CHRISTIANITY MAKES A BOLD AND UNIQUE CLAIM that distinguishes it from other religions. The Christian faith claims its roots from the verifiable historical events of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we want to understand what it means to be a Christian, we must understand both the “what” and “who” of this historical story—the work and the person of Jesus Christ. Join us in this four-part blog series as we recap highlights and insights from the first lecture hosted by CSOC in its seminar series: What Does it Mean to be Saved, with guest speaker Kyle Barton.

Kyle said it well: “Christianity is based on history – something that happened in our own world. Not a timeless idea or an abstract principle.” Religions offer moral frameworks, emphasizing love, compassion, and ethical living. But Christianity’s foundation is not an abstract concept or a timeless moral lesson. Instead, it is built upon the claim that Jesus Christ lived, died by crucifixion, and rose from the dead. As Kyle stated: “Christianity says that something happened. And this ‘something’ changed everything.” These historical events are not just metaphorical or symbolic; they are falsifiable claims that are well-documented in ancient texts.

Both secular scholars and Christian theologians agree that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure. His life, crucifixion, and resurrection have also been authenticated by sources outside the Bible, in texts from Jewish and Roman historians like Josephus and Tacitus. The validity of our claim is abundantly clear! But while our foundation is solid, it may not be immediately obvious how millions of believers in Christ could arrive at a declaration of common faith from the historical record of Jesus.

Kyle presented us with a road map for this formidable but rewarding journey using seven keywords:

1. Event,
2. News,
3. Proclamation,
4. Instruction,
5. Outline,
6. Confession,
7. and Creed.

By understanding each of these words based on their scriptural usage we can understand how the seed of Christianity sprouted from historical events and better understand what it means to be saved.

The imminent Swiss theologian Karl Barth said, “For a Christian, ‘faith’ is faith in God, who in His inner life and nature is not dead, not passive, not inactive, but that God– the Holy Father, Son, and Spirit exist in an inner relationship and movement, which may very well be described as a story, an event.” Our journey begins with the events of the historical Jesus in AD 25 and concludes with the formation of the Nicene Creed in AD 325. So how does the Bible record these events?

The early disciples did not proclaim an abstract philosophy but rather testified to what they had seen and experienced. The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are written as eyewitness testimonies or based on firsthand accounts. Luke, for example, begins his Gospel with a clear historical purpose: “It seemed good to me also, having carefully investigated all things from the first, to write them out for you…so that you may fully know the certainty of the things concerning which you were instructed” (Luke 1:3-4).

These first-hand accounts of Jesus and His teachings organically became the good news that the early disciples proclaimed. At the end of his gospel, Luke recounts the story of two of Jesus’ disciples traveling together and discussing the events that occurred only three days prior. When Jesus Himself joined them and inquired about the topic of their conversation, the disciples were understandably shocked that someone would be oblivious to something as newsworthy as the crucifixion of Jesus (Luke 24:13-35). This event would soon become the good news, the gospel, when it became clear to His disciples that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead.

This gospel would soon be proclaimed not only by Jesus’ direct disciples but also by all those who would become convinced of the event of Christ’s resurrection. Such news demanded earnest consideration and ultimately the response of all who heard it. As Kyle said, “Each piece of news calls for an appropriate response in the hearer. News in this way is evocative; it calls forth something rather than tells forth something. It calls forth new action.” And those who believed the proclamation of the news of the event of Christ’s resurrection responded by believing, worshiping, and changing their lives.

To again quote Barth, “What the gospel demands of human beings is more than notice, or understanding, or sympathy. It demands participation, comprehension, cooperation; it demands confession.” This progression, from event to news and from news to proclamation, marks the beginning of our journey to a better understanding of the roots of Christianity and what it means to be saved by Jesus.

We hope you’ll take a look at the next post in this series which will explore the formation of the Nicene Creed and the inclusion of what is arguably the most important and controversial word in this fundamental Christian text.