A conversation like this, or something like it, must have happened during the persecutions of the Christians in Rome.

Marcus, a Christian, meets his friend Gaius on the street.



Marcus: “How are you?”

Gaius: “Fine. Just got back from sacrificing to the emperor.”

Marcus: “Sacrificing to the emperor? When did you leave the Faith?”

Gaius: “Oh, I’m still a Christian. I just realized how ridiculous this whole business of refusing to sacrifice to the emperor is.”

Marcus: “How can you reconcile confessing Jesus as Lord with calling Caesar lord?”

Gaius: “See, this is where we’ve been getting it wrong. We’ve been making a big deal out of nothing. Look in the gospels. Do you see one passage where Jesus says we can’t sacrifice to Caesar? No. Not one. You’d think if this thing was so important, He’d have mentioned it, wouldn’t you?”

Marcus: “Jesus is the God of Israel, and He doesn’t allow worship of other gods!”

Gaius: “There you go. You’ve got to go all the way back to the Old Testament to find your rule. Aren’t we free from the Law now? Are we going to stone people for wearing mixed fabrics or eating shellfish?”

Marcus: “There’s a difference between the ceremonial law and the moral law.”

Gaius: “And there you go with the moral law. You realize that refusing to sacrifice makes our neighbors uncomfortable, don’t you? They feel judged. My God is not a God of judgment. He’s a God of love.”

Marcus: “You’re not a Christian anymore.”

Gaius: “You’re not a Christian either! You’re just a hater!”