A Theology Of Persecution

The reality of persecution raises many practical questions:

• • • How should twenty-first century churches and Christians respond to the Great Commission in an age of violence?
    • When should persecuted believers remain in place, flee, avoid, or engage their persecutors?
    • Is flight from or avoidance of persecution ever sinful?
    • Is engagement with persecutors ever foolish?
    • How does flight from or avoidance of persecution relate to Christ’s command for His disciples to take up their crosses and follow Him (Matt 16:24)?

These very practical questions are also theological ones.  Theology – what we think of God – always shapes what we think of ourselves.  It also shapes our thoughts of and actions toward others.  Persecution exposes and tests the connection between our thoughts of God and our daily lives in unique ways: 

• • • Unlike other forms of suffering, the suffering of persecution is voluntary.
    • Persecution affects communities. It might target individual Christians, but eventually persecution hurts the entire community of faith.
    • Persecution is directed at Christians specifically because of their faith. When they are persecuted, Christians are suffering because of what they think of God.
    • Because it targets Christians’ faith, persecution is a form of spiritual combat.
    • Because it publicly reveals the connection between a Christian’s thoughts of God and his or her daily life, persecution is intended to be a powerful testimony to a watching world.
    • According to Romanian pastor Josef Ton, persecution is an essential component of God’s preparation of specific believers for unique eternal service and obligations in His eternal Kingdom.

Consequently, persecution uniquely exposes and tests what Christians think of – and how they will live out – what the Bible says about:

• • • personal and community suffering;
    • the church;
    • evangelism and discipleship;
    • relationships with other religious minorities;
    • relationships between the state and individuals;
    • resistance to injustice; and
    • God’s plans for the world.
    See also

    

    Proclamation

    Ecclesiastes – Suffering and the Futility of Injustice

    June 15, 2023·0

Other factors can affect Christians’ responses to persecution:  What type is it?  How severe?  How large or prominent is the affected Christian community?  What is that community’s history?  How cohesive is the community?  What kind of leadership does the community have?

But ultimately, is most critical that Christians understand how to think biblically about persecution.  Because biblical thinking shapes what Christians understand what to do about persecution.  Biblical thinking and action helps persecuted Christians take advantage of, and steward well, the important and strategic gospel opportunities persecution provides.