Constantine, the Gospels and Common Misconceptions (Part One)

The study of Early Christianity led me to realize there were many facts about the faith that the public, both Christians and non-Christians, typically get wrong. This is a list of a few facts in particular that I would like my readers to know:

1. Constantine did NOT make Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Also known as Constantine the Great,  this Roman emperor would have a profound impact on the history of Western civilization. In the year 312, his troops were engaged in a war against Maxentius' forces. Despite his polytheistic views, Constantine sought divine Christian help to ensure victory in the war. Varying accounts survive of what exactly happened in this Battle of the Milvian Bridge, but Constantine believed after his troops emerged victorious that the Christian God had aided his side significantly in the victory.

 In February 313, emperors Constantine and Lincinius reached an agreement called the Edict of Milan. This agreement granted religious tolerance toward Christians and all other religious groups in the empire. The Edict ordered an end to the persecution of Christians and demanded that Christian churches and properties be returned to their Christian owners immediately. All wrongs committed against Christians before this victory had to be righted. He paid for the reconstruction of Christian churches destroyed by persecutors and even gave some jobs and benefits to Christian allies in the Empire.

Constantine remained a polytheist for many years following the Edict, but slowly began to show Christians "favor" by issuing coins with Christian symbols. Though coins with the symbol of the Sun god continued to be issued, the symbols of the labarum and cross began to pop up on Roman coins as well.  He openly declared favor for Christianity in 324, but it is unclear if he totally stopped his worship of other gods. He did get baptized shortly before his death in 337.

Nonetheless, it is a total myth that Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire or banned other religions. Constantine died in 337 and Christianity was not declared the official religion of the Roman Empire until 380, by the corrupt Emperor Theodosius. Open favor is far different than an outright ban on the pagan religions, which were the majority religious group at the time. Christians were still very much a minority.

2. Mark's Gospel was written first

Matthew and Luke's Gospels were written next and John was the last Gospel to be written. Even though Matthew's Gospel is listed before the others when we crack open our Bibles, Mark's was easily written before any of the others. This is something virtually all religious scholars are in agreement about.