PERSECUTION IN THE EARLY CHURCH AND ITS THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CHRISTIANS MISSION IN NIGERIA

The experience of Christians in the first few centuries of the Christian church was characterized by great persecutions. The Roman government‘s attitude to the early church may be understood as a continuum: there was a measure of toleration or indifference at first, but then the distinctiveness of Christian worship and loyalty soon put the Christians on a collision course with the Roman authorities. Christianity was declared by the Romans as religio illicita, which implies that the Christian religion was illegal. Violence against Christian communities in Nigeria, often described as persecution or a progressive genocide in various reports, has significant and wide-ranging effects on the Church. These impacts span physical, psychological, social, and functional dimensions, challenging the existence and practices of Christian communities, particularly in the North and Middle Belt regions. Contemporary Christians may benefit a great deal from the early church‘s response to persecution. They may learn the lessons of the power of non-violent action, suffering for Christ and unfeigned love in the face of persecution. Persecution may indeed be a painful experience but it helps to purify the church and emboldens her to carry out its mission.