Marcus Aurelius: Awed by the Supremacy of Christ

by | Posted April 26th at 8:08am

Studying history I came upon: The Epistle of Marcus Aurelius to the Senate, in Which He Testifies that the Christians Were the Cause of His Victory. I have noticed reading the works of Aurelius over the years an absolute belief moment by moment that nothing occurs without the intervention of God, which he refers often as Divine Providence. It makes sense that he went down in history as one the most revered Caesars of Rome. Here is a quote emphasizing his faith reckoning that there is a divine cause working the ordering of life:

There are three types of relationships: the one to the body which surrounds you; the second to the divine cause from which all things come to all; and the third to those who live with you. ¹

Another longer quote from The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius reveals his understanding of the power of the Spirit to govern all events in life:

All things are implicated with one another, and the bond is holy; there is hardly anything unconnected with any other things. For things have been coordinated, and they combine to make up the same universe. For there is one universe made up of all things, and one God who pervades all things, and one substance, and one law, and one reason. ²

Aurelius recounts being in need of divine assistance and notes the faith of Christians to which he turns as they pray:

The Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Germanicus, Parthicus, Sarmaticus, to the People of Rome, and to the sacred Senate greeting: I explained to you my grand design, and what advantages I gained on the confines of Germany, with much labour and suffering, in consequence of the circumstance that I was surrounded by the enemy; I myself being shut up in Carnuntum by seventy-four cohorts, nine miles off.

And the enemy being at hand, the scouts pointed out to us, and our general Pompeianus showed us that there was close on us a mass of a mixed multitude of, men, which indeed we saw; and I was shut up by this vast host, having with me only a battalion composed of the first, tenth, double and marine legions. Having then examined my own position, and my host, with respect to the vast mass of barbarians and of the enemy, I quickly betook myself to prayer to the gods of my country. But being disregarded by them, I summoned those who among us go by the name of Christians.

And having made inquiry, I discovered a great number and vast host of them, and raged against them, which was by no means becoming; for afterwards I learned their power. Wherefore they began the battle, not by preparing weapons, nor arms, nor bugles; for such preparation is hateful to them, on account of the God they bear about in their conscience. Therefore it is probable that those whom we suppose to be atheists, have God as their ruling power entrenched in their conscience. For having cast themselves on the ground, they prayed not only for me but also for the whole army as it stood, that they might be delivered from the present thirst and famine. ³

Notice how Marcus Aurelius emphasizes the majesty of the Christian’s God:

For during five days we had got no water because there was none; for we were in the heart of Germany and in the enemy’s territory.

And simultaneously with their casting themselves on the ground, and praying to God (a God of whom I am ignorant), water poured from heaven, upon us most refreshingly cool, but upon the enemies of Rome a withering hail. And immediately we recognized the presence of God following on the prayer — a God unconquerable and indestructible. ⁴

Here Aurelius notes that no one is to take the Christian’s God for granted or despise Him for fear of retribution: “Founding upon this, then, let us pardon such as are Christians, lest they pray for and obtain such a weapon against ourselves. And I counsel that no such person be accused on the ground of his being a Christian”. Further, he legislates a law in the Senate on the behalf of Christians to protect them, honours their God and the individual’s conscience in the freedom to worship Him freely — the beginning of the legislation of Religious Liberty handed down to the best democratic nations:

But if anyone be found laying to the charge of a Christian that he is a Christian, I desire that it be made manifest that he who is accused as a Christian, and acknowledges that he is one, is accused of nothing else than only this, that he is a Christian; but that he who arraigns him be burned alive. And I further desire, that he who is entrusted with the government of the province shall not compel the Christian, who confesses and certifies such a matter, to retract; neither shall he commit him. And I desire that these things be confirmed by a decree of the Senate. ⁵ 

Further text is excerpted from the History recorded by Justin Martyr indicating that an edict goes out to enact the above legislation:

And I command this my edict to be published in the Forum of Trajan, in order that it may be read. The perfect Vitrasius Pollio will see that it be transmitted to all the provinces round about and that no one who wishes to make use of or to possess it to be hindered from obtaining a copy from the document I now publish. ₆

¹ Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

² Ibid

³  Justin Martyr, History. Text emphasis by myself.

⁴ Ibid

⁵ Ibid

⁶ Ibid

Article posted by Glen R. Jackman, founder of GraceProclaimed.org

Glen has optimized his eldership role to teach the full scope of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ without boundaries.
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