The story goes like this: the year was 112 and Bithynia et Pontus (modern day turkey) was in financial trouble due to leadership drama and military mishaps. They had once been a model of economic growth and stability, when Augustus was in charge, but those days were behind them now, and the Roman Emperor Trajan had to step in and fix things in order to restore the Pax Romana, (peace of Rome). Trajan understood he needed a good administrator so, he put the intellectually brilliant Pliny the Younger in charge of cleaning house. Pliny wrote more than 60 inquisitive letters, a lot for back then and all of which we still have, back and forth to Trajan asking for advice and giving updates. In these letters we get a glimpse of how this movement called, “the way”, already begun to influence Roman society.

A few generations before Pliny took over, the apostle Peter had written to this region in regards to how to live out “the way” in Bithynia et Pontus. (1&2 Peter) Pliny had reports from all around his vast region of groups that claimed loyalty to the one and only true god. These groups weren’t Jews, or at least the Jews didn’t claim them, rather, they were made up of all sorts of nationalities including Jews and even…Roman citizens!?! Some claimed to be discipled by a guy named John, who saw a man come back to life after being executed on a Roman cross in Palestine. Pliny records that this movement contained, “…every age, social class, and men and women alike.” It was not just in cities, but rural areas and everywhere in between. So much that local Roman temples noticed a drop in attendance and sacrifices to the gods were less and less. (Pliny, a religious “enlightened man”, might have thought lack of “Roman god worship” was why there were problems) Pliny’s report noted that “Christians” would gather before dawn, “singing responsively a hymn to Jesus the Christ as to a god.” They took a vow to not rob, commit adultery, steal, or break promises, and late in the day, they would gather for a meal and share with one another. Throughout the letters Pliny grew suspicious and begun to question this new religion and their members, and even tortured two, “slave women who were called deaconesses.” Pliny accused them of “superstitio” which was acting outside of normal cultural practices to the point of danger to society, in contrast to “religio”, which were accepted practices in the culture of the day.

Trajan’s advice was straightforward, do not go seeking after these “Christians”, but if you catch any ask them to pray in the presence of an official, to the Roman gods, including the emperor as “Lord”, and then release them. If they refuse, execute them for treason and move to on to more important matters. Thus began the shaping of the Roman attitude toward “the way” for years to come. The problem Pliny faced was that this “way” spread like a contagion, it seemed to almost have a supernatural force behind it. Our sermon this Sunday is from Acts 2, and it describes to us what that supernatural force is, the Third Person of the Trinity.

 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be defined before the angels of God. Andy everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:8-12)

On another note, this Sunday, as part of our community, we will be praying for and acknowledging our graduating seniors as they transition to this next phase of life. They need to know that they have a community here who are rooting for them and encourage them to respond to the Holy Spirit and be brave in their obedience to Jesus as they go forward. The Lord Jesus is the only true presence who will stay close to us throughout all the transitions in life and holds us fast in the power of His Spirit.

Rev. Ben Melli