The document discusses the history and spread of Christianity from its origins in 1st century Judea through its growth throughout the Roman Empire despite periods of persecution. It notes that Christianity began after the death and resurrection of Jesus and was spread by his disciples and apostles. It describes several Roman emperors who persecuted Christians including Nero, Decius, and Diocletian, though many Christians were martyred. The Roman Empire paradoxically both persecuted Christians yet helped spread Christianity through security, infrastructure like roads, and by giving the church certain freedoms. Emperor Constantine's Edict of Milan legalized Christianity, though historians debate his personal beliefs.
2. CHRISTIANITY BEGAN IN
THE 1ST CENTURY CE
AFTER JESUS DIED AND
WAS RESURRECTED.
STARTING AS A SMALL
GROUP OF JEWISH PEOPLE
IN JUDEA, IT SPREAD
QUICKLY THROUGHOUT
THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
3. IN JUDEA IN THE 1ST
CENTURY CE, AND
MOVED NORTHWARD
AND WESTWARD IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN
REGION THROUGH THE
EFFORTS AND
ACTIVITIES OF JESUS'
PERSONALLY CHOSEN
DISCIPLES & APOSTLES
5. WITH THE DEATHS OF THE
DISCIPLES AND THE
APOSTLES; THEIR PUPILS
AND SUCCESSORS (THE
CHURCH FATHERS (ANCIENT
THEOLOGIANS, CHURCH
LEADERS, AND DEFENDERS
OF ORTHODOX
CHRISTIANITY) ALSO
ENDURED ROMAN
HOSTILITY
8. FROM EMPEROR NERO TO
EMPEROR DOMITIAN,
EMPEROR TRAJAN TO
EMPEROR DECIUS
EMPEROR VALERIAN TO
DIOCLETIAN).
THESE ARE THE
EMPERORS THAT
PERSECUTED THE
CHRISTIANS
9. EMPEROR NERO WAS
EMOTIONALLY
UNSTABLE, INVOLVED IN
SEVERAL CONSPIRACIES,
A POOR
ADMINISTRATOR, AND
USED THE CHRISTIANS
AS A DISTRACTION OF
HIS IMPERIAL FAILINGS
AND FRUSTRATIONS
10. THE CHRISTIANS FOR HIS
IRRESPONSIBILITY.
ACCORDING TO THE
ROMAN HISTORIAN
TACITUS, NERO HAD THE
CHRISTIANS COVERED IN
WILD BEAST SKINS AND
TORN TO DEATH BY
DOGS.
11. EMPEROR DECIUS
ALSO ISSUED ROYAL
EDICTS TO SUPPRESS
CHRISTIANITY,
DEMANDING THAT ALL
CHRISTIAN BISHOPS
OFFER SACRIFICES TO
HIM
12. SAID TO BE “A
THOROUGHLY NASTY
PERSON, RARELY POLITE,
INSOLENT, ARROGANT,
AND CRUEL.HE
INTRODUCED ANTI-JEWISH
AND ANTI-CHRISTIAN
LAWS
13. AND DEMANDED
CHRISTIANS TO WORSHIP
HIM AS GOD (PEOPLE WERE
TO REFER TO HIM AS
DOMINUS ET DEUS - —
'MASTER AND GOD')
14. CRUELTY OF NERO,
PERHAPS THE GREATEST
PERSECUTIONS OF ALL
HAPPENED DURING THE
REIGN OF
EMPEROR DIOCLETIAN (R.
284-305 CE).A ZEALOT
FOR PAGANISM, HE
CALLED HIMSELF, “THE
VICAR OF JUPITER,”
15. HE BELIEVED THAT THE
ECLIPSING OF ROMAN
POWER WAS MORE DUE TO
CHRISTIANITY THAN BAD
GOVERNORSHIP. THUS, HE
ISSUED THE STRONGEST
ANTI-CHRISTIAN EDICTS OF
ALL THE EMPERORS,
COMMANDING THAT ALL
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES WERE
TO BE BURNED DOWN
16. CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES
AND BIBLES WERE TO BE
BURNED, AND ALL
PRIVATE AND PUBLIC
WORSHIP OF JESUS WAS
TO CEASE. DESPITE HIS
STRICT MEASURES
THOUGH, THE CHRISTIAN
MOVEMENT GREW
STRONGER.
18. THE ROMAN EMPIRE
HELPED THE SPREAD OF
CHRISTIANITY BY
PROVIDING A SENSE OF
SECURITY AND STABILITY
WHEN THE CHURCH WAS
BIRTHED.
19. ENDS OF THE EMPIRE AND
BEYOND.
IT KEPT JEWISH
PERSECUTION FROM BEING
WORSE THAN IT ALREADY
WAS, AND IT HELPED TO
SPREAD THE GOSPEL TO
THE KNOWN WORLD AND
BEYOND BY THE
ELABORATE ROMAN ROAD
SYSTEM.
21. INTENTIONALLY SPREAD
CHRISTIANITY,
BUT IT DID ALLOW IT TO
SPREAD BY GIVING THE
CHURCH CERTAIN PRIVILEGES,
RIGHTS, AND FREEDOMS THAT
OTHERS IN THE EMPIRE HAD
AS WELL. EVEN THOUGH THE
EMPIRE WAS EVIL, GOD HAS A
WAY OF USING EVIL FOR HIS
OWN GOOD PURPOSES (GEN
50:20; JOHN3:16).
22. GOD ALLOWED THE ROMAN EMPIRE
TO BE USED AS A MEANS TO TAKE
THE GOSPEL TO THE ENDS OF THE
EMPIRE AND BEYOND.
HOW INTERESTING THAT GOD CAN
USE A PAGAN OR EVIL EMPIRE SUCH
AS THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND AN EVIL
RULER (SUCH AS CAESAR ) TO HIS
GLORY.
INDEED “THE KING’S HEART IS A
STREAM OF WATER IN THE HAND OF
THE LORD; HE TURNS IT WHEREVER
HE WILL” (PROV 21:1), WHETHER THE
KING KNOWS ABOUT IT OR NOT
24. CONSTANTINE THE GREAT,
CHRISTIANITY BEGAN TO
TRANSITION TO THE
DOMINANT RELIGION OF THE
ROMAN EMPIRE.
WHETHER CONSTANTINE
SINCERELY CONVERTED TO
CHRISTIANITY OR REMAINED
LOYAL TO PAGANISM IS A
MATTER OF DEBATE AMONG
HISTORIANS
25. THE PERSECUTION OF
CHRISTIANS IN THE
ROMAN EMPIRE WAS A
TURNING POINT FOR
EARLY CHRISTIANITY,
SOMETIMES REFERRED TO
AS THE TRIUMPH OF THE
CHURCH, THE PEACE OF
THE CHURCH OR THE
CONSTANTINIAN SHIFT
26. MILAN (AN AGREEMENT TO
TREAT CHRISTIANS
BENEVOLENTLY).
THE EMPEROR BECAME A
GREAT PATRON OF THE
CHURCH AND SET A
PRECEDENT FOR THE POSITION
OF THE CHRISTIAN EMPEROR
WITHIN THE CHURCH AND
RAISED THE NOTIONS OF
ORTHODOXY.
