Constantine's Council and the Establishment of Pauline Christianity

After Allah raised Isa AS (Jesus) up to Him, his followers split into three main groups. The first were the Gnostics, who held a mystical understanding of the religion. The second were the Jewish Christians. They saw themselves as Jews bound by the law of Musa AS (Moses), which included eating kosher food and circumcision. They believed Isa AS was the Promised Messiah sent to the Jews, which is essentially what Muslims believe.

The third group followed Paul, who was not one of the disciples of Isa AS but claimed to have seen him in a vision. Paul taught that Isa AS had elements of divinity and that he had come to replace the law of Musa AS. He also introduced early elements of the Trinity. For roughly 300 years, Christians argued over who Isa AS really was: God, the son of God, or a prophet.

During this time the Romans were still pagans, and they were the worst enemies of the Christians. Stories tell of Christians being thrown to lions. Under Emperor Nero, Christians were burned alive to light up the city of Rome. After some 200 to 300 years of persecution, Constantine became the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. This was a great shock, comparable to a modern head of state converting to Islam.

Constantine had been a pagan, and he wanted to keep some pagan elements in his new faith. He called a council of Christians to settle what Christianity was. In 325 CE he decreed that Pauline Trinitarian Christianity was the official religion of Rome. Pagan elements such as 25 December, halos and the Trinity became part of it. Christians who rejected it, such as the Unitarians and the Jewish Christians, were persecuted and killed. Constantine is also said to have burned every Christian book except the four that supported his belief. Pauline Christianity went on to become the root of the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches, which include almost all Christians today.