From the Gospel of John to the death of Constantine

90-110 AD

Gospel of John written (the Jews expel all Christians from the synagogues)

94 AD

Josephus publishes "The Antiquities of the Jews"

96-98 AD

Reign of the emperor Nerva

98-117 AD

Reign of Emperor Trajan

100-165 AD


Life of Justin Martyr, early Christian apologist. Justin defends Christianity as worthy of the respect of the educated and as the only legitimate heir to the Israelite scriptures. ( John, last of the Apostles, dies .)

107-117 AD

Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, is martyred

112-113 AD

Pliny, the Roman governor of Pontus-Bithynia writes to the emperor Trajan seeking advice regarding the punishment of Christians. The emperor tells Pliny that persecuting people on unproven charges is "contrary to the spirit of our times."

117-138 AD

Reign of emperor Hadrian

132-135 AD

( Bar Kochba proclaimed Messiah by Jewish leaders) Second Jewish Revolt against Rome. the Bar Kochba Revolt. By this time Christians have separated from Judaism. (The Temple is given over to Zeus. The first Gentile bishop, Marcus, appointed over the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem (the 15 previous bishops had been fully Jewish, and Torah observant).

155 AD

Martyrdom of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna and younger colleague and admirer of Ignatius of Antioch.

180 AD

Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, asserts that the proper number of gospels is four.( Becomes the first post-Apostolic church father to assert primacy of the church in Rome over other churches.)

185-254 AD

Life of Origen. One of the early Christian scholars and teachers, his writings had a profound effect on Christian theology, particularly in the provinces of the Greek East. (Origen also forbids teaching from Jewish sources.)

201-203 AD

(201 A.D. First specific Christian church building erected in Syria.) .... Martyrdom of Perpetua in Carthage

249-251 AD

First major persecution of Christians under emperor Decius

250 AD

Origen publishes Contra Celsum, in response to Celsus' True Reason.

256-260 AD

(256 A.D. Pope Steven becomes the first head of the Roman church to openly declare succession to Peter and to hold supremacy over all church bishops.) ....Persecution resumes under emperor Valerian

260 AD

Persecution ends when Gallienus becomes emperor

300-303 AD

(300 A.D. By this point, only the clergy are permitted to speak from the pulpit. In earlier centuries, both clergy and lay people were permitted to teach the Scriptures).

303 A.D.Persecution begins under Diocletian

312 AD

Constantine adopts Christ as his patron (after a vision of the Cross . he saw the words, In Hoc Signo Vinces, "In this sign conquer" He placed the sign at the top of his standard and on the shields of his men and won the battle of Milvian Bridge outside of Rome ) and defeated his rival Maxentius to become sole ruler of Italy, Africa, and the entire western half of the empire.

313 AD

Edict of Milan. An agreement between Constantine, ruler of the West and Licinius, ruler of the East, that assured full restitution of all confiscated Christian property and full rights for Christian worship in both halves of the Roman empire.

321- 324 AD

Constantine defeats Licinius in a battle near Adrianople. He now becomes ruler of the entire Roman empire. He moves the eastern capital from Nicomedia to Byzantine, henceforth known as Constantinople. (leaving the bishop of Rome the most powerful man in Italy. .... In 321 Constantine declares Sunday the official Christian sabbath day)

325 AD

Council of Nicea attempts to resolve theological differences among church factions. It is agreed that Christ was both fully human and fully divine.(Jewish bishops are specifically excluded from the meeting. Doctrine of the Trinity formally acknowledged)

327 AD

Death of Constantine.

FROM PBS