Corrupt leaders and Christian persecutions. Mr. Nero: he had the mens rea (or, the "mind for, about, regarding the thing") and satisfied all the requirements for multiple criminal indictments for 1st degree homicide, to wit, extended and continuous malice aforethought, extended and continuous premeditation, combined with an aloof, cold-blooded, and calloused mind. Yes, senior echelons in government, as well as the church, can be corrupted. Can one say 1000s "burned at the stake" in the Inquisitions of Spain? Perhaps 32,000 Jews? Especially, the "maranos," or the Jews, during Ferdinand and Isabella's time, but we return to Mr. Nero.
As for Mr. Nero, "Book em' Danno!" (The famous phrase from the old Hawaii Five-O.)
A few musings from Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity, Vol.1. NY: Harper Collins, 2010.
On June 8, 64 A.D., the “great fire” swept Rome. Mr. Nero was several miles away. He opened his gardens to the homeless. The fire burned six days and seven nights, destroying ten out of fourteen sections of the city. Rumors inflexibly and irrepressibly circulated that Mr. Nero himself had set the fire himself so as to facilitate his plans to rebuild the city. Apparently, it was an accidental “fire in an oil warehouse” but you know how rumors travel.
We put forward two quotes from Tacitus’ Annals, 15.44, with a few musings here and there.
"In spite of every human effort, of the emperor’s largesses, and of the sacrifices made to the gods, nothing sufficed to ally suspicion nor to destroy the opinion that the fire had been ordered. Therefore in order to destroy the rumors, Nero blamed the Christians, who are hated for their abominations, and punished them with refined cruelty. Christ, from whom they take the name, was executed by Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius. Stopped for a moment, the evil superstition reappeared, not only in Judea, where was the root of the evil, but also in Rome, where all things sordid and abominable from every corner of the world come together. Thus, first those who confessed [that they were Christians] were arrested, and on the basis of their testimony a great number were condemned, although not so much for the fire itself as for their hatred of humankind.”
As Mr. Gonzalez reminds us, Roman religion had become inexorably intertwined with the theater, army, classic literature, sports and other religions. The Christians would not involve themselves with these engagements (p.44). The Christians were to be a separate, holy, and consecrated community with charity, faith, and hope, believing in the Risen and Sovereign Redeemer, a people "in whom, upon whom, and with whom" the Triune God dwelt, and a people amongst whom the Scriptures were to dwell, guide and govern. (Cf. 1 Clement that stressed leadership, unity, as well as showing 150 OT quotations from the Septuagint.)
Or, to digress and take a detour for a moment on 1 Clement before returning to Tacitus, Nero, early Christians and first degree homicide.
The church was to be a place where "justification by faith alone" was taught, embraced and extended. It was assuredly taught in ancient Rome...unlike the 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 Anglicans.
Or, digressing even a bit more widely vis a vis "justification by faith alone," as one ACNA cleric had it, these were mere "controverted points `at that time.'" Put another way, it's not a "controverted point `at this time.'" Or, it doesn't really matter.
Well, for Clement, this doctrine shaped him, his letter and he wrote to the Corinthians about it.
On "justification by faith alone," as well as sanctification and good works, Clement says:
Clement says: "All (the saints of the Old Testament) became great and glorious, not through themselves, nor by their works, nor by their righteousness, but by the will of God. Thus we also, who are called by the will of God in Christ Jesus, are righteous not of ourselves, neither through our wisdom, nor through our understanding, nor through our piety, nor through our works, which we have wrought in purity of heart, but by faith, by which the almighty God justified all these from the beginning; to whom be glory to all eternity."
And then Clement, precisely like Paul in Romans 6, derives sanctification from justification, and continues: "What, then, should we do, beloved brethren? Should we be slothful in good works and neglect love? By no means! But with zeal and courage we will hasten to fulfil every good work. For the Creator and Lord of all things himself rejoices in his works."
Such was St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans and Clement's Epistle to the Corinthians, but we return to the subject.
Again, from Mr. Tacitus and Nero:
"Before killing the Christians, Nero used them to amuse the people. Some were dressed in furs, to be killed by dogs. Others were crucified. Still others were set on fire early in the night, so that they might illumine it. Nero opened his own gardens for these shows, and in the circus he himself became a spectacle, for he mingled with the people dressed as a charioteer, or he rode around in his chariot. All of this aroused the mercy of the people, even against these culprits who deserved an exemplary punishment, for it was clear they were not being destroyed for the common good, but rather to satisfy the cruelty of one person."
A few observations and musings are made on Mr. Tacitus’s comments. (1) The rumors about Nero ordering the city-wide fire were “widespread” and “irrepressible.” Or, it was “bad press” and Nero didn’t like it. (2) Nero sought to offset ("destroy") the rumors by generosity, that is, he needed a media-pushback. (3) Others, perhaps Nero himself, attempted to propitiate the Roman deities by "sacrifices," inferably, thinking the fire was a divine judgment. Human beings are hard-wired for this. (4) Upon failure of (2) and (3), Nero “scapegoated” the Christians. Perhaps there was a sense that the Christians, being abominable, should be “sacrificed” to “propitiate” and “expiate” the Roman pantheon? (5) The Christians were hated “for their abominations” (code = their religion and resistance to pagan culture). (6) Nero used “refined cruelty,” an interesting phrase from Mr. Tacitus, indicating malice aforethought, extended and continued premeditation, combined with a cool and cold-blooded indifference. As such, he had the mens rea, the ability to think and plan. Thus, Mr. Nero satisfies all the elements of a crime: a guilty verdict for multiple crimes of first degree homicide. (7) Tacitus notes that Rome was the cesspool or gathering point for other abominations “from every corner of the world.” (8) The Christians, according to Tacitus, were "hated" for “hatred of humankind.” Or, they didn't go along to get along. (9) Nero fed Christians to the dogs, burned them as lanterns, and crucified others. (10) Nero’s strategy backfired, generating “mercy” towards the Christians. (11) Nero “show-boated” in the circus, as he would do elsewhere.
We have addressed Pliny’s “Letter to Trajan” elsewhere, a document that appears perhaps 45 years later and from another area than Rome. Persecution was in the air.
Also, the letter of Clement 1, albeit later than Nero we think, speaks of “continuous and unexpected evils which have come upon us.” Given it’s provenance of Rome, it appears that persecutions continued in Rome. Paul and Peter died there.
Like Mr. Nero, Mr. Domitian was increasingly seen as a tyrant. Mr. Gonzalez puts it this way: “Domitian was a madman lusting for power and recognition as a divine being.”
Fabricum idolarum, the fruits and expressions of depravity even in the upper echelons in Rome. Humans are hard-wired to be idol factories. How very modern! And descriptive! Although the idols today perhaps are less cruel (abortion excluded with its layers of idolatry), they are still idols along several directions.
As for Mr. Nero, and for some humor, "Book em' Danno!" The famous line from the old Hawaii Five-O
But without humor and all gravity, we confess: "...and He shall come again to judge the living and the dead..." Nero continues his existence elsewhere and awaits the resurrection, union of departed soul with the reconstituted body, so that he--Nero--may be tossed into hell forever, both body and soul. No more laughing now.
GOD, who art the author
of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life,
whose service is perfect freedom; Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults
of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power
of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
LORD God, who seest that
we put not our trust in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power
we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.