Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1975

Constantine And The Cross
R. A. Hartmans

The church father Tertullian once wrote, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church". This teaching was proven true during one of the fiercest persecutions in the history of the Christian Church, which took place during the reign of Diocletian (284-305). As thousands lost their positions and properties and were exiled, and many others were tortured or killed, the Church increased in strength, not only in spirit, but also in number.

During a long period of time strong public opinion existed against the Christians and their way of life. Now, as the people witnessed the love and the bravery of the Christians, public hostility began to decrease. Pagans went as far as giving protection to the victims of the persecution. Others were so impressed by the Christians' witness that they too became believers.

In 311, during the reign of Galerius, the persecutions came to an end. Soon after, circumstances would elevate the Christian faith to becoming the leading religion of the Roman Empire.

A key figure in this dramatic turn of events was Constantine the Great. His father was one of the rulers of the Empire, and, after his father's death, Constantine received his position. The turning point came at the time of Constantine's invasion of Italy to deal with a rival to power, Maxentius.

As told by the royal biographer, Bishop Eusebius, in the afternoon before taking on his enemy, Lord Jesus Christ, but by his Constantine had a vision. A blazing cross appeared in the sky, and it was surrounded by the words, "In this sign conquer". During the following night Constantine received a confirmation of his vision in a dream. A voice commanded him to have the shields of all his soldiers inscribed with an emblem before they entered into battle. The emblem was to be an "X" with a vertical bar through it, the top of which was to be curled to the right. Thus it represented the Greek initials for the name Jesus Christ.

The battle took place on October 27, 312, at the Mulvian Bridge near Rome. As his army fought under the sign of the Lord Jesus Christ, Constantine forced the army into retreat,. Together with thousands of his troops, Maxentius drowned in the river Tiber. Soon after, Constantine entered Rome as the undisputed ruler Western part of the Roman Empire.

During the next year Constantine met with Licinius, ruler of the Eastern part of the Empire. Together they issued the Edict of Milan which assured toleration for the Christian Church among other religions. The Emperors also ordered the return of property which had been taken from Christians during the previous persecution.

It has been argued that Constantine's toleration of the Christian Church was motivated, not in the first place by faith in the political goal of bringing unity to the Roman Empire. His toleration of the many other religions as well as the atrocities which he committed in dealing with a number of the members of his family appear to support this argument.

During the first part of his reign the Emperor showed himself often as a politician first and only next as a believer. He continued to support the cult of emperor worship. He allowed the restoration of pagan temples, and, when he dedicated his new capital, Constantinople, he used both pagan and Christian rites.

His family life was not above reproach either. Twice married, he had a son, Crispus, by his first wife, Minerva, and three sons and three daughters by his second wife, Fausta. In 326 he ordered the execution of Crispus, and soon afterwards he had his nephew Licinianus put to death. Next he had Fausta slain. It is unclear what moved Constantine to these terrible murders, though immorality and deceit within the family seem to have been part of the reason. As he grew older, the memory of his violence would become a heavy burden.

Notwithstanding the Emperor's inexcusable behaviour, the Church continued to have high regard for him. He promoted the Christian cause throughout the Empire and he protected her against her enemies within and without.

Christian bishops were given authority to be judges within their own dioceses. Church property was exempted from taxation. The Emperor made donations to needy churches, and he built many new churches throughout the Empire. In his new capital he forbade the worship of images. Last but not least, he gave his sons a Christian education.

As the church enjoyed the benefit of religious freedom, she became internally weakened through immorality and division. Her immorality gave rise to the monastic movement. People began to withdraw into seclusion in protest against the worldliness of some believers.

In 318, an Egyptian priest by the name of Arius started a theological controversy which would upset the peace of the church for many years. He argued that Christ was similar to God (homoiousia) and not of the same substance as God (homoousia). The issue set Christians up in arms against one another. The unity of the Church became endangered, and indeed the internal order of the Empire.

Having become alarmed, the Emperor called the first ecumenical church council. In 325, churches from allover the Empire sent 318 bishops to the city of Nicea. Constantine himself presided over the council. In the end Arius' views were defeated. Almost unanimously the council issued the statement which became the basis of the "Nicene Creed".

As Constantine immersed himself in the problems of the Church his faith actually seems to have grown. The co-emperor, Licinius continued the support of paganism in his territory. Constantine, however, became more overt in his support of the Church. After he had defeated Licinius and he had become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, he declared himself a Christian. Thus Constantine became the first Christian Roman Emperor.

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