5. Words for a Time of Persecution
"… persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2
Corinthians 4:9).
The apostle Paul knew a few things about being persecuted for one's faith. After turning from his role as persecutor of the Church, Paul was himself frequently attacked and assaulted for his beliefs and teaching. The harassment was not just verbal. The apostle tells us he was physically beaten numerous times and that "Five times I received from the Jews thirtynine lashes" (2 Corinthians 11:24 NASB). He was even, on one occasion, stoned and then dragged away and left for dead (Acts 14:19).
It was not just the leaders of the early Church who underwent persecution, of course. In his epistles to the Thessalonians, Paul provides an example of a whole congregation that was experiencing persecution soon after the formation of the Christian faith: "… you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 1:6 ESV). "This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering" (2 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV). We don't know all the details of how the Thessalonian Christians were being treated by those around them, but both of Paul's letters to them make it clear that they were facing serious discomfort and persecution.
But Paul doesn't just commend these people as an example of those who are persecuted for their faith; he helps them realize where much of the spirit of persecution comes from, and he also offers them hope. Notice what he told them: "But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3). In saying this, Paul foreshadows God's help to persecuted Christians through the ages – stressing the fact that God either strengthens or protects his people, depending on his will, and sometimes he does both. Paul found this frequently. Sometimes he was rescued from difficult situations (2 Timothy 3:11) and sometimes he was not (2 Timothy 2:9, 2 Timothy 4:6-8).
We have only to look around the world today to see that many – possibly the majority of – Christians are still living in some degree of danger or discomfort in terms of societal pressure and persecution, and God still protects his people or strengthens them to endure. But why do some suffer and some escape? The testimony of past history and current events both show that God works despite the persecution of his followers. In fact, it is in times and places of persecution that Christianity often grows the most – both numerically and spiritually. Not only do persecution and societal lack of approval help believers grow closer to God, they also often give them unique opportunities to be a better light to others.
So it is no coincidence that Paul told the Thessalonians that they were models to all the believers in the surrounding areas (1 Thessalonians 1:3, 78). The persecuted Thessalonians were, he tells us, especially effective in spreading the gospel throughout their region (vs. 8) through their "work produced by faith," their "labor prompted by love," and their "endurance inspired by hope …" (vs.3). Notice a detail regarding what Paul says here. "Work" and "labor" may sound like the same thing, but in the Greek of the New Testament, "labor" (Greek kopos) often denotes work done under difficult circumstances (compare the ideas behind the English expressions "at work" and "in labor"). So Paul speaks of the work, the labor, and the endurance of the Thessalonians – perhaps referring to differing degrees of hardship that they were experiencing.
But as a result of their work, labor, and endurance under difficult circumstances, the Thessalonian Christians were models of faith, hope, and love – the greatest qualities possible according to Paul (1 Corinthians 13:13) – and as such they were a powerful witness both to other believers and to those outside the faith.
Paul reminds us all that, paradoxical as it may seem, the more uncomfortable it becomes to be a Christian and the more difficult it is to do God's work, the more committed Christians often become. And the Thessalonian Christians he speaks of were wonderful examples of the fact that the more committed we become, the more we accomplish in the calling we are given.