Biblical Traditions: Diversity of Early Christianity - Essay Example

Biblical Traditions: Diversity of Early Christianity The introduction of Christian religion to the masses was not done so in an open and carefree manner in the beginning due to the persecution that was faced by the believers of this period in time and thus the teachings and other associations such as practices was often done in secret (Class notes). This could be considered to be the reason that there were differences that could be found within the followers of the religion from location to location. These differences, however, were not exactly huge and defining in a way that would make the practices seem like a different religion altogether however they could still be noted. One way of identifying these diversities within earlier forms of Christianity is through the letters that the disciple Paul wrote to his followers (Class notes). These letters were based on different topics and were not similar to each other as he addressed each congregation in their own way being well aware in the differences of their needs and the topics that may need to be discussed. Through studying the various letters that Paul sent out to the Christians located in different regions, one is able to establish the various diversities that were in existence within early Christianity and determine how large these differences really were (Class notes). It should be noted however, that despite the various diversities that existed, the main teachings such as the forgiveness of others, Christ as the son of God and other main beliefs remained the same throughout the various regions that Christianity was practiced. The first source from Paul’s letters that indicate the diversity in early Christianity can be seen from the simple factor of location (that is, the regions that Paul sent his letters to). As divulged from the various letters that Paul sent to the different congregation of followers, it can be determined that even its early stages, Christianity had already began to spread throughout different parts of the land. The congregations that Paul sent his letters to were not situated in one particular region but were based in different locations such as Rome, Galatia and Corinth (Class notes). There were members found in all these areas, and thus the positioning is one form of diversity that can be derived from early Christianity. There were also different groups present within these regions as well that can be seen through the study of Paul’s letters as well. A good example of this diversity would be the Jewish Christians that were present within Rome indicated by the use of the word “Nevi’im in Tanakh” (Isaiah 52:15) which can be considered to have been used for the purpose of impressing this particular contingent of Christian believers. Paul also began his various letters differently when dealing with the people of various regions. For example, when dealing with the congregation in Galatia he would begin “To the churches of Galatia…” while when writing to his brethren based in Rome, his letters would start with the introduction “To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints…” It should be seen that Paul does not refer to the congregation in Galatia as “in God” while he does not refer to those based in Rome as “a church.” These differences in terms can be said to show that there indeed was the presence of diversity within the realms of early Christianity. Individuals living within Corinth were also referred to as “the church” while those in the Philipi were also referred to as “saints in Christ Jesus”. The form of address depended on the particular region that Paul was addressing and it can be noted that he did not use the term Church when addressing the Romans (Class notes). Another issue that can be said to bring about the diversity that existed in Christianity is the fact that unlike in 1st Corinthians, Paul places a great emphasis on the act of baptism as the initiation ritual whereby one is made “in Christ” in Galatians and Romans as opposed to circumcision. In these books, baptism and not circumcision happens to be the prescribed ritual in order for one to gain entry into the Christian assembly (Class notes). This can be attributed to the kind of people that Paul was dealing with in Galatians and Romans as opposed to Corinthians and the various customs that were upheld. Traditionally, Jews were the main group of people who considered circumcision to be a necessary act even before the arrival of the son of God, Jesus Christ (Class notes). This means that for example Jewish Christians who may have wished to convert would have already been circumcised and thus there was a need for a different ritual to be practiced to replace the act of circumcision that in such cases could not take place.   The genre and subject matter of Paul’s letters are also a source of proof that can be used to establish the existence of diversity within early Christianity. The various letters that Paul writes to the congregations are not similar in nature nor do they exactly have the same teachings in them as they are written in particular for that congregation and thus cannot be regarded as a generalized form meant for all (Class notes). The various issues that are discussed in each letter are based on various factors such as the topics that Paul feels may relate to that particular group or may be written as a reply to one that was sent to him before. The various subject matters that each letters deal with demonstrate the diversity that existed between the various people that Paul taught. In conclusion, it can be said that early Christianity was not existent in the form of a single unified movement but was as a matter of fact diversified according to  people  involved with the religion (Class notes). These included individuals that can be classified into three groups namely, Torah – observant Christianity that consisted of both Jewish and Gentile individuals, Apocalyptic Christianity and Wisdom Christianity. Though there were a number of differences in these groups, it should be mentioned that the main teachings, however, remained the same. Works Cited Class and Lecture Notes Read More