‘STAND FAST IN THE FAITH’

New Zealand Tablet, 2 October 1913, Page 3

‘STAND FAST IN THE FAITH ’

(A Weekly; Instruction specially written fox the N Z. Tablet by 'Ghimel'.) -

THE ROMAN CHURCH AND TS BEOlNNIN(iS~II. The previous article let us see , something of the state of the Church at Rome in its infancy as it must have appeared to outsiders: the present article will deal with its origin and composition .seen from the inside. - - - _ t Its origin was due chiefly to three factors. 1. We know from the Acts of the Apostles (ch. ii.) that among those who listened to St. Peter's discourse on the Day of Pentecost were some who had come to Jerusalem for their annual visit to the Temple from Rome, Jews who had been born outside Palestine and pagan converts to Judaism. If some of these men came to -believe in' Christ through Peter's preaching— we may well presume so—they would naturally on their return to Rome tell their friends of the strange things then happening in Palestine. Thus were the foundations of the Catholic Church laid where afterwards the central and majestic pile was to rise. - 2. Rome was at this time the centre of the civilised world, and Christians would be attracted to it, for one reason or another as much as others. 'Never in the course of previous history had there been anything like the freedom of circulation and movement which now existed in the Roman Empire. And the movement followed certain definite lines and set in certain definite directions. It was at its greatest all along the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean, and its general trend was to and from Rome. The constant coming and going of Roman officials, as one provincial governor succeeded another; the moving of troops from place to place with the sending of fresh batches of recruits and the retirement of veterans; the incessant demands of an ever-increasing trade both " in necessaries and luxuries; the attraction which the huge metropolis naturally . exercised on the imagination of the clever young Orientals who knew that the best openings for a career were to be sought there a thousand motives of ambition, business, pleasure, drew a constant stream from the Eastern provinces to Rome. Among the crowds there would inevitably be some Christians, and those of very varied nationality and antecedents. . We may be sure that not a few of his (St. Paul's) own disciples would ultimately find their way to Rome (Sanday, Ep. to Romans, xxvi.). After arriving in Rome they would soon become known to one another, and they only waited the coming of an Apostle to be formed into an organised Church, for it is impossible to entertain the idea that the Christians would be left entirely .to themselves for any length of time. ".'_ 3. The Apostle came in the person of St. Peter. The year of his arrival in Rome is not beyond question, but the fact is nowadays universally accepted. In his Epistle to the Romans," written about the years 56-58, St. Paul lets us see that the Church at Rome had already been in.existence for a considerable number of years. He also informs us that he has not yet visited the Romans, though he has had ' a longing these many years' to do so, because he did not wish 'to build upon another man's foundation,' thus suggesting that the Church had been founded there by some other Apostle —and this immediately makes- us think of St. Peter. ' From Jerusalem and : around about even unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ; yea, making it my aim so to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation, but as it is written, "They shall see to whom no tiding of Him came, and they who have not heard shall understand." " Wherefore also I was hindered then many times from coming unto, you; but now, having no more place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to come' unto you, whensoever I go unto Spain (for I hope to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first in some measure I shall have been satisfied with your company); but now I go to Jeru-

salem' (Romans xv., 19-25). St: Peter would thus be regarded as the founder of the Church at Rome, and though-he could not continue to reside in their midst—there was so much to do elsewhere would exercise over the faithful at Rome the authority ofa founder. Jewish^Christians were doubtless the first to practise • the Christian religion in Rome; they were followed by Jewish and pagan converts. Both of these would bring many of their friends in Rome to a knowledge of the truth. But the expulsion of the' Jews from the city in 49 and 50 cut off the stream of Jewish converts, with the result that the Church at Rome was transformed into a predominantly pagan community. This appears from the opening words of St. Paul's Epistle: Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ through Whom we have received grace and apostleship unto obedience of faith among all the nations ." . . among whom are ye also called to be Christ's; to all that are in Rome, beloved of God. . . . Oftentimes I proposed to come unto you . . . that I might have some fruit in you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am debtor both to Greeks and Barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you also that are in Rome' (Romans i., 1-15). Still, the Jewish Christians by reason of. their moral and religious training must have been the leaders of the young community. Chapter xvi. of the same Epistle gives us some idea of the status of these Roman Christians: the names mentioned there are largely those of slaves and freed men. But not all belonged to the poorer class. The better sort of Greek and some Oriental slaves would often be more highly educated and more refined in manners than their masters. We know, too, that owing to St. Paul's presence and preaching Christianity had penetrated into the retinue of the Emperor. The Apostle ' abode two years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him, preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God with all boldness, none forbidding him' (Acts xxviii., 30-31. 'I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me (in Rome).J have fallen out rather for the progress of the Gospel; so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole Praetormm, and to all the rest' (Philippians xii., 14). All the saints salute you, especially those of Caesar's household ' (Philippians iv., 22).