Christianity is Radical

“In the fullness of Time… Christ came.” Galatians 4:4 

When we think of the early Christian period we think of persecution.  What we also know of the Roman world at that time is that it prided itself on the fact that all religions would be tolerated. This was one of the hallmarks of the Roman Period. Marcus Aurelius (2nd C. emperor of Rome) wrote philosophical treatises on the nature of religious toleration. Yet, it was during his reign that Justin Martyr wrote his apologies for the Christian faith. If religion was so tolerated why were Christians singled out and persecuted? The persecutions were fierce, disruptive and consuming throughout the provinces.  If every other religion was acceptable why was this one faith found to be unacceptable and a threat to the Empire?  Christianity posed a world and life view that was completely alien to that of Rome, and they had never seen any thing like it.  It was not power seeking, material seeking, or pleasure seeking.  Christianity taught that we were to treat all people alike; Greek or Jew, slave or free, even women and wives were to be honored.  It was an all consuming alternate way of looking at reality! As a result, it was perceived as a threat to the whole Roman system, and quite accurately so. 

Christ burst upon the scene of Rome, and in His short lifetime He offered a genuine alternative to anything the world had ever known.   He alone was to be worshipped, not the Emperor.  The Roman Emperor had the control of more and more people by portraying himself a deity, the saviour of the people.  

The very name of Jesus suggested His purpose, “He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Not the Emperor, or the Statist mentality of Rome.  The "people of the way"  knew that Jesus alone was Lord.  They would be peaceable, respectful, pay their taxes, etc, but don't ask them to call Caesar Lord.  

These Christians kept upsetting the Roman apple cart.  They treated people like equals, they didn't treat their wives and their children like property to bought, sold or killed at the discretion of the father of the family, they rescued newborn babies off the killing walls, they wouldn't buy certain things, and they would not participate in the pagan money making schemes of their fellow citizens.  Trouble in River City!  

All of this flew in the face of Rome’s belief in the supremacy of the state and the primacy of the emperor!

Essentially the Gospel was saying that the state will eventually bend its knee to this Lord, to His authority.  All false deities eventually, do not want to share their power.  Christ taught this when the Pharisees were trying to trap him in Mt. 22:15-22.  

"Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.  'Teacher,' they said, 'we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are.  Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'  But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, 'You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?  Show me the coin used for paying the tax.'  They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, 'Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?'  'Caesar's,' they replied.  Then he said to them,  'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.'  When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.'"

This means therefore, "In all your rendering to Caesar, render to Jesus the full honor of the absolute authority that he has over Caesar. Therefore, Jesus is demanding absolute allegiance to himself and his ownership and authority. They (the authorities) are warranted because the subordinate authorities in the world, like Caesar, are owing to God’s authority.  It is legitimate, but not absolute."  (John Piper)  

It is simply a call for Caesar who bends his knee to no man, to bend his knee to a sovereign greater than He. This was Radical.   God is soverign, He allowed Caesar to be where he was, the early Christians were to honor those officials over them, and were to know that God has a plan through it all.  In the end, though, 

"there is only one Lord, and He does not share power." (Gandalf, Lord of the Rings)

We may be called on sooner than we think to watch this same dilemma play out in our lives, in this culture, in our day.  For Christianity is still radical.

And in the fullness of time, He will come again...............Lynn