Standing Firm: What Augustine Teaches Us About Faith, Evil, and Sovereign Grace
As we continue our journey through the origins of the early Church, it is striking how much their world mirrors ours. To become a Christian in the Roman world often meant taking on a death sentence. Early believers were not executed for breaking social laws or harming their neighbors; in fact, they were consistently the most compassionate, law-abiding citizens in their cities. Their only "crime" was their allegiance: they worshipped no local idols, no conqueror’s gods, and no emperor. They confessed one Lord, and His name was Jesus. When public crises hit the Roman Empire, Christians were blamed for abandoning the traditional gods. Even after Constantine legitimized Christianity and placed believers in positions of political privilege, culture and politics continued to collide with theology. Government authority was used to direct church doctrine, leading to intense debates. While we do not face state-sponsored exile or physical martyrdom for our faith today, we still face th...