A Roman Governor Asks for Advice
Around AD 112, a Roman governor faced a problem.
Christians.
They were:
- Refusing to worship Roman gods
- Meeting regularly
- Growing rapidly
- Disrupting traditional religion
So Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia-Pontus, wrote directly to Emperor Trajan asking what to do.
That letter still exists.
Pliny the Younger, Roman governor and author of the letter describing early Christians.
Why This Letter Is So Important
Pliny was:
- Highly educated
- Politically powerful
- Loyal to Rome
- Hostile to Christianity
He had zero interest in promoting Christian beliefs.
Which makes what he reports extremely valuable.
What Pliny Actually Says About Christians
Pliny describes Christian practices in detail:
- They met on a fixed day (Sunday)
- They sang hymns
- They pledged moral behavior
- And most importantly…
They sang hymns “to Christ as to a god.”
This single phrase is devastating to later-legend theories.
Manuscripts preserving Pliny’s official correspondence with Emperor Trajan.
This Is Not a Christian Source
This letter:
- Is not Scripture
- Is not apologetics
- Is not church tradition
It is Roman legal correspondence.
Pliny is trying to suppress Christianity — not explain it kindly.
How Early Is This Evidence?
AD 112 places this letter:
- Less than 80 years after the crucifixion
- Within living memory of eyewitnesses’ children
- Long before church councils
- Long before Constantine
Belief in Jesus’ divinity was already established.
Why This Destroys a Popular Claim
Many claim:
“Jesus was later made divine.”
But Pliny confirms:
- Christians worshiped Jesus as God
- This was standard practice
- Rome already knew this
You don’t get emperor-level concern over a late legend.
Pliny Confirms Christian Morality
Pliny also reports Christians pledged:
- Not to steal
- Not to commit adultery
- Not to lie
- Not to defraud
This matches New Testament ethics perfectly.
Rome didn’t invent this description — it observed it.
Why Pliny’s Testimony Is So Strong
Because it is:
- Early
- Hostile
- Detailed
- Administrative
- Independent of Scripture
Historians love sources like this.
Pattern Recognition Again
Pliny joins:
- Tacitus (execution under Pilate)
- Josephus (historical Jesus)
- Lucian (mockery of Christians)
- Alexamenos Graffito (hostile worship evidence)
The picture is consistent.
Final Thought
Rome tried to stop Christianity.
Instead, it documented it.
And in doing so, it confirmed what Christians believed from the very beginning.
Go Deeper
We curate Roman historical sources, hostile testimonies, and scholarly analyses that illuminate early Christian belief and practice.
Explore the Resource Library here:
https://evidence-for-the-bible.com/resource-library/
Related pages:
- Lucian of Samosata on Christians — Pagan Evidence Jesus Was Crucified and Worshiped
- Why Didn’t the Authorities Produce Jesus’ Body?
- Tacitus confirms Jesus—Roman Evidence Jesus Was Executed Under Pontius Pilate