Tag: Persecution

Morning Musings: Ephesians 6:12

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“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Does it feel like it is more and more of a battle to be a follower of Jesus in the U.S. these days?  Welcome to life for most of the rest of your brothers and sisters in Christ around the world and throughout history.  Jesus followers have always tended to be more of a persecuted group than not.  This really shouldn’t be much of a surprise either.  Jesus Himself guaranteed it would happen. Read the rest…

Morning Musings: 2 Corinthians 11:30

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“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Why did Paul rattle off this list of experiences that by almost any account would make someone conclude that the particular path of life he had chosen was not for them?  He was boasting about why he carried the authority to call them to behave in a certain way.  If they were going to claim to be followers of Jesus, then he was someone they should listen to in terms of how to do it right. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 2 Corinthians 6:3-10

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“We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise.  We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

When it comes to sharing the Gospel with the world around us, our goal should be to make certain that the only offensive thing about us is our message, the Gospel itself.  Everything else about us should be a gigantic yes to the world.  Or, as Paul puts it here, we commend ourselves in every way. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: Romans 13:1

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“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”  (ESV)

This is one of the harder things Paul wrote.  The relationship of Christians to the authority of the state has been a stubborn knot to untangle since the beginning.  What does it look like to be subject to governing authorities as one who is chiefly subject to the authority of Christ?  If there is no authority except what has been instituted by God, what do we do about authorities that do not in any way seem to be godly?  Surely there have been authorities in place over the centuries that were not instituted by God…right?   Read the rest…