One of the most important themes in the New Testament is persecution—a terrifying concept, but one vital to the survival of the early church and beyond. It may be confidently said that persecution was as necessary to the spread of the gospel as preaching was. Jesus warned his disciples, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you” (Luke 6:26). Again, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you…therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19). How can persecution and hate be so essential to the spread of the gospel?
Persecution against the early Christians arose, forcing the early disciples to disperse throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1). Luke describes it as a “great persecution.” Normally, the title “Great Persecution” is reserved for the empire-wide persecution after the edict of Diocletian in 303 CE. However, Luke means an earlier, localized persecution most likely from the Jews, who considered Christians as a threat to Judaism. These conflicts helped push the gospel to new regions.
The Jewish persecutions began with their treatment of Jesus. His ministry was punctuated with conflicts with the Jewish leaders (Luke 5:21, 30; 6:2, 7; 11:38-39, 42-54; 12:1; 14:1-6; 15:1-2; 16:14; 18:9-14; 19:39). Jesus said these conflicts would lead to his trial, abuse, and death (Luke 9:22, 43-44; 18:31-33). The Old Testament predicted this persecution as well, though many Jews did not apply those passages to a suffering messiah. Rather, they applied Isaiah’s “suffering servant” motif to the personified Jewish nation. Frend defends the numerous New Testament passages applying Old Testament predictions to Jesus:
The Jewish persecutions began with their treatment of Jesus. His ministry was punctuated with conflicts with the Jewish leaders (Luke 5:21, 30; 6:2, 7; 11:38-39, 42-54; 12:1; 14:1-6; 15:1-2; 16:14; 18:9-14; 19:39). Jesus said these conflicts would lead to his trial, abuse, and death (Luke 9:22, 43-44; 18:31-33). The Old Testament predicted this persecution as well, though many Jews did not apply those passages to a suffering messiah. Rather, they applied Isaiah’s “suffering servant” motif to the personified Jewish nation. Frend defends the numerous New Testament passages applying Old Testament predictions to Jesus:
The crucifixion of Jesus predicted the persecution visited upon his followers. As Blair suggests, Acts 7 and 8 may, “draw out the full significance of the death of Christ for all men, not simply as a forecast of the future but as a practical reality” (P.A. Blair, “The Death of Stephen,” TynBul, vol 2, [1957], p. 2). The persecution of the early disciples is an important Lucan motif in the book of Acts. The disciples were scorned by the gathered Jews on the day of Pentecost (2:13). Then the Jewish leaders arrested and scolded Peter and John for teaching about the resurrection of Jesus (4:3, 18-21). Later, filled with jealousy, the high priest and Sadducees arrested the apostles and beat them for continuing to preach in the name of Jesus (5:27-28, 40). After a second generation of church leaders arose in Jerusalem, the Jews killed one of them, Stephen, for preaching about Jesus (Acts 7:54-58). The persecution and death of Stephen precipitated the spread of the disciples to regions outside Jerusalem and is pivotal in the development of the church (Steve Nation, “Martyr in Every Sense of the Word,” Churchman vol 125 [2011], p. 173).
As the gospel moved outside Jerusalem, it began its journey to Rome and beyond. The gospel’s address to the Samaritans is a major step in Christ’s plan, “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and as far as the end of the earth” (1:8). The persecution designed to stop the spread of the gospel forced it to spread throughout the world. Like a thumb over the end of a water hose, the pressure and constriction of persecution caused the gospel to reach further.
The same is true today. Christians living counter to the world will spread the gospel, but Christians living like the world cannot cause a stir.
-Sam Dilbeck
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