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The dramatically different fate of the Christians reveals the spiritual power that was imparted by Christ to those who accepted His sovereignty. This is reflected in the words of 'Abdu'l-Baha: (37:1) That mighty Jewish nation toppled and crumbled away, but those few souls who sought shelter beneath the Messianic Tree [Christ] transformed all human life. (Secret of Divine Civilization 82-3) (37:2) The Christians, who were at first persecuted by the Jews, were also persecuted by the Romans. However, the Word of God carried by the Christians proved not only to be an invincible spiritual stronghold but also an all-conquering spiritual sword. In time Rome felt the effects of Christ's message, and the Kingdom of God that had been established in the hearts of the believers was now established outwardly in the world around the believers as a new civilization- a Christian civilization- emerged. Thus, Christ not only fulfilled prophecy in a spiritual way but, in time, this spiritual fulfilment led to an outward and literal fulfilment in the world. He had become Ruler of an earthly dominion. (37:3) This does not mean that the Christian (Byzantine) Empire was a political model of the Kingdom of God or that Constantine, the first ruler to accept Christianity, was a flawless saint. It simply means that the Kingdom of God became manifest in the world to the extent that Jesus' teachings were put into practice or influenced the hearts of those who came to believe in Him. The outward establishment of the Kingdom of God can be seen in the effect the Church had on society: the building of hospitals, the founding of charities and the development of Christian art and culture. The Emperor Constantine was, for example, the first emperor to place a ban on the human slaughter of the gladiatorial combats. It was the efforts of Christians that led to the eventual elimination of this inhuman practice.
(37:4)
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