Religious persecution is one of the oldest and most persistent manifestations of egocentric human nature.
From the records of dimmest antiquity come atrocious horror stories of the dedicated viciousness with which one racial or religious group pursued its goal of exterminating or “converting” members of a different group.
Most of the wars in history have started directly or indirectly as a result of religious zeal.
Ancient Babylonians, heathen worshipers of Baal, sought to exterminate the Israelites, who were worshipers of Jehovah.
Centuries later, a torrent of fervent Moslems, screaming jihad (holy war) soaked the land from the sands of the Arabian peninsula to the gates of Vienna with the blood of “infidels” who refused to acknowledge “Allah.”
Trying to overthrow Islamic power in the region, British and Northern Europeans launched a decades-long series of “crusades” in which “professing Christians” met scimitar with Sheffield steel, wielded with two hands and shaped like a cross.
From the days of the ancient Roman emperors to the time of the Spanish Inquisition, countless millions of human be-ings from one end of the earth to the other had been stabbed, bludgeoned, skinned alive, burnt at the stake, cudgeled, boiled in oil, impaled, thrown to lions, skewered, dashed to bits, torn asunder, starved to death, shot with arrows and subjected to every conceivable fiendish form of torture de-vised by perverted human minds.
All this, of course, in the name of “religion.”
Christ Foretold Persecution
The birth of God’s true church revolved entirely around persecution. The central figure of the Bible is Jesus Christ of Nazareth; His birth, life and ministry –– the gospel message He brought, His betrayal, illegal murder and resurrection.
Thus, the Church of God found its birth in the joyous good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, following a hideous nightmare of bloody violence!
Soon, the early apostles found themselves in similar circumstances. James, John’s brother and the son of Zebedee, was murdered. Stephen was stoned to death.
Saul of Tarsus, a participant in Stephen’s death, was armed with letters of authority allowing him to haul men and women alike into prison, and was a self-admitted torturer of these hapless souls. Saul was struck down on the road to Damascus, became deeply converted and went on to become the best known apostle of all time, one who wrote 14 books of the New Testament.
Tradition says Peter was crucified upside down.
True to Jesus Christ’s own predictions, the early new Testament church suffered horrifying persecutions of every description.
Jesus had said they would be whipped “in the syna-gogues,’’ and would be driven from one city to another. The book of Acts is largely an account of the sufferings and tribulations of the struggling New Testament church as it endured untold persecutions.
But why persecution?
Jesus assured them that if He, the Son of God and the Son of Man, had suffered persecution, so would His Disciples –– so would anyone who would follow exactly in His foot-steps!
Peter wrote, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
“If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.
“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf’’ (I Peter 4:12-16).
The entire thrust of this passage of Scripture is concerned with the true Christian being persecuted for the sake of his belief, for the sake of the name of Christ, and not for the remotest hint of any wrongdoing on his part!
The clearest example of this brand of persecution is seen in the New Testament itself!
The early apostles and men such as Stephen who were martyred for the cause of Jesus Christ were not hauled before magistrates on various civil or criminal charges! Rather, they were be-set upon by screaming religious mobs, or directly persecuted at the behest of a puppet religious government.
By the time of the infamous persecutions of Emperor Nero, the scene had changed.
There is strong reason to suspect that many of the suffering Christians of Rome brought their sufferings upon themselves by a contemptuous attitude toward others in society; that some may have adopted the attitude of those in the 1960s in America who would gleefully clap their hands together and shout, “Burn, baby, burn!” as conflagrations set by arsonists devoured whole neighborhoods!
If this was, indeed, the manner in which these early Christians greeted the burning of Rome, there may be reason to suspect the terrible persecutions heaped upon them were caused, in part, by their own ill-advised action.
God’s Word is very clear that the true Christian is to be persecuted for one reason only! That reason is his deep, personal, spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and his fervent determination to live the way of life taught by Jesus!
Jesus Christ Himself made it very clear that when one runs afoul of civil authority, he will suffer the conse-quences for his actions!
He taught, “Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing” (Matthew 5:25, 26).
Obviously, Jesus shows that the adversary has a point. If the Christian has actually committed some offense which could bring about arrest, trial and imprisonment, then Christ’s advice is to somehow make restitution, beg forgiveness, make amends –– and settle the matter before this “adversary” causes the arrest!
If the Christian fails in this regard, Jesus clearly states his punishable of-fense will in no wise be mitigated by Christian forgiveness. It is completely separate from the whole subject of forgiveness of sin!
Therefore, Jesus showed that, even though the offending person might cry out to God for forgiveness spiritually, he will nevertheless remain in prison until he has “paid the uttermost far-thing,” meaning paid whatever penalty is prescribed by law!
Unfortunately, many who claim “persecution” are hiding behind this charge in order to cover up evil!
Jim Jones screamed persecution when he took his band of loyal followers to Guyana, and eventually to their deaths! He ranted and raved that he could not live free from persecution inside the United States.
Subsequent events have proved there was great cause for constituted officials to look into Jim Jones’ organization.
The clear message of Jesus Christ to the true Christian is this: It is true you can expect persecution. Just make sure whatever persecution comes your way is never precipitated by you, and that you always take it humbly and endure it to the very end, knowing that if it is for the sake of Jesus Christ and His work you will receive a great blessing!
