The second period of church history, from the death of the Apostle John until the end of the persecution, or until the rise of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, is the classical age of persecution by pagans, the age of martyrdom and heroism of Christians, the bright sacrifice of earthly goods and life itself for the sake of heavenly things inheritance. This is a constant commentary on the words of the Savior: “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves”; “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Mere human faith could not withstand such a trial by fire for three hundred years. The final victory of Christianity over Judaism, paganism and the most powerful of the empires of the ancient world, a victory won not by physical force, but by the moral force of long-suffering and perseverance, faith and love, is one of the sublime phenomena of history, one of the most compelling evidence in favor of divinity and the inviolability of our faith. But no less sublime and significant were the intellectual and spiritual victories of the Christian church during this period - victories over pagan science and art, over the invasions of the Gnostic and Ebionite heresies, over open and secret enemies, the great confrontation with which gave rise to numerous works in defense of Christian truth and contributed to its understanding.