History of the Apostolic Faith

Apostolic Faith History

A timeline of key events and figures.

33 A.D. - Pentecost

The New Testament Church is born on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, just as Jesus had promised. The Apostle Peter preaches the first gospel sermon, centered on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His powerful message convicts the crowd, and when they ask what they must do to be saved, he gives them the plan of salvation: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). That day, about 3,000 souls believe the word and are baptized in the name of Jesus.

51 A.D. - Council at Jerusalem

A council of the apostles and elders is held in Jerusalem to address a critical theological question: Must Gentile converts to Christianity be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses to be saved? After much debate, and testimony from Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, the council, under the leadership of James, concludes that Gentiles are not bound by the ceremonial law. This decision officially establishes that salvation for both Jews and Gentiles is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of the law, a foundational doctrine for the universal church (Acts 15).

64 A.D. - Great Fire of Rome / Neronian Persecution

A great fire broke out in Rome, devastating much of the city. The unpopular Emperor Nero, deflecting blame from himself, falsely accuses the Christians of starting the fire. This marks the beginning of the first official, state-sponsored persecution of the Church by the Roman Empire. Christians are arrested, tortured, and brutally executed. According to early church tradition, both the apostles Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome during this persecution.

70 A.D. - Destruction of Jerusalem

The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, besieges and utterly destroys the city of Jerusalem and its magnificent temple, fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24. The event is a catastrophic turning point in Jewish history, ending the Jewish-Roman War and the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant. The destruction also leads to a wider dispersion of both Jews and Christians throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.

95 A.D. - Domitian's Persecution / John Exiled

The Roman Emperor Domitian demanded to be worshiped as "lord and god" and initiated a second major persecution against Christians who refused to comply. During this time, the last surviving apostle, John, is exiled to the barren prison island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. It is there that he receives the divine visions that he records in the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament.

155 A.D. - Polycarp Martyred

The Bishop of Smyrna and a disciple of the Apostle John, Polycarp is arrested and martyred for his faith at the age of 86. When pressured by the Roman proconsul to renounce Christ, Polycarp famously declared, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?" His faithfulness unto death became a powerful inspiration for generations of Christians facing persecution.

177 A.D. - Irenaeus becomes Bishop of Lyons

A prominent church leader and a student of Polycarp, Irenaeus becomes the Bishop of Lyons in Gaul (modern-day France). In his extensive writings, particularly in his work "Against Heresies," he champions the apostolic teachings he had received. He strongly defends the doctrine of the Oneness of God, emphasizing that the one God of the Old Testament is the Father of Jesus Christ, and that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh.

200 A.D. - Tertullian introduces "Trinity"

A church leader in Carthage, North Africa, Tertullian is the first known writer to use the Latin word "trinitas" (Trinity) in his theological arguments. He begins to develop a framework of one "substance" and three "persons" ("tres personae") to explain the Godhead. This marks a significant shift from the strictly monotheistic language of the apostles toward a more philosophical and abstract theological model that would later become mainstream.

303 A.D. - "The Great Persecution" under Diocletian

The most severe persecution of Christians in the history of the Roman Empire is initiated under Emperor Diocletian. A series of edicts are issued, demanding that Christians sacrifice to the Roman gods. The persecution was empire-wide, leading to the destruction of churches, the burning of Scriptures, and the systematic arrest, torture, and martyrdom of countless believers who refused to renounce their faith.

325 A.D. - Council of Nicaea

The Roman Emperor Constantine convened a council of bishops in Nicaea to address the Arian controversy, which denied the full deity of Jesus Christ. The council produced the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith that affirmed Jesus was of the "same substance" (homoousios) as the Father. This event was a major step in the formalization of Trinitarian doctrine and its establishment as the official, state-endorsed theology of the Roman Empire, effectively marginalizing those who held to the original Apostolic Oneness doctrine.

381 A.D. - Council of Constantinople

The Nicene Creed was reaffirmed and expanded at the Council of Constantinople. This council's primary contribution was to clarify the full deity of the Holy Spirit, defining it as the third divine "person" of the Trinity, equal with the Father and the Son. This further solidified the Trinitarian doctrine that had been developing for over a century, making it the central pillar of Roman state Christianity.

476 A.D. - Fall of the Western Roman Empire

The Western Roman Empire officially fell, an event that is traditionally used to mark the beginning of the "Dark Ages" or Middle Ages in Europe. With the collapse of centralized political authority, the Roman Catholic Church, with the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) at its head, rose to become the dominant religious, cultural, and political power. During this long period, the original apostolic message was largely suppressed, but it was preserved by various small, often persecuted, groups and movements outside the mainstream.

1517 - Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther, a German monk, nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, sparking the Protestant Reformation. While the Reformation was a powerful movement to reform the Catholic Church and return to the authority of Scripture, the major Reformers (including Luther and Calvin) did not challenge the foundational Trinitarian and infant baptism doctrines that had been established by the Roman church centuries earlier.

1525 - Anabaptist Movement Begins

The Anabaptist movement, which means "re-baptizers," began as a radical wing of the Reformation. Anabaptists called for a complete restoration of New Testament Christianity, advocating for believer's baptism (as opposed to infant baptism), separation of church and state, and non-violence. They were heavily persecuted by both Catholics and Protestants, but many of their groups insisted on water baptism being administered in the name of Jesus Christ.

1700s-1800s - The Great Awakenings & Holiness Movement

The First Great Awakening, a series of Christian revivals, swept through Great Britain and its North American colonies. Later, the Second Great Awakening and the subsequent Holiness Movement (emerging from Methodism) placed a strong emphasis on personal conversion, sanctification, and a "second work of grace." These movements created a spiritual climate of deep hunger for a genuine, supernatural experience with God, setting the stage for a full restoration of the biblical, Book of Acts experiences.

1906 - Azusa Street Revival

A historic revival meeting took place in Los Angeles, California, at a mission on Azusa Street, led by the African American preacher William J. Seymour. The revival was characterized by the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues, as experienced by the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. The Azusa Street Revival is considered the primary catalyst for the worldwide spread of the modern Pentecostal movement.

1913 - The Great Revelation

At the World Wide Camp Meeting in Arroyo Seco, California, a pivotal moment in Pentecostal history occurred. After a sermon by R.E. McAlister on water baptism, attendees were challenged by the fact that the apostles always baptized in the name of Jesus, not with the titles "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." A powerful revelation of the Oneness of God and the supreme authority of the name of Jesus swept through the camp. Ministers and believers began to understand that the singular "name" of Matthew 28:19 is Jesus, and that the proper, apostolic formula for water baptism is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5).

1914 - Assemblies of God Formed

A new Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, was formed in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to unite various independent Pentecostal groups. Initially, the denomination did not have a strict doctrinal statement on the Godhead, and both Trinitarian and Oneness ministers were part of the fellowship. However, the revelation on the name of Jesus soon created a major doctrinal conflict that would lead to a division.

1916 - Oneness Ministers Forced Out of AG

At the Fourth General Council of the Assemblies of God in St. Louis, Missouri, a Trinitarian "Statement of Fundamental Truths" was officially adopted as essential doctrine. This statement was specifically designed to exclude the Oneness message. As a result, approximately 156 ministers—about one-fourth of the fellowship—who held to the Oneness of God and baptism in Jesus' name, were forced to withdraw from the organization.

1945 - The UPCI is Formed

The Pentecostal Church, Incorporated (PCI) and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ (PAJC), two prominent Oneness Pentecostal organizations, held a merger conference in St. Louis, Missouri. This historic merger resulted in the formation of the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). The UPCI has since grown to become the largest and most influential Apostolic Oneness Pentecostal organization in the world, with millions of constituents in hundreds of nations, dedicated to proclaiming the original apostolic gospel message globally.

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