Herbert W Armstrong

Part One: The World Prepared

Chapter I — The Romans Build An Empire
   The Empire Begins
   Preparation in Advance
   Prophesied Hundreds of Years Before
   Even More Fully Prepared
   The Empire Solidified
   Roman Law and Government

Chapter II — Trade, Travel, and Communication
   Empire-Wide Travel
   Safety and Speed of Travel
   Communications an Added Tool
   The Preparation Complete
   A Final Summary of the Positive External Preparations

Chapter III — Moral Degeneracy in the Empire
   The Decline of Roman Morality
   Family Life
   The End Result
   The Roman Games
   Religion in the Empire

Chapter IV — Judea, the Springboard
   Four Hundred Years of Development
   First the Pharisees
   Next the Sadducees
   Finally the Essens
   The Dispersion
   The Proselytes
   Time was Then Complete

Part Two: The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ

Chapter V — Christ, the Prophesied Messiah
   Prophesied Five Hundred Years in Advance
   From Secular Writings
   First, Herod the Great
   The Taxation of Cyrenius
   The Prophecies Fulfilled

Chapter VI — Christ, the Desire of Nations
   The Temple Glorified
   The World Sought a Savior
   But What about Other Nations?
   Jesus Christ Really Did Exist

Chapter VII — The Message Christ Brought
   Christ Brought the Gospel
   Few to Understand
   A Coming Government
   But What about God's Laws?
   Even the Sabbath?
   The Selecting and Training of a Ministry
   Christ's Death and Resurrection

Part Three: The Rise and Decline of Christianity

Chapter VIII — The Beginning of Church History
   God Sends His Spirit
   How to Count Pentecost
   Upon Whom Was the Church Built?
   The Ministry of Peter
   The Other Apostles
   The Ministry of Paul
   Persecution Sets In
   What Did the Apostles Teach?
   Did They Do Away with the Laws and the Sabbath?
   The Foundation Complete

Chapter IX — The Great Conspiracy
   Simon Magus, the Father of Heresy
   Simon Not Converted
   Babylonian Mystery System
   The Origin of the Babylonian Religion
   The People Followed Nimrod
   The Mystery System Spreads
   Simon Moves to Rome
   Simon Magus, Not Simon Peter, at Rome
   A Falling Away
   The Changing Times
   Cerinthus in the East
   Mithraism, Another Counterfeit
   The Gnostics
   The Origin in Clear
   The Gnostics Gain Influence
   The Establishment of Heresy
   The Conclusion of the First Century
   A Great Change in the Church
   You Can Know

Glossary of Church History Terms
Bibliography