Christianity began with Jesus Christ, his teachings, and his death and resurrection. Fifty days thereafter the Christian church was launched on what we know as the Day of Pentecost. Explosive growth followed as thousands of Jews believed on Jesus as the Messiah and began forming groups for worship, teaching, fellowship, and prayer.
This new faith soon spread far beyond Judaism to non-Jews-called Gentiles-and continued to spread all over the world. Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles (disciples), and Saul of Tarsus-later called the Apostle Paul-were most influential in the early spread of Christianity.