1. Why did Roman leaders begin to persecute Christians during the early centuries of the faith?
- A. Christians refused to serve in the Roman army or pay taxes.
- B. They would not worship the Roman gods and emperor as divine.
- C. They attempted to create their own separate empire.
- D. Their religious texts were written in a language no one understood.
2. What major event in 313 C.E. marked the turning point that stopped the Roman government's punishment of Christians?
- A. The fall of the Western Roman Empire.
- B. The writing of the Christian Bible.
- C. The issuing of the Edict of Milan.
- D. The final battle of Emperor Diocletian.
3. Before Constantine's rule, what was a common consequence for Christians who refused to abandon their beliefs?
- A. They were required to build Roman roads.
- B. They faced arrest and even execution.
- C. They were given special government jobs.
- D. They were forced to move to Jerusalem.
4. How did Emperor Constantine's actions in 313 C.E. represent a major shift in the Roman Empire's policy towards Christians?
- A. He made Christianity the official state religion.
- B. He created a new law granting them freedom to worship.
- C. He outlawed all other religions except for Christianity.
- D. He ordered all Roman citizens to attend church services.
5. The period of persecution ended and Christians gained religious freedom as a direct result of what?
- A. The writing of the Nicene Creed.
- B. Emperor Constantine's Edict of Milan.
- C. The fall of Rome to outside invaders.
- D. The division of the empire into two halves.
6. As the early Christian church expanded, its leaders created a structure with different levels of authority that was modeled after the...
- A. government of the Roman Empire.
- B. democratic assembly of Athens.
- C. military command of Roman legions.
- D. writings of the apostle Paul.
7. The bishop of which city eventually gained special authority and became known by the title of Pope?
- A. Jerusalem
- B. Constantinople
- C. Alexandria
- D. Rome
8. Within the early church's structure, who was directly responsible for leading a single, local community of believers?
- A. A bishop
- B. A patriarch
- C. A priest
- D. An apostle
9. What was the primary purpose for early church leaders to meet together in large councils?
- A. To organize missionary journeys to new lands.
- B. To elect a new Roman emperor.
- C. To settle disagreements and define the church's official beliefs.
- D. To translate the Jewish sacred writings into Latin.
10. In the early church's hierarchy, what was the main responsibility of a bishop?
- A. To lead worship services in a single local church.
- B. To supervise a group of churches across a larger area.
- C. To serve as the head of the entire church from Rome.
- D. To copy the gospels by hand for distribution.