The Rise of Christianity Christianity is one of the world's largest ancient religions. It was a small part of Judaism at first, but grew very rapidly in the following centuries. Roman rule caused some conflict and unrest in Judea. These native factors also aided the spread of Christianity in that troubled age. Augustus made Herod king of Judea and maintained stability, but the Jews continued to hate the king. After his death the situation worsened because the Jews hated the Roman tax collectors (publicans).[ Page 156] The early Christians were extremists. They were crazy about the worship of Yahweh and refused to pay the tax. And religion was not open to everyone. This is a limitation for that time. Furthermore, with the development of the Romans, they unified the Mediterranean, creating the objective conditions for the spread of Christianity. Conditions of peace and stability and two main official languages: Latin and Greek which facilitated the birth of Christianity. People tried to change the condition, then Jesus appeared. The four gospels of the New Testament record the life and teachings of Jesus, which were carried out by the first follower of Jesus after his death. The gospels served to build a community of faith centered on Jesus. Jesus' teaching had many different texts, but some points on which everyone agreed: "he preached eternal happiness in life after death." Jesus taught using his name, rather than that of Yahweh.[ Page 158] He told his apostles that he would save those people who would come to him. And Christianity encouraged peace and order. Thus, the common people or the poor followed their Jesus and helped each other. This is why Christianity was able to spread like this... middle of paper... a new capital. It had good effects on the spread of Christianity and reduced the power of the pagans. In 380, the commander Theodosius made Nicene Christianity the official religion and stripped Roman pagan temples of statues.[ Page 171] He also granted the church the right to establish its own "canon law".[ Page 171] During this period, AT Christianity reached the peak of its development. The churches gained independence in the following years. Since then it has gained more and more power over itself.[Page 171]In conclusion, Christianity has spread dramatically. The Romans created conditions and policies very appropriate to religion. And Christianity has missed no opportunity to continue to change and embrace every step until it becomes the most significant institution in the West. Leaders and followers used their wisdom to help Christianity spread throughout the world.