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Last week we discussed some key events and keep people we continue with that this week as well
and then the beginning of Roman Persecution of the Church.
Key Individual #5
James
James the brother of Jesus: a leading elder in the church at Jerusalem, and the author of the New
Testament book of James.
James is mentioned only twice in the Gospels, always along with his brothers Joseph (Greek, Joses),
Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3).
James may have been, after Jesus, the oldest of the brothers. Because many Christians believe that
Jesus’ mother Mary remained a virgin throughout her life, questions have been raised as to whether
these four were indeed brothers of Jesus, born to Mary. But Scripture gives us no reason to doubt the
fact. Like his other brothers, James apparently did not accept Jesus’ authority during Jesus’ earthly
life (John 7:5).
The time of James’s conversion is not noted in Scripture. Christ appeared to him after the
resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7), and he may have become a Christian at that time. James eventually
became head of the church at Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; Acts 21:18; Galatians 2:9). It is hard to believe
that James’s relationship to Jesus did not increase his authority in the early church, even though
Jesus gave relatively little importance to the ties of family (Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 3:33-35; Luke
8:21).
It seems clear that James was martyred, in 61 AD according to Josephus, when there was a Jewish
uprising after the death of Festus the procurator. It is three years after (64 A.D.) this that the Jewish
revolt begins, no worshiping the emperor’s image for them. It is at this time that Jerusalem
Christians flee to a small city called Pella.
Pella was a city located east of the Jordan River in the Decapolis region. There is no reference to this
city in the Bible, but records show that it was an important Canaanite city, influenced by Egypt and
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later by Greece and Rome. During the Jewish revolt against Rome (AD 66–70), Pella became a
refuge for many Christians and a center for the early church.
Key Individual #6
PAUL, THE APOSTLE
Next to Jesus, Paul may be the most influential person in the history of the Christian faith. His
dramatic conversion from a zealous enemy of Christians to a tireless advocate of the gospel ranks as
one of the most dramatic stories in Scripture. His years of ministry took him to countless towns and
cities throughout Asia Minor and Europe. He also wrote thirteen letters that are included in the New
Testament.
FAMILY AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Paul was born around AD 10, a Jew in a family of Pharisees (Acts 23:6) of the tribe of Benjamin
(Philippians 3:5) in Tarsus of Cilicia (Acts 9:11; 21:39; 22:3).
At that time, Tarsus was a center of commerce and learning that embraced Greek culture and Roman
politics. The city was a source of pride for him (21:39).
His parents named him Saul, perhaps after the first king of Israel, who was also a Benjaminite (1
Samuel 11:15; Acts 13:21), but Acts13:9 notes that he “was also called Paul.” He used his Roman
name Paul throughout his letters.
With the encouragement of devout parents, Paul studied the law and prophets and the Hebrew and
Aramaic languages (Acts 21:40; 22:2-3; 23:6; Galatians 1:14; Philippians 3:5-6). Tarsus, however,
was not a Jewish city. It was a place where the Greek language was spoken and Greek literature was
cultivated. This accounts for Paul’s familiarity with Greek (Acts 21:37), the language of the streets and
shops of Tarsus.
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Paul was a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). He may have learned this trade from his father, or he may have
learned it as a way of making a living, as many rabbis did in his day. The artisans of Tarsus were well
known for their goat’s-hair cloth called cilicium. By knowing how to weave this cloth and fashion it into
tents, sails, awnings, and cloaks, Paul gained a measure of economic independence during his
ministry (Acts18:3; 20:34; 28:30; 2 Corinthians 11:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8).
EDUCATION
Although born in Tarsus, Paul testified that he had grown up in Jerusalem and had studied under
Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). It is not clear when Paul arrived in Jerusalem, but it is likely that he began his
formal rabbinical studies sometime between the ages of 13 and 20. His teacher, Gamaliel, was the
grandson of Hillel, an influential Pharisee and teacher. (Hillel’s teachings appear in Talmudic writings
to this day.)
The same Gamaliel persuaded the Sanhedrin to spare the lives of Peter and the apostles (5:33-40).
With little doubt we can conclude that while studying under Gamaliel, Paul’s understanding of his faith
progressed far beyond that of his peers. He became extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers
(Galatians 1:14).
SAUL THE PERSECUTOR
Shortly after the world-changing events of Jesus’ resurrection and Pentecost, the members of certain
synagogues in Jerusalem, including some Cilicia’s form the Freedmen synagogue (Acts 6:9) acted to
quash the new church. In particular, they battled the wisdom and spirit (6:10) of Stephen (6:5, 8).
They accused him of blasphemy before the Sanhedrin (6:11-15) and, after his eloquent defense (7:153), dragged him out of the city, where he was stoned to death. He became the first Christian martyr.
The record does not fully reveal the role Paul played in these proceedings, but we know that he was
an active participant. The witnesses against Stephen, who were required to throw the first stones in
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the execution, “laid their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul” (Acts 7:58).
Stephen’s death initiated the events that would result in Paul’s conversion and commission as the
apostle to the Gentiles. But at that time Paul was a leader of the oppressors of the church. He
breathed threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1); he persecuted the church of
God and tried to destroy it (Galatians 1:13) by imprisoning Christian men and women (Acts 22:4) in
many cities.
CONVERSION AND CALLING
Paul obtained letters from the high priest in Jerusalem, addressed to the synagogues in Damascus,
authorizing him to arrest the believers there and bring them to Jerusalem for trial (Acts 9:1-2). As he
neared the outskirts of Damascus, a light from heaven brighter than the midday sun shone around
Paul and his traveling companions, and they fell to the ground (26:13-14).
Only Paul, however, heard the voice of Jesus, who told him that he would be Christ’s chosen
instrument for bringing the Good News to the Gentiles (26:14-18).
All throughout the NT we see Paul who once was Saul persecuting the Church of God now by the
Grace of God and the call of the LORD Jesus Christ working tirelessly to preach and teach the
message of Jesus Christ (1Cor 15:1-28). This was from his conversion in 37 A.D. until his death.
We have no written record of Paul’s end, but he was likely executed before Nero’s own death in the
summer of 68 A.D. As a Roman citizen, he must have been spared the lingering torture that had
recently been suffered by his fellow martyrs. Tradition says that he was beheaded on the Ostian
Road just outside of Rome and buried nearby. His death released Paul “to depart and be with Christ,
for that is far better” (Philippians 1:23).
Four great missionary trips for the cause of Christ before a pagan gentile world is why most consider
Paul to be the greatest Apostle. Paul was truly faithful to the call of his Lord.
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Conclusion
 Again see Gods sovereignty in the spread of the Gospel.
 That the early church was not the “ideal” church but was a striving church to grow in the grace
and knowledge of Christ.
 By that we have seen the power of the Gospel to change people and in order for the church to
grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, disciples must do so.
 Then we must ask ourselves the question what part are we ready to play in this, in the lives of
one another and those whom the Lord may bring.
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Martyrs & Persecutions
As we begin to look at the persecution of the church I would venture to say we need to discuss the
possibilities as to why.
BEFORE THE ROMANS PERSECUTIONS
The earliest persecution Christians faced was from the Jewish leaders in the years immediately
following Jesus’ death and resurrection. We read of these troubles in the book of Acts. First Stephen
was stoned to death for blasphemy. The Apostle Paul, then known as Saul, was hired by the high
priest in Jerusalem to go as far as Damascus to arrest Christians. And King Herod had the apostle
James (the brother of John) executed and imprisoned Peter, possibly to appease the religious
authorities. Remember the early Christians considered themselves Jews and to an extent kept Jewish
traditions and added the Lords Table and Baptism to the belief the Messianic Age had arrived as
fulfillment of all Judaism taught in OT scriptures. The Jewish leaders on the other considered the
Christians a heretical sect of Judaism.
The Romans were not yet active participants in these persecutions. Their job was to keep the peace.
And if Jewish leaders could blame Christians for stirring up trouble, the Romans would crack down on
the Christians. This is sort of what happened with Jesus’ crucifixion, and it almost happened with
Paul, except he played his trump card—Roman citizenship—and demanded a trial in Rome.
Judaism was officially deemed a legal religion in the Roman Empire, unlike many foreign cults, and
for the first few decades after Jesus, the Romans lumped the Christians in with the Jews.
Most Christians were Jews, and the differences seemed like minor variations on the same theme. In
fact, Roman historian Suetonius commented on some disputes occurring in Roman tenements. The
Jews, he said, were being agitated by somebody named Chrestus. Forgive him for not getting the
whole story. Certainly it was Christus—Christ, the Messiah—they were arguing about, the Jews who
trusted Christ disputing with those who didn’t. Shortly after that, Emperor Claudius threw them all out
of Rome (51 AD) Acts 18:2, Jews and Christians alike.
By the late 50s, early 60s, it seems the tide was turning. Rome began to be suspicious of the
Christians, possibility because an increasing number of Gentile followers. This was, they were
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figuring out, a new religion, and therefore an illegal one. In Paul’s letters of that time, we can sense a
greater opposition.
For two and a half centuries the Roman Empire waged war against a subversive group within its
borders: the Christians. In this brutal civil conflict, one side had an army, the other didn’t. One side
used weapons, the other didn’t. One state was trained in state-of-the-art military methods, the other
side didn’t even fight back.
Guess who won.
When Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 and later made it the favored religion of
the Empire, it marked a stunning upset. The centuries of persecution were over. The Romans had
turned their wrath toward the Christians time and time again, but persecution only seemed to cause
growth in the movement. The faith just would not die. Christians were tortured and killed in the most
gruesome ways, but as the Christian writer Tertullian put it, “the blood of the martyrs is seed for the
church.” Indeed, it seemed that new believers sprang up wherever Christians were treated the worst.
CENTURY ONE: NERO AND DOMITIAN
Emperor Nero launched the first persecution of Christians in 64 A.D. This time of persecution would
be considered “local” as it was not empire wide. Much of downtown Rome was burned in a fire, and
some were saying that Nero himself had the fire set to clear room for his own new palace. Ten of the
fourteen sections of the city was destroyed he needed a scapegoat; he chose the Christians. He
lashed out furiously crucifying many Christians. He staged cruel shows in which Christians would be
dressed in animal skins and attacked by dogs. It seemed there was no limit to his barbaric perversity.
It is said also that in his garden early in the night Nero would have set fire to illumine the night
(Tacitus Annals 15.44) Nero died in 68, and there was some lull in the persecution for about twenty
years. Sometimes people think Christians were hunted down non-stop during these early centuries,
but in fact there were periods of relative calm between the severe outbreaks of persecution.
Tacitus in is Annals may give us a glimpse at how such cruelty could be done on Christians, or at
least he alludes to in the 2nd century we given a clearer picture. He notes “their hatred of humanity”.
Most scholars agree this hatred of humanity was refusal to participate in some things that were
common in Roman culture because those things were full of paganism. Things such as The Theater,
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Coliseum Games etc… Later not only this charge but also the charge of incest, sexual immorality,
atheism and cannibalism.
The next outbreak occurred under Emperor Domitian (81-96 A.D). Much like Nero, he was given to
cruelty and megalomania. He insisted on being called “Lord and God.” He also, since the temple had
been destroyed decided that the Jews should remit to the imperial coffers the annual offering they
would have otherwise send to Jerusalem. Remember there is still no clear distinction between
Judaism and Christianity as of yet, although there is suspicion. It was Domitian who had the Apostle
John arrested and exiled. Many interpreters think John was referring to Domitian as the Beast in the
book of Revelation.
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