The Early Church Fathers’ View on Suffering

The Early Church in Tribulation

　　From its inception, Christianity faced oppression and tribulation of varying degrees. After the Roman Emperor Nero (37-68 AD) set fire to Rome and put the blame on the Christians, the Church became an outlawed organization under the Roman Empire. At that time, merely having faith in Christ was sufficient grounds for a death sentence. In the early second century, the governor Pliny the Younger (61-113 AD) wrote to Emperor Trajan (53-117 AD) for guidance on how to deal with Christians, saying, “For the moment this is the line I have taken with all persons brought before me on the charge of being Christians. I have asked them in person if they are Christians, and if they admit it, I repeat the question a second and third time, with a warning of the punishment awaiting them. If they persist, I order them to be led away for execution.” ¹ Trajan responded, affirming that Pliny “had followed the right course of procedure,” while cautioning him: “in the case of anyone who denies that he is a Christian … make it clear that he is not by worshipping our gods.” ²

　　For over two centuries before Emperor Constantine the Great (272-337 AD) issued the Edictum Mediolanense in 313 AD, Christians endured countless brutal persecutions. Some were crucified en masse, burned, or torn apart by lions in the arena. Even children were clad in animal skins and devoured by rabid dogs. Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) incited mobs to attack the Church. During his reign, Christians “endured every kind of disgrace that frenzied mobs habitually inflicted upon their enemies and adversaries.” ³ Emperor Decius (201-252 AD) demanded that all citizens must “offer sacrifices, pour libations, and partake of the sacrificial meat” to the Roman gods as proof of their allegiance, threatening torture for those who refused. ⁴ Emperor Diocletian (245-311 AD) went further, ordering churches to be “leveled to the ground and the Scriptures burned.” To subdue Christians who feared no death, he “imprisoned church leaders throughout the empire and employed every means to force them to sacrifice,” aiming to shatter the faith of the Christian community. ⁵

Exhortations from the Early Church Fathers

　　It is evident from the extant writings of the early Church Fathers that the early Church, enduring prolonged brutal persecution and suffering, did not give rise to bitterness, resentment, or despair. On the contrary, believers consistently confronted adversity from a spiritual perspective, placing their trust in Christ and looking forward to future glory. The teachings of these Fathers regarding tribulation and suffering can be summarized in the following three exhortations:

1. The Lord is present in tribulation, bringing comfort to suffering saints: as the presbyter Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170-235 AD) stated, persecution and tribulation stem from the Antichrist’s assault upon the saints, yet believers may look to “the Lord appearing from heaven.” ⁶ This manifestation enables the saints to turn adversity into victory—either gaining strength to endure suffering or beholding the Lord’s face after martyrdom.
2. Death is not the end of life, but a beautiful moment of temporary rest: Tertullian (c. 155-220 AD) explained Matthew 6:6, noting that “your room” symbolizes the grave, where those who depart during the fierce final assault of the Antichrist may rest for a time. ⁷ Therefore, saints need not fear suffering or death; departing to be with the Lord is something to be longed for.
3. The saints who endure to the end in tribulation shall receive the crown of glory: Irenaeus (c. 125-202 AD), interpreting the great tribulation described in Matthew 24:21, explicitly states, “This is the final trial of the righteous, and those who overcome shall receive the crown of immortality.” ⁸ Therefore, what saints should fear is not tribulation itself, but rather any weakening or falling away in their faith due to persecution, causing them to lose their portion of heavenly blessings.

　　According to this understanding, saints can face all kinds of persecution and tribulations with joyful hearts, as stated in the Apostolic Father’s work Pastor Hermae: “Happy are you who endure the great tribulation that is at hand.” ⁹ They valued the eternal spiritual life in heaven far more than the fleeting physical life on earth. This principle is what they learned from the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

　　Today, the world is filled with suffering. There are afflictions that we endure clearly for the sake of faith, and in such cases, the teachings of the Church Fathers offer believers fitting encouragement. Yet, for some cases of suffering, it is harder to discern the meaning. Internationally, wars claim countless lives and leave countless displaced; locally, human-made disasters tear families apart and lay waste to homes. These sufferings are real and cause deep lamentation. Nevertheless, the early Church Fathers reminded believers: do not fix your eyes solely on this fleeting world; instead, gaze with spiritual vision toward the eternal future, believing that tribulations are but temporary trials, and Christ is our ever-present help. Physical suffering, even death, need not be dreaded. By persevering to the end amid tribulations, one will receive the heavenly reward of glory.

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¹ Pliny the Younger, Epistulae 10.96.
² Pliny the Younger, Epistulae 10.97.
³ Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 5.1.
⁴ George Milligan, Greek Papyri (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912), no. 48.
⁵ Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 8.2.
⁶ Hippolytus, Commentariorum in Danielem 2.7.
⁷ Tertullian, De Carne Christi 4.27.
⁸ Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses 5.29.1.
⁹ Pastor Hermae, vision 2.2.