New Testament Passages on Persecution

[Ukulelemike]

6 minutes ago, Pastor Scott Markle said:

Luke 12:51-53 – “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth?  I tell you, Nay; but rather division: for from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.  The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.”

1.  The Corrective – The Person, work, and gospel of Christ will NOT bring peace on the earth.

     “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth?  I tell you, Nay”

 

2.  The Warning – The Person, work, and gospel of Christ will bring division on the earth.

     “I tell you, Nay; but rather division.”

 

3.  The Reality – The Person, work, and gospel of Christ will bring division even into households.

     “For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.  The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.”

I was discussing creation/evolution yeaterday with a fellow, and he came back with "Well, saying someone has to believe in jesus or they'll spend eternity in hell is very divisive! Do you agree?" I suspect he was shocked when I said, "I absolutely agree! The truth is always divisive!" and I went on to quote him much of what we have in this thread. I think he didn't know what to make of it and excused himself from the conversation.

[Invicta]

2 hours ago, Ukulelemike said:

I was discussing creation/evolution yeaterday with a fellow, and he came back with "Well, saying someone has to believe in jesus or they'll spend eternity in hell is very divisive! Do you agree?" I suspect he was shocked when I said, "I absolutely agree! The truth is always divisive!" and I went on to quote him much of what we have in this thread. I think he didn't know what to make of it and excused himself from the conversation.

But that is not the gospel.

[Ukulelemike]

1 hour ago, Invicta said:

But that is not the gospel.

I realize that. It started because I had made a comment about an evolution post, he argued a bit, I just answered his questions, didn't even have a chance to get to the gospel part.

I did, however, deal with the issue of salvation in the conversation, but he left. it was online.

 

[Pastor Scott Markle]

Luke 21:12-19 – “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.  And it shall turn to you for a testimony.  Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.  And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.  But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.”  (See earlier posting on Matthew 10:16-39)

 

1.  The Certainty – But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you  . . . And some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

 

2.  The Caution –

      A.  Beware of religion – Delivering you up to the synagogues.

      B.  Beware of government – And into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.  

      C.  Beware of family – And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks.

      D.  Beware of friends – And ye shall be betrayed by . . . friends.

      D.  Beware of all men – And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

 

3.  The Course – And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

 

4.  The Communication – Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

 

5.  The Confidence – But there shall not an hair of your head perish.  

 

6.  The Continuance – In your patience . . . .

 

7.  The Commitment – . . . Possess ye your souls.

[Invicta]

We could read of some of the results of persecution in John Foxe, Actes and Monuments, commonly called Foxe's book of Martyrs. If you have an old copy you will have up to 8 volumes with nearly 1,000 pages in each. Of course persecution is still happening in many parts of the world and beginning here in the West.