REVOLUTIONARY CHRISTIANITY 41 



Governors, '' having some knowledge of The Way/' 

 and knowing that there was no case in Roman law against 

 Paul, robbed the pious Jews of their quarry* 



This, and similar experiences, led the Apostle to 

 say things regarding the powers that be, which sound 

 strangely out of harmony with the teaching of Jesus, 

 And when we remember that the power which Paul 

 believed to be ordained of God was the power of Nero, 

 we shall know which was right, Jesus or PauL 



But soon the State became the greatest persecutor 

 of the Way, When soldiers became converted to the 

 Way of Love, they being unsophisticated, simple-minded 

 men, and not theologians, found that their religion was 

 inconsistent with the profession of arms. How could 

 they seek to conquer their enemies by love, and at the 

 same time be part of a great military machine, whose 

 object it was to conquer by slaughter ? So they gladly 

 suffered martyrdom, saying, ** I am a Christian and 

 therefore I cannot fight,'* 



Nor was it long before the Way of Love came into 

 collision with the State in a manner which affected, not 

 only those who had become soldiers, but the whole 

 Church, The cult of the Emperor was coming rapidly 

 to the fore, and patriotism was degraded to the level of 

 a State religion. It was made incumbent upon all to 

 offer sacrifice to the State, as personified by the Emperor, 

 We probably all know the picture, *' Diana or Christ ? '' 

 The picture is beautiful, but its title is misleading. The 

 Romans were far too wise to force a foreign cult upon 

 unwilling worshippers. The choice was between the 

 State, as personified by the Emperor, and Christ, It 

 was to the Emperor that the grain of incense had to be 

 offered, and other cults felt no compunction about 

 showing their allegiance in this manner. But those 

 of The Way could not offer to the State that worship 

 and absolute obedience that belongs to God, and God 



