremely difficult to subvert the accepted religion and form another, yet the Apostles were able to do so with remarkable effectiveness. The basis of the religion-Jesus had been resurrected-encourages growth because it is more consolatory to its followers.

Also, contrary to other religions, Christianity is highly reliant on missionaries. Greeks and Romans were allowed to worship whatever gods they chose, thus there were no people to spread the word, for it was irrelevant to them what others believed. However, Christianity was able to pervade the world swiftly because of the missionaries who were actively seeking new recruits. This contrast illustrates why it is that Christianity was able to outgrow other religions.

The fundamental principles, as the book of Acts explains, that Christianity offers is what enticed, and continues to attract, so many people. The widespread acceptance of diversity allows encourages all people, regardless of cultural background, to join and devote their lives to the Gospel. The religion was able to obtain a firm grasp on the world's population because of the Twelve Apostles, but long after, its followers still felt comfortable and secure with their beliefs. It is these premises that have allowed it to develop into the world's religious superpower.