The Spread of the Gospel Outside Palestine: The Roman Empire (Matthew 28:18 – 20) – JSS3 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note (Second Term)

The spread of the gospel outside Palestine is the carrying of the message of Jesus Christ to other nations, beginning with the Roman Empire.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. State the command Jesus gave His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20.
2. Explain, according to the account in this lesson, why Helena did not at first proclaim her faith publicly.
3. Describe how Emperor Constantine came to accept Christianity.
4. Outline what Constantine did for the church in the Roman Empire.
5. List the factors that helped the spread of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire.

What are the key terms in this topic?

These six terms are used throughout the lesson.

What did Jesus command His disciples to do?

Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

• Time: He gave the command before He returned to heaven.
• Place: He gave it to the eleven disciples in Galilee.
• Authority: He first said that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him (verse 18).
• Promise: He promised to be with them always, to the end of the age (verse 20).

The main command reads:

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

What are the parts of the Great Commission?

1. Go: take the message to people in every nation.
2. Make disciples: lead people to become followers of Jesus.
3. Baptise: baptise new believers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
4. Teach: teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded.

How did the gospel spread in the Roman Empire?

The gospel spread in the Roman Empire through the work of the early Christians, who carried on preaching even under persecution.

Early Christians and persecution

• Who: the first Christians were mostly Jews.
• What they did: they preached the gospel in the Roman Empire and won converts.
• Persecution: many Christians were badly treated, and some were killed, for refusing to worship pagan gods.
• Result: the church kept growing in spite of the persecution.

Who was Helena?

Helena was the mother of Emperor Constantine.

• Her faith: the account in this lesson says she became a Christian in secret.
• Her fear: she feared being executed and feared causing problems for her son’s rule.
• Her influence: she is said to have encouraged Constantine towards the Christian faith.
• Later: she later made her faith public.

How did Constantine come to accept Christianity?

Constantine accepted Christianity after he believed that the God of the Christians had helped him in battle.

1. Constantine faced strong opposition in a war against a rival for the throne of Rome.
2. Before the battle, he is said to have seen a sign of the cross in the sky.
3. He believed that the Christian God would give him victory.
4. He won the battle at the Milvian Bridge in the year 312.
5. He then favoured Christianity and respected the Christian faith.

What did Constantine do for the church?

Constantine stopped the persecution of Christians and gave the church favour and support.

• Freedom of worship: in 313, the Edict of Milan allowed Christians to worship freely.
• Return of property: church property taken during persecution was returned.
• Support: he gave Christians important positions and gave money to the church.
• Church buildings: he built churches, including the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
• Effect: the church grew quickly because Christians no longer feared persecution.

What happened after Constantine died?

• Successors: his sons ruled the empire after him, and they also supported the church.
• State religion: Christianity became the official religion of the empire later, under Emperor Theodosius I in 380.

What factors helped the spread of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire?

Several factors, some inside the church and some in the Roman world, helped the gospel to spread.

Factors within the church

1. Zeal: the early Christians were eager to tell others about Jesus.
2. Confidence: they spoke boldly about their faith.
3. Miracles: signs and wonders happened wherever they went.
4. Good character: their honest and loving lives attracted people.
5. Unity and discipline: the local churches were united and orderly.

Factors in the Roman world

1. Good roads: Roman roads made travel between cities easier.
2. Common language: Greek was widely understood across the empire.
3. Peace: Roman rule kept the empire fairly peaceful, so travel was safer.
4. Support of Constantine: the emperor’s favour removed fear and opened the way for growth.

Evaluation

1. State the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20.
2. Why, according to this lesson, did Helena not at first proclaim her faith publicly?
3. What made Constantine accept Christianity?
4. Mention three things Constantine did for the church.
5. Name three factors that helped the spread of the gospel in the Roman Empire.

Assignment

Write out Matthew 28:19-20 from memory, then list any four factors that helped the spread of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire.