This was part of a seminary assignment for historical theology in the early church.

Writing Prompt

• What theological beliefs enabled early Christians to endure persecution while maintaining their public witness?
• How did persecution contribute to the church’s theological clarity and public identity?

What theological beliefs enabled early Christians to endure persecution while maintaining their public witness?

Early Christians endured persecution with honor because of three theological beliefs.

First, Christians held a strong confession of faith that didn’t just set itself apart as an isolated religion among other contemporary religions but rather claimed to be the exclusive expression of truth. Part of Justin Martyr’s argument was that reasonable and pious men men would not punish Christians because Christianity is reasonable; judicially pursuing Christians is contrary to reason, is planted into the minds of humans by demons, and is the action of custom rather than truth (The First Apology, chs. 1; 12–14). According to Justin, the Roman Empire could not both judicially pursue Christians and simultaneously pursue their virtue of truth.

Second, deviating from the embodiment of Christian confession was seen as denying Christ. Denying Christ resulted in Christ denying that individual.  Again, Justin Martyr says “And let those who are not found living as He taught, be understood to be no Christians… for not those who make profession, but those who do the works shall be saved, according to His word” (The First Apology, 16).¹ Justin Martyr, “The First Apology of Justin,” in The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, vol. 1, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1885), 168. Whereas the modern church might say being a Christian means making a decision for Christ, the early church said being a Christian means making a commitment to Christ. This coheres with Polycarp’s statement “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?” (Martyrdom of Polycarp, 9).² Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, eds., “The Encyclical Epistle of the Church at Smyrna,” in The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, vol. 1, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1885), 41.

Third, true martyrdom was appointed for some by the will of God: “All the martyrdom’s, then, were blessed and noble which took place according to the will of God” (Martyrdom of Polycarp, 2); and again “‘The will of God be done’” (Martyrdom of Polycarp, 7).³ Alexander Roberts et al., “The Encyclical,” in The Apostolic Fathers, 39, 40.

These three theological convictions allowed the early church to persevere in their public witness even through suffering and persecution.

How did persecution contribute to the church’s theological clarity and public identity?

Persecution contributed to theological clarity because the church had to discern what constituted a faithful witness to Christ verses what did not.

Two questions needed to be answered. Could someone deny Christ under Rome’s threat of suffering and death but then reconfirm his commitment to Christ after being released and still be seen as a faithful follower of Christ? Likewise, should spontaneous martyrdom be held up as the ultimate standard of following Christ?

The church felt they were commanded by Christ to be good citizens of Rome in that they submitted to authority and prayed for the empire, but they were also commanded to live in a way that Rome could not categorize within its social order. This ultimately resulted in the early church being persecuted out of misunderstanding and uncertainty.

Above all else, the church needed to maintain a visible identity both to insiders and outsiders. Those within the church needed to understand that their commitment to Christ should not be broken because Christ never broke His commitment to us. Those outside the church (Rome) ought to see an organized body of like-minded people who upheld their commitment to Christ above all else.