The church is a profound and deeply significant matter in the Bible. The people to whom James is writing were experiencing tremendous difficulty and persecution. This description in verse 7 is unique. As Jesus finishes the beatitudes portion of His famous Sermon on the Mount, He says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…. As always, Jesus begins this letter in verse 7 with a description of Himself, a description that is fitting for this church. who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 1. Our final lesson concerns both the growth of the Church and the continued persecution that attends that blessing of God. Jesus was alive! And in persecuting the church, Paul was persecuting Jesus. Bible Verses about Persecution - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is… Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say… Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse… In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ… That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults… The apostle Paul–formerly the ultra-strict Pharisee called Saul, who was intent on persecuting early Christians–has a tremendously appealing conversion account. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Mt. C. It seems to have emboldened Saul carry out his persecution of the church. When Paul founded the church, there was no record of conflict in Acts 18 within the congregation. O ur study is in Revelation 2:8-11. But this one is not taken from that vision. This account of persecution is part of a general theme of a polemic against the Jews that starts with the … 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' he replied." Unstoppable! Saul of Tarsus was a great enemy of the church. Jesus is talking about suffering for doing right. Philippians 3:6 Context. “The saints” (Acts 26:10-11). Mark 10:29-30 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. The word we have translated to… Continue reading Top 10 Bible Verses on Being … Paul the Apostle Paul the Apostle, commonly known as Saint Paul, was an eventual follower of Jesus (though not one of the Twelve Apostles) who professed the gospel of Christ to the first-century world. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Whom did he persecute? The first words of the Lord Jesus to Saul were intended to teach him the inseparable unity between Christ and His church. 2. Bible Verses about Paul, Persecuting the Church. Berean Study Bible But just as at that time … Biologically, the Church is described as the Body where different members are connected together and grow (4:16). In Acts Luke associates this violent persecution with the preaching of Stephen, a deacon who delivers a prophetic speech in Acts 7 arguing that Jesus is superior to the Temple. Subject to Import Tax. He received it from Christ Himself. "YOU CAN NOT LIVE THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER WITH YOUR OLD MAN THINKING!" They will experience a reversal of fortune – be forced to acknowledge that the church constitutes the true people of God (3:9). He became the Apostle Paul - the greatest missionary the church has ever seen. So, Paul deemed it necessary to give this council for any breaking of the socially accepted traditions would bring dishonor and confusion upon the church and thus would have hindered the cause of God. Jesus was alive! B. Bible verses about Christian Persecution. All the other descriptions are taken from the vision that we talked about in Chapter 1. 1 Cor 15:9 (NRSV) In the most autobiographical of his writings, Paul speaks to the Galatians, You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. h. Colossians 2:1-13. We learn from Paul alone that Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church (Ephesians 1.22; 4.15; 5.23; Colossians 1.18; 2.19). Saul’s Conversion - Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. By the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in a.d. 55, there was much conflict. … C. Paul’s Confession in the Epistles 1. The account of Paul's founding of this church is recorded in the seventeenth chapter of Acts. As a consequence of that perceived threat, Saul had sought to destroy anyone who taught what he considered blasphemy. There is one intriguing and possibly helpful comment that Paul makes about his *own* persecution (that is, later, after he believed in Jesus, how he himself suffered at the hands of others), where he says that after his conversion, he received on five occasions the “forty lashes minus one” (2 Corinthians 11:24). Gal 1:13 (NRSV) A. He took … He is quite explicit about contacts there, testifying under oath . Acts 26:9-11, KJV. Paul has just recounted his conversion story in which he had left Jerusalem with authority to ravage the Church and ended up in Damascus. church • Paul doesn’t defend himself on the basis of self-worth or merit • He doesn’t give excuse for his persecution of the church • Rather, he says the Lord selected him for the role and therefore the Lord was responsible for the timing of his conversion This was an especially important point in light of Paul’s purpose for I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. The Apostle Paul thanked God through Jesus Christ our Lord who delivers us from the body of death! Persecution of the early church had occurred sporadically and in localised areas since its beginning. The first persecution of Christians organised by the Roman government took place under the emperor Nero in 64 AD after the Great Fire of Rome. With the passage in 313 AD of the Edict of Milan, persecution of Christians by the Roman state ceased. Second Corinthians mentions Silas as having preached with Paul and Timothy to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:19) and Peter's first epistle regards Silas as a 'faithful brother' (1 Peter 5:12). Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ … The stoning was likely illegal. If that’s the case, something is very wrong. 1 Corinthians 15:9 – “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” 2. Persecution in Luke-Acts. In this post, we’ll continue to discuss the matter of the church by getting into some verses in Ephesians, a book unique in its rich revelation of what the church is in God’s eyes. In Matthew 26:39, Jesus Himself faced an unjust trial. And in persecuting the church, Paul was persecuting Jesus. But it says nothing about his death. “‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.” Acts 22:8 (NIV) Before the Apostle Paul was dramatically converted on the road to Damascus, he was fanatically devoted to God. 15:9-10; … 4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. Acts 22:4 This discussion of Paul's personal ministry begins with verse 24 in chapter 1 and goes down through chapter 2, verse 5. Our text traces Paul through four important phases of his life: from persecutor to persecuted. No one knew it or taught this before Paul. He would do this by: Repaying their persecutors with affliction and "eternal destruction" (verse 6, 8, and 9) No Christian should ever be surprised when they are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. In seeking to serve God according to his understanding of Judaism, he was actually opposing Him. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and … Bible verses about Christian Persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 – “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2. But I’m going to wait till we get to verse 8 before I teach verse 4. Saul asked. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 2. As the persecuted church stood strong in faith, Paul says that God would use the situation to show forth His righteous justice and prepare them to inherit the age to come. Paul was not “worthy to be called an apostle” because he murdered and persecuted the church in its early days (Ac 22:4, 19; 26:9; Ga 1:13, 23; Php 3:6; 1 Ti 1:13). The First Persecution, Under Nero, A.D. 67. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. This … Paul, Silas and Timothy are listed as co-authors of the two letters to the Thessalonians. Saul hated these followers of Jesus and wanted to destroy the church. These words, written by the Apostle Paul, serve as an introduction to this great man of God. A. Saul is first mentioned in Acts 7:58-59, where he gave his approval for the stoning to death of the first Christian martyr, Saint Stephen. Another way to say you are hurting or threatening people for what they believe is to say you are “persecuting” them. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law … Paul is lying by the side of the road, having an amazing conversation with Jesus. Acts 9:1-2. The "OLD MAN," the flesh, gets crucified with Christ. Paul pursued disciples all the way to Damascus, with the intent of jailing them and probably of killing them (Acts 9:1 which mentions “murderous threats”). In Ephesians 6:18, for example, Paul instructs believers to be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.In the next two verses, Paul requests more specific prayer for himself as he faces persecution. Discover the top Bible verses about Persecution from the Old and New Testaments. They help work patience in us. Paul is the sole author of the letter to the Philippians, though he does mention having … At times in his writing, he even refers to the Damascus Road experience as the basis for his mission (Gal 1:15-16; cf. Paul’s persecution of Christians was pretty heavy duty. Galatians 1:13, 22-23 – “For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. Boldness, like Stephen, to witness to those persecuting us and face even death with joy . Instead of persecuting the church, his call focused on being an apostle and servant of Jesus Christ. "Its name designates it as the Church of mob rule, the democratic Church, in which everything is swayed and decided by popular opinion, clamour and voting." Although, I wonder if this is the moment of seeing him. It was Jesus. In our worship time today, my friend Lenny Correll challenged us to consider Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 1. From places like Acts 22:3-5 where Paul hints of his relationship with the High priest and others, and Phil. The first persecution of the Church took place in the year 67, under Nero, the sixth emperor of Rome. “And Saul was… Saul could only be persecuting Jesus through the members of His body, the church. In spite of such severe opposition, the Church continued to grow until the time of Constantine when Christianity … In several letters Paul confesses that he once persecuted the followers of Jesus and caused the death of some. In seeking to serve God according to his understanding of Judaism, he was actually opposing Him. Discussion: I. Paul, the Persecutor (Verses 1-2). It was not without reason that, in the deep repentance of his later years, Paul remembered how he had "persecuted the Church of God and wasted it" (Galatians 1:13, Philippians 3:6) and how he had been "a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious" (1Timothy 1:13). Barnabas, who was Paul's missionary companion, could be saying, "It could happen to you, so treat those who are victims of persecution as you would want to be treated." While Paul speaks of his personal sufferings as a means whereby Christ’s atoning death is made visible to his converts (2 Cor 2:14-17; 4:8-12), he never speaks explicitly of the church’s suffering in this way. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any … It was a result of the crowd’s emotions being stirred up. I want to examine several things we learn from Paul's conversion. Saul persecuted these disciples of Jesus. Smyrna the Persecuted Church — Be Faithful Until Death. Paul, in his earliest known letter, describes exactly why he is persecuted. He claims it is because he does not preach “circumcision”. Circumcision, itself, is a strange and obscure Jewish tradition that stretched back to the time of Moses. He calls the Judaisers ‘dogs’ because they like to ‘cut the flesh’ of people; that is, they insist that they must circumcise Gentiles … 'Persecuting the Church Is Persecuting Jesus' — Acts 22:6-9. He was from the Jewish tribe of Benjamin, and when describing himself, he said he was a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the Mosaic Law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the Christian Church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. Paul was an unbeliever when he discovered that aggression against Christian men and women was the equivalent of persecuting Christ, for as he discovered later, WE are His Body and HE is our Head. But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. John 15:18-25 18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' . Paul has been … For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. As we learned in the first six verses of James 5, the wicked rich What does the Bible say about Persecution? In verse 18, in a trance, Paul is told by Jesus to “Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me”. What does Paul say about the church? Here is a link to a related video sermon: Ephesus Church Era. The word grace had deep meaning for the apostle Paul. Whatever Paul’s role, there is no mistaking that he becomes a driving force in persecuting the church in Jerusalem, and in other cities such as Damascus. A. The Church of James, Peter, Paul, and John, etc. . The Lord Jesus Christ at work by the Holy Spirit through the