The early
church at Rome gives us a glimpse into some
of the things going on for Christians. Catacombs outside the city were
started
by Christians for burial places, and were quickly expanded into a maze
of
rooms, and tunnels, and stairs between levels. The Christians refused
to be
cremated as was common among the poor Romans who could not afford a
burial
place, or a funeral.
As we know,
Nero was infamous for blaming Christians
for everything imaginable, and persecuting them. He was not the only
one
however.
To avoid
persecution, and find safety, Christians would
resort to the catacombs for refuge. The catacombs thus became both a
burial
place and under the deadly dangers of persecution, they could meet
everyday
with each other, but where worship by the whole congregation was likely
one day
a week in order to avoid being discovered. However, persecution did
come even
into the catacombs and the Christians had to close existing entrances
and dig
new ones known only to them to maintain secrecy.
Further
information comes from Pliny the Younger,
governor of Bithynia, who wrote the Emperor asking what he should do
with the
Christians in his area. In his letter, reportedly, he described the
guilt of
the Christians, as “to assemble on a certain day before daybreak, and
sing a
hymn to Christ as God, and to reaffirm that they would not
enter into any
wickedness, or alter their work or fail the trusts committed to them.”
Thus
seen is that there was no reason to persecute Christians, but, that
such
persecution had come anyway. The church meeting daily, or two or three
times a
week, would have brought more and more persecution. The result was that
Christians likely met as the church one day a week for worship. The
writer of
Hebrews Chapter 10:25 is thus likely referring to that Sunday service,
where
some failed to come to the service because of persecution.
It was also
discovered in the catacombs outside Rome
from writings, objects and pictures on walls that some Christians had
begun to
return to the pagan religious ways, mixing those ways as part of the
church
ways. Hebrews may also be addressing these Christians, hoping to bring
them
back to the true church beliefs and actions.
Clement of
Rome, likely an elder in the church at Rome,
died in AD 101 by being martyred. He had been taught by and knew some
of the
apostles. It is quite probable that after his death the church began to
stray,
lacking that strong leadership that restrained Christians to follow
God’s Word.
Another was Polycarp, who resided at Hierapolis, and died by AD 155. He
also
had been instructed by the apostles, probably had conversed with a
number who
had seen Jesus and was a contemporary of the apostle John.
Because of the
loss of men like Clement and Polycarp,
the apostles and political religious persecution, Christians and
congregations
began to stray. The church at Sardis seems to illustrate what was
happening
partly for the above reasons, and others (Revelation 3:1‑6), where
Christ said,
“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their
garments;
and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy” (4). Only a
few of
the congregation pleased Christ at that time. We then can also
understand
Paul’s almost continual warnings about false teachers, idolatry and
other
temptations to stray from the truth of God.
Those who
strayed tended to forget that Jesus was among
them, as was the Holy Spirit. It is a mystery how the abiding presence
of
Christ can be in the midst of even two or three who are gathered in his
name
(Matthew 18:20; John 14:23), and certainly also to wonder how the Holy
Spirit
acts among and in Christians (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9, 11, 16). Certain,
however,
is that he was there and knew everything that went on with each
individual and
each congregation as he is today.
Notice the
freedom that Christians of that day had from
Christ. Except for Roman persecutions, each Christian Jew was freed of
the 565
rules that some Pharisees had imposed on them. Gentile Christians were
freed
from the rituals and demands of the pagan gods. Each Christian could
live with
a mind like that of Christ, free of men’s ways, able to worship one day
a week
when the church gathered, able to practice brotherly love for each
other and
for the needs of people in the community, and able to teach the
untaught. When
the Christian Jews were scattered from Jerusalem, they went everywhere
taking
and teaching the Word of God.
Christ knows
those who know the voice of the Shepherd
and obey his voice (John 10:3-4). His
voice today is the Bible. And his knowledge of the Christian is perfect
and
complete, and our knowledge of him and his teachings should be as
complete as
possible, and then we must follow it. Church Bible study classes can be
instrumental in providing knowledge and understanding from and of the
whole
Bible.
