Theo – History of the Church Apostles and Martyrs
2. Diaspora Jews: the Apostles, who were primarily Jews, & the
Witnessing of Jesus
Christian history – made by men & women through their life &
example of faith and love in Jesus, even against the test of pain
& death
Apostles of Jesus
1. Simon Peter
2. Andrew
3. James
4. John
5. Philip
6. Bartholomew
7. Matthew
8. Thomas
9. Simon
10. Thaddaeus
11. James
12. Judas
Examplars of Courage
- After the death of Jesus, the twelve apostles were never the
same again
- they who were hiding in fear and uncertainty at the time of
Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, and were struggling to understand
his person and mission, became exemplars of courage and
conviction to their faith in the risen Christ
Recalling the Commissioning of the Apostles
Mark 15:15-18 – Go into the world and preach the Gospel to the
whole creation
- he who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who
does not believe will be condemned
- All these signs will accompany those who believe:
In my name they will cast out demons
They will speak in new tongues
They will pick up serpents
They will not be poisoned
They will lay their hand on the sick and
They will recover
The Zeal of the Apostles
Burning zeal rekindled: and so the fire of the missionary spirit
was lit up and the heart of every apostles was consumed by this
irresistible calling to be sent, to preach, to heal, to exorcise, and
to baptize in the name of Jesus, their Lord and Messiah
On the Day of Pentecost: Descent of the Holy Spirit
Immeasurable conviction: Peter’s speech in the acts of the
apostles on the day of Pentecost echoes with transforming
Christian conviction
- men of Israel, hear these words:
- Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty
works & wonders & signs who was delivered up according to
the plan of God, crucified & killed by the hands of lawless men
- but God raise him up, God has made him both Lord & Christ
Conversion of hearts: further in that account, the people who
heard Peter were moved, convinced and converted
- now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said
to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, “Brethren what shall we
do?” and Peter said to them: repent, and be baptized
Note:
- there were added on that day about 3000 souls, who devoted
themselves to Apostles teachings
The Beginning of the Early Christians
In memory of Christ and his commandments: guided by the
Apostles, the early Christians followed baptism & the breaking of
the bread as essential events of being a Christian
Burning zeal of the church: the restlessness to preach so
captivated the hearts of the disciples that they started on a
missionary journey even beyond the borders of Palestine, to the
far ends of the Mediterranean world
- as the fruit of their toil, converts were not even won but groups
and communities were even built
- Christian communities sprang from the Jewish capital of
Jerusalem to the capital of the pagan Roman Empire
Factors of the Early Expansion of Christianity
1. The Roman Empire: dominated Palestine at the time, made
possible the efficient preaching & spread of Christianity due to
the means of communication (Roman outposts), transportation
(messengers), infrastructure (roads), & rule of law (order &
security for missions)
early Christians on mission way initially received hospitality &
accommodation from their fellow Jews in various foreign places
& cities
3. Decay of Paganism: Christianity was born when paganism
had grown tired & cynical of the pantheon of gods & goddesses
- immorality & vice had become part of the many religious rites
themselves
- vice: twisted the human hearts, but this very disgust &
exhaustion created a desire for goodness & virtue which help
prepare for Christianity
The Martyrs
Persecution of Christians: there was a time that the life-giving
conviction of the early Christians that Jesus is the God-sent
Messiah faced its adversary – the test of persecution and death
- the Jewish authorities initiated a religious persecution of
Christians who were accused of deifying a condemned and
crucified criminal Jesus of Nazareth
- for these authorities, the act of worshipping a crucified person
was an act of abhorrence before God, equal to idolatry &
blasphemy
- Stephen, the 1st Christian martyr, was put to trial and later,
stoned to death due to his refusal to denounce his faith in Jesus
Acts 7:58-8:1 – they cast him out of the city and stoned him
- as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus receive
my spirit”
- he knelt down & cried with a loud voice, “Lord do not hold this
sin against them”, and when he said this, he fell to the ground
- Saul was consenting to his death
- being overly committed to his own conviction that the
Christians and their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior are
abominations before the “God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac”,
Saul consented and even carried out persecutions against them
Act 9:1-2 – but Saul still breathing threats and murder against
the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and ask him for
letters to the synagogue at Damascus, so that if he found any
belonging to the WAY (Christians), men or women, he might
bring them bound to Jerusalem
The persecutor: he then rushed to Damascus with the intention
of bringing the Christians to trial for they deserve to be punished,
based on his personal prejudice
- he was chasing after the Christians but he had no slightest
idea that the risen Christ had prepared for the greatest
transformation of his life
Damascus encounter
Acts 9:3-9 – now as he journeyed he approached Damascus,
and sudden a light from the heaven flashed out about him
- he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul,
Saul, why do you persecute me?”
- Saul must have been very shocked about the person who just
called him by his name
Acts 9:5 – as to Saul, he replied: “Who are you sir?” and the
voice said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and
enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do”
Saul carried to Damascus
- further on that account, Saul became blind, and he was helped
by a Christian named Ananias, who also restored his sight
Saul became Paul
- the Apostles heard about Saul through the recommendation
and testimony of barnabas to the Apostles Peter and James on
the account of his conversion in Damascus
- the Apostles accepted Saul (and renamed him Paul) as a
member of the Jerusalem church
Saul carried to Damascus (Continuation)
- later in his life as a convert, he earned the title of being the,
“Apostle to the Gentiles” because it was he who brought many
Gentile converts to the Christian faith
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians
1. Nero: the persecution of Christians continued and increased
- this time the Roman Empire, through Nero in 64 C.E. who
initiated the widespread and brutal persecution of Christians
- Hubert Jedin (1993): After Rome burned in 64 CE, based on
the report of Tacitus
- to quell the persistent rumor that that Nero himself was
responsible for the conflagration (intense fire) which consumed
much of the city on 16 July 64, the emperor diverted the blame
onto the Christian community - Christians from public offices were to be removed.
- that is why Christians were hated by the Roman people - Christians in the upper classes were to lose their privileges
- Large numbers (ingens multitudo) of Christians were arrested - Christian slaves may not be freed
and executed in the ways reserved for arsonists: - The attacked was concentrated on the organization of
- some were sewn into the skins of the animals and thrown to Churches
the wild dogs, others were clothed in inflammable materials - Some Christians fled to remote places to freely practice their
and used as living torches by NERO to light his garden, which faith
he opened to the public for the spectacle - Others submitted to the authorities
- The Christians at Rome in the 7th decade of the 1st Century - But there were those who complained, fought for their rights
were many in numbers (ingens multitudo) and persisted to uphold their freedom
- the Christians were unjustly accused of arson - they ended up tortured, executed and burned in public
- Nero persecuted the Christians not because he felt them as a 8. Galerius: Persecution finally met its end at the time of
threat to the state, but was aimed rather at individual Christians Galerius in 311
- he wanted the annihilation of the religion - he maintained the persecution of the Christians
Horrors and Brutality - in the winter of 310–311, he became incapacitated with a
- But Nero’s act did not win the sympathy of all his fellowmen for painful disease
the victims were pitied, for it was felt that the Christians were - fearing that his illness was the vengeance of the Christian God,
being sacrificed to one man’s brutality rather to the national he issued on April 30, 311, an edict unwillingly granting
interest toleration and lifting some of his persecution
2. Trajan Decades of Christian Persecution by Rome Ended
Royal Decree 313: Emperor Constantine together with Licinus issued the Edict
- he wrote a letter to Pliny the Younger his governor in Asia of Milan which declared religious freedom to all citizens of the
Minor, setting his royal decree on how to deal with the Christians Empire, after so many decades of prolonged agony and torture
in a proper inquiry based on the following procedures Conclusion
Deny or Die - Centuries ago, to be a Christian was a decision of life and
- They are not to be hunted out death
- if they are convicted, they are to be punished - it was a decision that manifests unwavering courage.
- he who denies that he is a Christian and proves it by Tertullian’s words capture the legacy of the era of the martyrs:
supplicating our gods, although suspected in the past, may gain “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians.”
pardon from penitence - We can observe today some nominal Catholics (Catholics by
- anonymous accusations shall not be entertained with respect name only) who openly preach that they are Catholic but
or any crime withdraw to their comfort ones when ask to serve the Church, to
3. Septimus Severus: The situation became worst for the sacrifice their time and personal plans, to give what is due to the
Christians poor, and to fight for advocacies
- 202: he intensified the campaign for the persecution with - Perhaps the lives of the apostles and martyrs are challenging
greater severity us to search our hearts, and ask ourselves: In what ways have
- he forbade conversion to Christianity, & baptism was I made acts of Christian generosity, dedication and heroism
considered a criminal act for my faith and love in Jesus?
- the Christians were still pardoned if they denied the faith - From the witness of the apostles and early Christians who lived
- The policy stepped up the governments active persecution of and died for their faith in Jesus, we are invited to sincerely ask
Christians because the police sought out the newly baptized ourselves: Has our religion become a proof of our
Christians conviction, or has it plainly evolved into a mere religion of
- the famous martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity took place at convenience?
Carthage during the time of Septimus Severus (193-211)
4. Decius: directed that all citizens of the Empire must worship
the gods of the Romans and secure a certification from the
government (250 C.E.)
- Richard Cronin: historian; “many Christians, it seems, actually
bought such certificates, others performed the act of worship
required, and others who refused were martyred
- the magnitude of inhumanity to the Christians heightened
5. Valerian: continued the persecution in 257 by ordering the
close & confiscation of Christian Churches, & by exiling & killing
the bishops
- he commanded Christian clergy to perform sacrifices to the
Roman gods or face banishment and death
6. Galienus: son of Valerian; stopped his father’s order of
persecution and returned confiscated Church property
- after the death of his father, Galienus granted liberty of worship
to the Christians
7. Diocletian: The era of Roman persecution resumed its
implementation at the time of Diocletian
- he renewed the former edicts of persecution by Decius &
Valerian, but added the confiscation of Christian writings and
Church buildings
- William Hugh Clifford Frend: historian; the persecution under
his reign was a product of well-thought and well-planned attack
on the Christians
- in his book the Rise of Christianity mentioned:
- Diocletian recognized the danger of making Christians
martyr
- No blood, he insisted must be shed
- the aim was to recall the Christians to their duty of
recognizing the majesty of the Roman gods
- the edict he promulgated on February 24 ordered that
throughout the empire Churches were to be destroyed, and
sacred books to be burned