Asian Church History

Journey of the Gospel to Asia

 Times and Boundaries
• He made from one man every nation of
mankind to live on all the face of the earth,
having determined their appointed times and
the boundaries of their habitation, that they
would seek God, if perhaps they might grope
for Him and find Him, though He is not far
from each one of us (Acts 17:26-27, NASB)
 Times and Boundaries
• Remember the days of old, consider the
years of all generations, ask your father, and
he will inform you, your elders, and they will
tell you. When the Most High gave the
nations their inheritance, when He separated
the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the
people according to the numbers of the sons
of Israel (Deuteronomy 32:7-8, NASB)
Where is the other half?

PROBLEM! PROBLEM! PROBLEM!

OVERVIEWING ASIA
 Asia
• Eldest, largest, widest, deepest continent
• 30% of the earth’s landmass
• 60% of the world’s population
– One out of every three human beings is either a
Chinese or Indian.
• Birthplace of many of the world’s oldest
civilizations and major world religions
• Europe under the rule of Asia?
Test Your G.Q?
 Did you know?

Something you did not know about

Christian History in Asia
 Several Myths
• The Gospel spread to the West (Europe) first.
– No. It spread to the East also.
Map of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
The Apostle to India, Thomas

• The Acts of Thomas

• The Legend
• King Gundaphar
• Syrian Tradition
• Mar Thoma Church,
The Syrian Orthodox
Church of India

Madras
Indo-Roman Trade
 Several Myths
• The Gospel spread to the West (Europe) first.
– It reached to China in 635 AD; to England in 635
AD.
Christianization of Europe
Irish/
Celtic and
British
Missions
to Europe,
Sixth to
Eighth
Centuries
Nestorian Missions in Asia
 Several Myths
• Christianity is a faith of the West.
– No. Now, more than half of Christians are non-
Westerners including Asians.
 Shift of the Center of Gravity of
Christianity

Map Illustrating “Trajectory of the Statistical Center of Gravity of Global Christianity, AD 33 - AD 2100” Johnson and
Chung, International Review of Mission, Vol. 93, No. 369, April 2004, pp. 166-181.
 Global Ethnic Background
90.0
80.0 White
70.0 NonWhite
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Graph Illustrating “Global Ethnic Background of Christians 1900-2025” Barrett, Kurian, and Johnson, World Christian Encyclopedia, 2nd
edition, Oxford University Press, 2001.
Christians in North and South
Graph 1. Christians, North and South, by Percentage, AD 33-AD 2100

100%

80%
North
60% 2010
50%
40%

South
20% 1910

0%
33

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00
0

0
10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21
Year
Johnson and Chung, International Review of Mission, Vol. 93, No. 369, April 2004, pp. 166-181.
 Christians in the Continents
1900 2000 2025 rate(%p.a.)

Africa 10 (millions) 350 600 2.33

Asia 20 300 500 2.51

Europe 370 530 510 -0.06

Latin
60 480 620 1.35
America
North
60 220 250 0.46
America

Oceania 4 20 30 1.15

available from http://www.gcts.edu/ockenga/globalchristianity/resources.php; Internet; accessed 6 September 2006.

 Several Myths
• Christianity is a faith of the West.
– Western Christendom believed a legend of Prester
John in the East.
The Legendary Prester John
• The legend of Prester
John, the Christian King
who was believed to
rule over a great empire
somewhere in the
hidden lands, was
always present in men’s
mind. (Neill)
 Several Myths
• Christianity is a faith of the West.
– Fastest growing church in the world, now, is China!
China
The Largest Population
The Fastest Church
Growth
 Did you know?
• The first Christian kingdom existed in Asia.
The First Christian Kingdom

• Osroene (Kingdom)
• Edessa (Capital)
• The Legend of Abgar, the
King
• Doctrine of Addai
• Mesopotamian Church,
Syriac Speaking

Edessa
 Did you know?
• The oldest church building found in Syrian
region.
Dura-Europos
House Church (outside)
House Church (inside)
 Did you know?
• Asia had also recorded severe martyrdom
during the Roman-Persian rivalry.
Rome vs. Persia
Constantine vs. Shapur
Persecutions and Martyrdom under
the Roman Empire
Number
Prominent
Year Roman Emperor of
martyrs
martyrs
1st AD 64 Nero 5,000 Peter, Paul
2nd AD 90 Domitian 2,000 John
3rd AD 110 Trajan 1,500 Ignatius
4th AD 165 Marcus Aurelius 4,000 Justin Martyr
5th AD 202 Septimius Severus 30,000 Irenaeus
6th AD 235 Maximinius 3,000 Clergies
7th AD 249 Decius 120,000 popes
8th AD 257 Valerian 150,000 Cyprian, Origen
9th AD 275 Aurelian 5,000
10th AD 303 Diocletian 300,000
Total 620,500
Based on World Christian Trends data
Persecutions and Martyrdom under
the Persian Empire

Year Ruler Martyrs

1st AD 276 Varahran 4,000
2nd AD 337 Shapur II 100,000
3rd AD 420 Bahram V 90,000
4th AD 448 Yazdegerd 153,000
5th AD 470 Firuz I 2,000
6th AD 533 Khosrow 5,000
7th AD 628 Khosrow II 3,000
Total 357,000

Based on World Christian Trends data

 Did you know?
• Asia did not have Constantine of the Rome.
Asia had a figure like Genghis Khan who
tolerated toward Christianity.
Genghis Khan (1162-1227)
• Temujin
– Helped by Christian
Keraits (Turko-
Mongolian tribe)
– His wife was a
Nestorian Keraits
• Proclaimed Khan in
1206.
 Did you know?
• There was a famous school (of Nisibis) in the
East as a spiritual center, theological training,
and missionary sending headquarter.
Assyrian Christians
Nestorian Missions in Asia
• Yet, Asia is the least evangelized continent!
– Why?
– Lopsided Christian expansion: Regions such as
Persia, India, and China, where their religions
were established by political authority, hindered
the advance of Christianity. On the contrary, the
Roman Empire and the West, whose
environments were religiously and culturally
pluralistic furthered the advance of Christianity.
JOURNEY OF THE GOSPEL TO ASIA