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*Note: Part 1 of this series can be accessed here.

Christians have a history of being misunderstood in the public square. Within just three decades after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, a paradigm would be concretized for how the majority of believers in the West would experience life over the next two millennia. In the summer of 64 AD, a severe wildfire engulfed the city of Rome leaving roughly three quarters of it in ruins.[1] Despite initial speculation that Nero Caesar was the culprit in organizing the wildfire to reconfigure Rome’s infrastructure, it did not take long for Christians to be falsely accused of arson.[2]

To the average first century citizen residing in the Roman Empire, it would not have appeared far-fetched to see Christians as a threat to the wellbeing of society.[3] After all, those Christians were said to have their own king, and their lives were marked by an unwavering allegiance to a man they claimed to have been raised from the dead.[4] Furthermore, rumors swirled about the incest and cannibalism that would occur during the gatherings that Christians would have on a weekly basis.[5] Given the disturbing nature of these (false) allegations, should it be any surprise that under the reign of Nero Caesar, Christianity was regarded as a threat? Needless to say, Christians have a history of being misunderstood in the public square.

To make matters even more unfortunate for followers of Jesus Christ throughout the centuries, misconceptions about their faith have not only been widespread during seasons in which they are on the fringes of society. Whereas the first century Christians were targeted for being a subversive threat to broader civilization, many subsequent generations of believers have been accused of using their faith as an overt means to bolster their agendas for the public square. Consider just a few of the most prominent examples that contemporary historians have sought to use as support for this contention, as reflected in the publication, The Public Square: Union of Church and State: What We Can Learn from History and Scripture.[6]

• Emperor Constantine’s elevation of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire from the fourth century onward, thereby mandating citizens to subscribe to the faith (even if contrary to one’s conscience).
• The Medieval Church’s tyranny over unbelieving people groups, as expressed in the “Holy Warfare” of the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisitions.
• The theocratic nature of Geneva, Switzerland during the sixteenth century, as a byproduct of John Calvin’s significant influence over the church and state.
• Heavy physical and religious persecution being levied on the native people groups residing in New England during the formation of the American colonies.
• In the generations leading up to the Civil War, the hearty support—and facilitating of—institutionalizing slavery in the United Stated by churches residing in the southern regions of the country.
• In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, ignoring pivotal tenets of doctrine that divides Roman Catholics and Protestants for the sake of joining together for self-serving political aspirations.

To be sure, each antecedent testimony reveals that Western expressions of Christianity have done little to assuage critiques centered around its role in the public square. In fact, if these historical case studies were allowed to stand as viable representations of biblical Christianity, then one would be justified in positing that Christianity’s concern for its place in the public square is motivated by a desire for cultural power and self-seeking privilege. However, as has been confessed by believers at various points over the past 2,000 years—especially posterior to the Protestant Reformation—Scripture is the standard to evaluate the core beliefs of Christianity, and whether the behavior of its adherents are consistent thereto (2 Tim. 3:16-17).[7]

If it can be shown that the chronicled abuses of self-identifying Christians in the public square are not in alignment with God’s Word, then the concerns of those who are antagonistic toward Christianity’s position in the public square are necessarily diminished. Thankfully, the Bible is very clear in its condemnation of those who would do anything for selfish gain. While there are many passages that could be quoted to corroborate this assertion, Romans 12:9-21 will prove sufficient.

⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted    to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; ¹¹ not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, ¹³ contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those     who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one    another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. ¹⁷ Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the   sight of all men. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. ¹⁹ Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.[8]

When faithfully lived out and evaluated on its own terms, biblical Christianity is thoroughly good for the public square. What civilization would not be benefited by the presence of those who model selfless love (Rom. 12:9-10); hatred for what is evil (Rom. 12:9); celebration of what is good (Rom. 12:9, 21); self-sacrificial hospitality (Rom. 12:13); patience in the midst of ill treatment (Rom. 12:14, 17, 20); sympathy toward one’s neighbors (Rom. 12:15); humility (Rom. 12:16); peace with all men (Rom. 12:18-19)? In the final analysis, any context devoid of Christianity will reap far more consequences than benefits. Therefore, out of a love for neighbor, may all believers never grow weary in preserving and promoting their faith within the public square.

[1] Shadi Bartsch, Kirk Freudenburg, and Cedric Littlewood, eds., The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Nero (British Columbia: Cambridge University Press, 2017), 212-236.

[2] Wayne Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary (Nottingham: Inter-Varsity Press, 2009), 36.

[3] Tom Holland, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World (New York, NY: Basic Books, 2021), 101-103.

[4] Steven D. Smith, Pagans and Christians in the City: Culture Wars from the Tiber to the Potomac (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2021), 151-153.

[5]  Alan Kreider, The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2016), 11.

[6] Each of the examples cited in the bullet points are paraphrased from the content expounded in Norman R. Gulley, “The Public Square: Union of Church and State: What We Can Learn from History and Scripture,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 18, no. 1 (2017): pp. 35-63. The utilization of this reference is not intended to signify agreement with the argumentation therein, but rather, to provide a sample of how many historians view the negative ways in which Christianity has related to the public square throughout church history (i.e., the time between Jesus Christ’s first and second advents).

[7] Ligonier Ministries, The Heart of the Reformation: A 90 Day Devotional on the Five Solas (Sanford, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2021), 11-12.

[8] “Bible Gateway Passage: Romans 12 – New American Standard Bible 1995,” Bible Gateway, accessed November 16, 2022, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12&version=NASB1995.