Words: 1941
Charlatanry during the early century was very difficult for many Christians. As many Christians were persecuted for not worshipping pagan gods. Persecution of Christianity during the Roman times were set in place during the ministry of Jesus and continued for almost over three centuries until the period of Constantine. Times for Christians were of great persecutions and consequences for faith. One of the first documented cases of persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire was of Nero in A. D 64.
While persecution obviously occurred earlier, Nero captured Christians and dad them out to be the cause of the great fire In Rome. This fire destroyed much of Rome and ravished most lives at the time. Christians were told that they were ‘abominations’, these new negative delusions were based on Christian practices: the body and blood in Catholic services. Pagan Romans believed It was some form of cannibalism and ritual murder, when it was really a Eucharist for the body ‘bread’ and blood ;wine’ of Jesus Christ. Enron’s excuses had made It clear that If anyone was a Christian there would be capital punishment.
With capital punishment comes the excuse that all Christians were the cause for every disaster in the Roman Empire; whether it be an earthquake, plague and even drought. ‘Christians to the lions’ as Trojan would say, an emperor In the early centuries Christianity to them have alienated the favor of their gods which has and would continue to cause disasters In the Roman Empire. The misfortune of Christians did not stop during this period, but it did come to a composed halt as Gallerias, gave Christians the right to worship in some sense.
Christianity during the early stages was clearly a course of persecution and forced pagan accusations. Constantine dramatically changed the recourse of religions with the battle of Million Bridge as Christianity became the predominant religion of the Roman Empire. The battle of Million Bridge lead by Constantine in 312 gave Christians a surge of hope and faith as Constantine would claim king of the Roman Empire. After such a great battle, Christianity would be put Into question how it was impacted through living and socio-economic standards.
The new faith that brought a message and established the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the faith that Constantine adopted as a child from his mother. Christianity during Constantine reign established much dominance over other religions and was the main reason for influence of the Christian. Christianity in the Roman world had 1 OFF Roman world. Charity became with prayer and fasting one of the principle means of securing amends for one’s sins. Charity in the givers position ‘Christian’ was ultimately made better by giving to the peasant, but it charity of this nature could be disastrous economically and socially.
It would bring a collapse to working system as pagans would resort to panhandling in order to gain income. The position of omen’s purity of the home and sanctity increased in Roman Empire after Christianity was adopted. Women’s equality from the first century to fourth Christian was not specifically known to most theologians. But the equality in all Christians in the sight of God had much influence in the matter of slavery. Men were at battle with themselves as Women were only looked at temptations of sin to those Christians and were to be avoided in order to live lives of holiness.
In effect of women and divorce, Christianity did not take likely the effects of at ease marriages of the early Empire, but t is interesting to find out that marriage was not mainly the sanctity of the home and bond of love. It was known by many Fathers in the time of the Romans, that marriage was less noble than remaining celibate, and to marry twice was even worse than marriage in the first place. The acceptance and influence Christianity place upon the Roman Empire must have appealed to them in some way as many other religions were Just as popular and end more popular than Christianity.
The influences Christianity placed, gave everyone a sense of subject faith as many Christians could worship God sacredly. Christianity in many ideas became a philosophy as it could be the healer of many problems, if one gave their life the all might power of God. It was in many was to Romans a way to interpret the Bible in their own philosophical way. Christianity had some sort of mystical and spiritual vagueness that could be interpreted and understood in many ways by many theologians and Fathers.
It did not become the religion of choice by accident but by become the religion of the educated and cultured, a divine interest in seeking God will give eternal and everlasting life. Christianity in all senses gave a double meaning; on one had dealt tit the practicality of morals in a humane society and on the other dealt with the influence of philosophy in persuading the formation of antiquity on Christian’s intellectuality and understanding. The influence of Christianity on the Roman Empire was tremendous during that point and time. Morality was acknowledged by many pagans and Christians alike.
The influence of Christianity must have had profound effect society, as society became shaped around the effects of persecutions and slavery of the Roman Times. The push for a whole Christian society was unknown to many pagans, as people made the effort to a more spiritual society. Many men and women made the conversion to Christianity to the aspect of a higher power and Supreme Being. The pagan system was broken down to a folly of multitude of gods with no directions and course of action towards morals. God was neither represented under any physical symbol or libations of shrines or alters.
Romans found no issue with Christianity and it made men change their lives and bring a new faith with minimal lapses of conversion. Steady expansion was increasing from the second and third centuries because of transition. Christianity offered inward acceptance of the gospel as as non-attachment to the world. As this inner acceptance would be to enter the Kingdom of Heaven; accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and surrender your heart to him in order to achieve everlasting life. Worship during the Roman times only belonged to God, as battles strung out in A.
D 96 SST. Augustine won the Christian first battle of militarism. The non-co-operation between rulers and Christians helped strengthen the social bonds between the deserters. Christians were completely loyal to the government, and showed responsibility towards their own people. Many Christians would give their fortunes. Tarantella, wrote in A. D 197 spoke about the funds, he said they would contribute every week or month as these funds were used for feeding the needy, deprived children, and finally for the outcasts who are in prisons, and mines.
But with these positive social aspects of the community shows that in the Fourth century discipline had been displaced by ‘prosperity. Issues of fraud, theft, and malice prevailed in every congregation as missions for prosperity were the means early Christians. Christians in Roman society were merely hated because of their faith and personal standard of morals. Christian society took pride n preserving a high standard, as the world hated Christians because they set themselves apart from the world. Mark, 8-13 said what does it profit a man if he grains the whole world but lose his soul.
That scripture simply stating what Christians would gain if the world came to an end today. Christians in the Roman society set themselves apart from their pleasures which assimilated higher enlightenment. These Christians could do away with perishable items, while look at an imperishable heaven. Social pleasures of man were forbidden by Christians as idolatry in any form was sin against God. Roman festivals are derived from ceremonies sacred either to pagan gods or to dead men. In hindsight they were idolaters which means forbidden by God and Christians. The revolution in faith and morals not only brought new lease of life to contemporary society, but spread abroad a new humanitarian spirit of respect for man as a son of God” said by the author. As many Christians of divine faith converted socially, the impact of education must have had impacts in early Christian lives, after Constantine conquered the Roman Empire. Constantine policy with respect to Christianity produced one of the greatest alternations of society which we know were women, persecution, and influence on the Roman society. Among the elements of the state, education itself was still prominent in the Roman Empire.
Consequences were made in Constantine time, for even the children born in 320 to 330 would grow up with a completely different view of the world from their parents. For Christians, the state and society had now come to have a religious basis, with the emperor, as God’s representative on the earth. Subsets the scholar of the new empire and religious advisor came up with a Christian doctrine and pagan political theory. He stated in his theory that man’s knowledge came from logos, which logos came from the Word of God, who is the author of ration and intelligence. Education was looked upon as having divine authorization.
This authorization would be questioned by practical points in equal opportunity for Christian education. As another scholar Lactating stated all Christians are equal and have equal opportunities for acquiring wisdom. He claimed at every stage to God, while pagan education was designed only for adolescents. Even though the conversion of Christianity had many success Lactating observed the again view, as it was quite different as they proclaimed disciples were uneducated as that were “fisher men”. The scripture could not appeal to all pagan highly placed and educated people because of the unappealing uneducated disciples.
Christianity during the pagan times impacted a considerable amount of people but also created tension toward the philosophical aspects of the Disciples of Christ. One issue with pagan authors whether it be masters of education or professional speakers spoke mostly in traditional forms, while ignoring the divine authority of God, or even speak of Christian matters in an assumptive basis. Many educators in the pagan era came off to change the direction of Christians, but that could not be shaken due to the fact of Christian scripture.
God gave Christians the Bible to educate those who saw His word as good. Many Christians who understood the impact of Constantine virtue for Christ would dramatically understand the good impacts of Christianity of the Roman Empire. What has been discussed through the three points has made clear claims and counter claims as to how Christianity helped and hindered the Roman Empire. Each devoted Christian understood the impacts of the word of God, as it gave clear ruinous reason to those who followed it.
Christianity came at a perfect time where Romans needed moral direction and Constantine battle that conquered the land was the perfect thing to gel the Romans together. But that did not work for them as it was really Just an excuse for a religion real Christians had a real brotherhood that would stand the elements of time. Loyalty for Christ and the Christian morality was the foundation within. Christianity from the beginning of Nero had been brought down by persecution and slavery, Christian strength from education was thereof developed and harnessed.