To reconstruct 2nd century cultural literature context of Roman satire in Early Christian texts, it is useful to formulate a definition of Early Christianity.
The biggest problem of Early Christianity is that the meaning of the term "Christian" was greatly influenced by 3rd century politics of Constantine the Great. It is important to have a clear definition of what this term means, seen through a 2nd century lens. This is the only way that we can learn to interpret Early Christian texts in the way 2nd century Christians would understand themselves.
One issue is that there multiple savior figures in Early Christianity, which risks a such broad definition that it also includes religions not relevant to Early Christianity. Simultaneously, it is desirable that the definition includes religious movements and theology that is relevant to Early Christianity, even though some of these movements are not strictly Christian.
To solve this problem, I will create a definition that holds in a broad, but relevant sense, which can form a basis for a narrower or strict Early Christianity later on. Obviously, since Jesus is not always the top deity among Early Christians, a broad definition will not mention Jesus by name. Consequently, one can use the broad definition to refer to strict Early Christianity by adding that the top deity is Jesus.
- Top deity has no divine offspring among contemporary religious practitioners
- Top deity gets resurrected from the dead, whether this is a bodily or spiritual event
- Top deity gathers a following group of disciples, usually 12
- Leaders claiming spiritual or apostolic authority in direct contact or oral tradition with top deity
- Lithurgy practice repeats on a yearly cycle celebrating birth and death of top deity
- Elaborate theology opinionating the bodily nature of the top deity
- Profession of a promise of a coming kingdom or new era that universalises the top deity
- Share of scriptures or oral stories that narrates events of the top deity used for moral guidance or hope of healing from illness
- Initiation ritual, usually baptizement
- Abstaining or obligating members from specific acts, specific foods or specific habits
The points 2), 4), 5), 8), 9) and 10) are common among mainstream religious practices in the 2nd century. Only 1), 3), 6), 7) are specific for Early Christianity.
With other words, what distinguishes Early Christianity from contemporary religious practice in the 2nd century, is that the top deity being worshipped is 1st generation and supposedly gathered a group of disciples, where disputes about the bodily nature of the top deity has to be settled as acceptable doctrine and there is a profession about a coming new era that universalizes the top deity.
For example, worship of Horus as the top deity is not considered Early Christianity, despite the fact that Horus was involved in theological disputes (see Against Heresies), because Horus does not gather a following group of disciples. Horus has also divine offspring.
For example, Simonianism might be considered Early Christianity, worshipping Simon Magus as the top deity that was resurrected from the dead. Little is known today about the theology or profession of a coming era in Simonianism. However, the evidence suggests that there is a lot of overlap between Simonianism and other Early Christian sects.
Early Christians in the 2nd century did not view the identity of their own savior deity as particularly important, because they adopted e.g. hymns made for other deities by swapping out a few names. The top deity was seen as being able to disguise itself in other religions as the "secret top deity". Therefore, when Early Christians are in theological conflicts with each other, one should interpret this as a provocative or defensive move, often fueld by personal disputes, that otherwise went peacefully.
The idea of a "historical Jesus" is mostly a 3rd century invention by Constantine the Great. There might be a historical Jesus that e.g. was a cynic philosopher slave, but very different from the historical Jesus portrayed in Late Christianity. After Constainte the Great, it became important for Christians to provide "evidence" for Jesus' historicity, e.g. relics of Jesus' foreskin or the cross Jesus died on. This was used to make money off pilgrimage, oppress other religions and claim divine right to rule.
Early Christians in the 2nd century viewed themselves as different from mainstream religious practitioners, but also having a lot of common with other mystery cults e.g. worshippers of Dionysus. They were proud of this connection, as it was seen as giving themselves higher status. Furthermore, Greek philosophy had a great influence and this was often highlighted by 2nd century Early Christians, who often wanted to surpass it and were philosophizing about social justice and equality.
The stories about Jesus should be interpreted as moral guidance and hope for healing from illness, since 2nd century Early Christians did not have access to modern medicine. These were the primary usages of the texts, which functioned in lithurgy practice celebrating a yearly cycle of birth and death. The interpretation of these stories as historical events might have existed in the 2nd century, but more for mental comfort and based on unsubstantiated claims of various sect leaders, that have little scientific evidence in historic reality. With other words, Early Christianity in the 2nd century was not that different from other cults claiming ridiculous stories.
Due to influence of Constantine the Great, Christianity became seen as rooted in historical events, where tracing back the tradition to these events over time was considered of major importance to justify the right to rule and oppress other religions. For example, when people with different opinions were tortured and executed, the authorities viewed themselves as being blessed spiritually, defending what they considered the "right" view of history. However, this view of history included beliefs in supernatural events that most likely never happened in reality.
In modern times, the rationalization of past actions by Christians has resulted in a modern myth of Jesus' historicity. Jesus gets portrayed as a "friendly dude" that walks around spreading a "gospel of love" before he gets crucified. However, the word "gospel" means "good story" and does not refer to Jesus' message in Early Christianity. Gospel refers to the literary genre which was a sub-genre of Early Christian texts.
Early Christians viewed their own religion as in opposition or contrasting with mainstream religious practice of their time. Their religious practice was a form of social protest or criticism commenting on social issues among contemporary culture. Knowledge was not regarded dangerous or sinful by Early Christians, but sided along faith, below divine love as the ruling virtue. There was little interest in reflecting an accurate historical origin, since being contrary or controversial to mainstream religion was precisely the point. This is why despite claims of oral tradition back to Jesus, there is not a single record of any poor and ordinary Early Christian from the whole 2nd century. Authors simply did not care about their religious past, but about criticizing society or advocating their own ideas of divine spirituality. So, when they write a text about Jesus, it is meant to be used for moral guidance or hope of healing from illness, to make people trust the author or the associated sect by providing more mental comfort of their origin. There were no attempts at explaining their own historical origin in a scientific sense, like many people want today due to their modern mindset.
In summary: Early Christianity produces origin myths, not historical accurate records, to be shared and used in lithurgy practice celebrating a yearly cycle of birth and death, diversified across multiple savior figures who's identities were seen as spiritually overlapping, as a social movement critiquing contemporary mainstream religious practice.