Acts 5:40-42
40 ...and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
What we see here is the complete opposition of the prosperity gospel. They obeyed God, then shouldn't they walk away safe and secure. I guess not, rather they walked away with their backs ripped open, bleeding, and probably very weak, yet they were rejoicing that they had the opportunity to suffer not just a beating, but also dishonor for the name. And this dishonor and physical beating didn't lead them into a prayer to 'make a deal' with God, ya' know the, "look if you protect me, then I will obey you...if you bless me, then I will obey you..." Rather with no promise of life, no promise of security, and their immediate reward being dishonor and physical torture they continued every day, in the temple and from house to house...teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Here we see a manifestation of the Sermon on the Mount. With verse 42, Luke concludes his account of the first two waves of persecution. In the first Council a simple prohibition and a warning led the apostles to pray to God for boldness to continue in their preaching, and in the second the courage they received which led to continue preaching resulted in dishonor and physical torture, which led them to even lift up God more.
Satan has never given up the attempt to destroy the church. History calls us to simply view those like Nero who imprisoned and executed Christians, more than likely including Paul and Peter; Domitian oppressed Christians who refused to pay him the honor of a God and was probably the one who exiled John to Patmos. Marcus Aurelius believed that Christians were dangerous and immoral, so passively turned a deaf ear to those who 'just happened' to war against them with violence. Decius murdered thousands of Christians including Fabian, Bishop of Rome, for refusing to sacrifice to the him as deity. Diocletian issued four edicts which were intended to stamp out Christianity altogether by burning churches, confiscating scriptures, torturing church leaders, and revoking citizenship from Christians, and executing many others. We see Satan's work today or in recent history with the Marxists, Hindu's, extreme Islamic movements, etc.
However, we need not fear for the church. Tertullian screamed out while being tortured to death, "The more you mow us down, the more we grow; the seed is the blood of Christians." Bishop Festo Kivengere said in February of 1979 on the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Janani Luwum of Uganda, "Without bleeding the church fails to bless..." Persecution will refine the church, but not destory it. If it leads to prayer and praise, to an acknowledgement of the sovereignty of God and of solidarity with Christ in his suffering, then - however painful - it may even be welcome.
Here we see a manifestation of the Sermon on the Mount. With verse 42, Luke concludes his account of the first two waves of persecution. In the first Council a simple prohibition and a warning led the apostles to pray to God for boldness to continue in their preaching, and in the second the courage they received which led to continue preaching resulted in dishonor and physical torture, which led them to even lift up God more.
Satan has never given up the attempt to destroy the church. History calls us to simply view those like Nero who imprisoned and executed Christians, more than likely including Paul and Peter; Domitian oppressed Christians who refused to pay him the honor of a God and was probably the one who exiled John to Patmos. Marcus Aurelius believed that Christians were dangerous and immoral, so passively turned a deaf ear to those who 'just happened' to war against them with violence. Decius murdered thousands of Christians including Fabian, Bishop of Rome, for refusing to sacrifice to the him as deity. Diocletian issued four edicts which were intended to stamp out Christianity altogether by burning churches, confiscating scriptures, torturing church leaders, and revoking citizenship from Christians, and executing many others. We see Satan's work today or in recent history with the Marxists, Hindu's, extreme Islamic movements, etc.
However, we need not fear for the church. Tertullian screamed out while being tortured to death, "The more you mow us down, the more we grow; the seed is the blood of Christians." Bishop Festo Kivengere said in February of 1979 on the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Janani Luwum of Uganda, "Without bleeding the church fails to bless..." Persecution will refine the church, but not destory it. If it leads to prayer and praise, to an acknowledgement of the sovereignty of God and of solidarity with Christ in his suffering, then - however painful - it may even be welcome.
So, how does this very historical log speak to us today, especially those of us who have never been persecuted? I believe the practicality of this, is that God is in all things. God is always on the move sanctifying us to be more in the image of his Son, Jesus. If we are to look at hardships, loss, pain, or loneliness as God's sovereignty sanctifying us rather than a fatalistic perspective, I believe that we too can be built up and changed for the good of humanity and the glory of God!
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