What evidence do the narrative accounts provide for the diversity of early Christianity - Essay Example

Diversity in early Christianity Introduction Paul’s conversion as an apostle to the gentiles during early Christianity is dated a three years after the death of Jesus Christ. Christianity was diverse during the early Roman church. Christians at early were few, but grew up in large multitudes thus leading an envy among the Jews. So many men and women were willing to follow Jesus in the wilderness as their teacher in the desert places. In addition, Jesus taught his doctrines, but there were some men who sought to follow the Jewish customs notwithstanding since there were a controversy on whether they should abandon their traditional Jewish customs of unclean meats (Allison 345).

The idea of being a shepherd was considered hazardous, tiring, and demanding, but Jesus considered himself as the good Shepherd. According to John 10:11, a shepherd will lay down his life for the sheep while 1st Samuel 17: 34-35 asserts that Jesus is like spirit since he lays down his life for mankind. In addition, Jesus interaction with the Samaritan woman and subsequent telling the Priests that tax collectors and prostitutes would go to heaven drew a lot of controversy among early Christianity.

Jesus taught the scriptures privately to a woman which was against the prevailing law and the woman agreed to tell the news to the town. Jesus demonstrated the he was a gift from God by telling a Samaritan woman to give him water according to John 4: 7-27. In the book of Matthew 2:1; 14, 21, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and he subsequently departed to Egypt and finally went to the land of Israel. On the other hand, Luke 1:26;2:1-7, the gospel is clear that Angel Gabriel was sent from God to city of Nazareth to Virgin Mary, but the gospel still asserts that Joseph also went from city of Nazareth to Judea in Bethlehem (Hurtado 109).

Jesus healing parables attracted a lot of controversy among his followers. In Mark 2:1-12, he healed a paralytic while another controversy came up in putting new wine in to aged wineskins in Mark: 2: 18-22. Another major diversity came with healing of a man’s hand on Sabbath day according to Mark: 3: 1-6. Jesus had preached about the holiness of the Sabbath day and the need to dedicate the day to worshipping God, but he surprised his followers by carrying out his duties on the Sabbath (Carroll 89).

Jesus entry in to Jerusalem was dramatic as he did so through riding on a young donkey which was not a symbol of power. Some crowds acknowledged him as the prophet while other referred him as the son of David. Although the temple was cleansed, Jesus allowed lame and blind people to come to the temple and healed them. There is also a controversy among early Christians on Jesus anointing at Bethany. According to John 12: 1-13, the anointing event took place six days before at Bethany before the Passover while Matthew 26:1-16 asserts that the event took place only two days before the Passover at Bethany after Jesus had entered Jerusalem.

Matthew 26:6 asserts that a dinner at Simon the Leper’s home in Bethany while John 12: 1-2 asserts that the dinner was held at Bethany at a place where Lazarus was presented and Martha was waiting for Jesus (Hurtado 412). Jesus attracted diversity in early Christianity by asserting that he was the resurrection and life during resurrection of Lazarus. The resurrection of Lazarus according the Gospel of John 11: 1-46 after four days is another aspect of diversity in early Christianity. Although Martha, the sister of Lazarus believed that Lazarus could not have died if Jesus was not near, Jesus assured her that he was the resurrection and life for whoever believes in him.

Jesus also raised Jairu’s daughter from death according to Matthew 9:18-26 and a window’s son according to Luke 7:11-15. However, Elisha also raised a boy from death according to 1st kings 17: 22 and Peter also raised a woman from death according to Acts 9: 40-41. However, according to Luke’s gospel, the village of Lazarus’ resurrection is omitted and Mark does not mention the names of Mary and Martha at the time of Lazarus’ resurrection as the hosts of Jesus (Scroggs and Johnson 231).

Diversity in early Christianity is evidenced in Jesus healing at the pool in Bethesda. Jesus encountered multitudes of sick people including paralyzed and lame people, but he chose to heal a man without putting him in the pool. Jesus told the man to take his bed and walk away, but it was unlawful to heal someone on Sabbath. On realizing this, the Jews chose to prosecute Jesus who kept on insisting that he was doing the work of his Father who had sent him to the world to heal people (Barnett 119).

Another issue that attracted a lot of diversity was circumcision. Paul addressed the issue the issue while Simon Peter condemned the circumcision of the converts. Epistles of Titus that is attributed to Paul states that circumcision ought to be discouraged among the Christians. Genealogy is another issue that attracted a lot of diversity among early Christianity due to practices of baptizing a person on behalf of the dead. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performed baptisms for individuals regardless of their sex, creed and religion thus attracting a lot of controversy.

The Genealogy of early Christianity is described in Matthew 1: 1-17 and commences with Abraham and King David’s son as the descendants that were cursed. Both gospels spell that Jesus came to the world through God, but not Joseph that differences emerge in their view points. Accordingly, prophetic challenges of Jesus place him in the 1st century of Jewish World and no Christians existed during his lifetime. According to Acts 24:5, 14, the earliest followers of Jesus nicknamed themselves “Nazoreans” and did not use the name Christians until the presence of Greek-Speaking cities (Schnabel 27).

The resurrection of Jesus Christ does not figure prominently in the early Christian belief. For instance, Jesus in Mark 5: 21-43 speaks of raising the daughter of Synagogue leader, but the gospel is also silent on whether such daughter was divine. Conclusion Early Christianity experienced several diversities. For instance, Jesus healed on Sabbath day which was against the existing law. Jesus also entered in Jerusalem riding on a donkey and healed lame people inside the temple. Jesus also asked for water from a Samaritan woman which was against the law to speak to a woman privately.

In addition, there was controversy on Jesus assertion that he would resurrect Lazarus and he was the Shepherd. Works cited: Allison, Dale. Resurrecting Jesus: the earliest Christian tradition and its interpreters. New York: T & T Clark Publishers. Barnett, Paul. Jesus and rise of early Christianity: a history of New Testament times. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press. 2011. Carroll, John. The return of Jesus in early Christianity. London: Hendrickson Publishers. 2000. Hurtado, Larry. Lord Jesus Christ: devotion to Jesus in earliest Christianity.

Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Schnabel, Eckhard. Early Christian mission: Jesus and the Twelve. London: Intervarsity Press. 2010. Scroggs, Robin and Johnson, Marshall. The people’s Jesus: trajectories in early Christianity. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. 2009.