I have some historical knowledge of the early church and it seems you may not know all there is to know yourself. I am talking about the early church after Christ. This period was a period of great growth and many good examples of Christians living lives that were reflecting the life of Jesus. There were many martyred and persecuted. After Christs death Paul had spread the Gospel to the Gentiles and the far reaches of the empire. The church grew fairly fast and there were cases of thousands being converted at one time in places. The Romans believd in their pagan Gods and made people pay homage to them. Paul was showing how these gods were just idols of metal and wood and that God was the living God through Jesus.
The Christians had a fairly low key beginning as they were singled out for not following the Roman idols. But there are many examples through the first couple of centuries which showed that the Christian led good lives and showed that they lived in peace towards others. They were often mentioned for their good example of the way they lived and this also brought attention on them because many were suspicious as to what they were up to.
But even during the time of Nero Christians were being blamed for everything and the persecutions started right through to the 3rd century when Constantine order Christianity to be accepted that the persecutions continued. This is where the Christians were fed to the lions. But there were many Christian martyrs apart from the disciples. Many Christians like
Polycarp (AD 69– 155-160's), Ptolemaeus and Lucius (died ca. 165 AD),
Fabian (200 – 20 January 250) was the
Bishop of Rome from 10 January 236 to his death in 250,
Saint Sebastian (died c. 288). The
Scillitan Martyrs were a company of twelve
North African Christians who were executed for their beliefs on 17 July 180 and Saints
Perpetua and Felicity (believed to have died 203) are just a few of the more famous ones. But thousands of Christians were persecuted and killed during the rise of the early church. Perpetua Is interesting as she had left a diary in her prison. She was 22 and with a baby. She was executed in the arena charged by a bull, attacked by a lion and then when she was still alive slaughtered by the sword. As she died she still got up to help the others.
There are some interesting writings describing the Christians of the early church which gives us an insight into how they lived.
Pliny the Younger in a letter to the then emperor describes the Christians after interrogating them when they were being persecuted. He states they pledge to do no wrong and come together to sing hums to Christ as a God. But a couple of early letter describe in detail how the early Christians lived.
The Epistle to Diognetes, c. AD 130
They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all others; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death and restored to life. They are poor yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things and yet abound in all; they are dishonored and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of and yet are justified; they are reviled and bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good yet are punished as evildoers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred. To sum it all up in one word -- what the soul is to the body, that are Christians in the world.
From the Apology of Tertullian, AD 197
The "apology" was not saying "sorry" but was a defense of a viewpoint. One of the most colorful early church scholars was the North African Tertullian, who lived from around AD 160-225. He commended the
Christian faith to the pagan world. In this excerpt we get priceless insight into the practices of early Christian worship, discipline, leadership selection and financial giving. But most significantly, Tertullian preserves the amazing pagan observation of the Christians: "See how they love one another."
What Were Early Christians Like? - AD 1-300 Church History Timeline
And, finally, the observations of a prominent present day researcher.
Sociologist Rodney Stark analyzed the survival and growth of the early church in the first few centuries. Here is his fascinating summary of the Early Church.
". . . Christianity served as a revitalization movement that arose in response to the misery, chaos, fear, and brutality of life in the urban Greco-Roman world. . . . Christianity revitalized life in Greco-Roman cities by providing new norms and new kinds of social relationships able to cope with many urgent problems. To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachment. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family. To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities faced with epidemics, fire, and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective nursing services. . . . For what they brought was not simply an urban movement, but a new culture capable of making life in Greco-Roman cities more tolerable." Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity, Princeton University Press, 1996, page 161.
What Were Early Christians Like? - AD 1-300 Church History Timeline
The early church grew fast and spread throughout the Roman Empire. The early Christians set an example of peace and Love and were persecuted for what they believe because they didn't follow the Roman pagan gods. It wasn't until Constantine who was converted himself and allowed Christianity to be practiced without any persecution around 313 AD. Then Christianity becomes the dominate religion of the very empire that tried to snuff it out. So fro a cross on Calvary the birth of the Christian church grew and took over the greatest empire. After that man started to destroy things by changing and adding all these rules and regulations. The church should get involved in politics and try to run things. They should be just setting the example like Jesus did. Let the governments run the country and let Christians follow Jesus and set the example that Jesus said to help others.