Athanasius of Alexandria stepped off the ferry after it had been secured in the Prosphorion Harbor. The Imperial City’s great walls met his awed gaze. Alexandria was not small by any means, but this was Constantinople, New Rome. The emperor had built this metropolis as the Roman world’s new capital, ushering in a new day. The sun shone off of the great ramparts, flags whipped in the sea breeze, and the sound of excited tumult mixed with the general noise of commerce filled the air. Athanasius could barely contain himself.

On one hand, the young man, the right hand of Bishop Alexander, was full of wonder at what the Lord had done. On the other hand, part of him wondered, Could this all be a trap?  With memories of persecution still fresh in his mind, he wanted to be cautious. His parents had both been martyrs for the faith; was he about to join them?

The emperor had invited all of the bishops of Christendom to the royal city. Grave doctrinal issues faced the church—salvation itself was at stake. In a manner similar to the “Memoirs of the Apostles,”¹ Emperor Constantine hoped that the bishops could gather in conciliar fashion and that the Holy Spirit would clarify what the church must teach through conviction, debate, and the Holy Scriptures themselves. Athanasius knew that first council in Jerusalem very well—wherein the fates of the Gentiles and what was expected of them had hung in the balance. 

The Roman World’s Christian Makeover

The decor was starkly different as Athanasius entered the city proper. His own city was still very much pagan. Egyptian gods were celebrated in every possible way: statues, wall reliefs, frescos, even mundane pottery. While the Imperial City was not yet devoid of paganism, symbols of Jesus’ followers greeted him everywhere. There were crosses, doves, lions, and lambs. Bells rang from great churches. The very air felt purified here. As Athanasius approached the great halls, he could see the centurions waiting. Roman soldiers had once plucked many believers away, taking them to a cruel death.

Yet here they were. Instead of pagan symbols emblazoned on their shields, there was the sign of the cross. Instead of glaring at him, they seemed genuinely excited to see yet another representative had braved the journey. Instead of meeting him at a spear point, they embraced him. As the sun shone warmly on the scene in the new city, it seemed like the promised Kingdom of Christ had come. The apostle Paul’s mission to bring the gospel to Caesar himself had finally been accomplished. Surely the promises that God made to Abraham’s children had indeed been fulfilled through the church’s triumph. In an incredibly short period, the world had been flipped on its head.

In today’s world, it’s hard to envision the absolute upheaval that was seen in the lifetime of people like Athanasius. Persecutions were brutal and widespread. Believers often had to meet in secret. At any moment, they could be rounded up and martyred. Now? Well, now the emperor himself had confessed Christ. At the stroke of his pen, the world had completely changed. 

The church’s persecution was almost a unique part of Roman policy and practice. As a rule, the empire had no issue with the many religions within it; there was a general tolerance—on two conditions. First, the adherents must not endanger Roman authority. Second, the religion needed to be established, not something new. While Rome respected older religions, new ones were suspect and potentially dangerous.

Initially, Rome had no quarrel with the early believers as a whole. Why? In that answer lies the groundwork for the eventual dismissal of the Jewish people’s heritage.

The Early Church’s Jewish Identity

The early church was nearly exclusively Jewish. As Jesus preached in Judea and Galilee, many Jewish hearts were convinced that He was the Messiah. As these Jewish believers grew in number, they were hard-pressed to see a huge difference between themselves and their non-believing brethren. The Jewish believers had not abandoned the beautiful and storied traditions and ceremonies of Judaism. If anything, those traditions all made sense now, as they could view them through the Messianic lens. The Jewish people who did not believe in Jesus mostly regarded these believers as just another sect that had splintered off. Most did not have that same zeal of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. 

The Romans viewed these early believers as just another sect of the ancient Jewish religion, which often had high regard in Roman circles during more peaceful times.

The Romans viewed these early believers as just another sect of the ancient Jewish religion, which often had high regard in Roman circles during more peaceful times. They marveled that the Hebrews worshiped Solo Mensis ² with the mind alone; they did not use an idol as a physical medium. These Christians seemed to toe the line as far as they could tell.

These Jewish believers saw one unbroken line, stretching all the way back to Abraham. They saw how God had promised them blessings, inheritance, deliverance, and the Messiah. If Jesus had risen from the dead, then one day, even the land of Israel would return to them. For now, they would content themselves with their rich Jewish heritage and their new traditions and observances handed down from the apostles: baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and meeting on the first day of the week. They revered their Holy Scriptures and circulated the letters from the apostles whenever they could. The faithful of Israel would continue this unbroken line as God had moved yet again in the hearts of His people.

The faithful of Israel would continue this unbroken line as God had moved yet again in the hearts of His people.

For those of us who maintain the unique relationship between God and the Jewish people, it seems like the early church was off to a good start. There was no real dichotomy yet between the church and Israel in the minds of those first believers. These believers were Jewish; the church was Jewish. Paul highlighted this connection in his letter to the Galatians when he coined the phrase the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). To the believers of Paul’s day, this wasn’t a divisive term meant to disinherit the biological children of Abraham because they were biological. They understood what Paul was saying. In later times, this verse would be used divisively, and it still is today, as the original meaning became lost to time. 

In our next article, we’ll explore how the early church drifted away from the Jewishness of Scripture and toward unbiblical doctrine concerning God’s Chosen People.

Endnotes
¹ Early in church history, believers often referred to the collected writings of the New Testament writers as the “Memoirs of the Apostles.”
² Greek philosopher Plutarch wrote of General Pompey entering the Temple and boldly advancing into the holy of holies. The general was shocked and fascinated to see no idol. Thus he remarked, “These noble Jews worship Solo Mensis.”

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About the Author

Tim Harrison

Tim Harrison is General Maintenance and Grounds Keeper for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. He is involved in many of FOI's program ministries including teaching Bible for FOI Equip, a free online learning resource.