WI Apostolic Synod of 49AD chose different path?

In 49 AD the remaining Apostles (James the Great was decapited in 44 AD by Herod Agrippa) convoked a Synod in Jerusalem in which James the Just presided...
In this Synod Paul was a participant too... Peter supported the view that the new religion had to accept only Jews and any Gentile who wished to enter had to be circumcised and obey the Mosaic Law...
In the other hand Paul supported that anyone was to to be accepted even Gentiles without the circumsision and Mosaic Law wasnt a prerequist for anyone...
In the OTL Paul's view was accepted...
WI Peter managed to impose his point of view?
How could this have affected the course of the early Church?

Don_Giorgio said:

In 49 AD the remaining Apostles (James the Great was decapited in 44 AD by Herod Agrippa) convoked a Synod in Jerusalem in which James the Just presided...
In this Synod Paul was a participant too... Peter supported the view that the new religion had to accept only Jews and any Gentile who wished to enter had to be circumcised and obey the Mosaic Law...
In the other hand Paul supported that anyone was to to be accepted even Gentiles without the circumsision and Mosaic Law wasnt a prerequist for anyone...
In the OTL Paul's view was accepted...
WI Peter managed to impose his point of view?
How could this have affected the course of the early Church?

Click to expand...

It would largely fail. This time Paul was right, though on most issues we was wrong and completely and permanently altered what early Christianity was.

Agree... If Peter's view was adopted Christianity would be nothing more but another Jewish sect...

If Peter had imposed his views how possible was a conversion of Jews?

Some could always convert, but it seems not everyone had the same idea as Jesus... they wanted, as it seemed, a strong leader who'd kick out the Romans.

Agree... But with Peter's view in force Christianity wouldnt be much different than a jewish sect and Romans wouldnt bother persecute them... They would just left jewish people kill each other for religious matters...
So no rebellions against Romans (some units of the Roman army would be enough to secure the area... and the remaining Legions could be transferred elsewhere...)

Besides not Peter nor Paul wanted to become a leader who would kick the Romans out... This Synod decided that gospel should be preached and to non-Jews too... My question was WI Synod of 49 AD chose to adopt Peter's point of view?

If Peter and the Judaic faction had won, it would have meant more than likely that the "Christian West" that the world know today would have never have come into existence.

1. First of all, while, as someone pointed out earlier, Roman authority would have at first ignored Christians as another Jewish faction, thus not persecuting them, they still would have suffered along with the rest of Jewry at the time of the First and Second Jewish revolts (which would still happen, of course). In fact, they would suffer even more so because of, a. the close connection the early (Judaic) church had with Jerusalem (the sack of the city and the temple would have been as traumatic for them as the other Jewish sects) and b. because none of the tactics used by Paul and his disciples (the abandonment of ritual practices, etc) would be in place, thus telling the Romans that any Jew (Christian or not) should be treated as harshly in the wake of the revolts.

2. In the wake of the Revolts, few Gentiles would be interested converting to any Jewish religion. Thus a Judaic early church would have to seek converts to the east and south (Armenia, Persia, India, Arabia, Ethiopia). Now, except for Persia (due to strong Zoroastrian opposition), the increased effort of the Apostles here (instead of going to Asia Minor, Greece, Italy, etc) would lead likely to strong Christian presence in these place, smothering out traditional paganism. Thus, Mohammed's job is done for him, 600 years before his birth.

3. From this point, the question is would Judaic Christianity ever be accepted in the Roman Empire or would it remain on the edge? If it remained excluded, what religion would Rome (and further, the future West) champion?

Don_Giorgio said:

Besides not Peter nor Paul wanted to become a leader who would kick the Romans out... This Synod decided that gospel should be preached and to non-Jews too... My question was WI Synod of 49 AD chose to adopt Peter's point of view?

Click to expand...

Just another jewish sect as has been said above, no doubt. Paul was certainly right and Peter was wrong at this case!
There is no such a thing as the world religion oriented to a certain nation only.
World religions accept everyone otherwise these are not world religions at all.

And particularly I don't think this can prevent the Jewish War anyway.

Timeline

Lets put this idea in context with a timeline (provided by good ole Wiki)
Era of the Apostles

Shortly after the Death (Nisan 14 or 15) and Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus, the Jerusalem church was founded as the first Christian church with about 120 Jews and Jewish Proselytes (Acts 1:15), followed by Pentecost/Sivan 6), the Ananias and Sapphira incident, Pharisee Gamaliel's defense of the Apostles (5:34-39), the stoning of Saint Stephen (see also Persecution of Christians) and the subsequent dispersal of the church (7:54-8:8) which led to the baptism of Simon Magus in Samaria (8:9-24), and also an Ethiopian eunuch (8:26-40). Paul's "Road to Damascus" conversion to "Apostle to the Gentiles" is first recorded in 9:13-16, cf. Gal 1:11-24. Peter baptized the Roman Centurion Cornelius, who is traditionally considered the first Gentile convert to Christianity. The Antioch church was founded, it was there that the term Christian was used (11:26).

• 37-41 Crisis under Caligulia
• 44? Saint James the Great: According to ancient local tradition, on 2 January of the year AD 40, the Virgin Mary appeared to James on a Pilar on the bank of the Ebro River at Caesaraugusta, while he was preaching the Gospel in Spain (thought Acts does not mention his going to Spain). Following that apparition, St James returned to Judea, where he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in the year 44 during a Passover (Nisan 15) (Acts 12:1-3).
• 44 Death of Herod Agrippa I (JA19.8.2, Acts 12:20-23)
• 44-46? Theudas beheaded by Procurator Cuspius Fadus for saying he would part the Jordan river (like Moses and the Red Sea) (JA20.5.1, Acts 5:36-37 places it before the Census of Quirinius)
• 45-49? Mission of Barnabas and Paul, (Acts 13:1-14:28), to Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (there they were called "gods ... in human form"), then return to Syrian Antioch. Map1
• 47? The Church of the East is created by Saint Thomas
• 48-100 Herod Agrippa II appointed King of the Jews by Claudius, seventh and last of the Herodians
• 49 "Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome." (referenced in Acts 18:2)
• 50 Passover riot in Jerusalem, 20-30,000 killed (JA20.5.3,JW2.12.1)
• 50? Council of Jerusalem and the "Apostolic Decree", Acts 15:1-35, same as Galatians 2:1-10?, which is followed by the "Incident at Antioch"[8] at which Paul publicly accused Peter of "Judaizing" (2:11-21)

This is our POD, at which Peter and the Judaic faction triumphs over the Paulines. Paul has one of two options at this point; submit to the decision of the Jerusalem church or found his own rogue church in Antioch. Paul being Paul, he would most likely do the later, creating Christianity's first major schism. Yet, without the support of the remaining original Apostles and the lack of desire of going West for converts on the their part, Paul will be less successful than in OTL beyond Syria and Asia Minor.

• 50-53? Paul's 2nd mission, (Acts 15:36-18:22), split with Barnabas, to Phrygia, Galatia, Macedonia, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, "he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken", then return to Antioch; 1 Thessalonians, Galatians written?
• 51-52 or 52-53 proconsulship of Gallio according to an inscription, only fixed date in chronology of Paul
• 52? Saint Thomas Christians of India
• 53-57? Paul's 3rd mission, (Acts 18:23-22:30), to Galatia, Phrygia, Corinth, Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece, and Jerusalem where James the Just challenged him about rumor of teaching antinomianism [or lawlessness, in theology, is the idea that members of a particular religious group are under no obligation to obey the laws of ethics or morality as presented by religious authorities] (21:21), he addressed a crowd in their language (most likely Aramaic), Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians written?
• 55? "Egyptian Prophet" (allusion to Moses) and 30,000 unarmed Jews doing The Exodus reenactment massacred by Procurator Antonius Felix (JW2.13.5, JA20.8.6, Acts 21:38)
• 58? Paul arrested, accused of being a revolutionary, "ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes", teaching resurrection of the dead, imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23-26)
• 59? Paul shipwrecked on Malta, there he was called a god (Acts 28:6)
• 60? Paul in Rome: greeted by many "brothers" (NRSV: "believers"), three days later called together the Jewish leaders, who hadn't received any word from Judea about him, but were curious about "this sect", which everywhere is spoken against; he tried to convince them from the "Law and Prophets", with partial success, said the Gentiles would listen and spent two years proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching the "Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 28:15-31); Epistle to Philemon written?
• 62 James the Just stoned to death for law transgression by High Priest Ananus ben Artanus, popular opinion against the act results in Ananus being deposed by new procurator Lucceius Albinus (JA20.9.1)
• 63-107? Simeon, 2nd Bishop of Jerusalem, crucified under Trajan
• 63? Glastonbury Abbey founded according to tradition(wouldn't happen as Joseph of A, as part of the original Jerusalem church would have no need to go to England. If he was trying to escape increasing persecution, Arabia or Ethiopia present much closer options in this case)
• 64-68 after July 18 Great Fire of Rome, Nero blamed and persecuted the Christians, earliest mention of Christians, by that name, in Rome, see also Tacitus on Jesus, Paul beheaded? (Col 1:24,Eph 3:13,2 Tim 4:6-8,1Clem5:5-7), Peter crucified upside down?[only in OTL] (Jn 21:18,1 Pet 5:13,Tertullian's Prescription Against Heretics chapter XXXVI,Eusebius' Church History Book III chapter I), "...a vast multitude, were convicted, not so much of the crime of incendiarism as of hatred of the human race. And in their deaths they were made the subjects of sport; for they were wrapped in the hides of wild beasts and torn to pieces by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set on fire, and when day declined, were burned to serve for nocturnal lights." (Annals (Tacitus) XV.44)
• 64/67(?)-76/79(?) Pope Linus succeeds Peter as Episcopus Romanus (Bishop of Rome) [No bishops of Rome, because Peter never goes there. Any non Judaic church there would be declared heretical by Jerusalem]
• 65? Q document, a hypothetical Greek text thought by many critical scholars to have been used in writing of Matthew and Luke
• 66-73 Great Jewish Revolt: destruction of Herod's Temple, Qumran community destroyed, site of Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1947
• 68-107? Ignatius, third Bishop of Antioch, fed to the lions in the Roman Colosseum, advocated the Bishop (Eph 6:1, Mag 2:1,6:1,7:1,13:2, Tr 3:1, Smy 8:1,9:1), rejected Sabbath on Saturday in favor of The Lord's Day (Sunday). (Mag 9.1), rejected Judaizing (Mag 10.3), first use of term Christianity (Mag 10). [Ignatius, though a disciple of John, took a Pauline stance, which shows that even if Paul was marginalized, he would still have idealogical comrades amongst the members of the Judaic church, especially in the face of the increasing anti-Jewish measures of the Romans]
• 70(+/-10)? Gospel of Mark, written in Rome, by Peter's interpreter (1 Peter 5:13), original ending apparently lost, endings added c.400, see Mark 16
• 76/79(?)-88 Pope Anacletus first Greek Pope, who succeeds Linus as Episcopus Romanus (Bishop of Rome)
• 80(+/-20)? Gospel of Matthew, based on Mark and Q, most popular in Early Christianity
• 80(+/-20)? Gospel of Luke, based on Mark and Q, also Acts of the Apostles by same author
• 88-101? Clement, fourth Bishop of Rome, wrote Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians (Apostolic Fathers)
• 90? Council of Jamnia of Judaism (disputed), Domitian applied the Fiscus Iudaicus tax even to those who merely "lived like Jews"[10]
• 90(+/-10)? 1 Peter
• 95(+/-30)? Gospel of John and Epistles of John
• 95(+/-10)? Book of Revelation written, by John (son of Zebedee) and/or a disciple of his [An apocalyptic work describing the destruction of the current decadent Classical world and the triumph of the true Church (Judaic) with the return of Christ]
• 100(+/-30)? Epistle of Barnabas (Apostolic Fathers)
• 100(+/-25)? Epistle of James
• 100(+/-10)? Epistle of Jude written, probably by doubting relative of Jesus (Mark 6,3), rejected by some early Christians due to its reference to apocryphal Book of Enoch (v14), Epistle to the Hebrews written [in the case of a Judaic church, it would not be rejected on this count, due to this church's closer connections to tradition Jewish text such as Enoch]
• 100-150? Apocryphon of James, Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Gospel of James, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Secret Gospel of Mark
• 120? Rabbi Tarfon advocated burning the Gospels
• 125(+/-5)? 2 Peter written, not accepted into canon until early 400s, drew upon Epistle of Jude, "catholic" epistle, Pastoral Epistles written
• 130-250? "Christian Apologists" writings against Roman religion: Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Apology of Aristides, Theophilus of Antioch, Tatian, Quadratus, Melito of Sardis, Apollinaris Claudius, Marcus Minucius Felix, Arnobius, Epistle to Diognetus
• 132-135 Bar Kokhba's revolt: final Jewish revolt, Judea and Jerusalem erased from maps, region renamed Syria Palæstina (the term Palestine was originally coined by Herodotus), Jerusalem renamed. [A major trauma for Jewry and, ITTL, Christianity. The Jerusalem church must flee, but to where? Mesopotamia, Arabia, Armenia?
• 142-144? Marcion of Sinope, bishop according to Catholic Encyclopedia, went to Rome, possibly to buy the bishopric of Rome, upon rejection formed his own church in Rome, later called Marcionism, rejected Old Testament, decreed canon of one Gospel, one Apostolicon (10 Letters of Paul) and one Antithesis which contrasted the Old Testament with the New Testament [ITTL Marcionism never happens. The Judaic church is firmly committed to the integration of the Old and New Testements along with major elements of Jewish tradition.]

If Peter's view was adopted i believe that there would be very few chances for heresies and schisms to occur like in OTL where Paul's view was adopted...

That wasn't Peter's view. By the time of the council he'd had his encounter with Cornelius and had come around to accepting gentiles without forcing many Jewish requirements.

If i remember correctly Peter received divine intervention to preach to Cornelius... He was reluctant at first because he was a Roman a non-Jew... Besides Peter supported his view in the Synod but since the majority of the Apostles and James the Just (who presided over the Synod) adopted Paul's view on the matter Peter accepted it and went preaching beyond Judaea in Egypt and Syria... (Church fathers doubt if he ever set foot in Rome though...)