Page 18 - Ecclesiology revised short_Neat

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
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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.

So why do so many “Christians” today not share their faith like they did in the early
church?xvi

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