Is Christianity Still a Crime: Called to Be a Martyr | Part 1

Called to Be a Martyr SeriesBiblical Wisdom
Written By Travis Grasley
Roman coliseum and ancient parchment.

They didn’t ancient Christians didn’t conform to pagan Rome. They collided with it.

What if believing in Jesus was enough to land you in prison—or worse?

Since the brutal reign of Nero, Christianity has often been treated not as a faith but as a felony. From torches made of human bodies to public executions for refusing to bow, the Roman Empire made one thing clear: naming the name of Christ was an act of rebellion.

This is part of our “Called to Be a Martyr” series, a deep dive into 2 Thessalonians 1:1–12. It's a series that resonates with the challenges of modern faith, exploring what it means to follow Jesus when the world is against you.

Today’s post sets the stage with a searing look at how Rome criminalized Christianity. Understanding this history is crucial, as it may help us recognize when history is repeating itself.

Blood and Fire: The Cost of Confession

Imagine living in a time when your faith in Christ could get you wrapped in animal skins and get you dropped before a pack of wild dogs, or possibly worse, turned into a human torch to provide light for Caesar’s garden parties.

This wasn't metaphor. This was ancient Rome.

During Nero’s reign in the first century, Christians were scapegoated, brutalized, and exterminated—not because they stirred unrest but because they refused to blend in. Professing Jesus as Lord meant rejecting Caesar’s claim to divinity, and in Rome, that wasn’t just heresy, it was treason.

Conditional Tolerance: The Empire’s Double Standard

Rome didn’t always pursue Christians with bloodthirsty zeal. In fact, Christians were often left alone—as long as they conformed to societal norms.

But once a believer chose conviction over comfort, the persecution was swift and brutal. One of Rome’s favorite tricks? A day when all citizens were required to burn a pinch of incense and proclaim, “Caesar is Lord.”

For many, the new cultural mandate seemed harmless, making conformity an easy choice. But to the Church, it was a line in the sand. Jesus had warned in Luke 9:26, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed.”

Pros Vs Cons with conforming to societal norms

Pros vs Cons of Conforming to Societal Norms

To confess Caesar as lord was to deny Christ. And they wouldn’t do it.

The Roman Empire couldn’t tolerate a faith that wouldn't bend. So it broke bodies instead.

But those bodies didn’t burn in vain—they blazed like beacons. The martyrs’ suffering became the church’s strength.

Today, you may not face lions or lashes, but will you still stand when the pressure to compromise rises? Will you speak when silence feels safer?

In our next post, we’ll explore how “tolerance” became a weapon in Rome and how political correctness today follows an eerily similar playbook.

Drop your thoughts in the comments, share this with someone who needs courage, and subscribe to stay locked into the series.

Travis Grasley
Next

The Battle Hymn of Christ (Part 3): A Man’s Solid Foundation