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Persecution of The Early Church

This document summarizes three scholarly articles on early Christianity: [1] Persecution of the Early Church discusses Roman emperors who persecuted Christians and reasons they were viewed differently than Jews; [2] Pax Romana and the Spread of the Gospel describes how peace under Roman rule allowed Christianity to spread through the empire's extensive road network; [3] Nestorianism reviews a controversy where Nestorius was condemned as a heretic for teachings on the dual nature of Christ.

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Jamal Dookhy
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184 views

Persecution of The Early Church

This document summarizes three scholarly articles on early Christianity: [1] Persecution of the Early Church discusses Roman emperors who persecuted Christians and reasons they were viewed differently than Jews; [2] Pax Romana and the Spread of the Gospel describes how peace under Roman rule allowed Christianity to spread through the empire's extensive road network; [3] Nestorianism reviews a controversy where Nestorius was condemned as a heretic for teachings on the dual nature of Christ.

Uploaded by

Jamal Dookhy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Research Exercise 1

The Persecution of the Early Church, Pax Romana, and Nestorianism.


Summaries of Three Scholarly Journals

Ronald Welsh

CHHI301-D09

October 26, 2014


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Persecution of the Early Church

Rick Wade in his article Persecution in the Early Church takes a look at the early church

and the suffering and persecution that took place under Roman Emperors. Additionally, Wade

addresses the question of why did the Christians suffer and lists several reasons why people

viewed Christians differently from those who practiced Judaism. He cites several reasons in his

article that could correspond to the culture of today. People felt threatened by this new religion,

Christians were considered anti-social and a threat to the well- being of the community are some

of the reasons the author points out. Wade identifies Roman Emperors who persecuted the early

church and gives examples of what each one did to outdo the other. For example, Nero wanted to

rebuild the city of Rome and start over but he needed someone to cast the blame on so he blamed

the Christians. The Christians were already considered troublemakers, so the people had no

problem believing that they indeed were responsible. Wade writes that, “a vast multitude of

Christians were put to death in the most shocking manner.” Nero persecuted the Christians so

badly Rome had never seen so much blood before or since.

Pax Romana and the Spread of the Gospel.

The spread of the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire can be attributed to the “Pax

Romana”, or the “Peace of Rome”. H. Carey Oakley in his article The Greek and Roman

Background of the New Testament identifies several Emperors whose statesmanship, diplomacy,

and vision created a Rome where people were united. There was a peace throughout the empire

due to the Roman Army and the justice that was administered by the provincial governors.

Coinage was created that sent messages through emblems and inscriptions that were used as a

means of spreading imperial propaganda. Oakley gives several other reasons why the culture was

ready for the Gospel, but the key was the Roman Infrastructure. Oakley points out in his article
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that Rome was surrounded by a road system that was second to none. The Roman Army guarded

the road network and in some cases was responsible for the repair when they were not fighting.

This network of roads and the safety it afforded was instrumental in the spread of Christianity

throughout the Empire. Merchants, traders, missionaries could travel by land or sea without fear

of pirates or robbers. The network of roads that were created during this time, which included the

“great trunk road” from the Adriatic to Constantinople, the same road Paul travelled from

Philippi to Thessalonica were instrumental for travel. Additionally, missionaries like Dio

Chrysostom spent years traveling these roads, ministering to people and warning them of the

“moral evils of the day.” The article gives further examples of saints like Phoebe and

Epaphroditus who carried or delivered letters, monies, or gifts to other believers using the roads

that were built during this period of peace. Through one man’s vision (Augustus) whose main

purpose was to build the Republic, rule fairly, administer justice efficiently, and make Rome the

greatest of all nations, Christianity was afforded the opportunity to use that peace that prevailed

during this time to their advantage.

Nestorianism

To understand this article, Popular Controversies in World History: Investigating

History’s Intriguing Questions by Mark Dickens and Annette Morrow on Nestorianism the

authors came up with a unique approach in presenting the information. Dickens would start

giving the PROs of why Nestorius did not intend to argue that Christ had a dual nature and then

Morrow would argue the CONs of the controversy. Throughout this lengthly article, the reader is

given some background information about Nestorius and his rise to prominence. Both authors

point out that Nestorius was a very controversial figure and was very well known for his ascetic

practices and public speaking ability. Nestorius was selected to be the bishop of Constantinople
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by Theodosius II. Soon after his selection he acted immediately and took disciplinary action

against several groups or and individuals who were acting “incorrectly.” Nestorius was against

the popular practice of calling the Virgin Mary as Theotokos, the “God-bearer” or “Mother of

God” which got him in trouble with some rival bishops as the article goes on and points out.

Because of this teaching Nestorius was accused of heresy, by teaching that there were two

persons, not two natures in Christ. This article gives the PRO/CONS of the accusations that were

made against Nestorius and if the Council of Ephesus who dealt with this issue had made the

right decision when they decided that Nestorianism would be considered heresy. Nestorius was

condemned and exiled as a heretic during the fifth century because of his beliefs by the Council

of Ephesus in 431.

Bibliography

Wade, Rick Persecution in the Early Church, Probe Ministries. Probe.org.n.d


http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4226225/K.3.AE5/Persecution_in_the_Ear
ly_Church.htm (accessed Oct 21, 2014)

Oakley, H The Greek and Roman Background of the New Testament, London School of
Theology http://www.1st.ac.uk/ December 2006, prepared for the web by Robert
Bradshaw, http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/ (accessed Oct 21, 2014)

Dickens, Mark and Annette Morrow Nestorius did not intend to argue that Christ had a dual
Nature, but that view became labeled Nestorianism http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
id=GALE
%7CCX1766100032&V=2.1&U=vic_liberty&it=r&p=GVRL&SW=w&asid=902835011
235e473610C898oacfob9fo (accessed Oct 24, 2014)
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