490 Early Church History 10: Persecution of Early Christians

This is part 10 of the Early Church History class.

The Roman government persecuted Christians for the first three centuries. In this episode, you'll learn about various persecutions that flared up during the reigns of Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Decius, Valerian, and Diocletian. We'll also cover why Romans both despised and feared Christianity. Learning about the martyrs among our spiritual ancestors helps us to put in perspective our own situation as well as provide us with inspiring examples of how to face dire situations courageously.

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl4dHYePy8g&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=10

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—— Notes ——

Disclaimer: In order to do this subject justice, I need to describe some actions that are inappropriate for children. So, if there are little ones in ear shot, you should probably wait until later. To be honest, this material is traumatizing for all ages. Still, I think we need to know our own history.

Pliny the Younger (61-113)

• governor of Bithynia
• wrote and received letters from emperor Trajan
• Trajan forbade an assembly of firemen
• Pliny had heard Christians would not worship statues
• Christian lifestyle was morally upright, thought their refusal to comply with the government infuriated Pliny
• Pliny was worried about diminishment of worship at the temples

Criticisms of Christianity

• lump us in w/ Epicureans (atheists)
• stubborn and oppositional
• miracles were falsely reported or tricks
• gullible, easily deceived by charlatans
• anti-reason (blind faith)

Rumors

• Christians ate babies
• Christians participated in incestuous orgies

Persecutions

• (155) Polycarp of Smyrna, Asia Minor
• (177) Blandina and Sanctus in Lyons, Gaul
• (203) Perpetua and Felicitas in Carthage
• (249-251) Decian Persecution
• (257-260) Valerian Persecution
• (303-313) The Great Persecution (Diocletian)

We Survived

• Jesus said to Peter after he confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it” (Mat 16.18)
• death did not prevail against us
• not only did we survive, we also grew from 100s of thousands in the 3rd c. to millions in the 4th c.
• Jesus said, “They will deliver you up to tribulation