Why were early Christians persecuted?

[ahigherway]

Hi all!
Many will say that Rome persecuted Christians because they considered Jesus their King.
But Christians are told in the epistles to "honor the King" and "pay tribute to whom tribute is due" and to "live peaceably with all men."
Furthermore, the concept of a God who is above the earthly king was nothing new. In fact, the pagans had MANY gods!!

So what was the reason for Christians being put to death? (I have an idea, but I'll hold off for now. I prefer to hear from you all first!)

Blessings,
brian

[Skyangel]

Jesus was persecuted by the Jews not by the Romans.
Jesus told His disciples to expect the same persecution.
This was before anyone called anyone else a Christian.
Was Jesus a Christian?
Who did Jesus follow?
Who was persecuted before Jesus and before Christianity ever existed?
What other religions feel persecuted?
Why are any religions persecuted today?
Why do religions persecute each other?

[McCulloch]

So what was the reason for Christians being put to death?

How badly were the the Christians persecuted before 70AD?

[Goat]

Hi all!
Many will say that Rome persecuted Christians because they considered Jesus their King.
But Christians are told in the epistles to "honor the King" and "pay tribute to whom tribute is due" and to "live peaceably with all men."
Furthermore, the concept of a God who is above the earthly king was nothing new. In fact, the pagans had MANY gods!!

So what was the reason for Christians being put to death? (I have an idea, but I'll hold off for now. I prefer to hear from you all first!)

Blessings,
brian

What is the actual evidence that the Christians were persecuted any worse than any other group, aside from claims from Christians?

[ChaosBorders]

Hi all!
Many will say that Rome persecuted Christians because they considered Jesus their King.
But Christians are told in the epistles to "honor the King" and "pay tribute to whom tribute is due" and to "live peaceably with all men."
Furthermore, the concept of a God who is above the earthly king was nothing new. In fact, the pagans had MANY gods!!

So what was the reason for Christians being put to death? (I have an idea, but I'll hold off for now. I prefer to hear from you all first!)

Blessings,
brian

From my understanding, Christians really weren't all that persecuted until Nero. And it's debatable as to whether he was using them as a scape goat to deflect rumors against himself or had honestly been led to believe they were responsible for burning a large part of Rome to the ground.

[fredonly]

Hi all!
Many will say that Rome persecuted Christians because they considered Jesus their King.
But Christians are told in the epistles to "honor the King" and "pay tribute to whom tribute is due" and to "live peaceably with all men."
Furthermore, the concept of a God who is above the earthly king was nothing new. In fact, the pagans had MANY gods!!

So what was the reason for Christians being put to death? (I have an idea, but I'll hold off for now. I prefer to hear from you all first!)

Blessings,
brian

The reasons:
1) Most of the persecutions were local, not empire wide. The local pagans were upset with the Christians because they refused to perform the pagan rituals - which risked the wrath of the gods.
2) Persecution in Rome by Nero was because they were accused of setting afire a part of Rome. Some historians think he was scapegoating the Christians for fires that Nero himself had ordered for "urban renewal."

[JehovahsWitness]

Initially of course, Christians, like their leader were viewed as an apostate Jewish sect and persecution came chiefly from the religious community. Jesus was, as we know executed under Roman rule but in fact what cealed his fate wasn't any trumpted up charge of sedition but the fact that he posed a threat to the religious status quo.

Christians past and present have been victims of religiously instigated persecution under the guise of "partiotism" and service to the State, a State which for the most part simply required unswerving loyalty and obedience from its subjects. First century Christians were of course essentially never a threat to the Roman ruling authorities - but their their dogged refusal to embrace the parthenon of gods must have been a puzzlement to the religiously liberal Roman thinking. That's not to say that their refusal to serve in the Roman army and pay hommage to Cesar in ceremonial events, was insignificant and these things did in fact cost many their lives. Propulgating a "foreign" god was really not a problem but not one that claimed precedence over the Roman Emperor-stroke-God, was.

In the end though it was simply that Christians were universally hated and as such a convenient pawn in the game of successive governors. Nero, whose viscious persecution of the Christian community is legendary but he was by no means the first or the last to use anti-christian fevour (religiously instigated or not) to further his own political and personal aims.







JW




FURTHER READING : The persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses
https://www.jw.org/en/search/?q=Persecution

To read more please go to other posts related to...

RELIGION, CHRISTIANITY and ...RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION

[Joshua Patrick]

Hi all!
Many will say that Rome persecuted Christians because they considered Jesus their King.
But Christians are told in the epistles to "honor the King" and "pay tribute to whom tribute is due" and to "live peaceably with all men."
Furthermore, the concept of a God who is above the earthly king was nothing new. In fact, the pagans had MANY gods!!

So what was the reason for Christians being put to death? (I have an idea, but I'll hold off for now. I prefer to hear from you all first!)

Blessings,
brian Very Happy

It's not that Christians refute the positions of earthly kings, the reason why Rome persecuted Christians - is because Christians would not except the pagan idea of Emperor worship. Since we can only give worship to God alone.

Jesus was persecuted by the Jews not by the Romans.

The Jews condemned him and rejected the Messiah when they said, "We have no king but Ceasar". Although the Romans carried out the execution.

Jesus told His disciples to expect the same persecution.

Its happened for 2000 years.

This was before anyone called anyone else a Christian.

The name Christian came up in Antioch, it means followers of Christ, it was a sect in Judaism in the early years, although around the time 50 AD the church came to be known as The Catholic Church, the earliest recording of the church name is by St.Ignatius of Antioch in 110 AD.

Was Jesus a Christian?

No he was God.

Who did Jesus follow?

He followed the authentic Judaism, since he had to abide by the law being a Religious Jew.

Who was persecuted before Jesus and before Christianity ever existed?

Persecution is everywhere not just in religion, but in political and ethnic problems, throughout world history.

What other religions feel persecuted?

Pretty much all of them in this day and age.

Why are any religions persecuted today?

It pretty comes down to the simple logic of "My God is real, your God is fake" kind of argument. People who feel threatened by somebody's belief.

Why do religions persecute each other?

"My God is real, your God is fake" kind of argument.