Faith in the Midst of Persecution // Moriah Nelson
In Matthew 5-7, we see that Christianity is a religion of humility and peace. Jesus commands His followers to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) and to treat others are they want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).
The Church is also called to live subjected to the human authority God has placed over them and live according to their national law (Romans 13:1-7).
Even though this should sound positive to any leader of a nation which has a large Christian population, the growth of the early Church was annoying to the Jewish leaders (Acts 4:1-2; 17:5) and imposing to the Romans (Acts 17:7-8).
When facing persecution, Christians are to bless those who are persecuting them (Romans 12:14) and to live at peace with even their enemies (Romans 12:18). From the world’s perspective, this is a bizarre way to ask someone to live. The martyr Romanus is an incredibly example of the early Church’s attitude towards persecution. This quote from Eusebius’s The Martyrs of Palestine stood out to me: “But he [Romanus] endured this with fortitude and showed to all by his deeds that the Divine Power is present with those who endure any hardship whatever for the sake of religion lightening their sufferings and strengthening their zeal.”
If the Church was living according to Jesus’s commands, they would have built a reputation of honesty and love. The Romans were conflicted in their executions of the Christians, especially who claimed to live a life of love but that didn’t stop the persecution. It is interesting to note that the Roman civil war ended when peace was shown towards the Church. The early Christian Church created a stir in both the Roman and Jewish societies as their ideals clashed and challenged the governments’ leaders and yet as they strived after lifestyles of peace, they were still persecuted. As believers, we were never told, “if you are persecuted”. Rather, we were told, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matthew 5:11). So, we must learn from the first Christians who were persecuted in Rome and seek the faith they had to be so steadfast when we encounter our own persecution.
I commented on Will and Zelda's posts.
I commented on Will and Zelda's posts.
I'm always challenged when I read accounts of persecution in the early church. Our daily struggles are nothing compared to what they went through. Sometimes I wonder what I would do if I were in their shoes. Would I cheerfully accept torture in the name of Christ? Or would I recant in the face of opposition?
ReplyDeleteHow minuscule do our problems seem when compared to stories like this! The lives and deaths of martyrs like Romanus always make me feel like a sub-par Christian somehow. We live in this country with freedom of religion and don't face any real problems for our beliefs besides a few ended relationships and the judgement of certain peers (which is in no way comparable to large-scale persecution like that of the early Church). But even in these easy circumstances, we so take for granted our ability to minister. If men like Romanus can die for Christ, that should inspire us so much more to end our complacency in ministry and reach out to the lost with urgency. After all, He died for us. The least we can do is tell the world.
ReplyDeleteThe persecution the early Church faced is something I can't seem to wrap my head around at times, I can honestly say I'm frightened by the possibility that at facing what they did I might be too fearful and recant, something I definitely struggle with. But it also makes us look at the own persecution faced in our own society, which tends to be more social then physical or torturous in America, and helps us hold onto our faith by saying 'Christians have undergone so much in the name of God, so I can undertake a little of being a bit of an outcast.' Stories of strength aren't meant to shame us, but to inspire us to keep undergoing what we do in the name of the Lord.
ReplyDeletePersecution is always difficult to approach and think about. We as Christians are called to share the gospel and be kind to others regardless of the severity of persecution we experience. This is humbling as even imagining myself being put through such torture is difficult. However, these acts bring me a great awareness of my blessed condition. I am beyond thankful that my tongue has not been cut off, or that I haven't been threatened to be stoned to death. Further, these martyrs remind us of the power of the Holy Spirit that we often neglect , and serve as examples of true followers of Christ.
ReplyDeleteJesus began his sermons with words that seem to contradict each other. After all, no one would think that someone facing persecution or death was "blessed" - in favor with God. But God's way of living usually contradicts the world's way. He wants his people to give when others take, love when others hate, to help when others abuse.
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