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Question 2

Tertullian argues that people hate Christianity mainly out of ignorance, and that once some “come to know it…they at once lay down their enmity”; how does that claim challenge the way modern Christians interpret hostility toward the faith (as persecution, as personal offense, or as a discipleship opportunity)?

Another way to ask: Tertullian says people mostly hate Christianity because they don’t understand it, and that some stop hating it once they learn. How should that change the way Christians today see hostility—as persecution, a personal insult, or a chance to witness?

Direct Answer The transcript suggests Tertullian sees much hostility as ignorance rather than informed hatred, so Christians should treat opposition as a chance to explain and win people, not merely as a personal insult or proof of unavoidable persecution.

Support from Transcript:

“That we are persecuted out of ignorance is proved by this, that those who once hated Christianity, because they knew nothing about it, no sooner come to know it… they… become its disciples.”
He notes the culture’s inconsistency: “Gaius… is a good man, only that he’s a Christian,” showing dislike of the “name” more than actual knowledge.
He argues people “dislike something… entirely ignorant of its nature,” and that once they consider it, they might see “some good.”
He frames the Apology as explanation “to the unbelieving Romans” of what Christians “believed and practiced,” aiming to “persuade the authorities to stop… persecution.”
He treats major accusations (infant-eating, incest) as “based solely on rumor,” implying ignorance can be corrected.

Discussion Follow-ups When we face hostility, do we assume malice where there may be misunderstanding? What habits would help us make Christianity “known” rather than merely defended?

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