PONDERING THE PAST: Christians in the Roman Legion

Colleagues in Christ and Ministry,

 This blog features part two of "Christians in the ancient Roman Legion."  Part One can be found in the previous blog.  Due to formatting errors and inability to make changes on this blog, the footnotes will not be included.  At a future date the Bibliography will be given, so those interested can pursue the material where the information was referenced.  The same inability to format also affected our featured sermon last month by Col Ken Lawson and left out some of the text.  For this we apologize.  However there is a treat for us this month as we are featuring a book report by Dr. Lawson in regards to "Politics According to the Bible," by Wayne Grudem.  A timely addition indeed.
  At this point I want to make a general call for those in the AGC who have written some interesting papers in the past dealing with one's call and ministry in the Military.  If you have something you think others would be interested in,  please forward it to:  bfreiberg@cox.net.  For the time being, enjoy the blog/Journal.  God bless and may God's grace increase your service for His glory.  V/R Bob Freiberg
                                                                           

Politics According to the Bible, by Wayne Grudem, (Zondervan Publishers, 2010), 618 pages.

Reviewed by Kenneth Lawson

              It is rare that a book appears at the right time in history to make a difference upon its culture. Many books are written after the fact, reporting or analyzing events that already took place. Not so with this exhaustive book by the popular author, Dr. Wayne Grudem. A noted author and theologian, Grudem has done conservative Christianity a favor in creating this all-encompassing one volume book.                The book lays the foundation for the study of political issues and the Christian by asserting that the Bible is a valid and reliable document to guide political issues today. Grudem then addresses specific political issues, such as abortion, homosexuality, economics, environment, family, foreign policy, national defense, freedom of speech, and other topics. All these topics are studied in relation to the Bible, developing a holistic scriptural worldview on a wide variety of topics.                                                                    The author is not bashful in comparing the failings of the President Obama administration to a biblical view of politics. In many ways, this large text is timeless in its scriptural applications. But in some ways the book will be out of date relatively soon, as readers in a few years or so will not be too concerned about the many apparent failures of Obama’s policies to match biblical standards.                           Readers who examine this book now will be challenged by the contemporary concerns raised by the author related to the current presidential administration. In this way the book is timey and could influence our culture. In addition, the author’s use of scripture as a guide to politics is timeless, and could be used to biblically assess any political leader or government worldwide.  I am happy to recommend this book.

Part Two

ANCIENT BELIEFS ABOUT CHRISTIANS IN THE MILITARY

                       Tertullian, writing at the end of the second century, makes a case as to why a Christian should not serve in the military.  This is interesting because Tertullian’s father was a Centurion for a proconsul.  In his apology, he makes the statement to the Roman Officials “We sail with you, and fight with you and till the ground with you…”1  What he meant by fighting was not the Christian fight against the government, but Christians are everywhere,  including the military.  This implies that Christians were an integral part of the military at that time.

                      So what Tertullian believe?  He gives some insight on this topic in his

Treatise on Idolatry: 

But now inquiry is made about this point, whether a believer may turn himself unto military service, and whether the military may be admitted unto the faith, even the rank and file, or each inferior grade, to whom there is no necessity for taking part in sacrifices or capital punishments.  There is no agreement between the divine and the human sacrament. … But how will a Christian man war, nay, how will he serve in peace, without a sword, which the Lord has taken away?2

                      This is consistent with his writing found in “The Chaplet.”  This is also the 

position taken by some other Christian soldiers who were martyred about this same time. 

Example of Different Beliefs

                       In Alexander Weber’s article “Varieties of Military Christian Saints,” he

 notes some of the martyrs refused military service because they became Christians.  

Webster list basically two groups who took two different approaches.  The first group 

(Julian the Veteran, Dasius and Marinus) became Christians and saw military service 

incompatible with their newfound Christian beliefs.  They died because they no longer 

would serve in the army.

                      The second group of martyrs (George, Isidore, Theodore, Stratilates, 

Procopius, and Demetrius) were already serving in the military and were discovering to  

be Christians.3  It is not known how they were found out to be believers.  Whatever the

reason, this second group demonstrates that some Christians did not see any 

inconsistency in serving.  This article showed that different soldiers chose different routes 

due to their own personal convictions.  In other words, some stopped being a soldier 

when they became Christians, while others were martyred simply for being believers.

                      Another example of Christians serving in the military who did not see any 

conflict were members of the XII Legion.  This story dispels the misconception that all

Christian had forsaken military service at the time.  Even though some of the apologetics 

of the age argued against Christians serving in the military because of the oath of 

allegiance and other reasons, there was still a Christian witness in the Legions.  Perhaps 

these Christians were not as committed as those brothers who gave their lives, but there is 

no way to judge their hearts and spiritual level.  Tertullian wrote his “De Chaplet” about 

the death of the soldier who wouldn’t wear the crown during his Montanist days and 

perhaps was more sensitive to “carnal” brother who served Caesar as well as Christ.  This 

raises the question; How does one go about measuring spirituality in this setting?  It is 

wiser to leave such things to God.

Historical Development of Christians in the Military  

                      So far, it has been demonstrated that Christians indeed served in the 

Roman military.  The first two centuries contain some unique perspectives into this issue. 

The First Century

                      There is no mention in the New Testament that being a soldier was against   

the will of God.  While it was established that Christians were looked down opun in 

society, there are no concrete Scriptural prohibitions.  While it is true that Christians are 

supposed to be peace loving (Rom. 12:18, Gal 5:21-22), the peace that is spoken of in the 

New Testament Scriptures in the Peace of God in a man’s relationship with his Creator 

through Christ (Rom. 1:7, 5:1).  Romans 10:15 tells us that, “How beautiful are the feet 

of them that preaches the Gospel of Peace.”  This is the peace of God in the heart of a 

believer, but there is another kind of peace that soldiers are able to maintain. 

                      The soldier can be described as an ultimate peacekeeper because in this 

fallen and imperfect world peace is kept by preventing war.  As contradictory as that 

sounds, it is unfortunately an axiomatic truth.  Roman soldier kept the peace when a riot 

broke out in the temple in Act 22.  They restored order and the status quo and prevented 

bloodshed.  That was why Cornelius was in Caesarea and the Centurion was in 

Capernaum.

                      Later in the first century A.D., we find Christians being persecuted by the 

Roman government.  This persecution was to eventually extend into the Roman Legions 

when some Christians refused to take the oath of allegiance to their commander or 

emperor.  While there is not mush evidence to show that Christians were martyred for 

their faith in the Legions during this century; there is evidence that shows Christians 

served in the military during this time.   

The Second Century

                       As Christians became more widespread and known, persecution in the 

empire became a fact of life.  Trajan gave guidance to Pliny the Younger on how to 

handle Christians, but that was on the civilian level.  From literary sources, we find the 

believers were a part of the military and in certain areas (rain miracle), served with 

distinction.

                      While there were some persecutions and martyrdom in both the military

and civilian arenas, it was not the norm.  While this is not to minimize the sacrifices of 

Christians in the first two centuries, the civil policy was only to prosecute if the 

Christianity of the person was made public in a court of law.  William Bixler believes 

that during this time only the most adamant Christians wanted to die for the faith.  He 

states: 

The belief in the virtue of martyrdom generated the phenomenon of “volunteering,” whereby numbers of Christians actively sought persecution and death.  The early church did not advocate voluntary Martyrdoms and in fact, Origen and Clement specifically warned against them.  Jesus Himself in Matthew’s Gospel advised fleeing when persecution was imminent.  Thus, those who volunteered to die were a few minority.4

                       In other words, only a few vocal Christians at this time made it a point to 

let themselves be brought before the magistrates to be charged as a Christian (like 

Ignatius of Antioch before Trajan)  and then be executed.5  No doubt  these brave 

Christians felt it was a testimony to Christ to die for the faith.  On the other hand, there 

were also plenty of other Christians who felt it was better if they lived to tell the story of 

Christ to others.  Conscience was to dictate how believers handled themselves before the 

Roman government and military. 

CONCLUSION

                      In the introduction of this paper, four views of war and the Christian were 

presented.  While all four scholars make good cases for their positions, the historical 

reality from the beginning of the church (c. 30-31) to the end of the second century A.D. 

was that there were believers serving in the military.  Even though some ante-Nicene 

writers did not advocate Christian participation in the military, it didn’t stop some 

believers from joining and even perhaps taking the oath of allegiance.  Tertullian gives a

clear apologetic about his belief, but one must remember that there was disagreement on

this issue.

                       While some authors in this had stronger Biblical arguments then others, 

each point and counterpoint of the critique used some form of rational methodogy.  There

were appeals to common sense reason, scriptures and historical events.  Such was the 

case with Tertullian.  He used sophistries to petition to his audience of the day.  He

appealed to scripture, history and tradition in his arguments.

                      Each of the authors of “War” did the same thing.  Each person argued 

according to what they felt Scripture was telling them.  Each one has a good Bible reason 

to draw individual conclusions.  Each author has (it is assumed) accepted Christ as his 

Savior.  For a Christian, this is called “The Priesthood of the Believer.”  In Roman 12:1-2 

the Christians offers up what ever their individual sacrifice to God happens to be.  In 

other words, this topic may be something that is best left to the conscience of the 

believer.  This of course manifest itself in different ways with each believer.

                      For instance, Ignatius of Antioch felt compelled to go to the emperor 

Trajan and confront him on his policy Towards Christians.  He felt, as a Christian, that is 

what God wanted him to do.  His was a righteous faith, based on his faith in Christ as his 

Savior.  Willingly dying for the Lord did not change his salvation, it just made a public 

testimony for Christ.  Whether a person serves in the military or not does not change a 

person’s relationship to Christ.

                       The issue at stake here is not a person’s Christianity, but their faithfulness 

to Christ.  As a chaplain in the military, I meet scores of young people who for some 

reason or another are running from God.  In my position I am  able to help these military 

members become more consistent with their faith.  Some have never grown past the stage 

knowing what it means to “walk with God.”  In hearing the testimonies of many of these 

young people, many are already Christians, but they are struggling with growing in the 

Lord.

                      God made us free determinative moral agents.  The Scripture tells us:

“Lets us make man in our own image.”1  As holy priests before God (I Peter 2:4-5), He 

gave us the ability to make decisions, whether they are right or not.  It is true He holds us 

to the decisions we make, but as priests before Him, it is between an individual and God. 

Who is to say that Daniel was wrong for using his God given answers to visions in order 

to serve a pagan king?  Who is to say that Jeremiah was wrong to preach prophecies 

against the same king?  Each man did as they were led by God to do.  Each man was used 

by the Lord to accomplish his final work

                      This analogy could have been the same one for the men serving in the 

ancient Roman legion in the first two  centuries.  God leaves a witness and testimony for 

Himself everywhere (Ps 139:7-9).  It is these men in the military who would eventually 

give freedom of worship for all Christians in the Roman Empire.  Eventually Christianity 

would be not only tolerated, but accepted as the only true religion.  Unfortunately over 

time, the persecuted eventually became the persecutors.

                      The question of a Christian being in the military comes down to personal 

choice.  God has given each person a conscience to make up his or her own minds.  For 

some people, serving Caesar in order to fight against a common evil in worth 

compromising some aspects of scriptural principles.  God has been even known to use 

secular and even pagan leaders and causes to accomplish His overall will, as in the case 

of “Cyrus the Persian King.”2  While some on the other hand feel that it is wrong in any 

circumstance to serve in the military.

                       The answer is not an easy one.  Unfortunately it was never conclusively 

answered even in the early days of the church.  This much we do know though: (1) 

Christians served in the military in the first two centuries of the church, (2) Some, but not

all, were willing to work within the pagan system and some others were willing to die for 

their faith.  (3) Even though Scriptures opposed murder, it never condemns soldiers.  

While there are other scriptural principles which must guide the conduct of a soldier, the 

ultimate decision of believers to join the military is between them and God.