In the anonymous letter known as The Epistle to Diognetus, the author writes of early Christians:
They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners… 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.
The early Christians were known for their ability to exist between two worlds.
The present world, with all of its beauty and brokenness.
And the world to come, with all of its glory and majesty.
And because the early Christians lived within these two worlds, they were able to withstand an onslaught of persecution and opposition. They were able to stand firm, even when their faith required their life.
Living as citizens of heaven in the Roman Empire was a calculated decision. Early Christians had to take Jesus’ request seriously to “count the cost.” It wasn’t a decision taken lightly, as the result could lead to persecution, and ultimately, death.
Carmen Imes writes in her book Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters:
To bear God’s name is to represent him by embodying his ways, especially when those ways clash with the surrounding culture.
The early Christians realized they bore the Name of Christ, and because of that, opposition would come.
But, through their resilience, the early Christian’s advanced the Gospel of the Kingdom and formed the foundation for the global Church today.
Three Forms of Roman Opposition
As the early Christians navigated life in a Roman world, they consistently came up against three main forms of opposition.
Persecution and Martyrdom
To Rome, Christianity wasn’t just a new belief system.
It was a problem.
It wasn’t just religious, it was rebellious.
The Romans saw it as a dangerous departure from the social order, and, ultimately, a threat. And as a result, Christians paid for it. Some were thrown into prison, tortured, crucified, even tossed to wild animals in arenas. Nero, Domitian, and Diocletian served to spearhead this intense opposition.
It was a dark period of brutal persecutions, with many Christians facing unspeakable suffering and even death simply because they refused to turn their back on Jesus.
Social Exclusion and Marginalization
Christians weren’t just enduring physical threats.
Early Christians refused to participate in Roman religious practices. They held their faith above all, even when it meant stepping out of line with society’s norms. And people noticed. They were whispered about, gossiped over, and even accused of things like cannibalism, all because of misunderstandings around Communion.
They were exiles in a foreign land, but it didn’t hinder them from walking in the Way.
Legal Discrimination and Forced Confessions
The early Christians faced real legal threats, sometimes based on nothing more than the fact that they were followers of Jesus.
Some leaders used the law to make Christians “prove” their loyalty by sacrificing to the Roman gods. And refusing to comply often meant brutal punishments or even death.
For some, the pressure was unbearable.
For some, the pressure was unbearable.
Christians were sometimes tortured to force them to renounce their faith or turn on their brothers and sisters. It was a strategy designed to break the spirit of the early Church and tear down the unity that was their strength.
How the Early Christians Stood Firm
Even in the face of intense opposition, early Christians stood firm in the faith. Regardless of the persecution, the betrayal, the lies, or the threats, Christians persevered in the Way.
And they did this through:
Faith in the Resurrection
They didn’t see death as the end but as a doorway to something bigger. Jesus’ resurrection meant that suffering here wasn’t the end of the story. And this hope went deep, giving them the courage to face anything Rome could throw at them.
In his book Evangelism in the Early Church, Michael Green writes:
The resurrection was the central proclamation of the first Christians. They believed it, they lived it, and they were prepared to die for it.
With eternity in their sights, they weren’t afraid of losing their lives because they knew that their reward was with Jesus.
The Presence of the Holy Spirit
For the early Christians, the Holy Spirit wasn’t just an idea.
He was the living, breathing presence of God that gave them strength when everything else around them fell apart. Jesus had promised that the Spirit would give them power to be His witnesses, and He delivered on that promise.
The early Christians weren’t relying on their own courage.
They were leaning into something much greater.
When they faced hardship, they faced it with joy that made no sense to the outside world. They could endure because they had a Helper with them, guiding, strengthening, and filling them with boldness they could never have on their own.
As Michael Green writes in his book Thirty Years That Changed the World: The Book of Acts for Today:
The early Christians were utterly dependent upon the Holy Spirit. He was their guide, their source of courage, their means of insight, and the driving force behind their fearless evangelism.
A Strong Sense of Community
The early Christians leaned into each other, forming tight-knit communities that went beyond just gathering once a week.
They were family.
Acts 2 gives us a glimpse of their rhythm:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 NIV)
When one needed healing, the others prayed. When one was hurting, the others rallied around them. When one was in need, the others filled the gap.
Though there were trials and pressures from the outside, the early Christians stood strong as the family of God.
Commitment to Jesus’ Teachings
For the early Christians, Jesus’ teachings were a whole new way to live.
Loving their enemies, serving others, even seeing persecution as a blessing weren’t easy to do, but they were how Jesus showed them to respond.
They took seriously Jesus’ calling to “take these words of mine and put them into practice.” (Matthew 7:24 NIV) Regardless of the persecution and the opposition, the early Christians continued to put the teachings of Jesus into practice, modeling a new way to live.
When the world pushed back, they didn’t push back harder. They chose patience, grace, and love instead. That commitment to living like Christ, even in the face of opposition, gave them a steady strength and resilience.
The Example of Martyrs
The early theologian Tertullian said:
The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.
Stories of martyrs like Stephen, who looked his killers in the eye and forgave them, or Polycarp, who refused to back down from his faith, spread like wildfire through the community.
They were powerful testimonies of courage and conviction.
When one person was willing to give it all, it reminded everyone else what they were living for. These stories gave them strength to face their own struggles, showing them that no matter the cost, staying faithful was worth it.
Through faith, the Spirit, community, and the example of those who came before them, the early Christians stood firm. And their perseverance continues to inspire followers of Jesus to remain steadfast in the face of trials, trusting in the presence and power of God’s Spirit.
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