Section 13
continued its opposition and persecution toward the Apostles (Acts 4:1-3; 5:17-18, 40; 6:11-14; 7:57-59; 26:9-12; Gal. 1:13). In subsequent his tory, Catholicism persecuted the Lord's follow ers. Any kind of organized religion persecutes those who seek and follow the Lord in life. All the religions consider this kind of persecution as a service offered to God. First religion perse cutes; then it kills. Religion knows neither the Father, the source, nor the Son, the expression (John 16:3). As the Lord said, "These things they will do because they have not known the Father nor Me."
The Lord told His disciples beforehand so that they would not be offended and stumble and so that they would not be perplexed when the persecution came. In a time of persecution the disciples might easily say to themselves, "These religious people worship God. Yet, be cause we take this very God as our life and abode and make ourselves God's abode, these religious people threaten to kill us. They not only drive us out of the synagogues but will even kill us. Maybe it is we who are wrong." The Lord predicted the coming persecution so that the disciples might not think that they were wrong. If this persecu tion happens to you, do not think that you are