Chronology of Events in the Early Church List of Roman Emperors Introduction
Part One: The World Prepared
Chapter I — The Romans Build An Empire The Empire Begins Preparation in Advance Prophesied Hundreds of Years Before Even More Fully Prepared The Empire Solidified Roman Law and Government
Chapter II — Trade, Travel, and Communication Empire-Wide Travel Safety and Speed of Travel Communications an Added Tool The Preparation Complete A Final Summary of the Positive External Preparations
Chapter III — Moral Degeneracy in the Empire The Decline of Roman Morality Family Life The End Result The Roman Games Religion in the Empire
Chapter IV — Judea, the Springboard Four Hundred Years of Development First the Pharisees Next the Sadducees Finally the Essens The Dispersion The Proselytes Time was Then Complete
Part Two: The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ
Chapter V — Christ, the Prophesied Messiah Prophesied Five Hundred Years in Advance From Secular Writings First, Herod the Great The Taxation of Cyrenius The Prophecies Fulfilled
Chapter VI — Christ, the Desire of Nations The Temple Glorified The World Sought a Savior But What about Other Nations? Jesus Christ Really Did Exist
Chapter VII — The Message Christ Brought Christ Brought the Gospel Few to Understand A Coming Government But What about God's Laws? Even the Sabbath? The Selecting and Training of a Ministry Christ's Death and Resurrection
Part Three: The Rise and Decline of Christianity
Chapter VIII — The Beginning of Church History God Sends His Spirit How to Count Pentecost Upon Whom Was the Church Built? The Ministry of Peter The Other Apostles The Ministry of Paul Persecution Sets In What Did the Apostles Teach? Did They Do Away with the Laws and the Sabbath? The Foundation Complete
Chapter IX — The Great Conspiracy Simon Magus, the Father of Heresy Simon Not Converted Babylonian Mystery System The Origin of the Babylonian Religion The People Followed Nimrod The Mystery System Spreads Simon Moves to Rome Simon Magus, Not Simon Peter, at Rome A Falling Away The Changing Times Cerinthus in the East Mithraism, Another Counterfeit The Gnostics The Origin in Clear The Gnostics Gain Influence The Establishment of Heresy The Conclusion of the First Century A Great Change in the Church You Can Know Glossary of Church History Terms Bibliography
Now Revealed: The True History of the Early Christian Church
A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School Committee Ambassador College
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Theology