THE LAPSED : The Christian Persecutions: (50-400 AD)

1. THE LAPSED:The Christian Persecutions:(50-400 AD)

2. THE PERSECUTION: WHY THE HATERS BRUH? • Due to obstinacy, Christians attracted suspicion and hostility for three centuries. The Body and Blood of Christ was misunderstood as cannibalism. According to writer Minucius Felix, Christians were said to beat babies to death, drank their blood and engaged in drunkenness and copulation. They were all rumors that led to tensions and mob actions against Christians. • In Addition, it was the disloyalty to Rome. The idea of dual citizen ship by Paul. They were thought to have no understanding of civic responsibility. They didn’t participate in public events. Christians believed in one God and that was sedition because they failed to recognize state gods.

3. The Persecution Nero (37-64 AD) Domitian (81-96 AD) The persecution once again continued under this ruler. It was under him that John was exiled and on the island of Patmos was where he received apocalyptic visions and wrote of Christian suffering in Asian Minor. • The first known persecution. He blamed Christians for the destruction of entire Roman districts. According to Tacitus, he arrested, convicted and had “exquisite tortures”. Tortures such as wild beast skin covering a Christian that dogs would rip to pieces and crucifixion of others. Peter and Paul were martyred during Nero.

4. Persecution Cont’d Decius (249-251 AD) Diocletian (245-316 AD) Mounted all-out assault on Christianity with severe edicts. He expelled them from the armies. Diocletian wanted to ruin the religion. He burned churches and books of scriptures. • Decius issued an edict that all citizens of the empire to demonstrate their loyalty. It was meant to force Christians upon two choices martyrdom and apostasy. Some chose martyrdom and others apostasy for which they received libelli.

5. Martyrs • The accounts of martyrdom inspired Christians. Even the nonbelievers were amazed by such heroism or irrationality. For example, Saint Ignatius of Antioch looked forward to being executed because it brought him closer to God. Another was Polycarp who was burned alive after being given the option to simply curse Christ. Martyrdom were those who took their lives as result of sticking to their faith. Confessors were those expressed their faith and somehow survived.

6. The Lapsed Christians • Few Christians chose become martyrs, Most Christians became apostatized by cursing Christ or sacrificing to the gods as Decius and Diocletian enforced. • Persecution ended and had left some Christians who betrayed the religion excluded. Betrayal ,some thought was unforgiveable. However, Christians are forgiving and aimed to unite the church. • There were two types of people who had betrayed the church during the persecution. One were sacrificati, those who willingly sacrificed and those who purchased forged libelli, libellatici.

7. Problems With Unity Cyprian, one of the most famous influential Christian thinkers wanted to unite the church. At first, he was a little hesitant about the leniency because they would admit people after they reconciled. He developed the system of penance for the church. He believed in the ruling power of the bishops as successors of the Apostles. • Novation, a leader of a church in Rome and theologian posed as a serious threat to the unity. He became a leader of an exclusive faction. He created Novatianist churches. Cyprian had him expelled and excluded him from the church because he believed he had formed a church that did not have the Holy Spirit within it. • Another faction became the Dotanists. They threatened to eclipse the influence of the church in Africa. Donatists saw themselves as members of the true church. Later, they were forced back into the church