On this day in 311 Roman Emperor Galerius signed the Edict of Serdica (also known as the Edict of Toleration). This edict granted liberty to Christianity for the first time and recognized the faith as a legitimate religion in Rome. This edict was revolutionary regarding how Rome viewed the Church. Before this, the church was severely persecuted. Amazingly the church continued to grow despite the harsh treatment that it received. One church father named Tertullian said that the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church’s growth. But why was Rome so insistent on causing Christianity pain? Rome was considered extremely accepting of other religions and they tolerated Christianity as long as it was regarded as a sect of Judaism. Judaism enjoyed a position of religio licita (a legal religion in Rome) but as the church developed it became glaringly apparent that Christianity was distinct from Judaism. Christianity would not embrace Rome’s full authority, they did not have many external practices of worship, and would not tolerate the sinful ways of Rome. The height of oppression was felt under Roman Emperor named Diocletian. Diocletian reigned from 286 to 305 AD. In the year 303 on the feast of Terminalia, Diocletian put forth an edict demanding that churches be burned, Scriptures be burned, confiscation of church and Christian property, arrest, removal of office for Christians in authority, loss of legal rights, and even death. Four edicts would precede from Diocletian, the final one demanding that if a person did not offer sacrifice to the pagan gods then that Christian could be persecuted. The persecution swept through the land for nearly ten years. The suffering did not diminish the church but strengthened it. Rome noticed that their edicts failed to eradicate Christians and the new edict was meant to be a form of compromise. The edict still was harsh in its wording talking; it called Christianity foolish and abandoning reason. Here is an incredible quote from the edict about how the Christians responded to suffering "And yet since most of them persevered in their determination." They persevered. They were determined that even in the face of loss and suffering they would not abandon their faith.
The Scriptures tell us that we can expect to suffer persecution (2nd Timothy 3:12). Most Christians in the West haven’t suffered much, if at all for our faith. Our brothers and sisters around the world languish in daily persecution and yet their faith remains strong. American Christianity has become comfortable and tragically complacent. A lack of drastic opposition has lulled us to sleep and inactivity. The church as a whole is more bothered about politics than people. We clamor over candidates instead of souls. The world is literally on a wide road to hell and yet we are like Jonah at the bottom of the ship slumbering. We need a shipmaster to cry unto us “What meanest thou O’ sleeper?” Christ tells His church not to be afraid of what they will suffer (Rev. 2:10) because He is with them. The reality is that persecution will grow against the faith in the coming days and years. God will not allow His church to slumber in a state of laziness because that does not prepare us for the coming days. It is best NOW to live out your faith while persecution is minimal and it is best now to prepare yourself for coming oppression against your faith by getting into the Word of God, getting into prayer, and getting the Word out to a world that is lost in the darkness. Don't allow the liberty of faith to cause you to be lazy. Let the world view us like Rome viewed early Christianity, “they persevered in their determination.”
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