April 2024

Rome and Christianity

PREFACE

It is easy to generalize greatly when referring to when Christianity became the religion

of the Roman Empire -- a dramatic event which changed world religious history. And,

while such generalizations are often sufficient, there are certain places in the prophecies

when it is helpful -- even necessary -- to know exactly the relationship of the Roman

Church to the Roman State. This article has as its purpose to give more specifics.

Jesus and God never intended for Christianity to be a national religion. Indeed, Jesus

refers to his disciples as a "little flock." But Jesus foretold in Matthew 13 that the results

of his giving of the Gospel would create a large predominance of apostate disciples --

"tares." State religions and Christian "denominations" constitute the immense tare

field. But in the midst of it all, Jesus has been developing his true Church -- the "wheat"

of the parable.

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The thrust of this month's article is to show how easily apostate Christianity was foisted

on what is now called "The Christian World."

Usually Emperor Constantine (early Fourth Century) is credited with bringing

Christianity to power in the empire. To some extent, at least, this is true. But we will

find the GRADUAL nature of the rise of Christianity to be an important element in the

interpretations of a number of passages of prophecy. Things BEGIN but do not mature

under Constantine.

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The historical periods in the history of both true and apostate Christianity are recorded

as symbolized by seven cities shown in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. One of those

symbolically-named cities, "Pergamos," has as its etymology the thought of earthly

elevation. (Revelation 2:12-17) It is the name of the third historical period of church

development. It dates from AD 313 and lasts until AD 1160. And during the period,

Christianity WAS, indeed, elevated in the earth -- the Roman society. But it didn't

happen overnight. Indeed, the whole history of the Pergamos period is one of gradual

growth until Christianity, by the time of Thyatira (Revelation 2:18), is monolithic with

the state. It virtually could be elevated no more. Many historians have called the period

and the result, "The Dark Ages."

If ANY date in the history of the church's development is any more important than

others, that date would be 539. Among other things, even though it is historically

obscure, it is the date when the 42 months and the 1260 days, so frequently mentioned

in Revelation and Daniel, began. It is the period of the "woman" in the wilderness

(Revelation 12). It is just about the point in time when the apostate church's leader (the

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bishop of Rome) was given the title and authority of chief religious ruler ("Pontifex

Maximus") -- a title previously held only by emperors. It is an auspicious date -- even

though it is not the final date in the climb to power of the antichrist -- the counterfeit

church.

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THE EARLY DAYS

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We date the beginning of Pergamos at 313 because that is basically the end of

Roman persecutions against Christianity and, therefore, the end of the Smyrna

("bitter") period of church history (AD 70 - 313) -- Revelation 2:8-11. The final

10 years of Smyrna's persecutions were nearly the extinction of Christianity. During

Smyrna, the governors of Roman territories were given direct edicts from the emperors.

Christian churches and texts were to be destroyed. Meetings for Christian worship

were forbidden. Those Christians who refused to recant lost their legal rights (at the

very least).

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Constantine became the western emperor in 312 and the sole Roman Emperor

in 324. He single-handedly rescued Christianity from extinction. He was the first

emperor to adhere to Christianity -- although he did not officially convert to Christianity

until his deathbed in 337.

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We might want to note here that we use "Christianity" in an accommodated sense. It is

unlikely that anyone would accuse Constantine of actually being a Christian! But this

is how far the religion had deteriorated during Smyrna. The apostate element had

so begun to dominate that Jesus (Matthew 13:24-30 & 36-43) foretold the situation as

becoming a field full of tares (counterfeits). "Nominal Christianity" is a term well-fitted

to the name "Christian" as Smyrna comes to an end. It bears the NAME, but certainly

not the qualities!

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In 313, Constantine issued the "Edict of Milan." It saved the religion from annihilation.

This is the first step in the earthly elevation of the religion. The edict made the Christian

religion acceptable ALONG WITH all of the other religions -- Polytheism, Emperor

Worship, Paganism, etc. During the next two centuries, many pagan customs, holidays,

and teachings were accepted into the "Christian" church -- all helping to increase its

numbers, increase its errors, and obscure Christian truths.

In 325, we have ample evidence of Constantine's direct involvement in Christianity.

He knew well that it was an irrepressible movement, and he could use it for his power

structure. He called "The Council of Nicaea." We usually associate this event with the

great dispute regarding Jesus' identity between Arius and Athanasius. (We might note

with an astonished smile that the emperor had no idea of what the two were saying. He

didn't speak the language that the two were using! Constantine made his conclusions

based mostly on body-language rather than on reason! -- and Athanasius was a better

actor!)

About a third of the bishops of the empire attended. Arianism was pushed aside

(but not stopped). But the publicity helped to establish Arius' position as messenger

("angel") to the true saints during Pergamos. (There was no trinity at that time. Arius'

position stressed the correct individual natures of Jesus and Yahweh. Athanasius

erroneously argued that Jesus WAS God -- period!)

An additional result of this Council was "The Nicene Creed." It certainly was not

apostolic in its contents! But it did, unfortunately, set the precedent for having creeds,

and the so-called "Apostle's Creed" has lived on to our day -- with all of its flaws.

We must give a big credit to Constantine for going through the trouble of commissioning

complete copies of the New Testament. As a result, we have one remaining stunningly

accurate copy which we know as "The Sinaitic Manuscript." We also can give credit

to Athanasius (so hard to do!) in that he was almost single-handedly responsible for

Revelation's becoming an official part of the New Testament.

It is not difficult to see the immense import of Constantine toward "Christian" growth.

But, in his time, Christianity is not yet the single and official religion of the empire.

However, we might want to remember that it became FUNCTIONALLY the state

religion before it did so OFFICIALLY. Still standing today in Istanbul (Constantinople),

Turkey, is the Church of Holy Wisdom ("Hagia Sophia") -- yet one of the most imposing

buildings in the world. It is difficult to think that Constantine would build this edifice

while only a "casual" supporter of Christianity!

THE CLOSE OF THE FOURTH CENTURY

In 380, the Emperor Theodosius (379-395) issued an edict that the "catholic faith (i.e.,

the universal faith of the empire) is solemnly acknowledged, and heretics are threatened

with incisive penalties." Whether or not this makes Christianity the official religion

of the empire could be argued. Historians summarize the 380 edict to state that all

peoples of the empire should practice Orthodox Christianity (meaning trinity, among

other things). In Theodosius' mind, Christianity was now the official religion of the

empire -- all others forbidden, INCLUDING "deviant forms of Christianity."

In 381, the Emperor Theodosius called the first "Council of Constantinople." It is the

first church council to proclaim the trinity doctrine -- the Holy Spirit being added to the

two (Father & Son) recognized at Nicaea. Pre-Nicene experimentations with creating

trinitarianism had included Mary in the group!

In 392, Theodosius entirely forbade heathen worship under severe penalties.

Christianity was then THE sole religion of the Roman Empire. Clearly it was a FORCED

rather than a voluntary religion.

Under Theodosius, "the religions of antiquity vanished from public life and came to be

styled 'paganism.' The emperor also firmly upheld the cause of the state, and made it

the means of control of ecclesiastical abuse." This is important. The church was not

in a position to make its own decisions. The emperor was still head of the church.

Scripture was not a determinate. The mind of the emperor determined everything.

Things then remained without much change until Justinian in the 6th Century.

AFTER THE FOURTH CENTURY

In 539, Justinian's general had rid the city of Rome of its attackers and then

withdrew to far-away Constantinople. It was only a few years earlier that Justinian

had proclaimed the bishop of Rome to be "Chief Religious Ruler." This was done as

an attempt to have a strong representative of the empire in the distant old capital city.

This was an enormous step forward (?) for the "church." It suddenly had "authority."

Once General Belisarius left the bishop functionally in charge of Western Rome, the

Papacy and its "abomination of desolation (the mass)" was fully established and "set up"

(Daniel 12:11) in power and authority. The mass HAD been instituted earlier; but its

"set up" (formal power) was not until 539 when Justinian functionally abandoned

western Rome to Papal rule.

We can conclude that the Roman Church was officially the church of the empire as early

as 380 -- functionally even earlier. But we most likely have to await this moment of 539

to have the harlot of Revelation 17 riding on the first head of the beast (Revelation 17 --

church-state union) -- Justinian's empire. Before this, it is merely the religion approved

by the state. Now it had the total religious authority formerly held only by the emperor.

It was now an authoritative part of the state. Christianity had now lost all semblance of

the liberties which had set it free. It was now a dictatorial system. To cross its dictates

easily resulted in death.

In 800, Pope Leo III placed the crown on the head of Emperor Charlemagne -- quite

to Charlemagne's surprise and dismay. Nevertheless, this marked the visible evidence

that the ecclesiastical ruler considered himself above the civil ruler. This was never

officially established, but it was certainly the viewpoint of the Papacy. The practice

continued until Napoleon took the crown out of the Pope's hand and placed it on his

own head! The Time of the End had arrived! The 1260 days had expired in 1799 -- 1000

years after Leo's crowning of Charlemagne. It had been a disgraceful millennium for

what claimed to be Christianity!

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In short: Pergamos (313-1160) saw the apostate church raised from the ashes of what

would have been fatal destruction to the point (in 800) of claimed rulership even over

the emperor! "Earthly Elevation" is the most appropriate name that could possibly have

been given to this church period. Within the 4th Century alone, the apostate church

went from the Smyrna persecutions to the official religion of the empire -- soon to have

sanctioned authority above even the emperor in religious matters. That IS fast by

anyone's reckoning!

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The year of 539, despite all other steps in elevation, still remains Scripturally the

primary and most significant date for the ascendancy of the Roman church. The year

of 1799 marked the point of its rapid and inevitable decline.

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