Dark Ages (600-1500 AD)

March 6th, 2025
by Jon Holaday

I now approach a new era of martyrs of the church. Just as faithful, yet now the persecuted became the persecutors against these courageous Christians. It was the secular Romans that killed Christians for sport, but now its religious popes and the Holy Catholic Church leadership that would take this torch. Jesus said, "all men will know you are My disciples by your love for each other." Not sure why these leaders missed that.
The Roman emperor Theodosius in 392 established policy to stomp out all paganism. Patrick would take the gospel to Ireland, Scottish monks evangelized England, Irish monks returned to Europe as missionaries to propagate the gospel of Christ. All seemed great for Christs kingdom now? The bishop of Rome became the church leader and often ruled over the monarchs of Europe. The 1st pope was not Peter, but was Leo I in 440. They would have some good ones, but mostly evil men arose with blood thirst power ambitions. They would take up where the pharisees left off many centuries ago.
The church was never meant to rule over kingdoms this side of Christs coming, nor were kingdoms to rule over the church. Both governments and the church are Gods ordained vessels, separate of each other but respective of each other under submission to God.
The time of the inquisitions, 1232, would bring a new found drive to kill Christs faithful witnesses! We will get to him later but men like John Wycliffe would be rejected by the catholic church for simply questioning church doctrine, teaching the Bible is the sole authority of God, & translation of the 1st English New testament.
Today, briefly on Patrick (known today as st. Patrick) which brought the gospel to Ireland in the 5th century. He had this dream of babies crying out for him to come to Ireland to proclaim the gospel, and thus history was made! He at this time had the full backing of Rome, little to no persecution, and would die a natural death. So why is he on here? Again, a martyr just means faithful servant unto Christ and how one dies doesn't make him or her a martyr, it solidifies what they already are! There is no question who a faithful Christian belongs to when he or she passes this life to eternity. No purgatory, no changing after the fact, just solidifies your decision you made while you were living. Patrick was not even Irish! He reached out to a people who wasn't his people but belonged to God. We must reach our homes for Christ yet we must reach out to the world also! How have you come to reconcile the Great Commission of Christ?