When did Christianity become an Missionary Religion ?

format_quote Originally Posted by truthseeker63

As Salaam Alaikum my question is since Islam says Prophet Jesus came for the Children of Israel not all Mankind my question is when did Christianity become an Missionary/Universal Religion that wants to Convert Non Christians ?

Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_(Christianity)

The earliest examples of Christian missionary activity are those recorded in writings that would eventually come to form the New Testament. Early writings include the letters of Apostle Paul, written in the course of his missionary activity in Asia Minor and Greece. His activities were preceded by an expansion of Christianity from the first followers of Jesus in Jerusalem throughoutSyro-Palestine. This is also described in the Acts of the Apostles.

format_quote Originally Posted by truthseeker63

when did Christianity become an Missionary/Universal Religion that wants to Convert Non Christians ?

As far as I know, the word missionary in this context dates from the Jesuit mission to the Americas after Columbus. But in practical terms Christianity was spread right from the start by people who were missionaries in terms of the way they acted. There was no other way for the religion to spread in what was then a Greek culture, with pagan Roman rulers. Unlike Islam, Christianity had no state or military aspect at all until Constantine converted and switched the Empire with him. After Constantine, it also spread by state and military actions. (Some Christian members may know more....)

format_quote Originally Posted by truthseeker63

I believe if the Christian Crusaders won the Crusades they would most likely of tried to convert the Muslims

The Crusader Kingdom in the Middle East lasted up to 190 years in some parts, which is more than enough time to convert the local population if that's what they wanted to do. I don't know of any evidence of large scale forced conversion attempts at any stage. (From a Muslim point of view, the event everyone remembers is the original conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 and the massacre of its population including Jews and even some Christians. This was not a conversion attempt however so it doesn't answer your question.) During the greater part of the time of the Crusader Kingdom, Christian and Muslim states coexisted alongside each other peacefully and even in alliance - the history is very complicated. You can find at least one example to support almost any point of view.

format_quote Originally Posted by truthseeker63

did Paul Constantine or the Crusaders convert some Arabs and Middleastern People and Palestinians to Christianity before the Prophet Muhammad was born

Of course! The area had many Christians even before Constantine converted, and was majority were Christian by the time of Mohammad and the Muslim conquest. Many of the Christian communities in the region today go right back to the first days of Christianity, although they have suffered greatly in the last 100 years and are disappearing one by one. It's possible to forsee that they will all be eliminated in the next 20 years.

When did Christianity become an Missionary Religion ?

In 70 AD. Before that, there were essentially two major factions within it: Those who wanted it to be a Jewish reform movement, and those who wanted it to be a universal, independent religion. The Jewish faction was concentrated in Judea, as this faction was largely made up of Jewish converts while the universalist faction was more geographically spread out (having concentrated on converting gentines, and already gained a small but still known presence even in the city of Rome). Then, the first Jewish anti-Roman revolt happened, failed, and along with it, the Jewish faction within Christianity was cut to pieces by Titus's legions. Theological controversy solved

the universal vocation of christianity is known from the beginning:
Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.”


So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.



At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. ² He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. ³ One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. ⁵ Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. ⁸ He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
Peter’s Vision

⁹ About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. ¹³ Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
¹⁴ “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
¹⁷ While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. ¹⁸ They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
¹⁹ While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three^[a] men are looking for you. ²⁰ So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
²¹ Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
²² The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” ²³ Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’s House

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. ²⁴ The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
²⁷ While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. ²⁸ He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. ²⁹ So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
³⁰ Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³² Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. ³⁶ You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. ³⁷ You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
³⁹ “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, ⁴⁰ but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹ He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in tongues^[b] and praising God.
Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” ⁴⁸ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

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