Roman Persecution of Christians

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Hilltrot

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I wouldn’t use the word “epistle” as it is confusing.

I must note that formal persecution of Christians by the Romans did not occur until the end of Paul’s time. This is important when interpreting the 13th chapter of Romans. In fact, Paul sought and received protection from the Romans.
 
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Emeth 2.0

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Hilltrot said:
I must note that formal persecution of Christians by the Romans did not occur until the end of Paul’s time. This is important when interpreting the 13th chapter of Romans. In fact, Paul sought and received protection from the Romans.
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Even when formal persecution did happen it was usually not empire wide. A local administrator might have a personal gripe with Christians or a crop failure or other disaster might be blamed on the gods being angry about the atheists (meaning Christians) and you would have a local persecution. Other areas at the same time might have few or no restrictions on Christians or simply treat them like second class citizens.

Also Roman jurists were often embarrassed to be persecuting Christians as shown in Bradleys quote.

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Bradley D said:
"I asked them whether they were Christians or not? If they confessed that they were Christians, I asked them again, and a third time, intermixing threatenings with the questions. If they persevered in their confession, I ordered them to be executed;..."​
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Romans considered themselves tolerant and even when they didn't like Christians would feel embarrassed to be persecuting people for their beliefs. The governor in this case is going out his way to try and let them go and warning them of the consequences if they persist. It was not unusual for Christians in the actual arena facing imminent death to be begged to recant even at that late moment so that they could be freed.

Some Roman officials to avoid the embarrassment of persecuting someone for belief would require that Christians sacrifice a pinch of incense to the emperors divinity so that when they refused they could then execute them for an action and disloyalty instead of a belief. I have even read one account of roman jurist forcibly taking the hand of Christian making them grab and throw in the incense physically so that they could let her go.
 
God's Truth

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Hilltrot said:
I wouldn’t use the word “epistle” as it is confusing.

I must note that formal persecution of Christians by the Romans did not occur until the end of Paul’s time. This is important when interpreting the 13th chapter of Romans. In fact, Paul sought and received protection from the Romans.
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Even Paul says that he was saved from the lion's mouth.

2 Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

2 Timothy 3:11 my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
 
Bradley D

Bradley D

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God's Truth said:
Even Paul says that he was saved from the lion's mouth.

2 Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

2 Timothy 3:11 my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
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In the end it was believed that the Apostle Paul was beheaded in Rome.

"Paul the Apostle die? The exact details of St. Paul's death are unknown, but tradition holds that he was beheaded in Rome and thus died as a martyr for his faith. His death was perhaps part of the executions of Christians ordered by the Roman emperor Nero following the great fire in the city in 64 CE.Apr 30, 2020" [h=3]Saint Paul the Apostle | Biography & Facts | Britannica[/h]
 
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Bradley D said:
In the end it was believed that the Apostle Paul was beheaded in Rome.

"Paul the Apostle die? The exact details of St. Paul's death are unknown, but tradition holds that he was beheaded in Rome and thus died as a martyr for his faith. His death was perhaps part of the executions of Christians ordered by the Roman emperor Nero following the great fire in the city in 64 CE.Apr 30, 2020" Saint Paul the Apostle | Biography & Facts | Britannica
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Paul himself had people put to death for being Christian.

Saul put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, he cast his vote against them. Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Acts 22:4, Acts 22:20, Acts 26:10, Acts 8:3.

Read here where Paul tells the Lord Jesus Christ about how the Jews think he is just trying to trick them, and then Jesus sends him to the Gentiles.

Acts 22:19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You. 20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Acts 26:11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
 
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truechristian

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God's Truth said:
Paul himself had people put to death for being Christian.

Read here where Paul tells the Lord Jesus Christ about how the Jews think he is just trying to trick them, and then Jesus sends him to the Gentiles.
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It was Saul that persecuted the Christians. He wasn't Paul until he met Jesus and learned the truth. He was a citizen of Rome and a Judahite-Jew. As he wroshipped the truth of GOD he wasn't a Christian but a True Believer.
 
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truechristian said:
It was Saul that persecuted the Christians. He wasn't Paul until he met Jesus and learned the truth. He was a citizen of Rome and a Judahite-Jew. As he wroshipped the truth of GOD he wasn't a Christian but a True Believer.
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Paul is the one who persecuted the Christians . Christians are those who are followers of Christ. Paul wasn't a believer in Christ until Jesus spoke to him on the road to Damascus and after Paul obeyed Jesus and repented of his sins.
 
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truechristian

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Saul wasn't Paul. It was Saul who self identified as a Jew who persecuted the Christains exactly as the False Jew Caiaphas killed Jesus.
 
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truechristian said:
Saul wasn't Paul. It was Saul who self identified as a Jew who persecuted the Christains exactly as the False Jew Caiaphas killed Jesus.
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Saul is Paul and vice versa. Sometimes Peter is called Simon and sometimes Peter.

There are MANY scriptures that say 'Saul' even after he was saved.
 
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truechristian said:
It was Saul that persecuted the Christians. He wasn't Paul until he met Jesus and learned the truth. He was a citizen of Rome and a Judahite-Jew. As he wroshipped the truth of GOD he wasn't a Christian but a True Believer.
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Just listen to what you said.

You should tell me thank you for helping you.
 
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truechristian

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Trump Gurl said:
Youre an idiot.
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Your eyes are dimmed and your ears are blocked but if you would turn to a the Dead Sea Scrolls that were written before Jesus was born and read that GOD banned pagan worship of idols that you catholics do:

Exodus 20 from Scroll 1Q2 Exodus
1 God spoke all these words, saying,
[..]
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
[..]
5 you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
 
Bradley D

Bradley D

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truechristian said:
Saul wasn't Paul. It was Saul who self identified as a Jew who persecuted the Christains exactly as the False Jew Caiaphas killed Jesus.
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"Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,.."(Acts 13:9).
 
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