Why did the early Christians refuse to bow down to the King?
I don't understand the exact objection in bowing down to the King, which is a universal practise in line with the Bible (Rom 13) and does not seem to violate monotheism, as it is not a worship of him as God, but simple worship or reverence as King. From Japan to England, all bow down to the King. Then why did the early Christians refuse to bow down to the King, was it just the bowing or a refusal to participate and enlisting in some official imperial cult ceremony? Did they outright refuse to submit to the King? I am aware about some modern Marxist authors promote a theory that the early Christians rejected the national emperor altogether in favour of their spiritual king Jesus, which does not seam reasonable, as the NT does not promote a Marxist resistance to national rulers or politics. Also related is the story of Daniel.
Were those early Christians being overzealous in their political resistance or non-compliance? It seems the Roman official apostle Paul would've no problem in honouring the King, even though he may refuse to obey the official rules that go against his religion.
Background: (from a basic web search: in which sense early christians refuse to bow down to the emperor? what was their objection?)
Early Christians refused to bow down to the emperor for several reasons. One primary reason was their monotheistic belief in the exclusive worship of one God, which conflicted with the polytheistic Roman religious practices, including the imperial cult. The refusal to participate in the imperial cult and worship the emperor was considered disloyal and rebellious by the Romans, as emperor worship was a significant aspect of Roman society, expressive of the character and aspirations of Roman society. The Christians' objection was also theological, as they could not participate in the cultic events due to their allegiance to their new king, Jesus Christ. This refusal to participate in the imperial cult and worship the emperor could lead to persecution on both local and provincial levels, as it was perceived as a threat to Roman rule and order. The worship of the Roman emperors was a central part of the imperial cult, which was a significant aspect of Roman religion and society
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