RELG 330 - History of Christianity
Course Notes
Evidence for Christ and the Christians
The main accounts of Jesus' life and ministry are the biblical Gospels, and the main sources of information about the early Christians are writings by Christians themselves. However, there are a few accounts written by non-Christians which give us a picture of how Christians were regarded by non-Christians in the early years, and are also evidence for the life of Jesus Christ.
Pliny the Younger (AD 61-113) had direct dealings with Christians when he was governor of Pontus and Bythinia in Asia Minor. Pliny had been appointed to the position by the Emperor Trajan, who was also his friend, and the two wrote many letters to each other - Pliny seems to have been rather cautious, and did not make many decisions himself without first checking to see if the Emperor approved. Neither Pliny nor Trajan knew much about Christianity - except that it was regarded as something illegal, criminal, and thoroughly un-Roman. This correspondence is probably from ca. AD 112,
"It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which I am in doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I therefore do not know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to what extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should be any distinction on account of age or no difference between the very young and the more mature; whether pardon is to be granted for repentance, or, if a man has once been a Christian, it does him no good to have ceased to be one; whether the name itself, even without offenses, or only the offenses associated with the name are to be punished.
Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome.
Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the proceedings going on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was published containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ - none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do - these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.
They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food - but ordinary and innocent food. Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict by which, in accordance with your instructions, I had forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.
I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it. It is certainly quite clear that the temples, which had been almost deserted, have begun to be frequented, that the established religious rites, long neglected, are being resumed, and that from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for which until now very few purchasers could be found. Hence it is easy to imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for repentance is afforded."
Pliny, Letters 10:96
Part of Tajan's reply to Pliny :
"You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay down any general rule to serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to be sought out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really proves it - that is, by worshiping our gods - even though he was under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of our age."
Pliny, Letters 10:97
Tacitus (AD 56-120) may have been an eye-witness to the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64. He was born in the early years of Nero's reign, and was a young boy living in Rome at the time of the fire and the persecution. As an adult he wrote a history of Rome, ca. AD 116
"Nero, in order to quiet the rumor (that Nero had started the fire of Rome), fixed the guilt and inflicted extreme punishment on a group hated for their abominations, called Christians by the common folk. Their founder Christus, in the reign of Tiberius, was executed by the procurator Pontius Pilate and the execrable superstition was repressed for the moment. But it erupted again, not only in Judea, its place of origin, but also in this town (Rome) where atrocities and immoralities flood in and are celebrated. Therefore, those who pleaded guilty were arrested first, then on their evidence a huge multitude was convicted, not so much for setting fire to the city as for their offense against humanity. . . Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a night-time illumination, when daylight had faded. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a chariot. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they were being destroyed."
Tacitus, Annals 15:44
Suetonius (ca. AD 69-ca.122) wrote "The Lives of the Twelve Caesars" ca. AD 115-116. In a passage referring to events in the reign of Claudius (reigned AD 41-54) Suetonius mentions that Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome because they were rioting about someone called "Chrestus" - probably the expulsion referred to in Acts 18:2
"Iudaeos impulsore Chresto assidue tumultuantis Roma expulit"
"He expelled from Rome the Jews (who were) continually rioting at the instigation of Chrestus"
Suetonius, Claudius
In his biography of Nero, Suetonius mentions Nero's persecution of Christians - the word translated 'punishment' in this context probably means capital punishment - execution.
"Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition"
Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars
Tacitus (AD 56-120), Suetonius (ca. AD 69-ca.122), and Pliny the Younger (AD 61-113) knew one another. Suetonius and Pliny the Younger were friends - Pliny may have appointed Suetonius as a member of his staff in Pontus and Bythinia. The three of them also knew the Emperors Trajan and Hadrian.
Lucian of Samosata (ca. AD 170) wrote to his friend Cronius
"The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day - the distinguished personage (Jesus) who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account . . . You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them. And then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers from the moment that they are converted and they deny the gods of Greece and worship the crucified sage and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property."
Lucian, The death of Peregrinus
Copyright © 2005 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
