Lesson 5: Persecution in the Early Church

Apostolic ChurchPost – Apostolic Church Approx 30 AD Approx 100 AD Approx 450 AD AD (1688 in England PRESENT Transition PointsMAJOR CHANGE Early Church Medieval Church Reform ation

PERSECUTION BY THE JEWS PERSECUTION BY ROME These persecutions were sporadic Until the mid-third century there was not systematic, wide spread persecution The Flames of Rome, Dr. Paul Maier But why were Christians persecuted at all?

Rome was tolerant of religions licitaPermitted illicitaNot permitted Syncretistic (GK “joined in alliance” Ephesians 4:4-5 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, John 14:6 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

ACCUSATIONS OF THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT 1. The Christians were ATHEIST 2. The Christians were IMMORAL 3. The Christians were HATERS OF HUMANITY “If the Tiber reaches the walls, if the Nile does not rise to the fields, if the sky does not move so that there is drought, or if the earth does move so that there is an earthquake, if there is famine, if there is a plague, the cry is at once, ‘Send the Christians to the lions!” Tertullian 4. The Christians were THREAT TO THE GOVERNMENT 1 Peter 4:16 “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”

PERIODS OF ROMAN PERSECUTION I.NERO(AD ) II. DOMETIAN(AD ) III.TRAJAN(AD ) Tacitus 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters… 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus

IV.MARCUS AURELIUS(AD ) Polycarp: Bishop of Smyrna “Eighty and six years have I served him, and he has done me no wrong; how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” SEVERAN DYNASTY(AD ) V.DECIUS(AD ) VALARIAN(AD ) AD PERIOD OF RELATIVE CALM

VI. GREAT PERSECUTION Diocletian

RESULTS OF THE PERSECUTION 1.Persecution purified the Church 2. Persecution extended the Church “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”