SS Outline 5.18.25

May 18, 2025 - Church History

Title: First Conflicts with the State

Subject: Early persecutions and the church’s relationship with Roman authorities

Reading: The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, Chapter 5 (Justo González)


I. Introduction: Rome Meets the Church

• Earliest decades of the church, believers lived largely under the radar of Roman society. 
• Rome viewed Christians as a strange sect of Judaism
• Church grew numerically and spiritually, so did its opposition.

II. Caesar or Christ? The Theological Challenge

• “Kaiser kurios”—Caesar is lord.
• “Iēsous kurios”—Jesus is Lord (cf. Rom 10:9; Phil 2:11).
• The refusal to offer even a pinch of incense to Caesar was seen as treasonous.

III. Biography: Polycarp, Pastor and Martyr

• Polycarp: disciple of Apostle John, Bishop of Smyrna, a prominent early church leader.
• Around AD 155, at the age of 86, he was arrested for refusing to worship Caesar.
• Polycarp was burned at the stake. 

IV. The Nature of Early Persecutions

• Persecutions were not yet empire-wide or constant. 
• Christians were accused of:
  • Cannibalism (misunderstanding the Lord’s Supper)
  • Incest (calling one another “brother” and “sister” and marrying within the church)
  • Atheism (for denying the Roman gods)

V. Suffering as a Mark of the Church

• Suffering, in the early church, wasn’t accidental. It was a sign of true allegiance.
• We understand suffering as: Sovereignly allowed by God, Sanctifying in its effect, Clarifying in its witness

VI. Discussion Questions & Application

• Why did Rome see the church as a threat?
• Was it political, theological, or something deeper?
• What parallels can we draw today?
• What stands out about Polycarp’s martyrdom?
• How can we cultivate that kind of faith in our churches today?
• What practices prepare us for faithfulness under pressure?