Early Christianity Not a Matter of Chance

IN THE first century, there were gods galore and gods for every taste. From the cradle to the grave, citizens of the Roman Empire counted on gods and goddesses to succor and protect them.

Cuba cared for the newborn baby, and Ossipago strengthened the toddler’s bones. Adeona guided his first steps, and Fabulinus taught him to speak. In battle he would be protected by Mars. When he got sick, Aesculapius would care for him. When he died, he would be watched over by Orcus, god of the underworld.

Each prominent city and tribe could boast its patron god, and incense was daily offered to the Roman emperor, himself considered a god incarnate. Oriental deities were in vogue, and temples were erected in honor of Mithras, Isis, and Osiris. Even the Jews, who professed to worship the invisible almighty God, were hopelessly divided into numerous religious sects.

At that moment in history, amid all that religious confusion, Jesus Christ appeared. He taught something new: a universal religion, transcending racial and national distinctions; a religion based on the truth about the almighty God, the truth that could set men free from bondage to superstition and falsehood. (John 8:32) As he explained to Pilate: “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) How did he accomplish this enormous task?

Preaching to “the Poor in Spirit”

It has been observed that there are basically two methods of proselytizing on a large scale. One is to evangelize the populace in general and then work upward from the common people. Another is to aim at the elite, or even at individuals at the head of the elite, and then work downward by authority or by force. This latter method, so favored by Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox churches, was not even contemplated by Jesus and his followers.

From the outset of his public ministry, Jesus explained that he was going to direct his attention to “the poor in spirit” or, literally, the “beggars for the spirit.” These were the humble folk who were hungering for righteousness, who were “conscious of their spiritual need.”​—Matthew 5:3, King James Version; New World Translation Reference Bible, footnote.

Thus, after Jesus’ apostles returned from a preaching campaign, Christ said: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to babes.” (Matthew 11:25) The bulk of his preaching work was done in Galilee, homeland of humble fishermen and farmers, rather than in Judea, where the Pharisees and Jewish aristocrats had their stronghold.

Jesus himself came from Nazareth, an obscure village that had never produced anyone of importance. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” asked Nathanael. (John 1:46) But what he heard and saw enabled him to overcome this regional prejudice because he had an open mind. On the other hand, the haughty Pharisees boasted: “Not one of the rulers or of the Pharisees has put faith in him, has he?”​—John 7:48.

Christian Faith Not Left to Chance

Jesus’ goal was to reach the heart and convince the mind. He taught his disciples to search out deserving individuals and to stay in the homes of these long enough for them to become sincere believers​—if such was their desire. Some in a Samaritan village who listened to Christ’s teaching said: “We have heard for ourselves and we know that this man is for a certainty the savior of the world.”​—John 4:42.

Each convert to Christianity had to make a rational choice after listening and meditating on what he had heard. He needed to have a firm conviction because opposition had to be faced. All the early disciples were expelled from the synagogue, which meant being ostracized by the local community.

Furthermore, each disciple felt obligated to defend his newfound belief and share it with others. Celsus, a second-century critic of Christianity, made it a matter of mockery that “labourers, shoemakers, farmers, the most uninformed and clownish of men, should be zealous preachers of the Gospel.”​—Compare John 9:24-34.

This method of conversion, together with the proselytizing zeal of the converts, resulted in the rapid spread of Christianity. Soon it became an international rather than a regional religion. Jesus had specifically told his followers to preach “to the most distant part of the earth.”​—Acts 1:8.

True, the first disciples were Jewish, and the initial conversions were among Jews, according to God’s purpose. Jerusalem became the center where the apostles convened to direct the fledgling church. Because of this, the Christians were often mistakenly maligned as Jews by people of the first century, even though the Jews were the most ardent persecutors of Christians. And a Roman historian wrote Christianity off as a mischievous superstition.

Peter, before baptizing the first non-Jew, declared: “For a certainty I perceive that God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34, 35) Thus, the Christians’ zeal, fired by an unwavering faith, carried the message of Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Persecution could not stamp out these Christians, and many died because they would not reject this religion of their choice. Their enthusiasm and devotion are a far cry from the apathy in 20th-century Christendom.

Could it be that this spirit is missing because relatively few have made a conscious choice in the matter of faith? If religion still matters to you, why not consider seriously the following article?

[Pictures on page 6]

Ancient Rome worshiped many gods, such as Mars, the god of war; Jupiter, the chief Roman god; and Aesculapius, the god of medicine

Mars

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Drawing based on Mansell Collection

Jupiter

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Drawing based on a display, British Museum

Aesculapius

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Drawing based on a display, National Archaeological Museum, Athens