On a warm summer day, July 19, A.D. 64, fire broke out in the poor quarters of Rome near the coliseum. In those days the streets of the city were narrow and were used primarily for foot traffic. Many buildings in that area had been built of wood, and in the dry heat of summer, they burned quickly. In only hours there was a conflagration unlike anything Rome had ever seen. The Temple of Luna was consumed along with the Shrine of Vesta. Hundreds, then thousands, of people became homeless.
When people tried to extinguish the blaze, they were forcibly restrained by the imperial soldiers, which led to the belief that Nero, who had a fixation with buildings which bore his name, was really responsible for the fire’s having been set. In the nearby Tower of Mycenius, Nero watched and gloated. For three days the city was ablaze with the inferno. In the evening as the sky glowed with the burning inferno, Nero played his fiddle with glee on the balcony of the Imperial Palace.
When a public outcry arose, Nero needed a scapegoat, and so, says history, the Christians of Rome became his perfect one. First of all, the growing Christian population wasn’t liked. Large number of Jews, whose success in the business world was resented, had converted to Christianity. Furthermore, dislike for Christians was fueled by rumors, such as the belief that Christians were really cannibals who ate flesh and drank blood in their religious rites that we know as communion today.
The madness of prejudice quickly turned into the fire of persecution, and people who had lived relatively peaceful lives suddenly were victims of malicious cruelty that they had never before known.
Within months the Apostle Peter, who had known something of prejudice and persecution himself, picked up a pen and wrote to help those who were suddenly confronted with pain and suffering. Peter wrote, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ..." (1 Peter 4:12,13).
Another version translates the phrase "painful trial" as "fiery ordeal". Literally, the word means "the process of burning". Men and women who were peaceful and law-abiding suddenly had become targets of hostility. The admission "Christianos sum", or "I am a Christian", made you a victim of hatred and violence.
What believers were going through then is still being repeated today. In the 1 Peter 4 passage, which you ought to become familiar with, Peter talks about two kinds of suffering. First, he says, "if you are insulted," which translates to emotional suffering, and then he says, "if you suffer as a Christian..." which translates to actual physical suffering.
Why should you be the brunt of unkind words or prejudice because of what you believe? There are times when your basic goodness is a prick to the conscience of an unbeliever. Don’t be surprised when this happens, is Peter’s advice. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first (John 15:18). Paul wrote, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12).
"Rejoice," says Peter, for you share in the suffering of Christ. Just make sure your suffering is not for wrong things you have done. - Resource reading: 1 Peter 4