They walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them. They love one another. They rescue the orphan from violence. They do not refuse to help widows. He who has, gives ungrudgingly to him who lacks. If they see a stranger, they take him home and entertain him as a brother. When one of their poor passes from the world, any one of them who sees it provides for his burial according to his ability. And if they hear about one of their number being in prison or being oppressed for the name of the Messiah, all of them provide for his needs. Thus, they labor to become righteous as those who expect to see their Messiah, and to receive from him the glorious fulfillment of the promise made to them. Truly this is a New People, and there is something divine in them. (Written by Emperor Hadrian 117-138 A.D., just a few years after the death of the Apostle John.)
It would be good to remember that at this time there was no “Holy Roman Catholic Church.” There was no pope, no moon god, no Islam, no Mormons, no Jehovah’s Witnesses and, not even one single denomination. Hadrian did not describe any of these simply because they didn’t exist, and they would not exist for several hundred years. He was describing Christians and only Christians.
