My dad had eclectic music tastes, ranging from Country Western (ie. Marty Robbins) to oldies (i.e Beach Boys) to oddities (i.e. we listened to Bette Midler’s ‘The Rose’ on repeat one year driving from Florida to NY).

And then there were the church songs, the Christian songs. A song I remember from my childhood had to do with a legion of Roman soldiers, all followers of Jesus, who refused to sacrifice to Caesar and were martyred for it. The song, Forty Brave Soldiers, is a stirring story of courage and faithfulness to Christ in the face of kings/emperors who would be gods.

The cult of Caesar was a major source of tension between early Christians living in the Roman Empire. The cult of Caesar began under Julius, grew under Augustus, and was entrenched under Octavius. Caesar fashioned himself as a god, Divi filius (Son of God), and demanded veneration. It was one’s patriotic duty to offer sacrifices to Caesar, and failure to do so would be costly.

The book of Revelation is a strong and sustained critique of the Imperial Cult of Rome. Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Laodicea had the privileged status of being νεωκόρος, “temple warden”, to the imperial cult. The reference to Satan’s throne in Revelation 2:13 is likely a reference to the temple to emperor, the older in Asia Minor.

It should go without saying that Christians should reject any attempt by a political ruler to fashion himself after a god – be it a Caesar, a Sun God in Japan, or an American president. We might agree with a ruler’s policies, but the minute they start fashioning themselves as Jesus, all support ceases. We do not, cannot support blasphemy or a blasphemer even if we think it will somehow make our nation stronger, more prosperous, greater. To do so may have the sheen of wisdom, but James instructs us that there is a wisdom “that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”

It cost Christians to stand against the Imperial Cult of Rome. It’s time for Christians to stand against the rising Imperial Cult of America, willingly paying the price if necessary.