When Did Christianity Start?

People often wonder which event started Christianity? Was it with the birth of Jesus? How about his death? Was it when he rose from the dead? Or maybe when the church was established? It’s an interesting question, and one without a simple answer because a large part of it depends on what you mean by “Christianity.”

An exact year or date is impossible to pinpoint, but all evidence based on all meanings of the words “Christian” and “Christianity” would indicate that it started in the first century either while Jesus Christ walked on Earth or immediately following his ascension to heaven. However, it was not for another few hundred years that Christianity became a legal or official religion of the state of Rome.

Christianity started with Christ. Although they may not have been called “Christians,” that’s what the disciples of Jesus were, and although Jesus didn’t claim to have come to start a religion, that’s what happened.

Meaning of “Christian”

The word “Christian” means “follower of Christ” or “little Christ.” “Christ” comes from the Greek word meaning “anointed one.” In Hebrew, the “anointed one” is called the “Messiah,” and based on more than 300 prophecies regarding the Messiah in the Jewish Tanach (Christian Old Testament), Jesus is the Christ.

The word “Christian” was first used by non-Christians in Antioch to describe the followers of Jesus there (Acts 11:26), and it was probably meant as an insult. The followers adopted it, however, feeling that if they were to take Jesus' instructions seriously, they would have to not only follow him, but actually be like him to carry out everything he had commanded them to do.

Before the word “Christian” came on the scene, followers of Jesus referred to themselves and each other as “brothers” (Acts 6:3), “believers” (Acts 5:14), “saints” (Acts 9:13) or “followers of the Way” (Acts 24:14). They did not give up using these words after gaining the option of being called “Christians,” but they did also accept “Christian” as a word that described them accurately (1 Peter 4:16).

All of this happened in the first century A.D., likely before 63 A.D., when some scholars believe the book of Acts to have been written.

Followers of Jesus

If the word “Christian” means “follower of Christ,” though, then wouldn’t that mean that Christianity started even while Jesus was alive on Earth? If Christians are followers of Christ, then weren’t there already Christians before Jesus died, rose again and ascended to heaven? Yes. Jesus had hundreds of followers during his three years of ministry before he was killed. He chose twelve of them to develop closer relationships with, and those are the ones we know as the twelve disciples. However, many, many more people followed him around.

So if you consider those people to be Christians, then perhaps Christianity started even earlier, while Jesus was still around.

Start of the Official Church

Christians began meeting together for worship and teaching right after Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 1-2), and the New Testament is full of references and letters to churches in various cities throughout the Mediterranean - the known world at the time. All of this started in the first century. However, Christianity did not become a legal religion in the Roman Empire until the 4th century under the rule of Constantine. He legalized it in 313 and declared it the official state religion in 380.