Page 6 - History of Christianity I - Student Textbook

non-believers: the poor, the orphans, the elderly, the sick, the shipwrecked—even their persecutors. Jesus had
said, “Love your enemies ... and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt. 5:44). The early
Christians accepted this statement as a command from their Lord, rather than as an ideal that couldn't be
actually practiced in real life.

When a devastating plague swept across the ancient world in the third century, Christians were the only ones
who cared for the sick, which they did at the risk of contracting the plague themselves. Meanwhile, pagans were
throwing infected members of their own families into the streets even before they died, in order to protect
themselves from the disease.

The supreme example of their absolute trust in God was their acceptance of persecution. From the time of the
Emperor Trajan (around A.D. 100) until the Edict of Milan was issued in 313, the practice of Christianity was
illegal within the boundaries of the Roman Empire. Being a Christian was a crime punishable by death. But the
Roman officials didn't generally hunt out Christians. They ignored them unless someone formally accused a
person of being a Christian. As a result, persecution was intermittent. Christians in one town would suffer
horrible tortures and death while Christians in a nearby area would be untouched. It was totally unpredictable.
Yet, every Christian lived daily with a death sentence hanging over his head.

Why Persecution Came

1. The Romans universally worshiped their emperor as a god and burned incense on his alter. Christians
refused to do this.
2. The Romans served as soldiers and defended the Empire against barbarian tribes. Christians were
taught to love their enemies, so would not participate in the military. Christians would not go to war.
3. Christians would NOT go to a hospital. They were under the protection of the heathen god,
Aesculapius, and while sick in bed, the priest went down the aisles chanting to this god.
4. The Christians would not go to the “public” schools because the schoolbooks told stories of the pagan
gods as if true.
5. Christians would not to the gladiatorial combats or participate in most Roman entertainment.
6. Christians refused to go to the theater because the plays were cruel and coarse.
7. Christians would not go to the law court.
8. Christians kept slaves, but treated them kindly. That kind of treatment would cause other slaves to
revolt against their masters.
9. Christians would not take weak or unwanted children out in the woods and leave them to die.
10. Roman crowds began to pass around rumors that Christians practiced cannibalism every week in their
services, because they ate bodies and drank blood.

In other words, the lives of the Christian stood as a light against the pagan culture of Rome. Those who
practiced the evil of the day saw Christians as a threat to their culture and way of life.

In the book to the Roman Church, the apostle Paul commanded Christians to NOT be
conformed to the culture of their world, but to be transformed (metamorphosis = changed into a
different form) so that in doing so, they would prove the will of God. Paul reminded Timothy that “In
fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (II Tim. 3:12). It is clear
that as the culture moves further and further away from God, those who claim to be God’s children
will become the brunt of evil men’s hatred and abuse.

The question is, are you persecuted? And if not, why not?

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