| Beginnings of the Church | |
| 30s | Ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus |
| c. 30-100 | Clement of Rome |
| c. 36-69 | Oral transmission of message and story of Jesus Christianity centered in Jerusalem |
| c. 47-57 | Missionary travels of Paul |
| 48 | Council of Jerusalem |
| 62 | James the Just, "the Lord's Brother," martyred |
| 64 | Emperor Nero of Rome persecutes Christians as cause of the Great Fire |
| c. 60s | Peter and Paul martyred during Nero's reign |
| 68-70 | Dead Sea Scrolls hidden in caves |
| 69-155 | Polycarp, who became Bishop of Smryna |
| c. 70 | Mark |
| 70 | Jewish revolt against Rome fails; Jerusalem sacked, Temple destroyed |
| c. 70-140 | Papias, bishop and author of Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord |
| 70+ | Center of Christianity shifts from Jerusalem to Antioch, Alexandria, & Rome |
| c. 80 | Matthew |
| 80-90 | Deutero-Pauline Epistles: Colossians, Ephesians, and II Thessalonians |
| 81-96 | Emperor Domitian styles self as "Master and God" |
| c. 90 | Luke and John, Council of Jamnia |
| Apostolic Fathers, Persecutions, Gnosticism | |
| 90s | Christians persecuted, Church's early structure established-- bishops, presbyters, and deacons; rabbinic movement develops from Pharisees |
| c. 95-6 | 1st Epistle of Clement, earliest Christian writing that is not in canon |
| 98-117 | Persecutions (sporadic) of Christians by Emperor Trajan |
| 100-110 | Pastoral Epistles: I & II Timothy and Titus |
| c. 110 | Martydom of Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, who wrote Epistles
en route to his death: The Epistles of Ignatius to the Ephesians, the
Philadelphians, the Magnesians, the Romans, the Smyrnaeans, the Trallians,
and to Polycarp. The Didache or Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles through the 12 Apostles (author unknown) |
| c. 112 | Pliny, the younger, asks to Emperor Trajan about how to deal with Christians |
| 117-138 | Hadrian is emperor of Rome |
| c. 120 | Papias is bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia |
| c. 125 | The Shepherd of Hermas, a very popular religious allegory |
| 125-225 | Gnostic writings such as Nag Hammadi manuscripts |
| c. 130 | The Epistle of Barnabas |
| c. 130-200 | Irenaeus |
| 133 | Aristides' Apology (no longer extant) addressed to Hadrian |
| 135 | Second destruction of Jerusalem by Hadrian |
| 140s | Marcion and Valentius, Gnostic teachers, Marcion's New Testament |
| c.150 | Gnostic Gospel of Thomas |
| c. 156 | Martydom of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna |
| 150 | Justin Martyr writes First Apology Second Clement (author unknown) |
| Early Church Fathers, Persecutions, and Heresies | |
| 160 | Marcion dies |
| 160-190 | Acts of Paul and Thecla, written by an orthodox Christian in Asia Minor |
| 160-223 | Tertullian, author of Apology, father of Latin theology |
| 160s | Tatian's Diatesseron |
| 161-180 | Marcus Aurelius is emperor of Rome, Stoic philospher |
| 161-180 | Widespread persecutions of Christians |
| 168 | Martyrdom of Justin Martyr in Rome |
| c. 170-235 | Hippolytus, who became first antipope, but later reconciled to the church |
| 177 | Irenaeus becomes Bishop of Lyons, Massacre of Christians in Lyon, Gaul |
| c. 178 | Growth of Sabellianism |
| 180 | Irenaeus, Against Heresies |
| 185-253 | Origen of Alexandria, author of Hexapla, many biblical commentaries |
| 190-203 | Clement in Alexandria |
| 193-211 | Septimus Severus, emperor of Rome, persecutes Christians |
| 196 | Victor of Rome condemns Montanism |
| 197 | Quartodeciman Easter controversy |
| 200 | Bishop Irenaeus of Lyons is martyred |
| c. 200-258 | Thascius Caecilus Cyprianus (Cyprian) |
| 202 | Martyrdom of Perpetua, Felicitas, and their companions |
| 215 | Emperor Caraculla attacks Alexandrians, Origen flees to Caesarea, Palestine |
| c. 215 | Tertullian becomes a Montanist |
| c. 216 | Mani, founder of Manichaeism |
| 218 | Origen is teacher in catechetical school, Alexandria |
| 217-222 | Callistus is Bishop of Rome |
| 232 | Origen flees to Caesarea, Israel. Heraclas is consecrated bishop of Alexandria. |
| 235 | Bishop Hippolytus of Rome, prolific writer, is martyred |
| 248 | Origen writes Against Celsus in Palestine |
| 249-251 | Emperor Decius persecutes Christians. |
| 249-251 | Growing controversy between Carthage and Rome about treatment of returning apostate Christians |
| 251 | Council of Carthage, Cyprian has leading role |
| 253-260 | Emperor Valerian, who ordered everyone to sacrifice to Roman gods, and Emperor Gallienus |
| 254 | Origen dies in Tyre from wounds suffered from torture |
| 258 | Cyprian of Carthage martyred |
| c. 260-340 | Eusebius, author of History of the Church, Life of Constantine, The Martyrs of Palestine |
| 269 | Gallenius is sole emperor, Paul of Samosata condemned at Antioch |
| 284-305 | Emperor Diocletian and most extensive persecutions of Christians |
| 303-313 | The Great Persecution |
| 306-337 | Emperor Constantine ends persecutions |
| 310 | Armenia becomes first Christian state |
| 312 | Constantine wins Battle of Milvian Bridge |
| 313 | Edict of Milan legalizes Christianity, makes it official religion of the Empire |