After the time of the apostles, some early Christians began saying "Jesus is God," but this belief was not universally accepted or clearly defined. It was debated for centuries, with different groups holding different views. It wasn’t until Rome and theologians like Augustine made it mainstream that it became an official doctrine. This shift marked a turning point where Christianity moved further from its original teachings and became more aligned with imperial interests.
By enforcing this doctrine, Rome effectively stamped out alternative interpretations, making belief in Jesus as God a requirement for orthodoxy. What had once been a debated theological concept became the foundation of an institutionalized church. This process wasn’t just doctrinal development—it was an official departure from earlier beliefs, making it, in effect, an apostasy from the original faith.
If the apostles had clearly taught that Jesus was God, there wouldn’t have been centuries of debate or the need for imperial intervention. The fact that Rome had to impose this doctrine suggests that it was not the natural belief of the earliest followers of Christ, but rather a theological shift that suited the needs of empire and church hierarchy.
Stephen D Green with ChatGPT, March 2025
