Thus the office and role of the bishop becomes stronger. While persecution continues intermittently from without, heresies pose major dangers from within and must be answered. Apologists, or explainers of the faith, emerge to combat heresy and answer the church's opponents. Key apologists include Irenaeus and Justin Martyr. The churches are not legal and have no public forum or church buildings.
Local persecution can break out at any time.
A profound public witness emerges as Christians are put to death because they will not deny the faith at any cost. The strongest centers of the Church are Asia Minor and North Africa. Rome is also a center of prestige. The church continues its amazing spread reaching all classes, particularly the lower. Filmed on location in Israel and Turkey, Faith Lessons is an in-depth video tour of the buried, distant, or otherwise forgotten places where the stories of the Bible actually happened.