Discussion Questions

The chapter claims church leaders in Constantine’s day “convinced themselves that God was changing all the rules”; what specific teachings does Bercot say they reclassified as belonging to “a different time,” and what does that reveal about how we decide which commands are permanent? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Which teachings does Bercot say church leaders in Constantine’s time treated as “for a different time”? What does that show about how people decide which commands still apply today?

Bercot suggests Constantine’s favor might have been either “a blessing from God” or “a test God was allowing Satan to bring against the church”; what does this imply about God’s purposes when He allows apparent “success,” and how should Christians discern without defaulting to cynicism or naïveté? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Constantine’s success could be either God’s blessing or a test, what might God be doing when the church looks “successful”? How can Christians judge this without being overly negative or overly trusting?

The proposed “fairly easy way” to know is “continue doing things the kingdom way” and “not deviate one iota from Christ’s teachings”; what does this assume about the clarity and stability of Jesus’ commands (“the same today, yesterday, and forever”) in contrast to changing historical circumstances? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it assume to say the “easy way” is to keep doing things Jesus’ way without changing anything? Are Jesus’ commands clear and steady even when times and cultures change?

Bercot argues that if Constantine was truly sent by God, “the church didn’t have to compromise” or “water down its message”; where do you see the pressure points in the chapter where compromise would most likely happen (wealth, power, national influence, persecution ending), and which of those pressure points feel most familiar today? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where in the chapter would the church be most tempted to compromise—money, power, national influence, or the end of persecution? Which of these temptations feels most common today?

The chapter highlights Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist as models of speaking “straightforwardly to rulers”; what do these examples suggest about what faithfulness looks like when God’s people have access to political power, and what would “without compromise” sound like in real counsel to a ruler? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What do Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist teach about speaking honestly to rulers? What would “no compromise” sound like if you were advising a leader today?

In the John the Baptist story, Bercot says silence “would have implied approval” and would have misled Herod and Herodias; what situations today tempt Christians to stay silent for the sake of influence, and how does the chapter define love for a powerful person—protection of reputation or confrontation that offers repentance? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What situations today tempt Christians to stay quiet so they can keep influence with powerful people? According to the chapter, is real love protecting their image or telling the truth so they can repent?

Herod respected John as “a just and holy man” yet “wasn’t willing to carry his cross”; how does the chapter distinguish between admiring Christianity and obeying Christ, and where might modern Christianity settle for admiration from the world rather than cross-bearing? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How is admiring Christianity different from obeying Jesus and “carrying your cross”? Where might churches today settle for being liked by the world instead of following Jesus at a cost?

Jesus’ interaction with the rich young ruler becomes Bercot’s template for how leaders could have addressed Constantine—“Sell all that you have…come follow me”; what would it mean to apply Jesus’ words about wealth and power to a professing Christian ruler (or a wealthy Christian leader), and what fears surface when we imagine actually doing that? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What would it look like to tell a Christian ruler or wealthy Christian leader to take Jesus’ words seriously about wealth and power? What fears come up when you imagine actually saying that?

The account of Philip the Arabian includes a bishop refusing entry to worship until public confession and placement “with penitents” because of “many charges against him”; what early-Christian assumptions about the church, repentance, and moral accountability are embedded in that story, and how different are those assumptions from common evangelical instincts about belonging and leadership? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the Philip the Arabian story show about how early Christians viewed repentance, church discipline, and leaders being held accountable? How is that different from what many evangelicals assume today about belonging and leadership?

Bercot compares Jesus’ warnings (“Woe…when all men speak well of you”) to heart-attack warning signs that fourth-century Christians ignored; what “popularity” or “world friendship” indicators would function as warning signs in your church context, and what concrete changes would “remembering Jesus’ warning” require in speech, relationships, and priorities? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What kinds of popularity or “friendship with the world” would be warning signs in your church today? If you took Jesus’ warning seriously, what would need to change in how you talk, who you spend time with, and what you value?