CHURCH HISTORYThe Church Under

Attack!

The picture of the Early Church

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in

their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47 praising God and enjoying

the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were

being saved.”

Acts 2:46-47

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money

from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had

need.”

Acts 4:33-35

The Jewish Persecutions

20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his

master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed

my teaching, they will obey yours also.

JOHN 15:20

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

Tertullian

Early Persecutions1. Persecution of Peter and John (Acts 4)2. Persecution of the Apostolic group (Acts 5)3. The stoning of Stephen (Acts 7)4. Under Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12)

The Roman Persecutions

The Duration:From 60 AD to 313 AD

Nero 54 - 68 ADReason:

Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome

Martyrs:Peter and Paul

In his Annals, Tacitus states that "to get rid of the report, Nero

fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class

hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace"

Domitian 81 – 96 AD

Reason:Christians were charged for

atheism because they refused to worship the Emperor

John the beloved was exiled in Patmos

Trajan 96 – 117 ADReasons:

Conversion from paganism and Unbending in their faith and

practicesMartyr:

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch

“May the wild beasts be eager to rush upon me. if they be unwilling, I will compel

them. come, crowds of wild beasts; come, tearings and manglings, wracking of bones and hacking of limbs; come, cruel tortures

of the devil; only let me attain unto Christ.”

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch

Hadrian 117 – 138 AD

Christians were persecuted in moderation.

“Eighty and six years have I served him, and he has never done me

wrong; how can I blaspheme him, my King, who has served me? I am a

Christian.”

Polycarp of Smyrna

Marcus Aurelius 138 – 161 AD

Reason:Accusers of Christians were given

rewards for the confiscated properties.

Martyrs:Justin Martyr and Blandina, a slave girl

"Though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire,

and all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our confession; but, the more such

things happen, the more do others in larger numbers become faithful."

-- Justin Martyr

Septimus Severus 193 – 211 AD

Reason:Syncretism and To stop proselyting

Martyr:Irenaeus

Maximinus the Thracian 235-238 AD

Local persecution and not empire wide

Decius 249-251 AD

Reason:Refusal to sacrifice to the gods and

thereby guilty of high treason

Valerian 253 – 260 AD

Reason:Refusal to sacrifice to the gods

Martyr:Cyprian, Origen and Sixtus II

Diocletian/Galerius 284 – 311 AD

Reason:Influenced by Galerius and for

political unity

Christians refused to join the army or left it

4 Edicts which ordered the burning of Christian books and churches.

1. All church buildings were to be destroyed, all bibles burnt, and all Christian worship forbidden

(303)

2. All clergy arrested and imprisoned (303)

3. All clergy must offer sacrifice to the gods or face torture (303)

4. All citizens throughout the empire were to sacrifice to the gods or face execution (304)

General Reasons for Persecution

1. Jewish fears2. Roman political suspicions3. Social reasons4. Economic reasons5. Religious reasons

Specific Reasons for Persecutions

1. Charges of incest2. Charge of cannibalism3. Lack of patriotism4. Anti-social5. Causes of disasters6. Refusal to worship the emperor7. The fact of being a Christian

Purposes of the Persecutions

1. For Christians to apostatize2. Martyrdom of the obstinate

Positive results of the Persecutions

1. Purification of the Church2. Expansion and growth of the

Church3. Development of NT canon4. Relationship of Church to the State

1. Controversy over deserters.2. Poor literature.3. Fanaticism and false doctrines.

Negative results of the Persecutions

The Lapsed and the Confessor Controversy

To those appointed to see the sacrifices: From Aurelia Charis of the Egyptian village of Theadelphia.

“I have always continued to sacrifice and show reverence to the gods, and now, in your presence, I have poured a libation and sacrificed and eaten some of the sacrificial meat. I request you to certify this for me below.”

SAMPLE OF LIBELLUS

The Final Victory

306: Constantine proclaimed emperor of the West, but the West was

divided between Constantine (Britain, France, and Spain) and

Maxentius (Italy and Northwest Africa). Constantine tolerant;

Maxentius anti-Christian.

Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312 AD)

Lactantius:“Constantine received a dream to put the

Christian symbol on the shields of his soldiers.”Eusebius:

“Constantine saw a vision in the sky with the words: ‘in this you shall conquer’”

Chi Rho symbols

The Edict of Milan313 AD

THE EDICT OF MILAN

“Our purpose is to allow Christians and all others to worship as they

desire, so that whatever Divinity lives in the heavens will be kind to us.”

The Battle of Chrysopolis 324 AD

(in Bithynia, Asia Minor)between Constantine and

Licinius