Place it in church history
- Era
- Jesus and the Apostles
- Key dates
- First century AD
- Location
- Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, and the Mediterranean world
Find Jesus and the Apostles on the interactive timeline.
Published by Vince Baker Ministries ·
Where does Church history begin?
Jesus taught in Galilee and Judea under Roman rule. He proclaimed the kingdom of God, called disciples, healed the sick, and welcomed people others avoided. The Gospels place His death in Jerusalem under Pontius Pilate, commonly dated around AD 30 or 33. The earliest Christian preaching centered on the resurrection, the event His followers said changed what they understood about Him and what they were called to do.
The first witnesses
Mary Magdalene is named among the women who brought news of the empty tomb. John 20 records her encounter with the risen Jesus. Peter became a public witness at Pentecost. Stephen died after testifying about Jesus in Jerusalem, and Acts describes the persecution that followed as scattering believers who carried the word elsewhere. Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian official shows the Gospel crossing a cultural boundary before an organized mission program existed.
A Church that crossed boundaries
Acts 2 joins the coming of the Holy Spirit with preaching, baptism, fellowship, prayer, and care for people in need. Paul and Barnabas carried the message into cities around the Mediterranean. Priscilla and Aquila helped instruct Apollos, while Lydia opened her home in Philippi. Paul entrusted Phoebe with a commendation to the Roman believers. These accounts put women and men, traveling preachers and people who opened their homes, inside the same story.
The Jerusalem meeting in Acts 15 addressed whether Gentile followers of Jesus had to be circumcised. The decision cleared a major obstacle to their inclusion. Acts ends with Paul proclaiming the kingdom in Rome under house arrest. Read Luke 24 beside Acts 2 and notice how witness grows out of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Scripture to read alongside the history
- Mark 1:14-20 · KJV
- Luke 24:1-49 · KJV
- Acts 2:1-47 · KJV
- Acts 15:6-21 · KJV
- Acts 28:16-31 · KJV
