Have you ever walked into a place and instantly realized that you didn’t belong?
Sometimes things actually feel hostile. Well, the next chapter of Skarsaune’s book deals with Christian outreach into pagan audiences. For the earliest part of the Church’s history, most of the outreach focused around Jewish peoples and converts to Judaism. What they found in these groups was not always a welcoming crowd, but one that identified with them on a core issue- there is one God and idols and other gods are not only false, but evil.
This is not to say that they didn’t work in pagan crowds too (Paul’s preaching in Athens in Acts 17 is a famous example), but a lot of their missionary endeavors focused on audiences that would agree with them on this fundamental point. Their apologetics were shaped by that fact- they wanted to convince people that Jesus was the Messiah. Idols weren’t an issue. Other gods were a defeated enemy in that crowd.
But what happened when they began branching out more and more?
Well, they started to realize they didn’t fit in. They didn’t belong. And there can be hostility. You’re reaching out to people that not only don’t acknowledge Jesus, but who worship something in a heartfelt or historic way that you are calling evil. How do you do that?
Well, what Skarsaune discovers is part of their work was apologetic that was similar to the tactics used by Jews with pagans from previous centuries. They used philosophy and story to speak to people and convince them that there couldn’t be tons of little gods out there, but there must be one big God. Creation testified to it. Logic testified to it.
What is interesting is that one of the other main pieces that helped in their apologetic and evangelism to the pagans was the stories and testimonies of the martyrs. One of the stories referenced is that of the martyrs of Lyons, specifically, Blandina. The faith of these people, to die, to remain committed to virtues and the faith despite the costs, changed the hearts of many. This was something new. And a later apologist, Tertullian, would state famously, “The blood of Christians is a seed.”
What does that say to us? As we continue to reach out in a world that moves further and further away from real understanding of God and toward a chasing after “gods”, how do we speak for the faith in this context? I think the most important piece this reminds us of, is that there is a need for sacrifice associated with our faith. I pray we don’t have to go to the extent of Blandina, but there is a call for us to live lives that make people wonder about what’s going on inside of us, to notice something different.
