Change

Today, we associate Rome with the Catholic Church, but
if you could go back in time and tell 1st century Christians
living in Rome that their city would one day be full of ornate
crosses celebrating Jesus, they wouldn’t believe you. They
lived in an environment hostile to their faith. People around
them considered them members of a strange cult. They faced
intense persecution. The emperor Nero falsely accused them
of setting the Great Roman Fire of 64 AD and punished them by crucifying them and feeding them to dogs. The apostles Peter and Paul were martyred during Nero’s persecution. Yet by the 3rd century, Christianity had grown into the official religion of Rome. How did such a hated, powerless people become so influential?