“To the poor, the widows and orphans, Christians gave alms and support, like the synagogue communities, their forerunners. This “brotherly love” has been minimized as a reason for turning to the Church, as if only those who were members could know of it. In fact it was widely recognized. When Christians were in prison, fellow Christians gathered to bring them food and comforts: Lucian, the pagan satirist, was well aware of this practice. When Christians were brought to die in the arena, the crowds, said Tertullian, would shout, “Look how these Christians love one another.” Christian “love” was public knowledge and must have played its part in drawing outsiders to the faith.
Robin Lane Fox, Pagans and Christians: In the Mediterranean World from the Second Century AD to the Conversion of Constantine (New York: HarperCollins, 1988) 324.