The Branches of Christianity

Depiction of Jesus and the Disciples

While Christianity actually started with Jesus Christ and his disciples, it was not recognized until after Jesus’ crucifixion in c/28 of the 1st century A.D. In the year 65, an organization was founded at Antioch, in Syria, which assumed the name “Christians”; soon the doctrine of Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire by traveling apostles. 

Before the end of the 1st century, Christian societies were founded in Palestine, Asia Minor, Syria, Greece, Italy, northern Africa and the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. 

The earliest followers of Jesus Christ composed an apocalyptic Jewish assemblage, which scholars and historians refer to as Jewish Christianity. The Apostles disseminated from Jerusalem, founding the Apostolic Sees [presumably following the Great Commission's decree to spread the teachings of Jesus to "all nations"] with great success spreading this new religion to the Gentiles. Peter, Paul, and James the Just were the most notable of early Christian leaders. Though Paul's influence on Christian thinking is said to be more significant than any other New Testament author, the relationship of Paul of Tarsus and Judaism is still disputed and contested among the theologians today. Rather than having a sudden split, early Christianity gradually grew apart from Judaism as a predominantly Gentile religion.

By the beginning of the 4th century, one-third of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire had embraced the Christian religion, which was credited to the edicts of Constantine the Great. Those same proclamations made Christianity a state religion by the year 326. These early Christians were responsible for paving the way for a religious creed that has last for nearly 2,000 years.

Christianity is divided into three main branches: Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Protestant. The Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox, by far, are the oldest Christian sects and was once united as a singular creed. It was during the Medieval Era (2nd to 8th century) that divisions appeared in the form of political opposition and the two churches separated. The separation became definite in the 11th century.

The Roman Catholic Church declares that on the basis of Christ’s original teachings, the authoritative doctrines are guided by the Spirit of God. The teachings are based on scriptures and tradition, which is set forth distinctly in the Apostle’s Creed, Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed. There are seven sacraments recognized: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, holy orders, matrimony and extreme unction. In 1564, Pope Pius IV added the articles on the veneration and invocation of Saints. The dogma of the immaculate conception of the Holy Mother Mary was added in 1854. And, in 1870, the papal infallibility was recognized and accepted. The Roman Catholic Church also added the belief in Purgatory and the necessity of confession.

Depiction of Great Schism between the Roman
Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches, 1054 AD

The doctrinal creeds of the Greek Orthodox Church, even today, are essentially those of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the authority of the Greek Orthodox Church does not reside in one person or structure, but the limits of jurisdiction have followed the national lines. Hence the political difference that divided the Roman and Greek Churches and brought about what was known as the Great Schism of 1054. There is no recognizable unity among the national groups and the Greek Orthodox Church, other than the fact that they do not acknowledge the authority of the Pope. The only other difference between the Roman and Greek Churches is that Greek Orthodox allows the priest to marry and have families, but only if he is unwed before he accepts the priesthood. Over the years, several attempts were made to reunite the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox, notably at the Council of Florence (in 1498), but none have fully succeeded in bringing them back together, even unto this day.

The Protestants include Christian denominations which are not Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox. The Protestant Movement was started by Martin Luther, a German priest, in the early 16th century when controversy arose in the form of Luther’s published 95 Thesis (in 1517) which theologically laid importance on faith in salvation by grace.

Luther believed every Christian was directly responsible to God and did not need the mediation of a priest (the Islamic and Jewish faith believes this as well). This belief thusly broke down the distinction between the religious and the secular, which brought about what was known as the Reformation.

Among the fundamental doctrines of Protestantism are: supremacy of the Holy Bible above bishops and councils, individual responsibility and justification by faith, prayer, and worship. The Protestants, like the Greek Orthodox, deny the authority of the Pope and hold to the right of private judgment in the matter of religion.

The universalism of Western civilization was inexplicably destroyed, causing the Christian world to disassemble. Today, many branches of the Protestant Church are widely distributed throughout the world. Among the major Protestant denominations are the Lutherans, Presbyterians, Reformed, Anglicans, Baptists, and Methodists. There are many smaller Protestant sects that branched off the major denominations, such as Evangelicals, Unitarians, Episcopalians and more.

While Christianity is divided into many religious creeds and sects, nearly all Christian bodies agree, with respect to certain cardinal doctrines, and are united in the acceptance that Jesus Christ is the Revealer of God and the Savior of mankind. Today, the majority of Christians are found in Australia, Europe, and North America, with smaller sects spread out worldwide.