Doctrine of Persecutions
Bruce stated, “The Lord who
was personally persecuted on earth continued to be persecuted, even in His
exaltation, in the person of His persecuted followers. Their
being persecuted for His sake was a sign that they belonged to Him, as it was a
token of coming judgment on their persecutors” (Bruce, p.313).
I. Definition:
A. English Definition
1.
To oppress or harass with ill-treatment.
2.
To treat someone extremely badly, or to refuse them
equal rights, especially because of their race, religion, or political beliefs.
3.
To frequently or persistently annoy or threaten someone, even of death.
B. From a Biblical
perspective.
1. The hatred and affliction that follows the witness and
holy life of God’s people in a hostile world.
2.
From the moment of salvation, every believer, regardless of age or sex,
regardless of status in life, is in the midst of a great spiritual conflict,
which we call the Angelic Conflict. The creation of man is the result of this
conflict, which has existed since some time in eternity past. It is a conflict
in which the fallen angels are pitted against God, against the elect angels and
against believers.
3.
The Church Age in which we now live is unique. It is the age in which Jesus
Christ as the God-Man is glorified: He is seated at the right hand of the
Father in His resurrection body, as far as His humanity is concerned (His deity
was always glorified), and therefore, the angelic conflict has shifted gears.
Until the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ, it was the
intent of the fallen angels to frustrate (persecute) the incarnation of Christ
and to thwart the dissemination of information regarding Him. Since Christ did
go to the Cross and is now glorified, the former purpose has changed. Every
believer is now the target in the Angelic Conflict, which has greatly
intensified. In fact, the New Testament uses actual warfare as a basis for
illustrating the great spiritual battle in which we find ourselves,
II. Etymology
A. Greek:
1. The Greek noun DIOGMOS -
äéùãìüò means “persecution” in Mat 13:21,
2. Its root word is DIOKO that means “to put to flight, or pursue” and by
implication means persecution. It is used for:
a. Persecute
in Mat 5:11, 44;
b. Persecuted in Mat
c. Persecuting in
B. Hebrew
2. The Hebrew equivalent to
DIOGMOS is MURDAPH - ócŸøŠîË and is used in
2. Its root word RADAPH - óãžøˆ which
means “to pursue, chase, or persecute”
is equivalent to the Greek word DIOKO. RADAPH is used for:
a. Persecute, in
b. Persecuted in
III. Persecution in the Old Testament Times
A. The
New Testament has many warnings regarding persecutions for Church Age
believers. At the same time our Lord and the writers of the New Testament spoke
of the persecutions of Old Testament saints as well, as did Isaiah and the
Psalmists. Jesus said to the Pharisees that innocent blood had been shed in
those times, and that they were showing themselves heirs, (to use a legal
phrase), to their fathers who had persecuted the righteous, “from the blood of
Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah”, Mat
That Zachariah is not the
prophet Zechariah who wrote the O.T. book of Zechariah, but is another whose
murder is recorded in 2 Chron 24:20-22. In the Hebrew Bible Genesis is the
first book and recorded the first murder, Abel’s, and 2 Chronicles is the last
book that records Zechariah’s murder. Therefore, Christ is saying from the
first to the last murder (persecution) in the Bible.
B. In
C. The concept of persecution
is prevalent throughout the Old Testament. The writer of Hebrews listed many
individuals who suffered persecution: Again Abel, at the hands of Cain; Joseph
by his brothers; David by Saul. Elijah was forced to flee for his life,
D. As a nation,
IV.
Persecutions in the period between the close of the Old Testament and the
coming of Christ.
A. Believing Jews endured persecutions during this
period because of their refusal to embrace idolatry, and of their faithfulness
to the Mosaic Law and the true worship of God. During that time there were many
who were true martyrs and heroes of faith. For example:
1. As noted above, the Maccabees
were among those who were as Daniel stated in Dan 11:32, “The people who know their
God will display strength and take action.”
2. Jonathan the Jewish high
priest said, “We have no need of human help having for our comfort the sacred
Scriptures which are in our hands”, 1 Macc 12:9.
3. In the Epistle to the
Hebrews, persecutions during the Jewish Dispensation are summed up in
V. Persecutions of the New Testament.
A. As we noted above, in the New
Testament DIOKO is most often used to mean “persecute.” It is a consistent
theme in the New Testament. Jesus met with persecution,
B. Also the word DIOGMOS consistently means “religious
persecution.” Mark notes that DIOGMOS comes DIA TON LOGON, “because of the
Word”,
C. Other examples include:
1.
John the Baptist was thrown into prison and subsequently beheaded, Mat 14:3f.
2.
Jesus Christ as a young child was threatened with persecution in all its
intensity, Mat 2.
3.
Throughout His ministry Jesus showed an awareness of His own demise, Mat
VI.
Persecutions foretold by Christ.
A. Persecution was frequently foretold by Christ, as
certain to come to those who were His true disciples and followers. He
forewarned them again and again that it was inevitable.
1.
Before His death Jesus warned the disciples that they too would be persecuted
if they continued to follow Him, Mat 5:10f;
2.
He told them they would be:
a. Hated, Mat 24:9;
b. Mocked, and spoken evil of, Mat 5:11,
c. Ill-treated, Mat 24:9,
d. Brought into court, Mat 10:17f;
e. Excluded from the synagogues,
f. Murdered, Mat
3. All of this would take
place for Jesus’ sake, Mat
4. During His
incarnation Jesus told the disciples more than once that they would be
persecuted for following him,
Mat
Mat
5. He said that He Himself
must suffer persecution, Mat 16:21;
B. Paul also taught such
warnings with encouragement in,
VII. Various Forms of Persecution in the Early Church.
A. Persecutions would take different forms in the
B. The early Church was primarily persecuted by the
established religion of Jewish Sadducees and Pharisees,
C. As Christianity expanded beyond the
D. The methods of persecution employed by the Jews,
and also by the heathen against the followers of Christ, included:
1. Men would revile them
and would say all kinds of evil against them falsely, for Christ’s sake, Mat
5:11.
2. Contempt and
disparagement, Mat
Mat
3. Based solely on the fact
of their loyalty to Christ, they were forcibly separated from the company and
the society of others, and expelled from the synagogues or other assemblies for the worship of God,
4. Illegal arrest and
plundering of goods, and death itself.
5. In the case of Christ
Himself, persecution took the form of:
a. Attempts to entrap
Him in His speech, Mat 22:15,
b. The questioning of
His authority,
c. Illegal arrest,
d. Every insult
imaginable towards Him especially as a prisoner, false accusations, and a
violent and most cruel death.
6. Remember that the slave
is not greater than his master, as He suffered these things so too will His
disciples.
B. All these various methods, used by the persecutors,
were foretold, and all came to pass. It was the fear of apprehension and death
that led the eleven disciples to forsake Jesus in
Mat
VIII. Persecutions were primarily instigated by the
legalistic Jews in the early Church.
A. After our Lord’s resurrection the first attacks
against His disciples came from the high priest and his party. The
high-priesthood was then in the hands of the Sadducees, and one reason which
moved them to take action of this kind was their “being greatly troubled”,
because the apostles “proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead”,
The old joke says that they got their name because
they did not believe in life after death which is “sad you see,” (sadd-u-cee).
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, states,
“The gospel based upon the resurrection of Christ was evidence of the falsehood
of the chief doctrines held by the Sadducees, for they held that there is no
resurrection. But instead of yielding to the evidence of the fact that the
resurrection had taken place, they opposed and denied it, and persecuted His
disciples. For a time the Pharisees were more moderate in their attitude toward
the Christian faith, as is shown in the case of Gamaliel,
B. In the case of Stephen: a serious persecution of the
Christian church began with the stoning to death of Stephen,
1. This “great
persecution”,
2. At this time Saul (who
later became Paul) established himself amongst the Pharisees and Sadducees by
his great works in persecuting “this Way to the death, binding and putting both
men and women into prisons”,
C. The Apostles, James and
Peter: One by one the apostles were put to death, the first of the apostles to
suffer martyrdom was James the brother of John, who was slain with the sword by
Herod Agrippa,
IX. Gentile
Persecutions:
A. During the period covered by the Acts there
was not much purely Gentile persecution: at that time the persecution suffered
by the Christian church was chiefly Jewish as noted above. There were, however,
great dangers and risks encountered by the apostles and by all who proclaimed
the gospel then.
B. At Philippi, Paul and Silas were cruelly
persecuted,
C. During Paul’s life, for the most part, the
Roman authorities were not actively hostile. The threat of Christianity was
still to miniscule in their eyes to bother with.
D. The Persecutions of Nero. His full name Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the Roman Emperor
from 54 AD to 68 AD. During his reign as Emperor of Rome the legal decisions
which were favorable to the Christian faith were soon overturned following the
great fire in
E. Persecution in
1.
At
2.
At
3.
At
4.
At
5.
There is no distinct mention of persecution having taken place in
F. The
1.“For 200 years, to become
a Christian meant the great renunciation, the joining a despised and persecuted
sect, the swimming against the tide of popular prejudice, the coming under the
ban of the Empire, the possibility at any moment of imprisonment and death
under its most fearful forms. For 200 years the followers of Christ would count
the cost, and be prepared to pay the same with his liberty and life. For 200
years the mere profession of Christianity was itself a crime. The Latin phrase
CHIRSTIANUS SUM was almost the one plea for which there was no forgiveness, in
itself all that was necessary as a ‘title’ on the back of the condemned. He who
made it was allowed neither to present apology, nor call in the aid of a
pleader. ‘Public hatred,’ writes Tertullian, ‘asks but one thing, and that not
investigation into the crimes charged, but simply the confession of the
Christian name.’ For the name itself in periods of stress, not a few, meant the
rack, the blazing shirt of pitch, the lion, the panther, or in the case of
maidens an infamy worse than death” (Workman, 103).
2. With the exception of
such instances as those of Nero and Domitian, there is the surprising fact that
it was not the worst emperors, but the best, who became the most violent
persecutors. One reason was that the ability of those emperors led them to see
that the religion of Christ is really a divisive factor in any kingdom in which
civil government and pagan religion are indissolubly bound up together. The
more that such a ruler was intent on preserving the unity of the empire, the
more would be persecute the Christian faith. Hence, among the rulers who were
persecutors, there are the names of Antoninus Pius. Marcus Aurelius the philosopher-emperor, and Septimius Severus (died at
3. Pliny a proconsul of
4. Under Trajan’s
successor, the emperor Hadrian, the lot of the Christians was full of
uncertainty: persecution might break out at any moment. At the best Hadrian’s
regime was only that of unauthorized toleration.
5. The Decian Persecutions:
The persecution inaugurated by the emperor Decius in 250 AD was particularly
severe. There was hardly a province in the empire where there were no martyrs;
but there were also many who abandoned their faith and rushed to the
magistrates to obtain their “LIBELLI”, or certificates that they had offered
heathen sacrifice. When the days of persecution were over, these persons
usually came with eagerness to seek readmission to the church. It was in the
Decian persecution that the great theologian Origen, who was then in his 68th
year, suffered the cruel torture of the rack; and from the effects of what he
then suffered he died at
6. Other persecutions
during the reign of Roman Emperors noted in Fox’s Book of Martyrs include:
a. Domitian, A.D. 81
b. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, A.D. 162
c.
Severus, A.D. 192 (Severus, having been
recovered from a severe fit of sickness by a Christian, became a great favorer
of the Christians in general; but the prejudice and fury of the ignorant
multitude prevailing, obsolete laws were put in execution against the
Christians.)
d. During the reign of Maximus, in A.D. 235 there was in
e. Valerian, A.D. 257
f.
Aurelian, A.D. 274
g.
Diocletian, A.D. 303
7. Persecution in the Army:
Service in the Roman army involved, for a Christian, increasing danger in the
midst of an organized and aggressive heathenism. As a result there arose the
persecution of the Christian soldier who refused compliance with the idolatrous
ceremonies in which the army engaged, whether those ceremonies were concerned
with the worship of the Roman deities or with that of Mithraism. “The
invincible savior,” as Mithra was called, had become, at the time when
Tertullian and Origen wrote, the special deity of soldiers. Shrines in honor of
Mithra were erected through the entire breadth of the
8. “The Third Race”: The strange title, “the third race,” probably
invented by the heathen, but willingly accepted by the Christians without
demur, showed with what a bitter spirit the heathen regarded the faith of
Christ. “The first race” was indifferently called the Roman, Greek, or Gentile.
“The second race” was the Jews; while “the third race” was the Christian, who
were called by God a new creation, (a new spiritual species),
9. Tertullian’s Apology:
Tertullian, in an oftentimes quoted passage in his “Apology,” writes, “We live beside you in the world, making use
of the same forum, market, bath, shop, inn, and all other places of trade. We
sail with you, fight shoulder to shoulder, till the soil, and traffic with
you”; yet the very existence of Christian faith, and its profession, continued
to bring the greatest risks. “With the best will in the world, they remained a
peculiar people, who must be prepared at any moment to meet the storm of
hatred” (Workman, 189). For them it remained true that in one way or another,
hatred on the part of the world inevitably fell to the lot of those who walked
in the footsteps of the Master; “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted.”,
10. The Edict of
X. Persecutions are part of Satan’s Cosmic System. The anti-Christian principles of the world’s system
clearly clash with the values and morality of God-fearing Christians. As evil
men and wickedness increase, persecution will not lessen but will come to a
climax during the reign of the Antichrist. The Book of Revelation foretells in
some detail the persecutions which are yet to come.
XI. The Failure of
Persecutions: Even though there were
tremendous persecutions against the believers of the Church in its first 300
years, instead of abolishing the name of Christ, as the persecutors vainly
imagined they had succeeded in doing, it actually became a catalyst for the
growth of the Body of Christ. Those who sought to exterminate Christians and
eradicate Christianity were unwittingly advancing the message of Christ.
Satan’s efforts to destroy the church by
violence were a failure because Jesus had warned his disciples ahead of time
and they chose to believe the words of their Master. As Christ’s faithful were
slain and fell at their posts, others sprang up to take their place. By
seemingly individual defeat, the Christian movement conquered. God’s workmen
were slain, but His work went steadily forward. The gospel continued to spread
and the numbers of its adherents continued to increase. With the Edict of Milan, as noted above, what was once
cruelly persecuted by the Roman Empire actually became the standard for
religious worship in the previously pagan Empire. Satan’s attack had failed.
How did this occur? By the witness of each individual
who suffered under these persecutions. The witness of their words and lives
spoke volumes to their persecutors and those who witnessed their persecutions.
For example, Paul and Silas had this impact during their persecution and
deliverance at
The sufferings
which the Christians endured brought them closer to one another and to Christ.
Their living example and dying testimony were a constant witness to the truth.
Even many of the followers of Satan were leaving their service to him and began
enlisting under the banner of Christ.
XII.
Persecution should not cause the disciple of Christ to lose courage.
1. Having the great example of the early Church with the
triumph their persecutions brought about in bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
to the entire world, should give us today great courage and commitment to
continue fighting the good fight of faith,
2. We must never under estimate the impact we have when
preserving through undeserved suffering for blessing.
3. We must also have the attitude which was in Christ Jesus
and the martyrs of the early Church; that our physical lives are but a small
price to pay for the gift of eternal life for another.
4. That
is the mental attitude of the disciple who is able to fulfill
a. Paul had this mental attitude,
5.
The Bible teaches that persecution should not cause the disciple of Christ to
lose courage. It is not a thing to be feared or to be incessantly worried
about.
6.
As we have seen in our study of the various persecutions the early Church
endured, patient endurance in times of persecution is in fact the proof of
genuine discipleship. For example:
a. Moses, “choosing rather to endure ill-treatment
with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin”,
b. Timothy was
exhorted to, “be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an
evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
7.
Persecution is a test of true discipleship.
a. Those whose commitment to Christ is shallow will
falter when persecution arises, Mat 13:20-21.
Mat 13:20-21,
“The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears
the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm
root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or
persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”
b. Yet those who endure persecution show their true
faith in Christ and their spiritual relationship with past heroes of the faith,
Mat 5:12; 2 Thes 1:4-5.
Mat
2 Thes 1:4-5, “Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly
of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst
of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. 5This
is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be
considered worthy of the
c. Those that persevere through undeserved suffering
will have tremendous Divine Good production to show for it, Mat 13:23.
Mat 13:23, “And the one on whom seed was
sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it;
who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and
some thirty.”
8. As a result, your good of intrinsic value will have a
great return with rich blessings for time and eternal rewards, Mat 5:10-12a;
Mat 5:10-12a, “Blessed are those who have
been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of
9. Therefore, you should
not fear persecution but persevere under persecution, even to the point of
praying for those who bring persecution against you, Mat 5:44-48;
Luke 23:34; Acts 7:59.
As Jesus said in
As Stephen said in
R.B. Theime stated, “Billions
and billions of years ago in eternity past, God knew about every need believers
would have at every stage of this intensified conflict. He knew we would live
in a very difficult period of our own national history, as well as in the
spiritual history of mankind. He knew about the dramatic rise of Communism with
its anti-doctrinal aspects. He knew about the internal disintegration of our
nation through drugs, the rise of theological liberalism, and the failure to
recognize Divine laws relative to police and military activities; He knew that
confusion with regard to the gospel would result from the Satanic
utilization of those who choose ecstatic and emotional criteria rather than
Bible doctrine as their modus operandi. Furthermore, He knew that, as
individuals’, we would have to face national crises, personal crises and local
church crises, and that we would encounter an accumulation of pressures at any
point where His Word might be revealed. Accordingly, God’s provision for every
believer in this Dispensation of the Church is phenomenal.”
Persecution made Christ very near and very precious to
those who suffered. Many of the martyrs bore witness, even when in the midst of
the most cruel torments, that they felt no pain, but that Christ was with them.
Instances to this effect could be multiplied. Persecution made them feel how
true Christ’s words were, that even as He was not of the world, so they also
were not of it. If they had been of the world, the world would love its own,
but because Christ had chosen them out of the world, therefore the world hated
them. They were not greater than their Lord. If men had persecuted Jesus, they
would also persecute His true disciples. But though they were persecuted, they
were of good cheer, Christ had overcome the world; He was with them; He enabled
them to be faithful unto death. He had promised them the crown of life. And He
does the same for you and me today when we patiently endure to the end.