During the 9th and 10th centuries, monastic discipline started to deteriorate and monasteries came under the control of local lords. The Church became entangled in the feudal system because of its need for protection against raids. In Cluny, Duke William of Aquitane declared that the monasteries in Burgundy would no longer be under lay control – a practice which had led to secular subversion – so the monks could govern themselves. The popes had also become corrupt, since they were elected from rich aristocratic families instead of pious bishops. 

These unworthy popes had a contest with the Holy Roman Emperors to determine who could control the Empire. Pope Leo IX (r. 1049-1054) condemned abuses of power and suggested laymen should choose worthy clerical candidates. Pope Nicholas II (r. 1058-1061) stated that a college of cardinals should pick the Pope and urged the laity to go on strike against immoral bishops. 

Noticing that the reforms of the previous popes were not working, Pope Saint Gregory VII (r. 1073-1085) wanted to have more power so he could appoint bishops and priests. This was known as the Gregorian Reform. Pope Gregory claimed he had the right to depose kings or emperors and elect new ones. Consequently, this caused a power struggle between him and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. In 1075, Pope Greogry held a council that deposed all bishops who were deemed unfit or corrupt, which caused Emperor Henry to try to appoint the Bishop of Milan. 

Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Emperor Henry IV, so Henry had to beg for his forgiveness until it was lifted. After the sanction was repealed, Henry went back to appointing bishops and even crushed nobles who had sided with the pope, which caused him to be excommunicated again three years later. Henry IV then drove Pope Gregory out of Rome and he died in exile in 1085. After this, the Church came to an agreement that the Emperor would appoint bishops and popes, and the pope would appoint emperors. 

At this point in history, the Church and the State ruled and grew together, and shared similar amounts of power. Western Civilization was built with Christianity, which meant that the faith was ingrained into the laws and society of Western countries. The Church also helped establish most of Europe’s colleges and universities, which were made by an international society of monks and church scholars. The Church did not just participate in ruling one country, but in all of Europe, where it tried to create peace and punished kings for wrongfully invading other kingdoms. The pope would often excommunicate a king who wronged another country or abused his people. The Christianity-based societal network is known as Christendom. 

After Paul was converted to Christianity, he first went on missionary trips to Gentile lands like Ephesus, Philippi, Thessaloniki, Rome, and Corinth. Once he established churches in these lands, Paul sent them letters and made sure they kept the faith. Paul proclaimed the sovereignty of Christ, identifying him as the creator of the world, and stating that Gentiles can now share in the glory of God as much as Jews. 

Paul listed virtues that every Christian should use, such as love, joy, and peace. He also made a list of sins that will cause you damnation if you refuse to repent and stated that the church should provide the poor and widows with aid. Paul did more missionary works than any of the Apostles and composed 13 books of the Bible. In his writings, Paul proclaimed that the Law of Moses and all the old Jewish laws had prepared men for the Messiah and for God’s grace, and Jesus’s time on earth had completed the Law. The Law, he stated, cannot save, only Jesus can save. He said all people were now the children of Abraham. 

In his Epistle to the Romans, Paul declared that the power of the Gospel is given to all who believe in Christ and the wrath of God is revealed by the things that are made. Paul wrote that if you live in sin, your reward will be death, but if you believe in God and repent of your sins, you will attain the righteousness of salvation.

Writing to the Ephesians, Paul instructed them to trust in Christ first, then you will have eternal life. Because many people still thought that Jews were above other Christians, Paul again emphasized that Jews and Gentiles were now equal. 

When Mark was working on his Gospel, he wrote in a way that he thought would be believable and even left out some of the miracles that were described in the other three Gospels. Mark stated that after Jesus’s death, thousands of Jews converted to Christianity. He confirmed that Jesus was a well-known religious figure, even by those who didn’t believe his message. 

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he told the Disciples to preach to every nation on earth, not just Jews. Then Jesus ascended into Heaven, because his time on earth had been completed. The Disciples continued preaching, calling the people to repent and be baptized. They also told the Hebrews that they did not have to follow the Old Law anymore since Jesus had fulfilled it. The Jewish religious leaders arrested many of the Apostles and forbade them to speak Jesus’s name. 

After escaping imprisonment by a miracle, the Apostles continued preaching and appointed deacons to help spread the Gospel. Stephen, one of the first deacons, was accused by the Pharisees of being a blasphemer. Stephen, who was filled with the Holy Spirit and had a light glowing out of him, refused to denounce Christ, and was stoned to death by the Chief Priests, making him the first Christian martyr. 

Saul was a Jewish religious leader and was a prime persecutor of Christians. When he was on his way to Damascus, Saul had a vision of Christ who asked him “Why do you persecute me?” Saul changed his name to Paul and decided to start preaching Christ. The Book of Acts tells stories about the journeys of the Apostles. Christianity started expanding across borders, and Jews were no longer the only Christians. Antioch, Corinth, and Thessaloniki were the first major non-Jewish Christian cities.