This Bloody Baptism of the Church

Frederick Faber wrote in that great hymn:

Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword;

That appears to be an apt description of the era that the Apostolic Fathers wrote there timeless scripts.  "Those were times of heroism, not of words; an age, not of writers, but of soldiers; not of talkers, but of sufferers." [1]

"The Apostolic Fathers are characterized by edification as they sought to build up or strengthen believers in the faith . . .." [2] The first three hundred years after the last of the Twelve died was one wave of persecution after another. "Thus this bloody baptism of the church resulted in the birth of a Christian world."[3]  The persecutions started first with the Jews and then with the Gentiles, particularly the Roman Empire.

The Jewish hatred of Christianity was not only obvious in the crucifixion of Christ, but in the systematic elimination of many of the Twelve. "They caused the death of Symeon, bishop of Jerusalem (107); they were particularly active in the burning of Polycarp of Smyrna; and they inflamed the violence of the Gentiles by eliminating the sect of the Nazarenes." [3].

As long as the Jews received privileged protection under Rome, Christians, deemed a sect of the Jews also enjoyed that liberty.  However the decline of Judaism and the rise of Christianity soon caused the Way to stand out as a new and separate religion.  "To Christianity, appearing not as a national religion, but claiming to be the only true universal one making its converts among every people and every sect, attracting Greeks and Romans in much larger numbers than Jews, refusing to compromise with any form of idolatry, and threatening in fact the very existence of the Roman state religion, even this limited toleration could not be granted."[3]

"The emperor Trajan, in 107, came to Antioch, and there threatened with persecution all who refused to sacrifice to the gods. Ignatius was tried for this offence, and proudly confessed himself a "Theophorus" ("bearer of God") because, as he said, he had Christ within his breast. Trajan condemned him to be thrown to the lions at Rome . . . It was on the 20^th day of December, 107, that he was thrown into the amphitheater: immediately the wild beasts fell upon him, and soon naught remained of his body but a few bones, which were carefully conveyed to Antioch as an inestimable treasure."[3]

These words of Jesus have an ominous ring: ““Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:16–22, ESV)


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1. A. Cleveland Coxe, D.D.,Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Location 28). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

2. Vos, H. F., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1996). Exploring church history. Nelson's Christian Cornerstone Series. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers

3. Schaff, P., & Schaff, D. S. (1910). History of the Christian church. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.