0706. Persecution

Persecution

"And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the Apostles" (Act_8:1).

Very early this spirit of persecution was aroused against the early Church. In the 4th chapter of Acts, following the healing of the lame man, and Peter’s remarkable address, Peter was cast into prison. This was the beginning of darkening days.

In Act_5:33, we read again of Peter’s testimony and how, when "they heard they were torn with rage and took council to slay them."

In the 7th of Acts, we have the first martyr of the faith, in this Church dispensation. Act_7:59 reads: "And they stoned Stephen, as he was praying, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Following the death of Stephen, came the great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem as set forth in our Key Verse. Following this, Saul, "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord," went to Damascus to arrest the believers.

The persecutor, however, himself, soon became (because of his salvation on the Damascus road) the persecuted, and we read in Act_13:50 : "But the Jews stirred up devout women of rank and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coast."

Paul early learned that to live Godly meant to suffer persecution. In Act_20:22-23, Paul said, "I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Spirit witnesseth in every city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me."

2Co_6:4-5 is in point. It reads thus: "But in all things proving ourselves to be God’s servants, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonment, in tumults."

Paul gives a resume of his persecutions in 2Co_11:24-26. "In prisons more frequently, in stripes beyond counting, in deaths oft. Of the Jews, five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods; once was I stoned.

Twenty centuries have revealed many changes in the tactics of the adversary, but it is still given unto us, "Not only to believe on Him but also to suffer for His sake." The persecutions which pursue the child of God may not in all localities take the same form as the persecutions of old, but as the age reaches its close, there will be many who will be slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. No one need doubt that it really costs something to go all the way with God.

To those who endure persecution, however, it is well to remember the comforting assurance of Rom_8:18 : "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." 2Ti_2:12 assures us: "If we suffer we shall also reign with Him."

Illustration: Forty martyrs were placed upon the ice and left to freeze. The guards, who were sheltered by improvised booths, had given word to the Christians that if any of them wished to recant, they could come to the booths and be sheltered. The night wore on, the thinly clad Christians, were rending the air with their songs, even as they suffered unto death. Finally one of the guards, who had dozed, had a vision. He saw above the forty martyrs, forty angels with forty crowns. As each martyr fell, he was acclaimed "Faithful unto death" and crowned with a crown of life. Suddenly the guard was roused from his vision. A Christian stood before him, trembling with fear, and saying, "I renounce my Lord." Quickly the guard threw him his heavy coat and said, "Fool, take my place. There were forty crowns for forty martyrs, I will take your place and die, and your crown shall be mine."

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR