Why did the Roman Empire persecute Christians so much? Ep. 70

Summary

This episode explores early Christian history from the New Testament era to around 300 AD. It highlights the spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire, the pagan Roman government's lack of religious tolerance, and the resulting persecution of Christians. The video discusses the initial rise of Christianity, the refusal of Christians to worship pagan gods or the emperor, leading to mob violence and official persecution under emperors like Nero. Despite the destruction of Jerusalem and the loss of the apostles, Christianity continued to grow. The script also touches on the development of church leadership and internal debates, culminating in the relative peace under Emperor Gallienus and the subsequent severe persecution under Emperor Diocletian.

Takeaways

• 🕊 Early Christian history from the end of the New Testament to around 300 AD is explored.
• 🌐 The Roman Empire's pagan beliefs contrasted with Christianity, as they worshipped many gods without a focus on afterlife salvation.
• 🔱 Christians faced persecution for refusing to worship Roman gods and the Emperor, seen as a threat to the Empire's religious harmony.
• 🔥 The Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD led to Emperor Nero blaming and persecuting Christians, with many, including Peter and Paul, being killed.
• 🏛 The destruction of Jerusalem's temple in 70 AD by Emperor Vespasian did not deter the spread of Christianity.
• 📚 Post-apostolic Christian literature flourished in the 2nd century, contributing to the faith's growth despite being a minority religion.
• 🛂 The leadership of the early Christian church transitioned from the apostles to local bishops, influencing the development of church authority.
• 🏰 The Bishop of Rome, later known as the Pope, began to emerge as a central figure in mediating disputes among bishops.
• 🤔 Internal debates and the rise of splinter groups within Christianity highlighted the challenges in maintaining a unified belief system.
• ⛩ Emperor Gallienus's Edict of Toleration in 260 AD granted Christians relative peace, which was later revoked by Emperor Diocletian's persecutions in 303 AD.

Q & A

What is the time period covered in this episode of early Christian history?

The episode covers early Christian history from the end of the New Testament up to about 300 AD.

How did the ancient Romans view their gods and religion?

The ancient Romans were pagans, meaning they worshipped many gods. There was no separation between church and state, and the Pontifex Maximus, often the Emperor, regulated religion in the Empire.

Why were the pagan gods different from the Christian God according to the script?

Pagan gods were concerned with the here and now, offering blessings for worship and sacrifices, but none offered salvation in the afterlife, which was a key belief of the Christian God.

What was the initial Roman response to Christianity and why was it problematic?

The initial Roman response was to persecute Christians because they refused to worship Roman gods or the Emperor, which was seen as unloyal and potentially dangerous as it might anger the gods.

How did the Christians practice their faith during the early persecutions?

During early persecutions, Christians had to worship in secret, and they were publicly villainized and subjected to rumors and false accusations about their beliefs.

What is the significance of the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD in the context of Christian persecution?

The Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD is significant because Emperor Nero, accused of starting the fire, blamed the Christians and ordered their persecution, leading to the death of prominent figures like Peter and Paul.

How did the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD affect Christianity?

Despite the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, Christianity continued to grow as the promise of salvation and religious zeal kept the faith moving forward.

Who were some of the post-apostolic Christian writers mentioned in the script?

Some of the post-apostolic Christian writers mentioned are Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Clement of Alexandria.

What role did bishops play in the early Christian church?

Bishops played a significant role in the early Christian church, with those in metropolitan areas or churches established by apostles having the most influence. They helped maintain unity and mediate disputes among the Christian community.

What was the situation for Christians under Emperor Gallienus and how did it change under Emperor Diocletian?

Under Emperor Gallienus in 260 AD, Christians were allowed to worship freely. However, this relative peace ended in 303 AD under Emperor Diocletian, who issued edicts to destroy churches, seize land, and burn books, attempting to revert Christians back to traditional Roman paganism.

How did the internal debates and the formation of splinter groups impact the early Christian church?

Internal debates and the formation of splinter groups challenged the unity of the early Christian church, making it difficult to maintain a unified set of beliefs across Christendom.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Early Christian History and Persecution

This paragraph delves into the early history of Christianity, highlighting the period between the end of the New Testament and around 300 AD. It discusses how Christianity spread through the Roman Empire despite the pagan beliefs of the Romans, who worshipped multiple gods and had no separation between church and state. The Pontifex Maximus, often the Emperor, regulated religion. Christians were seen as a threat due to their refusal to worship pagan gods or the Emperor, leading to mob violence and local government persecution. The narrative also touches on the portrayal of Christians as cannibals and a scandalous sex cult due to their secretive practices. Official persecution is said to have begun under Emperor Nero in 64 AD, following the Great Fire of Rome, where Christians were blamed and brutally killed. The paragraph also mentions the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the continued growth of Christianity despite the loss of its central hub and the apostles. The rise of post-apostolic Christian literature and the challenges of maintaining unified beliefs within the faith are also discussed.

05:02

🕊️ The Ebb and Flow of Christian Persecution

The second paragraph continues the historical account by discussing the fluctuating levels of persecution faced by Christians. It notes a period of relative peace beginning in 260 AD when Emperor Gallienus allowed Christians to worship freely. However, this peace was short-lived, as Emperor Diocletian, in 303 AD, issued edicts demanding the destruction of churches, seizure of land, and burning of Christian texts. His aim was to force Christians back to traditional Roman paganism, leading to a period of intense violence and persecution. The paragraph concludes by setting the stage for the next episode, which will explore how Christianity, despite external persecution and internal divisions, persisted and evolved.

Keywords

💡Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. In the context of the video, it represents the faith that emerged in the Roman Empire and spread despite persecution and challenges. The video discusses how Christianity's message of salvation and the work of its apostles contributed to its growth.

💡Apostles

The apostles were the primary disciples of Jesus Christ, who were tasked with spreading the Christian faith after his death and resurrection. In the video, the apostles are mentioned as key figures who preached the gospel and helped establish the early Christian church, even as they faced persecution.

💡Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was a vast and powerful civilization that spanned multiple continents and was known for its political, military, and cultural influence. The video discusses the Roman Empire as the backdrop against which early Christianity developed, highlighting the challenges Christians faced in a predominantly pagan society.

💡Pagan

Paganism refers to a variety of religious beliefs and practices that involve the worship of multiple gods. In the video, paganism is contrasted with Christianity, emphasizing how Romans worshipped many gods and how this differed from the monotheistic beliefs of Christians.

💡Pontifex Maximus

The Pontifex Maximus was the highest religious authority in the Roman Empire, often held by the Emperor himself. The video mentions this position to illustrate the close relationship between religion and state in ancient Rome, and how it contrasted with the Christian view of religion.

💡Persecution

Persecution refers to the systematic mistreatment or harassment of a group, often due to their beliefs or identity. In the video, the term is used to describe the violence and oppression faced by early Christians, including mob violence and official government-sanctioned actions.

💡Nero

Emperor Nero was a Roman ruler known for his tyrannical rule and association with the persecution of Christians. The video recounts how Nero blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD and ordered their execution, marking a significant early instance of state-sponsored persecution.

💡Post-apostolic

Post-apostolic refers to the period following the deaths of the original apostles of Jesus. The video discusses the emergence of new Christian literature and leadership during this time, as the church adapted to the loss of its founding figures and continued to grow.

💡Bishops

Bishops are high-ranking clergy in the Christian church, often overseeing a diocese. The video explains how leadership of the early church transitioned to local bishops, particularly those in significant cities or those established by apostles, who played a crucial role in maintaining unity within the faith.

💡Diocletian

Emperor Diocletian was a Roman ruler known for his efforts to revive traditional Roman religion and suppress Christianity. The video describes how Diocletian issued edicts in 303 AD to destroy churches, seize land, and burn Christian texts, leading to a period of intense persecution.

💡Salvation

Salvation in Christian belief refers to the deliverance from sin and its consequences, typically through the grace of God. The video emphasizes that Christians believed salvation could only come through their God, setting them apart from the pagan beliefs of the Roman Empire and contributing to their persecution.

Highlights

Early Christian history is explored from the end of the New Testament to around 300 AD.

Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire despite the apostles' deaths.

Ancient Romans were pagans with no separation between church and state.

The Pontifex Maximus was a government position responsible for regulating religion.

Pagan gods did not offer salvation, focusing on worldly benefits and disasters.

Christians were seen as disloyal and dangerous for not worshipping Roman gods.

Early persecution of Christians included mob violence and local government actions.

Christianity was portrayed negatively, with sacraments equated to cannibalism.

Official persecution began under Emperor Nero following the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD.

Peter and Paul were believed to be killed during Nero's purge.

Despite the destruction of Jerusalem, Christianity continued to grow in the second century.

Post-apostolic Christian literature emerged from figures like Ignatius and Justin Martyr.

Leadership of the church shifted to local bishops, with the Bishop of Rome acting as a mediator.

Internal debates and splinter groups arose as Christianity was the minority religion.

Emperor Gallienus allowed Christians to worship freely in 260 AD.

Emperor Diocletian's edicts in 303 AD led to the destruction of churches and increased persecution.

Christianity's resilience is highlighted despite external persecution and internal division.

Transcripts

Hey guys! Hey guys! Hey guys! Hey! So in this episode, we're gonna get a

bird's-eye view of some early Christian history. We're gonna cover some key

events between the end-ish of the New Testament up to about 300 AD. Let's dive

right in.

So previously in Christianity, Christ atoned for our sins, he organized his

church, he died and was resurrected, Christ's apostles preached the gospel

and even as they were dying off, the Christian message continued to spread

throughout the Roman Empire. Now the ancient Romans were pagans meaning they

worshipped many gods and in Roman government there really was no

separation between church and state like there is now.

In fact, the Pontifex Maximus was a government position often the Emperor

himself which was responsible for regulating religion in the Empire, like a

secretary of religion, paganism was sponsored by the government and Rome

accepted gods from all over the empire into their pantheon of options. "Just so

many options. That one's good. Looks like a medieval warrior." But interestingly,

none of those pagan gods offered salvation in the afterlife. "You're a

fraud. So anything you can do." Pagan gods were very concerned with the here and

now. If you worship them and offered sacrifices, they bless you with rain or

military success, etc. If you didn't, there'd be a famine or a natural

disaster or other bad stuff. In fact, if the Romans lost a battle, sometimes

they'd send investigators to that area to figure out which gods they weren't

worshiping and then they'd add them to the pantheon. "That's called stealing you

know." The problem with the Christian God, however, was multifaceted. First of all,

Christians believed that salvation came via their God alone and all others were

false gods. They refused to offer sacrifices to pagan gods and refuse to

offer sacrifices to the Roman Emperor who was considered quasi divine so not

only were they seen as unloyal to the Empire but also the fact that they

weren't worshipping Roman gods was construed as dangerous because it might

call down the wrath of those gods. "It's time for the mortals to pay." So

anytime something bad happened, this new religious cult was an easy target.

"There you go again, blaming everything else but yourself." Early persecution

consisted mainly of mob violence or persecution at the local government

level. Christians had to worship in secret while people publicly villainized

them and spread rumors about their beliefs. The sacrament was portrayed as

cannibalism. Since they met in secret and greeted one another with a holy kiss,

they were portrayed as a scandalous sex cult. Things like that. Most scholars

believe official government sanctioned persecution began under the rule of

emperor Nero. So in about 64 AD, most of Rome was destroyed by a devastating fire.

According to the Roman historian Tacitus, rumors were circulating that Nero

himself had orchestrated the fire so he in turn blamed the Christians and

ordered that they be rounded up and killed. "Men in beast skins were torn to

death by dogs or attached to crosses or, at nightfall, lit as living torches." It's

believed that both Peter and Paul were killed in the purge. It was not a good

time to be a Christian nor was it a good time to be a Jew. In 70 AD, under Emperor

Vespasian, Rome put down a rebellion in Jerusalem destroying the temple and much

of the city, but even though Christianity central hub in Jerusalem had been

destroyed and the apostles were being picked off the Christian religious zeal

and promise of salvation kept the faith moving forward and they continued to

gain followers into the second century, persecution continued in varying degrees

throughout this century under various Emperor's but this century is also

noteworthy for the amount of new post-apostolic Christian literature that

comes forth stuff from Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus Clement of Alexandria

and others and remember that Christianity was by far the minority

religion at this time. As converts came into Christianity, of course they brought

with them baggage from their previous faiths and after the era of the

travelling Apostles came to an end, leadership of the church fell to local

bishops. Bishops in more metropolitan areas or in churches established by

apostles generally had the most influence. For

example, the Bishop of Rome sometimes acted as a mediator. When disagreements

arose between other bishops but the absolute authority of the Bishop of Rome

later known as the Pope, was a concept that would continue to develop over many

years maintaining a unified set of beliefs across Christendom was a tough

deal. There was internal debate about beliefs and quasi christian splinter

groups had started to develop and would continue to appear into the third

century. In 260 AD, Emperor Gallienus issued a welcome edict allowing

Christians to basically worship freely and they enjoyed relative peace for more

than 40 years that ended in 303 AD when Emperor Diocletian issued multiple

edicts commanding that Christian churches be destroyed, land seized and

books burned. He wanted Christians to revert back to traditional Roman

paganism and things got bloody. This is where we're gonna end this episode but

as we'll see in the next episode, despite external persecution and internal

division, Christianity in one form or another,

was here to stay. There's obviously a lot we didn't cover feel free to fill in

some of the blanks in the comments section or check out the links in the

description for more info on this subject and have a great day.