ENDURING PERSECUTION

ENDURING PERSECUTION

 

 

1. Persecution in the First Century: First Conflict with the State (Chapter 5)

 

* "From its beginnings, Christianity was no easy matter.

The Lord whom Christians served had died on the cross." (31)

 

* Jews and Christians

1) "The early Christians did not believe that they were following a new religion. They were

Jews."...The attitude of the Jews toward Christianity is best understood as a new heresy tempting

good Jews to become heretics. Romans, Jews, and Christians agreed that what was taking place

was a conflict among Jews. At first it was Jews that persecuted Christians. As long as things

were relatively orderly, Romans preferred to stay out of such matters." (32)

2) "But distinction between Christians and Jews became clearer as the church gained more

converts from the gentile population." (33)

3) Later, when Christianity became the official religion of the majority, Jews to be a rejected race

and became to be persecuted by Christians.

 

 

* Persecution under Nero (34-36)

1) A great fire broke out in Rome (June 18, 64). People suspected the emperor, Nero.

Nero tried to move that suspicion to Christian community in Rome.

2) Also, according to Tacitus, there was a rumors that Christians hate human kind. "Christians

avoided all social activities like theatre, army, letters, sports, since they believed that those

activities were so entwined with pagan worship. Therefore, to the eyes of Romans, who loved

their culture and society, Christians appeared as haters of humankind.

3) Tacitus wrote, "Before killing the Christians, Nero used them to amuse the people. Some were

dressed in furs, to be killed by dogs. Others were crucified. Still others were set on fire early

in the night, so that they might illuminate it."

4) It is also likely that both Peter and Paul were among the Neronian martyrs.

5) "On the other hand, there is no mention of any persecution outside the city of Rome."

6) In 68, the persecution ceased with the death of Nero.

 

 

* Persecution under Domitian

1) Domitian loved and respected Roman traditions, and he sought to restore them. "Christians, in

their rejection of Roman gods and of many Roman traditions, stood in a way of Domitian's

dreams, and this may have been one of the causes of persecution." (36)

2) Writing the book of Revelation signifies two things: 1. persecution was expanded to the areas

of Asian Minor; 2) "in the midst of persecution, Revelation displays a much more negative

attitude toward Rome than the rest of NT." (Rev. 17:1, 6)

 

# Paul's instructed Christians should obey the Roman authorities.

 

 

* One of the main messages of the general epistles: enduring persecution with patience with

expecting the great rewards (Hebrews, 1&2 Peter, and James)

 

 

 

2. Persecution in the Second Century (Chapter 6)

 

* The correspondence between Pliny and Emperor, Trajan (40-41)

1) The question how to punish Christians: Should Christians be punished for concrete crimes, or

should the very name "Christian" be considered a crime?

2) The answer of the emperor became a general policy of persecution later on. The answers are:

1. There is no general rule; 2. the state should not waste time seeking them out; 3. if they are

accused by their neighbors, they should be punished.

 

* Some records on Christian view toward martyrdom such as "Acts of Martyrs," and "Seven letters

of Ignatius of Antioch" before his martyrdom.

 

* Martyrdom of Polycarp in Rome (A.D.155): (43-45)

1) When he was suggested to be free if he denies Christ, he replied, "For eighty six years I have

served Him, and He has done me no evil. How could I curse my King who saved me?"

2) One significant note is that Polycarp fled and hid when he learned that he was being sought.

Early Christians believed that martyrdom was not something that one chose, but something for

which one was chosen by God.

 

* Persecution under Marcus Aurelius (45-48)

1) He became emperor in 161, was one of the most enlightened minds of his age as the author

of a literary masterpiece of the time, Meditation.

2) Under such an emperor, it could be expected that Christians would enjoy a period of relative

peace. Yet, the same emperor also ordered that Christians should be persecuted, since he was

also a superstitious man.

3) Martyrdom of Justin, the best Christian scholar of the time who sought "the true philosophy" in

Christian teachings.

4) How many Christians were died? According to a record, the place where Christians were

being held was so full that some died of suffocation in there.

 

* During the second century, Christians were not constantly persecuted. Based on Trajan's general

policy, they were punished only when they were accused. Thus the good will of their neighbors

was very important. If any believed the evil rumors about them, the persecution would break out.

"For this reason, it was very important to show that those rumors were untrue, and to give pagans

more favorable understanding of Christianity. This was the task of the apologists." (48)

 

 

 

3. Persecution in the Third Century (Chapter 10)

 

* Persecution under Septimus Severus (82-85):

1) The emperor felt the need for religious harmony within his territories and thus settled on a

policy of promoting syncretism. All gods were to be accepted as long as one acknowledged the

Sol invictus (the Sun) that reigned above all.

2) This policy soon clashed with the seeing obstinacy of two groups that refuse to yield to

syncretism: Jews and Christians. The emperor decided to stop the spread of those two religions

under the penalty of death. Thereafter, a great persecution began.

 

* Under Decius (85-90)

1) His main goal was to restore ancient glory of Rome with the restoration of ancestrial religion.

2) His persecution is different with the previous. His purpose was not to create martyrs but

apostates with forcing Christians to abandon their faith through a combination of promises,

threats, and torture.

3) "The Confessors" and "the lapsed"

Given the great prestige of the confessors, the church had to determine who among the lapsed

ought to be restored to the communion of the church. "The issue was whether purity or

forgiving love should be the characteristic note of the church." (90)