Persecution

2 Timothy 3:12: Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

The idea of persecution, especially for Christians living in the modern West, strikes one as a foreign concept.  We are aware of state-sanctioned persecution in the Mid-East, Asia, Africa, etc., which is overt and physically deadly.  Yet, we in the West face a rising tide of persecution which has been building in a cultural sense for decades.  Why is there such a desire to persecute followers of Christ?  Are we just easy targets?  Doesn’t God understand what is happening?  Is this part of the plan for our lives?    For the Scriptural answer, we examine:

• Historical Context:  2 Timothy 1:1 identifies the author of the Book of 2 Timothy as the apostle Paul, written in approximately A.D. 67, shortly before the apostle Paul was put to death.  Imprisoned in Rome yet again, the apostle Paul felt lonely and abandoned. Paul recognized that his earthly life was likely coming to an end soon. The Book of 2 Timothy is essentially Paul’s “last words.” Paul looked past his own circumstances to express concern for the churches and specifically for Timothy. Paul wanted to use his last words to encourage Timothy, and all other believers, to persevere in faith (2 Timothy 3:14) and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 4:2).

• Grammatical Usage: “Yea” or “De” in the Greek means, “but…moreover”; “godly” or “Eusebos” means, “piously – reverence and devotion”; “persecute” or “Dioko” meaning, “in any way whatever to harass, trouble, molest, to be mistreated, suffer on account of something.”

• Literal Application: Moreover, because of this, all who desire to live a reverent and devoted life in Christ Jesus will be harassed, troubled, molested, mistreated, suffering due to your relationship with Him.
  
• Contextual Interpretation: According to 2 Timothy 3, there’s no doubt that persecution is a stark reality of living the Christian life. The apostle Paul warned us that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus told us to expect persecution from the world because if they persecuted Him, they will persecute His followers also. Jesus has made it very clear to us that those of the world will hate us because they hate Him. If Christians were like the world—vain, earthly, sensual, and given to pleasure, wealth, and ambition—the world would not oppose us. But Christians do not belong to the world which is why they hate and persecute us (John 15:18-19). Christians are, or should be, influenced by different convictions from those of the world. We are motivated by the love of God and holiness, while the world is driven by the love of sin. It is our very separation from the world that arouses the world’s animosity toward us. The world would prefer that we were like them; since we are not, they hate us (1 Peter 4:3-4).
  
  As faithful Christians, we must learn to recognize the value of persecution and even to rejoice in it, not in an ostentatious way, but quietly and humbly because persecution has great spiritual value. First, persecution allows us to share in a unique fellowship with our Lord. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul outlined a number of things he surrendered for the cause of Christ. Such losses, however, he viewed as “rubbish” (Philippians 3:8), or “dung” (KJV), that he might share in the “fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). The noble apostle even counted his chains as a grace (favor) which God had bestowed upon him (Philippians 1:7).
  
  Second, in all truth, persecution is good for us. James argues that trials (a) test our faith, (b) work or develop (endurance) in our lives, and (c) help develop maturity (James 1:2-4). For as steel is tempered in the flames of the forge, trials and persecution serve to hone down those rough edges that tarnish our character. Yielding graciously to persecution allows one to demonstrate that he is of a superior quality than his adversaries. It’s easy to be hateful, but an ugly disposition throws a light upon our human weakness. It is much more Christ-like to remain calm and to respond in kindness in the face of evil opposition. Without question this is a tremendous challenge, but we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us and the wonderful example of the Lord to encourage us. Peter says of Jesus, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).  We dare not forget Romans 12:19: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord,” not only for our comfort that, indeed, God knows and will – sooner or later – deal with the situation but also as this is His right, not ours.  We dare not take what is God’s lest we set ourselves as equal or superior.
  
  Third, persecution enables us to value the support of true friends. Conflict sometimes brings faithful children of God together in an encouraging and supportive way they might not have known otherwise. Hardship can stimulate the Lord’s people toward a greater resolve to love and comfort one another and lift one another to the throne of grace in prayer. There’s nothing like an unpleasant incident to help the more mature rise toward a greater level of brotherly love.

• Scriptural Comparison: For context, early Christianity began roughly 2,000 years ago, shortly after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Acts 11:26b says, “It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.” “Christians” means “Christ’s people.” Early Christianity consisted of a group of loosely connected local bodies of believers who gathered together on a regular basis, usually in each other’s homes to fellowship and worship together (Acts 16:15; 18:7; 21:8; Romans 16:5; Colossians 4:15). These churches generally had the organization of pastors, elders, and deacons within each individual congregation.
  
  This early New Testament church lived communally and often shared resources such as food and money (Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32-36). Their services consisted mainly of preaching (during which time they might also read letters from missionaries such as Paul) and the singing of songs. They took offerings to support the journeys of their missionaries, and they performed baptisms. Also, they celebrated the Lord’s Supper each time they gathered together.
  
  But, soon, early Christianity was challenged by Roman persecution. The majority of the persecution began with the great fire in Rome that destroyed much of the city and devastated the economy. In an attempt to absolve himself, the Roman Emperor Nero claimed it was the Christians who tried to destroy Rome and its pagan gods. From that point on, the Christians were blamed for many of the misfortunes befalling the Empire. Persecution and martyrdom was quick to follow. Because of this persecution, the Christians were forced to meet in the catacombs, which were long, dark galleries under the city of Rome. There they continued their meetings, baptisms, and even burials for their dead. As a result of the persecution, many of the early Christians were scattered throughout the Roman Empire, expediting the cause of evangelism and fulfilling the Lord’s commands to make disciples of all nations (Acts 8:1, 4-40; 11:19-26; Matthew 28:18-20).  Truly what was meant for evil, God turned for good! (Genesis 50:20).

Some trials believers may be called upon to endure:

• Persecution
  • “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” – Matthew 5:11

• Hatred
  • “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” – Matthew 10:22

• Loss of Life
  • “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” – Matthew 10:39

• Renunciation of Worldly Treasures
  • “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.” – Matthew 19:29

• Suffering
  • “…for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” – Acts 9:16

• Loss of Reputation
  • “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. “ – 1 Corinthians 4:10

• For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. “ – 2 Corinthians 4:5

• Death
  • “For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” – 2 Corinthians 4:11

• “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:10

• “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,” – Philippians 1:29

Because the early church was not focused on the maintenance of a church building, endless programs, and technology, they were able to concentrate on the study of God’s Word, service and dedication to one another, hospitality, benevolence, and missions (Romans 1:8; 15:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Acts 13:1-26:32). While programs and technology can make some of these things easier, the early church had a pure, simplistic approach. Compared to the structured organization of the church today, the early church looked more like the informal settings of one of our Bible studies or small groups.

Both early and contemporary Christianity have good and bad characteristics, and neither can be idealized. The positives which characterized the early church—a passion for Christ and His Word and a strong love for one another—are what we should strive to emulate in the contemporary church.

Conclusion: When we think about it seriously, God can move us forward, even in the face of antagonism.  We can thank God for His grace and for His patience with us. We can express gratitude for those whom we love in the Lord and who stand with us in times of distress. And we can pray for those who would accuse, misuse, or abuse us (2 Corinthians 11:24; Romans 10:1), ever mindful to whom we serve and how all-powerful, fair, just and intimately involved He truly is!