The Church has been around for over 2000 years and has had its ups and downs. There have been periods of growth and decline, but within those ups and downs, I’ve pulled out the 10 most pivotal dates, or turning points, in Church History!
#1 The Church survives, 70 AD: The Destruction of Jerusalem
The first important date, the date that started Church History is that of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection that took place in Jerusalem, then the center of the Jewish religion.
It had been so since KING DAVID had made it his capital in 1050 BC. To it, Jesus had come to call His people to the kingdom of God, fulfilling all the prophecies in the Old Testament.
But the Jewish leaders refused to accept Him as their Messiah and orchestrated His trial and death. After His Resurrection and Ascension, their war against Him and His followers intensified. They organized fierce persecutions against them, killing first Stephen and later James, Jesus brother who was then leading the church in Jerusalem.
Once James was killed, in the early 60’s, Christians fled the city to Antioch and other cities where churches had been established by Paul and other missionaries. The Romans attacked the city about 40 years after Jesus’ crucifixion and destroyed it totally in 70 AD, killing over 1 million Jews and selling another 100,000 into slavery.
The DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM de-centralized the Christian church which now spread through the widespread Roman Empire. It also established Christianity as a separate religion, distinct and independent from Judaism.
The Church Triumphs #2. 306 AD: Constantine’s Conversion:
Christianity becomes state religion of Rome and Rome becomes the center of Christianity. At once, the structure and hierarchy of Roman paganism were introduced to the church of Christ.
The pontifex maximus, the chief of the pagan religion, an office once held by Julius Caesar, gradually became the office of the bishop of Rome and later the Papacy.
The Church Gets a New Bible #3. 405: Jerome’s Translation of the Bible into Latin.
This was the first important step of putting the scriptures in the language of the people. As more people learned to read, interest in the Bible grew as did the appetite for people to read it in their native tongue. This effort preceded and indeed fueled the next important date.
The Church is Reformed #4. 1500: Protestant Reformation –
The official day for this has been recognized as October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 97 theses to the church door in Germany. The Reformation was, in short, a revolution that replaced the Pope and traditional Roman doctrine with the recognition of the Bible as the supreme authority of Christ on earth.
The Church in England #5. 1611: King James Bible
The translation of the Bible by King James made the Bible the doctrinal and literary standard for the English-speaking peoples. It is unquestionably the greatest and most influential text in the English language, and it spurred reformation and missionary efforts to spread the Gospel. It was the basis of a shared cultural heritage that endured until the 20th century.
The Church in America #6. 1750: Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening
Jonathan Edwards was steeped in the Bible and taught it to his puritan congregation in New England. His preaching sparked the Great Awakening which turned multitudes to the Gospel and later made Protestant Christianity the religion of the United States. Edwards was a Yale graduate and later president of Princeton University at a time when university education became a bedrock of Christian teaching and a catalyst for making America a Christian nation.
The Church is Renewed #7. 1900: The Pentecostal Revival
William Seymour and Pentecostal Revival erupted on the scene when the mainline churches, universities, and literary establishments were compromising with modernism. The Pentecostals stressed the power of the Holy Ghost in transforming lives and in winning souls for Jesus.
Their revivals began among the common people in the south and the Appalachians and featured gifts of the Spirit like speaking in tongues, divine healing, and prophecy. Spurned and mocked at first, it in turn spread through the churches and the nations of the world. Today, Pentecostals number over 600 million throughout the world.
The Church Expands#8. 1950: Billy Graham and world-wide evangelism
Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusades was the largest organized outreach to people of the 20th century, and millions made decisions for Christ after hearing the preaching of North Carolinian Billy Graham, who gave the Gospel message in down-to-earth terms punctuated often with the words “the Bible says.” He carried his evangelistic “crusades” to every major city in America and later to major cities throughout the world.
The Church Loses Influence#9. 1963: The Bible and Prayer Ousted from Public Schools in America.
In 1963 an atheist sued to have the Bible and Prayer taken out of public schools. This was the first step in the secularization of America’s public institutions. In their place, the schools taught evolution and sex education, effectively taking moral education out of the hands of parents and placing it in the hands of unbelievers.
The Church Overruled #10. 2018: Marriage Redefined.
The descent from 1963 continued with the Supreme Court of the United State usurping legislative authority from the states and passing Roe v. Wade, a law that permitted abortion on demand and has subsequently killed over 60 million unborn children. Continuing that trend of overruling the legislative process, the court redefined the Bible’s teaching on marriage and ruled that same-sex people could be “married,” and effectively legalized sodomy.
More Dates in Church History?
Perhaps I have omitted one of the dates in our beloved Church history that you think should be included here. If so, please let me know in the comments below! It was a tough job selecting just 10, and I pray you will forgive me if I have missed one that is important to you.
The most Important Date is Coming Soon
Sad as it is to see the government of the United States turn against Christianity and welcome pluralism and other gods, the good news is that the gospel is alive and transforming lives around the world. 21st-century Christians have been energized by Gospel and Jesus' promise to come again. We don't know the day or the hour, but He is coming to take His people home with Him to the place He has been preparing for us since 30 A.D. He is coming in power and glory, as a bridegroom coming for His Bride. Let's keep looking up and keep ourselves pure and bright, washed in the blood of the Lamb, awaiting His glorious return What a glorious day that will be!