- 151 - 3. 2 Spirit Communication in the Post-Apostolic Age7 When a thing occurs of which we want to say, ‘See, this is something new!’ – we find that it has existed for a long time, in the ages that preceded us. Ecclesiastes 1: 10 Between the pagan world, into which Christianity emerged, and Christianity itself there waged a mighty battle. In this life and death struggle, the Christians of the post-apostolic age generally believed that the Powers of Evil were the true rulers of all paganism, and that the worldly rulers and their subjects were nothing more than the instruments of those evil powers. Hell saw its former dominion over mankind threatened by the good spirit world, which made itself known in Christianity. It now faced battle with a prince greater than the Roman emperor, and with forces stronger than his lieutenants and officials. The might of these forces had been at work even before the birth of the Roman Empire, and it extended to Rome’s dark provinces, where Roman authority existed in name only. It extended also into people’s hearts and thoughts, which are not subject to any authority. Weinel S. 2 and 3: “In the life of the state as well as the lives of individuals there were many ties to this world of spirits in the Beyond, whom the heathens called gods, heroes, or demons.”2 “The life of the state took place largely under their auspices, and a great part of the public communal ceremonies with offerings and festivals was devoted to their worship.” Although their idols might to all outward appearances be dead things, people were convinced that behind these statues of stone and wood there existed real spirit beings that could make themselves known. The Christian martyr Justin says of them: “Those images bear the names and shapes of evil spirits that have appeared.” It was these demons that the heathens worshipped. Justin I: 5, 2: “In ancient times demons appeared (in human mediums), committing adultery with women, abusing boys, and showing people scenes of horror that struck fear into the hearts of those who did not understand these doings; people called these demons gods, and called each of them by the name that demon assumed. Fear impelled them to do this, for they did not know that these were evil demons.” Not only had the evil spirits been active in the past, but their doings were witnessed personally every day by the Christians of the early centuries. First of all, there were the various diseases in which a spirit other than the spirit of the patient spoke and acted through him. The maniac had a demon in him. The hysterical and epileptic were possessed. Such was the universal popular belief among Jews, pagans and Christians. These invisible spirit creatures also spoke through human mediums. The Christian writer Tatian thus describes a female medium of Apollo’s. Tatian 19, p. 86: “After drinking water, she falls into a state of frenzy; incense drives her out of her senses and makes it appear that she is prophesying.” 7 The citations in this chapter are taken from Weinel’s book: Die Wirkungen des Geistes und der Geister im nachapostolischen Zeitalter bis auf Irenaeus [‘The workings of the spirit and the spirits in the postapostolic age until Irenaeus’], published in 1899 by J. C. B. Mohr, Freiburg im Breisgau. Wherever Weinel is quoted, it is from this book. [The other sources mentioned are also citations from Weinel’s book.] 2 [Weinel, p. 2, here cites Athenagoras leg. 23, p. 118.] 3 [Weinel, p. 3., here cites Tat. Or. 22, p. 94.]
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