He merged them into an
Empire that lasted for centuries
00:00:44.97\00:00:50.91
This is historic, a story
of romance, intrigue, power,
00:01:02.99\00:01:09.53
and conquest.
00:01:09.56\00:01:10.90
This is the town of Nis,
right in the heart of Serbia.
00:01:21.64\00:01:26.75
and it's a very old town.
In ancient times the Romans
00:01:26.78\00:01:31.89
called it Naissus and it was
right here some 1700 years ago
00:01:31.92\00:01:36.93
that a baby was born
under a cloud of illegitimacy
00:01:36.96\00:01:40.80
to a very humble and
insignificant village girl.
00:01:40.83\00:01:44.17
And that baby would grow up
to rule an empire and completely
00:01:44.20\00:01:49.20
transform the world.
00:01:49.24\00:01:51.07
And this is the
ancient land of Israel
00:01:51.11\00:01:54.48
2,500 kilometers away where
another even better-known baby
00:01:54.51\00:02:00.42
was born some 2,000 years ago
to another humble village girl.
00:02:00.45\00:02:05.45
and that baby also grew up
to completely change the planet
00:02:05.49\00:02:10.46
undeniably to an extent
unmatched by any other child in
00:02:10.49\00:02:16.97
history. In this series,
we'll be looking at these two
00:02:17.00\00:02:21.14
incredible men men in whose
shadow we still live today.
00:02:21.17\00:02:23.94
Their fingerprints are
all over the world. In fact,
00:02:23.97\00:02:28.14
they've shaped the way
we live, the way we think,
00:02:28.18\00:02:31.41
and the way we believe.
00:02:31.45\00:02:33.48
This is their story. It's a
story of how their lives were
00:02:33.52\00:02:38.29
destined to cross and
come together in an explosive
00:02:38.32\00:02:41.96
clash of empires. Empires
that span the ages and know
00:02:41.99\00:02:46.59
no boundaries. This clash
of empires still reverberates
00:02:46.63\00:02:51.70
around our world today.
00:02:51.73\00:02:53.60
Let's start with the
first of these powerful men.
00:03:16.29\00:03:19.76
You may have heard his name
though you might not know much
00:03:19.79\00:03:22.93
about why he matters.
His name was Constantine,
00:03:22.96\00:03:27.50
Constantine the Great.
00:03:27.54\00:03:30.31
In the year A.D. 271 a
tired Roman military tribune
00:03:30.34\00:03:36.01
Flavius Claudius Constantinus
led his men back from fighting
00:03:36.04\00:03:40.25
against the Sarmatia's,
a large confederation of
00:03:40.28\00:03:43.49
ancient Persians that had been
slowly making their way westward
00:03:43.52\00:03:47.66
for several centuries.
00:03:47.69\00:03:49.02
Eventually with the help of
Germanic tribes like the Goths
00:03:49.06\00:03:53.06
they started pushing into
Roman territory, something the
00:03:53.09\00:03:57.53
Roman Empire couldn't allow.
00:03:57.57\00:04:00.37
Constantinus was a great Roman
commander and he had defeated
00:04:00.40\00:04:05.34
the enemy decisively and on his
way back he traveled the road
00:04:05.37\00:04:10.35
that brought him through
Naissus, present-day Nis,
00:04:10.38\00:04:13.18
one of the oldest cities in
the Balkins. It's often called
00:04:13.21\00:04:17.79
the Gate of East and West
because it's located at the
00:04:17.82\00:04:21.39
crossing of important
roads that connect Europe with
00:04:21.42\00:04:24.59
the Middle East and Asia.
00:04:24.63\00:04:26.66
It was the crossroads
between the east and the west
00:04:26.70\00:04:30.57
and was an ideal place to
rest at least for a night.
00:04:30.60\00:04:34.94
And back then when Constantinus
stopped for the night
00:04:34.97\00:04:39.34
it was already a thriving center
with numerous houses, buildings
00:04:39.37\00:04:43.75
and crucially and Inn. And
this Inn becomes very important
00:04:43.78\00:04:49.02
to our story. You see
rank and file soldiers probably
00:04:49.05\00:04:53.72
spent the night in a
field next to the village
00:04:53.76\00:04:55.86
but not an important officer
like Constantinus, oh no,
00:04:55.89\00:05:00.86
he secured lodgings at that
local Inn, probably the best one
00:05:00.90\00:05:04.93
in town. There he could get
a meal, a good night's sleep,
00:05:04.97\00:05:09.60
and something else that soldiers
sometimes look for when they
00:05:09.64\00:05:13.51
are in town, a little
company for the evening.
00:05:13.54\00:05:16.88
According to the story,
Constantine asked the local
00:05:16.91\00:05:21.95
Innkeeper to find a
female companion for the night,
00:05:21.98\00:05:25.49
now that might not
be an unusual request
00:05:25.52\00:05:28.96
but how the Innkeeper
responded was highly unusual.
00:05:28.99\00:05:33.70
The Innkeeper must have
certainly been impressed
00:05:33.73\00:05:37.87
by Tribune Constantinus Flavio's
because he did the unthinkable,
00:05:37.90\00:05:43.74
he sent for his
16-year-old virgin daughter
00:05:43.77\00:05:47.61
her name was Helena.
00:05:47.64\00:05:50.31
While he was sleeping
later that night Constantinus
00:05:50.35\00:05:54.48
experienced a guilty conscience
about what he had done.
00:05:54.52\00:05:58.19
His bad dreams that night
made him fear that he'd offended
00:05:58.22\00:06:02.69
the gods because of what
he'd done with young Helena.
00:06:02.72\00:06:06.09
And so early the next
morning he quickly packed up
00:06:06.13\00:06:10.33
and wasted no time in leaving
town and returning to his men.
00:06:10.37\00:06:15.00
But just before he
left, as if to make amends
00:06:15.04\00:06:19.04
he gave the Innkeeper
his purple officers cape
00:06:19.07\00:06:23.08
which had a buckle
with his initials on it.
00:06:23.11\00:06:25.75
And he told him to keep his
daughter safe and that if she
00:06:25.78\00:06:29.75
bore a child, to protect that
child as the apple of his eye.
00:06:29.78\00:06:34.62
And then Constantinus turned
and left, probably thinking
00:06:34.66\00:06:39.69
that he would never
see the young woman again.
00:06:39.73\00:06:42.20
But what Constantinus didn't
know was that 16-year-old Helena
00:06:42.23\00:06:47.40
was in fact pregnant. In due
course, she gave birth to a son
00:06:47.44\00:06:52.67
who she named Constantine which
means, little Constantinus.
00:06:52.71\00:06:57.65
However, his father had no
idea little Constantine existed
00:06:57.68\00:07:03.08
and we don't know whether
the boy knew who his father was
00:07:03.12\00:07:06.76
either.
00:07:06.79\00:07:08.16
While Constantine the
peasant boy was growing up in
00:07:08.19\00:07:11.99
sleepy Naissus, his father's
life was taking a turn for the
00:07:12.03\00:07:15.93
better. Constantinus now 33
years old was summoned by the
00:07:15.96\00:07:21.07
Roman emperor Carus and
told that he was to be appointed
00:07:21.10\00:07:24.94
the governor of Dalmatia, a
region located in Modern Day
00:07:24.97\00:07:29.51
Croatia. This was a huge
promotion for Constantinus
00:07:29.54\00:07:34.15
because Dalmatia was
a key Roman territory.
00:07:34.18\00:07:37.85
Through it, the empire
controlled the flow of trade
00:07:37.89\00:07:41.59
between east and west.
00:07:41.62\00:07:43.02
To be governor was
an appointment where
00:07:43.06\00:07:46.39
you could easily get
rich, it meant that Constantia's
00:07:46.43\00:07:50.23
was on the way
up and going places.
00:07:50.27\00:07:53.37
This could have been it
for Helena and Constantine,
00:07:53.40\00:07:56.71
a peasant mother and her child.
People like them had no way
00:07:56.74\00:08:01.64
of contacting the elite of Roman
society is like Constantia's.
00:08:01.68\00:08:05.91
There was a vast social gulf
between them that couldn't be
00:08:05.95\00:08:10.39
bridged. But when
Constantine was nine years old
00:08:10.42\00:08:14.76
something happened that
changed the course of history.
00:08:14.79\00:08:18.43
It was chance, or maybe it
wasn't. A group of Roman Calvary
00:08:18.46\00:08:24.20
stopped to spend the
night at that same Village Inn
00:08:24.23\00:08:27.54
at Naissus and in the morning
when they came out to the barn
00:08:27.57\00:08:32.34
they found young
Constantine teasing their horses
00:08:32.37\00:08:35.81
they were so angry at
this audacious peasant boy
00:08:35.84\00:08:39.71
that they started to beat him.
His mother now in her mid-20's
00:08:39.75\00:08:44.55
heard the commotion and
came rushing out of the house
00:08:44.59\00:08:48.26
and into the barn
yelling at the soldiers STOP IT!
00:08:48.29\00:08:52.26
don't you know who this is?
He's the son of the governor.
00:08:52.29\00:08:56.46
The soldiers looked
at her stunned and then
00:08:56.50\00:09:00.30
started laughing. How could this
peasant woman's son belong to
00:09:00.34\00:09:04.61
the Roman Governor? Do you
take us for fools they said?
00:09:04.64\00:09:09.48
She replied with, I swear
by the gods that I am telling
00:09:09.51\00:09:13.78
the truth and then
she told them the story.
00:09:13.82\00:09:16.65
When she had finished to prove
it she ran back to the house
00:09:16.69\00:09:20.92
and brought back the
officers cape that Constantinus
00:09:20.96\00:09:24.73
had given her
all those years ago.
00:09:24.76\00:09:27.03
Imagine the panic men
must have felt when they saw
00:09:27.06\00:09:31.00
the governor's
initials on the buckle.
00:09:31.03\00:09:33.07
They had indeed been
beating the governor's son.
00:09:33.10\00:09:37.04
However instead of
keeping quiet about it,
00:09:37.07\00:09:40.44
the soldiers did the
right thing, they went and told
00:09:40.48\00:09:44.15
the governor that he had a
son in the village of Naissus
00:09:44.18\00:09:47.32
and they told him that
the boy was the spitting image
00:09:47.35\00:09:50.49
of his father.
00:09:50.52\00:09:52.29
Well, the governor could have
been annoyed or he could have
00:09:52.32\00:09:55.69
been delighted, in fact, he
was delighted and he sent for
00:09:55.72\00:10:00.43
Helena and for his son.
Helena now was 26 years old
00:10:00.46\00:10:04.80
and she and the boy were
welcomed into the home of
00:10:04.83\00:10:07.74
the governor with open arms.
00:10:07.77\00:10:10.21
This must have been a
huge culture shock for this
00:10:10.24\00:10:13.71
woman and son
from the small village.
00:10:13.74\00:10:15.68
They only knew the small
world and hard life of Naissus
00:10:15.71\00:10:20.15
and now, they were in a palace
with marble columns, gardens
00:10:20.18\00:10:25.29
and luxurious baths. They had
landed in the highest circles
00:10:25.32\00:10:30.23
of Roman society.
00:10:30.26\00:10:33.16
Flavio's Constantinus even
found Helena attractive enough
00:10:33.19\00:10:37.27
to consider marrying her.
However Roman law didn't allow
00:10:37.30\00:10:42.00
Constantinus to marry a
peasant woman as his full wife
00:10:42.04\00:10:45.37
the social divide was simply
too great. But the law allowed
00:10:45.41\00:10:50.71
for a lesser form of marriage
called matrimonium concubinato.
00:10:50.75\00:10:55.12
This kind of marriage also gave
his son the full legal rights
00:10:55.15\00:10:59.89
due to a son, particularly
the rights of inheritance
00:10:59.92\00:11:04.23
so that's what Constantinus did.
00:11:04.26\00:11:06.33
Constantinus also decided
that his new family needed to
00:11:06.36\00:11:10.93
come up to standard in
certain areas like education,
00:11:10.97\00:11:14.54
they were illiterate and could
only speak the local language
00:11:14.57\00:11:18.61
and no Latin or Greek. So
Constantinus quickly appointed
00:11:18.64\00:11:23.88
tutors to start the work
of teaching them both to read
00:11:23.91\00:11:27.52
and write. They both
progressed in their studies,
00:11:27.55\00:11:30.85
the boy Constantine in
particular took quickly to
00:11:30.89\00:11:34.82
education and well he might,
because he grew up to become
00:11:34.86\00:11:39.33
emperor and receive the
name Constantine the Great.
00:11:39.36\00:11:44.60
His ideas and bold
decisions shaped and transformed
00:11:44.63\00:11:48.84
the world forever be
making him a true Game Changer.
00:11:48.87\00:11:53.91
Although the duties and
responsibilities as Emperor
00:11:53.94\00:11:59.65
took him away Constantine
never forgot his hometown.
00:11:59.68\00:12:03.99
During his reign Naissus
developed into a cultural
00:12:04.02\00:12:08.56
economic and military
center based around a luxurious
00:12:08.59\00:12:12.36
Roman Palace decorated
with magnificent mosaics and
00:12:12.39\00:12:16.63
monuments. He often
resided here and attended
00:12:16.67\00:12:20.17
to state affairs
including the passing of several
00:12:20.20\00:12:23.57
important laws. The Imperial
Residence was also used by
00:12:23.61\00:12:27.98
Constantine and six later Roman
Emperors as a place of rest
00:12:28.01\00:12:31.95
along their long
journeys across the empire
00:12:31.98\00:12:34.48
and also as a place of solitude
during preparations for war.
00:12:34.52\00:12:39.25
Today it's called Mediana
and is one of most important
00:12:39.29\00:12:44.33
archaeological
sites in the region.
00:12:44.36\00:12:46.59
It's covered by a great awning
to help preserve and protect it
00:12:46.63\00:12:51.13
archaeologists
continue to meticulously uncover
00:12:51.17\00:12:54.67
its treasures and
bring it to life once again.
00:12:54.70\00:12:57.91
Remember I said we were going
to talk about two of the most
00:12:57.94\00:13:02.31
important men in all of history?
Well, I'd like to consider now
00:13:02.34\00:13:06.48
the other one who was to
become even more important
00:13:06.51\00:13:10.09
in shaping our civilization
than Constantine himself.
00:13:10.12\00:13:14.29
I'd like to start the
very center of Imperial Power
00:13:14.32\00:13:19.29
Rome itself. This
is Ponte Fabricius.
00:13:19.33\00:13:24.80
It's a bridge that connects
two parts of the city of Rome
00:13:24.83\00:13:28.24
over the Tiber River, it's
probably the oldest structure
00:13:28.27\00:13:32.57
in the neighborhood because
it was built some 60 years
00:13:32.61\00:13:36.21
before the
birth of Jesus Christ.
00:13:36.24\00:13:38.61
The fascinating thing about
this bridge is that it's been in
00:13:38.65\00:13:42.88
continuous use since it
was built until this very day.
00:13:42.92\00:13:47.26
It's a remarkable
example of Roman engineering.
00:13:47.29\00:13:51.49
You see, the Romans were
builders, they built an entire
00:13:51.53\00:13:57.27
international infrastructure
of roads, bridges, aqueducts
00:13:57.30\00:14:01.80
and so on. And all of
this helped to weld together
00:14:01.84\00:14:04.97
the massive empire
that they had built.
00:14:05.01\00:14:07.98
This empire consisted of
hundreds of different cultures
00:14:08.01\00:14:12.31
and nationalities, there were
Jews to the east, Barbarians
00:14:12.35\00:14:16.38
to the north and the ancient
civilization of Greece, Persia
00:14:16.42\00:14:20.99
and North Africa all in
one empire that was remarkably
00:14:21.02\00:14:25.56
stable and peaceful.
00:14:25.59\00:14:26.93
Outside of the Roman Empire
there was always the threat
00:14:26.96\00:14:31.37
of some invader or another.
00:14:31.40\00:14:33.10
But within the boundaries of the
empire, it was generally safe
00:14:33.13\00:14:37.37
and a pretty good place to live.
00:14:37.41\00:14:39.54
That's if you put aside
the brutality of the Romans
00:14:39.57\00:14:42.41
and the slavery and all
of that. But that's the price
00:14:42.44\00:14:45.98
you pay for the Pax
Romana, the Roman peace.
00:14:46.01\00:14:49.88
In return, from Northern Europe
to North Africa and from Spain
00:14:49.92\00:14:55.69
to the far reaches of the Middle
East, people could count on
00:14:55.72\00:14:59.19
Roman water, Roman
Roads, and Roman Law.
00:14:59.23\00:15:03.63
And compared to most of
the societies of the time
00:15:03.67\00:15:07.20
Rome was remarkably
tolerant in matters of religion
00:15:07.24\00:15:10.91
people had almost total freedom
as to what god they worshiped
00:15:10.94\00:15:15.81
and how. One of the
reasons why this vast amalgam
00:15:15.84\00:15:19.81
of cultures worked well
for so long was that the Romans
00:15:19.85\00:15:24.09
had a larger than life
person at the top and that was
00:15:24.12\00:15:28.19
the Emperor. As long
as you respected him,
00:15:28.22\00:15:31.79
all would be well, in fact
you could worship whatever god
00:15:31.83\00:15:36.43
you pleased as long as you
also respected the deity of the
00:15:36.46\00:15:40.87
emperor. Now of course
people knew that the emperor
00:15:40.90\00:15:45.57
wasn't really a god,
but that wasn't the point.
00:15:45.61\00:15:48.64
The point was that he
represented the authority
00:15:48.68\00:15:53.15
of Rome. It wasn't
really a big deal for the people
00:15:53.18\00:15:57.12
of that time. Usually all
they had to do was offer a tiny
00:15:57.15\00:16:02.09
pinch of incense to the emperor
once in a while on special days
00:16:02.12\00:16:05.99
like his birthday and then
you could go back to your normal
00:16:06.03\00:16:10.07
life. But the Jews were an
exception they refused to offer
00:16:10.10\00:16:16.24
their worship because their
Holy Book forbade Idolatry.
00:16:16.27\00:16:20.38
And they were the only people
in the whole empire who actually
00:16:20.41\00:16:25.18
were exempt from
offering incense to the emperor.
00:16:25.21\00:16:28.08
That's because the Jews
have been very helpful to
00:16:28.12\00:16:31.95
Julius Caesar in the past
and in return, he passed laws
00:16:31.99\00:16:36.36
that excused them from
sacrificing them to the emperor
00:16:36.39\00:16:39.89
forever. As long as they did
one thing and that was to pray
00:16:39.93\00:16:44.50
for the emperor.
00:16:44.53\00:16:45.87
But then there was another
group of people, the Christians.
00:16:45.90\00:16:50.44
At first glance the
Christians and the Jews
00:16:50.47\00:16:54.08
didn't seem that different,
in fact, for a while people saw
00:16:54.11\00:16:59.18
Christianity as just one of
the various sects of Judaism.
00:16:59.21\00:17:03.25
But the Romans soon found
out that with the Christians
00:17:03.28\00:17:07.49
they were dealing with a
whole new kettle of fish.
00:17:07.52\00:17:10.66
And it was one they couldn't
get their heads around at all.
00:17:10.69\00:17:14.96
You see, you have to try
to understand Christianity
00:17:15.00\00:17:18.43
from the Romans point of view.
The Romans had no problem with
00:17:18.47\00:17:22.44
all the different
religions of the empire,
00:17:22.47\00:17:24.64
to them it was all
very logical to understand.
00:17:24.67\00:17:28.78
Each race or country had their
own religion, the Romans had
00:17:28.81\00:17:33.75
their own national religion,
and so did the Egyptians
00:17:33.78\00:17:36.89
and the Greeks and so on.
00:17:36.92\00:17:38.52
So they could understand that
the Jews had their religion.
00:17:38.55\00:17:43.36
These were all legitimate
religions because they were
00:17:43.39\00:17:46.93
all ancient beliefs that
belonged to a specific culture.
00:17:46.96\00:17:50.57
It was all neat
and easy to understand.
00:17:50.60\00:17:54.34
The words the Romans gave
to these legitimate religions
00:17:54.37\00:17:58.57
was Religio. Now the word
sounds familiar because that's
00:17:58.61\00:18:04.08
where we get the
English word Religion from.
00:18:04.11\00:18:06.95
But Christianity was very
different, it had just burst
00:18:06.98\00:18:12.45
on the scene seemingly
out of nowhere early in the
00:18:12.49\00:18:15.82
first century. It was a
faith that didn't belong to any
00:18:15.86\00:18:19.53
specific country or race.
00:18:19.56\00:18:21.36
People everywhere embraced
it, it knew no boundaries.
00:18:21.40\00:18:25.03
And the Romans were
deeply suspicious of anything
00:18:25.07\00:18:28.84
that wasn't part of the
established order like that.
00:18:28.87\00:18:31.77
And because it wasn't
rooted in ancient traditions and
00:18:31.81\00:18:35.68
practices, it was filled
with what the Romans considered
00:18:35.71\00:18:39.45
foolish ideas.
00:18:39.48\00:18:41.05
It's leader had been executed
and the Romans thought that
00:18:41.08\00:18:45.22
anyone who had made a
hero out of a man who had been
00:18:45.25\00:18:47.76
crucified by Roman
law, let alone call Him God
00:18:47.79\00:18:51.36
had to be both a
lunatic and a traitor.
00:18:51.39\00:18:54.46
But the Christians didn't
stop there, they went on to say
00:18:54.50\00:18:59.23
that their leader
had risen from the dead.
00:18:59.27\00:19:01.87
Now the Romans
believed that death was the end,
00:19:01.90\00:19:05.94
no one ever came back from
death. It was as we might say it
00:19:05.97\00:19:10.75
scientifically
impossible. To them the idea was
00:19:10.78\00:19:14.85
pure nonsense, it wasn't
even in their Roman roof,
00:19:14.88\00:19:18.72
and what made it even
worse was that these Christians
00:19:18.75\00:19:23.22
said that this crucified
criminal was coming back from
00:19:23.26\00:19:26.90
heaven to put an end
to the whole Roman Empire
00:19:26.93\00:19:29.90
and establish His
own Eternal Kingdom.
00:19:29.93\00:19:33.60
That's what the sacred
book the Bible predicted in it's
00:19:33.64\00:19:37.71
prophecy's, it predicted
the rise and fall of many
00:19:37.74\00:19:41.68
Empires, including Rome.
00:19:41.71\00:19:43.95
Here's how the prophet Daniel
described it in Daniel 7:14.
00:19:43.98\00:19:49.82
And then of course there
was the Lord's Prayer that the
00:20:09.44\00:20:12.54
Christians were taught to pray
regularly. Here's what it says
00:20:12.57\00:20:16.38
in Matthew 6:9-13.
00:20:16.41\00:20:19.78
To the Roman mind these kinds
of ideas were seen as highly
00:20:35.70\00:20:40.44
treasonous in the
extreme against the Empire
00:20:40.47\00:20:44.01
after all, the Roman Empire
was intended to last forever.
00:20:44.04\00:20:50.41
And then, to make matters
worse all sorts of false rumors
00:20:50.45\00:20:55.08
swirled around regarding
what Christians believed and
00:20:55.12\00:20:58.75
how they lived. They were
accused of the most vile and
00:20:58.79\00:21:02.19
evil practices so
this was another problem.
00:21:02.22\00:21:06.03
The Romans had a word for
this kind of non-traditional
00:21:06.06\00:21:09.86
and non-racial religion,
they called it Superstitio.
00:21:09.90\00:21:14.47
And if that sounds familiar
to you, it's because its where
00:21:14.50\00:21:18.34
we get our
English word Superstition.
00:21:18.37\00:21:21.44
To the Romans, Christianity
wasn't worthy to be classed
00:21:21.48\00:21:26.48
as a proper religion,
it was just a lot of crazy
00:21:26.51\00:21:30.49
superstitions. After all,
the word was that this new faith
00:21:30.52\00:21:35.89
had been started by some
uncivilized and uneducated
00:21:35.92\00:21:39.79
Jewish teacher from the
back- water of Palestine to the
00:21:39.83\00:21:43.77
Romans that was laughable in
itself. So the Romans considered
00:21:43.80\00:21:49.74
Christianity to be seditious,
treasonous against the Empire
00:21:49.77\00:21:54.44
and positively harmful to
the moral fabric of society.
00:21:54.48\00:21:59.25
This was a clash of Empires,
a clash between Rome and
00:21:59.28\00:22:05.35
Christianity.
00:22:05.39\00:22:06.96
All of which brings us to
the other baby who changed the
00:22:11.09\00:22:14.00
world. He too was born under
the shadow of the Roman Empire
00:22:14.03\00:22:18.00
He too was born of humble
peasant stock in a small village
00:22:18.03\00:22:22.47
no one had ever heard of.
00:22:22.50\00:22:24.67
He too was born under a cloud
of illegitimacy, his real father
00:22:24.71\00:22:30.85
was also far more powerful
than anyone could have imagined.
00:22:30.88\00:22:35.25
He too was an unlikely
king who changed the world
00:22:35.28\00:22:40.16
forever. His name
of course is Jesus.
00:22:40.19\00:22:44.36
Jesus of Nazareth! The
very one whom the Christians
00:22:44.39\00:22:49.36
worshiped as God.
00:22:49.40\00:22:51.27
Now, the Christians despite
all the false rumors about
00:22:51.30\00:22:57.14
their beliefs were actually
good citizens in every sense
00:22:57.17\00:23:01.18
except just for one
thing. For them emperor worship
00:23:01.21\00:23:06.28
was out of the question, their
worship was reserved for Jesus
00:23:06.31\00:23:12.09
alone. And when it came
down to it, to refuse to worship
00:23:12.12\00:23:16.32
the emperor was to reject
the authority of the empire
00:23:16.36\00:23:19.93
itself and that
made them traitors.
00:23:19.96\00:23:22.86
And as we know, the Romans
didn't take kindly to traitors.
00:23:22.90\00:23:27.84
It all came to a head in A.D.
64 when a great fire broke out
00:23:27.87\00:23:33.98
in Rome. The Roman population
blamed the mad Emperor Nero
00:23:34.01\00:23:38.78
and Nero blamed the Christians
as a convenient scapegoat.
00:23:38.81\00:23:43.35
It's really amazing that this
happened only around 33 years
00:23:43.39\00:23:48.39
or so after the crucifixion of
Jesus and already Christianity
00:23:48.42\00:23:53.23
had spread from
Judea all the way to Rome.
00:23:53.26\00:23:56.80
In just a few years it
had reached the very heart
00:23:56.83\00:24:00.97
of the empire. The new religions
centered in Jesus Christ
00:24:01.00\00:24:06.44
was capturing the hearts
and minds of its citizens
00:24:06.47\00:24:09.38
and its beliefs,
values, and principles clashed
00:24:09.41\00:24:13.85
with those of Rome. So
it's no wonder that the Romans
00:24:13.88\00:24:18.05
considered Christianity a
serious threat to their empire.
00:24:18.09\00:24:22.19
It was feared and hated and
its followers were persecuted
00:24:22.22\00:24:26.70
but the problem was the
more Christians were persecuted,
00:24:26.73\00:24:30.80
the faster it grew. This
truly was a clash of empires,
00:24:30.83\00:24:36.07
the battle lines are set.
00:24:36.10\00:24:39.57
We had the births of two babies
with amazing similarities,
00:24:39.61\00:24:44.05
we have two men who are
going to rule two great empires
00:24:44.08\00:24:47.68
and in due time their
paths are destined to cross.
00:24:47.72\00:24:52.85
And when these two
empires collide, the results are
00:24:52.89\00:24:58.09
going to be incredible, they
will impact in ways that will
00:24:58.13\00:25:02.33
determine the shape of our
very shape of our civilization
00:25:02.36\00:25:05.17
how we act and think.
00:25:05.20\00:25:07.37
We'll continue with the next
dramatic chapter in this story
00:25:07.40\00:25:11.27
in our next program. However,
you can see the battle lines
00:25:11.31\00:25:16.08
shaping up. Which side, which
empire will prove triumphant?
00:25:16.11\00:25:21.22
The Roman
Empire or Christianity?
00:25:21.25\00:25:24.35
The empire of this
world, or the kingdom of God.
00:25:24.39\00:25:28.06
The answer may surprise you
because there's a strange twist
00:25:28.09\00:25:32.49
to this clash of empires
there's more than meets the eye.
00:25:32.53\00:25:36.93
Here's what the Bible
says in Ephesians 6:12, 13.
00:25:36.97\00:25:42.54
If you've enjoyed today's
program on Constantine the Great
00:26:13.00\00:26:16.44
and would like to dig deeper,
then I'd like to recommend
00:26:16.47\00:26:19.87
the special gift we have
for all our viewers today.
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It's the booklet
A Clash of Empires.
00:26:23.24\00:26:26.92
This booklet will share
with you the greatest clash of
00:26:26.95\00:26:30.59
empires the world has ever seen.
00:26:30.62\00:26:33.12
This booklet is our gift
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So, make the most of
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Phone or text us at 0436.333.555
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00:26:49.27\00:27:00.25
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00:27:00.28\00:27:05.42
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00:27:05.45\00:27:08.82
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00:27:18.43\00:27:25.24
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00:27:25.27\00:27:28.04
If you've enjoyed today's
journey to Mission Serbia,
00:27:31.61\00:27:34.58
following the footsteps
of Constantine the Great,
00:27:34.62\00:27:37.69
and our reflection on the
clash between the Roman Empire
00:27:37.72\00:27:41.72
and Christianity. Then be
sure to join us again next week
00:27:41.76\00:27:45.93
when we will share another
of life's journey's together.
00:27:45.96\00:27:50.30
Let's pray!
00:27:50.33\00:27:51.67
Dear Heavenly Father, We
thank you because although
00:27:51.70\00:27:56.97
life is full of difficult
choices, you are the one
00:27:57.01\00:28:00.61
who shines the light
where there is darkness.
00:28:00.64\00:28:03.14
Help us to choose Jesus
and His rule in our lives
00:28:03.18\00:28:07.28
help us to study your word
so that we may be strengthened
00:28:07.32\00:28:11.62
and encouraged for our
journey through this life.
00:28:11.65\00:28:14.62
We ask this in Jesus name Amen!
00:28:14.66\00:28:19.06