The birth of the Christian doctrine that we hold to today did not take place during a time of religious freedom and peace. Such as we leave today in the USA. Those who worked to get the first church going were not able to worship and serve the Lord without fear as we can. Instead, they faced harsh persecution for proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ. Including hate speech, imprisonment, physical abuse, and death. All without ever wavering on the fact that Jesus was in fact the Son of God. Because they had a real personal experience with God and knew that everything they taught is the truth. The only explanation for Christianity and the only reason it was able to overcome the most extreme odds is that everything the Bible teaches is true.
Many today would lead you to believe that Christianity is nothing more than a complex grouping of lies handed down for thousands of years. Nothing more than a tactic used to manipulate people and take all they are willing to give. Something that could be true if it was being started today. In a time in which little to no opposition would be faced. But that wasn’t the case when Christianity began over two thousand years ago.
In fact, the early believers had nothing to gain in terms of this world but they had everything to lose. Becoming a Christian as a Jew would mean being cut off from the rest of your society. Not to mention all the abuse you could potentially suffer depending on where you decided to share your faith. Or who chose to share it with. Horrible despicable acts were committed against those of the early church. Just a small sampling are recording in our Bibles.
Acts 5:40 (ESV)
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.
Acts 8:1 (ESV)
1 And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 9:1–2 (ESV)
1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Acts 12:1–4 (ESV)
1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
Acts 14:19–20 (ESV)
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
Yet somehow Christianity survived all this and grew to what it is today. Because facing all that and more those who gave their lives to Christ never changed their story. They never admitted it was all a cleverly devised lie intended to advance their life on the backs of others. Neither did they admit to wanting to make a great name for themselves or someone else. Which is not the reaction you receive when you take a lair and begin to put pressure on them. Instead, that person would quickly change their story. Hoping that doing so would stop the pain or at the least save their life.
Still, no matter what wicked painful acts were done against them the early believers kept sharing their faith with the world. Seemly unconcerned with what punishments came their way if they did. History records that the Apostles Peter continued to stand on the truth of scripture until ultimately being sentenced to crucifixion. Instead of admitting to a lie or trying to change his story to save his life. He simply asked to be nailed to the cross upside down. Because he believed he was not worthy of dying the same death as Jesus. And that was after first watching his wife die for the faith they both held so dear.
Even while facing the harshest forms of persecution’s the members of the early church wouldn’t give up on God. While forced to bust rock on a secluded island prison for his work in the church the well-aged John continued to pray and serve the Lord. In fact, the book of Revelation was written after God met John in prayer one day on that rock. Paul and Silas always kept singing praises unto God loud enough for all to hear. Even while laying chained in a jail cell covered in the marks of a whip. Stephen was stoned for preaching the Gospel but used his last breaths to pray for those murdering him.
Revelation 1:9–10 (ESV)
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
Acts 16:22–25 (ESV)
22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
Acts 7:59 (ESV)
59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
The accounts of persecution faced by the early church are not only found in Christian sources. In fact, many non-Christian historians of the time record the harsh treatment received by early Christians. Such as Josephus and Cornelius Tacitus. The most notable and horrifying not detailed in our Bibles is that of Nero. Who chose to blame the small community of Christians in Rome for the great fire of AD 64. He would have known Christians who refused to renounce their faith killed. Either by feeding them to lions during gladiator matches. Or by lighting his garden parties with their burning bodies. While all this was taking place Christians still refused to deny the Lord. As a result, the name of Jesus continued to be proclaimed and more people came to the faith daily.
You must ask yourself if Christianity is nothing more than a lie. If Jesus never did rise from the dead. If nothing that the Bible claims about God is true. Then why were these people and hundreds more willing to go to the grave claiming it was? Why did they stand before those who held their lives in their hands without fear? Continuing to proclaim salvation in the name of Jesus Christ? You must ask yourself why anyone would be willing to be tortured and murder for something they knew wasn’t true? The Apostle Paul himself asked this very question. As a man willing to give up everything to become a Christian. Then faces more on his walk with God than possible any other believer to follow after him. All without ever changing his story.
1 Corinthians 15:30–32 (ESV)
30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
2 Corinthians 11:23–28 (ESV)
23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
The reason all these people were willing to face so much persecution and never admit to lying is that everything they claimed was true. God is real, alive, and active in our world. Jesus was born to a virgin. He came into our world in order to save us. A goal that was accomplished when He was hung on a cross and then rose three days later. All that the Bible records are true. It is corroborated by the testimony of the early believers who set the foundation for the church. Nothing would stop them from telling the world about Jesus because they had seen Him, knew Him and lived with Him. They had a real experience with God and nothing could take that away from them no matter how hard the world tried.
Paul didn’t simply stop by asking why. He continued to warn those he wrote to that they shouldn’t be fooled by those who were claiming the resurrection didn’t take place. I give you the very same warning in regard to Christianity as a whole. Don’t be fooled by those who claim Christianity isn’t true when the lives of so many show that there is no other explanation for why the church is still growing today. Thank carefully about all the circumstances that surround the Christian religion and see that there is only one explanation for how it survived. It is all real and true.
1 Corinthians 15:33–34 (ESV)
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
If it was all a lie it would have died long ago when the heat was turned up the highest it has ever been. When there was no tradition or long-standing ideology to hold to for comfort. Christianity still stands today because in its infancy when it could have easily disappeared those who had really experienced God first hand wanted all people to share in their experience. The very same thing we still desire today. God is real and He knows you. He loves you and is simply waiting for your eyes to be opened to Him. When that time comes and you turn away from sin He will be there to accept you with arms open wide.
Don’t wait any longer. Stop looking for excuses not to believe and holding to voices who make grand claims. Accept the truth that is right before your eyes and place your faith in the Lord. Then you will experience the overwhelming greatness of the Lord and truly understand why the founders of the church continued to share the gospel all the way until the moment they breathed their last. Nothing else can explain how Christianity was able to overcome so much and still be growing over two thousand years later.
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