For a conservative evangelical blog committed to biblical inerrancy, covenantal continuity, and historical-grammatical analysis, a six-category framework for the history of Christianity should emphasize theological fidelity, historical clarity, and covenantal transitions. These categories, each filled with many dozens of articles, must reflect God’s progressive revelation, the unfolding of His redemptive plan, and the visible development of the Church from Pentecost to today, without embracing any form of liberal historiography, apostate traditions, or Roman Catholic institutional bias.

Here is a biblically sound and historically rigorous six-category structure:

NOTE: This Section was started Saturday, November 15, 2020, so give us time to fill these categories with dozens of articles. We will be adding every day.

• Apostolic Foundations (29–98 C.E.)
• Post-Apostolic Purity and Persecution (98–313 C.E.)
• Imperial Distortion and Doctrinal Decline (313–590 C.E.)
• Medieval Apostasy and Preservation (590–1517 C.E.)
• Reformation and Scriptural Recovery (1517–1700 C.E.)
• Modern Evangelical Continuity and Compromise (1700–Present)

This sixfold division helps frame Christian history through a biblical lens—not merely as ecclesiastical development, but as a spiritual conflict between fidelity to Christ and worldly corruption. It allows you to track the preservation of truth across centuries while exposing key doctrinal shifts and historical turning points.

A Biblical and Historical Framework: Six Stages in the History of Christianity

The history of Christianity, when rightly understood through the lens of biblical authority and theological clarity, is not merely a sequence of church events or cultural transformations. It is the progressive outworking of God’s redemptive plan, unfolding in time through the ministry of the risen Christ, the spread of the Gospel, and the preservation of biblical truth against error. This article outlines six key stages in Christian history from a conservative evangelical perspective, tracing the development of the Church without conceding to institutional distortions, theological compromise, or secularized historiography.

Apostolic Foundations (29–98 C.E.)

The foundation of Christianity rests entirely upon the direct teaching and authority of Jesus Christ and His commissioned apostles. This era begins with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4) and ends with the death of the Apostle John near the close of the first century (Revelation 1:9; 1 John 1:1–4).

During this time, the Gospel spread from Jerusalem into Judea, Samaria, and the wider Roman world (Acts 1:8). The apostles, especially Peter and Paul, planted local congregations, appointed elders (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5), and wrote the inspired New Testament Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20–21; 2 Timothy 3:16–17). The early Church was governed by a plurality of elders (Acts 20:17, 28) and operated without a centralized hierarchy.

Key theological truths were defined during this period: salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), the one-time sacrificial atonement of Christ (Hebrews 10:10–14), and the necessity of repentance and baptism by immersion (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3–5). The apostolic era constitutes the normative model for all subsequent generations of believers.

Post-Apostolic Purity and Persecution (98–313 C.E.)

After the death of John, the Church entered a time of severe external persecution and increasing internal challenges. Roman emperors such as Trajan, Decius, and Diocletian launched empire-wide efforts to eradicate Christianity. Believers refused to offer incense to Caesar or conform to pagan rituals, often suffering martyrdom (Revelation 2:10; Hebrews 10:32–34).

Despite these pressures, the Church remained faithful to the apostolic doctrine. Writers such as Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, and Polycarp—men who had personal connection to the apostles—defended core truths and upheld the sufficiency of Scripture. Their letters emphasize obedience to Jesus Christ, moral purity, and steadfastness in persecution.

During this era, heresies such as Gnosticism, Marcionism, and modalism were rejected by faithful elders. These early defenders did not develop theology; they preserved what had already been revealed. The term “rule of faith” (regula fidei) was used to describe the coherent apostolic message grounded in the Old Testament and fulfilled in Christ (Luke 24:44–48; 1 Corinthians 15:1–4).

The Church was still a fellowship of local congregations, each governed by qualified elders. There was no Pope, no central council with divine authority, and no state-church alliance. This period exemplifies what Christ intended: a pure, persecuted, and preaching Church.

Imperial Distortion and Doctrinal Decline (313–590 C.E.)

The Edict of Milan (313 C.E.) issued by Constantine ended formal Roman persecution of Christians. However, this ushered in a different kind of danger—the temptation of political power and the institutionalization of Christianity. While some gains were made, such as the affirmation of Christ’s deity at the Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.) in response to Arianism (cf. John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9), the broader trajectory of the Church moved toward ecclesiastical hierarchy and theological compromise.

The establishment of Christianity as a state religion (Theodosius I, 380 C.E.) resulted in the merging of Church and Empire. Bishops became political figures, and doctrinal authority began to shift from Scripture to ecclesiastical tradition. The seeds of Roman Catholicism were planted as bishops of Rome claimed increasing preeminence over other churches—a claim completely foreign to the New Testament model (cf. 1 Peter 5:1–3; Matthew 20:25–28).

Doctrinal deviations arose rapidly. Baptismal regeneration, veneration of relics, and the cult of Mary began to take hold. These were not derived from Scripture but from syncretistic traditions. The simplicity of biblical worship was replaced by elaborate rituals, and the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 10:19–22) was obscured by a developing clerical class.

This era represents a crucial pivot—while some truths were still publicly affirmed, the Church’s visible structures and practices were beginning to be shaped more by imperial influence than by apostolic instruction.

Medieval Apostasy and Preservation (590–1517 C.E.)

The rise of Pope Gregory I (590 C.E.) marked the beginning of what would become the full-blown Roman Catholic system. Over the next millennium, the Church in the West became increasingly corrupt, both doctrinally and morally. The elevation of the bishop of Rome to universal authority—eventually declared “infallible” (though not dogmatically until Vatican I, 1870)—represents a complete rejection of biblical ecclesiology.

During the Middle Ages, unscriptural doctrines were developed and imposed: purgatory, indulgences, transubstantiation, penance, and priestly mediation. The Mass replaced the biblical remembrance of the Lord’s Supper. Latin, rather than the common tongue, became the language of the liturgy, keeping the Scriptures inaccessible to the laity.

Nevertheless, God preserved a faithful remnant. Groups like the Waldenses, Albigenses, and Lollards rejected Roman corruption and upheld the authority of Scripture. Though often condemned as heretics, these believers maintained biblical teaching on salvation, the authority of the Bible, and baptism by immersion.

The preservation of the Greek New Testament and Hebrew Old Testament texts by careful scribes ensured that God’s Word would not be lost (Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8). Despite persecution, the true Church was not extinguished, because Christ had promised, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18).

Reformation and Scriptural Recovery (1517–1700 C.E.)

The Protestant Reformation began when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg (1517 C.E.), challenging the sale of indulgences and the authority of the Pope. While Luther was not perfect in theology, his call to return to Scripture alone (sola Scriptura) ignited a movement that broke the grip of Roman tradition and returned many to biblical truth.

Key figures included William Tyndale, who translated the Bible into English from the original languages, often at the risk of his life (John 17:17; Romans 10:17). Others, like Zwingli and Calvin, reemphasized God’s sovereignty and the sufficiency of Scripture in all matters of doctrine and practice.

The Five Solas—Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, and glory to God alone—summarize the essential recovery of the Gospel during this period. While not all Reformers returned to full New Testament practice (e.g., infant baptism was retained by many), the authority of the Bible was reestablished as the sole rule for faith and life.

Numerous believers separated from both Rome and the Magisterial Reformers to establish congregations based on believers’ baptism and congregational polity. These early evangelicals, such as the Anabaptists and Baptists, suffered persecution for holding to biblical truths that even the Reformers did not fully restore.

Modern Evangelical Continuity and Compromise (1700–Present)

This era is marked by two simultaneous developments: the continued growth and spread of biblical evangelical Christianity, and the increasing infiltration of false doctrine, liberalism, and cultural accommodation into many churches.

The 18th and 19th centuries witnessed powerful missionary expansion as figures like William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and Hudson Taylor brought the Gospel to unreached nations (Matthew 28:19–20). The Great Awakenings sparked renewed interest in conversion, personal holiness, and biblical preaching. Faithful teachers promoted literal biblical interpretation, the imminent return of Christ, and the inspiration of Scripture.

However, the rise of theological liberalism, German Higher Criticism, and Darwinian evolution posed serious threats. Many denominations compromised by rejecting biblical inerrancy, tolerating apostasy, and embracing worldly philosophies (Colossians 2:8).

The 20th century saw the emergence of the fundamentalist-modernist controversy. Faithful evangelicals reaffirmed the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. Organizations such as the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy (ICBI) defended historic orthodoxy, even as ecumenism and charismatic confusion rose within broader evangelicalism.

Today, while many professing churches have abandoned sound doctrine, God continues to preserve a faithful remnant committed to biblical truth. Conservative evangelical churches that hold to verbal plenary inspiration, premillennial eschatology, immersion baptism, male-only eldership, and a covenantal framework remain faithful witnesses to the Gospel.

You May Also Enjoy

History of the Bible

About the Author

CLICK LINKED IMAGE TO VISIT ONLINE STORE

CLICK TO SCROLL THROUGH OUR BOOKS