WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Suspicious of the loyalty of Christians to the Roman state, Diocletian started persecuting them. He demanded that all Christian soldiers resign from the Roman army. He forbade gatherings for Christian worship and ordered the destruction of churches and sacred writings.

Detailed explanation-2: -Christians were often given opportunities to avoid further punishment by publicly offering sacrifices or burning incense to Roman gods, and were accused by the Romans of impiety when they refused. Refusal was punished by arrest, imprisonment, torture, and executions.

Detailed explanation-3: -Persecution included instances of intimidation, disinformation, stereotyping, legal threats, and attacks on places of worship.

Detailed explanation-4: -Three alternative responses to persecution or the threat of persecution can be discerned in Scripture: Avoiding, resisting, and enduring for those affected, and mandatory solidarity for the rest of the body of Christ.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Romans persecuted the Christians in part because the government saw the rapid growth of Christianity as a threat to that economic utility.