Now Revealed — The True History of the
Early Christian Church
By Ronald D. Kelly
Originally
published, May, 1967, as a Master’s Thesis for Ambassador College. Retypeset in 1999-2000 by several
volunteers, including Ken Swiger, Horst Obermeit, and Carol Billigmeier. Edited by Richard C. Nickels.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chronology of Events in the
Early Church
Part One, The World Prepared
Chapter 3, Moral Degeneracy in the Empire
Chapter 4, Judea, the Springboard
Part Two, The Life and Teachings of Christ
Chapter 5, Christ, the Prophesied Messiah
Chapter 6, Christ, the Desire of Nations
Chapter 7, The Message Christ Brought
Part Three, The Rise and Decline of Christianity
Chapter 8, The Beginning of Church History
Chapter 9, The Great Conspiracy
Appendix Glossary of
Church History Terms
Date |
Biblical
Events |
Events in
Palestine |
Date |
Events in
Roman Empire |
|
|
Herod made
King of Judah |
40 B.C. |
|
|
|
|
27 B.C. |
Octavian
(Augustus) becomes Emperor |
|
|
Death of
Herod |
3 B.C. |
|
4 B.C. |
Birth of
Christ |
|
|
|
|
|
Judea made
a Roman
province |
6 A.D. |
|
9 A.D. |
Christ
confounds teachers at
Jerusalem |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14 A.D. |
Death of
Augustus — Tiberious becomes Emperor |
|
|
Caiphus made
Jewish High Priest |
25 A.D. |
|
|
|
Pontius
Pilate made governor of Judaea |
26 A.D. |
|
27 A.D. |
Christ
baptized and begins His
ministry |
|
|
|
31 A.D. |
Christ
crucified, April 25 |
|
|
|
31 A.D. |
Church
receives Holy Spirit, June 18 |
|
|
|
33 A.D. |
Simon Magus
baptized |
|
|
|
35 A.D. |
Paul
converted |
|
|
|
|
|
Pilate sent
to Rome |
36 |
|
|
|
Herod
Agrippa made king of
Judea and Samaria |
37 |
|
|
|
|
41 |
Claudius
made Emperor |
42 |
Matthew
written |
|
|
|
43 |
James is
martyred |
|
|
|
|
|
Agrippa
dies |
44 |
|
47 |
Paul’s
First Journey |
|
|
|
49 |
Council at
Jerusalem |
|
|
|
50 |
Paul’s Second
Journey; gospel goes to Europe 19 years after Church founded |
|
|
|
51 |
Paul writes
I and II Thessalonians |
Felix made
Procurator |
51 |
|
52 |
Paul writes
Galatians |
Herod
Agrippa II made Tetrarch |
52 |
Claudius
banishes the Jews from Rome |
53 |
Paul’s
Third Journey |
|
|
|
53-55 |
Paul’s stay
at Ephesus |
|
54 |
Nero
becomes Emperor |
55 |
Paul writes
I Corinthians (spring) and II Corinthians (fall) |
|
|
|
55-56 |
Paul writes
Romans |
|
|
|
56-58 |
Paul imprisoned
at Caesarea |
|
|
|
59 |
Paul
appeals to Caesar and is sent to Rome |
|
|
|
59-61 |
Writes
“Prison Epistles,” Philippians,
Ephesians, Colossians,
Philemon |
|
|
|
60-62 |
James
(Christ’s brother) writes his
epistle |
Festus made
Procurator |
60 |
|
62 |
James
(Christ’s brother) is killed |
Albinus
made Procurator |
62 |
|
64 |
Paul writes
Hebrews, visits Asia Minor, perhaps also Spain and Britain |
Florus made
Procurator |
64 |
Conflagration
at Rome — persecution of
Christians |
65 |
Paul
returns to Rome, writes I Timothy,
Titus, II Timothy |
|
|
|
66 |
Paul’s
death at Rome — probably beheaded |
|
|
|
|
|
|
68 |
Galba
becomes Emperor |
|
|
|
69 |
Otho
beecomes Emperor, followed by Vitellius,
then Vespasian |
|
|
Destruction
of Jerusalem
by Titus |
70 |
|
75 |
Peter
writes I Peter |
|
|
|
77 |
Peter
writes II Peter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
79 |
Titus
becomes Emperor |
80 |
Death of
Peter |
|
81 |
Domitian
becomes Emperor, Christian persecutions |
85-87 |
John writes
I, II, III John |
|
|
|
80s (?) |
Jude writes
his epistle |
|
|
|
95-96 |
John writes
Revelation |
|
96 |
Nerva
becomes Emperor |
|
|
|
98 |
Trajan
becomes Emperor |
100-101 |
Death of
John |
|
|
|
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF
ROMAN EMPERORS
From the Beginning of the Empire to the Division into East and West in
384 A.D.
Emperor Date
Augustus 27
B.C.-14 A.D.
Tiberius 14-37
A.D.
Gaius (Caligula) 37-41
Claudius 41-54
Nero 54-68
Galba 68-69
Otho 69
Vitellius 69
Vespasian 69-79
Titus 79-81
Domitian 81-96
Nerva 96-98
Trajan 98-117
Hadrian 117-138
Antonius Pius 138-161
Marcus Aurelius 161-180
Commodus 180-192
Pertinex, etc. 193
Septimius Severus 193-211
Caracalla and Geta 211-212
Caracalla alone 212-217
Macrinus 217-218
Elgabalus 218-222
Alexander Severus 222-235
Maximinus Thrax 235-238
Gordianus I, II, etc. 238
Gordianus III 238-244
Philippus Arabs 244-249
Decius 249-251
Gallus and Volusianus 251-253
Aemilianus 253
Valerian 253-260
Gallien 260-268
Claudius II, etc. 268-270
Aurelianus 270-275
Tacitus, etc. 275-276
Probus, etc., etc. 276-284
Diocletian 284-305
Maximian 286-305
Galerius and Constantine Chlorus 293
Galerius and Constantius
succeed
as Augusti; Maximinus Daia and
Severus become Caesars 305
Constantius dies; Constantine becomes
Caesar in West; Maxentius
supplants Severus in Italy 305
Licinius made Caesar, and later
Augustus by Galerius 307
Constantine assumes title of Augustus 307
Maximinus Daia becomes Augustus (?) 309
Death of Galerius 311
Macontius defeated by Constantine
at Milvian Bridge and slain 312
Edict of Mediolanum issued by
Constantine and Licinius 313
(Jan.)
Maximinus Daia, defeated by Licinius,
kills himself 313
Constantine sole emperor after defeat
and death of Licinius 323-337
In the world today, there are 961,112,000
professing Christians.[1] “Christianity” is by far the LARGEST single religion on earth. Islam, the second largest, is not half as
big.
But how many in the western world, which
calls itself “Christian,” understand what REAL
CHRISTIANITY is? How many really KNOW
the PLAIN TRUTH about the foundation
of the Christian religion?
Amazingly few have ever realized the TRUE BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIANITY!
What was the world like over 1900 years
ago? Just how did Christianity get
started? Why does the Church in the
book of Acts seem so different from the denominations today?
Was the message of Christ and the Apostles the same one that is taught in
today’s churches? This is the really
important question.
These queries can all be answered by
understanding the TRUE BEGINNING of the Church founded by Jesus Christ, and the
entire scope of the first century of the Christian era.
Amazing though it may seem, the world
which calls itself “Christian” is divided into over four hundred DIFFERENT denominations, organizations, splits,
schisms, and sects — each claiming to
be the original Church founded by Jesus Christ.
There is a way you can know for certain
how to find the true followers of Christ. The answers are all revealed and recorded in the Bible and
in secular history during the FOUNDATION YEARS of God’s Church.
The purpose of this thesis is to make
plain and to reveal the FACTS of Jesus Christ’s birth and life and to make plain how to understand early
CHURCH HISTORY.
Concerning the last years of the first
century, church historians admit:
The remaining thirty years of the first century are involved in
mysterious darkness, illuminated only by the writings of John. This is the period of church history about
which we know least and would like to know most. This period is the favorite field for ecclesiastical fables and
critical conjectures.[2]
No longer do we need conjectures. The history of the first century can now be
revealed.
You will see how the world was prepared in advance BY THE ALMIGHTY GOD WHO RULES
SUPREME IN THE HEAVENS. You will
understand the true gospel preached by
Christ and His apostles, and you will see the true establishment of His Church.
But, you will also see the world was
prepared for a great false religious
system. A false system, which for
more than 1,900 years has been masquerading
under the title of “Christianity.”
Understanding the background of God’s preparation and the rise of a
great FALSE CONSPIRACY will provide the key
to unlock the understanding of all Church history over the past 1,900 years.
You will be able to understand the
teachings of true Christianity, and
the guidelines by which you can prove
where God’s true Church has been throughout history and WHERE IT IS TODAY.
Here, NOW REVEALED, is THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH.