You Think You Got Trouble? (Lesson 5)

The First Persecution, Under Nero, 67(64) AD Foxe records Nero as the sixth emperor of Rome – reigned for five years – started well but then slid into bouts of temper. He liked to build and ordered parts of Rome to be burned to clear an area for a new project. While city was in flames, he went up to the tower of Macaenas, played upon his harp, sang the song of the burning of Troy, and openly declared that “he wished the ruin of all things before his death.” The fire got out of control and burned the Circus, many other palaces and houses were consumed; several thousand perished in the flames, were smothered in the smoke, or buried beneath the ruins. The fire continued nine days; when Nero began to be severely criticized, he lay blame on the Christians, to excuse himself and have remove a “troublesome” group. The cruelties enacted against Christians were such that even the Romans were appalled. “Nero even refined upon cruelty, and contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians that the most infernal imagination could design. In particular, he had some sewed up in skins of wild beasts, and then worried by dogs until they expired; and others dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to axletrees, and set on fire in his gardens, in order to illuminate them. This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman Empire; but it rather increased than diminished the spirit of Christianity. In the course of it, St. Paul and St. Peter were martyred.”

The Apostle Simon (Peter) Oral tradition holds that the apostle Peter was a slender person. He was of a middle size, inclining to tallness, and that his complexion was pale (almost white). It has, also, been said that he had a short, thick, curled beard, thin eyebrows (or no eyebrows at all). Another description of the apostle Peter is that his eyes were black, but flecked with red due to frequent weeping. Peter was born in Bethsaida (in Galilee). By profession, he was a fisherman. His father (also a fisherman) was named Jona; his brother, the apostle Andrew. In partnership with the apostles James and John and their father, Zebedee. The Roman Catholic Church considers him to be the first Pope, ordained by Jesus in the "Rock of My Church" dialogue (Matt 16:18). The ancient churches all venerate Peter as a major saint and associate him with founding the Church of Antioch (Gal 2:11) and later the Church in Rome, but differ about the authority of his various successors in present-day Christianity. The house in which Peter lived, in Capernaum, is still standing; in the 5th century AD, however, a Christian church was constructed over it. It was Peter who preached to the masses in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (following Jesus' ascension to heaven). His message is recorded in the New Testament of the Bible, the book of Acts, chapter 2. Peter is, also, the one who prompted the disciples to choose a replacement to take over the apostolic ministry of Judas Iscariot (after Judas' betrayal of Christ Jesus – Acts 1:15-26). It was, also, Peter who healed a man, who was over 40 years of age, who had been crippled from birth, with but the words, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Peter was called by the apostle Paul a "pillar" of the Church. It was, also, believed by the crowds that the mere casting of his shadow upon the sick was capable of bringing about miraculous healing. Peter is the one who defended the inclusion of the Gentiles (non-Jews) into the Christian Church at the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem. His ministry was primarily to the Jews, as the apostle Paul's was to the Gentiles. After being imprisoned several times in Jerusalem (because of his faith), Peter left with his wife and possibly others. It is believed that he ministered (in Babylon) to the Jewish colonists there. It is, also, believed to be his location when he wrote his first epistle (1 Peter). Peter eventually went to Rome. While there, it is believed that John Mark (the writer of the Gospel of Mark) served as his translator (as he preached). There is a Church tradition which says that "Mark the disciple and interpreter of the apostle Peter wrote a short gospel at the request of the brethren at Rome, embodying what he had heard Peter tell." Thus Peter was the source of the Gospel of Mark. Several other books bearing his name – the Acts of Peter (It is mainly notable for a description of a miracle contest between Peter and Simon Magus, and as the first record of the tradition that St. Peter was crucified head-down.), Gospel of Peter (notable for crediting Herod Antipas with the death of Jesus rather than Pilot and for doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary – possible Gnostic), Preaching of Peter (Gnostic – dialogue between Clement and Peter), Apocalypse of Peter (discourse of the Risen Christ to his faithful, offering a vision first of heaven, and then of hell), and Judgment of Peter (now called the Didache – rituals of the early church), and others attributed to Peter – are considered by Christian churches as apocryphal. According to Church tradition, the Roman Emperor Nero, publicly announcing himself the chief enemy of God, was led in his fury to slaughter the Apostles. Because of this persecution, Peter was crucified upside down while in Rome. Concerning the last hours of his life, it is said that Peter, when seeing his own wife led out to die, rejoiced because of her summons and her return home. He called to her very encouragingly and comfortingly, addressing her by name, and saying, "O thou, remember the Lord." Of the final days of the apostle Peter in Rome, Italy, Jowett wrote that Peter was cast into a horrible prison called the Mamertine. For nine months, in absolute darkness, he endured monstrous torture manacled to a post. In spite of all the suffering Peter was subjected to, however, he converted his jailers, Processus, Martinianus, and forty-seven others. Peter met his death at the hand of the Romans in Nero's circus, 67AD.

The Apostle Saul (Paul) Saul (later to be known as the apostle Paul) was zealous in all that he did. He was from the Jewish tribe of Benjamin, and when describing himself, he said he was a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the Mosaic Law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the Christian Church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless (Philippians 3:4-6). He becomes one of the greatest evangelists of his day in spreading Christianity after his encounter with Christ Jesus on the road to Damascus. Luke tells Paul’s story of conversion and later travels. Saul was to become known as the apostle to the Gentiles (non-Jews) whereas Peter was called the apostle to the Jews. Saul's great abilities and earnest enthusiasm in spreading the gospel of Christ have made his name revered wherever the Christian religion is known. It is his writings which make up much of the New Testament of the Bible (14 of 27 books). After his conversion, Saul went to Jerusalem where he saw Peter, James and John. Later, he journeyed with Barnabas to preach (sent forth from the church in Antioch). Much can be read about the life and missionary journeys of Saul in the New Testament of the Bible. On his first missionary journey, while at Paphos on the island of Cyprus, we see Saul, also, referred to as Paul (the name we have known him by since). Paul suffered much in spreading the Gospel. Most of his missionary efforts were in what is modern day Greece, Turkey, and the surrounding areas. The Bible reveals very little about Paul's family. Paul's nephew, his sister's son, is mentioned in Acts 23:16. Acts also quotes Paul referring to his father by saying he, Paul, was "a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee" (Acts 23:6). Paul refers to his mother in Romans 16:13 as among those at Rome. In Romans 16:7 he states that his relatives, Andronicus and Junia (a woman), were Christians before he was and were prominent among the apostles. Like Peter, many pseudepigraphal (noncanonical) books are attributed to Paul. The Acts of Paul is one of the major works of the Apocryphal Acts, an approximate date given to the Acts of Paul is 160AD. The Acts were first mentioned by Tertullian (c.155-c.240AD) who found it heretical because it encouraged women to preach and baptize. The Acts were considered orthodox by Hippolytus (170-235AD) but were eventually regarded as heretical when the Manichaeans (Gnostics) started using the texts. The author of the Acts of Paul is unknown uses oral traditions of Paul's missionary work. The discovery of a Coptic version of the text demonstrated that the text was composed of  the Acts of Paul and Thecla  the Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul  the Third Epistle to the Corinthians  the Martyrdom of Paul – his death at the hand of Nero All of these constituent parts were often considered worth treating as separate texts and frequently appeared independently, although scholars agree that they were originally part of the Acts of Paul. Besides the four main sections, the remainder of the Acts exist only in fragments from the 3rd and 5th centuries:  The healing of Hermocrates from dropsy  The strife of the Ephesian beasts The texts are a coherent whole and are generally thought to have been written by one author using oral traditions, rather than basing it on any of the other apocrypha or the orthodox canon. The main emphasis of the text is on Chastity and anti-Gnosticism. According to Tertullian, the author was a priest in Asia Minor. While the priest encouraged female ministry, he expressed doctrinal orthodoxy in regard to continence and Resurrection. Also, they mentioned the close relationship of sexual purity and salvation. The Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul and the Third Epistle of the Corinthians both appear in some editions of the Armenian Bible. The Epistle to Seneca the Younger is a collection of correspondence claiming to be from Paul the Apostle to Seneca the Younger. There are 8 epistles from Seneca, and 6 replies from Paul. Jerome (347-420) mentioned them in his De Viris Illustribus (On Illustrious Men; chap. 12). However, they are widely held to be forged – exchange between the Stoic philosopher and the Apostle. After being released from imprisonment in Rome, as part of his further missionary journeys, it is believed that Paul, also, visited Gaul and Spain (there is, also, a belief that he visited England). When Paul returned to Rome, he was taken prisoner again and imprisoned for nine months with the apostle Peter in the Mamertine prison. It was in Rome that the apostle Paul suffered martyrdom. By order of the Emperor Nero, Paul was beheaded with a sword.

Foxe also said “To their names may be added, Erastus, chamberlain of Corinth; Aristarchus, the Macedonian, and Trophimus, an Ephesian (Acts 21:29), converted by St. Paul, and fellow- laborer with him, Joseph, commonly called Barsabas, and Ananias, bishop of Damascus; each of the Seventy.”