The Persecution of Christians

Gloria Bulaya,                                                  

Dr. Nicholas Kenton Johnson,

POS 374,

12/12/2016

Persecution in Biblical Standpoint

Introduction:

The persecution of Christians is rooted in our salvation. The first is for Christ, overcoming sin and death, which began in the fall. The second coming of Christ will visibly make all things new. Until then, the life of the Christian is marked by this tension. This suffering of the Church was prefigured by the suffering of God’s people in the Old Testament, from Abel through the prophets, leading to Herod’s pursuit of Jesus, reaching its high point in the murder of Jesus on the cross. Jesus’ death on the cross was as a substitute for our sins, making full payment; by his death Jesus was also our representative, calling us to follow him to suffer in order to fight against sin and the devil. Jesus described suffering as a normal part of discipleship. Not all suffer equally; not all are persecuted equally.

Sookhdeo, Patrick, (2005). The impact of the suffering of Christians, The persecuted church.

Patrick states that, “Christians must engage with their whole lives, including a readiness for suffering. Suffering is not just something that has to be endured passively, but it becomes a mode of the mission, a mission that is done in weakness, focusing on service, and by its nature is accompanied with sorrow and affliction. The precious gospel treasure comes in perishable containers, in our weak bodies, so that everyone can see that the light that shines in us is not our own but God’s”. (The persecuted church. 2005.)

 In general, suffering is the result of the sin of Adam. But this is not to say that all who are suffering are suffering as a result of their personal sins. Some suffer because of natural disasters, some because of sickness, physical deformities, and limitations, and some because of the social sins of humanity. God also put his disciplinary hand upon his sinning people.  

ICN (2006). Readiness to Suffer for Christ. A Pastoral Directive from the Second Ecumenical Congress of the International Christian Network 2006. Online: www.institutdiakrisis.de/PDEnglishVersion

 International Christian Network, (2006) explains that Christians suffer as a result of their foolish acceptance of Satan’s temptation to turn away from the Lord’s path.   Christians often suffer because of their resistance to Satan’s temptation and their steadfast disciples in the world. Christians suffer also when they have done nothing wrong, but simply because of their faithful obedience to Jesus Christ in this sinful world. Often suffering has been a mystery. The question asked through the ages “How can a good and just God allow suffering in the world?” can only be validly answered by whom God in Christ is for us and what he does for us. God himself is suffering because he loves and his love is rejected. He suffers because of the earthly suffering of the people he created, for their redemption, and because of the suffering of the people he has redeemed. His suffering is the result of his love. The suffering of God in Christ is the key to all suffering. (ICN 2006)

We should evaluate all suffering in the light of the suffering of God. The perception of the suffering of God will encompass influence on our thinking on the suffering of the church of Christ. True Christians who have gone through suffering do not regret this. Christian suffering is instructive and has retrospective, present and prospective purposes: it teaches us lessons from our past experience; it is a sign that we are God’s faithful children (Heb 12:5-6); and it purifies us in holiness in our future life of service. Christians suffer in sympathy with others who suffer and in the cause of attempting to remove the causes of suffering in response to the love command of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We suffer also because of our identity as disciples of Jesus Christ. If we take part in the sufferings of Jesus Christ, we will share in his glory in the future. This suffering is not always detrimental, but may be beneficial to oneself, to one’s neighbor, and to the cause of the kingdom of God. The church is expected to complete her diaconal work with the same perspective as her Lord, who, having loved his own loved them to the full extent of giving his life for them (John 13:1-3).

Johnson, Todd M & Ross R Kenneth (2009.) Atlas of Global Christianity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

 According to Johnson, Todd M & Ross R Kenneth, “The reality of suffering in the world calls every Christian to the task of seeking to reduce suffering and to remove the causes of suffering, both individually and socially. If our personal suffering is because of something that we have or have not done, or it is self-inflicted, we have to repent. If our societal suffering is a result of our negative action or neglect of God’s principles of stewardship and justice, we must repent.” (Johnson, Todd M & Ross R Kenneth (2009.). As Christians, we are called to work for justice, both personal and social, for the preservation of the planet naturally, for a better life for all of God’s creatures in short, for kingdom values (Heb 13:16). We need to harness all available resources in the fight against suffering until God himself removes all suffering. The church will be able to serve faithfully unto death only if she knows she is going to pass from this world to the Father and that her ‘present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed…’ (Rom 8:18).