Kent Brown, Brigham Young University emeritus professor of ancient scripture, in the October 1988 Ensign article “Whither the Early Church?” 1 Peter 1 Clement, writing some 30 years after Nero’s death, attributes the martyrdom of Peter and Paul to Nero’s persecution.” He, along with the Christian writer Clement of Rome, described what they had learned of the Christians’ horrible suffering. “Tacitus condemned Nero for this injustice. Nero himself placed the blame for the fire on the city’s Christians, a hated and misunderstood sect whom many considered to be apostate Jews. Because of this suspicious new fire and because Nero was reportedly delighted over the conflagration, Tacitus and Suetonius, two later Roman historians, accused Nero of starting the fire so that he could rebuild the crowded city according to a grander, more organized scheme.

The fire burned out of control for six days and seven nights, sweeping generally northward, then broke out afresh on the estate of Tigellinus, Nero’s close friend. “The outbreak of torture and murder under Nero stemmed from a fire that broke out in some shops in the southern part of the city. Though attacks on the Christians were limited to that city, its effects were felt throughout the entire Church. “The first serious governmental persecution of the Christians occurred in Rome in A.D. “Peter mentions no serious defections or schisms in that area, but clearly the Christians there were enduring local persecution, which Peter encourages them to bear (See 1 Peter 1:6-7 1 Peter 3:14 1 Peter 4:12-14). We know from 1 Peter 1:1 that the document was written to Church members in central and northern Asia Minor.

Babylon was a name that Christian writers often used for Rome, so Peter’s phrase likely refers to that city. 63 or 64, near the time of the persecution of Christians under Nero. “Peter wrote his first New Testament epistle ‘at Babylon’ ( 1 Peter 5:13) in A.D. This week’s “ Come, Follow Me” study guide covers 1 and 2 Peter, which includes the apostle Peter’s declaration that Church members are “a peculiar people” ( 1 Peter 2:9).Ĭhurch News recently searched the archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to learn what leaders and scholars have said about these chapters.

Clean hands and a pure heart bednar