More than 50 years have passed since Jesus' death on a cross and His subsequent resurrection, and throughout the Roman world at the close of the 1st century the disciples of Jesus and their disciples have spread His message and built a thriving church. But after the great fire of Rome occurred on July 19, AD 64, the Caesar Nero blamed this growing religious sect known as "Christians" for the fire. He did that to combat doubts about the part he had in causing the fire. What a brilliant strategy — blame the Christians — they were trouble anyway claiming that God was greater than all other gods, and greater than Caesar as well. The Roman world was a world filled with gods and was inclusive of the Gods of people conquered into the Empire. Yet in spite of their claim that Jesus was the only way, Christianity continued to grow.