WHO WERE 'THE PEOPLE OF THE WAY'?

The People of the Way were distinguished by:

1. Their sincerity and courage
2. Seekers of Truth--going out of their way to find it, then holding to it, despite the many dangers and inconveniences it brought them.
3. All walks of life; slaves and women, second-third century included aristocrats while Christianity was still illegal.
4. Attraction of freedom  with equality (Paul's thought in Philemon).
5. Engaging, affectionate, informal people, ready to roll up their sleeves and pitch in.
6. Generous with their time, talents, and resources. They believed wholeheartedly and lived buoyantly. All of this was the result of the indwelling 'Holy Spirit' that Jesus had promised.
7. Monotheistic religion--it was refreshing, as the old gods, at war with each other, proved themselves unbelievable so pagan worship became empty rote.
8. Christianity was novel, outlasting its adversaries.
9. Because of the 'signs and wonders' the apostles and other disciples worked through Jesus name, a feeling of awe enveloped the early Christians.
10. Spent much time with each other, held all things in common (sold property and goods to give to anyone in need), met each day in the Temple courts, dined at home with each other and ate with glad hearts.
11. Accused of atheism--worshipping only one god, not many
12. Accused of heresy--in their Messianism.
13. In their 'communism,' a threat to the economics of class.
14. In their joyous inner freedom and comprehension of equality of all humans before God, a challene to the whole political order of the Roman empire.


Matthew 25:31-46 Sums up the very first Christian Communities attitudes towards those around them;
            "I was hungry and you gave me food.
             I was thirsty and you gave me drink.
             I was a stranger and you took me in.
             I was naked and you clothed me.
             I was sick and you visited me.
             I was in prison and you came to me.

They saw everyone as the face of Christ!

SEPARATION FROM THE SYNOGOGUE IN ROME

The first Christians of Rome were Jews or Sebomenoi (Godfearers),who were gentiles attached to the synogogue but not total converts. To become a convert, or a proselyte, would be to adopt the Law of Moses with all its prohibitions. They believed that by faith in Jesus a new covenant was established with Him, one that offered the free gift of salvation by His death on the cross. No longer were they under the bondage of  adhering strictly to the Law of Moses, but walked in freedom from works by faith in Jesus.

Because of this, the synogogue in Rome began to divide into two distinct groups: Judaism and Christianity. The synogogue could not support or tolerate such a division in belief.

HOW DID CHRISTIANITY REACH ROME FROM JERUSALEM?

Christianity spread along the routes that Judaism had already passed through. Because Puteoli, south of Rome and just north of Naples, hosted the only pre-Christian Jewish settlements in Italy known, it would follow that Christianity emerged from out of the Jewish Synogogues. The stretch from Puteoli to Rome in the first half of the first century was the main trade route between the east and the city of Rome. This is typically how the eastern traditions were introduced to Rome, the worlds capital city of its time.