It seems to me 8
Bob Beanblossom April 20215
INTRODUCTION
Scripture is clear that as Christians living “godly in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:12) we will suffer persecution for His sake. Secular persecution—political, racial, lifestyle—are not considered here. When looking at persecution we have first to define persecution, then determine what our response to persecution should be. Jesus will be our primary resource and model with the apostles secondary as we explore the idea of persecution and our response to it.
PERSECUTION
Perceptions are very personal. For us conservative Christians in middle class America, we often equate persecution with bouts with illness, downturns in our financial status, a wayward child. These are concerns that Jesus truly cares about and wants us to bring to Him (Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28), but probably do not constitute persecution—all mankind suffers these problems.
We hear prayer requests from fellow Christians who are being harassed at work or school by associates who shun them or pester them for their public stance regarding their faith. Jesus also had something to say about that: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake (Matthew 5:11). And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake (Luke 21:17 emphasis mine). Scriptural persecution is suffering inflicted by satanic forces or agents on the church as a whole or as on an individual for Christ’s sake.
Others decry the evil and oppressive acts of our government. Examples in our land are often elusive as the mainstream news often ignores or slants the news:
American Jacobins: Sexual Revolutionaries Prepare the Battlespace for a De-Christianized America (Nationalreview.com) April 29, 2015 (Prosecutor in Obergefell v. Hodges gay-marriage case revealed that the sexual revolution demands “de-Christianization” of US).
Wisconsin’s Shame: ‘I Thought It Was a Home Invasion’ (Nationalreview.com) May 4, 2015 (Conservative activist’s home searched and ‘evidence’ confiscated by a dozen police with a battering ram).
In plain view: Spite, hypocrisy in ‘gay marriage’ push (OneNewsNow.com) April 30, 2015 (Arlene’s Flowers found guilty, fined, for refusing service for same-sex wedding).
Gay NYT columnist says conservative churches must change views (OneNewsNow.com) April 10, 2015 (New York Times columnist Frank Bruni suggested that conservative Christianity needs to change its views on homosexuality and no longer view the act as sinful).
These are, indeed, areas for concern and prayers. Common wisdom tells us that we need to be politically active and fight these evils. The lives of Christ and his disciples do not. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 3:19 we are reminded that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. Here we have both sides of the picture: our wisdom is no match for God’s, and those who believe in their own wisdom will be taken, or caught in their own foolishness. See verses 18-20 for the context.
Let’s broaden our scope a little and look at Christians in other parts of the world. Here are some recent headlines:
Religious Persecution in China Dramatically Worsened in 2014 (China Aid Association) Morning Star News, April 2015.
Ethiopia Mourns ISIS Christian Executions—24 beheaded. CBN News, April 21, 2015.
Confusion around Pakistani Christian Boy’s Burns Death, amid Communal Tensions. World Watch Monitor, April 17, 2015.
Pastor Saeed Abedini Threatened with Extended Prison Sentence. ChristianHeadlines.com, April 17, 2015.
What Americans Need to Know about Christian Persecution in Kenya. Religion Today, April 14, 2015.
These are not comprehensive, but give us an idea of the plight of Christians living their faith in other parts of our world. Both sets of headlines are examples of persecution of the church of Christ and of individual Christians.
Jesus, the Living WORD, the Messiah, the Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, experienced persecution. During his public ministry he was a wanted man. The religious leaders of his own people sought to destroy him (John 10:31 and many others). The government considered him an outlaw, who as a messianic figure who, as leader of a rebel band, would seek to overthrow the government. The Jewish historian Josephus, contemporary with Paul, wrote that no fewer than eight militant messiahs who sought to liberate their people from the foreign oppression were crucified during Jesus’ ministry. As a result, Jesus was arrested, tried, scourged, and crucified. Barabbas, the prisoner released by public outcry at Jesus’ trial, was charged with the same civil crime as Jesus—attempting to overthrow the government. The reality of the threat was proven a few short years later in a war of rebellion that resulted in the destruction of the temple and dispersion of the Jewish people.
Here is a quick rundown of the persecution suffered in the early days of the church by the Disciples/Apostles:
Stephen—Stoned to death with the oversight of Saul, later known as the Apostle Paul (Acts 7:54). Known as the first martyr.
James brother of John son of Zebedee— Killed by Herod Agrippa with a sword (Acts 12:1-2 as well as secular sources of the period).
Peter—Crucified by Roman governor Aegaes when he would not deny Christ after the resurrection (John 21:18-19). He had been imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12).
Andrew—Stoned and crucified by the Roman government six years after Peter for preaching to the Scythians and Thracians (secular sources of the period).
Thomas—Pierced by spears, burned by hot plates, and finally burned to death by priests in Phrygia after preaching the Gospel (secular sources of the period).
Philip—Scourged, thrown into prison, then crucified by hostile Jews after preaching the Gospel in Heliopolis, Phrygia (secular sources of the period).
Matthew—Beheaded in Nad-Davar, Ethiopia while preaching the resurrected Christ (secular sources of the period).
Bartholomew (Nathaneal)—Beaten with rods and beheaded by King Astyages of Armedia who was enraged when his idols fell face down when Bartholomew preached the Gospel (secular sources of the period).
James the Lesser—Appointed head of the Jerusalem Church local Jews took him to a high place on the temple to publically recant his trust in the risen Christ. When he did not comply he was thrown off the temple (secular sources of the period).
Simon the Zealot—Converted from a zealot of Barabbas to a zealot for Christ after witnessing the crucifixion and resurrection. Crucified by a Syrian governor after preaching the Gospel (secular sources of the period).
Paul—Targeted by the Roman government he once served, Paul was arrested. He used the legal system to preach the Gospel to every ruler he came before. In the process he suffered many hardships (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). Finally reaching the top, he was beheaded by Nero (secular sources of the period).
Judas Thaddeus (see John 14:22)—Beat him to death with sticks by pagan priests in Mesopotamia while preaching the Gospel (secular sources of the period).
Matthias (see Acts: 26)—He replaced Judas Iscariot and possibly one of the 70 sent out by Christ early in His ministry (Luke 10:1). While preaching Christ risen in Ethiopia he was crucified and stoned (secular sources of the period).
As an aside, note that many of the above are referenced to “secular sources of the period.” These are always to corroborate and support Scripture, never supplant the Word. As these documents and artifacts become available, human attacks on the veracity of the Word fall by the wayside and the Bible is shown accurate. Part of this omission is due to the timing of the deaths relative to the dates the books of the New Testament were written. More significant, however, is the relationship of individual martyrdoms and the message of the New Testament. The Gospel is about finding life through the blood of the resurrected Christ. The predicted suffering, while important to Christ who provides adequate grace for each individual who trusts His name, is incidental to the message of salvation and our eternal lives in Christ. Paul famously wrote of the ‘thorn in his flesh,’ but this and others described in the Scripture are part of His story for us, not a compilation of events like the genealogies.
Persecution—Christians losing their lives for serving the risen Christ—did not stop with the apostles. From the third century or so, the Catholic Church conducted holy wars killing Muslims, Jews, and non-Catholic Christians to ‘purify and cleanse’ the church. These were the Crusades and beyond. Similar “purging” took place in Europe throughout the Dark and the Middle Ages. These are the persecutions that led to the Reformation and later, led Christians to flee the Old World and establish new lives in North America. A key example was William Tyndale. Some 44 years after Columbus discovered the Americas, Bibles had been translated into most European languages. In an overt attempt to protect a corrupt clergy and maintain the dominant position of the church in England, English language Bibles were essentially forbidden. Tyndale made the first complete translation and printed (outside of England and imported) it in several formats. By order of King Henry VIII, Tyndale was strangled and his body burned at the stake. Men and women of faith from the time of the resurrection to this very moment have and are suffering estrangement from their families, jail, torture, and death for their active faith in Jesus. This will continue for the faithful until Christ returns: Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).
RESPONSE
Jesus’ response to persecution was uniform throughout his ministry. There are two aspects to his response we will look at: 1) what He did, and 2) what he did not do.
What He did: Throughout His ministry, Jesus was targeted by religious leaders who saw in Him a threat to the religious establishment to their power structure, and their relationship with the Roman government. While they were at odds among themselves, they were united in fear of–and hatred for–Him. Often conspiring among themselves even in His presence, they would seek to collect ‘evidence’ to charge Him with some violation of religious law. His response was to answer their questions directly, redirect their questions, or present a parable relating to their inquiries. John in Chapter 10 shows us a variety of response types.
He was not always passive, but his active attack was on secularized religious activities—desecrations of His temple. At the start and end of His ministry He removed the moneylenders from the temple with violence. (Matthew 21:12-17, 21:23-27, Mark 11:15-19, 11:27-33, Luke 19:45-48, 30:1-8, and John 2:13-16). These are the only recorded uses of force by our Savior during his earthly ministry. This follows the pattern of His verbal attacks on religious leaders who exhibited the form and function of the law, but not soul-changing belief in God.
What He did not do: Our Lord confined His ministry to His message of salvation: He was come to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 20:19-20). He was the personality of the Trinity to demonstrate that God so loved the world (John 3:16 excerpted), and He was the one who submitted to the civil authorities to become the One who His Father gave, the only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16 excerpted).
In spite of the messianic hopes of the Jews of the time, at no time did Jesus attach verbally or physically the government, nor did He in any way train or organize His followers into a political or military force to change or overthrow that government—the one that ultimately arrested, tried, scourged, and crucified Him. At his arrest, he was passive and cooperative with the unjust authorities.
In fact, He ignored politics and government and focused entirely on his mission: providing a path for salvation to a fallen creation. Even when the world failed to recognize the Creator or rejected the Messiah, He continued:
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:10:14).
If this had not been the case—if He had been sidetracked by the things of the world—we would be lost today.
He recognized civil government—even corrupt and violent government that would kill Him and all his followers–and afforded it authority and responsibility. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell of the Pharisees who sought to entangle Him in His talk (Matthew 22:15). When asked Jesus if it was lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? (Matthew 22:17), He responded:
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. (Matthew 22: 18-21).
Defeated again by the Lord and Creator of the universe, they marveled, and left him, and went their way (Matthew 22:22).
This issue is much deeper than we can explore here, but we can review the gist of His command. Maintaining His focus on establishing the path of Salvation as the only solution for mankind’s sinful degraded and degrading condition, He affirmed the delegated legitimacy of the corrupt Roman government that held the Jewish people in often cruel bondage, whose ruler Herod beheaded Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist, and would soon crucify Jesus, himself. Paul wrote:
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour (Romans 13:1-7).
Our ultimate model for addressing persecution of any sort came from Jesus on the cross. Even after being arrested, tried, scourged, and hung on the cross. Speaking to God Himself and, I believe, including all of those who persecuted him throughout His ministry, he said:
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:33 excerpted).
His response to persecution was to seek to save the lost soul(s). Our risen Savior, even after suffering the cross, disregarded political issues in favor of matters of the heart and soul, charging his followers—including us—to evangelize the world:
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:14-16).
This was their commission and is our commission. As all commands from the Lord, do it comes with the power to accomplish it:
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Paul, as Saul, persecuted the Christians as an agent of the government and the Jewish religious establishment. After his conversion on the Damascus Road that opened his heart and eyes to the risen Savior as Christ, the Lord, he spent the remainder of his life preaching the Gospel and writing those divinely inspired books of the New Testament that bring the word of the living WORD to us. He did interact with the government he formerly served: he used his Roman citizenship and the laws of the corrupt civil structure to bring him before the most powerful and influential rulers of that day. Instead of seeking to ‘reform’ government, he addressed the real issue—the sinful heart of fallen man—testifying and preaching the Gospel to kings and governors, continuing the charge that started at Pentecost that turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6 excerpted).
SUMMARY
We will experience some degree of persecution if we live actively for our Savior. Persecution should be differentiated from the daily troubles that affect every one of God’s creatures. God not only cares about our personal situation, but has made His grace available for our daily concerns and troubles. Tribulation—the attack on His Church and on individual Christians is our focus here. Again, He has provided His grace for us when we continually commit ourselves, our physical beings, but more essentially our will, to Him. Tribulation and persecution are not threats to our souls:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35).
Our call is to be a witness for our Savior. John the Baptist was created by God to be a witness:
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (John 1:6,7).
Ours is also to be a witness for that Light. He lights every man that cometh into the world (John 1:9 excerpted), we testify of Him spreading the gospel:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
Time is not flexible. We each have a limited amount of time to do all that our Lord requires:
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest (John 4:35).
When we over-dilute His time with secular activities, we replace God’s mission with ours. We choose our wisdom over His. It would be good for all of us to prayerfully review Matthew 6 on a regular basis. The passage is familiar to us: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Putting it into practice in every aspect of our lives is more difficult. The Greek word for ‘seek’ implies not only looking for something, but enquiring and going about or doing. This encompasses our whole life and being. The Greek word for ‘first’ is certain and unambiguous: it includes not only the thought of ‘at the beginning,’ and ‘first of all,’ but also the thought of ‘before,’ and ‘chiefly.’ Our work for our Savior should be all encompassing.
This does not exclude any sort of personal and family life, but rather includes these activities in our worship of and service to God. Like Christ Himself, as well as Paul and the martyrs listed and unlisted above, we need to strive through the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit to incorporate His will and power into every aspect of our lives. This will give impetus to our witness and assure His protection from spiritual effects of persecution.
In the upper room, Jesus told His disciples:
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26).
Today we move at a pace unknown at any time in history. Work and work-related travel often consume well over a third of our day. Running here and there for ‘essential’ activities to keep our family fed and clothed, participate in recreational activities, and with the leftover time, sleep, rule our lives. We have given over control to the calendar and clock. One of the most common and condemning comments in our churches today is “We don’t have time to go into that . . .” even when we feel the Spirit’s leading.
We have more information available than ever before. We know more about political doings, celebrity lives, and sporting events of all sorts than our parents ever imagined. We too often want to recreate Washington in our image, not evangelize our leaders. We complain about their behavior while we can’t wait to hear more, either for vicarious living, or self-righteous bigotry reminiscent of the Pharisees. TV time, the internet and cell phones consume prodigious amounts of time. Yet we know little of other Christians and the lives they lead around the world. As we rely on the ‘talking heads’ on TV to keep us informed of world events, we rely on our missionaries to take care of their flocks—we’ll send money as we feel led. Our knowledge of Scripture is more on the order of sound bites than holistic knowledge attained through dedicated prayerful study. Our witness is memorized script rather than allowing the situational leadership of the Holy Spirit. In our fear of failure, we seek our own knowledge instead of trusting the leadership of the Spirit.
Our emphasis is on recreation not re-creation.
Our time with God is carefully blocked out as time for devotions—usually a fixed segment of the day with little wiggle room to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us. We spend more time with the TV remote and cell phone than the Bible. We spend more time texting than praying. We feel persecuted when someone with a different view speaks out or not meet our standards. Meanwhile, Christians around the world continue to die for their faith, and our family, friends, and neighbors continue on their roads to Hell.
Persecution is objective, not subjective. Our biblical response is to be objective. Souls are the priority—ours, fellow Christians, and the lost. Our response to those who persecute us (or just irritate us) is to be as Jesus: Father forgive them . . . (Luke 23:34 excerpted) Thy will be done . . . (Matthew 6:10 excerpted).
Two lifestyles representing two worldviews are available to the Christian:
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, (2Timothy 2:2, 24). Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21)..
And, again:
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat (Hebrews 5:12).
Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6). Do you study to show (2 Timothy 2:15) yourself approved? Is the time you spend with the God of Creation, the Jesus of Salvation, and the Holy Spirit of Counsel and Comfort adequate to promote your growth as a mature Christian, receiving not only nurture (1 Corinthians 3:1-2, Hebrews 5:12-14), but direction in God’s individual plan for fulfillment of the your Commission? (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13, 2 Thessalonians 3:2-5).
Salvation is not just an initial experience, but a relationship. It is not about hours of study or service, checklists, or programs, but about developing a constantly growing personal relationship with the Lord. Jesus Himself directed us to be always in prayer (Luke 18:1, 21:36) Paul mentioned numerous times that he prayed for fellow Christians, seeking God’s blessings on their spiritual health and growth (Romans 1:9, Philippians 1:4, Colossians 1:3, 4:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, and Philemon 1:4).
Paul summed up the Christian lifestyle in Ephesians 6:10-20, admonishing us to be strong in the Lord and giving us the source of that strength in the power of His might. He then showed us the tools required to partake of that power, and gave us access to those tools. He ended with the goal—the result—of entering into that relationship with our Savior: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:10-20).
The end is a personal relationship with our Savior, growing as He would have us grow, drawing our strength from the Creator of all, worshiping Him with all of our beings and going where and as He would have us go, speaking boldly of our personal relationship with our God. All else is secondary.
Note: Much has happened in the world since I wrote this in April of 2015. If anything, the case is becoming more clear to the observant.