Right
from the beginning of the Christianity, Christianity and persecution goes hand
in hand. Roman government had the policy of tolerated. If that was the case,
then why the Christians were persecuted? Initially persecution did not come
from the Romans, but from the Jewish. There is a short difference between
Christian religion and Jewish religion. Christians were also worshiped in
Jewish Synagogues as long as they are permitted. The persecution of Christianity
came publicly after the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem. The destruction
of Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D was basically because of Jewish revelation
against the Roman government. Though this destruction of Jerusalem was
terrible, it did not totally crushed out all the Jewish. They were rose again
and revolted under the leadership of Bar-Cochba (135 A.D.) and he was also
defeated. Half a million of Jewish people were killed. A large number of Jewish
people were sold into slavery. 985 villages and 54 fortresses were leveled to
the ground. Roman colonies were created on the remains of Jerusalem with the
images of Jupiter. Jewish people were not allowed into Jerusalem. This
persecution continued until the 4th century until the conversion of
Constantine, who made Christianity a legal religion.
Right
from the beginning Jewish hated towards Christianity. Such that they crucified
Jesus and stoned Stephen, killed James the brother of John and harassed Peter
and John several years later. As a Jew, Paul also persecuted several
Christians. Until almost A.D.70, persecution was not but from Jewish people. Reasons
for Jewish people’s persecution Christian was that, right from the beginning
Jewish people believed either right or wrong. They believed Jesus to be the
destroyer of Mosaic Law. They hated Christians because Jesus made himself as
the son of God and made himself equal to Father. So, they could not tolerate
this. However, these reasons seem to be very surface reasons. Deeper reasons
were Jesus became very popular. Many started following him, because of his
miracles, his healing ministry especially on Sabbath day. His superiority over
leaders was deeper reasons. This hatredness towards Jesus continued even to his
followers. The major reason for killing of Stephen is that according to Jews,
he disregarded the Law of Moses and discredited the temple. Jewish people were
very conservative and could not tolerate the Gentiles as the Christian freely accepted.
Another
reason for persecuting Christianity was that the Christianity claimed the
absolute truth and true God. Christians were not able to tolerate anyone other
than Jesus. This mentality of Christians in early period totally cut away from
the other people. So the Christians were counted as the enemies of Roman culture.
Roman
people started persecuting Jewish people from the time of Emperor Nero. The
Roman authority slowly became aware that Christians were not part of the
Jewish, they were not tolerated the teachings of new kingdom, new citizenships,
loyalty towards one man called Jesus above all loyalties. Whereas the Romans
demanded each of the citizens total awareness loyalties to the emperor.
The Basic Perspectives for an Early
Christians Persecution:
(i).No
Roman provincial emperors to be regarded as the originator of Christian
persecution because of faith. This was the policy until 250 A.D. This means
that there was no policy taken because of their faith, unless and until their
faith causes disturbances of the state.
(ii).There
were because in which the state intervene when reports were given authority from
local officials. The State made a general policy after 250 A.D to persecute
Christians and get their influence totally out. This policy continued until
312.
Four Main Reasons for the Persecution of
Christians. They are Political Reason, Social Reason, Religion Reasons and
Economic Reasons.
Political Reason: When Christianity
seems to be persecuted, the Christians were always talking about the kingdom of
God, which is a spiritual kingdom. Romans misunderstood and thought that they
would overthrow the Roman State.
When
Christianity had to make decision making between Roman and Jesus, they chose
Jesus. For Christians, it was not possible to put Caesar above law. For them,
loyalty to the state was secondary. On the other hand Romans demanded total
allegiance to the government. With these some of the Christian practices arouse
some doubts in the minds of Romans. The practice of Lord’s super. All the
people in Roman Empire offered incense to the altar of Roman Empire, but the
Christians refused to do it. Their gathering in private houses was
misinterpreted as they were gathering to overthrow the Caesar. The Christians
were seen as conspiracy against Roman government.
Religious Reasons (1/8/11): Romans
worshipped many material objects and symbols. Their worship was more mechanical
and external. They had many idols and many altars of worship, many priests,
many rites but Christians had never such altars and rites. Christian worship
was spiritual. Therefore, they misinterpreted that the Christians were atheist
religion. Some of the Christian practices like Agape feast, Lord’s super were
misinterpreted. They interpreted that Christians were eating raw meat and blood
(Cannibalism).Christians were accused for sexual immorality because of Holy
Kiss.
Social Reasons: Most followers of
Christianity were from lower classes. Jesus’ all disciples were fisher men, tax
collectors, and therefore Christianity was appealed to the lower class of the
society. Aristocratic ruling class people hated Christinianity, because
Christianity stands for equality. Christians were not interested in public
entertainment and separated from the pagan gatherings. So they were branded as
not conformist because of purity of Christ, they could not take part in that.
The life of purity of Christians was silent rebuke to the immoral lifestyle of
the upper class of the society.
Economic Reasons: The growth of
Christianity was interpreted as a trade to different business in the society.
The Silversmith of Diana threatened Paul. The impact of Christianity had a
negative side to certain people. For example, sooth sayings had lost their
jobs. Painters, goldsmiths, lost their jobs. Christianity became trade to such
people in the society. Also during this period, Roman Empire faced several
flood, famine, social unrest and empire was troubled. All these issues were
interpreted because of Christianity. All these reasons combines together
justified the persecution of Christianity
The
main reason for the persecution of Christianity was that, the Christianity was
seen as the rival religion to the Roman Empire. They refused to compromise with
idolatry and such other things.
Course of Persecutions: When we think
about the persecutions, we must also understand that it was not started by the
Romans but by the Jewish people. Jewish people hatred towards Christianity and
started persecutions upon them. Until 250, A.D, persecution was not general,
but from A.D.250 onwards, it became general and more violent. Jewish people did
not believe that it was Jesus Christ who was Messiah which Christianity had
conceived that Messiah had come. Christian message to the Jewish people was not
they should give up their Jewishness. On the other hand Christians had simply
saying Messianic age came and there can be better Jewish. But somehow the
Jewish could not accept that. Another reason was that Christians could influence
the gentiles. Therefore we see Jewish persecution first. But there came a time
a distinguish between Christians and Jewish to the Roman authority. The Roman
authority began to understand that Christianity was quite different from that
of Judaism. This new consciousness was the root of second and half century of
persecution by the Roman Empire.
From
the time of Nero to the conversion of Constantine, persecution of Christianity
continued. Nero was the first emperor to persecute the Christians. His time was
from 54-68 A.D. His character was always like mad man. He loves pleasure too
much. While he was emperor, part of the city of Rome was burnt. In fact nobody
knew who started it. However, there were big rumors that it was Nero who
started the fire. He had no way to escape from that blame. In order to escape
from that blame, he blamed upon the Christians and was heavily persecuted. Paul
and Peter were martyred in this persecution.
Domitian (81-96 A.D):
He called himself Lord and God. In his time, impressing Christianity was a
crime against the state. He started persecution against Jews. He started
putting heavy tax upon Jews in order to support the temple dedicated to
Jupiter. Because of Christians association with Jewish, Christians were also
persecuted. The main figure who suffered in this persecution was John apostle.
He was exile to the island of Patmos. His exile was a blessing that he received
the revelation.
Trajan (98-117).
Pliny was the Governor of Antioch and Bethany during his time: Pliny wrote
letter to the emperor Trajan accusing Christians of crime and one of these was
that they were not sacrificing to the idols. Trajan approved Pliny’s message of
threatening Christians. He wrote back that if Christians were found guilty,
they must have persecution. Governor ordered that the Christians to recon their
faith and to worship the Roman God. In fact, Roman government did not seek
after Christians, but if somebody reported, he will be brought to the Roman
court. Ignatius suffered under this punishment.
Hadrian (117-138): His
policy was one of tolerance but at the same time he also followed Trajan’s
policy.
Marcus Aurelius
(161-180): During his period, the main reason for the persecution was due
to local calamities like flood and famine. The leading martyred during his time
was Justin Martyr.
Commodus (180-192): In
the beginning he also persecuted the Christians but later he had tolerated.
Septimus Seerus
193-211: North Africa and Egypt. Many suffered during his time.
Elagabalus (218-222):
He was a strong worshiper of sun god. His purpose was to bring some short
of peace there.
Alexander Severus
(222-235): He was very practical syncratyse. He created the statue of
Christ and Abraham along with some hidden idols. In fact we hear about the
special building for Christian worship. This man supported Christians.
Alexander’s often listen to church father Origen. He was under the hope of
Christianity would bring into syncretistic religion.
Maximius (235-238): He
was a very rough soldier and changed the policy of persecution. The change
policy was only Christian leaders should put to death. During his period,
persecution was severe in Palestine and in Asia Minor.
Gordian (238-240): There
was no persecution except for the last years of his reign.
Philip the Arabian
(144-149): People like John
Chrysostom and Eusebius belied that he was the first Christian emperor, not
Constantine.
General Persecutions after
250 A.D: By A.D.248 Roman Empire was reaching its 1000 years of
anniversary. People began to look back the splendor of Rome. Then there also
worried about the decline of the Roman Empire. Starting searching the reasons
behind, many people started pointing towards Christianity for the cause. As a
result a pierce more attacks on Alexandria.
Succeeding Philip the Arabian, there came another empire and
is name is Decius (249-251). There
began the new era of persecution. He was interested to preserve the classical
culture of Rome. He believed that Christians were against this classical
culture because the Christians were going to what was going on an empire like
that of emperor cult. Therefore they threaded Christians as enemies of the
Roman state. In 250 A.D. he ordered an edict to bring an offering to the Roman
gods and those who obeyed were given a certificate. In fact many Christians
were brought sacrifices but some did not. Therefore, those who did not obeying
were persecuted, imprisoned and put to death.
After this edict another edict
followed which protected from gathering for worship. Secondly almost all the
clergies were arrested. Third, they were supposed to bring sacrifices to the
Roman god. Fourth all those people who profess Christians faith threatened
death penalty. This was the period
that made Christians to go through terrible sufferings. But at the same time,
many of them were lapsed.
After the period of Diophecian
Galerius became the emperor in 305. In his time the persecution continued in a
terrible way. However after series of bloody persecution after 18 months
Galerius gave up the struggle. During this 18 months, he went through suffering
and sickness. In the month of 11 April he issued the edict of tolerance on the
condition that Christians did not go against the state.
Why does Galerius give up the struggle against Christians?
(i).Most probably he was announced
that through persecution Christians could not be wiped out. (ii).Or other
possible reason is that after terrible suffering, he believed that Christian
God was more powerful than his own god. In fact he even urged Christians to
pray for him.
After his death, there were four
contestants for the post of emperor. In this struggle, Constantine and Licinius
came together and Maxentius Dei and Maxentius came together. At the end
Constantine was able to defeat Maxentius at the famous Melvin Bridge on 2th
October 312. Constantine became empire. He proclaimed absolute freedom for
Christians. He made Christianity as legal religion. All the Christian
properties were restored to them that brought the end of persecution.
The results of persecutions:
Positive Effect: One of the positive effects was rapid growth of
the Church. It proved that no sword on the earth can put an end to the growth
of the church. By A.D.200 Christians were seeing not only in the part of Roman
Empire but also beyond the Roman empire like that of North Africa, Egypt and
places like Carthage and Alexandria.
So we can say that persecution
enhanced evangelism. A word of Tertullian says, “Blood of the Church became the
real seal of the Church.” The heroic testimonies of the martyred proved that
the faith of Christianity is worth living faith and even the gift comes life.
Negative Effect: Main impact during the persecution was hundreds of
Christians gave up their faiths. After persecution many Christians came back
and readmission was series and lasting problems including major divisions.
These were specially in North Africa. Major effect of persecution was that it
caused the division. After persecution was over, many Christians decided to
live monastic life because they felt that they lost their salt and lost.
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