The Persecuted Church

John Stevenson, 2013

Why dont people like Christians?
Kill us, torture us,
condemn us, grind us to
dust; your injustice is
the proof that we are
innocent... The more we
are hewn down by you,
the more numerous do
we become. The blood
of Christians is seed.
(Tertullian, Apology
50:13).
John 15:20
Remember the word that I said to
you, A slave is not greater than his
master. If they persecuted Me, they
will also persecute you; if they kept My
word, they will keep yours also.
2 Timothy 3:10-12
Now you followed my teaching,
conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love,
perseverance, 11 persecutions, and
sufferings, such as happened to me at
Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra;
what persecutions I endured, and out
of them all the Lord rescued me! 12
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in
Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
What should be the attitude of
Christians when we are attacked by
an unbelieving world?
Jewish Persecutions
Reasons for Jewish Persecution
Perceived charge of blasphemy
The stumbling block of the cross
Jealousy for popularity of the people
Gamaliels reasoned defense
Initially limited to Judea and the
surrounding regions
And on that day a
great persecution
began against the
church in
Jerusalem, and
they were all
scattered
throughout the
regions of Judea
and Samaria,
except the
apostles. (Acts
8:1b).
Jewish Persecutions
Reasons for Jewish Persecution
Perceived charge of blasphemy
The stumbling block of the cross
Jealousy for popularity of the people
Gamaliels reasoned defense
Initially limited to Judea and the
surrounding regions
Capital punishment was initially
unauthorized by Rome
Christianity versus Rome
A Conflict of Culture
Roman schools taught pagan religion.
Roman cemeteries offered up prayers to
false idols.
Christianity versus Rome
A Conflict of Culture
Roman schools taught pagan religion.
Roman cemeteries offered up prayers to
false idols.
Roman marketplaces sold food that had
been offered to Roman gods.
The Roman military personnel were
required to swear oaths to the emperor,
worshiping him.
Christianity versus Rome
A Conflict of Culture
Tertullian said that attendance at the
Roman circus and theater was the
equivalent to sacrificing to false gods.
Roman
Religious
Tolerance
Christianitys
Exclusive
Claims
The
Ancient
Church
1000 1 500 1500 2000
The
Medieval
Church
The
Reformed
Church
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C
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Neros Persecutions
Great Fire of Rome:
64 A.D.
Christians charged
with atheism
Forms of torture
Crucifixion
Torn by animals
Burning
Dragged to death
Neros Persecutions
They were clad in the
hides of beasts and
torn to death by dogs;
others were crucified,
others set on fire to
serve to illuminate the
night when daylight
failed.
Tacitus
Tacitus
What is his attitude
about Neros
persecution of
Christians?
What is his opinion
about Christianity?
Why does he accuse
Christians of hatred
of the human race?
Domitians Persecutions
Domitian, too, a man of
Neros type in cruelty,
tried his hand at
persecution; but as he
had something of the
human in him, he soon
put an end to what he
had begun, even
restoring again those
whom he had banished
(Tertullian, Apology 5).
Trajan & Christianity
Became emperor 98
A.D.
Letters from Pliny the
Younger, governor of
Pontus/Bithynia
What does Trajan
recommend to Pliny about
how to handle Christians?
Governor Plinys report to Trajan
Meanwhile, in the case of
those who were denounced to
me as Christians, I have
observed the following
procedure: I interrogated
these as to whether they were
Christians; those who
confessed I interrogated a
second and a third time,
threatening them with
punishment; those who
persisted I ordered executed.
Governor Plinys report to Trajan
Those who denied that they
were or had been Christians,
when they invoked the gods in
words dictated by me, offered
prayer with incense and wine to
your image, which I had ordered
to be brought for this purpose
together with statues of the
gods, and moreover cursed
Christ--none of which those who
are really Christians, it is said,
can be forced to do--these I
thought should be discharged.
Trajans Reply
They are not to be sought
out; if they are denounced
and proved guilty, they are
to be punished, with this
reservation, that whoever
denies that he is a Christian
and really proves it--that is,
by worshiping our gods--
even though he was under
suspicion
Hadrian
Those bringing false
witness against Christians
were themselves to be
punished
Built a temple to Jupiter in
Jerusalem
Bar-Kochba Revolt
(117-138)
Polycarp
Bishop of Smyrna
Arrested in home;
invited soldiers to eat
Taken before Roman
proconsul
Ordered to say, Away
with the atheists!
155 A.D.
Polycarp
Eighty-six years
have I been His
servant, and He
hath done me no
wrong. How then
can I blaspheme
my King who
saved me?
155 A.D.
Felicitas & Perpetua
Christian woman and her
slave
Carthage
Refused to apostatize
Torn apart by animals

203 A.D.
Felicitas & Perpetua
203 A.D.
What do the
martyrdoms of
Polycarp,
Perpetua, &
Felicitas tell us
about the
early church?
What was it about
Christianity that
Roman society found
objectionable?
Decius
His predecessor, Philip the
Arabian, was friendly
toward Christianity
Decius wanted to return
Rome to her pagan roots
When plague broke out,
the Christians were blamed
(249-251)
All citizens of Rome required to offer
incense with oath that Caesar is Lord
Diocletian
Rose from slavery to
become emperor
Appointed three co-regents
to rule alongside him
Initially tolerated all
religious groups
(284-311)
In 303 he instituted a
persecution against
Christianity
Diocletian
Churches destroyed and
properties confiscated
All copies of Bible ordered
to be destroyed
Civil rights of Christians
suspended
(284-311)
Christians in public office deposed
Food in marketplaces sprinkled with
wine that had been sacrificed to idols
Constantine
Edict of Toleration
1 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Paul
John
Ignatius
Constantine
Period of
Roman Persecutions
Diocletian
Decius
Polycarp
Justin
Martyr
Pliny
Marcus
Aurelius
Peter
What were the
Results of the Persecutions?
The Church was Purified
The New Testament was
Recognized
God was glorified