There are many non-Christian Asians who are under the impression that ‘Christianity is a Western Religion’. And even many Christians themselves portray that kind of an ‘image’ in their conduct, which could be one of the reasons for that assumption among non-Christians.
The main reason though is the fact that various ‘Branches of Christianity’ came to Asia from the Western Countries due to the ‘Advancement of Western Empires’. Roman Catholicism (RC) was propagated by the Portuguese and Dutch Reform Church (DRC) through the Dutch, though at present they go as ‘CRC’ in Sri Lanka. British spread Anglicanism and Methodism initially and in the last century Salvation Army started by William Booth also made inroads. The main Branch of Christianity that spread into many parts of Asia, Africa and even Australia during the last century was ‘American Pentecostalism’ through their Missionaries that travelled into many parts of the world.
Then the ones called the ‘Cults’ such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists etc., also started in the U.S.
When you consider the above and also in the ‘Light of the fact’ that Christianity got ‘institutionalized’ and ‘Turned into a Religion’ in the West, one cannot ‘fault’ either the non-Christians or the present day Christians themselves for their assumption and conduct respectively.
Yet the REALITY is that Christianity STARTED IN ISRAEL, which is situated in the Middle East and NOT even as a ‘Religion’. Though the world came to know this ‘Movement’ as ‘Christianity’ later, at the inception it was NOT even called by that NAME ‘Christianity’.
The “Book of Acts” in the Bible that deals with its initial progress mentions ‘The Name’ by which it was called at the beginning in 9:2; 18:25 & 26; 19:9 & 23; 22:4 and 24:14 & 22, and it is “THE WAY”. Gospel of John records in 14 : 6 that Christ said, “I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE”. Most probably that is the reason why, this ‘Brand New Movement’ was CALLED “The WAY [‘Ha Derek’ in Hebrew]” at the beginning, as it was understood to be “The Way of Salvation”. We find even an evil spirit, saying so in Acts 16: 17
To the Jewish Religious Leadership called the ‘Sanhedrin’, initially this was another ‘Sect’ [Acts 24:5] just like the Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes etc., though there was a marked difference.
Whereas NONE of those ‘Sects’, which were more religious than political, claimed their ‘Founder/Leader’ TO BE ‘The PROMISED MESSIAH’, those belonging to THIS Movement “SAID SO”. There were other ‘political’ leaders who rose from time to time who made that claim, BUT once their respective leaders were killed those movements also perished as Gamaliel points out in Acts 5:36 and 37.
Therefore even to the Sanhedrin, this one called ‘The Way’ seemed to be different or even unique, which it really was, on two accounts.
One was that, though the ‘Followers of this Movement’ claimed their Leader to be ‘The Promised Messiah’, unlike the ‘political ones’, this one DID NOT seem to have any ‘political agenda’ but appeared to be ‘Religious’ or more precisely ‘Spiritual’. As John 6:14 and John 7:40, 41 state, even at the time HE Ministered before being crucified, those who “flocked around HIM”, though NOT genuine ‘followers’, WONDERED whether HE was “THE PROPHET” MENTIONED BY NONE OTHER THAN MOSES HIMSELF in Deuteronomy 18 : 18.
The second was that AFTER the ‘Death of their Leader’, WHOM HIS Followers claimed “HAD Risen from that death”, unlike other ‘political ones’ that sprang up from time to time, this ‘Movement’ WAS spreading and gathering momentum.
A ‘Very Important FACT’ clearly discernible in what is generally called the ‘Old Testament Scriptures’ by the Christians and the “Tanak” by the Jewish People NEEDS to be pointed out.
As per the Books in that Section, ‘The Promised Messiah’ is NOT a ‘Religious Figure’, BUT a ‘GOVERNING ONE’, WHO would be a ‘Descendent of their greatest King, David’ and therefore would “SIT on King David’s throne, Re-Establishing the Kingdom of Israel”.
THAT is the REASON WHY, when HE was Teaching during the 40 days between HIS Resurrection and Ascension, the Disciples asked that pertinent question recorded in Acts 1:6. “Lord WILL You NOW RESTORE the Kingdom TO Israel?”
In fact Angel Gabriel TOLD THAT to the Blessed Lady, who was chosen to be the mother, during the annunciation, “The LORD GOD shall GIVE HIM the THRONE of His father David and HE WILL REIGN over the House of Jacob forever and unto His Kingdom there shall be NO end.” – Luke 1:32 & 33. That Prophecy, given through GOD’S Chief Angelic Messenger is ‘YET to be Fulfilled’.
There were also Passages like Isaiah 53 and Psalms 22 that portrayed the FACT that the ‘MESSIAH would SUFFER’ and even an ‘indication’[Remez in Hebrew] that “HE WOULD BE RESURRECTED” in Psalms 16 : 8 – 10, which Peter quoted during his Message on the ‘Day of Pentecost’ [Acts 2:24 – 27]. BUT NOWHERE in the Scriptures does it state that HE would be a ‘Religious Figure’.
Because of THOSE Passages that portrayed a ‘Suffering Messiah’, Rabbis of old even held the assumption that ‘TWO Messiahs’ were coming. The ‘ONE that would SUFFER’ Whom they named “Massiach Ben Yoseph”, as Joseph suffered at the hands of his brothers and the other ‘The ONE that would REIGN’, Whom they called “Massiach Ben David”.
Gospel Passages such as Matthew 9:27; 12:23; 21:9 etc., record various People using that second one, “Massiach Ben David”, with reference to YAHSHUA [Jesus].
Keeping ‘in line’ with “The Scriptures”, Christ NEVER used the word ‘Religion’ even once, as you cannot find that word in ANY of the Gospels. In fact even in the entire Section called ‘The New Testament’, that word ‘Religion’ is NOT used at all. In the ‘English translations’ one would find that word in James 1:27, but the Greek word there is “Thrayskeia”, which really means ‘Devotion’ or ‘Piety’. One might be ‘devoted’ to a religion or could be ‘pious’ in a religious sense, but the word ‘Religion’ means much more than that.
It also should be stated here that even though HE IS THE ‘KING OF THE JEWS’, even as the notice above HIS Head on the Cross stated, HIS KIGDOM will NOT be a ‘political one’, in the sense ‘politics’ is understood today. There definitely would be a ‘Hierarchy’ [Mark 10:35-40] as there should be in ANY kingdom, but that would NOT be based upon ‘politics’. We will be looking at that aspect, when we focus on WHAT CHRIST REALLY Preached about?
By now it should be quite obvious that one NEEDS TO HAVE some understanding about ‘The Life, Teachings and Preaching of Christ’ IN the proper CONTEXT and also about the ‘Lives and Teachings and Preaching of the Apostles’ in similar fashion, in order to have at least ‘some knowledge’ about ‘The Beginnings’ of Christianity. Then IF anyone is interested in ‘Really KNOWING the TRUTH’, needs to acquire knowledge as to ‘what happened’ AFTER their departure from this world.
Many Christians are familiar with ‘topics’ like, the ‘Day of Pentecost’, ‘Reformation’ and the history of their particular denomination and even those of a couple of other denominations. Yet, as pointed out in this article, there are many ‘areas’ in the very Scriptures themselves that most may NOT grasp properly, unless they are familiar with the background in which they have been recorded.
Hence the background or the ‘Settings’ in which the Gospels portray the ‘Teachings and Preaching of Christ’, will be briefly outlined in the next article, as Christianity has spread all over the world and has an impact upon the lives of most in the world.
In that respect it also needs to be pointed out that there is ANOTHER Branch of Christianity known as “Eastern Orthodox” that has a majority of adherents in the Middle East and countries like Greece, Armenia and Russia.