I’m Weldon Langfield. Thank you for viewing. When I’ve asked classes what “persecution” means, most answer that it is physical, such as burning down places of worship, torturing or killing Christians, or confiscating their possessions. Persecution is inevitable for every single disciple of Christ. Jesus promised in John 15:20, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” God’s son was persecuted throughout his ministry, finally to the to the point of death by crucifixion. We will be, too.
Forms of Persecution in the New Testament Church
When believers who sincerely worship according to their convictions are called “selfish,” they are being persecuted by slander. Threats are persecution. Acts 9:1 declares, “Saul (later known as the Apostle Paul), still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord…” Bearing false witness was the persecution technique used to convict Christ (Matt. 26:60). Ridicule is yet another manifestation. Matthew 27:29 says, “They put… [a crown of thorns] …on …[Jesus’s]…head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
New Testament persecutors intimidated. John 19:12 states, “…The Jews cried out [to Pilate], saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.” Distorting the words of the godly is a form of persecution. Matthew 27:40 quotes Jesus’s accusers of twisting his innocent words. Hostile crowds called out to Jesus as he was crucified, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself!” Attributing evil motives to Christians is persecution.
In this virus situation, those who may have called those cruel who defy social distancing orders and instead worship may actually be actually persecuting them. Matthew 12:24 records, “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons,’” attributing Jesus’s actions to evil motives was persecuting him. Petty, childish criticisms are tools of persecutors. John 8:48 declares, “The Jews answered and said to Him, ‘Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan…?” That racial slur was as childish as it was untrue. Jesus was indisputably the Son of David.
Driving out and ostracism are persecution (3 John 9). Satan persecutes believers through families. Matt. 10:36 declares, “A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.” Contradicting truth is persecution. Acts 13:25 says, “…The Jews …began contradicting the things spoken by Paul….” Finally, mistreatment is persecution. 2 Thessalonians 3:2 says, “That we may be delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.”
God Will Take Revenge on Persecutors
Christians, take comfort: God considers persecution to be the most serious of sins. Like a good boss stands behind his employees, God stands behind Christians who are persecuted simply because they are behaving like God wants. He will not sit idly by, but will take vengeance in his good time, and Christians will be vindicated. When God answered prayers to punish persecutors, Christians had a sense that justice would be done. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 says:
And to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.
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