“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”
John 15:18
They were often called social misfits because they avoided feasts, social gatherings, or gladiator tournaments. Christians in the 1st and 2nd centuries stayed away from events like this which revolved around false gods and immoral behavior. As an early Christian leader named Tertullian once wrote, “We have the reputation of living aloof from the crowds.”
But were early Christians prudish oddballs? Not in the least! They lived out the Great Commission by loving their pagan neighbors. Since the early church was influenced by the doctrine that all people are made in the image of God, they often rescued unwanted babies, helped the sick and the poor, and obeyed local laws that didn’t violate God’s Word. Because they were called to love all people—slaves, Gentiles, the cast off of society—their treatment of others marked them.
No matter how kind they were, they still found opposition. This did not surprise them any more than it surprises us. We gladly face a world of trouble for the One who conquered the world in our place.
But were early Christians prudish oddballs? Not in the least! They lived out the Great Commission by loving their pagan neighbors. Since the early church was influenced by the doctrine that all people are made in the image of God, they often rescued unwanted babies, helped the sick and the poor, and obeyed local laws that didn’t violate God’s Word. Because they were called to love all people—slaves, Gentiles, the cast off of society—their treatment of others marked them.
No matter how kind they were, they still found opposition. This did not surprise them any more than it surprises us. We gladly face a world of trouble for the One who conquered the world in our place.
Scripture Focus
Matthew 10:34-42
Insight
“In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Bible In A Year
- 1 Kings 15-16
- Proverbs 7
- Hebrews 9-10
