Persecution

This is another of Wayne Jackson's articles. It appeared in the June 1975 edition of The Christian Courier. It was published by the East Main Street Church of Christ in Stockton, California and edited by Jackson.

In His illustrious Sermon on the Mount the beloved Christ proclaimed: "Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in Heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12) At least four prominent truths are here set forth: (a) Persecution has been the historical lot of those who served Jehovah; (b) Similarly, followers of Christ definitely will be persecuted; (c) Persecution for the right cause can be a source of contentment; and (d) Those who endure under persecution will have great reward in Heaven.

(A) HISTORICAL PERSECUTION - The Lord encourages His people to rejoice when they are wrongly persecuted for they are, so to speak, in good company; the prophets were likewise abused. The Old Testament is stained from cover to cover with the blood of the faithful. This very point is made in Matthew 23:35 when Christ informed the Jewish leaders that they were heirs of those who shed the righteous blood of all those Old Testament worthies from Abel to Zachariah. According to the arrangement of the books of the Hebrew Bible, the accounts of Abel and Zachariah's murders occur in the first (Genesis 4:8ff) and the last (II Chronicles 24:20-21) sections. Cain slew Abel, Ishmael persecuted Isaac, Joseph was sold into slavery, Daniel was cast into the lions' den and the three Hebrews lads into the furnace of fire, Jeremiah was abused, etc. The writer of Hebrews well sums it up when he says they, "had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment; they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill treated (of whom the world was not worthy) wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and in the holes of the earth." (Hebrews 11:36-38) Truly, persecution has been the common lot of those who stood with God.

(B) THE PROMISE OF PERSECUTION - The Lord did not say, "Blessed are ye IF men shall reproach you..." rather, "...WHEN men shall reproach you..." Ill treatment is the inevitable result of discipleship. Though there are innumerable blessings connected with the Christian life, they have persecutions as a companion. (Mark 10:30) Jesus sought to inoculate against a slavish dread of persecution when He said, "And are not afraid of them that kill the body..." (Matthew 10:28) Moreover, Paul was crystal clear about the fact that "all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (II Timothy 3:12)

Persecution is manifested in a variety of ugly ways. Sometimes it is merely verbal. For example, God haters may "say all manner of evil against you falsely" simply because your life is different. Or one may be subjected to crude slurs, as when the Jews said of Christ, "Thou art a Samaritan (a racial dig) and hast a demon (in league with Satan)." (John 8:48) In countries that have not been leavened with the influence of Christianity, persecution may take the form of imprisonment (Cf. Acts 5:18), beatings (Acts 16:23), or even death (Acts 12:1). There is therefore, good reason for the abundance of New Testament material encouraging us to patiently endure under trials and tribulations. (Cf. James, II Peter)

(C) VALID PERSECUTION - There is no virtue in persecution per se. There is genuine blessedness only when affliction is for "righteousness' sake." Peter admonished: "Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters; but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name." (I Peter 4:15-16) Frequently such religionists as the Watch Tower Witnesses find themselves being treated harshly due to their own bungling approaches, and when such occurs, how they love to testify of their "persecution" at Kingdom Hall assemblies! When one sows in stupidity, he may reap in severity! But why were those early disciples so maligned? The following reasons are suggested for consideration.

     1. The exclusive nature of Christianity brought upon those early saints the wrath of their contemporaries. It was not that ancient society was opposed to another religion; far from it. The Romans even erected temples for foreign gods to encourage trade from afar, and their own deities numbered in the hundreds. The one thing they would not tolerate was a religion that demanded ONE WAY. As Lewis observes, "It was an act of disloyalty for a citizen of the Empire to embrace a religion that ran counter to every other religion." (Hastings' Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, II, p.179.) Early Christians simply would not have "the faith" counted as one among others of equal worth. And when loyal disciples of today dare to suggest that Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism, etc., are not components of the "one faith" (Ephesians 4:5) they are likewise abused.

     2. When the early church repudiated the notion of many gods they were dubbed "atheists" and were thus blamed for every misfortune that descended upon the Empire. Tertullian wrote: "They think the Christians to blame for every public calamity, for every loss that afflicts the people. If the Tiber rises to the walls, if the Nile does not rise over the fields, if the sky gives no rain, if the earth quakes, if there is famine or plague, immediately the shout is raised, 'To the lions with the Christians!'" (Apology, p. 40)

     3. First century Christians were considered anti-social. One must understand that both idolatry and immorality were virtually interwoven into the fabric of ancient culture. Pagan rites, fornication, drunkenness, etc., were part and parcel of everyday life. Those who obeyed the gospel would of course, have to abandon such a wanton way of living. Naturally, this might lead to the severing of some relationships, for children of God were to have no participation in such things, but rather they were to reprove them. (Ephesians 5:11) Such deportment was bound to raise the ire of their neighbors. Hence, Peter said that those who live in "lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries" will "think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." (I Peter 4:3-4) And how often today it is practically the same. The man who will not have "a little drink with the boys" is some sort of "religious do-gooder" and the Christian who will not listen to a vulgar joke is a "church nut."

     4. Christians were thought to be disloyal to the government. Though the followers of Christ acknowledged that they were in subjection to governmental authorities and thus, rendered both respect and tribute to them, they nevertheless refrained from active involvement in government. The historian Gibbon declares: "But while they inculcated the maxims of passive obedience, they refused to take any active part in the civil administration or the military defense of the empire." (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, I, p. 416.) Undoubtedly this was partially because of Rome's deep involvement in idolatry, but it is equally certain that the disciples of the Prince of Peace recognized that they had a higher calling than the mundane affairs of human politics. (II Corinthians 10:3-6)

(D) THE VALUE OF PERSECUTION - There are genuine blessings to be derived from the blood stained way. Though we naturally recoil when thinking of persecution, realistically we must acknowledge its spiritual worth. First, persecution of the saints has frequently resulted in an explosive growth of the church. When that "great persecution" arose against the Jerusalem brethren, Christians were scattered abroad and went forth proclaiming the word. (Acts 8:1-4) Second, tribulation has a purifying effect upon the church. Jesus foretold that shallow disciples would be separated by persecution. (Matthew 13:6, 21) The fire of affliction refines the pure ore from the dross. (Job 23:10; I Peter 1:6-7) Third, as the flame of the forge tempers metal, so adversity strengthens the soul. An index to the remarkable character of Paul is revealed when he says: "Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong." (II Corinthians 12:10) Fourth, as touched upon earlier, persecution gives us a sense of history; the prophets, apostles, etc., were abused. Shall we, in the words of an old hymn be carried to the skies on beds of flowery ease when others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas? Finally, our blessed Lord clearly promised that those who endure such calamities as result from discipleship will have great reward in Heaven. When we are persecuted, let us rejoice and take comfort in the words of Paul who confidently declared that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)