Soon after the Apostle Paul's shipwreck to Malta in 60 AD, where he converted many to Christianity, the first Roman Imperial persecution took place in AD 65-68, when Emperor Nero (considered as the worst of all Roman emperors) is said to have started the fire.
Six general periods of history
Church history is usually viewed in six general periods as follows:
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1. The apostolic church
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30-100
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2. The persecuted church
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100-313
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3. The imperial church
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313-476
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4. The medieval church
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476-1453
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5. The reformed church
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1453-1648
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6. The modern church
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1648-1970
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Early Christianity is marked by stories of persecution and Christian martyrs. This period ran from 100 to 313 AD when, during the age of the Roman emperor Constantine, the Christian faith took shape and spread from the apostles.
Ironically, Stephen, deacon of the Church was the first martyr of the Christian Church and died at the hands of Saul (later Apostle Paul) around 30 AD. The Apostle Paul suffered the same fate when he was martyred in the year 68 AD.
Causes of persecution
1. Heathen worship hospitable to new gods
Christians rejected the offer by the Romans to have Christ recognised as merely one of the many Egyptian and Roman deities in the Pantheon.
2. Idol worship interwoven with life
Christians would not take part in idol worship. As a result, Christians were regarded by the Romans as unsocial and morose, as atheists without any gods and haters of their fellow men
3. Emperor worship
Christians did not worship the emperor and instead sang hymns of praise to Jesus. The fact they gave worship to "another King, one Jesus" was seen as disloyal and the plotting of rebellion.
4. Recognition of Judaism
Judaism had been recognised by the Roman government. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Christians were no longer regarded as somehow connected with Judaism leaving Christianity standing alone with no laws to protect its followers.
5. Secret meetings
Christians met either before sunrise or at night often in caves or catacombs underground. Rumours were spread that the Lord's supper was a murderous rite, since outsiders were excluded and involved the body and blood of Christ.
In Malta, St Paul's catacombs are some of the most prominent features of Malta's early Christianity archaeology. The archaeological clearing of the site has revealed an extensive system of underground galleries and tombs dating from the third to the eighth centuries AD.
6. Equality in the Church
Christians were regarded as anarchists, enemies of the state and subverted the social order. Society in Rome was based on the ruling classes and nobility that yielded great power and vested interests. Christians looked upon men as equal and a slave could be chosen as bishop in the Church.
7. Business interests
Christianity posed a threat to vested business interests. Christians were against idol manufacture and worship and this threatened image makers, silversmiths, sculptors, architects and all those whose income depended on heathen worship.
Modern-day persecution
After the fall of the Roman empire, and during the Middle Ages, Christianity become a predominantly European religion. The reformation split the Western Church into northern Europe dominated by Protestantism, southern Europe by Roman Catholicism, while the east was dominated by the Orthodox Church.
We live in a time and age of ongoing "culture wars". The Christian faith is still persecuted and faith is attacked all over the world. Believers in many countries serve their mission faithfully towards Jesus Christ under the most difficult circumstances. They witness and testify when they are ordered to stay silent; they distribute God's word despite governmental censorship and oppression.
Much persecution takes the form of manifest violence as in the recent burning of churches in Pakistan where 21 churches and hundreds of houses, belonging to the minority Christian community, were burnt down in Pakistan's Jaranwala area.
There are also other forms of persecution that are subtle and not easy to discern by many of those who subscribe to the Christian faith, especially when the faithful pay mere lip service to their beliefs and are Christians by name only. The imposition of gender ideology reading material by the LGBT lobby groups without the authorities seeking the permission of the parents is also seen as a form of persecution by those in Christian quarters.
Another form of persecution is an attempt to silence Christian voices and the expression of biblical teachings through censorship and criminalisation. Christians feel that they are being attacked by minority radical gender ideology discourse. One case in point is Päivi Räsänen, a devout Chistian and member of the Finnish Parliament, who is facing a criminal trial for openly stating her faith, which contradicts the dictates of gender ideology and the LGBT lobby concerning what is and isn't acceptable speech. If Päivi loses her trial, this can set a dangerous precedent that could ripple worldwide. For those who have a right to proclaim their Christian faith.
Even in Hollywood, actors having Christian beliefs and who are outspoken about them are persecuted. Such is the case of Christian actor Kevin Sorbo who is not able to get parts in Hollywood films and television series because of his beliefs.
Fighting back
There is always this underlying urge to want to fight back against all forms of persecution present. However, the biblical vision for cultural engagement is far less militant and far more redemptive than such a conflictual reaction.
The Lord counselled his exiled people in Babylon: "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lᴏʀᴅ on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (Jeremiah 29:7)
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