Why does the New Testament never predict that Christianity will take hold and become a major religion?

Question

The entire New Testament is written from the perspective of a small cult that had no belief, or even concept, that they would actually succeed

It was such an impossibility in their minds, that the only thing they could imagine was the destruction of the entire world (what they knew of it) and a small band of motley believers who escape the end because of their faith.

The fact that their religion would actually be accepted by Rome and become dominant is never even hinted at, except in the 'End of the World' scenarios, and only after Jesus came back.

Poor planning if you ask me, and not very prophet like.

Mark,1011...those are POST return scenarios.

Old Testament quotes mean nothing. They were not written by Christians.

Every knee shall bow, etc is not a prediction of the success of Christianity in Rome, it is a scenario where Rome is destroyed and Jesus returns. That did not happen, unless you have different history books.

Answer 1

I guess we are lucky you were not in charge.

Most of the original "Christians" believed that Jesus would return within their lifetime. Like us, they could see the past, but the future remained (and still does) a mystery.

Whatever lack of advance planning may have been done, the concept of Christianity seems to have caught on well enough.

The Skeptical Christian
Grace and Peace
Peg

Answer 2

Acts 1:8, Revelation 14:6, Matthew 24:14, Romans 11:13, Galatians 2:8, 1 Timothy 2:7

The Bible speaks about people from many different nations hearing and believing the gospel, and that the end of the world would not come until the gospel had been proclaimed to the entire world. You have made a bold and embarrassing misstatement.

Answer 3

The Christian Church is buit around an us or them mentality. It could not exist without and enemy. The show of strength of the church is directly related to the intensity of evil it faces. Therefore it must have a fow to exit that is formidable. If everyone was a Christian it would turn on itself to find evil within. It does do that and has done that historically.
TThis story can ony end in violence of some kind with Christianity winning out against is fow through and act of _ _ _.
This is the major reason I believe it is a coruption of the word of Jesus. He was a man of peace.
Please provide the quote for the conversion of 'the whole of the world'.

Peace through love and neutral ground!

Answer 4

Read the scriptures again. Jesus said the kingdom of God was like a woman who took a measure of leven and hid it in the dough. And when the dough had risen the leven had spread thoughout the whole lump. What was He saying? The kingdom of God starts out small, but over time it will spread throughout the whole region. Also, he says that If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto myself that included the Rome after His ressurection. Correct me on the names but the Emperor Constatine became the first Christian ruler of Rome and instituted Christianity all throughout Rome.

Answer 5

I believe that God through the Holy Spirit used people to write the N.T. that being said, God is not looking for religion but rather we accept and have His son Jesus Christ in our hearts. The Bible states that no man shall come to the Father but by Him( Jesus ). I dont believe these people were trying to make Christianity the biggest religion,but I do believe that as Jesus told His disciples after His ressurection to go and preach the good news of what they have witnessed to the whole world. Their and our main objective is to let the rest of the people know of Jesus sacrifice for us and how he accepts us in the situation we are in so we can trust in Him for our life transformation through Him,and to top it off we WILL live eternity in Heaven as is promised to the firm believer. This is why in the N.T it is not mentioned that Christianity would be so big.If this N.T. was inspired by God, He's not interested in the statistics but rather the heart of many souls.This is His main purpose to all His doings.God knows all and God knows BEST.
God Bless

Answer 6

I don't agree. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus commissions his disciples to preach in all the word, and make more disciples. The Gospels and Paul's letters state that Jesus died to bring all mankind to God, and the apostle Paul looked forward to the time when the Gospel would be preached "in all creation under heaven." (Greek: EN PASHi KTISEI THi hUPO TON OURANON, Colossians 1:23)

At the same time, Jesus and his apostles recognized that Christianity would be a religion of standards, and that not everyone would, or would want to, measure up to those standards.

That's why Jesus also said, "Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.." (Matthew 7:13, 14 Good News Bible)

Christianity's success, therefore, is not to be measured by the number of its adherents, but by the quality of life and purity of faith of those who bear Christ's name.

Answer 7

Actually, Jesus likened the kingdom to a tree which grew to be the largest and to allow birds of the air to nest in its branches (symbolic of trouble in the church). The goal was not to become a major religion, but to save men. The fact of the Catholic apostasy was predicted, and in spite of this, the church continues on with the original mission of saving souls.

It seems that you, like many others, have confused the goal of the church. Can't really blame you - so has the vast majority.

Tom

Answer 8

Well the Bible IS a really big book, isn't it?
Jeremiah 31:34
And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”


EDIT:
Then read it from here.
Hebrews 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Convinced yet?


Isn't it the truth that you are grasping at straws and are rationalizing your false statement-- not knowing that the Bible had these verses in it?

Answer 9

Well...that's the thing about the faith presented in the Bible. It's not designed to simply succeed. If God wanted His reverence to succeed, He would have made us all little robots that bowed down to Him 24/7. He's not stupid; He could have easily done that.

But instead, should you opt to follow the story of creation in Genesis, God gave man dominion over the earth a long time ago. He said to fill the earth and subdue it. He gave us the very thing He created and told us to rule over it. God gave us the power.

That being said, it's up to us to use that power. If we wanna take all that we are and turn it back to God, then great. If we don't want to, that's okay, too; it's still our decision. I'm not saying that God won't try to get you back -- because He will take the time to get back one lost sheep that strays away from the other 99 -- but I am saying that He won't force you to come back.

Christianity wasn't ever planned to rule over the earth. Ruling over the earth isn't what God seemed to care much about, anyway. He gave that to us. What we choose to do on earth is up to us. If we all come to believe in God, praise be to Him! But if not...the decision was ours. God gave His one and only Son, that all who believe in Him would have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17). If you believe, then you'll be saved; if you don't believe, then you won't be (John 3:18).

Christianity isn't about success; it's about belief in a supreme truth presented through the Bible. If it succeeds, great. If not, that's okay, too. God did what He could to save us from the punishment we deserve. Success isn't His concern; our salvation is.

Answer 10

The answer is as simple as U!!! U choose to "Taunt" the Scriptures because U can, never realizing that God is the author of that "Freedom" called "Free Will"!!! God knows all things including Ur heart & every thought it can spawn, yet he doesn't want a "Slave" to worship him, but someone who Loves Him for who & what He is. For that He gives Eternal Life. Unknown to me, but not to God, is if U will ever Love anyone but Urself??? But that's not my problem, it's Urs!!! John