It was the fear of apprehension and death that led the eleven disciples to forsake Jesus in Gethsemane and to flee for their lives. The Bible teaches that those who follow Christ and God's Word and who practice his commandments will be persecuted. In the period between the close of the Old Testament and the coming of Christ, there was much and protracted suffering endured by the Jews, because of their refusal to embrace idolatry, and of their fidelity to the Mosaic Law and the worship of God. רָדַף, H8103, and the Gr. At this time Saul signalized himself by his great activity, persecuting "this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women" (Acts 22:4). 1915. The Roman Empire persecuted members of The Way, as early Christianity was called, for the next 300 years, finally ending with the conversion of Emperor Constantine I, who adopted the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., allowing Christians religious freedom. The term describing this event is the Rapture. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, persecution in the days of the Old Testament is summed up in these words: "Others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, illtreated (of whom the world was not worthy)" (Hebrews 11:36-38). Examples in the New Testament include John the Baptist, who spoke out against the adultery of Herod Antipas and was beheaded ( Mark 6:21-29 ); Stephen, the deacon, who, preaching the gospel before the Sanhedrin and proclaiming God's judgment because of the sins of the people, was rejected and stoned ( Acts 6:5 ; 7:1-60 ); Paul, who was persecuted, beaten, and imprisoned as he preached from place to place, and was finally killed in Rome ( 2 Tim 4:6-8 ); and climactically, Jesus himself who preached God's grace and judgment ( Matt 4:17 ; 11:28-29 ), was persecuted by his hearers ( Luke 4:28-30 ), plotted against by his adversaries ( Mark 3:6 ), rejected ( Luke 13:34 ; John 6:66 ), tried ( John 18:12-40 ), and finally crucified ( John 19:16-37 ; Php 2:9 ). The essential absoluteness of the Christian faith was its strength, but this was also the cause of its being hated. The Bible gives examples of good people pursuing and persecuting others ( Judges 8:16, ; Gideon against the men of Succoth, to teach them a lesson Mark 9:38-41, ; the disciples, in prejudice, opposing a brother witnessing to God's power ). The first great persecution for religious opinion of which we have any record was that which broke out against the worshippers of God among the Jews in the days of Ahab, when that king, at the instigation of his wife Jezebel, "a woman in whom, with the reckless and licentious habits of an Oriental queen, were united the fiercest and sternest qualities inherent in the old Semitic race", sought in the most relentless manner to extirpate the worship of Jehovah and substitute in its place the worship of Ashtoreth and Baal. If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. Mercy: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. These men gave (or will give) their lives for Christ and the promises of God concerning the Redeemer. Persecution has permanently enriched the history of the church. For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters: but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name. May good fortune attend you. The underlying biblical reasons given for persecution consist of an antipathy of evil toward the good ( Rom 8:6-8 ); of wicked men opposing God and rejecting his divine precepts ( Rom 3:10-18 ). Dictionary definition . The first martyr we find in the Bible is one of the sons of Adam and Eve. The meaning of Persecution in the Bible (From Easton's Bible Dictionary) The first great persecution for religious opinion of which we have any record was that which broke out against the worshippers of God among the Jews in the days of Ahab, when that king, at the instigation of his wife Jezebel, "a woman in whom, with the reckless and licentious habits of an Oriental … Persecution has broken out among the Christians in the province of Asia. As regards the slanders, the Christians should be crcumspect (1 Peter 2:15,16; 3:16,17; 4:15). 2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Here are 8 martyrs, or groups of martyrs, that we find in the Bible. Of subsequent centuries in our own and in other lands the same sad record may be made. The number 10 is seen as a complete and perfect number, and it is used 242 times throughout the Bible. These libelli are most interesting, illustrating as they do the account which Cyprian gives of the way in which some faint-hearted Christians during the Decian persecution obtained certificates--some of these certificates being true to fact, and others false--to the effect that they had sacrificed in the heathen manner. October 26, 2020 / No Comments. See more on the meaning of Persecution in the Bible: Persecution {Easton's Bible Dictionary} DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. 10 Key Bible Verses on Sin February 28, 2020 Because of Christ, our sin does not have to separate us from God. In 2 Timothy, Paul speaks of his impending condemnation to death, and the terror inspired by the persecution causes "all" to forsake him when he is brought to public trial (2 Timothy 4:16). It hates God, and when he came as a man in the person of Jesus Christ, the world responded by murdering him. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. The Meaning of Persecution. Tacitus (Annals xv.44) relates all that occurred at that time, and what he says is most interesting, as being one of the very earliest notices found in any profane author, both of the Christian faith, and of Christ Himself. It is not just physically violent acts that constitute persecution. The "fiery trial" is spoken of in 1 Peter, and Christians are exhorted to maintain their faith with patience; they are pleaded with to have their "conversation honest" (1 Peter 2:12 the King James Version), so that all accusations directed against them may be seen to be untrue, and their sufferings shall then be, not for ill-doing, but only for the name of Christ (1 Peter 3:14,16). When the days of persecution were over, these persons usually came with eagerness to seek readmission to the church. The fact that persecution helps overthrow the faith of the weak is the reason why Christians in Smyrna were admonished to remain faithful in the face of persecution: “ Do not fear what you are about … The primary Hebrew word for persecution, radap [@;d'r], and the Greek words, dioko/diogmos [diwvkw/diwgmov"], both emphasize the concept of pursue ( Gen 44:4 ; Luke 17:23 ), press on ( Prov 11:19 ; Php 3:12 ); their meanings can be extended to include pursuing or pressing on, to oppress, harass ( Deut 30:7 ; Job 19:22 ; Acts 8:1 ), and also to bring to judgment or punishment ( Jer 29:18 ; Lam 3:43 ; Matt 5:11-12 ; Luke 11:49 ). But the Bible does not limit its definition of persecution to certain levels of severity. Of course, all of these do not apply at the same time. "How long must we endure this third race?". The Roman empire claimed to be a kingdom of universal sway, not only over the bodies and the property of all its subjects, but over their consciences and their souls. "Entry for 'PERSECUTION'". Jesus indicated that since the world hated him, it will hate his disciples ( John 15:18-19 ), and declared that if they persecuted him, they will also persecute his disciples (v. 20). His was a perfect and God-honoring life and message, reflected in part by the Old Testament prophets whom, as Jesus reminds them, they had also persecuted and killed ( Matt 23:29-36 ). When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. of It's Not Hard to Learn About tribulation ", In Trajan's reply to Pliny he writes, "They (the Christians) ought not to be searched for. Love: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" ( Matt 5:44 ). .... Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.". Tacitus uses the strange expression "the persons commonly called Christians who were hated for their enormities." "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. But Pliny had endeavored to stem the tide of the advancing Christian faith, and he tells the emperor how he had succeeded in bringing back to the heathen worship many professing Christians. Forbearance: Turn the other cheek ( Matt 5:38-42 ). Hence, to relieve himself of this infamy he falsely accused the Christians of being guilty of the crime of setting the city on fire. (2) Persecution showed that the Christian faith is immortal even in this world. `We have no need of human help,' said Jonathan the Jewish high priest, `having for our comfort the sacred Scriptures which are in our hands' (1 Macc 12:9). 1 Thess. An accommodated Christianity would itself have been false to the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He had sent, and would never have conquered the world. This article is part of the Key Bible Verses series. Love: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" ( Matt 5:44 ). They all worshipped your statue and the images of the gods. 2 Timothy 3:12 Context. 10 Key Bible Verses on Wisdom and Discernment May 19, 2020 Wisdom is, first and foremost, from the Lord. .... That he had a trial at all, instead of the summary punishment of his brethren. of the Bible, the word persecution usually is employed to give the meaning of the Heb. He proceeds to narrate how the heathen temples had been deserted and the religious rites had been abandoned for so long a time: even the sacrificial food--that is, the flesh of the sacrificial victims--could scarcely find a purchaser. Examples in the Old Testament include Abel, who offered a better sacrifice than Cain ( Gen 4:4-10 ; Heb 11:4 ); Lot, also a "righteous man who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men" ( 2 Peter 2:7 ) who rejected him and who "kept bringing pressure on [him] and moved forward to break down the door" of his house in Sodom ( Gen 19:9 ); Elijah, who spoke against the prophets of Baal ( 1 Kings 18:25-40 ) and against the idolatry of Israel ( 1 Kings 18:16-21 ), and was persecuted by Jezebel for his godly stand ( 1 Kings 19:1-3 ); David, who conducted himself in a godly manner despite the machinations and pursuit of Saul ( 1 Sam 9-27:1 ); Jeremiah, who spoke God's message of condemnation against Judah for her sins and the coming judgment against her to be brought by the Babylonians ( Jeremiah 9:11 Jeremiah 9:13-16 ; 21:3-7 ; 25:1-14 ), had his message rejected (Jer. For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God. He suffered and died on behalf of sinners and calls blessed those that follow in his steps for his name’s sake. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Stephen was granted a glorious vision of heaven before he died, and in this vision, he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:56) as though waiting for Stephen in an attitude of honor for Stephen’s faithful service. (3) Persecution became, to a large extent, an important means of preserving the true doctrines of the person and of the work of Christ. [1375(diōgmós) is used in ancient and biblical Greek for persecution(hostility) shown by confused, spiritual "leaders." For a time the Pharisees were more moderate in their attitude toward the Christian faith, as is shown in the case of Gamaliel (Acts 5:34); and on one occasion they were willing even to defend the apostle Paul (Acts 23:9) on the doctrine of the resurrection. Two other Greek words, also sometimes used to mean "oppress, " "persecute, " are thlipsis [qlivyi"] (oppression, affliction) and thlibo [qlivbw] (press on, oppress; in the passive, to be oppressed, persecuted). 1:13: “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” Note two things: Of subsequent centuries in our own and in other lands the same sad record may be made. The time when enemies of God hurt people because they believe in Jesus. (4) Illegal arrest and spoliation of goods, and death itself. Persecution [EBD] The first great persecution for religious opinion of which we have any record was that which broke out against the worshippers of God among the Jews in the days of Ahab, when that king, at the instigation of his wife Jezebel, "a woman in whom, with the reckless and licentious habits of an Oriental queen, were united the fiercest and sternest qualities inherent in … Poppea, Tigellinus and their Jewish friends were not likely to forget the prisoner of two years before. Best Emperors the Most Cruel Persecutors. --Tertullian, 1st century AD Christians… It has given us the noble heritage of the testimony and the suffering of those whose lives would otherwise have been unrecorded. It will be interesting to see what happens to the American church when persecution intensifies. "The method I have observed toward those who have been brought before me as Christians is this. 37-38), tortured (v. 35), sawed in two (v. 37), jailed ( Acts 5:18 ; 16:23 ), flogged ( Heb 11:36 ), chained (v. 36), "shut the mouths of lions" (v. 33), "put to death by the sword" (v. 37), "quenched the fury of the flames" (v. 34), and stone (v. 37; Acts 7:59 ). The martyrdom of Peter is also implied in John 21:18,19, and in 2 Peter 1:14. But for such opposition, no matter how mild or severe, to be regarded as persecution in the biblical sense, it must be provoked by the believer’s devotion to Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Fifty can be found at least 154 times in the Bible. The abiding. For 200 years he that would follow Christ must count the cost, and be prepared to pay the same with his liberty and life. G. W. Bromiley, ISBE, 3:771-74; W. H. C. Frend, Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early Church; W. S. Reid, ZPEB, 4:704-7; H. Schlier, TDNT, 3:139-48; W. B. Pagan Rome, Babylon the Great, as it is called by the apostle John in the Apocalypse tried hard to destroy the church of Christ; Babylon was drunk with the blood of the saints. the act of persecuting. The word “persecuted” means to “pursue” or “chase.” It can also be translated “harass.” 2 In verse 11, Christ says, “Blessed are you ‘when’ people insult you”. Christians are forbidden to seek the propagation of the gospel by force ( Matthew 7:1 ; Luke 9:54-56 ; Romans 14:4 ; James 4:11 James 4:12 ). To the heathen there were lords many and gods many, but to the Christians there was but one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world (1 Corinthians 8:5,6). Persecution definition is - the act or practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook. What does the Bible have to tell us about being persecuted? The cry in the circus of Carthage was Usque quo genus tertium? For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement. The Nature of Persecution. Types of Persecution. Verne Hill Sep 03, 2015 Comments Off on Definition: Religious Persecution. And persecution, instead of abolishing the name of Christ, as the persecutors vainly imagined they had succeeded in doing, became the means of the growth of the Christian church and of its purity. 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. In its earliest history the Christian church passed through many bloody persecutions. The sufferings and tribulation predicted in Revelation 2:10, and in many other passages, had indeed come to pass. The meaning is that there is not yet to be an end of suffering for Christ's sake; persecution may continue to be as severe as ever. Social persecution (sometimes called discrimination) consists of making individuals or a group outcasts. Key Takeaways . (4) We may suffer persecution because of our faith—especially when we take a stand on biblical issues, i.e., suffering for righteousness sake (2 Tim. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. Two other Greek words, also sometimes used to mean "oppress, " "persecute, " are thlipsis [qlivyi"] (oppression, affliction) and thlibo [qlivbw] (press on, oppress; in the passive, to be oppressed, persecuted). The importance of this subject may be indicated by the fact of the frequency of its occurrence, both in the Old Testament and New Testament, where in the King James Version the words "persecute," "persecuted," "persecuting" are found no fewer than 53 times, "persecution" 14 times, and "persecutor" 9 times. BELOW. On the whole the Roman authorities were not actively hostile during the greater part of Paul's lifetime. In doing this you will heap burning coals on his head" ( Rom 12:20 ). BELOW. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.' "The first race" was indifferently called the Roman, Greek, or Gentile. Although there is little information concerning the church in Rome at this time, it would appear to have been largely Gentile in membership, but relatively small. Learn more. The Great Tribulation or Persecution. 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). Whence a feeling of compassion arose toward the sufferers, though guilty and deserving to be made examples of by capital punishment, because they seemed not to be cut off for the public good, but to be victims to the ferocity of one man.". 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. At Ephesus and at Thyatira the Christians are commended for their patience, evidently indicating that there had been persecution (Revelation 2:2,19). Men and women and even children were among the martyrs whom no cruelties, however refined and protracted, could terrify into denial of their Lord. He had promised them the crown of life. Coming now to New Testament times, persecution was frequently foretold by Christ, as certain to come to those who were His true disciples and followers. What Is Persecution in the Bible? Browning's beautiful lines describe what was a common experience of the martyrs, how Christ "in them" and "with them," "quenched the power of fire," and made them more than conquerors: Bibliography Information The term, however, is somewhat ambiguous, since its use usually depends upon the particular point of view. The term, however, is somewhat ambiguous, since its use … when this minimum of compliance would save life itself. Service in the Roman army involved, for a Christian, increasing danger in the midst of an organized and aggressive heathenism. Also below are examples within Bible verses highlighted in yellow (follow this link to go there). Abel. Jesus and his disciples were, are, and will be, subject to ridicule/insult: Jesus, "despised and rejected of men" ( Isa 53:3 ; Matt 27:39 ; 1 Peter 2:23 ) and finally crucified ( John 19:16-18 ); his disciples, insulted ( Matt 5:11 ), jeered ( Heb 11:36 ), mistreated (v. 25), deprived (clothed in sheepskins and goatskins), destitute, persecuted, wandering in deserts and mountains, "in caves and holes in the ground" (vv. That is to say, he had used persecuting measures, and had succeeded in forcing some of the Christians to abandon their faith. Religious Persecution Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. It is made up of 4, the number of the physical creation, and 6, the number of man. There were, however, great dangers and risks encountered by the apostles and by all who proclaimed the gospel then. 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