World History, Chapter 9: Secular Rome to Holy Roman Empire

World History, Chapter 9: Edited 12/7/23.

Secular Rome to Holy Roman Empire:

From Babylon to secular Rome to the council of Nice in 325 A.D. a period of some 900 years had passed.  This period covers the empires of Babylon (gold) the Medes and Persians (silver), Alexander the Great (belly of bronze) King Seleucus, Antiochus (thighs of bronze) to Rome (the legs of iron)

Daniel 2:33, “And his (two) legs of iron, his (two) feet part of iron and part of clay.”

Daniel 2:41, “And whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided (Constantinople in the East and Rome in the West); but there shall be in it of the strength of iron, forasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken (fragile)”

Daniel 2:42, “And whereas you saw iron mixed with miry clay (this is the transition from secular Rome to what was known as the Holy Roman Empire; it ruled by the Catholic Church) they (iron pagan Rome) and clay (Holy See) shall mingle (be united, intermingled, joined without any limits) themselves with the seed (proselyte, offspring) of men: but they shall not cleave (be united) one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.”

The second century was the great age of Christian diversity, and only in the second century we begin to see the emergence of what we call orthodoxy or simply, Christianity. The New Testament was a product of the second century, giving the body of Christ a uniform body of doctrines and text. The church had figured out which books were sacred and authoritative, and which were not.

So, by the third century, we had something called Christianity, having its own sacred books, its own rituals, its own ideas. But this was to be the great age of confrontation and persecution with secular Rome. Christianity appeared to be a threat to the social and political order of the empire, so the Romans tried to beat down Christianity but failed. Martyrdom was a spectacle to behold, presenting to all future generations a demonstration by the true worshippers of Jesus Christ.

But now, a transition was about to take place. The Roman Empire by the way of Constantine 1st was about to move from a secular state to a religious one, it called the “Holy Roman Empire.” What was once hated and persecuted would now become the heart and soul of the empire. Constantine was the eldest son of Constantius Chlorus, who had distinguished himself under Diocletian by his military talents in the famous Egyptian expedition of 296 A.D. In 305 A.D.

The two emperors, Diocletian and Maximian abdicated, and were succeeded by Constantius Chlorus and Galerius. Galerius could not endure the brilliant and energetic genius of Constantine, so he took every means of exposing him to danger. Constantine eventually fled to his father, who ruled in the West, joining him at Boulogue as he was about to set out on an expedition in North Britain. Constantius died at York on 7/25/306, so Constantine wrote to Galerius and requested to be acknowledged as Augustus, but Galerius granted him only the title of Caesar.

Constantine went to war with Maxentius and defeated him in three different battles; first at Turin; then under the walls of Verona, and finally on October 8, 312 A.D. in the vicinity of Rome. Maxentius drowned in an attempt to escape across the Tiber River. Constantine entered Rome, disbanded the Praetorians, and adopted other judicious measures to temper the public. He would be honored with the title of Pontifex Maximus, or Supreme Dignitary of the Pagan Roman Hierarchy.

And now Constantine was sole emperor of the West. After the deaths of Galerius and Maximin, Licinius became sole emperor of the East. In 314 wars broke out between the two rulers; Licinius had gotten the worse of it, conceded to peace while giving much of his territories over to Constantine including Greece. Licinius eventually married Constantius, Constantine’s sister. In the following nine years the emperor corrected many of the abuses in the administration of laws; strengthened the frontiers of his empire and chastised the barbarians who learned to fear and respect his power. In 323 A.D. he again went to war with Licinius, and this time defeated him, then had him put to death. He was now sole governor of the Roman world. He chose Byzantium for his capital, and in 330 A.D., inaugurated it as the seat of government, under the name of Constantinople, or City of Constantine; today known as Istanbul.

In 324 A.D. Constantine had an accomplished son named Crispus who was very popular. Constantine would have him, Constantina and others put to death on charges of treason.

In the following year occurred the Council of Nice. Constantine sided with the orthodox Christian teaching, but Arius a Christian Deacon of Alexandria Egypt, born 250 A.D. died, 336, opposed this orthodox teaching. His doctrines gave rise to a theological teaching known as Arianism, it maintained that “The Son of God (Jesus) was not;” meaning the Son of God could not be co-eternal, co-essential, and co-equal with the Father. He reasoned that it was inconsistent and impossible, since the Father, who begat, must be before the Son, who was begotten: the Son therefore, could not be absolutely eternal. Arius was excommunicated as a heretic and banished to Illyricu.  Several years passed when he and his followers were called back to Rome. The emperor insisted on his being received back into communion with the church of Alexandria.  The church leaders refused to receive him, and in 326 Arius died suddenly.

Eventually his Arian doctrine was accepted at Rome but was considered heresy at Constantinople, but as time passed the thoughts reversed themselves.  Rome was now divided in two, the Eastern and Western Empires, (two legs of iron) as well was the Church in their teaching of the person of Jesus Christ. Rome fixed the doctrine of the Trinity, while the African and Eastern Churches supported Arianism, or some of its subdivisions of articles.

The Arians were in no way unanimous, but divided into various shades of thinking, under their individual leaderships. From this came two distinctions, one being Arians, the other Semi-Arians. The Semi-Arians stripping the character of Jesus Christ into that of a mere creature, while the latter admitted everything except Jesus had absolute equality with the Father.

At this time, Constantine was yet a pagan, but his sense of justice, and his conviction of the growing importance of Christians, both as a moral and political element in the life of the empire, had from the first induced him to protect them. He opposed the Arians on political grounds, as the weaker party; but not being theologically interested in the discussions, refraining from active persecution. During the latter years of his life, Christianity became the state-religion; pagan temples were closed, and any sacrifices forbidden, and eventually allowed himself to be baptized. Constantine died in July 22ed/337 A.D.

By the fourth century Christianity becomes the state religion, and by the end of the fourth century it was illegal to practice any form of public worship other than Christianity. This remains a great mystery how such an extraordinary reversal that began with Jesus having been executed by Rome as a public criminal and as a threat to the social order, but now by the power of the Holy Spirit and the written word some three centuries later was being hailed as the Son of God, a part of the Trinity; a Savior; Redeemer; Lord and Creator.

Matthew 28:18, Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” With Acts 1:7, He “upholds all things by the word of his power;”

Revelation 1:8, He said, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, — which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

And to this day many ask, “Was Constantine a true Christian?” Answer, “Only God knows”! It appears that he looked at Christianity as a statesman who felt his first duty was to rule the nation over which he was set in an orderly and peaceable manner. Had Paganism still been in its prime, and had it possessed any real political vitality, it is not likely that a man of Constantine’s secular importance and temperament would have troubled himself with the Christian faith; but when he found that it was making progress in spite of the great persecution, he must have felt it wise and possibly conceived it right, to protect and favor it.

But he also continued to the end believing in many pagan superstitions. As an emperor, however, he ranks high; beloved by his people for whose welfare he seems to have worked for. But he was severe and even bloody towards individuals but was also just and moderate towards nations. He conquered every enemy, organized a new and better mode of government; crushed any conspiracies and revolts, then finished his life in peace.

Phillip LaSpino   www.seekfirstwisdom.com