Constantinople

Constantinople is a city founded, and named after, Constantine the Great as a second capital of the Roman Empire. After the division of the Roman Empire, Constantinople became the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The city is currently known as Istanbul, Turkey.

Introduction
Constantinople, once the imperial capital of the Byzantine Empire [Eastern Roman Empire] was the first city where Christianity was designated the capital religon.

Constantinople was once the settlement of an ancient Greek colony. The settlers came from the Greek city-state of Megara around 667BC and were ruled by the legendary King Byzas. It is from King Byzas that the city received its former name "Byzantium". Around 330AD, Constantine I changed its name to Constantinople ["City of Constantine"] and transformed Greek colony into a royal residence. Today, the city is called Istanbul, a name which it has retained since it changing in 1923. [1]

Christianity made its debut in 38AD, when Saint Andrew, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, [2] was led by the Holy Spirit [See Pentecost] to visit the region. Once there, Andrew laid the ecclesiastical [and no doubt, structural ] foundation for the Christian Church, founding the city's First Diocese. He later became the city's patron Saint. It is very likely that the Apostles Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and many others also visited Constantinople at some time although currently, there is no historical documentation to support this. [Biblical evidence, however, proves that they visited other key regions throughout the Byzantine Empire such as Ephesus, Antioch, Pergamum, Smyrna, etc., spreading the Word of Christ, and founding numerous Christian communities (See "Seven Churches of Asia" [3]).]

Before becoming a Christian city, Constantinople was pagan. As a result, the missionary efforts of the disciples met with great opposition. The inhabitants were worshipping Greco-Roman gods, namely Artemis. Also present in the city were many Jews from the dispersion who were practicing Judaism. These oppositional groups and imperial persecution greatly hampered the missionary work. The Edict of Milan, wrought by Emperor Constantine I, brought an end to the persecution of Christians, and from that point on the religion began to spread more rapidly. A sign of Christianity's growing popularity was the government-sponsored construction of numerous Christian churches such as the Church of the Holy Apostles and the Hagia Sophia [Church of the Holy Wisdom].

Yet Constantinople, like all major cities, experienced many setbacks arising out of constant internal and external conflicts. The internal conflicts were usually church-related, centering on doctrinal issues, church authority, and imperial legislation of the church. The greatest conflict occurred in 1054AD over ecclesiastical differences in the eastern and western churches.This conflict led to a breakdown in east and west church relations, resulting in a long-lastingeast-west split, popularly known as "The Great Schism". Another conflict which had a devastating impact on the Church and on the Empire as a whole was the dispute over authority. The Byzantine church refused to recognize western King Charlemagne as "Emperor of Rome." The Byzantines were then villified by the West and the subsequent on-going battles and disputes eventually led to an invasion by the Latins [Western Christians] during the Fourth Crusade. A conflict between the Turks and the Byzantines led to another invasion, one that signaled the end of the Empire's 1,100-year reign. This happened in 1453AD, when the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople.

Today, Turkey is a secular constitutional Republic. Christianity is a secondary religion in Turkey, and is centered in the Phanar [Fener] district, a heavily Greek-populated area in the old section of Istanbul/Constantinople, overseen by the leader of the Eastern Church, the Ecumenical Patriiarch of Constantinople, whose administrative office [See] is also headquartered there.

Istanbul [Constantinople] is located in north-west Turkey and lies on the Bosphorus [aka Bosphorus Strait]. [The Bosphorus is a narrow strait of water that forms the boundary between the European part of Turkey [Thrace] and the Asian part (Anatolia).] This unique geographical position makes it the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul]

[4]

Constantinople Before Emperor Constantine
When Constantine was in line to become the next Roman Emperor, Constantinople was a province of the Roman Empire and was called Byzantium. Many historians say that the Byzantine Empire under Constantine was simply a continuation of the Roman Empire, and many have termed it the "Eastern Roman Empire." Others, the "Eastern half of the Roman Empire" following its division into East and West.

During early - late Roman rule, and immediately preceding the reign of Emperor Constantine I, the inhabitants of Byzantium were worshipping Greco-Roman gods. Christianity, a new religion with roots in ancient Judaism, was undergoing severe persecution but continued to make significant progress among the inhabitants.

Religion
Religion was the most notable and lasting change that took place in the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire.

Paganism 

Byzantium was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis in 667 BC. Her symbol was the crescent moon, and was used as the symbol of the city from 667 BC to 330 AD. [1] Artemis later became identified with Selene, a Titaness who was a Greek moon goddess, sometimes depicted with a crescent moon above her head. She was also identified with the Roman goddess Diana, the Etruscan goddess Artume, and the Greek or Carian goddess Hecate.

The symbol of the crescent moon currently appears on the nations' flag. According to legend, Hecate, is believed to have saved the city from attack by Philip II of Macedon in 340-339 BC. So, to honor her, the official added her symbol, the crescent [moon] to the flag emblem. This emblamatic design, by the way, was also placed on the coins. [2]

Christianity [38-330AD]
Jesus Christ (c 4 BC – c 30 AD) 

Jesus Christ [also, Jesus the Christ] is the founder and central figure of Christianity, and within most Christian denominations he is venerated as the Son of God and as God incarnate. His lineage, according to the Gospel of Matthew, is of the Tribe of Judah in the nation of Israel and includes King David. His Hebrew-Aramaic name, Yeshua, means 'Yahweh saves,' and for Christians, He is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. The principal sources of information regarding Jesus' life and teachings are the four canonical gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke and John]. [1]

It was a major part of Christ's earthly mission to establish his Church on earth so that all men could come to believe in Him and be saved, just as the Almighty God originally intended. Christ [or Messiah] is the One who sent forth the Holy Spirit [from God] that would, in turn, lead His disciples on their missionary journeys, thus fulfilling His divine purpose. [See Luke 9:1-6 [Also See Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:16; 19:5; Romans 6:3; 1 Corinthians 1:13; 10:2; Galatians 3:27]

'''(Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavuot'''

Christian Missionary Work

The seeds of Christianity started to be planted throughout many regions of Asia Europe soon after Pentecost. The apostles missionary journeys took them to places throughout the Empire such as Byzantium, Ephesus, Corinth, etc. The good news about Jesus Christ the Savior began to take root, despite opposition, and Jews as well as many people from the nations were brought into the faith. [4] Because of the relentless efforts of the apostles, Christianity would come to replace paganism as the capital religion of the Roman/Byzantine Empire. [5]

Saint Andrew the Apostle

We know of certain that Saint Andrew was led to Byzantium in 38AD. The apostles Peter and Paul may have also visited the region, although there doesn't seem to be supporting evidence of this to date. We know, however, that all preaching work can be traced back to the Early Church at Jerusalem where all apostles were stationed and spread outward from this point.


 * Lays the Foundation of the Eastern Church From the moment that the Apostle Saint Andrew began preaching in Byzantium, Christianity began to take root. Andrew, we recall, was the brother of the Apostle Peter and had traveled from Jerusalem to Byzantium/Constantinople to preach the word of Christ to the city's inhabitants, Jews and Gentiles alike. Because of his highly-esteemed accomplishments, Saint Andrew is revered as the city's patron Saint.


 * Saint Andrew's Teaching 


 * The apostolic treatise known as the Didache, contained the fundamental precepts for the Christian churches. These basic principals were laid down by the Apostle Andrew when he visited Byzantium [Constantinople in 38AD. [3]. (Also see the Didascalia Apostolorum [4])This and later treatises that contained its principals, formed the basis for the Byzantine Rite and many other Christian liturgies that were developed later] during the Byzantine era, and the later liturgies of the Eastern and Western Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, which, by the way, are still in use today. [See "Liturgy of Saint James", "Liturgy of John Chrystostom", "Liturgy of Saint Basil"] [6]


 * Founds the First Diocese in Byzantum

It was, in fact, Saint Andrew who founded city's First Diocese [aka Bishopric]in 38AD. This diocese [4] later became the Patriarchate of Constantinople. [5]

Installs the First Bishop of Constantinople' 

StachysAmpliasApellesAristobulus

Early Christian Rites and Creeds