Podcasts about galerius

He wasn't Keanu Reeves, and he definitely wasn't a Christian hero. In this episode, we rip the golden halo off Constantine the Great and dig into the actual history behind the man who allegedly saw a cross in the sky and converted an empire. Spoiler: he was more into Apollo than Jesus.Was Constantine a devout believer or just a savvy warlord with excellent PR? We're dragging in all the big names—Diocletian, Eusebius, Helena, Galerius, Julius Caesar, Sol Invictus—and tossing their reputations on the pyre of historical comedy.Featuring entrails, imperial propaganda, and a brief stopover in ancient Canada (don't ask, just listen). Perfect for fans of religious satire, Roman drama, and anyone who's ever side-eyed Christian revisionism. Sketch comedy. Blasphemous history. Reluctant education. Because saints don't order the murder of their wives and sons. But emperors do. 

Full Text of ReadingsFriday of the First Week of Lent Lectionary: 228The Saint of the day is Saint MaximilianSaint Maximilian's Story We have an early, almost unembellished account of the martyrdom of Saint Maximilian in modern-day Algeria. Brought before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying, “I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian.” Dion replied: “You must serve or die.” Maximilian: “I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian.” Dion: “There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius and Galerius.” Maximilian: “That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve.” Dion: “But what harm do soldiers do?” Maximilian: “You know well enough.” Dion: “If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army.” Maximilian: “I shall not die. If I go from this earth, my soul will live with Christ my Lord.” Maximilian was 21 years old when he gladly offered his life to God. His father went home from the execution site joyful, thanking God that he had been able to offer heaven such a gift. St. Maximilian’s liturgical feast is celebrated on March 12. Reflection In this celebration we find one inspirational son and one incredible father. Both men were filled with strong faith and hope. Let's ask them to help us in our struggle to remain faithful. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Constantine assumes his father's mantle in Eboracum when know one authorized him to do so.  But with the support of the troops and an unyielding sense of destiny and belief in his own abilities, he begins to gather power, and legitimacy in Britannia, Gaul and Hispania as the various rulers of the Italy and the East squabble among themselves.  We said goodbye to the Old Guard, Diocletian, Maximian and Galerius now, as the Roman Empire primes itself for the most explosive Roman Civil War in centuries between Constantine, Maxentius, Licinius and Maximinus.  Who will come out on top?

Synopsis: Part 2 of a two-part Spotlight series on the rise and fall of the Roman Emperor Galerius: refugee, herdsman, soldier, Caesar, Augustus, Tetrarch, conqueror, schemer, would-be ruler of the (Dacian?) Empire, and persecutor of the Christians. A rollicking Third Century romp inspired by my current residence in his former tetrarchal capital of Thessaloniki, Greece. “Galerius…was born to wipe out the disgrace incurred by Valerian's capture.” – The Historia Augusta “Had I a hundred mouths, a hundred tongues, A voice of brass, and adamantine lungs, Not half the dreadful scene could I disclose.” – Lactantius, On the Deaths of the Persecutors Episode Images: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/S8_Images.pdf References and Further Reading: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/S8_References.pdf Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Synopsis: Part 1 of a two-part Spotlight series on the rise and fall of the Roman Emperor Galerius: refugee, herdsman, soldier, Caesar, Augustus, Tetrarch, conqueror, schemer, would-be ruler of the (Dacian?) Empire, and persecutor of the Christians. A rollicking Third Century romp inspired by my current residence in his former tetrarchal capital of Thessaloniki, Greece. “Galerius…(was) trained to arms in the severe school of Aurelian and Probus.” – Edward Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire “In this wild beast there dwelt a native barbarity and a savageness foreign to Roman blood; and no wonder, for his mother was born beyond the Danube.” – Lactantius, On the Deaths of the Persecutors Episode Images: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/S7_Images.pdf References and Further Reading: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/S7_References.pdf Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Lectionary: 247The Saint of the day is Saint MaximilianSaint Maximilian's Story We have an early, almost unembellished account of the martyrdom of Saint Maximilian in modern-day Algeria. Brought before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying, “I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian.” Dion replied: “You must serve or die.” Maximilian: “I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian.” Dion: “There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius and Galerius.” Maximilian: “That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve.” Dion: “But what harm do soldiers do?” Maximilian: “You know well enough.” Dion: “If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army.” Maximilian: “I shall not die. If I go from this earth, my soul will live with Christ my Lord.” Maximilian was 21 years old when he gladly offered his life to God. His father went home from the execution site joyful, thanking God that he had been able to offer heaven such a gift. St. Maximilian’s liturgical feast is celebrated on March 12. Reflection In this celebration we find one inspirational son and one incredible father. Both men were filled with strong faith and hope. Let's ask them to help us in our struggle to remain faithful. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Kézi-vb: hátba szúrta a szenegáli nőket az IHF 24.hu     2023-12-03 03:59:21     Sport Szenegál Rábólintott két exsiófoki játékos honosítására a nemzetközi szövetség, aztán az első vb-meccs előtt megvonta az engedélyt. Milyen a jó halál és ki döntheti el? G7     2023-12-03 04:34:58     Gazdaság Szlovákia Strasbourg Eutanázia A Kassai vs. Magyarország per évtizedekre meghatározhatja az eutanáziáról szóló magyar párbeszédet. Megnéztük a strasbourgi tárgyalást és átvettük a létező európai szabályozásokat. Leszerepeltek megbízhatóságban az e-autók autopro     2023-12-03 04:22:00     Gazdaság Elektromos autó Az elektromos autók a kevesebb alkatrész ellenére is sokkal több hibát produkálnak, mint konvencionális hajtású társaik. Mestermunka az új orosz kamikaze drón – egyelőre nincs ellenszere Privátbankár     2023-12-03 05:48:01     Külföld Ukrajna Moszkva Drón Moszkva egyelőre pusztító hatásfokkal használja saját fejlesztésű drónját - és még fenyegetőbb terveket sző. Nemrég az ukrán főparancsnok is problémaként emelte ki a Lancet drónokat egy nagy politikai vihart kiváltó cikkében. Káncz Csaba jegyzete. Franciaország kártalanítja a beteg gazdákat Magyar Mezőgazdaság     2023-12-03 03:48:05     Mezőgazdaság Kártérítés Parkinson-kór Franciaország az elmúlt három évben kártérítésben részesítette a Parkinson-kórban szenvedő gazdálkodókat, miután számos tanulmány összefüggésbe hozta a betegséget a peszticid használatával. Új műsorral jelentkezik Földi-Kovás Andrea: jön a Carpe Deum Magyar Hírlap     2023-12-02 23:37:39     Belföld Kereszténység A Carpe Deum című műsor a keresztény nézőpontból foglalkozik majd fontos társadalmi kérdésekkel. Egy húsiparellenes reklámkampány, amire mindenki nemet mondott Prove     2023-12-03 06:03:04     Állatvilág USA Reklám Fotográfus Észak-Karolina az egyik legnagyobb sertéshús-előállító az Egyesült Államokban. A több mint 8 millió malaccal az itt lakók leginkább csak a tányérjukon és az éttermekben találkoznak. Most két fotós úgy döntött, megmutatják, amit az emberek nem látnak. A reklámkampány viszont nem az állatok szenvedésére vagy a velük való kegyetlen bánásmódra, hanem a Eladják Siófok 126 éves ikonikus villáját Sokszínű vidék     2023-12-03 05:05:57     Utazás Siófok A két éve bezárt Galerius fürdő felújítására fordítják a bevételt, ami az értékbecslő szerint 930 millió forint lehet. Végleg kimerítette a háború Kijevet? – Jöhetnek a tűzszüneti tárgyalások? Portfolio     2023-12-03 06:15:00     Külföld Ukrajna háború Kijev A tél beálltával biztossá vált az, hogy Ukrajna nyári-őszi offenzívája komolyabb eredmények nélkül zárul, és az is nagyon valószínű, hogy Oroszország sem lesz képes komolyabb területi nyereségekre szert tenni idén. Mind nyugatról, mind keletről egyre több olyan nyilatkozatot lehet hallani, melyek szerint ideje tűzszüneti megállapodást kötnie a harc Szabad szemmel nem látható a hosszú élet titka First Class     2023-12-03 05:36:59     Egészség Dánia A hosszú élet általános receptjét még nem találta meg az emberiség, azonban lépésről lépésre közeledik hozzá. Dán tudósok a tettek mezejére léptek, és száz év feletti embereket megvizsgálva találtak is valamit. Tudtad? Ebbe a hazai színházba kutyával is mehetsz Startlap Utazás     2023-12-03 06:03:33     Utazás Életmód Színház Mozi Kutya Semmi szükség rá, hogy a négy fal között töltsétek a délutánokat a kutyusoddal. Nem csak sétálni, de színházba és moziba is elmehetsz a kutyáddal Magyarországon! Íme a kedvenc kutyabarát helyszíneink. A 2024-es labdarúgó-Európa-bajnokság programja Eurosport     2023-12-02 22:50:40     Foci Németország Hamburg A Hamburgban rendezett sorsolás után kialakult a jövő nyári labdarúgó Európa-bajnokság programja. "A kameruni kézisek sem tudták, mit szeretnének" 24.hu     2023-12-03 03:33:11     Kézilabda Kamerun A kézikapitány Golovin szerint az volt a cél, hogy a csapat ott folytassa, ahol abbahagyta. Idén megrázhatja szakállát a Mikulás? Kiderül     2023-12-03 05:01:35     Időjárás Csapadék Mikulás Átmenetileg nyugodtabbra fordul időjárásunk, kevés helyen lehet csapadék. Kedd este újabb mediterrán ciklon éri el hazánkat, amelyből szerdán többfelé számíthatunk havazásra, havas esőre, keleten esőre is.

Kézi-vb: hátba szúrta a szenegáli nőket az IHF 24.hu     2023-12-03 03:59:21     Sport Szenegál Rábólintott két exsiófoki játékos honosítására a nemzetközi szövetség, aztán az első vb-meccs előtt megvonta az engedélyt. Milyen a jó halál és ki döntheti el? G7     2023-12-03 04:34:58     Gazdaság Szlovákia Strasbourg Eutanázia A Kassai vs. Magyarország per évtizedekre meghatározhatja az eutanáziáról szóló magyar párbeszédet. Megnéztük a strasbourgi tárgyalást és átvettük a létező európai szabályozásokat. Leszerepeltek megbízhatóságban az e-autók autopro     2023-12-03 04:22:00     Gazdaság Elektromos autó Az elektromos autók a kevesebb alkatrész ellenére is sokkal több hibát produkálnak, mint konvencionális hajtású társaik. Mestermunka az új orosz kamikaze drón – egyelőre nincs ellenszere Privátbankár     2023-12-03 05:48:01     Külföld Ukrajna Moszkva Drón Moszkva egyelőre pusztító hatásfokkal használja saját fejlesztésű drónját - és még fenyegetőbb terveket sző. Nemrég az ukrán főparancsnok is problémaként emelte ki a Lancet drónokat egy nagy politikai vihart kiváltó cikkében. Káncz Csaba jegyzete. Franciaország kártalanítja a beteg gazdákat Magyar Mezőgazdaság     2023-12-03 03:48:05     Mezőgazdaság Kártérítés Parkinson-kór Franciaország az elmúlt három évben kártérítésben részesítette a Parkinson-kórban szenvedő gazdálkodókat, miután számos tanulmány összefüggésbe hozta a betegséget a peszticid használatával. Új műsorral jelentkezik Földi-Kovás Andrea: jön a Carpe Deum Magyar Hírlap     2023-12-02 23:37:39     Belföld Kereszténység A Carpe Deum című műsor a keresztény nézőpontból foglalkozik majd fontos társadalmi kérdésekkel. Egy húsiparellenes reklámkampány, amire mindenki nemet mondott Prove     2023-12-03 06:03:04     Állatvilág USA Reklám Fotográfus Észak-Karolina az egyik legnagyobb sertéshús-előállító az Egyesült Államokban. A több mint 8 millió malaccal az itt lakók leginkább csak a tányérjukon és az éttermekben találkoznak. Most két fotós úgy döntött, megmutatják, amit az emberek nem látnak. A reklámkampány viszont nem az állatok szenvedésére vagy a velük való kegyetlen bánásmódra, hanem a Eladják Siófok 126 éves ikonikus villáját Sokszínű vidék     2023-12-03 05:05:57     Utazás Siófok A két éve bezárt Galerius fürdő felújítására fordítják a bevételt, ami az értékbecslő szerint 930 millió forint lehet. Végleg kimerítette a háború Kijevet? – Jöhetnek a tűzszüneti tárgyalások? Portfolio     2023-12-03 06:15:00     Külföld Ukrajna háború Kijev A tél beálltával biztossá vált az, hogy Ukrajna nyári-őszi offenzívája komolyabb eredmények nélkül zárul, és az is nagyon valószínű, hogy Oroszország sem lesz képes komolyabb területi nyereségekre szert tenni idén. Mind nyugatról, mind keletről egyre több olyan nyilatkozatot lehet hallani, melyek szerint ideje tűzszüneti megállapodást kötnie a harc Szabad szemmel nem látható a hosszú élet titka First Class     2023-12-03 05:36:59     Egészség Dánia A hosszú élet általános receptjét még nem találta meg az emberiség, azonban lépésről lépésre közeledik hozzá. Dán tudósok a tettek mezejére léptek, és száz év feletti embereket megvizsgálva találtak is valamit. Tudtad? Ebbe a hazai színházba kutyával is mehetsz Startlap Utazás     2023-12-03 06:03:33     Utazás Életmód Színház Mozi Kutya Semmi szükség rá, hogy a négy fal között töltsétek a délutánokat a kutyusoddal. Nem csak sétálni, de színházba és moziba is elmehetsz a kutyáddal Magyarországon! Íme a kedvenc kutyabarát helyszíneink. A 2024-es labdarúgó-Európa-bajnokság programja Eurosport     2023-12-02 22:50:40     Foci Németország Hamburg A Hamburgban rendezett sorsolás után kialakult a jövő nyári labdarúgó Európa-bajnokság programja. "A kameruni kézisek sem tudták, mit szeretnének" 24.hu     2023-12-03 03:33:11     Kézilabda Kamerun A kézikapitány Golovin szerint az volt a cél, hogy a csapat ott folytassa, ahol abbahagyta. Idén megrázhatja szakállát a Mikulás? Kiderül     2023-12-03 05:01:35     Időjárás Csapadék Mikulás Átmenetileg nyugodtabbra fordul időjárásunk, kevés helyen lehet csapadék. Kedd este újabb mediterrán ciklon éri el hazánkat, amelyből szerdán többfelé számíthatunk havazásra, havas esőre, keleten esőre is.

Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the Third Week of Lent Lectionary: 238The Saint of the day is Saint MaximilianSaint Maximilian's Story We have an early, almost unembellished account of the martyrdom of Saint Maximilian in modern-day Algeria. Brought before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying, “I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian.” Dion replied: “You must serve or die.” Maximilian: “I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian.” Dion: “There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius and Galerius.” Maximilian: “That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve.” Dion: “But what harm do soldiers do?” Maximilian: “You know well enough.” Dion: “If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army.” Maximilian: “I shall not die. If I go from this earth, my soul will live with Christ my Lord.” Maximilian was 21 years old when he gladly offered his life to God. His father went home from the execution site joyful, thanking God that he had been able to offer heaven such a gift. St. Maximilian’s liturgical feast is celebrated on March 12. Reflection In this celebration we find one inspirational son and one incredible father. Both men were filled with strong faith and hope. Let's ask them to help us in our struggle to remain faithful. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Feliz año 2023 a tod@s. Solo ante el peligROL vuelve con una nueva aventura en la que Eduald se vuelve a meter en la piel del intrépido Jakob StarHowl, el asesino intergaláctico más amable y conversador. En esta aventura cerramos todo lo relacionado con su origen, sus trabajos para Galerius y su legado en el planeta Minos. Dos horitas de space opera setentera de la buena, con sociedades decadentes, astronautas ancestrales y nanotecnología descontrolada. Y, cómo no, con la nueva forma de Silver Machine, su ayudante IA más poco útil de toda la galaxia. Esperamos que os guste. Au revoir.

There had been numerous persecutions on a small scale for the first three centuries but the church experienced a much more significant […]

Gamarjoba! In today's episode we'll take a look at the rest of Mirian III's reign until right before a special lady comes into his life, and no, it's not his new wife. This will take us through the Roman-Sassanid Wars of Diocletian and Galerius, and bring in Trdat III (Pictured in the Episode). This will bring us ever closer to Georgia's Christianization, and show us how Mirian may have been led there. Purchase tickets for the Intelligent Speech Conference before May 15th to get 10 dollars off! But wait, there's more discounts! Use my code SAK for an additional 10% TICKETS! This will bring your total up to $18 USD for being an early bird! Purchase at: Intelligent Speech Conference Tickets (Just click the words) Support us on Ko-fi! Find us on: Website | Amazon | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/historysaqartvelogeorgia/support

Den Bischof Nikolaus kennt fast jedes Kind. Zur Erinnerung an das viele Gute, das er getan hat, gibt es am Nikolaustag für die Kinder kleine Geschenke.

Luke 11:1-2 Matthew 6:9-13 Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.The Lord’s Prayer is too good to pray in vain, and it’s too good to think you’re too good for.  Matthew 6:9 Our Father in heaven,The emperor Caesar, Galerius, Valerius, Maximanus, Invictus, Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Germanincus Maximus, Egypticus Maximus, Phoebicus Maximus, Sarmenticus Maximus (5x), Persecus Maximus (twice), Carpicus Maximus (6 times), Armenicus Maximus, Medicus Maximus, Abendicus Maximus, Holder of tribunal authority for the 20th time, emperor for the 19th, council of the 8th, Pro-Counsul, Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 Guard your steps and focus on what you are doing as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen… Do not be hasty with your mouth [speaking careless words or vows] or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. Jesus Modeled: Let your words be few and powerful. Jesus Modeled: The language of our heart is more important than the language of our tribe.Jesus Modeled: Praying ‘Our Father’ unites us as the family of God. Jesus Modeled: Abba is approachable and desires intimacy with his children, and at the same time, He is the majesty of heaven. Matthew 6:9 …Hallowed be Your name.May it be made holy, your name.Ezekiel 36:21-23 Jesus Modeled: A desire for God to demonstrate his Holiness.Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.The Kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God advancing here on earth, bringing healing and wholeness by chasing out the chaos.  The Kingdom of Heaven is already with even more to come.Jesus Modeled: We have a part to play in bringing God’s Kingdom to the earth. CARD SLIDEJesus Modeled: Our free will won’t always line up with God’s will, so we must ask God for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. Jesus Modeled: Asking God to remove a spirit of lack as we trust Him to be a perfect provider. Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.“The world despises this theology because it thinks anger is necessary to fuel the struggle for justice, and that forgiveness will dissipate that anger. The Christian disagrees and replies, “No. I will forgive and I will struggle for justice. I may still be angry, but my struggle for justice will be purified by forgiveness and thereby become more effective.” - Kenneth Bailey Micah 6:8 The Lord God has told us what is right and what he demands: “See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God.”Forgiveness purifies our pursuit of justice.Jesus Modeled: Receiving and extending forgiveness daily. Matthew 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.Jesus Modeled: Dependance on GodMatthew 6:9-13 Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Chào mừng các bạn đã quay trở lại với A Week TV, hôm nay là ngày 5 tháng 5 và chúng ta cùng điểm qua các sự kiện đã diễn ra trong ngày này: SỰ KIỆN 1260 - Hốt Tất Liệt trở thành người cai trị Đế chế Mông Cổ . 1494 - Christopher Columbus đặt chân lên đảo Jamaica và tuyên bố chủ quyền đó cho Tây Ban Nha. 1908 – Trần Quý Cáp nhà yêu nước Việt Nam, một trong những người lập Duy Tân Hội bị Pháp đem chém ở chợ Diên Khánh. Năm 2019 - Một máy bay phản lực của Nga bốc cháy khi đang cố gắng hạ cánh khẩn cấp xuống sân bay Sheremetyevo ở Moscow khiến ít nhất 41 người thiệt mạng. [số 8] Ngày lễ và kỷ niệm Ngày Thiếu nhi tại Hàn Quốc, Nhật (子供の日, kodomo no hi?). Sinh 1818 - Karl Marx , nhà triết học, nhà xã hội học và nhà báo người Đức (mất năm 1883) 1926 – Anh Bằng, nhạc sĩ người Việt Nam (m. 2015). 1937 – Trần Đức Lương, Chủ tịch nước Việt Nam 1951 – Anatoly Karpov, kỳ thủ cờ vua Nga 1988 – Adele, ca sĩ Anh. Mất 311 – Galerius, Hoàng đế La Mã 1277 – Trần Thái Tông, Hoàng đế đầu tiên của nhà Trần Việt Nam (s. 1218) 1921 – Alfred Hermann Fried, ký giả Áo, giải Nobel Hoà bình năm 1911 (s. 1864) 1944 – Bertha Benz, doanh nhân người Đức trong lĩnh vực xe hơi (s. 1849) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/aweek-tv/message

When Galerius had a big victory against the Persians he decided to celebrate with a fantastic building project. The arch and associated palace complex would dominate the streets of Thessaloniki in Greece, and long remembered after the name of Galerius was forgotten. Guest: Assoc. Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt).

John 18:28-37 A Kingdom, Not of this World In 1979, the late Jerry Falwell pioneered a political machine known as the Moral Majority. Falwell, originally a pastor and university president, became alarmed at that social and cultural transformation taking place in America through the 1960’s and 70’s and responded by seeking to reclaim the nation through the American political system. Falwell saw traditional family values were under attack. Sexual promiscuity was on the rise, the advance of homosexual agenda socially, the legalization of abortion, schools were promoting evolution and removing group prayer. Falwell shifted his focus in 1979. Previously he had been a radio and eventually a television preacher. But he found a greater opportunity in politics than in preaching. One historian writes: Recognizing that he could gain greater attention by talking about social issues than theological topic, Falwell turned (from television preaching) to politics.1 Things started off with a bang. In the fiscal 1979, the program raised $35 million from the two and a half million people on its mailing lists.2 Adjusting for inflation, that would be $95 million in today’s money. Almost $100 million raised in one year. The Moral Majority, was self-described as pro-family and pro-American. They were anti-abortion. Anti-pornography. Anti-communist. Anti-homosexuality. Anti-gambling. Pro-Israel. In 1980 the Moral Majority was credited with helping Ronald Reagan win the presidential election. A new day of political conservatism seemed to be dawning. Grass roots campaigns were taking place at the local and state level. Many others had tried unsuccessfully to create similar movements and failed. What gave the movement such success? Well Falwell was joined by other megachurch pastors—Charles Stanley (adding a Southern Baptist contingency) and D. James Kennedy (from the PCA, the Presbyterian Church in America). Reached across doctrinal lines within Christianity. And not just from within Christianity, but beyond it. They found allies and supports among Catholics, Mormons and Jews who shared the same concerns about society and desire to see cultural transformation.3 As sociologists reflect on what made this movement so powerful, it credits the key to the apparent success the fact that they were able to enlist the support of 72,000 pastors. 72,000 pulpits that began to unite a grass roots campaign and a concerted effort to take back America and reclaim the moral high ground. 72,000 pulpits that began to prioritize the focus of God’s people from the simple message of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, to one of reclaiming America. That was the trade. Fast forward ten years to 1989 and the Moral Majority had already disbanded, and although they had aligned the American church with the republican party in the so-called religious right, even they recognized that their ambitions never materialized as they hoped. So, what’s to show for all the time and money today? Every moral battle the Moral Majority fought for in America is now either in the same spot or much worse. Go down the list and compare the legislation, the legal rulings, the media and entertainment industry, the practice and celebration of sin and compare the 1980’s to today. What was the problem with the Moral Majority? Was it what they stood for? No. Not really anyway. Christians should care about many of the things the Moral Majority did. They should fear the Lord, affirm what he affirms and hate what he hates. Was it that they involved themselves in politics through legislation and supporting candidates? No. Christians have a stewardship and the privilege of living in a democratic republic where we get to tangibly support what we believe honors God. The problem was a misplaced hope and a misplaced means for accomplishing that hope. What they failed to understand, and what we so often fail to understand is that although there are consequences of legislation and legal rulings from court battles and elections, God’s mission for his church is to center on the evangelizing of the lost and the edification of the saints so that we would be worshipers of God, for his glory. What they wanted was a good desire. What Christian doesn’t want to see righteous leaders and just laws. And punishment of evil doers and the promotion of legitimate civil liberties. The restraint of evil. Truthfulness. And honor and respect. The protection of the vulnerable. And peace. That kingdom is coming, but it isn’t here yet. We struggle because we want to see the promised kingdom come here and now through our own efforts. Through something that we can control. Something we can fundraise for. Mobilize. Gain enough influence and clout. Have the right party in control. Have the right person in the White House. God’s mission for his church is to center on the evangelizing of the lost and the edification of the saints so that we would be worshipers of God, for his glory. And to wait for his coming kingdom. It is a misplaced hope and a misplaced means for accomplishing that hope. We want the promised kingdom to come here and now through our own efforts. My friends, there is no such thing as a Christian nation or empire. What if the Moral Majority had been successful? What if every initiative had proved successful? What if we had a Christian for a president? Christian governors and judges and senators? What if abortion was illegal? What if evildoers were punished and true civil liberties were protected? Everyone feels better about their grandkids and reading the news and what others are posting online. But how does achieving that impact the cause of Christ? We don’t know exactly. But we have somewhat of a case study in church history. At the end of the third century, Christians suffered the most intense persecution the church had ever faced to that point. It started in rather indirect ways. First, pressure came against Christians regarding the military. Around A.D. 295 a number of Christians were condemned to death, some for refusing to join the army, and others for trying to leave it.4 Basically, Christians were viewed as a problem because they might not be embracing the military the way the pagan would. It was viewed as a threat to military morale. So, the pressure for conformity wasn’t direct (i.e., you believe in Jesus) but rather your lack of conforming to our military expectations. Next, in 303 A.D. Diocletian issued an edict to remove Christians from positions of responsibility within the empire. It seemed fairly benign. Just remove believers from government positions. And yet when it came to applying this decree, there were those who did it with greater zeal—they went beyond what was commanded by the decree. They began to destroy Christian buildings and books. If people refused to hand over their books, they were tortured and condemned to death. This caused conflicts that led Diocletian to become convinced that Christians were conspiring against him. And so he decreed all church leaders be arrested, and every Christian sacrifice to the gods. Thus was unleashed the most cruel of all persecutions that the ancient church had to endure… efforts were made to encourage Christians to abandon their faith. Accustomed as they were to the relative ease of several decades, many Christians succumbed. The rest were tortured with refined cruelty, and eventually killed in a variety of ways.5 Galerius was the mastermind behind Diocletian who was pushing the agenda against Christians. He was succeeded by Maximinus, who: …sought to perfect the policies of Galerius by having Christians maimed and put to work in stone quarries.6 But of course, that work didn’t stop the progress of the church: But then many of the condemned began organizing new churches in their places of punishment, and Maximinus had them killed or deported.7 Soon there was a decree granting a stay to stop punishing Christians as long as they “do not interfere with the public order.” I highlight that because the injunction wasn’t to stop preaching Christ, but to not do things that would threaten society. Public health and safety and peace in the empire were the ways that pressure came against the church. All of this set the backdrop for the arrival of Constantine. Constantine the night before a battle for the empire, had a dream where he received a command to put the Christian symbol on the shields of his soldiers. He didn’t come to salvation through repentance and faith in the finished work of Christ, but he had an experience that led him to believe that he wanted the Christian God on his side. And we get a window into what happens when the church goes from being persecuted to being in vogue. Constantine legalized Christianity. Finally, we had a guy who was on our side. He immediately upheld the free exercise of religion. He gave Christians back their property. Constantine was convinced that the glory of the Roman empire would be realized not apart from, but through Christianity. With the empire led by a supposed Christian, people were flocking to the churches. Apparent converts were happening so fast that there was hardly time to catechize them before baptism, let alone disciple them in the faith, or even validate if they were truly regenerate. Churches were receiving donations from the government. Soldiers were ordered by edict in A.D. 324 to worship the God of the Bible on the first day of the week. Constantine appointed a number of Christians to high positions within the government. He called together a church council in 325 and also sought to remove pagan temples and replace them with churches. During this time there were those who saw Constantine as God’s man for the job. He had been given to bring the church and empire together and for history to culminate. Constantine’s influence is difficult to underestimate because western civilization and much of our view of Christianity here in the West is connected to these very roots. Just consider some of the changes that were taking place… Christian theology was being shaped by the new circumstances, even to the point of abandoning some of the traditional themes… For starters, the prevailing view of the early church was that it was rare for the rich to see their need for salvation and be saved. But under Constantine, Riches and pomp came to be seen as signs of divine favor… Church buildings went from simple structures to get the job done (i.e., be a place to gather) and became ornate. There was a clerical aristocracy that began, that is to say church leaders began to operate in an official capacity, not longer just one of the common folks. They began to change from normal clothing to special attire. But perhaps the most significant change was in the area of a believer’s hope. Eusebius of Caesarea was one of the great theologians of his time. He was caught up in the apparent success of Christianity as marked by money and buildings and social clout and favor. And in the midst of that, his theology shifted. Although Eusebius does not go as far as to say so explicitly, in reading his words one receives the impression that now, with Constantine and his successors, the plan of God has been fulfilled. Beyond the present political order, all that Christians are to hope for is their own personal transference into the heavenly kingdom… there was a tendency to set aside or to postpone the hope of the early church, that its lord would return in the clouds to establish a Kingdom of peace and justice… the scheme of history that Eusebius developed led him to set aside a fundamental theme of early Christian preaching: the coming Kingdom of God.8 Do you see what happened? The shift from being out of season, to being in season marked a shift in focus among God’s people. Rather than think about the kingdom to come, they began to focus on seeing the kingdom come in their own time in their own way. My friends, it is a luxury to have such a view. In fact, I would dare say that the worldview that things will get better and better until Jesus comes not only misunderstands the Scripture, but could only be maintained if you live in a place like Rome during the time of Constantine or America for the past 300 years. And the kingdom is not here right now. We are not living in the spiritualization of kingdom promises. By that we mean to say that this world does not fit the description we read about in Scripture when the Messiah is reigning and ruling with his enemies subdued under his feet. World religions. Islam fastest growing religion in the world right now. Buddhism. Hindu. Atheists. Paganism and other faiths. Then you have within the supposed Christian numbers Roman Catholics. Prosperity Gospel. Protestant liberalism (to say they don’t believe in the core tenant of the Gospel). Worldwide lawlessness abounds. Error abounds. There’s no nation you can point to that is experience peace within and without, with God-fearing rulers who love justice and citizens who live righteously. We reject post-millennialism, that is to say that we are going to see the kingdom ushered in through the gradual progress of Christ’s dominion on this earth. We reject amillennialism, which says either the kingdom doesn’t exist at all, or we are in the kingdom right now. Rather, we believe that the kingdom is a bona fide reality where Jesus will actually be visibly seen, seated on a throne, and by which his glory will be made known. He is coming to establish this kingdom. The Bible teaches that we are still waiting for this to come to fruition. Turn with me to Acts 1 to see this in just one place so evidently. This was after Jesus died and was raised and appeared… Acts 1:6 (ESV) So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Is it gonna be here now?? What does he say next? My kingdom, the promises you have been waiting for are actually spiritual realities. I’m head of the church, so all of that stuff about peace and justice and righteousness, I meant that will happen in the church, not in society. You misunderstood the promises of my kingdom. No. Acts 1:7–8 (ESV) He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. We are waiting on it. I’m not giving you a date. But in this Jesus is affirming that there is a kingdom and in that kingdom is coming. What are the disciples to do in the meantime? But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Wait for the spirit and then get to work. I’m tasking you with a mission until my kingdom comes. Make your way back to John 18 with me and we get to see how this kingdom is presented here by Jesus. Pilate meets his maker today and declares him innocent (John 18:29-38). Last week we parked on the first verse and saw that… Religious hypocrites do anything to keep saving face (28) That was our main point. Religious hypocrites don’t want to be righteous, but they don’t want to stop looking righteous. So they pretend. Pilate meets his maker and declares him innocent (29-38) John 18 (ESV) 28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. John’s purpose here as we said, is to demonstrate that Jesus Christ was unjustly condemned and in fact, exonerated of any guilt. He records the details, and we will look at them briefly as we make our way to the statement, we are going to hone in here in v. 36 my kingdom is not of this world. 28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. The they here, is explained by Mark in his Gospel as: Mark 15:1—the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; This was the Sanhedrin, the ruling body in Jerusalem made up of various religious leaders. Almost like a city council, except they operated in behalf of the nation. It was early morning. Not a legitimate trial. This was carried out through the night. But a man wasn’t to be tried and convicted on the same day according to their own statutes. Due process is being violated because they aren’t concerned with justice. This is an outcome-based trial. We know what we want and so we force the situation to fit into those rules. Jesus knew this was going to happen and said as much: Mark 10:33–34—…Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. The whole thing is a sham. But these men are hell-bent on their own desires and they are blind to their hypocrisy. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. Save face at all costs. Unwilling to come clean and drop the pretending. The religious leaders, filled with pretense, must still keep the appearance of righteousness. They must keep it up to appease their own consciences and to garner the esteem of others. Normally the governor lived in Caesarea, but during the great feasts it was prudent for him to come to Jerusalem in case a riot or insurrection took place. Passover was particularly dangerous because emotions ran high as the Jews remembered their deliverance from bondage. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, He goes outside. One time when the Jehovah’s witness ladies came to our door and I didn’t know that that’s a big no-no for them to come into the house. So, I told ‘em, “come in, let’s talk…” I told them… I’m in seminary right now, and we were just talking about you guys the other day. I’d love to sit down and try out some passages on you. They never came back… I think we had a different idea of a good time. Anyway, we had to stay outside to talk. Pilate goes outside. He’s no dummy. He knows this is a sham. And so, he asks them, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” Great non-answer. Just be honest. They say if he were not doing evil… What’s the truth about what Jesus has done? … he has cured every kind of diseases, has driven the devils out of men, has made the paralytics and the lame to walk, has restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and life to the dead? Such were the real facts, and those men knew them well; but… when men are intoxicated with pride, nothing is more difficult than to arouse them to form a sound and correct judgment.9 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” Look, I’m not going to be sucked into this. You can’t even bring a legitimate charge for something that I need to deal with. The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” We can’t. the Sanhedrin already condemned Jesus for blasphemy. But they can’t carry out the sentence because they would be breaking Roman law. They need the conviction at that level. Pilate isn’t going to swallow this thing. Even though he could at times be hard on the Jews, he has no interest in petty matters, and he certainly isn’t interested in granting false death sentences. So, he chooses rather than to simply affirm the case the Jews have made, to conduct his own trial and investigation. All of these events from the individuals are just happening. But God has a divine purpose in all of it. Verse 32 is an editorial comment by John. This would be in parenthesis if we were writing it today. Note: 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. If the Sanhedrin had Jesus killed they would have stoned him. Stoning broke bones. Here Jesus would be crucified in order: (a) to fulfill prophecies (e.g., that none of His bones be broken; cf. 19:36–37); (b) to include both Jews and Gentiles in the collective guilt for the deed (cf. Acts 2:23; 4:27); (c) by crucifixion, Jesus was “lifted up” like “the snake in the desert” (cf. comments on John 3:14). A person under God’s curse was to be displayed (hanged) on a tree as a sign of judged sin (Deut. 21:23; Gal. 3:13).10 33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” What’s he trying to figure out? Is this guy actually an insurrectionist? Is he trying to overthrow the government? 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Putting it Pilate’s conscience. Is this really what you think I am? The charges of course were partly true and party false. Jesus was in fact the Christ, but Luke tells us the charge they made was: Luke 23:2b—We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King. They knew the claim to be a king would be the only potential way to get Rome involved. Jesus is an enemy of the state. 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Why are you here? You’re the one who got delivered over today… not me.11 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” I wonder what went through Pilate’s mind at that moment. Jesus is no doubt unphased being before Pilate. He isn’t begging for his life. He isn’t railing insults. He is calm. And he is undeterred. Unintimidated. And he looks him in the eyes and he says: my kingdom is not of this world. Unlike your kingdom that is of the world, mine is not. Jesus is speaking of origin here. The preposition of is ἐκ = source. It doesn’t originate from this world. It isn’t brought about through traditional forms of conquest. What’s his evidence? If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, We would have organized a militia. We would have some plan to overthrow Rome. I would have been campaigning. Stockpiling resources. Organization. Planning. When I was to be brought into custody my servants would have been battling… that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.12 There would have been a coup. A coup d'etat is defined as a group who overthrows a government and rules for at least a week. Usually requires significant skill or resources to overthrow even a weak government. You need a lot of power on your side. Jesus is saying, if my kingdom originated here on this earth, I’d have some military guys who knew how to use weapons and kill people. Instead look at me… I’ve got fisherman, tax collector, one random zealot with Simon who was involved in politics but wasn’t a trained military man that we know of.13 Look, if you need proof, just go ask Malchus. Malchus is the servant of the high priest who Peter took a swipe at with his sword in the Garden. The guy should be dead right now because Peter went for his head and came away with just an ear. Jesus gives him the truth. Gives him the opportunity to submit himself to the truth, which Pilate will not do. He repeats himself. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Such strange words. Not backing down his claim to authority. This would be unnerving. You catch an insurgent leader—someone trying to lead a rebellion you expect them to be either 1) belligerent and defiant; or 2) diminutive and meek. Either still fighting or else trying to smooth things over. Either spit in your face or kiss your hand. But to stand there and not be angry or defensive and also not cower is astounding. Jesus sticks to the claim. He repeats himself. I’ve got a kingdom. Rome? Whatev… Yawn. Jesus doesn’t mock Pilate, but you could almost see him laughing… oh wait, you think I’m talking about this goofy little empire you guys have going? No. Sorry Charlie. I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in your cute little job Pilate. That’s so cute you guys stamp your faces on your money in your little kingdom. Pilate’s trying to figure out if Jesus wants Rome. Jesus is sticking to the facts—I’ve got a kingdom and it has nothing to do with yours. I actually feel bad for Pilate here. 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Struggling to track this whole situation. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. Jesus never claims to be a king during his first coming. It wasn’t part of his mission at this time. Jesus never refers to himself “the King of the Jews.” He says, “the designation is yours” And He answered him, “It is as you say.” Why? Well, because it is true that he is the promised, anointed one of Israel. Calling himself a king is going to bring confusion.14 Pilate is going to call him King of the Jews. The Maji are going to call him that. But that’s not a moniker he takes for himself. It’s not the right timing for him to be revealed as such. He’s not going to be caught saying, “I’m the King of the Jews” because it is going to be misunderstood, and his kingdom is going to include a lot more than just Jewish people. Nevertheless, the kingdom is a central theme of the earthly proclamation ministry of Jesus.15 Some would say it’s the central theme of the Bible. Explain Michael Vlach… Just let’s take one sample. Here in one gospel record. Matthew wanted to demonstrate Jesus was the promised Messiah fulfilling Jewish prophecies. But he’s just recording Jesus ministry. Let this convince you of how central the kingdom is. Matthew 2–Jesus Messiah… John the Baptist came on the scene before Christ saying what? Matthew 3:2 (ESV) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Satan comes to tempt Jesus. And what’s the bait? Matthew 4:8 (ESV) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. You can have your glorious reign now with all of the nations bowing to you in worship, and I’ll offer it to you without the pain of the cross. Bypass the humiliation and get the glory now. What’s his temptation? The kingdom exaltation without the suffering. Right off the bat, same chapter the preaching ministry of Jesus is centered on what? The kingdom.16 Matthew 4:17 (ESV) From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It is near. Matthew 5, Jesus preaches what we know as the sermon on the mount. What does he address in that sermon? Who inherits the kingdom? Who gets to be in? Matthew 5:3 (ESV) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10 (ESV) “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 (ESV) For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The future kingdom is to influence your life today recognizing that there are those who will be great and those who will be the least in this kingdom… Matthew 5:19 (ESV) Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. You are to pray for the arrival of this earthly kingdom: Matthew 6:10 (ESV) Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Your entire life is to be oriented around Christ and the future you have with him. Matthew 6:33 (ESV) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Finally, entrance in the kingdom will not be based upon what you have done for God or done in his name. It will be based upon those who those who obey God out of a heart of love because they have been born again. Matthew 7:21 (ESV) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Jesus is found preaching about, you guessed it, the kingdom.17 Sons of the kingdom, Matthew 8 The gospel (good news) of the kingdom, Matthew 9 Sends his disciples to go preach 10:7 that the kingdom is at hand Talking about the kingdom in Matthew 11 The kingdom in Matthew 12 In Matthew 13, Jesus says that: Matthew 13:11 (ESV) And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. And from then Jesus begins to teach in parables saying, “the kingdom of heaven is like…”18 The seed that a sower sows on various kinds of soil The wheat and the tares (good soil mixed with weeds) Like mustard seed Like leaven Like a treasure Like a fishing net It’s going to be a place where righteousness and justice reign: Matthew 13:41–43 (ESV) The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. The church is given the keys to this kingdom. Talk about an amazing and wonderful responsibility. The idea that the church is carrying out the responsibility of on earth clarifying who is and isn’t part of the kingdom Matthew 16:19 (ESV) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Humility is esteemed in the kingdom… Matthew 18:1–4 (ESV) At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. A few days prior to this, Jesus had come riding into Jerusalem on an unridden foal. It was the sign of a humble king: Matthew 21:9 (ESV) And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Many are called into this kingdom, but few are chosen. Matthew 22 records that Jesus tells a parable of a King who offers an invitation to his son’s wedding. And when his invitation is disregarded (in this case by Israel) he extends the invitation to anyone who will come. And yet those who come in their own clothes, their own righteousness are cast out. 19 You are to be ready for this kingdom by repenting and turning to Christ now while there is time. So, you are not left like the virgins who are unprepared when the bridegroom arrives and they miss entering the kingdom. Matthew 25:1 (ESV) “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. You are to be looking forward to the fact that there is a new kingdom coming that will be your inheritance. God will be doling out rewards and punishment. Matthew 25:34 (ESV) Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. The glorious promise of this kingdom. What you are desiring is good. And it will be fulfilled. Just not yet. So many in Israel at the time of Jesus had a hard time understanding his ministry, not because they were completely wrong about the fact that Jesus was David’s promised Son who would rule. But they misunderstood that he wasn’t establishing his kingdom in his first coming. It was coming later. Too often we lose sight of this coming kingdom and we want to see these things here and now through means that we can control. It’s a misplaced hope. What you want isn’t wrong with regard to the desire for a coming kingdom. But you have to understand the timeline and agenda for getting there. It’s a different path, generally speaking: Acts 14:21–22 (ESV) When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. That message isn’t suffering so that you can get saved. You get saved by trusting in Christ. But entering the kingdom, that process—is fraught with many trials. Many hardships. Right now, where is Jesus in all of this? He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He has all authority. He has been affirmed in the right to rule. But not all things have been put in subjection to him. Satan is still deceiving the nations. World superpowers are still doing what they will in rejection of Christ. Error and deception and wickedness is running amuck. 1 Corinthians 15:24–25 (ESV) Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. You can belong to this kingdom. Jesus invites you to enter into his kingdom. He beckons you to be part of it. How do you gain citizenship in this glorious kingdom? Faith in his all-sufficient sacrifice for you. But there’s a catch. You’ve gotta wait for it. Conclusion See his kingdom not of this world. It doesn’t originate from any human authority. And it isn’t brought about through human means. This should be an anchor point for you. It should be invigorating. Hebrews 12:28–29 (ESV) Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. His kingdom agenda is not cultural transformation. It isn’t to eradicate poverty. Or to relieve human suffering. That day is coming. But it comes when he brings it. And it comes when he is seated on David’s throne and he rules over all in perfect justice and righteousness and peace. It comes when he subdues his enemies underneath his feet. And at that moment he comes and reverses the curse and begins to make right what is currently wrong with this earth. Pilate has Jesus killed. Ok so that just accomplished God’s will. And then it didn’t even work because Jesus came back to life. Diocletian tries to get people to abandon their faith. Maximinus starts maiming Christians and sending them to work camps—ok now they have work camp church plants. Constantine ushers in a golden age of Christianity. Well kinda. Some huge benefits to the church—free to work on out theology and yet it also weakened the the church. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Pendulums will swing. The wicked are going to prosper. Not bringing the kingdom here and now… Your invitation… Are you part of this kingdom? Then are you joining in advancing this kingdom? Don’t you dare for a second get caught up in the wrong definition of the kingdom. You can properly care about good legislation and good candidates without hoping in it. So now we are ambassadors for this king: Matthew 24:14 (ESV) And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. It was the words of our Lord to comfort his disciples: Matthew 26:29 (ESV) I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr Lectionary: 314All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is St. AgnesOn Jan. 21, the Roman Catholic Church honors the virgin and martyr St. Agnes, who suffered death for her consecration to Christ. Although the details of Agnes' life are mostly unknown, the story of her martyrdom has been passed on with reverence since the fourth century. On the feast day of the young martyr whose name means lamb in Latin the Pope traditionally blesses lambs, whose wool will be used to make the white pallium worn by archbishops. Born into a wealthy family during the last decade of the third century, Agnes lived in Rome during the last major persecution of the early Church under the Emperor Diocletian. Though he was lenient toward believers for much of his rule, Diocletian changed course in 302, resolving to wipe out the Church in the empire.Agnes came of age as the Church was beginning to suffer under a set of new laws decreed by Diocletian, and his co-ruler Galerius, in 303. The emperor and his subordinate called for churches to be destroyed and their books burned. Subsequent orders led to the imprisonment and torture of clergy and laypersons, for the sake of compelling them to worship the emperor instead of Christ.Meanwhile, Agnes had become a young woman of great beauty and charm, drawing the attention of suitors from the first ranks of the Roman aristocracy. But in keeping with the words of Christ and Saint Paul, she had already decided on a life of celibacy for the sake of God's kingdom. To all interested men, she explained that she had already promised herself to a heavenly and unseen spouse.These suitors both understood Agnes' meaning, and resented her resolution. Some of the men, possibly looking to change her mind, reported her to the state as a believer in Christ. Agnes was brought before a judge who tried first to persuade her, and then to threaten her, into renouncing her choice not to marry for the Lord's sake. When the judge showed her the various punishments he could inflict including fire, iron hooks, or the rack that destroyed the limbs by stretching Agnes smiled and indicated she would suffer them willingly. But she was brought before a pagan altar instead, and asked to make an act of worship in accordance with the Roman state religion.When Agnes refused, the judge ordered that she should be sent to a house of prostitution, where the virginity she had offered to God would be violated. Agnes predicted that God would not allow this to occur, and her statement proved true. Legends say that the first man to approach her in the brothel was struck blind by a sudden flash of light, and others opted not to repeat his mistake. But one of the men who had at first sought to make Agnes his own, now lobbied the judge for her execution. In this respect, the suitor obtained his desire, when the public official sentenced her to die by beheading. The executioner gave her one last chance to spare her life, by renouncing her consecration to Christ but Agnes refused, made a short prayer, and courageously submitted to death.St. Agnes, who died in 304, was venerated as a holy martyr from the fourth century onward. She is mentioned in the Latin Church's most traditional Eucharistic prayer, the Roman Canon. Saint of the Day Copyright CNA, Catholic News Agency

Despite the Edict of Galerius, his nephew Maximinus Daia refuses to end the Great Persecution. After securing his power base, the emperor of the east launches a cunning campaign to resume the persecution of Christians and discredit their faith with slander and propaganda. Music “Sons of Constantinople” by Tyler Cunningham, licensed under Pond5. HistoryoftheEarlyChurch.wordpress.com HistoryoftheEarlyChurch@gmail.com Facebook.com/EarlyChurchPodcast

During the lull in persecution following the Conference of Carnuntum, the Meletian Schism breaks out in Egypt, while in Palestine controversy erupts over the theology of Origen of Alexandria. Nevertheless the Great Persecution is soon resumed as the Fifth Edict is issued in order to revitalize paganism and marginalize Christians from society. However, just as Galerius prepares to celebrate his Vicennalia, he is struck by a horrific disease, eventually leading him to reconsider his persecution of Christians. Music “Sons of Constantinople” by Tyler Cunningham, licensed under Pond5. HistoryoftheEarlyChurch.wordpress.com HistoryoftheEarlyChurch@gmail.com Facebook.com/EarlyChurchPodcast

The succession of the second Tetrarchy grants the eastern Christians a respite from the Great Persecution. However, it is not long before Galerius and his new Caesar Maximinus Daia resume the persecution and introduce new harsher methods of enforcement and punishment in the process. Meanwhile the seeds of schism are sown in the Church of Egypt by the controversial activities of the new bishop of Lycopolis. Music “Sons of Constantinople” by Tyler Cunningham, licensed under Pond5. HistoryoftheEarlyChurch.wordpress.com HistoryoftheEarlyChurch@gmail.com Facebook.com/EarlyChurchPodcast

Galerius rules from the East and Constantine fears for his life. One night the young man flees to Gaul to rejoin his father in the west. When Constantius dies his son becomes emperor. In the chaos that follows the ambitious man looks to the heavens and receives divine revelation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Galerius rules from the East and Constantine fears for his life. One night the young man flees to Gaul to rejoin his father in the west. When Constantius dies his son becomes emperor. In the chaos that follows the ambitious man looks to the heavens and receives divine revelation.

Round IV: Who will go through? The mighty Diocletian, the horrible Galerius, the amazing Constantius II or the good-looking Majorian? Also: we look at the best looking busts and coins of the empire. 

The 4th of the original Tetrarchs and perhaps the most controversial. Was he a genocidal maniac, hellbent on eradicating monotheism? Or did he simple want to teach the christians some discipline? Galerius himself has questions: Was his father a snake? What do the Arminians keep under their armour? Where is Valerian nowadays? And why do the Christians not want to stop being Christian? After all, he is killing a lot of them, surely they should be more co-operative? 

View a picture of the Amphitheatre at Carthage, the likely martyr site of Perpetua and Felicitas). Continue to explore the physical opposition and major persecutions of Christians during this time. Decius (249-251 AD) had a big impact and wanted to preserve classical culture. He ordered everyone to make sacrifices to the Emperor and those who did were provided with a libellus, which was a receipt or proof of the sacrifices. Christians had no libellus and the Bishop of Rome was executed. Valerian (253-260 AD) ordered similar decrees that all Christians had to sacrifice to the Emperor. Cyprian of Carthage was martyred during this time in 258 AD. During the reign of Gallienus (260-268 AD), persecutions seem to die down. He was the first Emperor to issue an edict of toleration. Christianity was still illegal but decriminalized. Explore the tetrarchy established by Diocletian (284–305 AD). He divided the Empire into two parts, East and West. Each part had a Ruler and a deputy or lieutenant ruler. In the West, his lieutenant, Maximian Augustus, was in charge. Diocletian took over the Eastern part. Under Maximian Augustus was Constantius I in the West and under Diocletian in the East was Galerius, who did not like Christians. The Great Persecution began in 297-301. What was the spark? Galerius was the reason Diocletian persecuted Christians. He issued four edicts and each ratcheted up persecutions. In February 303 AD, churches and books were destroyed. In mid-year 303 AD, the clergy was imprisoned. In November 303 AD, amnesty was offered to Christians who would sacrifice to the Roman gods. In the spring of 304 AD, everyone had to sacrifice or face death. Some Christians responded by burning the emperor’s palace in Nicomedia. Diocletian responded by making 268 Christians martyrs. What were the types of punishments for persecuted Christians? They were thrown into cages with wild animals, had their eyes gouged out, were beheaded, crucified, and had molten lead poured down their throats. Consider Hebrews 11:25-27. Diocletian retired in 305 AD and forced Maximian to retire also. Galerius, his lieutenant took over the East and continued the persecution of Diocletian. Constantius ruled over the West and took a far less brutal path. He did not execute people, but he did burn various churches. What were the results of this persecution? This heroism brought new converts and attracted people to the faith. Many in the crowds watching had sympathy. In 311 AD, Galerius, in the East changed his mind (a politically expedient move) and issued an edict of toleration. Christianity was once again a religio licita (legal religion). The edict ended by asking the Christians to pray for the empire. When Constantius I died, his son, Constantine defeated Maxentius in 312 AD at the battle of Milvian Bridge for control. How does this relate theologically to us today? Jesus tells us, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”(Luke 9:23) We also read in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Explore the background of the 4th Century in which there was chaos. The Great Persecution happened under Diocletian (284-305 AD) around 297-301 AD. Explore the Tetrarchy with the Eastern Empire ruled by Diocletian and Galerius, and the Western Empire ruled by Maximian Augustus and Constantius. Galerius provoked Diocletian into persecuting the Christians. Diocletian retired in 304 AD and insisted that Maximian retire as well. Galerius took over for Diocletian and Constantius took over for Maximian. Galerius continued the persecution. Constantius did not think Christians should be persecuted so did not pursue Christians. Eventually Galerius concedes defeat since the public was not unifying but actually dividing. Galerius issued the Edict of Toleration. Consider Eusebius’ response. Christianity became a religio licita (a legal religion) once again. Constantine was in Britain when his father died and he claimed to be the rightful successor to the throne. Maxentius also claimed the throne. There was a political and physical battle going on but also a spiritual battle. Constantine had a conversion experience in which the Labarum symbol (Chi-Rho) appeared and so it was used on the shields of his men during the battle at Milvian Bridge where he defeated Maxentius. Constantine was theologically confused from the start. Consider Henry Chadwick’s description of Constantine. Constantine never left this syncretic faith. The Arch of Constantine marks the spot of the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Constantine took control of the Western Empire, formed an alliance with Licinius, and agreed to no more persecution of Christians through the Edict of Milan. Was all well and everyone living in peace? Not exactly. Distant rulers such as Maximinus Daia who ruled the furthest eastern part of the Empire carried on the persecution but was eventually overthrown by Licinius. Constantine and Licinius had a complex friendship or relationship. There was distrust between them and in 324 AD Constantine overthrew Licinius. Constantine became the sole ruler of the entire Empire and desired unity.

Chapter 12 – Constantine and Council of Nicaea Constantine adopted Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire and he moved the Empire’s capital from Rome to Byzantium, which was renamed in his honor, Constantinople. Today we call it Istanbul. He was instrumental in organizing the Council of Nicaea and during that meeting, which lasted several months, the position of the group, termed the “Nicene Creed” was written as a position paper on Arianism. The events that took place before Constantine’s rise to power resulted in a dramatic shift for the church leaders. Prior to his influence the Christians were persecuted; once he gained the leadership position Christianity became recognized as the one true religion and the church leaders became leaders of the Empire. Key Words Lord John Norwich, Byzantium, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, Octavius, Caesar Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Masada, Domitian, “Flavian Dynasty”, Nerva, Trajan, “Golden Age”, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, “Severian Emperors”, Septimus Severus, Geta, “Barrack Emperors”, Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius, Galerius, “tetrarch”, Bishops, synods, Spilt, Croatia, Licinius, “The Edict of Milan”, “Blue Law”, Council of Nicaea, “Christian God”, Arius, Athanasius, Thallia, Arianism, Tertullian

It's Valentine's Day, and most of us are focusing on notes, sweets, and spending time with loved ones.  But in looking at the root of the holiday, there is a deeper meaning and lessons to be learned. Like many of our holidays ("holy days,") Valentine's Day began as an observance on the church calendar marking the death of a saint, a believer who numbers among the "great cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 12:1 that we can be encouraged by and take example from. Love Stands Valentine was a priest in Rome during the rule of Claudius II in the late third century. (( St. Valentine.  Catholic Online. Accessed 14 February 2014.  http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159  )) This was still prior to the Edict of Toleration and Claudius did not look upon Christian and their illegal religion kindly.  In addition to this, he was very active on the military front. So there were two things going on.  First, Christian were being persecuted for their faith.  Second, Claudius banned young men from getting married.  He needed them in his military campaign and believed a wife was a distraction. [box type="info"] In his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 7,) the apostle Paul actually recommended the same thing. Not that he was against marriage, but because at the time of the writing the Christian were being severely persecuted by Nero. When you are married, your decisions don't just affect yourself, but your spouse and family as well and that can influence the decisions you make. He was advising that it would be easier to stand for Christ in the crisis they were currently facing without having obligation to others.[/box]   Valentine ignored both of these edicts.  He continued to help and support his fellow Christian and he still performed marriages. He stood firm for his faith. "I think we must bear in mind that it was a very permissive society in which Valentine lived," says Father O'Gara. "Polygamy would have been much more popular than just one woman and one man living together. And yet some of them seemed to be attracted to Christian faith. But obviously the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. And so it immediately presented the problem to the Christian church of what to do about this." "The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. And he secretly married them because of the edict." . . .  "What Valentine means to me as a priest," explains Father O'Gara, "is that there comes a time where you have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe. And with the power of the Holy Spirit we can do that -- even to the point of death." (( Kithcart, David.  St. Valentine, The Real Story.  CBN.com.  Accessed 14 February 2014.  )) ~ CBN Because he continued to perform marriages, he was arrested.

In 305 AD, Diocletian and Maximian voluntarily abdicated the throne, handing power over to Galerius and Constantius.

In the mid-to-late 290s the Imperial Tetrarchy was at war on multiple fronts. In the west Constantius undertook the reconquest of Britain, while in the east, Galerius fought a newly hostile Sassanid Empire.

In 293 AD Diocletian and Maximian invited Constantius and Galerius to share in their Imperial burdens, forming what we today call the Tetrarchy.

This 4th Episode is titled, “Martyrs.”Modern marketing tactics first produced, and now feed contemporary culture's obsession for “the latest thing.”  The slogan & label "New & Improved" is a frequent feature in packaging.The opposite was the case in 1st Century Rome. That Eternal City, and really most of the ancient world, was suspicious of anything new and novel, especially when it came to ideas. They had tremendous respect for tradition, believing what was true had already been discovered and needed to be preserved. Innovation was grudgingly accepted, but only in so far as it did not substantially alter tradition.The religion of the Greeks and Romans was sacrosanct precisely because it was ancient. Judaism, with its fierce devotion to only one God was incompatible with the Greco-Roman pantheon of gods, but it was tolerated by the Romans precisely because it was ancient.Also, while Jews were fiercely loyal to their religion & became violent when attempts were made to convert them to paganism, they were not, as a rule, engaged in making converts of others. Judaism is not, by nature, a proselytizing faith.Christianity's early struggle with Rome began in earnest when Judaism officially denounced the Christians and banish them as a movement within Judaism. This took place shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Until that time, followers of Jesus were considered as a kind of reform movement within Judaism. But toward the end of the 1st Century, Rome realized the Jews had divorced themselves from the Christians. Christianity was something new; a religious novelty; so, under suspicion.And whereas Judaism tended not to proselytize, Christians couldn't help winning others to their Faith. This brought Christianity into close scrutiny by the authorities. The more they investigated, the more concerned they grew. Like the Jews, Christians believed in one God. But their God had become a man. Christians had no idols, practiced no sacrifices, & built no temples. These were yet more religious innovations that fired suspicion. The Christians seem to be so reductionist in their practice they were suspected of being, get this à Atheists.As we saw in the previous episode, the paganism practiced by most people of the Empire in the 1st & 2nd Centuries wasn't so much a heart-felt devotion to the gods as it was a sense of civic duty. “Respect the gods by visiting their temples with the proper offerings, or, suffer their wrath.” à Well, every new convert to the Christians meant one less pagan throwing their appeasing bones to the watchful & increasingly upset gods. People began to worry the growing neglect of the gods would lead to trouble. And indeed, whenever a drought, flood, fire, or some other catastrophe ensued it was inevitably blamed on "Those atheists = the Christians."“Christians to the lions,” became a frequent solution to the ills of the world.The concern of the pagans was ill-attributed, but well-founded. Not because their gods were angry, but because in some places so many had become Christians the pagan temples were nearly empty.  Acts 19 tells us this happened in Ephesus and a letter from the Governor of Bithynia in the early 2nd Century repeats the concern. This led to a growing call for punishment of the Christians. A few would be rounded up and put to death to prove to the gods the earnestness of the pagans to appease them.Other factors that encouraged hostility towards believers was their secrecy. A description of Christians by Pliny, the Roman governor of Bithynia, to the Emperor Trajan in AD 111 is enlightening. Pliny had already executed some Christians based on little more than their scandalous reputation. He'd given them an opportunity to recant but when they refused, Pliny saw this rebuff of his mercy as a provocative stubbornness worthy of punishment. But after a flurry of executions, Pliny had 2nd thoughts: Was the mere reputation of Christians dangerous enough to warrant their arrest and trial? So he wrote his friend, the Emperor Trajan, asking for advice.  Here's a quote from Pliny's letter. After describing some ex-Christians who recanted their faith, Pliny gives their report on what their practice had been when they were still Christians."They affirmed the whole of their guilt was that they were in the habit of meeting on a fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ as to a God, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to commit any wicked deeds; no fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it. After which it was their custom to separate, then reassembled later to partake of food — but food of an ordinary an innocent kind.”A little later in the letter Pliny adds that to verify this report he secured through the torture of 2 slaves that this was an accurate description of Christian meetings and that nothing more needed to be added. Pliny called Christianity a “depraved and excessive superstition.”Emperor Trajan replied to Pliny's request for guidance on how he wanted the growing Christian-crisis in Bithynia handled. Trajan replied . . .“You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay down any general rule to serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to be sought out. If they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really proves it--that is, by worshiping our gods--even though he was under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of our age.”Though seemingly harmless to us, it was Pliny's reference to the Christians “meeting before dawn” that proved a problem. While it looks to us a commendable reference to their diligence & earnestness, it was highly suspicious to Romans. As a rule, meetings during the dark hours were forbidden. Day was the time for meetings. To meet at night was suspect. No good could come of it. You met at night because you had something to hide.So why DID Christians meet before daylight if it raised suspicions?The answer lies in the composition of their Fellowship; that is, who attended. For the most part, they were commoners and the poor who had jobs they had to begin early. The only time available to meet was before the workday began.These early meetings of the church were only open to Christians. Secrecy tends to breed gossip. It didn't take long till wild rumors were going round about the abominable things the Christians must be doing. Their communal meal, called the Agape or Love-Feast, was recast by gossip as a wild and debauched orgy. Communion was said to be ritual cannibalism. But the real shocker was that when Christians met, social distinctions like rich and poor, slave and free, male and female, were subsumed under an appalling equality. Many critics of Christianity saw this as a dangerous subversion of the natural order. Christians were cast as radical revolutionaries out to turn the entire world upside down.For a society that lived in constant fear of a slave uprising, anything seen as encouraging slaves to think independently was deemed perilous. Don't forget that for the Romans, the 3 Servile Wars, the last & most perilous led by the famous Spartacus, were still potent in the collective memory, though it had ended over a century before.Another source of trouble for Christians was their Jewish origin. Even though Judaism worked hard to distance itself from the followers of Christ, in the mind of the average Roman, the Church was a Jewish thing. In many places, Jews were the main accusers of Christians to the authorities. But this failed to dislodge Christians from their Jewish roots. The bloody and troubling Jewish Wars of the 1st & 2nd Centuries created great hostility between Romans and Jews, which spilled over onto Christians.During the 2nd & 3rd Centuries, believers were arrested and executed on no worse crime than being accused of being a Christian. Hauled before a judge, they were given the opportunity to recant. They could do so by invoking the names of some pagan deities, offering a sacrifice to the image of the Emperor, and cursing Christ. If they refused this threefold evidence of being a pagan, they were led off to execution.One story is illustrative. In the mid-2nd Century during the reign of the Emperor Antoninus Pius, a woman became a Christian. Marital problems led to her divorce. Resenting her, the ex-husband accused her of being a Christian. She was arrested, along with her pastor, for being a co-conspirator with her in causing the changes that caused the divorce. The pastor's name was Ptolemaeus.The jailer was cruel & tried to force Ptolemaeus to turn from his faith. Ptolemaeus resisted and the day of his trial arrived. The judge, Urbicus, put it straight to him, “Are you a Christian?” Ptolemaeus admitted he was. Urbicus pronounced him guilty and Roman justice being swift, he was led off to immediate execution.As he was being led away, a spectator, Lucius by name, rose to speak. He challenged Urbicus' decision. Lucius asked, "Why did you pass such a sentence? Was this man convicted of a crime? Is he an adulterer, a murderer, a robber? All he did was confess that he was a Christian!"The judge replied, "It seems you are also a Christian."Lucius answered, "Yes, I am.”Urbicus had the guards seize & haul him off to be executed along with Ptolemaeus.At this, a 3rd man rose, issuing a similar challenge. When Urbicus asked if he was also a believer the man admitted both his faith and disbelief that death could ensue for no more reason than identifying w/a name. But the point is this: Urbicus believed he was well with in his authority to execute all 3 of these men for no more reason than that they claimed to be Christians.This story, duplicated thousands of times throughout the Empire during the 2nd & 3rd Centuries drives home the fact that Christianity was poorly understood by the pagan world.There's no sure way to know how many believers were put to death during the first 3 centuries. Rome didn't follow a consistent policy of persecution. Some emperors were lenient while others practiced virulent opposition. Ten of the emperors enforced an official policy of oppression & persecution; from Nero in AD 64, to the worst under Diocletian & Galerius in the opening years of the 4th Century. And even though some emperors enforced opposition to Christianity, their policies were rarely empire-wide. It was up to the provincial governors to implement the rule; many simply ignored it, seeing it as bad policy.Though estimating the number of martyrs is difficult, we can set it somewhere between 1 & 3 million over a period of about 250 years.Despite the threat of death, the Church continued to grow. As one oft-quoted church father put it, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” While the authorities remained ignorant of what Christians believed, many of the common people discovered what it was from conversation with them à and found it attractive. More than attractive, it was convincing, compelling, persuasive. They also came to faith, knowing that doing so might lead to the ultimate test.As the years went by and Christians were made the object of public shame by using them for entertainment in the gladiatorial games, more & more began seeing their neighbors and friends on the sand, waiting to be ripped apart by wild beasts. It became personal. And pagans who knew the martyrs to be level-headed, reasonable people of solid moral standing began to question the policy of Rome to hunt such people down.Slowly but surely a sea change began to swing public opinion away from persecution. By the dawn of the 4th Century, sympathy had eased the hatred of Christians whose resolute faith in the face of prolonged suffering had recast many as heroic.Shifting back in time now to the late 1st Century, let's take a look at 3 Church leaders who followed immediately after the Apostles; Clement of Rome, Ignatius, & Polycarp. These 3 come from a group of Church leaders known as the Apostolic Fathers.Toward the end of the 1st Century, the passing of the original Apostles created a problem: Who would now lead the Church? Christians understood Jesus as the true head of the Church; but His lead was expressed through His direct disciples & those who'd been witnesses to His resurrection. Though recurring persecution was a consistent theme, the Church continued to grow. Who would guide it after the Apostles? A group now known as “the Church Fathers” provided that crucial next phase of leadership.Though Jesus warned His followers against giving any man the role of being a spiritual authority in contest with God, the label “father” was given to elders & leaders as a term of endearment & affection.  The Apostolic Fathers weren't Apostles; they were just, you know = apostol—ic. Or may I make up a word and say they were apostol—ish. This came of their being the followers & students of the original Apostles who enjoyed a close relationship with them.The writings of the Fathers reveals a remarkable devotion to the Jewish Scriptures of the Tanach; what Christian now refer to as the OT.  Reflecting the influence of the original Apostles, the Fathers understood Christianity, not so much as a new religion but as the fulfillment of the Faith of the Jewish Patriarchs & Prophets.  They took this as a given; so there's little attempt to define new doctrine in their writing. Their purpose was more to provide edification, correction, and comfort. We could say their work was devotional in flavor. It was pastoral, seeking to bolster the hope, faith & practical holiness of those they addressed.The Apostolic Fathers served at a time when the Church was growing dramatically & provided a radical alternative to the tired paganism that still dominated, but was slowly losing its grip on the Roman World. Their writings often honored martyrdom, occasionally elevated celibacy & laid great emphasis on baptism which the Early Church used as the singular mark of identifying as a follower as Jesus.The first Apostolic Father we'll look at is Clement of Rome.Clement was born about ad 30 & served as the pastor of the church at Rome the last 9 years of his life, dying in the year 100. Paul mentions a Clement in Phil 4:3 and there's a good chance this is the same man. Though he's listed in the official records of the Church at Rome as the 2nd or 3rd Pope, that early in Church history there simply was no Pope, just the pastor of the church there.Clement is best known for the letter he sent the Corinthian church, dealing with some of the same problems the Apostle Paul spoke to in his correspondence with them. The Corinthian church was fractured into warring camps Clement tried to reconcile by reminding them of the priority of love, along with the call to patience & humility. What's notable about Clement's letter is the strong emphasis he placed on the need for Christians to honor & comply with their spiritual leaders as a way to maintain unity.Clement's Letter to the Corinthians is the earliest piece of Christian literature outside the NT. For that reason, it's of great importance to scholars as it gives us an idea of the mindset of Christian leaders and their view of the emerging faith.Clement quotes the OT often. He also makes numerous allusions to the writings of Paul, revealing how influential and well-accepted Paul's letters were even at this early date. In his insistence that believers honor their spiritual leaders, he bases his appeal on a line of reasoning, the subtext of which, points to a widely accepted spiritual principle. It was this à Pastors & Church leaders had received their authority from the Apostles, who'd received their authority from Christ.  Much later, the Church at Rome would greatly expand on that idea of succession. But nothing in Clement's letter gives substance to the idea that the church at Rome had jurisdictional power over other churches or over the Faith in general.The next Father is Ignatius, considered a giant among the Apostolic Fathers because of his martyrdom. Though the pastor of the church at Antioch in Syria, he was arrested & taken to Rome. During the journey, Ignatius passed through several cities where he was allowed to address the believers. In about AD 110 he wrote letters to 6 of these in which he stressed unity & how to combat heresy. The heresy Ignatius spoke of was an early form of Gnosticism. The remedy for dealing with heresy, & the surest support for unity, Ignatius said, was the presence of a strong pastor who could provide spiritual leadership.It's a fairly reliable tradition that Ignatius was a student of the Apostle John & was affirmed in ministry by him. Ignatius was martyred in Rome, in the Colosseum by being fed to the beasts, during the reign of Trajan, in AD 108.What makes Ignatius' writings important is his emphasis on the role of a single elder-pastor as the one to lead a local church.  While there are hints at this in the NT, there's also a picture of multiple-elders who jointly share leadership.  It's more by inference drawn from Paul & Timothy's ministry that one may see the emergence of a lead elder who becomes what we might call the senior pastor. Ignatius' letters spell this out and make a strong case for it.  He called the elders & deacons to follow the lead of that one among them God had set His anointing on to lead the church.The 3rd Apostolic Father we'll look at sounds like a plastic fish.Polycarp's story is fascinating. He also was a student of the Apostle John who became the lead-pastor at Smyrna, one of the cities to receive one of the 7 letters dictated by Jesus in Revelation. Polycarp wrote a letter to the Philippian church about ad 110 that's filled with quotations from the OT & references to several other books that would later be included in the NT canon. Polycarp's reliance on these books as describing the norms & beliefs of Christians indicates the early acceptance of those books that would later be made a part of the Bible. His use of them helped later Christians decide which books ought to be a part of the NT.Polycarp was arrested & put to death in AD 155. The manner of his death was so exemplary he was honored for generations as an example of martyrdom. When officials came to arrest him, he welcomed them into the house, asked if they'd like something to eat, and while they enjoyed a meal, went into another room where he composed himself thru prayer. When he rejoined the officers, his kind treatment shamed them in the task they'd been assigned.One of the many remarkable things about Polycarp was his advanced age. At 86, he was quite old for those days. At his execution, the magistrate pleaded with him, based on his age, to recant & save himself.  Earlier I said that recanting Christians had to go thru a 3-step process to prove their sincerity. At Polycarp's trial, the official tried to make it easier for him & told him to simply say, “Away with the atheists!” meaning Christians, who because they believed in only 1 God, were considered god-less compared to the pagans who worshipped dozens of deities.  But Polycarp knew the official's intent & pointed at the crowd that had gathered to watch him burn saying, “Away with the atheists.”When the magistrate pressed, pleading with Polycarp to recant his faith, Polycarp replied, “80 & 6 years I have served Him & never once did He wrong me. How then can I blaspheme my King Who saved me? Come, bring what you will.”The official couldn't believe his offer of leniency was being rejected & grew stern. He warned, “Bless Caesar!" Polycarp replied, “Since you vainly strive to make me bless Caesar, pretending you don't know my real character, hear me clearly - I am a Christian!  If you desire to learn of the Christian faith, assign me a day, and you shall hear.”Now enraged, the proconsul threatened, “I have wild beasts; and will expose you to them, unless you repent.”  Polycarp replied, “Bring them on."The magistrate fumed, "Since you despise the wild beasts, unless you repent I will tame you with fire." Polycarp said, “You threaten me with a fire which burns for an hour, and is soon extinguished; but the fire of the future judgment, and of eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly, that -- you are ignorant of. But why do you delay? Come, do what you please.”At that, the wood that had been heaped around him was set ablaze.The story of Polycarp's martyrdom became a popular tale Christians shared for the next few centuries as countless more faced the prospect of dying for the Faith. Truth be told, a perverse veneration of martyrdom took root in the Church that saw not a few aspire to being put to death. When martyrs were elevated as heroes, it wasn't long before some aspired to the station of hero and considered martyrdom a price worth paying. Sadly, they weren't dying for Christ, so much as their own reputation & fame.

This week's episode is titled, “Keeping a Record”The first 3 Cs of Church History are at times a difficult puzzle to sort out because no coherent historical narrative was being kept.Luke's account in the Books of Acts recounts a time span of about 30 yrs & roughly narrates the spread of the Faith from Jerusalem to Rome. The next narrative doesn't come till the writings of the Christian historian Eusebius in the 4th C.  What we have for a period of over 200 yrs are the writings of the Fathers whose letters give little more than a thumbnail sketch of what was happening. We have to infer & assume a lot by picking up what facts we can about what was happening. As we've seen, the work of the Church Fathers focused mainly on providing pastoral & apologetic support.  Gaining an historical framework for this period comes from merging secular accounts of history with the commentary of the Fathers. But with the work of Eusebius at the opening of the 4th C, the narrative becomes significantly clearer.Eusebius began compiling his magnum opus of Church History in the 290's. Titled Ecclesiastical History, it's an attempt to provide a narrative of the Communion of the Saints from the Apostles to his time.Eusebius was born & raised in Caesarea on the coast of Israel. He was a student of the Christian leader Pamphilas, who was himself a student of the great Apologist Origen. Eusebius became the bishop at Caesarea in 313. He played a major role in the Council of Nicaea in 325, which we'll take a closer look at in a future episode.Eusebius is a key figure in the study of Church History because his Ecclesiastical History is the first work after Luke's to attempt an historical narrative of the Faith. He's also an important figure because of his close association with the Emperor Constantine.I want to quote the opening of Eusebius' narrative because it gives us a sense of the monumental nature of his work.  He knew he was attempting to reconstruct a narrative of the Church from scant resources.In Chapter 1, which he titled, “The Plan of the Work” he writes –It is my purpose to write an account of the successions of the holy apostles, as well as of the times which have elapsed from the days of our Savior to our own; and to relate the many important events which are said to have occurred in the history of the Church; and to mention those who have governed and presided over the Church in the most prominent parishes, and those who in each generation have proclaimed the divine word either orally or in writing.It is my purpose also to give the names and number and times of those who through love of innovation have run into the greatest errors, and, proclaiming themselves discoverers of knowledge falsely so-called, have like fierce wolves unmercifully devastated the flock of Christ. …But at the outset I must crave for my work the indulgence of the wise, for I confess that it is beyond my power to produce a perfect and complete history, and since I am the first to enter upon the subject, I am attempting to traverse as it were a lonely and untrodden path. I pray that I may have God as my guide and the power of the Lord as my aid, since I am unable to find even the bare footsteps of those who have traveled the way before me, except in brief fragments, in which some in one way, others in another, have transmitted to us particular accounts of the times in which they lived. From afar they raise their voices like torches, and they cry out, as from some lofty and conspicuous watch-tower, admonishing us where to walk and how to direct the course of our work steadily and safely.Having gathered therefore from the matters mentioned here and there by them whatever we consider important for the present work, and having plucked like flowers from a meadow the appropriate passages from ancient writers, we shall endeavor to embody the whole in an historical narrative. …This work seems to me of especial importance because I know of no ecclesiastical writer who has devoted himself to this subject; and I hope that it will appear most useful to those who are fond of historical research.Eusebius was unaware of any previous attempt to provide an historical narrative of the development of the Faith from the late 1st C to his time in the early 4th, a period of a little over 200 yrs. From a modern perspective, Eusebius' account might be considered suspect, relying as it does on tradition & at best fragmentary evidence. What must be remembered is the importance of that oral tradition and the accuracy of such transmission over long periods of time. Because the ancient world didn't possess cheap and plentiful means of recording information, it was dependent on oral tradition & rote memorization.  With the advent of the printing press and more economic media, the priority of the oral tradition declined. Eusebius had both written and oral source material to draw from. His work can be considered dependable, while subject to question when it leaned toward the ancient penchant for using history as propaganda.As we return to the narrative timeline of Church history we need to pick up the story with the reign of the Diocletian who presided over the last & in many ways worst round of persecution under the Roman emperors.Though Christians remember Diocletian for that, he was in truth one of the most effective of the Roman Emperors. By the time he came to the throne, the Roman Empire was a sprawling & unwieldy beast of a realm to rule. The City of Rome was an old & decayed relic of its former glory. So Diocletian moved his headquarters eastward to Nicomedia in Asia Minor, modern Turkey.  Instead of trying to exert control over the entire empire himself & solely, Diocletian appointed Maximian as co-emperor to rule the western half of the Empire from Rome while he ruled the East.One of the persistent problems that led to so much unrest in the recent decades was the question of succession; who would rule after the current emperor? To forestall that turmoil, Diocletian appointed dual successors for both himself & Maximian.  Flavius Constantius became Maximian's successor while Diocletian took on Galerius. This established what's known as the Tetrarchy.While Diocletian had no warm & fuzzy feelings for the followers of Christ, it was really his successor Galerius that urged him to launch a campaign of persecution. Galerius was a military commander who thought Christians made poor soldiers. He knew their loyalty was supremely to their God and thought they made for unreliable troops. Galerius was also a committed pagan who believed in the Roman deities. He attributed any setback for the Army & any of the regular natural disasters that shook the realm, to their displeasure that so many of Rome's subjects were turning to the new god on the block. So it was really at Galerius' urging Diocletian approved the severe measures taken against Christians and their churches.  When Diocletian retired to his villa to raise cabbages & turned the eastern half of the Empire over to Galerius, persecution increased.Eventually, Constantius replaced Maximian in the West, just as Galerius had assumed the mantle in the East. And Diocletian's tetrarchy began to unravel. Galerius decided he wanted to be sole ruler and abducted Constantius' son, Constantine who'd been named successor to his father in the West. When Constantius fell ill, Galerius granted Constantine permission to visit him.Constantius died, & Constantine demanded Galerius recognize him as his co-emperor. No doubt Galerius would have launched a military campaign against Constantine's bid for rule of the West, but Galerius himself was stricken with a deadly illness. On his deathbed, Galerius admitted his policy of persecution of Christians hadn't worked and rescinded his policy of oppression.In the West, Constantine's claim to his father's throne was contested by Maximian's son, Maxentius. The showdown between them is known as the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Maxentius didn't want Constantine marching his troops into Rome so he tore down the Milvian Bridge after marching his troops across it to meet Constantine. Just in case the battle went against Maxentius, he had a temporary bridge built of a string of boats across the river.At this point, the story gets confused because there's been so many who've written about what happened and the reports are varied. On the day before the battle, Constantine prayed, most likely to the sun-god. As he did, he looked toward the sun & saw a cross. Then, either he saw the words or heard them spoken, “By this sign, Conquer.” That night while he slept, Jesus appeared to him in a dream, telling him to have his soldiers place a Christian symbol on their shields. The next morning, chalk was quickly passed round & the soldiers put what's called the Chiron on their shields. Chi & Rho are the first 2 letters of the Greek word Christos, Christ. In English it looks like a P on top of an X.When the 2 forces met, Constantine's veterans bested Maxentius' less experienced troops, who retreated to their makeshift bridge. While crossing, Maxentius fell into the water & drowned. Constantine then marched victoriously into Rome.A year later, he and his new co-emperor Licinius issued what's known as the Edict of Milan, which decreed an end to all religious persecution, not just of Christians, but all faiths. For Constantine, Jesus was now his divine patron & the cross, an emblem of shame & derision for generations, became instead—a kind of charm. Instead of being a symbol of Rome's brutality in executing its enemies, the cross became a symbol of Imperial power.Bishops began to be called priests as they gained parity with their peers in pagan temples. These Christian priests were shown special favors by Constantine. It didn't take long for the pagan priests to realize which way the winds of political favor were blowing. Many converted.Now à there's been much debate over the legitimacy of Constantine's conversion. Was he genuinely born again or was he just a savvy politician who recognized a trend he could co-opt and turn to his favor? People will disagree on this and my meager offering is unlikely to convince anyone. But I think Constantine was probably a genuine Christian. He certainly did some things after his conversion that are difficult to reconcile with a sincere faith, but we have to remember the moral base he grew up in as the son of a Caesar & as a general of Roman legions was very different from the Biblical morality that's shaped Western civilization.  Also, Constantine's actions which are so decidedly non-Christian, like murdering those who threatened his power, may have been rationalized not as personal acts so much as attempts to secure the peace & safety of the empire. I know that's a stretch, but when analyzing history, we need to be careful about judging people when we don't have at our disposal all the facts they did.If we could sit down with Constantine and say, “You shouldn't have executed that guy.” He could very well say something like, “Yes, as a Christian, I shouldn't have. You're right. But I didn't execute him out of personal anger or suspicion or mere selfishness. It really bothers me that I had to off him; but I discovered he was plotting to usurp my throne and it would have thrown the empire into years of civil war & chaos.” To which we'd reply,  “Well Constance, you need to trust God more. He'll protect you. He put you on the throne, He can keep you there.” And Constantine might reply, “Yeah, I considered that & I agree. But it's a tough call. You see, in terms of my personal life, I trust God. But when it comes to my role as Emperor, I need to make tough choices others who don't wield the power I do will understand.”Let's not forget that Constantine, while being a competent general & astute politician, was at best a novice believer.I share this little made-up discussion because it points up something we're going to encounter again & again in our review of the history of the Church. We look on past ages, on what they believed and the things they did, with an attitude of moral superiority because we wouldn't do the terrible things they did, or we assume would do some things they failed to. We need to be cautious with this attitude for the simple reason that when we take the time to listen to the voices of the past and let them explain themselves, we often come to a new appreciation for the difficulty of their lives & choices. We may not agree with them, but we at least realize in their own minds & hearts, they thought they were doing what was best.You make up your own mind about the genuineness of Constantine's faith, but let me encourage you to spend a little time looking up what Eusebius wrote about him and some of the tough decisions Constantine had to make during his reign.Some of the things regarded as incompatible with a genuine conversion is that he retained his title of Pontifex Maximus as the head of the state religious cult. He conceived & hatched political plots to remove enemies. He murdered those deemed a threat to his power.On the other hand, from 312 on, his favor of Christianity was quite public. He granted the same privileges to bishops, pagan priests enjoyed. He banned crucifixion & ended the punishment of criminals by using them in gladiatorial games. He made Sunday a holiday. His personal charity built several large churches. And his private life demonstrated a pretty consistent genuine faith. His children were brought up in the Church & he practiced marital fidelity, at least, as far as we know. That of course, was certainly NOT the case with previous Emperors or even the wider Roman nobility.Critics like to point to Constantine's delay of baptism to shortly before his death as evidence of a lack of faith. I suggest that it ought to be read exactly the opposite. Remember what we learned about baptism a few episodes back. In that time, it was believed after baptism, there were certain sins that couldn't be forgiven. So people delayed baptism to as close to death as possible, leaving little chance for commission of such a sin to occur. Following his baptism, Constantine never again donned the imperial purple of his office but instead wore only his white baptismal robes. That sounds like he was concerned to enter Heaven, not a casual disregard of it.Chief among Constantine's concerns upon taking control of the Empire was unity. It was unity & strength that had moved Diocletian to establish the tetrarchy. Decades of civil war as one powerful general after another seized control and beat down his challengers had desperately weakened & impoverished the realm. Now that Constantine ruled, he hoped the Church would help bring a new era of unity based on a vital & dynamic faith. It didn't take long before he realized the very thing he hoped would bring unity was itself fractured.When the Church was battered & beaten by imperial persecution, it was forced to be one. But when that pressure was removed, the theological cracks that had been developing for a while became immediately evident. Chief among them was the Donatist Controversy we recently considered. In 314 the Donatists appealed to Constantine to settle the issue on who could ordain elders.Think about what a momentous change this was! The church appealed to the civil authority to rule on a spiritual affair! By doing so, the Church asked for imperial sponsorship.At this point we need a robot to wave its arms manically & cry “Danger! Will Robinson, Danger!”Constantine knew this was not a decision he was capable of making on his own so he gathered some church leaders in Arles in the S of France to decide the issue. The Donatist bishops were outnumbered by the non-Donatists – so you know where this is going. They decided against the Donatists.Instead of accepting the decision, the Donatists called the leaders who opposed them corrupt and labeled the Emperor their lackey.  The Church split between the Donatist churches of North Africa and the rest who now looked to Constantine as their leader.As tensions rose, the Emperor sent troops to Carthage in 317 to enforce the installation of a pro-government bishop opposed by the Donatists. For the first but far from last time, Christians persecuted Christians. Opponents of Constantine were exiled from Carthage. After 4 years, he realized his strong arm tactics weren't working and withdrew his troops.We'll pick it up and this point next time.

In part 1 we took a look at some of the sociological reason for persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. Then last time we began a narrative-chronology of the waves of persecution and ended with Antonius Pious.A new approach in dealing with Christians was adopted by Marcus Aurelius who reigned form 161–180. Aurelius is known as a philosopher emperor. He authored a volume on Stoic philosophy titled Meditations. It was really more a series of notes to himself, but it became something of a classic of ancient literature. Aurelius bore not a shred of sympathy for the idea of life after death & detested as intellectually inferior anyone who carried a hope in immortality.Reversing the Trajan policy of not going after Christians, Aurelius crafted a system of spies to gather intelligence and evidence against them. Rather than check riots that frequently called for martyr's blood as the previous emperors had done, Aurelius encouraged them. It was during his reign Christians began to be blamed for natural catastrophes. The supposition was that the gods were upset Christians weren't being persecuted by good Romans. With this as their moral backing, and making up for lost time, persecution under Aurelius moved to a new level of brutality. Thousands lost their heads or were tossed to beasts. It was at this time Justin Martyr became one.But we have to note that as fierce as the Aurelian persecution was, no official edict calling for an Empire-wide extermination of Christians was issued. Nor did one come during the reigns of Septimius Severus from 193–211 or Maximinus from 235–238 when persecution of the followers of Christ was renewed. The Severian campaign sought to root out the church in Egypt and North Africa, while the Maximinian chapter aimed only at Christian leaders in specific locales.The mid-3rd C saw a dramatic change.As Rome celebrated its thousand-year anniversary, people cast longing eyes back to the Golden Age & Glory Days of a bygone era of power & prosperity. In comparison, Rome now seemed a tottering old-hag hobbling along on arthritic knees. She was no longer able to kick away the barbarian dogs snapping at her heels. The superstition of pagans, who of course were in the vast majority, believed the gods who favored their ancestors FOR their devotion, were now punishing them for allowing the Christians to reject them.That being the case, wasn't it morally right & for the public good to actively go after the followers of Jesus?Decius only ruled from 249-51, but he was convinced maintaining Rome's cultus was essential to political stability and a return to prosperity. As soon as he took the purple, he gave orders everyone in the empire had to swear by the Emperor's genius; that is, practice emperor worship, as we talked about last time. This flushed out Christians who refused. They were declared traitors; enemies of the emperor, state, and public good. Their very presence was deemed a dangerous blight since the wrath of the gods was on them.As harsh as all this sounds, the evidence indicates that at first, the goal wasn't to kill them so much as it was to get them to recant under the threat of pain. Getting a Christian to recant was far more effective than killing them because many people are inspired by martyrdom. And of course, the martyrs were held in ultra-high esteem by The Church. So much so, a bit later, we'll find Church Leaders telling church members to use common sense and to not run around making a big to-do about being a believer, just so they WOULD be arrested and executed!No – most officials didn't want to make martyrs; they preferred apostates. Think of it this way . . .In ancient warfare, men would psych and pump themselves up in anticipation of battle. Once battle began, you wanted to present yourself like a man; tough, courageous. When you see your buddies taking blows and giving as good as they get, you stay shoulder to shoulder – a band of brothers!But when one guy turns his back to the enemy and begins to run, it's a fast spreading contagion of fear. Soon the entire line collapses in a rout.Watching some Christian publicly executed for their faith often inspired as many as it freaked. But hearing of Christians recanting & returning to the paganism of their past made many wonder why THEY should remain true.Under Decius, the 1st to be seized as treasonous were Church leaders. The hope was that a leaderless church would fall apart. In some places it did; but in others it went on as if nothing had changed.In those places were the Church winked out, it was because by the mid 3rd C, Christianity had already produced a brand of Faith that was more image than substance. Shocking as it may seem to some, there's been shallow Christians since the very beginning. And now, under Decius, they were flushed out into the open where they were forced to recant or die. Recant they did because their Faith was more social than sincere. But a host of others suffered martyrdom.After a year it was clear the Decian persecution wouldn't succeed in its goal of ending the Faith. In July of 251, Decius was killed in battle. His edict was no longer enforced.In 253, Valerian became emperor. He was at first friendly to the Faith. But a series of calamities stirred his advisors to press him to renew the pogroms in appeasement of the gods. During this wave of persecution several great leaders of the church were killed.The 40-some yrs from 260 to 303 were a time of relative peace for Christians. But it was the calm before the storm which arrived with the ascension of Diocletian.While his origins are sketchy, it seems Diocletian was a slave's son who worked himself up to supreme power. An utterly brilliant administrator, Diocletian recognized what pervious rulers ought have–that Rome was too large to be led by a single ruler. I'll leave it to you to listen to Mike Duncan's The History of Rome podcast to learn the details of Diocletian's reign. Edward Gibbon calls Diocletian a 2nd Augustus because he believes he framed a new empire rather than just restore the old. And indeed, Diocletian distanced himself from his political ancestors & heritage. He very consciously adopted the ostentatiousness of an Eastern ruler, something previous Roman Emperors would have condemned as scandalous. It was he who divided the Empire into a formal E & W, each with its one major Augustus & subordinate Caesar.In his first 2 decades, Diocletian honored the Toleration Edict Gallienus passed in 259 that restored Christians churches and burial places. His wife & daughter, along with most of his court & officials were either Christians or were favorable to them because THEIR wives & friends were. The Emperor himself was a pagan of the more superstitious flavor. But as a pragmatic politician, he believed restoring the Empire demanded a return to the old religion. Although due to family & friends he postponed the religious question, ultimately he had to take it on. There could be no peaceful co-existence between Christianity & Paganism. It was High Noon in Diocletian's court.The chief instigator in all this was Diocletian's co-ruler, his son-in-law, Galerius. He prevailed on Diocletian to authorize the persecution for which his reign is so well-known.In 303, at Gallerius' urging, Diocletian issued a series of edicts calling for the total eradication of Christianity. Places of worship were to be torn down, sacred writings were to be burned, and clergy were to be slaughtered. The next year, all Christians had to engage in a very public display of emperor worship or face immediate execution. Although it wasn't exactly like this, it's close enough . . .A raised dais was built in the center of town with a little altar where people would drop a pinch of incense and say, “Caesar is Lord.” Then they'd take a few more steps and be handed the libelli; that little scroll affirming they were good, loyal subjects. Another path led form the altar to a chopping block where an executioner stood. Those who refused to drop incense & said “Jesus, not Caesar, is Lord,” took that route where they got a haircut at the neck. Thousands died.In the Eastern empire were Diocletian and Galerius ruled, the persecution was especially fierce. The Western Augustus Maximian, fastidiously carried out the edicts in Italy and Africa. But his subordinate, Constantius, who ruled Gaul, Britain, & Spain, refused to execute people for their faith. Persecution effectively ended in 305, when Diocletian abdicated and retired to grow cabbages at his estate.But it was Galerius who'd put Diocletian UP to it in the first place. And Galerius stepped into the role of Eastern Augustus – so why didn't the persecutions continue? The answer to that is because Galerius realized à It wasn't working! He admitted that the policy of eradicating Christianity had failed miserably. In fact, he reversed himself and wrote à"Wherefore, for this our indulgence, they ought to pray to their God for our safety, for that of the republic, and for their own, that the republic may continue uninjured on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in their homes."It's reported that at the end of his life, as he lay abed, ill, he asked his Christians subjects pray for him. To encourage their prayers he passed an Edict of Toleration in 311, officially ending persecution. It was followed a year later by Constantine's famous Edict of Milan saying much the same.Since we shared a little about the interplay of the Early Church in the Roman Empire & their enemies to the East, the Persian Sassanids, in Season 1, we won't go into that whole chapter now, except to say that when Christians were persona non-grata in the W, the Sassanids welcomed them with open arms. Many refugees fled there, turning the E into a Christian enclave that quickly developed into a HQs and center of scholarship. The Sassanids followed the old line that the enemy of my enemy is my friend & assumed the Christians would be allies in their on-going tussle with Rome. But when Constantine revoked persecution and claimed to be a Christian, the Sassanids began to fear Christians as a dangerous 5th column in their ranks and persecution began. More of the details to that are to be had in Season 1.Let's end this short series on the Persecution of the Church in the First Centuries by considering the impact in had on the Church. Most of the Emperors eventually realized, as did Galerius too late, persecution didn't really work. Killing Christians didn't end the Faith. On the contrary, many were won to Christ by observing the gracious & courageous way so many of the martyrs died. A quote from the early church father Tertullian is oft given: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The sheer NUMBER of Christians may be less due to persecution. But one positive effect persecution yielded was that those who DID claim the name of Christ were real-deal followers of the Son of God. People didn't join a church just so they could pad their resume or enhance their social standing. Being a Christian was risky across the board. People stood in danger socially, economically & physically. Persecution also encouraged the spread of the faith to new regions as people fled hostility.Persecution helped to settle the challenge church leaders faced on what belonged in the canon of NT Scripture. The tests they applied to settling the canon had to be rigorous, because they knew people would not give their lives for spurious inkings.Persecution also sharpened the thinking of church leaders as they defended the faith in the face of often erudite attacks by pagan critics. What's interesting is that the vast majority of arguments against the Faith voice by critics & skeptics today were leveled by critics of the 1st thru 3rd Cs. These critics were learned men, skilled in philosophy and rhetoric. But each of their objections were amply answered by early Church Fathers known today as The Apologists. The answers modern day apologists use in defense of the Faith are largely built on the pioneering work of the originals. Even many of the objections raised by the New Atheists are rebutted by 2000 year old answers.Though it's questionable whether or not they ever read them, the Early Apologists wrote some of their defenses of Christianity to no one less than the Emperor, seeking to reason with him on why persecuting Christians was bad policy. These “Apologies” as they're called, weren't wild-eyed polemics threatening the Emperor with God's wrath if they didn't lighten up. They were most often attempts to use Roman law, Greek philosophy and the weight of tradition, which remember the Roman's put great store by, to persuade the Emperor that Christianity ought to be tolerated along with Rome's other faiths.All that is persecution's up-side. What about the down? Well, Believers ended up so busy protecting themselves there was scant opportunity for them to develop a deep theological heritage to enrich those who came after. Yes, there were a handful like the Apologists who managed to get out some material, but with the many thousands who DID in fact come to faith, we would expect a much larger body of literary work. Persecution both limited the opportunity to produce that, and what work that WAS produced, was frequently used to fuel the fires Christians were then burnt on.Another problem that rose, and we dealt with this in Season 1, was what to do with those believers who faltered during persecution and gave in to the pressure to recant. What was to be done with those Christians who burned a pinch of incense, said “Caesar is Lord,” took a libelli, then, once the threat of persecution was passed, repented of recanting and wanted to come back to church? These were called the lapsed, because their faith had lapsed in the heat of persecution. This became an especially trying issue after Constantine officially revoked persecution once & for all, for 2 reasons . . .1) Constantine took over right after the 10th & most virulent phase of persecution. It was also  empire wide, though it was enforced more firmly in the E. A major test used for weeding out believers was the requirement of swearing by the Emperor's genius, which as we've seen, the faithful could not do. But, a bunch of the lapsed, DID! And that leads to the 2nd reason à2) All those who'd lapsed realized that with the Edict of Milan official persecution was most likely over for good. So, instead of staying de-canted, so as to avoid upcoming persecutions, they figured it was safe to return to Church. Andà Here they came.The Church was split over whether to allow them back or not. Some favored restoration, others, not so much. Many fellowships split over the issue. Church leaders took sides in the debate and fired off sometimes heated missives at one another. For more on this, you can listen to the episode in Season 1 called The Lapsed Dance.Another negative effect of persecution was a warped result of a positive. The faith & courage of the martyrs not only challenged the shallowness of rank paganism, it inspired people to follow their example. But not just to live by faith in Jesus; they went further and longed to die like their heroes. The desire to suffer martyrdom became a problem church leaders had to address at a few points.Ha! Think of that. Instead of Pastor Alexius asking for volunteers for the nursery ministry, he had to plead with his people not to go to the marketplace crying out that they're Christians; “Please! Somebody arrest & torture me to death.” But that gives us a hint as to just how highly martyrs were regarded in the Early Church. When they were regarded that highly, it's not difficult to see why there were many in the Church who regarded lapsed believers as scum.What made for a major brouhaha was when it wasn't just everyday church members who'd lapsed, but when it as a pastor.