This whole thing started with a first century Jew. He spent most of his mission fighting for the disenfranchised withing the Jewish community.
Then this guy Saul comes along, falls off his horse, and all of a sudden the movement no longer concentrated on Jews. In fact, the apostles seemed to have had better luck with the gentiles than the established Jewish communities.
Christianity did not have an identity beyond a fringe group within Judaism until then.
Officially, the church did not codify its beliefs until the 4th century under Constantine.
This whole thing started with a first century Jew. He spent most of his mission fighting for the disenfranchised withing the Jewish community.
Then this guy Saul comes along, falls off his horse, and all of a sudden the movement no longer concentrated on Jews. In fact, the apostles seemed to have had better luck with the gentiles than the established Jewish communities.
Christianity did not have an identity beyond a fringe group within Judaism until then.
Officially, the church did not codify its beliefs until the 4th century under Constantine.
Since then, change has been slow.