Timeline of Christianity - Apostolic Age

Apostolic Age

Shortly after the death of Jesus (Nisan 14 or 15), the Jerusalem church was founded as the first Christian church with about 120 Jews and Jewish Proselytes (Acts 1:15), followed by Pentecost (Sivan 6), the Ananias and Sapphira incident, Pharisee Gamaliel's defense of the Apostles (5:34-39), the stoning of Saint Stephen (see also Persecution of Christians) and the subsequent dispersal of the church (7:54-8:8) which led to the baptism of Simon Magus in Samaria (8:9-24), and also an Ethiopian eunuch (8:26-40). Paul's "Road to Damascus" conversion to "Apostle to the Gentiles" is first recorded in 9:13-16, cf. Gal 1:11-24. Peter baptized the Roman Centurion Cornelius, who is traditionally considered the first Gentile convert to Christianity (10). The Antioch church was founded, it was there that the term Christian was first used (11:26).

• 37-41 Crisis under Caligula, proposed as the first open break between Rome and the Jews
• before 44 Epistle of James if written by James the Great
• 44? Saint James the Great: According to ancient local tradition, on 2 January of the year AD 40, the Virgin Mary appeared to James on a Pilar on the bank of the Ebro River at Caesaraugusta, while he was preaching the Gospel in Spain. Following that vision, St James returned to Judea, where he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in the year 44 during a Passover (Nisan 15) (Acts 12:1-3).
• 44 Death of Herod Agrippa I (JA19.8.2, Acts 12:20-23)
• 44-46? Theudas beheaded by Procurator Cuspius Fadus for saying he would part the Jordan river (like Moses and the Red Sea or Joshua and the Jordan) (JA20.5.1, Acts 5:36-37 places it before the Census of Quirinius)
• 45-49? Mission of Barnabas and Paul, (Acts 13:1-14:28), to Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (there they were called "gods ... in human form"), then return to Syrian Antioch. Map1
• 47 The Church of the East is created by Saint Thomas
• 48-100 Herod Agrippa II appointed King of the Jews by Claudius, seventh and last of the Herodians
• 49 "Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome." (referenced in Acts 18:2)
• 50 Passover riot in Jerusalem, 20-30,000 killed (JA20.5.3,JW2.12.1)
• 50? Council of Jerusalem and the "Apostolic Decree", Acts 15:1-35, same as Galatians 2:1-10?, which is followed by the Incident at Antioch at which Paul publicly accused Peter of "Judaizing" (2:11-21), see also Circumcision controversy in early Christianity
• 50-53? Paul's 2nd mission, (Acts 15:36-18:22), split with Barnabas, to Phrygia, Galatia, Macedonia, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, "he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken", then return to Antioch; 1 Thessalonians, Galatians written? Map2
• 51-52 or 52-53 proconsulship of Gallio according to an inscription, only fixed date in chronology of Paul
• 52, November 21 St. Thomas the Apostle landed in Muziris (Pattanam), India. Established churches at Kodungalloor, Palayoor, Paraur, Kottakkav, Kokkamangalam, Nilakkal, Niranam and Kollam.
• 53-57? Paul's 3rd mission, (Acts 18:23-22:30), to Galatia, Phrygia, Corinth, Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece, and Jerusalem where James the Just challenged him about rumor of teaching antinomianism (21:21), he addressed a crowd in their language (most likely Aramaic), Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians written? Map3
• 55? "Egyptian Prophet" (allusion to Moses) and 30,000 unarmed Jews doing The Exodus reenactment massacred by Procurator Antonius Felix (JW2.13.5, JA20.8.6, Acts 21:38)
• 58? Paul arrested, accused of being a revolutionary, "ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes", teaching resurrection of the dead, imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23-26)
• 59? Paul shipwrecked on Malta, there he was called a god (Acts 28:6)
• 60? Paul in Rome: greeted by many "brothers" (NRSV: "believers"), three days later called together the Jewish leaders, who hadn't received any word from Judea about him, but were curious about "this sect", which everywhere is spoken against; he tried to convince them from the "Law and Prophets", with partial success, said the Gentiles would listen and spent two years proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching the "Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 28:15-31); Epistle to Philemon written?
• 60-64? early date for writing of 1 Peter (Peter as author)
• before 62 Epistle of James if written by James the Just
• 62 James the Just stoned to death for law transgression by High Priest Ananus ben Artanus, popular opinion against act results in Ananus being deposed by new procurator Lucceius Albinus (JA20.9.1)
• 63-107? Simeon, 2nd Bishop of Jerusalem, crucified under Trajan
• 64-68 after July 18 Great Fire of Rome, Nero blamed and persecuted the Christians (or Chrestians), possibly the earliest mention of Christians, by that name, in Rome, see also Tacitus on Jesus, Paul beheaded? (Col 1:24,Eph 3:13,2 Tim 4:6-8,1Clem 5:5-7), Peter crucified upside-down? (Jn 21:18,1 Pet 5:13,Tertullian's Prescription Against Heretics chapter XXXVI,Eusebius' Church History Book III chapter I), "...a vast multitude, were convicted, not so much of the crime of incendiarism as of hatred of the human race. And in their deaths they were made the subjects of sport; for they were wrapped in the hides of wild beasts and torn to pieces by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set on fire, and when day declined, were burned to serve for nocturnal lights." (Annals (Tacitus) XV.44)
• 64/67(?)-76/79(?) Pope Linus succeeds Peter as Episcopus Romanus (Bishop of Rome)
• 64 Epistle to the Hebrews written
• 65? Q document, a hypothetical Greek text thought by many critical scholars to have been used in writing of Matthew and Luke
• 66-73 Great Jewish Revolt: destruction of Herod's Temple and end of Judaism according to Supersessionism, Qumran community destroyed, site of Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1947
• 70(+/-10)? Gospel of Mark, written in Rome, by Peter's interpreter (1 Peter 5:13), original ending apparently lost, endings added c.400, see Mark 16
• 70? Signs Gospel written, hypothetical Greek text used in Gospel of John to prove Jesus is the Messiah
• 70-100? additional Pauline Epistles
• 70-200? Gospel of Thomas, Jewish Christian Gospels: Gospel of the Ebionites, Gospel of the Hebrews, Gospel of the Nazarenes
• 72, July 3 Martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle at Chinnamala, Mylapore, Chennai (Tamil Nadu).
• 76/79(?)-88 Pope Anacletus first Greek Pope, who succeeds Linus as Episcopus Romanus (Bishop of Rome)
• 80(+/-20) Didache
• 80(+/-20)? Gospel of Matthew, based on Mark and Q, most popular in Early Christianity
• 80(+/-20)? Gospel of Luke, based on Mark and Q, also Acts of the Apostles by same author
• 80(+/-20)? Pastoral Epistles written (possible post-Pauline authorship)
• 88-101? Clement, fourth Bishop of Rome, wrote Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians (Apostolic Fathers)
• 90? Council of Jamnia of Judaism (disputed), Domitian applied the Fiscus Judaicus tax even to those who merely "lived like Jews"
• 90(+/-10)? late date for writing of 1 Peter (associate of Peter as author)
• 94 Testimonium Flavianum, disputed section of Jewish Antiquities by Josephus in Aramaic, translated to Koine Greek
• 95(+/-30)? Gospel of John and Epistles of John
• 95(+/-10)? Book of Revelation written, by John (son of Zebedee) and/or a disciple of his
• 96 Nerva modified the Fiscus Judaicus, from then on, practising Jews paid the tax, Christians did not
• 98-117? Ignatius, third Bishop of Antioch, fed to the lions in the Roman Colosseum, advocated the Bishop (Eph 6:1, Mag 2:1,6:1,7:1,13:2, Tr 3:1, Smy 8:1,9:1), rejected Sabbath on Saturday in favor of The Lord's Day (Sunday). (Mag 9.1), rejected Judaizing (Mag 10.3), first recorded use of the term catholic (Smy 8:2).
• 100(+/-30)? Epistle of Barnabas (Apostolic Fathers)
• 100(+/-25)? Epistle of James if written by author other than James the Just or James the Great
• 100(+/-10)? Epistle of Jude written, probably by doubting relative of Jesus (Mark 6,3), rejected by some early Christians due to its reference to apocryphal Book of Enoch (v14)