Early Christian Evangelism

by Rit Nosotro

Change Over Time essay

Describe Christian evangelism of the first three centuries in the Mediterranean region and Asia.

Thesis:

Summary:
The second and third centuries were some of the most exciting times Christianity has experienced. Churches suffered great persecution, yet continued to grow rapidly. The Message of Hope preached by Christians spread throughout the Roman Empire, influencing the lives of thousands. Inevitably, such explosive growth had to have a catalyst, some event or combination of events that started the movement.

During the time of Jesus’ life and after His death, the Roman Empire enjoyed a period of peace and stability. The Roman emperors held control of their mighty legions, and the wandering nomads that threatened the frontier had been forced back to their homelands. Well-built roads connected the cities of the empire, making it possible for ideas to spread quickly to areas that were previously impossible to reach. This gave Christians the opportunity to evangelize non-believers during their travels. Despite pursecutions from their fellow Jews (2 Cor. 4:6-10), the first missionaries, such as Paul and Barnabas, journeyed throughout the empire spreading the good news wherever they went. Paul speaks of himself, "...in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned..." (2 Cor. 11:24-25). Yet once churches were planted in cities, the gospel swiftly spread to other surrounding cities with an effect comparable to a forest fire. In this way, the church was blessed with a stable, well connected environment that promoted expansion and growth.

Another benefit of the Roman Empire was the fact that, through Hellenism, Greek had become a common language used by the majority of people. Greek was the way of communication between people of different ethnic backgrounds. Christians now had a way of preaching the gospel throughout empire without having to learn the multitude of languages and dialects that existed in diverse regions stretching from the Middle East to Western Europe. The gospel could be communicated fully and effectively to thousands of people, from the dark skinned Ethiopian to the light-skinned Italian. Some even claim that the infamous "doubting Thomas" reached India (as Alexander the Great had done three centuries before). Not only did Christianity spread through speech, it also spread through writing. The inconveniences of translation that missionaries in South America face today were nonexistent in the Roman Empire.

Despite the benefits the Roman Empire provided, being known as a Christian often meant you would be persecuted by the government or other member of society. Rumors about the Christians’ observance of communion were widespread, and they were often detested by many people. Christians’ refusal to worship Roman gods bred resentment, and many died for their faith. Like Nazi Germany blamed the Jews for their economic ills, Christians were often blamed for the ills of Roman society, and accused of treason toward the emperor as a result of their denial of his deity.

During some periods of time, persecution was state organized, and emperors made edicts outlawing Christianity. The steadfastness of believers who were beaten, imprisoned, tortured, or killed in arenas often impressed those around them, bringing even more people to Christ. The barbarity of emperors such as Nero repulsed many people and caused them to pity the Christians who were sent to their deaths. Crowds of witnesses could not help but notice the public display of courage bought by unflinching belief in eternal life after death. This persecution caused many Christians to flee from their homes, further spreading the gospel into new areas and filling Christ's last command to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Mat. 28:19). As a result of all this suffering, many new converts were brought into the faith.

Christians also continued to be persecuted by Jewish leaders in Israel. Believers were often imprisoned or beaten on accusations of blasphemy, defiling the temple, or other charges. Though this made life difficult for Christians, the church in Judea also grew rapidly. Judaism represented God’s laws for His people, in which Christ was the ultimate fulfillment. Many Jews saw this and believed. Christ’s establishment of a “new covenant” accomplished the promises God had made in the Old Testament. The apostles often preached in synagogues, giving them a place to spread the gospel where members of society frequently met. The existing religious structure enabled the church to expand quickly.

The most important factor in how appealing a faith is to people rests in the doctrine of that faith. Christianity offered equality for its members, no matter what social class they came from or what ethnic background they had. Churches provided relief for the less fortunate in society. Widows, orphans, and other poor people obtained aid from Christians, while those who were sick received care and attention during a time when plagues were frequent and much feared. People were often attracted to the sense of community Christian’s shared and the loving God they served. Even after the waves of persecution, especially violent under emperors Decius in 250 A.D and Diocletian in 304-305 A.D., Christianity grew to millions of believers until finally becoming the state religion in 324 A.D.

In the end, one cannot really pin down a single reason why Christianity spread so quickly in the Mediterranean. It involved a mixture of many contributing factors. These factors combined to form the beautiful picture that God had planned. God knew the best conditions for His truth to be spread, even though suffering persecution caused much pain to Christians. Ultimately, all these factors brought about much good and glorified God. We are reminded of God’s perfect plan and His promise to all who believe in Him in Rom 8:28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

Bibliography:

“Forward in Christ at the Dawn of the First Millennium” Joel Prange 2000
http://www.wls.wels.net/library/Essays/Authors/ PQ/PrangeForward/PrangeForward.rtf

“Christ and Culture” Michael Hines
http://www.christianchronicler.com/history1/christ_and_culture.html#CHRIST%20AND%20CULTURE

“The Spread of Christianity--an Urban Story” Glenn Miller
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/urbxctt.html

Luther Seminary. Early Church Overview. “The Christian History Tutor.” 2002. 06 January 2004. http://demo.lutherproductions.com/historytutor/basic/early/early.htm#gk

Meacock, Rev. Ron. The Household of Faith “Tell Out.” 10 November 2003. 05 January 2004.
http://www.tellout.com/house3A.htm

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