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Howtopreserverinanageoftribulation2.docxHow to preserver in an age of tribulation
Instructor: Ray Key
By: Lawrence wright
Masses of cities which engage in persecution at the time of the first century church. People that were persecuted in the time of the first century church. Numerous of method were used to persecution the first century church. Many method use to endure the persecution of the first century church. The church has great enemies which try to destroy the life of it integrity; however, the church had to endure all things for the reward which God had promised.
There were many cities which engage in persecution at the time of the first century church. The church at Ephesian was exposing false apostles which would persecution this church and be warn of the dangers faced soon. We have an example of Paul and his imprisonment at which time he visit Ephesian.
The Ephesian was warn about the persecution and some would leave their first love, which was the church, due to the persecution or hard labor. In Revelation, the church was warn of leaving the first love. The church at Ephesus would opposed evil doers and did not like hateful practices. The church at Smyrna was the ornament of Asia. Smyrna was known for religious idolatry that will take them away from God. Smyrna would face some hardship of imprisoned, some martyred, and great persecution. Christ was involved in persecution at Smyrna. Pergamum the people was to pay allegiance to the Emperor. The people at Pergamum believed the Emperor way of worship and found themselves called imperial cult. If the people did not worship the Emperor they were threat with difficulty consequences. Some of the people in Pergamum would not comply with the Emperor worship to the point of death. We can trace Christianity’s from the beginning Jesus’ mission to Paul’s arrival in Rome. The Luke and Act contain numerous references to and episodes of persecution against Christians, carried out primarily by Jews and Roman authorities in Rome. Romans in Rome had to portray Christianity as a non-threat to the Romans by contrasting the movement with a disruptive Jewish community. Rome impose craft and invective attacks to discredit critics of Christianity. Arrest were made by the people, elders and the scribes in Jerusalem. People were questioned before the Sanhedrin, and stoned to death, supposedly sparking a severe persecution against the church in Jerusalem.
People that was persecuted in the time of the first century church. Words that had direct and immediate application to the apostles nearly 2,000 years ago are still pertinent and meaningful to Christians today. Those men were “hated.” They were hated “by all.” The hatred was directed at them because of the name of Christ. Christ was our ultimate example of persecution for the whole world which no one can endure. Christ on one of his mission was persecuted in Smyrna. Christians in twenty-first century America may never taste the intensity of the hatred suffered by the first-century Christians, but hatred for the name of Christ we shall (presently and in the future) suffer nonetheless. May the words of Peter guide our hearts, “If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Peter 4:16). The New Testament writings tell of fratricidal strife between Jews and Christians, the latter challenging the Jews by claiming to be “the New Israel.” In the early chapters of Acts, Stephen (7:57) and James, the brother of John the disciple (12:2), became victims of the Jerusalem mob and of King Herod Agrippa, respectively. Indeed, the writer of Luke-Acts appears to go out of his way to reassure the Roman authorizes of the loyalty and general value of the Christians and the hostility of the Jews toward them. {Tacitus, writing included an account of the incident. Except for the manner of the Christians’ deaths, which he thought excessively cruel, he showed no sympathy for the Christians. Recording that “Christus, from whom the name [Christians] had its origin” was executed by “one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate,” Tacitus described the Christians as a “class hated for their abominations” and guilty of “hatred of the human race,” an accusation he also made against the Jews. Theirs was not a “religion” but a “deadly superstition,” and hence worthy of repression. Though there was no immediate sequel to Nero’s persecution, the fire forfeited any chance Christians might have had of being recognized as “legal religion” separate from Judaism.} The prophets were persecuted because of their hunger and thirst after righteousness and not after man. Stephen in his defense before the Sanhedrin virtually insured his own martyrdom by attacking the Jews as the descendants of those who had killed the prophets. The scribes and Pharisees, which was hypocrites, they build tombs for the prophets and adorn them. In efforts to win people to Christ christens often fell into conflict of the religious authorities of the Jewish Diaspora and of the Romans. Paul was beaten, imprisoned, and even may have fought with wild animals at Ephesus to maintain a good fight in Christ. Paul was arrested in a tumult raised by the Jews in Jerusalem, he appealed to Rome for justice and was sent there in chains. Eventually he was executed, according to tradition, in the persecution of the Christians that took place at the close of Nero’s reign. Many of God’s children were push to the end and jumped over the cliff for the sake of Christ.
There were many method use to persecution the first century church. Hebrews eleven and thirty nine show us some method of persecution. There were mocking- making fun of someone or something in a cruel way. Scourging’s-The Roman scourge, also called the "flagrum" or "flagellum" was a short whip made of two or three leather (ox-hide) thongs or ropes connected to a handle as in the sketch above. The leather thongs were knotted with a number of small pieces of metal, usually zinc and iron, attached at various intervals. Scourging would quickly remove the skin. According to history the punishment of a slave was particularly dreadful. The leather was knotted with bones, or heavy indented pieces of bronze. Bond, imprisonment, stoned, sawn, tempted, and slain with sword was more method used in the persecution of the Christens. Martyr became a technical term for a person who had died for Christ, while confessor was defined as one who proclaimed Christ's lordship at trial but did not suffer the death penalty. Martyr was it was inspired by the passive resistance of pious Jews during the Maccabean revolt. A godly testimony will often result in ridicule, scorn, deprivation, physical harm, and even death. Jesus and his disciples were subject to ridicule and insult. Jesus, "despised and rejected of men" and finally crucified for a payment on us. Jesus disciples were insulted, jeered, mistreated, deprived (clothed in sheepskins and goatskins), destitute, persecuted, wandering in deserts and mountains, "in caves and holes in the ground", tortured, sawed in two, jailed, flogged, chained, placed in lion’s den, put to death by the sword, quenched the fury of the flames, and stone. The reasons given for persecution consist of a deep-seated feeling of dislike toward the good; of wicked men opposing God and rejecting his divine precepts. Jesus made it known that since the world hated him, it will hate his disciples, and declared that if they persecuted him, they will also persecute his disciples. The Bible's riveting teaching about the believer and persecution: Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted for his sake. King Herod executes James and imprisons Peter. Paul and Barnabas are being driven out of Antioch of Pisidia. Paul and Silas are flogged and imprisoned by Gentiles in Thessalonica. Flogged Intel the victims were tied to columns with their hands above their heads, so we seldom find lash wounds on the arms or forearms. There are many traces on the chest, indicating the victim was not tied to a wide column but most probably to a thin one, for example a post, so the lashes could wrap around the body.
Many method use to endure the persecution of the first century church. First we must be very vigilance in the life of persecution. They were warn of the danger that lie in wait about us in this world to overtake us. The vigilance was not to allow themselves to be overcome with the sin that could weight them down. When faced with persecution, trials, and tribulations they depended solely on God and his word which he will never leave you or forsake you. The christens encounter some evil work that will cause them to be place in tribulations or trials. They relied on prays for God’s deliverance through the good time and the bad. As we know the devil has agents working on earth and they will try to disrupt all the good work which is taking place in the Lord’s church, our home, and our work. Pray without ceasing is our avenue to God’s help. The Christens minds were always around prayer to deliver them out of the hand of Satan trap. Christens needed to be positive in all their day to day situation. The positive attitude show no fear. The Lord tell us there is no fear in his love. We are not to fear what man can do to the body but the one who created us can do to the soul. Jesus commanded His disciples, “Do not be afraid, do not fear and do not worry. Jesus gave three similar commands again, “Do not worry, do not keep worrying, and do not be afraid”. A key to fulfilling these challenging commands is found in Jesus challenged His hearers to be “rich toward God”. Stop trusting in self and trust in God, and you’ll be rich in God’s love, you will be rich in endurance, and you will be rich in perseverance. The Lord given us a good example of enduring in Matthew 10:22, and ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. May our daily focus be on the joys of being in the family of God, and keeping our eyes on the prize, our Heavenly home, that awaits for us? Give Almighty God the praise, adoration and glory He so deserves throughout your life and one day He will give you eternal life (Revelation 2:10).
