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Decius came from a long line of Roman Emperors who hated Christ and His followers. But unlike those who had gone before him, he would be quite successful in ridding the empire – and world – of the Jesus disease.
And, for the most part, he wouldn’t even have to use a sword to do it.
Earlier emperors violently targeted evangelists, bishops, and teachers of the Christian faith to eradicate the Name of Jesus from the great empire. For the most part, these endeavors failed because Christians were actually spurred on in the face of their leaders’ deaths.
Recognizing that it was impossible to kill every Christian, Decius put a plan in place that would wreak havoc upon the Christian community because of its calculated, systematic, organized, and well-timed implementation. Instead of sending out an army with sword and torch to hunt down anyone who followed Christ, he simply commanded that all subjects in his empire obtain a libellus (a certificate) stating they had offered a sacrifice to the gods and/or eaten meat that had been sacrificed to the gods.
This libellus was a lot like our modern day Driver’s License or Social Security Number; you couldn’t do much without one. Further, if a Christian was caught without it, they might face banishment, confiscation of property, long prison terms, torture, seizure of children (to be raised as pagans), and sometimes, capital punishment.
Fortunately, the law didn’t lead to very many deaths, but this persecution inflicted a lot of trouble upon the Christian community. Further, it also prevented many from becoming Christians.
The timing of Decius’s law played a significant factor in its effectiveness. By the time Decius came to power, Christians had experienced several years of relative peace in the Roman Empire. In fact, in some places, Christians were even favored by governmental leaders. Many Christians alive at that time had not experienced the tremendous and lethal persecution of earlier emperors. In other words, they had grown comfortable with their rank in society.
Decius’ law changed all that.
Unfortunately, too many Christians who didn’t fully understand what it meant to be committed to Christ voluntarily stepped forward to obtain a libellus by sacrificing to the Roman gods. Others, who were more learned in the Scriptures, didn’t sacrifice to other gods to get a libellus, but they obtained the necessary documents in other ways, mainly through bribery or purchase.
This persecution shook the foundations of Christianity. It even caused revered Christian leaders like Cyprian of Carthage to go into hiding. These acts of compromise and fear caused incredible damage down the road.
Fortunately, Emperor Decius had bigger enemies with which to contend than Christ’s disciples. Though he never revoked his decree, he was forced to turn his attention to more formidable enemies, the Goths assembling on the banks of the Danube River.
Throughout the Bible’s pages, we find many godly people who faced the ultimatum of “bow down or else.” Mordecai was supposed to kneel down before Haman or face the gallows (Esther 3:1-2). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were ordered to bow before Nebuchadnezzar or risk the flames of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Even Jesus was tempted by the Devil to bow down and worship him (Matthew 4).
All of these were faithful in their commitment to God, refusing to bow down to anyone besides God Himself…no matter the cost.
Resource’s Origin:
The Early Church by E. Glenn Hinson. Abingdon Press Nashville, 1996, Pages 122-124.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Bishop
Church
Commitment
Complacency
Compromise
Emperor
Enemy
Faithful
History
Martyr
Persecution
Romans
Suffering
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
