When John joined his brother, James, and they traveled with John the Baptist, he was the youngest disciple. John and James were part of Jesus’ ministry for three years, and then they were instrumental in forming the early church. Long after Jerusalem was destroyed, John wrote Revelation while exiled on Patmos. Eventually, Nerva, the Roman Emperor, freed John and he was taken to Ephesus. During his last years, he taught, preached and wrote about his travels with Jesus. He was the last of Je...

In an effort to stimulate your imagination, I have written a series of books concerning the formation of the Christian Church.Our understanding of Christianity was probably formed when we attended Sunday school. Hopefully, what we learned was based on the principles of the Bible. The Bible’s New Testament provides us with a disjointed series of stories about Jesus. The stories are incomplete and have caused me to be concerned about the incidents not preserved in history. Some will ...

John Mark was born John and became the Christian Mark. He was related to several early Christians including Barnabas and Peter. He traveled on missions with Barnabas, Paul, and Peter. He was educated and lived in Jerusalem where as a young man he saw Jesus on several occasions. After Jesus was crucified, he met with the resurrected Christ and became a dedicated missionary and teacher. He was a scribe for Paul and became known as the author of the second gospel which is a record of Peter’s ...

Polycarp’s story originates in Philippi during the middle of the first century and concludes after the middle of the second century. The story involves birth, love, travel, religion, and death. Polycarp’s father Augustus was killed while serving in the Roman Army. His mother, Dianna, was a strong willed woman and didn’t remarry. She and her attendant, Rachael, raised Polycarp and his three sisters. Polycarp became a priest and a professor. He was a student of John’s and spent time with him...

When John joined his brother, James, and they traveled with John the Baptist, he was the youngest disciple. John and James were part of Jesus’ ministry for three years, and then they were instrumental in forming the early church. Long after Jerusalem was destroyed, John wrote Revelation while exiled on Patmos. Eventually, Nerva, the Roman Emperor, freed John and he was taken to Ephesus. During his last years, he taught, preached and wrote about his travels with Jesus. He was the last of Je...

The Great Constantine was the first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire. His mother, Helena, set a great example for him, and they remained close even during Helena’s exile. Constantine allowed freedom of religion within the empire and was eventually baptized. He was a great warrior and tried diligently to please his mother. The convening of the bishops at Nicaea, the new creed, and the enforcement of orthodox religion resulted in many of the Christian documents used in Northern Africa t...

Constantine the Great was the first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire. His mother, Helena, was a great example for him. She endured exile by her husband but remained close to her son. Constantine brought freedom of religion to the empire and eventually was baptized. He was a great warrior and tried diligently to please his mother. The convening of the bishops at Nicaea, the new creed, and the enforcement of orthodox religion resulted in many of the Christian documents used in Northern ...

John Mark was too young to travel with Jesus, but he met him. And after Jesus’s resurrection, he spoke with him on several occasions. He was related to many people who helped form the early stories of Jesus. He traveled extensively with Barnabas and Peter, and for a short time, he traveled with Paul.

Augustine was the son of wealthy parents and born in Northern Africa. He was educated in Africa and sought a teaching career in Rome. Eventually he relocated to Milan and met his mentor and great friend Ambrose. After his mother and son died, he returned to Africa, donated much of his inheritance to the church, and worked as a priest. He was named the Bishop of Hippo and wrote many theses that influenced the direction of the growth of the Christian Church.

This story takes place before the time covered in my series of books The First Four Hundred Years. After the end of the Roman Kingdom around five hundred years BCE, the Roman Republic came into existence and endured until the year twenty-seven BCE when it was replaced by the Roman Empire. This book Augustus covers the time immediately before the empire and emphasizes the interaction of the Roman area’s pagan religion, the Jewish religion, and the formation of the Christian religion. It was...

Paul was born in Tarsus about 4B.C.E. His father was a faithful Jew, a Roman, and a successful tent manufacturer. This book emphasizes three families and their relationship with birth, love, travel, religion, and death. The first family is that of Omar and his wife Ruth. They have four children, Aaron; their oldest son, his brother, Hezekiah, Yona the only daughter, and Paul, the youngest child. The second family is Zacharias, his wife Elizabeth, and son, John. The third family is that of ...

Hippolytus was a student of Irenaeus, and he spent his entire life trying to understand the meaning of the words written by those who knew Jesus. He thought he knew Jesus’s purpose. He read many of the ancient scrolls with great concern and was not afraid to challenge the decrees of the pope. For many years, he disagreed with the leniency of the church and challenged several popes concerning absolution granted to those who committed adultery or murder. He became known as the first antipope...