What statement best describes the early development of Christianity?

• A. The early followers of Jesus still considered themselves Jews.
• B. Christianity separated from Judaism immediately.
• C. The movement originated strictly within Greek culture.
• D. Jesus was not Jewish.

Answer: (A)

The early development of Christianity unfolded within Judaism. The first followers of Jesus were Jews who understood Jesus as the Messiah within the Jewish religious framework, continued to worship in a Jewish context, and based their beliefs on Hebrew Scriptures. Over time, Gentile converts joined and debates about how Jewish law applied to them led to tensions and gradual shifts that eventually separated Christianity as its own tradition, but that separation did not happen at the very start. In short, the early movement remained part of Jewish life and thought, which is why the statement that best describes it is that the early followers of Jesus still considered themselves Jews.