Lessons from the Catacombs of Rome

The term "catacomb" comes from a compound Greek word made up of kata (down) and kymbe (hollow). The word refers to a vast network of tombs beneath the city of Rome and other places. Here, ancient Christians buried their dead. Sometimes they even met for worship in these dark hidden regions below the city during severe persecution.

Estimates suggest the catacombs of Rome consist of a maze of corridors and burial vaults. If strung together, they would stretch about 600 miles. The number of tombs is estimated to vary from 1,750,000 to 4,000,000, representing the burial of Romans from the second to the fifth centuries A.D. (Blaiklock, 159).

The catacombs offer several valuable lessons.

Lesson 1: The Historicity of Christ

The catacombs are filled with ancient graffiti that testifies to the martyrs' deep faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Epitaph inscriptions like this one are frequent: "Victorina, in peace and in Christ" (Finegan, 389).

Common among the inscriptions was the sign of the fish. The Greek word for fish, ichthus, became an acrostic symbol for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior".

Surely the ancient martyrs had a better sense of whether Jesus Christ was an actual historical character than some modern atheists.

Lesson 2: The Influence of Scripture

Much of the artwork in the catacombs was drawn from various accounts in the Bible—both Old and New Testaments. This shows how widely the Scriptures had already circulated in those early centuries of the church's history.

The drawings include Adam and Eve, Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, Moses' miracle of bringing water from the rock, Daniel in the lions' den, Jonah, the visit of the wise men, and Jesus as the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd.

Another point is worth making. Many of the names mentioned in Paul's epistles are found carved on the walls of the catacombs. This doesn't mean, of course, that these carvings represent the actual people in Paul's correspondence. It does suggest, however, that the biblical record accurately reflects the nomenclature of that day and thus possesses an aura of authenticity (cf. Lightfoot, 177).

Lesson 3: The Miracles of Jesus

The New Testament represents Jesus as a miracle-worker. Some thirty-five individual miracles are ascribed to him, in addition to numerous generic references (cf. John 20:30-31).

Many modern scholars, influenced by skeptics like David Hume (1711-1776), deny that Jesus performed miracles. Clearly, though, the primitive Christians were convinced of the Lord's miracle-working powers.

Among the catacomb artworks, many depict Christ's miracles. Some depict Jesus' baptism, with the Holy Spirit descending as a dove. Reproductions depict the healing of the paralytic man (Mark 2) and the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11). The art also reflects the water-to-wine miracle at the wedding in Cana (John 2) and the feeding of the great multitude with the loaves and fish (John 6).

Lesson 4: The Growth of the Church

The material in the book of Acts shows how explosive the growth of the early church was, and the saints in Rome were no small part of it. The faith of the Roman Christians was widely known (Romans 1:8; 16:19).

Blaiklock says:

The most conservative interpretation of the Catacomb burial figures would, therefore, suggest that ... one-fifth of Rome's people in the middle Empire were Christians, and it is possible that the proportion was at times much greater (161).

Another factor is worth considering. The tombs of the catacombs represent about ten generations of believers. This suggests that early devotees of Christianity passed the gospel along to their offspring. It's called "vertical evangelism."

Lesson 5: Christianity's Appeal to All Classes

Atheism alleges that the Christian faith is only for the ignorant and those who are void of reason. Gibbon charged that the early church consisted almost exclusively of "the dregs of the populace."

Catacomb evidence shows, however, that Christianity reached the middle and upper classes and even influenced intellectuals. Many of the tombs appear to have belonged to aristocratic families (cf. Acts 17:4).

Lesson 6: Persecution

The Lord had promised that his followers would be persecuted (Matthew 5:10-12). In A.D. 64, Nero launched a vicious reign of terror against the church, as did subsequent Caesars. The Christians went underground among the tombs where the superstitious Romans would not follow to worship.

Amazingly, though, the catacomb graffiti reveals no images of sorrow or complaining; rather, a vibrant spirit of joy and triumph is everywhere evident. What faith those saints possessed!

Lesson 7: Apparent Apostasy

The catacomb record is not entirely positive. Paul predicted there would be an apostasy from the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:1ff; 2 Timothy 4:1ff). The tomb records reveal a drift from the primitive faith.

For example, there is graffiti testimony that encourages prayers to and for those who are dead, which later becomes fully developed in Catholicism. Though Christians constructed baptistries in the catacombs, one picture shows "baptism" being administered by pouring water. A heathen god also appears in the scene, revealing a woefully compromised faith (Foster, 23).

Pristine Christianity was eventually corrupted. Eternal vigilance is the price of truth!