How Did Christianity Survive the Roman Empire (Video)
Christianity's survival amidst the stringent Roman Empire highlights the resilience of its early believers. In a time when the Roman stance against new religions was harsh, Christians faced persecution, enduring violence and confusion from emperors such as Nero. The Romans, perplexed by Christian practices like Communion, viewed the faith with suspicion.
The origins of Christianity are with Jesus Christ, whose teachings sparked both hope and political tension. Crucified under Pontius Pilate, Jesus' resurrection miracle defied comprehension but fueled the fervor of his disciples.
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Early Christians, initially seen as a Jewish sect, faced external pressures as they extended their message to Gentiles, or non-Jews. And the Romans had a whole pantheon of gods which the Christians disputed. Persecutions, varying with emperors, ranged from localized events to widespread decrees.
Apologists defended Christianity against false accusations, emphasizing its ethical values. Internally, doctrinal disputes arose, notably with Gnosticism, which rejected bodily resurrection. The Council of Nicaea, convened by Constantine, aimed to unify Christian doctrine, solidifying the Trinity principle. Emperor Constantine's Edict of Milan ended external persecutions, marking a pivotal moment in Christianity's history.
Despite external and internal challenges, the deep faith of early Christians allowed the religion to transcend the Roman Empire and endure through the ages.
Top image: Scene of the Persecution of Christianity in ancient Rome. Source: Monsalvettstock/Adobe Stock
Comments
The unasked question is one of how early Christianity survived AD Judaism. Jesus was crucified by orders of Pilate, but it was the Jewish ruling council that insisted on it, even going as far as predicting a revolt in the province if the crucifixion was not carried out. That's because Pilate wasn't actually all that keen on the whole idea, for career reasons and his wife's concerns.
The same ruling council, along with the Pharisees and Sadducees, was involved in major persecution equal to that of Rome. Most early Christian martyrs are seen as victims of Rome when, in fact, the first Christian martyrs were disciples killed not by Rome, but by the Sanhedrin etc.
The truth is a lot more than the glib, socially-acceptable history bites of today. I recently watched a History Channel program on the life of Jesus. It was largely accurate, but the whole point of it seemed to be about stopping people asking this unasked question. Instead, the viewer was encouraged to simply blame the obviously non-blame-free Rome.
I can see a similar situation arising here. What a coincidence!
When one knows the playbook, one knows what to expect.
And when one knows that the Vatican and Jerusalem are now tied to each other intimately, one may expect a lot.