In a burst of nationalism, Jews in Palestine revolted against Roman oppression in A.D. 66. In retaliation, the emperor's son, Titus, ruthlessly crushed the revolt, sacked Jerusalem, and demolished the Jewish Temple in A.D. 70.
The Christian community in Jerusalem fled the city and ultimately carried the teachings of Christ Jesus to the far ends of the Roman Empire. The remaining Jews were brutally dispersed from their homeland. Jerusalem was no longer the center of Christianity. The Christians lived in anticipation of the kingdom of God—when those who had persecuted Christians would be punished and those who believed in Jesus would be justified.
But when the kingdom of God hadn't come by the last quarter of the first century, Christians were hard-pressed to explain why and were forced to redefine the purpose of their church. Beyond that, they faced a leadership crisis with the death of the major apostles—including Peter, James, and Paul. So a new generation of Christians were called on to lead the church forward.
