Persecution Tribulation
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ETB: Romans 8 Persecution and Tribulation FOR EARLY BELIEVERS ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ KEN TOUCHTON (4/1/3) FALL 2011 / BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR 15 By Dale “Geno” Robinson Opposition at the Outset violence. Their public protests were The early believers were not sur- so disruptive in Rome that in a.d. 49, N ROMANS 8:35, near the end prised when they were persecuted. the emperor Claudius expelled them of his life,1 Paul put forth a song Christ warned His disciples they all from the city. Suetonius, the of victory over persecution and would be arrested, arraigned, and Roman historian, suggested that reac- tribulation: physically punished for being His tion against the teaching of some- I followers. He endured resistance, one named “Chrestus” caused it all. Who can separate us from the hatred, persecution, and death. Many scholars assume this referred love of Christ? He taught that His disciples could to the teaching of Christ.4 Can affliction or anguish or per- expect nothing less (Mark 13:9-13; Believers bore the brunt of secution or famine or nakedness Luke 21:12; John 15:20-21). Jewish anti-Christian rage. In or danger or sword? (HCSB) Thessalonica zealous Jews rioted Jewish Persecution because Paul’s preaching led many Paul saw those difficulties as natu- Pilate, as Roman governor of Judea, to Christ. When they could not ral consequences of his faith, caus- limited Jewish persecution of dissidents locate Paul, they turned on his host, ing him pain, but received with joy. like Christians. When Lucius Vitellius Jason. They forcibly entered Jason’s Persecution was the religious and became Roman governor of Syria in home, beat him, and dragged him legal punishment he and other believ- a.d. 36, he deposed Pilate. A period before the magistrate. Though Jews ers received from Jews and Gentiles of benign Roman neglect allowed the had caused the riots, Jason had to because of their Christian faith. Jews to exert a greater police power post the bail (Acts 17:9). Tribulation was their experience of than before.3 They imprisoned Peter persecution. It was as the cost of and John. A jealous conspiracy by Pagan Persecution doing missionary business, the ongo- Hellenistic Jews resulted in Stephen’s Pagans persecuted Christians because ing hardship they experienced because stoning death, an action that would they, as Christ’s followers, rejected they proclaimed the gospel. It was the have been impossible under Pilate. The the veneer of false religion that cov- pain and anxiety they suffered at the Sanhedrin felt empowered enough ered the economic, cultural, and polit- hands of their Jewish or pagan neigh- to license Saul of Tarsus to harass ical life of that society. The rioters bors because they were believers. The Christians as far away as Damascus in Thessalonica were correct: “These Jews saw them as heretics. The pagan (Acts 4:1-22; 7:54-60; 9:1-2; 1 Cor. 1:23). that have turned the world upside on the street saw them as suspicious Diaspora Jews regularly disturbed down are come 2 5 disturbers of society. the common peace with rioting and hither also.” ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO (35/85/72) KEN TOUCHTON/ CAPITOLINE MUSEUM/ ROME (12/28) ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ ILLUSTRATOR 16 BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR / FALL 2011 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ KEN TOUCHTON (3/27/12) Above: The Greek Jerusalem and Inevitably someone would Orthodox Church commemorates of St. Stephen the traditional site dominates the of the stoning of raise the cry, “Throw the north end of the Stephen, the first Kidron Valley at Christian martyr. Christians to the lions!” Cultural Persecution Economic Persecution attracted thousands of tourists and By a.d. 64, government officials Christian preaching was always a worshipers. The local merchants had and pagan men on the street alike threat to some group’s livelihood. In a thriving trade in tourist trinkets recognized Christianity as a sepa- Philippi Paul and Silas cast a “spirit and silver replicas of the Temple of rate, yet suspect religion. Christians of prediction” out of a slave girl Diana (also called Artemis). A prob- had become numerous enough that (16:16-19, HCSB). When her owners lem arose because Paul was too suc- some people saw them as being a “saw that their hope of profit was cessful in gaining converts (19:1-41). subversive threat. gone” (v. 19, HCSB), they seized The silversmiths and other craftsmen Everything Christians did was Paul and Silas and marched them to feared that the growth of this new counter-cultural to almost every- the authorities for punishment. imageless faith was a threat both to thing in pagan society. By rejecting Ephesus, which was the center their livelihood and their religion. idol worship and denying the reality of worship of the goddess Diana, They rioted; caused great public dis- of local deities, believers excluded Far left: Ruins of death between turbance; and almost lynched Paul’s themselves from the civic life of the amphitheatre armed men, men helpers, Gaius and Aristarchus. their cities. They would not attend that stood on against animals, or Finally, the magistrate was able to public festivals that honored these the outskirts of fighting between Carthage in North animals. In 202, calm and then dismiss the disorderly gods nor would they participate as Africa, which was two believers, crowd. Paul wisely heeded the advice local magistrates and priests—each part of the Roman Perpetué and not to appear in public, and later Empire. The Felicité, were mar- of which was as much a religious amphitheatre was tyred here by wild quietly left town. These Christians as a civic responsibility. Their prac- often the scene of animals. were persecuted because their faith tices of sharing their goods and of violent and bloody threatened the economic well-being remaining celibate ran against com- entertainment, Left: Bust of 6 combat to the Domitian. of certain interest groups. mon mores. A “tolerant” society that FALL 2011 / BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR 17 expected everyone to live according terms for certain women who were over time came to see them as to the cultural norms was repulsed martyred because of their faith). atheistic threats to the essential by the Christians’ adamant refusal Clement tells us that “after they fabric of the Roman state. Nero to do so.7 had suffered terrible and unspeak- was the first emperor to persecute Christian religious practice also able torments, [they] finished their them. He blamed them for the seemed antisocial. Their secret course of faith with steadfastness.”9 great Roman fire of a.d. 64, and meetings in secluded places at Roman historians disliked punished them with ferocity for odd hours caused some to think Christians. Tacitus (a.d. 55–120) the trumped-up charge of “hatred they were plotting against society. reported they were “hated for their of mankind.” He had them draped Because they spoke figuratively abominations.”10 Suetonius (ca. with animal skins and thrown to about drinking Christ’s blood and 70–140) said they were “a class of fierce dogs to be torn apart. He eating His flesh, literal-minded men given to a new and mischie- crucified them or coated them in pagans thought they were canni- vous superstition.”11 Much later, tar and lit them to illuminate his bals. The practice of sharing a holy church father Tertullian (ca. 150–222) garden at night. Both Peter and kiss between Christian brothers and recalled that in times of national Paul were martyred at this time. sisters at communion gave rise to anxiety, catastrophe, or raging infla- This first imperial persecution was whispers of incest.8 tion the mob would make Christians limited to Rome and lasted only a Pastor Clement of Rome writing the scapegoats. Inevitably someone short while.13 about a.d. 94 remembered this anti- would raise the cry, “Throw the Official persecution receded Christian anger as “envy and jealou- Christians to the lions!”, as if that into the background because of sy.” This jealousy led to the torture would cure everything.12 Roman political upheavals and and death of Christians of all sta- civil wars for the next 30 years tions. Persons carrying out vigilante Roman Persecution or so. The next such persecution “justice” persecuted believers like The Roman government was at occurred from 91-96 specifically the Danaids and Dircae (figurative first indifferent to Christians, but in Rome and Asia Minor. The 18 BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR / FALL 2011 Lower left: A and was martyred wide-angle view of in 258. This was Philip’s Martyrium the place of his at Hierapolis. It tomb where, in commemorates his memory, this Philip the apostle’s church was built at founding a church the end of the 4th here and his mar- century and into tyrdom. the start of the 5th century. This Right: Ruins of was apparently the Church of a simple chapel Saint Monica in where Monica Carthage, North spent the night in Africa, which was tears and prayers part of the Roman after her son Empire. This was Augustine left for one of the houses Rome in 383. The of worship set up church was aban- by Cyprian, who doned about the became bishop of 6th–7th centuries Carthage in 248 A.D. ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO (35/86/26) Left: At Gortyn, Crete, the Church of Ayios Titos (Saint Titus). Paul commissioned Titus to lead the first Christians on Crete. The church, built in honor of Titus’s ministry and his martyr- dom, was begun in the 6th cen- tury and was later greatly enlarged. This domed basilica links early Christian architecture with Byzantine art. ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ GB HOWELL (35/37/49) emperor Domitian declared him- believers.