Jesus

‘How does Jesus show people are more important than the law? Do you agree? Explain why or why not. ‘ Jesus suggests that people are more important than the law through many of his actions and the things he preached, that went against or undermined the strict Laws the J swish society he was born into held to. Many of these actions and the things he said could be interpreted to mean that Jesus did not think these laws were not applicable in some circus dances anymore and so needn’t be obeyed, resulting in him proportioning people, and more imp ardently, love, over some of the laws.

Jesus first specifies that people have priority over law in Mark 2:2328, where h e states in particular Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. % This s suggests that he was challenging the ‘relinquishing society that the Pharisees had created, where it was no longer about keeping the laws to honor God and for the benefit of man, but instead about abiding to the laws and being punished if you didn’t. In stating this, Jesus is e emphasizing this and suggesting that the laws were not the most important thing and mercy o n the people was more important if the laws were not kept than punishment.

This idea is again submitted in John 8:1 1 1, where instead of punishing the adulterous woman, Jesus grants m Eric on her and instead says ‘Now go and leave your life of sin. ‘ This again implies people are more important than upholding the law, although it is obvious that each scenario is different and must be handled accordingly. Instead of emphasizing law as the most important thing, Jesus instead introduce sec Love as the most important commandment over keeping the law. This is made apparent I n Mark 12:2831, when Jesus stated the most important commandment is ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, … LU, … Mind and … Strength’ and the second being ‘Love your neighbor our as yourself. ‘ Jesus goes on in Luke 10:2537 to specify that being someone’s ‘neighbor’ is h avian ‘mercy’ on others, shown in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Within this parable, J sees also depicts the ‘neighbor’ as being an “enemy” of the injured man who broke the Jewish law by touching someone unclean (even though he himself was a Gentile so this din ‘t apply to him but applied to the injured man, whom his own society would have rejected), b UT was identified as doing the right thing even by the Jews listening to the story.

Jesus is therefore emphasizing the value of humans over upholding the law, stemming from cacti Eng out of love for them. Jesus also impressed upon the disciples this concept of the laws no longer en ding to be “forced” upon people and therefore everything being allowed, but the laws ha vying our best interests in mind so keeping them should be for our benefit , and not for the sake of keeping them. This is echoed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:12 when he states “everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. “.

This shows humans as now, through Jesus, being et free from the laws, but also states that the laws were originally put in place e for our benefit and protection, thereby suggesting the most logical thing to do would be to u uphold them, but 18/11/14 By Amelia Parkinson Ethics Prep Questions just no longer having to strictly abide by them for the sake of doing so, and m meaning the old laws can now be broken if it is the most loving action to do. Personally, agree with the approach Jesus has to the laws, and think that Poe peel should take priority over abiding by the laws.

World Religions Report on Catholicism HUM/130 By Sally Navarro This paper is to inform the reader about the religion called Catholicism. This religion had pned the trials and tribulations of time, and been throughout history as the only religion held sacred to the followers of this faith. The following will be told about the religion that I have found from a believer/follower of this faith. I will tell you about the interviewer, the interview site, what the interview contains. Also, I will be writing about how this religion compares and contrasts to the religion of my faith, which is Christianity.

Catholic Mass The mass I went to was very interesting. In this because, upon entering the Sanctuary, there is the Holy Water well, that the faithful dip, their fingers into, and make a cross motion on their forehead. The Holy Water is for the faithful in remembrance of their baptism, and rejects Satan. The faithful answer to several Hail Mary prayers before the start of the service; they prep their hearts and minds for mass. Throughout the service, there was constant standing, sitting, and kneeling while the Priest prepared the sacrament, or the Eucharist, commonly called communion of the last supper.

During this ritual, there were members of the congregation that assisted with the body of Christ, and the Blood of Christ, in dispensing them to other members of this parish. At the beginning of the mass, the altar boys and girls accompany the Priest into the sanctuary, where the altar boy is carrying a crucifix, the Priest is behind him, and there is the person carrying the bible, holding it in the air. For every ritual the Catholics have, there seems to be a prayer for that ritual. In the constant standing and sitting and kneeling, Father Weibel called this “Catholic Calisthenics,” (Father Weibel, St.

Wendelin Catholic Parish 2009). The Priest opens his sermon with a joke, followed by a brief sermon about Jesus and his love for us. The entire mass lasted about 45 minutes, less than the typical Christian service, which is about an hour. At the end of the service, there was a ritual where there is bell ringing and they put their hands over their hearts, I do not know what this is for, but I did forget to ask. The service ended with the Priest saying, “This mass is now over, go and be with God! ” Name The interviewee is Brenda Campbell. She is in her late 30’s has two school age daughters.

She is also married, and works at the College Co-operative. This is where college students from around the area can come to study, take tests, and look up reference information while in a quiet, study-oriented room with 8-10 computers. I asked her to give this interview if she has the time, and she jokingly said, “Anything for you Sally! ” So, I could not get an interview at the Catholic Parish itself, so I had to settle with interviewing her at her job, since I am a student registered there at the Library to use those services. Interview summary In this interview summary is the responses to the10 questions I had prepared for Mrs.

Campbell. Several of these questions have long answers, I will provide the answers in short summaries where possible, and being careful not to leave out the root or context of the response. If this happens, then the underlying meaning of the answer has been lost. In the opening question, I asked Brenda a simple, yet a beneficial question to this paper. I asked her “what are the foundations of Catholicism, and where did its beliefs originate? ” Her reply is rather short and to the point of no explanation, she says “the Catholic church is a continuation of the Christian community which was founded by Saint Peter.

The beliefs of Catholics are based on the Bible and traditions long handed down from the times of the apostles. ” I found this interesting, because I did not know that Catholicism was a branch of the Christian faith, nor did I know that Saint Peter founded the Catholic Church. Brenda gave a laugh when she told me that I was right, when I said I was ignorant to the Religion of Catholicism. In the second question I gave to Brenda which reads as “Why is the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus held as sacred to believers of this faith? Brenda’s response shows how logically and true to believers when she says “The main reason for this is that she is the mother of Jesus. Secondly, there was a moment that the Angel Gabriel came to Mary at a very young age and at that moment she completely gave herself to God. With her acceptance of God’s will for us and her willingness to give herself fully and unconditionally to God is an example to everyone. ” This shows me that giving one’s self to God is easy, but then it is hard to stay in that mission.

But, Christian groups believe that Mary was just a vehicle for Jesus, who is the true messiah to the faithful. The third question is one that has been debated for years between two groups of Christian denominations. The Jehovah’s Witness do not believe in the Holy Trinity, as for the Catholics and the Christians do believe in this doctrine. When I asked Brenda this question she says that the” Trinity is made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The followers of Catholicism believe they are three persons under one God head, representing the presence and the power of God. I have also heard it referred to as “team God,” This means all three the same, but in different beings. Christians have believed this all a long time, but how can they be the same, and different at the same time? Did Jesus raise himself from his grave? Here is a question I have longed to know. The question involves the use of altar boys/girls and their purpose in the service of Catholics. The question I posed to Brenda is “What is the purpose of Altar boys and girls during the ritual of service? ” Brenda replies in a simplistic answer, “Their roles are to assist the clergy when the service is being held.

They have a supporting role in tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying communion cups, holding the Bible for the clergy reading from it, and ringing of the altar bells. ” This ritual in the Catholic Church seems to be a lot to understand when one has never been to a Catholic service before. So many players (roles) are involved for the service ritual to take place. In some Christian services, there are the uses of liturgists, normally people who rotate this duty to join the congregation in faith by reading together certain passages from the bible. The CCD classes, or commonly referred to as followers of this faith as being

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Brenda points out that the reason form this is the youth need to learn, and understand the basic teachings of the Catholic Church. The reason for this, she says is “the school age children need to understand and learn the roots of their faith. ” Just as one new to the world of Christianity would need to go to bible study to understand the word of God, and the teachings of Jesus, to fully understand what Christianity is and means. Also, instilling these root beliefs will aid them in the future by giving them moral beliefs.

In the Presbyterian Church, there is a class called new members class, which is the same as the Catholics, as in to the roots of the belief. When one enters the Catholic faith, and gets some understanding about this faith, they have a duty to go to confession. When I asked Brenda about confession, and what the purpose of confession is she sums it up in another simple answer. Confession, what is the purpose of confession, and what does it help the confessor deal with? She said, “The purpose of Confession or reconciliation is to provide healing to the soul of the confessor.

This means to regain the grace of God that is lost by sin. After confession, the Priest gives the confessor the forgiveness of sins. But, in Christianity, the only one who can forgive sins is God, through Jesus, who died for our sins according to the Bible. Priesthood, this is a very powerful topic in the sense of being a communicator to the almighty, and having power to tell the confessor that God forgives you for your sins. Does the priest or Father have that kind of authority to say this? I will let you make the decision on this question.

The topic of how one becomes a Father or Priest came up in the discussion with Brenda, and she tells me how one a Father or Priest becomes. In becoming a Father, or Priest, the first step is internal discernment, which means one must discover their call and act on it. After understanding and determining their calling, they must attend seminary for four years. This is no different than what ministers and other preachers would do to answer their call to God’s work. She also says that they can do this as well as go to college, but all must complete four years of college and four years of seminary.

Upon completion of seminary, the one who completed seminary would go to a Catholic church to serve as a deacon for a six month appointment. There is something that is equally needed in both Christianity, and Catholicism. That there is the answer to God calling one, and the need to go to Seminary, or Bible College to obtain the knowledge of God’s word to spread the message of God’s will for humanity. Here is a ritual that I have no understanding about. I asked Brenda what the name of this ritual was but she must not have heard me.

The question I said to Brenda was, “the blessing action that the Priest gives, what is the name of this ritual, and what does it symbolize? She answers, “The Priest is using incense to create smoke that comes out of the chalice. This represents purification and sanctification. The smoke is to represent the prayers that are being lifted up to heaven with the smoke. I understand this to be a purification ritual of some sorts, by the actions of the priest. He goes around in a underhanded motion to gently move the chalice back and fourth among the congregation, while blessing them and lifting their prayers up to heaven.

I thought that God hears all our prayers? The Christians, like the Jehovah’s Witness believes that all prayers go to heaven without the use of incense, and prayed through Jesus. This brings us to the ritual of communion. What this means and what this does is in the followers of this belief. The disciple’s last meal with Jesus is remembered by the Last supper. In describing this, Brenda says that this is the way we remember what Christ has done for us. This is our way of participating in the body of Christ, that we become one with him and as members of his church.

As Jesus said to his disciples, that they are to take of his body, to cleanse the soul, prepare the way for Christ to enter the their heart, by asking for forgiveness before they partake in the ritual of communion, also known as the sacrament to some other Christian beliefs. In closing of the interview with Brenda Campbell, there was one last question I had for her, which may be the biggest one I wanted to know the answer to. I asked Brenda “Is it easy to convert to the Catholic religion? How and what would someone have to do to be converted to the Catholic religion?

In a very lengthy response Brenda says, “Converting to the Catholic faith is a very big deal. In becoming a catholic means that the converter consents to all the church teachings. ” She also says with conversion, there is work and faith for her members, which translates to me that there is to be service work and spreading the word of the lord to others as well. She also continues to say, “One is expected to avail themselves to the sacraments regularly, as well as to attend a four to seven month class called RCIA, or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. This,” she says, is for the development of a solid grounding in the Catholic faith. “Before one gets initiated into the Catholic Church, this involves Reconciliation, Baptisms, and confirmation into the Catholic faith. This is a lot to go through to convert to the Catholic belief. This is more than other Christian denominations do for them to be members of certain churches. I know this to be true in a Christian church back where I used to live. Where the preacher asked someone to come down or has a decision to make today, that he invites them down and pray with him and tell him what you need.

This person went down during the invitation song, prayed with the preacher and after the song was over, he gave a brief description of what this person did to end up at that church and after that, the preacher turned to the person who joined the church and asked him a few questions. One of the questions the preacher asked the person joining the church was at the end. The preacher asks the person do you accept Jesus Christ as you personal Lord and savior, the person answered, yes. After that, this person was a member of the First Christian church.

That is a big difference form just confessing faith in the lord to become a member of the Christian Church, and how much more time is needed to become a member of the Catholic Church. Conclusion The difference between Christian and Catholic is Mary. The Catholics believe Mary is sacred, and the Christians believe that Mary is the mother of Jesus, which is true, but Jesus is the Messiah not Mary. References Father Weibel 2009 St. Wendelin Catholic Parish Brenda Campbell, 2009, St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, www. inplainsight. org 2009

We should read and study the Bible because it is totally reliable and without error. oThe Old Testament writers claimed many times they were speaking the word of God. Isaiah 1:2 “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. ” oThe New Testament writers confirmed the Old Testament was God speaking. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. oThroughout the Bible, God warns not to add, to take away from His Word. Rev. 22:18-19 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, [19] and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. ” oJesus in His sayings confirmed the Old Testament as being without error.

Luke 24:44 “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. ” oThose involved in science say the Bible is not accurate, but every time science tries to disprove the Bible, it ends up proving it. The Bible has never changed over the thousands of years since it was written. The Bible is authoritative and can be trusted as such. No piece of literature even approaching its age comes close to having the supportive textual evidence indicating authenticity that the Bible has.

It is simply the most reliable text in existence. We should read and study the Bible because there is so much false teaching. The Bible gives us the measuring stick by which we can distinguish truth from error. Amos 7:8 “And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see? ” And I said, “A plumb line. ” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them;” All Christians should study the Bible each day. Psalm 119:15 “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; [2] but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. [3] He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. ” The best time to study is in the morning because the Bible refers frequently to things being done early in the morning. Isaiah 50:4 “The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.

Morning by morning He awakens; He awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. ” It is highly recommended that two Bibles be used. One is the main Bible and the other is a study Bible with full notes. The Bible should not be read as a textbook but as the word of God. Before even opening the Bible to read, it is best to ask the LORD to reveal something fresh that will help in one’s daily walk. The different approaches to reading the Bible are: oHearing oReading oWriting oStudying oMeditating oMemorizing. oApplication The following study aids will also be necessary to help understand the Bible: oA concordance (Young’s, Strong or Cruden’s) A Bible dictionary oA commentary on the Bible oVines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words oA good English dictionary oA notebook to record impressions oA Bible marker to highlight certain passages that make a special impression The Bible can be read through from beginning to end or a daily program followed where both Old and New Testament portions are read each day until the whole Bible is read. But keep in mind that the goal is not to get through the Bible as quickly as possible but rather to absorb it as the word of God.

For centuries the Bible has been a fixed point of reference and no matter how far society and individuals have strayed, the Bible has served as a guide for human conduct, a moral framework producing a sense of right and wrong, a source of truth, an inspiration for the arts, music, literature and a beacon for personal behavior. Philip. 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9] What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” Bible meditation Meditation means pondering by talking to oneself, musing, thinking, or reflection. It involves allowing the mind to become saturated with God’s words. Meditation involves the heart; memorization involves the mind. Bible meditation contains the secret to happiness, fruitfulness, freshness, progress, prosperity, success and victory over enemies. 1 Tim. 4:15 “Practice these things; devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Some ways to meditate are: oMemorize a section of the Bible oQuote the section (verse) to the Lord as a personal prayer oRepeat the section several times each time, emphasize a different word oVisualize the significance of each word as far as you can oRepeat the section and ponder on the full meaning of each word oRest – let the words grow in your mind, will and emotions. oUse section to talk with God oPonder each word for personal application oExpect God to bring this section to your mind for decisions and show you ew insights from it. The Bible equips us to serve God. Ephesians 4:11-13 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” Memorizing Bible verses is important – more important than many people realize.

It is not to score well with God and others, but to help disciples become more equipped for ministry. John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ” Jesus subdued the enemy at the temptation simply by quoting verses He had memorized from Deuteronomy. Jesus demonstrates both the importance and effectiveness of knowing and applying Scripture to combat temptation. (Matthew 4:1-7)

His question was birthed from his desperation, because his baby daughter was about to die, she would never experience a prom, or graduate from college. L don’t know if she was dying because she was a little black girl who may have been walking in Sanford with skittles and iced tea, or if her music was too loud in Jacksonville, or if she was coming from the corner store in Ferguson… But in the moment of desperation, Jesus heads to the location of his house. I’m glad this evening, that Jesus will stop by the house and come and see about you… It’s at the location, that Jesus sets expiration on their mourning. Jesus says, “The child is not dead. She’s only sleeping”.

What they considered as fatal, Jesus sees as fruitful. Then Jesus gives her protection by taking her by the hand and saying “Daughter, Arise”. For the hand of God protects me, it lifts me, comforts me, and secures me! I need his hand. Short Version: 1 . As I close, I can hear Jarvis, the synagogue ruler, asking this same question which moved Jesus to the location of his house. And I’m glad this evening, that Jesus will stop by the house and come and see about you… Secures me and it comforts me! Scriptural Reference ; Mark 5: 21 -43 2.

The disciples were on a boat in a storm and asked the question to Jesus “Carets thou not that we perish? ” , really meaning “Where do we go from here? “. The storm is about to over take us, the winds are beating us in the face, the waves are swamping us in the boat and we are about to drown. Lord, “Where do we go from here? ‘ Jesus goes from where he was asleep to the location where they were afraid. And at this location, he put the wind on expiration. Then gave them protection by saying “Peace be still”.

Scriptural Reference – Mark 4:35-41 Mary and Marsh’s brother Lazarus was dead and Martha was furious with Jesus and said, “If you had been here our brother would not have died”. Her whole world was shattered at the loss Of her only brother. She essentially was crying “Where do we go from here? ” But Jesus arrives at their location, and says show me where you laid him. At that location, Jesus gives expiration to the stone, the very thing that was holding him back and keeping him bound, Jesus tells to them to remove.

And finally, Jesus gives him protection by removing the grave clothes from him Scriptural Reference – John 1 1 But I know that on one Friday… From the 6th – 9th hour, Jesus Christ died… The world wondered and pondered, “Where do we go from here? ” , the one that… They put him in a location oaf borrowed tomb all night Friday Then expiration came early on Sunday morning when he got up with all Power in his hands. Because He got up he gives me protection everyday of my life… The blood covers me And now, This calls for a celebration…

The followers of Jesus have been called to peace. When he called them they found their peace, for he is their peace. But now they are told that they must not only have peace but make it. And to that end they renounce all violence and tumult. Now, peacemaking is a divine work. For peace means reconciliation; and God is the author of peace and of reconciliation.  It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the particular blessing which attaches to peacemakers is that “they shall be called sons of God. For they are seeking to do what their Father has done, loving people with his love.

Who are the Peace Makers

Being a peacemaker is part of being surrendered to God, for God brings peace. We abandon the effort to get our needs met through the destruction of enemies. God comes to us in Christ to make peace with us; and we participate in God’s grace as we go to our enemies to make peace. For no one has ever been converted by violence. Making peace makes us God’s children—and kin to each other. According to Michael H. Crosby, in his work ‘Spirituality of the Beatitudes’. The peace intended is not merely that of political and economic stability, as in the Greco-Roman world, but peace in the Old Testament inclusive sense of wholeness, all that constitutes well-being. … The “peacemakers,” therefore, are not simply those who bring peace between two conflicting parties, but those actively at work making peace, bringing about wholeness and well-being among the alienated. However, they play a vital role by their impact by creating peace where violence has taken control.

It is important to note that peacemakers are honoured insofar as they speak about peace as something already victoriously won that we can celebrate as part of our glorious past or as something that will be won in the other world. They continue to be dishonoured insofar as they continue to point out injustice, hypocrisy, and suffering. They are noble when their actions bring to light, problems far away from us; they are an odious nuisance when they point out our own sins. We are called peacemakers as Christians by our ways of life.

However, in our reflection, it’s interesting to point out that, none of those theologians seem to give much thought to how one deal with evil. Are we supposed to give in and allow violent, evil people to make slaves of us all? That would be the result of peace making at any cost. Hitler and his people would be ruling the world today, people would be evaluated according to their mental and physical abilities and those who are for whatever reason unable to participate and contribute would end up in concentration camps.

Muslim extremists are not all that different; a good example is the recent religious crisis in Jos Plateau state. Perhaps Mr. Bush and his people were wrong for starting the war and as he himself has said, we might never know the answer but evil and injustice must be fought against with every thing we have. Jesus commanded us to do good and that includes putting down evil action. As long as there are violent self-serving leaders in charge of underdeveloped countries there is nothing we can do. The poor will ever benefit from our charity.

The Cry of the Beatitudes: Get a New Heart

One after the other the beatitudes tell us that the blessings of eternity will be given only to those who have become new creatures. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. If we don’t obtain mercy, we receive judgment. If we don’t see God, we are not in heaven. If we aren’t called the sons of God, we are outside the family. In other words these are all descriptions of final salvation. And it is promised only to the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers.

Therefore the beatitudes are like long spikes holding down the lid of the coffin on the false teaching which says that if you just believe in Jesus you will go to heaven whether or not you are merciful or pure in heart or a peacemaker. In fact, from beginning to end the Sermon on the Mount cries out, “Get yourself a new heart! Become a new person! The river of judgment is at the door! ” You recall the words of verse 20: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).

And at the very end of the sermon in (Matthew 7:26f), the Lord calls out over the crowds, “Every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it. ” In other words, a life of disobedience to the beatitudes and to the Sermon on the Mount will not stand in the judgment no matter what we believe!

How to Become Sons of God

When Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God,” he did not tell us how to become a son of God. He simply says that sons of God are in fact peacemakers. People who are peacemakers will be recognized as the sons of God at the judgment and they will be called what they are and welcomed into the Father’s house. To see how to become sons of God we can look, for example, in John 1:12 and Galatians 3:26. John 1:12 says, “To all who received him (Jesus), who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God. And Galatians 3:26 says, “For in Christ we are all sons of God through faith. ” In other words, we become sons of God by trusting in Christ for our forgiveness and hope. What Jesus is saying in Matthew 5:9 is that people who have become sons of God have the character of their heavenly Father. And we know from Scripture that their heavenly Father is a “God of peace” (Romans 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20). We know that heaven is a world of peace (Luke 19:38). And most important of all, we know that God is a peacemaker! God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). He made peace by the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:20). In other words, even though by nature we are rebels against God and have committed high treason and are worthy to be eternally court-marshaled and hanged by the neck until dead. Nevertheless God has sacrificed his own Son and now declares amnesty free and clear to any who will lay down their arms of independence and come home to faith. God is a peace-loving God, and a peacemaking God.

The whole history of redemption, climaxing in the death and resurrection of Jesus, is God’s strategy to bring about a just and lasting peace between rebel man and himself, and then between man and man. Therefore, God’s children are that way, too. They have the character of their Father. What he loves they love. What he pursues they pursue. You can know his children by whether they are willing to make sacrifices for peace the way God did. By the sovereign work of God’s grace rebel human beings are born again, and brought from rebellion to faith, and made into children of God. We were given a new nature, after the image of our heavenly Father (1 John 3:9). If he is a peacemaker, then his children, who have his nature, will be peacemakers too.

The Spirit of God Is the Spirit of Peace

To put it another way, as Paul says in Galatians 4:6, “Since we are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father! ‘” And therefore, as he says in Romans 8:14, “All who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. ” And being led by the Spirit always includes bearing the fruit of the Spirit. And the fruit of the Spirit is peace!

So you see why it must be so, that the children of God must be peacemakers. It is by the Spirit of God that we are made children of God, and the Spirit of God is the Spirit of peace. If we are not peacemakers, we don’t have the Spirit of Christ. So we do not earn or merit the privilege to be called sons of God. Instead we owe our new birth to the sovereign grace of God (John 1:13). We owe our faith to the impulses of the new birth (1 John 5:1). We receive the Holy Spirit by the exercise of this faith (Galatians 3:2). The fruit of this Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:22).

And those who bear the fruit of peace are the sons of God. Our whole salvation, from beginning to end, is all of grace therein lies our hope and joy and freedom. But our final salvation is not unconditional, we must be peacemakers—therein lies our earnestness and the great seriousness with which we must deal with these beatitudes, and seek the grace of God in our lives. Now let’s look at . . . what it means to be peacemakers. 2. 2What It Means to Be a Peacemaker The promise of sonship in the second half of the Matthew 5:9 points us to Matthew 5:43-45 for our main insight.

Both of these texts describe how we can show ourselves to be sons of God. You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Notice verse 45, “. . . so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. ” The thought is the same as in Matthew 5:9. There, we must be peacemakers to be called sons of God.

Here, we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us if we would be sons of God. So probably Jesus thinks of peacemaking as all the acts of love by which we try to overcome the enmity between us and other people. And if we ask for specifics, he gives two examples. The first thing he mentions is prayer (verse 44): Pray for those who persecute you. Pray what? The next chapter tells us. In Matthew 6:9-10 Jesus says, “Pray like this. ” Pray that you and your enemy would hallow God’s name. Pray that God’s kingdom be acknowledged in your life and his life.

Pray that you and he would do God’s will the way the angels do it in heaven. In other words, pray for conversion and sanctification. The basis of peace is purity. Pray for yours and pray for his, that there might be peace. Then in Matthew 5:47 Jesus gives the other specific example of peacemaking-love in this text: “If you salute (or greet) only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? ” In other words, if there is a rupture in one of your relationships, or if there is someone who opposes you, don’t nurse that grudge.

Don’t feed the animosity by ignoring and avoiding that person. That is the natural thing to do—just cross the street so that you don’t have to greet them. But that is not the impulse of the Spirit of a peacemaking God, who sacrificed his Son to reconcile us to himself and to each other. Peacemaking tries to build bridges to people. It does not want the animosity to remain. It wants reconciliation. It wants harmony. And so it tries to show what may be the only courtesy the enemy will tolerate, namely, a greeting.

The peacemaker looks the enemy right in the eye and says, “Good morning, John. ” And he says it with a longing for peace in his heart, not with a phony gloss of politeness to cover his anger. So we pray and we take whatever practical initiatives we can to make peace beginning with something as simple as a greeting. But we do not always succeed. And I want to make sure you don’t equate peacemaking with peace-achieving. A peacemaker longs for peace, and works for peace, and sacrifices for peace. But the attainment of peace may not come. Romans 12:18 is very important at this point.

There Paul says, “If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. ” That is the goal of a peacemaker: “If possible, so far as it depends on you . . . ” Don’t let the rupture in the relationship be your fault.

A Tough Question: Peace and Truth? What raises a tough question: Is it your fault when the stand that you take is causing the division? If you have alienated someone and brought down their anger upon your head because you have done or said what is right, have you ceased to be a peacemaker? Not necessarily. Paul said, “If it is possible . . . live at peace. He thus admits that there will be times that standing for the truth will make it impossible. For example, he says to the Corinthians (11:18-19), “I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

” Now he would not have said that, if the genuine Christians should have compromised the truth in order to prevent divisions at all cost. It was precisely because some of the Christians were genuine—genuine peacemakers—that some of the divisions existed. (Also see 1 Corinthians 7:15. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34, thus: Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. In other words, you must love peace and work for peace. You must pray for your enemies, and do good to them, and greet them, and long for the barriers between you to be overcome. But you must never abandon your allegiance to me and my word, no matter how much animosity it brings down on your head.

You are not guilty; you are not in the wrong if your life of obedience and your message of love and truth elicit hostility from some and affirmation from others.

Social Injustices as Demands for Personal Repentance

There is another explanation for why he preaches the way he does. In Luke 13:1-5 some people confronted Jesus with one of Pilate’s atrocities. Here’s the way he responded: There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And e answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ” He took a major social outrage of injustice and turned it into a demand for personal, individual repentance. “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish! ” That’s what he always did. Why did he do this? Because for Jesus, the eternal destiny of a human soul is a weightier matter, a bigger issue, than the temporal destiny of a nation.

The Truly Weighty Matter in the World Today

Now let’s go back to the question. Why does a message on peacemaking from the Sermon on the Mount focus on the individual issues of prayer and greetings and personal reconciliation? Aren’t these personal issues insignificant in comparison with the issues of nuclear war, military budgets, arms talks in Geneva, apartheid in South Africa, and religious crisis in northern Nigeria, civil wars in Central America, religious oppression in Romania and Russia, and international terrorism?

The answer is no, because the point of these personal issues in the Sermon on the Mount is to make crystal clear that every individual within the hearing of my voice must become a new creature if you are to have eternal life. You must have a new heart. Without a merciful, pure, peacemaking heart you cannot be called a son of God at the judgment day. And that is the truly weighty matter in the world today. Is the Son of Man confined in his views of the world, is he out of touch with the real issues of life because he regards the eternal salvation of your soul as a weightier matter than the temporal destiny of any nation on earth?

Blessed are you peacemakers who pray for your enemies and greet your opponents with love and sacrifice like your heavenly Father for the reconciliation of people to God and to each other, for you will be called sons of God and inherit eternal life in the kingdom of your Father.

Conclusion

Blessed are the peacemakers. But if you look around you, peacemakers are extremely rare. In fact, conflict is basically everywhere on the face of this earth – because of religion, because of politics, because of just simple old bald-faced human nature, we have massacres and destruction and ayhem and wars all over this earth. Even our court systems seem to make everybody unhappy with the judgments that are rendered. And of course we hear many things coming out of Congress that sometimes make you wonder just exactly what are they trying to do? And of course Cincinnati has become, in the last little while, renown for its conflicts as well. Isaiah the prophet wrote these words, he said, “The way of peace they have not known, there is no justice in their ways. They have made themselves crooked paths and whosoever takes that way, shall not know peace. “

The painting depicts the prediction of the birth of Jesus and how it came to pass. This happened after the visitation of angel Gabriel to Mary, who was a simple and humble Jewish woman. The angel broke the news to Mary that she had found favor with God, and she will conceive and give birth to a son, Jesus. He further elaborated that Jesus would be the son of God, the most high. At this point, Mary was totally confused and worried about the abrupt news but she later consoled herself and said since she was God’s servant, she will do as he says. Moreover, Mary was betrothed to a man called Joseph, who lived in Nazareth. During this time, a Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus had ordered a census and both Mary and Joseph had to travel to the town of Bethlehem. The journey took them several days and by the time they arrived, the inn was already full and they were compelled to spend their night near the livestock’s shed. Coincidentally, Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid him in a manger.

In the same night, there were shepherds in the field near Bethlehem and were watching over their flocks. Suddenly, the angel appeared to them and broke the good news to them that savior, the Messiah had been born and is lying in a manger.  They immediately hurried to the place and found Jesus as they were directed. They later went to spread the news. Later, wise men saw a star in the sky that signified the birth of a new king.

They followed it to the place where Jesus was and knelt down to worship him. They brought him gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense. According to Mosaic laws, Jesus was taken to the temple where he was named, circumcised and purified. This was conducted by Simeon. During the visitation of Jesus by wise men, the gifts were used as a symbol of honor to the born king. Joseph was a simple village man who lived in Nazareth. He was chosen by God to be the earthly father of Jesus. He was a carpenter and had gathered exceptional skills in craft work. He feared God and he would obey him in face of severe humiliation. He came from a humble background and this subjected him to engage in carpentry. Also, Joseph was a man of strong conviction and lived his beliefs in his actions.

He is celebrated for his obedience and patience even after Mary, his fiancé gave birth to Jesus although she was a virgin. Jesus was regarded as an artist because he used to give verbal, visual and dramatic forms to the complicated situations. He taught the word of God by giving analogies, parables, and creative expressions. According to the gospels, his birth took place on November of 5 B.C at Bethlehem. After he completed his work on earth, he died on A.D 33 at a place called Golgotha.

He was known for using parables in his teachings.  The original location of his artwork was first meant to be viewed in synagogues, where he presented various sermons. Moreover, this artwork was religious and was meant to make his followers think critically so as to understand the word of God fully. Also, they were used as a means of illustrating profound and divine truths. He claimed that such stories were easily remembered and indicated symbolism that was rich in meaning. He further told his disciples that the essence of using parables is because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to them. According to Michael Grant, the entire artwork can be traced back to Gospel period where absolute chronology of Jesus is explained into details.

Further, this historical period is recorded in a number of historical and non-Christian documents like Jewish and Greco-Roman sources. Further information indicated that the baptism and crucifixion of Jesus marked prominent historical events. This period simply means the genesis of the good news and it cut across various groups of people. During this period, Jesus started his ministry, which was later considered as fulfillment of New Testament prophecies. He walked down all cities along with his disciples preaching the gospel and urging the people to repent so as to see the kingdom of God. This took him the whole of his lifetime on earth. During this period, he faced mockery and humiliation from some groups although he had a good number of followers.

According to Ben Witherington III, the artwork was made to make the Christians understand that those who humble themselves, God uplifts them. This is portrayed when Virgin Mary, a simple village woman was visited by an angel and informed her of good news. Later, the birth of Jesus in the manger indicated the humble beginning of his life. It also expressed that Jesus was the king since he was visited by various people who came to worship him. Also, Christians should understand the need of recognizing the church as the temple of God. Even the parent of Jesus observed mosaic laws and took him to the temple for various rituals. Therefore, Christians should follow the footsteps of Jesus by obeying the word of God.

Works Cited

1. Ben Witherington III. (1998). “Primary Sources”. Christian History, 17(3), 12-20.Freed, Edwin D (2004). “Stories of Jesus’ Birth”. Continuum International: 119. John P. Meler (1992).
2. Bordering Jew on Reconsidering the Historical Jesus. “A Chronology of Jesus Life,” pp. 375-433. Anchor Bible Reference Library. Michael Grant. (1977). Jesus. An Historian’s Review of the Gospels, p.71 Scribner’s

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that one of the factors that the early church grew was because of persecution. However, this was not the only factor. The faith of those who followed Jesus Christ transcended the state of Christianity and helped it grow exponentially in the first centuries. Christianity today has millions of followers. In the early stages of Christianity, this wasn’t always the case. How and why did it spread? Nowadays, many convert to Christianity for various reasons.

Following the death of Jesus Christ, the persecution of Christians in the early church did not hinder or eliminate the growth of Christianity, on the contrary, there is a direct correlation between the persecution and growth of Christianity in the early church. However, persecution was only one reason, of all the many reasons that helped the early church grow. It was the apostle Paul who said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek” .

There was no power or empire on earth that was going to stop the growth of Christianity. In as little as three centuries, Christianity became the religion of preference and eventually the official religion of the Roman Empire. According to K. S. Latourette, “The complete story of the spread of Christianity in the first couple of centuries cannot be entirely told, for there is not sufficient data to write it.” Moreover, what can be told is that within the first five centuries Christianity became the dominant religion.

Christianity began in the Roman Empire and became one of the major systems of belief. The irony of the intolerance of Christianity was that most cultures of the time accepted all sorts of deities. When the Apostle Paul stood before the Aeropagus he makes mention that the people of Athens were religious people in the sense that they had many Gods.

The author F. F. Bruce states, “Paul was brought and invited to expound his teaching.” The Apostle Paul said, “As I was walking through your city and observing your objects of worship I found an altar bearing the inscription: “to an Unknown God” (Act 17:23). The number of gods and objects that were worshiped was so vast, that the people of Athens even had an altar made to someone who was unknown, just to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anyone.

Even with the vastness of religions, somehow Christianity was an outcast in the middle of a plurality of religions. Century after century of persecution, which in some cases occurred in isolated areas, and other times was empire driven, the Roman Empire was bent on eradicating Christianity. How is it that Christianity continued to grow in spite of the onslaught of persecution that occurred? According to Phillip Schaff, there are at least ten major persecutions that stand out in the early church. Here are the ten Roman Emperors who initiated those persecutions:

• Nero (64-68) Persecution
• Domitian (81-96)
• Trajan (112-117)
• Marcus Aurelius (161-180)
• Septimus Severus (202-210)
• Decius (250-251)
• Valerian (257-59).
• Maximinus (235-38)
• Aurelian (r. 270–275)
• Diocletian and Galerius (303-324)

A Brief Summary of Some of the Notable Roman Emperor Driven Persecutions (Nero 64-68AD).According to Everett Ferguson, the apostles Paul, Peter, and James were all killed within five years of one another in the mid-sixties. James was killed by the Jerusalem authorities while Peter and Paul were executed in Rome under Nero (64-68 AD).

After Nero’s persecution of Christians (64 AD), Paul is never heard of again. James “the brother of the Lord”, as the leader of the Jerusalem church and was respected by his followers, however, in 62 AD, he was assassinated under the authority of the Jewish high priest. In the year 66, the Jews rebelled against the Roman authority and “refused to perform the daily sacrifice for the emperor.” Four years later, the Emperor Vespasian’s forces, led by Titus, completely plundered and destroyed Jerusalem.

At this point, the leadership of Christianity was seemingly wiped out. There would be no logical reason for Christianity to grow now that the leadership was dead. Millard J. Erickson writes that Christians knew, “one salient dimension of God’s preservation is that the believer is not spared from danger or trial, but is preserved within it. There is no promise that suffering or persecution will not come, but rather that they would not prevail against them.”

The Apostle Paul affirms this reasoning when he states, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ” (Rom. 8:35). “Persecution” is assumed in his statement following this verse, and he ends with this summary, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 38-39).

Approximately, five centuries before this, the same faithful stance resonated in Daniel’s three friends before King Nebuchadnezzar in the face of a fiery furnace. It is here that one begins to grasp the starting point of why Christians would not compromise their faith even through persecution. Ekeke observes, “The persecution under Nero was confined to Rome, but this action set the tone for what would occur elsewhere in the Roman Empire.”

Before killing the Christians, Nero would dress them in furs to be killed as animals while others were crucified. Christians were seen as mere animals in the eyes of Nero. The Letter of the Churches of Vienne and Lyons According to Ferguson, this letter is considered one of the most important letters of second-century martyr literature.

“The persecution at Lyons is notable for the first-hand account of the rage of the populace that resulted in exceedingly brutal experiences for Christians and  for a large number of martyrs, the Roman citizens beheaded and the rest condemned to the wild beast contests in the area.”

Decius and Valerian The Roman empire fell on economic hard times, and in the fall of 249 A. D. Caius Messius Decius became head of the Roman Empire. Decius concluded that Roman gods had been neglected. He affirmed that the solution the Empire needed, was that all Roman temples should be reopened, and that all citizens needed to show their allegiance to the gods of Rome by worshiping at the shrines.

The Christians refused to worship at the shrines, and their refusal was seen as an act of treason. Christianity, in the view of the emperor, had become a detriment to Roman society. When Valerian superseded Decius, within time it was clear that his agenda “was to destroy Christianity.” However, both Valerian and Decius true motives for wanting to get rid of Christianity were based seemingly on economic principles on the basis of trying to avoid further economic ruin.

The suppression strengthened rather than weaken Christianity at the hands of Decius and Valerian. “For public opinion condemned the government’s violence and applauded the passive resistance of the Christian.” Once again, the relentless efforts of the Emperors failed at destroying Christianity. At this time many Christians defied the Roman government and the bishops of Antioch, Jerusalem, and Rome were executed.

Diocletian is considered by historians to be one of the most brutal persecutors of Christians. Although he helped restore efficiency in government processes, such as but not limited to the economy, military, and administration, he also gave the order to eliminate Christianity from the Roman Empire (the irony of this is that his wife, Prisca, and his daughter, Valeria, were considered Christians), burn scriptures, ban Christian gatherings, and tear down church buildings.

Diocletian also ordered the leaders of the church to be tortured, imprisoned and put to death. Galerius, the son-in-law of Diocletian (married to Valeria), and the Caesar who ruled the eastern part of the empire, was the one who convinced Diocletian to begin the persecution. By the year 311, Galerius came to finally realize the ineffectiveness of his attempt to wipe out Christianity.

Although there were many Christians who recanted their faith in Christianity in the middle of facing martyrdom, thousands did not recant, and paid the ultimate price for the faith in Christ with their own blood. In effect, as persecution persisted, more and more Christians died for their faith. Diocletian’s reign is considered one of the “last great persecution of the Christian church.”

Some of the Reasons for PersecutionOne of the main reasons for hostility towards Christians was that the Christian ethic in itself was a criticism of pagan life. The Roman persecutions many times were in part, dependent on the political atmosphere. Moreover, “Out of the fifty-four emperors who ruled from 30 and 311, only about a twelve, persecuted Christians.  It has been calculated that between the first persecution under Nero in 64 to the Edit of Milan in 313, Christians went through almost 130 years of persecution.” The Christian ethic went against all the pagan and immoral way of living propagated by the Roman Empire. Fundamental to the Christian lifestyle was the rejection of pagan gods. Both the Greeks and Romans had gods for all the natural and man-made elements.

The denial of these elements “marked the followers of Jesus as “enemies of the human race.” Amongst other things, “Christians were accused of sexual sins and cannibalism.” Ferguson writes, “The presence of Christians had been the occasion of disturbance in Rome. Christian teaching threatened pagan society during the reign of Claudius. Under Nero, and in response to other blaming him for the great fire that destroyed much of Rome (64 AD), Nero blamed and punished Christians for the fire.” After Nero, Domitian was remembered in Christian writing as the next persecuting emperor. Correspondence between Pliny the Younger (governor of Bithynia the emperor, Trajan, states that Pliny executed those Christians who did not deny their Christian faith.

In spite of all the efforts to eliminate and suppress Christianity, it remained a peaceful and powerful group in the Roman Empire. The author Alannis Nobbs states, “It is attested by the growing number of fragments of earlier Christian literary papyri, and it confirms the rapid spread of Christian activity.” One by one the persecutors of the Christians passed away, yet, Christianity kept growing. William Tabbernne writes of Eusebius, “God’s restraining hand can always be replaced once God’s purposes have been served, forcing evil tyrants, such as Maximinus II, to stop persecuting. More importantly, God can also raised up pro Christian Emperors, such as Constantine, who will protect, rather than persecute the church.” The push of Christianity was so powerful that its converts included Roman Emperors.

Reasons why Christianity Spread in the First Couple of Centuries after Christ’s DeathAgainst all logic, the spread of Christianity should have been stopped by the immoral belief systems of many Roman Emperors and the waves of persecution that bombarded the early church. Phillip Schaff writes: The chief positive cause of the rapid spread and ultimate triumph of Christianity is to be found in its own absolute intrinsic worth, as the universal religion of salvation, and in the perfect teaching and example of its divine-human Founder, who proves himself to every believing heart a Savior from sin and a giver of eternal life.

Christianity is adapted to all classes, conditions, and relations among men, to all nationalities and races, to all grades of culture, to every soul that longs for redemption from sin, and for holiness of life. Its value could be seen in the truth and self-evidencing power of its doctrines; in the purity and sublimity of its precepts; in its regenerating and sanctifying effects on heart and life; in the elevation of woman and of home life over which she presides; in the amelioration of the condition of the poor and suffering; in the faith, the brotherly love, the beneficence, and the triumphant death of its confessors.

With or without persecution, Christianity would have continued to spread throughout the world. Persecution either affirmed the early church in what they stood for or it drove them away. The moral teachings and power of the gospel brought hope to an empire that was on a downward spiral into immorality and economic ruin. People in general grew weary of the evil that was associated with the pagan gods, their own personal struggles, and the decline and cruelties of the Roman Emperors.

What Christianity had to offer back then, as it does now, is hope. Not hope, for hope’s sake, but hope in the very person for whom they were being persecuted. A hope not just for this physical life but for the eternal life offered by Christ. Christianity condemned the immoral practices of the Roman culture. The Christian appeal was one of loving your neighbor and your enemy. This ethic stood in stern contrast to the ideal or philosophy of that time. It was one of preserving not only the unity of marriage but the unity of the family. Most of the apostolic leadership lost their lives for the type of life that Christ offered. However, being a follower of Christ came at a cost. The apostle Paul wrote, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”.

The apostle John wrote that Jesus said, if they persecuted Him, they will also persecute His followers (John 15:20). The Roman empire was one bent on the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, sensuality, and self-gain and self-interest. If truth is said, modern society has not changed much. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). It is these types of enduring words that were etched in the hearts of those who were persecuted in the early church.

Christians subscribed to a different lifestyle than what Roman society offered. What did Roman society offer? The apostle Peter says, “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you” (1 Pet. 4:3-4). Peter depicts the current state of affairs of Roman society, and the reasons why Christians were hated and persecuted. For these and many other reasons the early church grew and multiplied until Rome could no longer ignore, suppress, kill off, the faith of those who were followers of Christ.

Conclusion

The early church grew for many reasons. Although persecution was not a willfully invited reason but rather one that was forced upon them, it is clear that despite hostility and persecution, Christianity continued to grow exponentially across the Roman Empire. An almost unwilling fact and the irony of the persecution is that the more the early church was persecuted, it continues to multiply. Terullian, was on point in saying “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” This same seed is being planted today in many countries who are both tolerant and intolerant to Christianity.

The modern church just like the early church can continue to grow if their faith is anchored in Christ. It was true of then as is today. Christians who are faithful did not and will not compromise their faith anyone or anything. The Roman Empire could not sustain its decline and offered no answers to the question of salvation. The intolerance of Christianity helped it spread more because every time Christians rejected what the pagan driven culture offered, they had the opportunity to proclaim their faith in the risen Savior. It is important to also not that most of the early Christian converts were not only Jews but mostly Gentiles.

These Gentiles were tired of the pagan religions of Rome and did not want to convert to Judaism (mainly because of its male circumcision and various laws on personal diet). Unlike most religions, Christianity offered something most didn’t at the time, and this was Salvation. Salvation was maintained through accepting and remaining faithful to Christ. The light of many shined through faithfulness and was highlighted even more during their persecution.