I cried last night as I watched televised reports of the torture and killing of thousands of Christians. Here in the States, we may be jeered, but we scarely suffer to point of shedding blood.
During His public earthly ministry, Jesus Christ experienced rejection and abuse, yet He proclaimed, (John 16:33 AMP)
Why am I surprised by persecution? I pause today to remember that persecution was a reality for the Body of since its inception. The early church experienced great criticism and harassment.
Early Christians were regularly viewed as a Jewish sect that believed the Messiah had appeared in the form of Jesus Christ. From the outset the principal Jewish leaders opposed and criticized the proponents of this new “heretical” sect. The Sanhedrin and prominent Jews incited persecution that lead to the martyrdom of many. The Book of Acts and the Pauline Epistles record some of the great effort leveled against early believers. At first the ruling Roman government avoided stepping into what was viewed as infighting between Jews, but this soon changed. Falsely inspired by the burning of Rome, Nero focused his cruelty upon Christians living in Rome. Early Roman persecution indicted Jews and Christians as a single unit, but rigid persecution of Christians continued under the Romans because of several practices of Christianity. Persecution triggered Christianity’s spread.
During its first 300 years, Christianity was a unique and potent religion that set the early believers at a distance from traditional Roman practices and customs. The Church was constantly standing apart from popular culture because of the close association between pagan worship and Roman culture. Early Christians avoided pagan social events, and were viewed as anti-social and disrespectful. The teachings of Christ were a radical departure from the polytheistic religions of ancient Rome, and the early Church was consistently seen as anti-government or at least anti-judicial.
The teachings of Christ led believers to deny several pagan Roman traditions and to abstain from numerous social activities. Early believers rejected the accepted polytheism of the day, refused to acknowledge the many Roman gods, and promoted a strong monotheistic belief that challenged Roman institutions. When Caesar began to demand worship, Christians declined; therefore, Christians were considered traitors, treasonous, and even atheistic. Occasionally, the secretive Christians were even blamed for epidemics and disasters. Christian love was misconstrued, and cultured-pagan prejudice was inflamed by the growth of Christianity within the ignorant lower classes.
False rumors and suspicions abounded. Misconceptions regarding Christian rituals, such as meeting in groups, calling one another “brother,” and practicing communion, caused many to view the Christian sect as despicable and dangerous to civilized society. Fictitious reports circulated of incest. Some erroneously believed that babies were hidden inside of communion bread. Misunderstood Christian practices were viewed as counter-culture and treacherous. Christian leaders tried to address the concerns and answer the questions of their critics, but persecution continued.
During its first 300 years, the Church experienced intense persecution and tremendous growth. This small, heretical Jewish sect ascended to the status of the foremost religious belief. Persecution actually spurred the early burgeoning Church to spread out from its Jerusalem base and take the Gospel beyond the borders of Palestine and into the heart of the Gentile world. The martyrdom of Stephen and increasing pressure caused many believers to exit Palestine and enter cities throughout the empire, even to Rome itself. The Diaspora allowed Christian missionaries, such as Paul, to have a starting point throughout the Greco-Roman world.
Persecution in the second century was highlighted by the martyrdom of Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, and thousands more who refused to recant. Systematic persecution of Christians was not widespread, but believers were persistently persecuted. False rumors abounded concerning the Church, but apologists such as Justin, Tatian, and Tertullian, embarked upon explanation of the Christian faith. Tertullian documented “that the blood of the martyrs was a seed, for the more it spilled the greater the number of Christians.”
Teachers like Clement, Irenaeus, and Origen tried to refute erroneous misconceptions about Christianity. Facing the possibility of death when brought before the courts, countless Christians maintained true to their confession. There is no way to know how many pagans came to Christ as a result of these steadfast believers, but it is clear that the Church continued to enlarge.
Tribulation didn’t stop the early Church and I can learn from their example. The actions, attitudes and activities of Christ-followers will always be misunderstood and misconstrued.
Early believers endured and so shall I. The Church remains and I am part of what Christ wants to do on earth.
Persecution isn’t new.
(1 Peter 4:12-14 PHILLIPS)
