Christianity in Britain Before Rome Arrived

By: Matthew D. Dyer

There is substantial historical evidence suggesting that the Gospel was preached in Britain at a very early date. Moreover, if Matthew 24:14 was fulfilled prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, as Christ’s prophecy predicts, then the Gospel must necessarily have reached Britain before that time. Britain formed part of the “world” spoken of in that passage, the Greek word oikoumenē, which commonly refers to the inhabited or Roman world, of which Britain was then a part.

This early presence of Christianity in Britain long predates the later Roman Catholic Church mission of Augustine of Canterbury in A.D. 597 and demonstrates that the British did not owe its establishment to Rome. Rather, historical testimony points to Christianity having taken root in Britain during the apostolic age itself. Consider the following historical quotations:

Tertullian, Answer to the Jews, chapter 7 (A.D. 200):
“…the haunts of the Britons — inaccessible to the Romans, but subjugated to Christ, and of the Sarmatians, and Dacians, and Germans, and Scythians, and of many remote nations, and of provinces and islands many, to us unknown, and which we can scarce enumerate? In all which places the name of the Christ who is already come reigns…”

Bede, Ecclesiastical History, I.6. (Documenting what took place in A.D. 300):
“…Meanwhile, Diocletian in the east, and Maximian Herculius in the west, commanded the churches to be destroyed, and the Christians to be slain. This persecution was the tenth since the reign of Nero, and was more lasting and bloody than all the others before it; for it was carried on incessantly for the space of ten years, with burning of churches, outlawing of innocent persons, and the slaughter of martyrs. At length, it reached Britain also, and many persons, with the constancy of martyrs, died in the confession of their faith.“

Bede, Ecclesiastical History, I.17. speaking of how the Pelagian controversy had affected the faith of the Britians (Documenting what took place in A.D. 429.):
“SOME few years before their arrival, the Pelagian heresy brought over by Agricola, the son of Severianus, a Pelagian bishop, had sadly corrupted the faith of the Britons… There on a sudden they were obstructed by the malevolence of demons, who were jealous that such men should be sent to bring back the Britons to the faith.“ (This is about 150–170 years before Augustine.)

Bede, Ecclesiastical History, I.26. (Documenting Augustine arrival at Canterbury in A.D. 597)
“There was on the east side of the city a church dedicated to the honour of St. Martin, built whilst the Romans were still in the island, wherein the queen, who, as has been said before, was a Christian…“

Adam Clarke in his commentary on Matthew 24:14 (A.D. 1810):
“Tacitus informs us, Annal. l. xv., that, as early as the reign of Nero, the Christians were grown so numerous at Rome as to excite the jealousy of the government; and in other parts they were in proportion. However, we are under no necessity to restrain the phrase to the Roman empire, as, previously to the destruction of Jerusalem, the Gospel was not only preached in the lesser Asia, and Greece, and Italy, the greatest theatres of action then in the world; but was likewise propagated as far north as Scythia; as far south as Ethiopia; as far east as Parthia and India; and as far west as Spain and Britain. On this point, Bishop Newton goes on to say, That there is some probability that the Gospel was preached in the British nations by St. Simon the apostle; that there is much greater probability that it was preached here by St. Paul; and that there is an absolute certainty that it was planted here in the times of the apostles, before the destruction of Jerusalem.”

Jospeh Benson in his commentary on Matthew 24:14 (A.D. 1818):
“As early as in the reign of Nero, as we learn from Tacitus, (Annal., l. 15.) the Christians were grown so numerous at Rome as to raise the jealousy of the government, and the first general persecution was commenced against them, under pretence of their having set fire to the city, of which the emperor himself was really guilty, but wished to transfer the blame and odium of the action on the poor innocent Christians. Clement, who was contemporary and a fellow-labourer with Paul, says of him, (see his 1st Epistle to the Corinthians,) that he was a preacher both in the east and west, and that he taught the whole world righteousness. And if such were the labours of one apostle, though the chief of them, what were the united labours of them all? It appears indeed from the writers of the history of the church, that before the destruction of Jerusalem the gospel was not only preached in the Lesser Asia, Greece, and Italy, the great theatres of action then in the world; but likewise propagated as far north as Scythia; as far south as Ethiopia; as far east as Parthia and India; as far west as Spain and Britain.“

Jospeh Benson in his commentary on Acts 28 (A.D. 1818):
“Some have questioned whether he ever returned into the east again, which yet, from Philemon 1:22, and Hebrews 13:23, he seems to have expected. Clemens Romanus (ad Corinthians epist, 1. cap. 5) expressly tells us, that he preached in the west, and that to its utmost bounds, which must at least include Spain, whither he intended to go, Romans 15:24-25. Theodoret adds, that he went to the islands of the sea, and numbers Gaul (that is, France) and Britain among the disciples of the tent-maker. But in what order he took these places, or how tong he remained in any of them, cannot be determined. We are told, however, that about A.D. 65, or 67, (for chronologers differs) he returned to Rome, where, some say he met with Peter, who was thrown into a prison, with other Christians, on pretence of being concerned in the burning of the city…”