Most people think that Jesus or Paul or perhaps Peter founded the religion called Christianity. This is not true. Yeah, but isn’t Christianity a religion? Yes, it is, but the founders of Christianity were not Jesus, Paul, or Peter. Christianity as a religion wasn’t really born until a very gradual process started in the mid-second century CE ending in the mid-third century CE. This is when the following things took place: (1) hierarchy was slowly introduced, e.g. bishops were appointed in some regions and later priests became recognized (2) more and more Gentile influence came into the community and the faith became patterned after Roman social and political structures, and (3) Christian dogma and specific doctrines were created. As historians Vearnecombe, Scott, and Taussig tell us (in their excellent book, After Jesus Before Christianity), “…in the first two centuries after Jesus, what we think of as ‘Christianity’ did not exist.” Christianity was not part of the original Jesus Movement.
Finally in the 4th century, this emerging religion became a state religion of Rome, which eventually became known as Western Christianity. From there arose Catholicism, Eastern Christianity in the East, and much later Protestantism. When you look at history, here’s what you find:
5 Historical Facts that Shed Light on How to View the Original Jesus Movement
1 – When the original Jesus Movement began and grew it was not a new religion. Jesus, his first followers, and Paul were not Christians. Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi and wisdom teacher who was called “the Anointed.” Paul was a Jewish Pharisee who later converted to a non-violent, universalist brand of Judaism that welcomed Gentiles. Jesus and Paul advocated rethinking Judaism per re-reading the Torah, reforms found in the Prophets, and Jesus’ teachings. The faith was a stream within Judaism, not a new religion.
2 – The “way” they taught was not technically a religious way. Jesus taught that you didn’t need the Jewish Temple or a sacrificial system to be right with God. Nor a type of synagogue system, nor priests, nor a hierarchy, nor the whole law of Moses. He taught that God is universally accessible and that he forgives sins naturally as his nature is to be merciful. He taught that all classes were respected and loved, especially the poor, marginalized, peasants, women, and “unclean” folks—i.e., those who didn’t measure up to the Jewish purity code, as most of these types of people were. These outcasts, unclean, and peasants were actually up to 90% of the population. Jesus taught that God is on their side. As for the wealthy and elites (probably only 10% of population), Jesus’ taught them to change their minds about the prevailing class system and humble themselves and respect and care for the poor and unclean; to love them and be generous to them to build an egalitarian community. Although some Jews among them wanted to keep following the Law of Moses, you didn’t need it or some other religious system to do this. Love for God and equitable love for your neighbors is all that is necessary, according to Jesus (and later Paul).
3 – True Judaism, per the original Jesus Movement, was to be a way of life based on love—a love that is extended to all including enemies. This way of life breaks down the barriers of Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, and no longer uses violent animal or other sacrifices to “atone” for sins or appease a wrathful God. Jesus taught a universalist way of life within Judaism, not a new religion. His way was to focus on a love ethic rather than following the law of Moses or any particular religious laws or religious sacrifices or system. All religious laws should boil down to the golden rule: treat others the way you’d like to be treated. It wasn’t until many decades and centuries later that this way began to part from Judaism and became a separate religion. Up until then the earliest Jesus followers were one of up to 24 Jewish sects among four main divisions of first-century Judaism (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots). No one during those times considered these followers to be forming a new religion, but only a sect among many sects among the Jews.
4 – Individual groups of followers were not generally called “Christians.” That was just one of many names that others called them, or they called themselves. Those who followed the teachings of Jesus were known by many names, such as followers of the Way or Nazarenes. They were people inside inclusive Jewish or Israel-aligned communities that were called Jesus clubs, movements for the Savior, communities of the Anointed, and schools of the Lord. For some minority of followers in places like Antioch, they were called Christians. In context, being called a Christian did not mean someone was a member of a new religion called Christianity, but merely a name for this universalist sect of Judaism that was made up of students (disciples) of Jesus’ teachings.
5 – This is why the Romans called the first Jesus communities “atheists” or “godless ones.” To the Romans, since these groups did not have a religious temple, synagogue system to support a temple, priests, sacrifices, and lots of religious rituals, like the Jewish Temple, the pagan temples, or the Emperor cult of Rome all did, they were like the godless. So, at some point they called them “atheists.” They were more like non-religious Jews and Gentiles who lived in community together.
A Call to a New Way of Life not a New Religion
What does all this teach us? Jesus nor Paul nor Peter ever intended to start a new religion. They began a universalist, non-religious Jewish movement that welcomed Gentiles and had none of the elements of a religion you find today or in the first century: a temple, synagogue or church system, sacrifices, priests, professional pastors or ministers, a church institution, a church/denominational hierarchy, and a boatload of religious rituals or codes of conduct. The main theme was for people to follow the way of love that Jesus taught. Because Christianity has become a full-blown religion today that was never originally envisioned by Jesus, Paul, or early Jesus students, we should rethink how to view this faith. When we assume Jesus or his first followers founded Christianity, we mistakenly read Christian history backwards. If we want to truly follow the way of Jesus or just understand the original Jesus Movement, we should take Christianity out of the equation. There is a distinction between Christianity the religion and Jesus the anointed wisdom teacher who taught a way of life based on a restorative love ethic. Visit here to see a video version of this blog: Religious Fact Check #1: No, Jesus Did Not Start a New Religion.
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Michael Camp tends the Spiritual Brewpub, which helps disillusioned or post-evangelicals (or “nones”) uncover historical facts and insights that help them deconstruct, rethink, and rebuild a more authentic faith or philosophy of life. He is the author of Breaking Bad Faith, Craft Brewed Jesus and Confessions of a Bible Thumper. To get specific help deconstructing conservative Christianity and rebuilding healthy faith, see Michael’s Religious Deconstruction Workshop. To hear fascinating interviews with leading voices in the deconstruction community, listen to the Spiritual Brewpub Podcast.
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