Those of you that study history and the history of Christianity...how would you think the first Christians...?

Question

would view the form of Christianity the world has today? I mean the Christians that lived from AD 33-312.

Sorry I do not mean Roman Catholics. I am talking about the Christians that were thrown to the lions for simply being a Christian.

Answer 1

You should read the Book "Lost Christianities" The Battles for Scripture and Faiths We Never Knew, by Bart D. Ehrman. Or find other books on this.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:17-20 that he was not here to start a new religion; but to fix the Jewish one. And it stayed that way for a while.
Some people tried to name themselves or others as close or equal with Jesus. And stronger ones would straiten them out.
But in 305/6, 30 men got together and 29 of them decided to create a new church that would NOT obey all Jesus had said we must do. That is called Catholic today. A church that will not even be honest and admit when it was put together. They don't even admit that Jesus was a Rabi. Or that Jesus has bothers and sisters; some of those unclaimed bothers even wrote a few of the books in the New Testament.

Answer 2

They had more real revelation, i.e. understanding of what the New Testament means, through meditation, teaching and the Holy Spirit's help. They also had many many more miracles going on. They did suffer a lot which meant they really had to be sure it was true, and rely on their faith, so that drove them to really develop their faith.

So they would be somewhat disappointed. Perhaps most of all that the gospel hasn't yet been brought to all lands. But also that some Pagan philosophy got into some teaching through the likes of St Augustine, clever man that he was (not the Bible text itself, but what is taught in seminary etc, and official doctrine of some churches). Having said that Laodicean tendencies were probably present in many of those ancient churches.

Answer 3

They would think that most of them are missing the full Gospel they left behind. They would wonder, why so many people today ignore the words they left to them...the book of Acts is for the most part, picked to death by Preachers who can't wrap their minds around anything supernatural and so they just say it's not for today and leave it at that....

I feel so sorry for those in churches who will never hear the full Gospel and most won't get in there and read it for themselves. The path sure is narrow....when only a few can see it. But I guess that is what free will is all about. You can believe what you read in the Bible or you can let a Preacher tell you what to believe....Work out your own salvation.....study to show yourself approved....I like Preachers and teachers of the Gospel,,,we need them...trust but verify every word against the word of God.

Answer 4

The Catholics who lived between 33 and 312 would recognize their Church today. Same beliefs. Same essentials in the Mass. Truth never changes. However, they would be horrified at the doctrinal chaos of manmade denomination religion. They would wonder how anyone could reject so much of what Jesus gave them - the sacraments, the Eucharist, the priesthood - and still claim to be Christian. They would wonder what happened to the stated will of Jesus "that they all may be one". But then they would remember that God, speaking through Paul, told them this would someday happen.
(2 Tim 4:3)

Answer 5

They would be sad that it has splintered. The Bible condemns "sects".

Jesus promised, "I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). This means that his Church will never be destroyed and will never fall away from him. His Church will survive until his return. Among the Christian churches, only the Catholic Church has existed since the time of Jesus. Every other Christian church is an offshoot of the Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox churches broke away from unity with the pope in 1054. The Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. (Most of today’s Protestant churches are actually offshoots of the original Protestant offshoots.) Only the Catholic Church existed in the tenth century, in the fifth century, and in the first century, faithfully teaching the doctrines given by Christ to the apostles, omitting nothing. The line of popes can be traced back, in unbroken succession, to Peter himself. This is unequaled by any institution in history: Even the oldest government is new compared to the papacy. The Catholic Church has existed for nearly 2,000 years, despite constant opposition from the world. This is testimony to the Church’s divine origin: Any merely human organization would have collapsed long ago. The Catholic Church is today the most vigorous church in the world (and the largest, with a billion members: one sixth of the human race), and that is testimony not to the cleverness of the Church’s leaders, but to the protection of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ Church is called catholic ("universal" in Greek) because it is his gift to all people. He told his apostles to go throughout the world and make disciples of "all nations" (Matt. 28:19–20). For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has carried out this mission, preaching the good news that Christ died for all men and that he wants all of us to be members of his universal family (Gal. 3:28). Nowadays the Catholic Church is found in every country of the world and is still sending out missionaries to "make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19). The Church Jesus established was known by its most common title, "the Catholic Church," at least as early as the year 107, when Ignatius of Antioch used that title to describe the one Church Jesus founded. The title apparently was old in Ignatius’s time, which means it went all the way back to the time of the apostles.

Answer 6

They would give one look at todays Bible and have no idea what this book is, because its been butchered so much throughout the years. It became a whole new book. And they would/should probably also feel ashamed at some Christians who desperatly bombard others with little flyers and rants about why Christianity is the "right" religion :/

Answer 7

depends on which fist Christians. Remeber that the early Catholics wiped out numerous other sects. One has to wonder what they were afraid of... perhaps a truer form of Christianity, lost forever.

Answer 8

Id think they would be surprised as hell at the amount of money being pumped into mega churches all over the world. Juxtaposed to the poverty of the third world.

Answer 9

They would see a lot of similarities with the RC and OC churches, but wouldn't recognized the modern Protestant Mega-Churches with their pop-Rock, and powerpoint themes.

Answer 10

Life is much easier for us, in free countries that is. They showed their faith and cared for each other a bit more I think. They also had deferring of opinions and argued just like we do.