How early Christians stood against Rome, Part 2

By Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Editor’s note: Douglas County resident Russ Minary first wrote this devotional in 2013 and felt prompted to share it now, in a season when revival is stirring across communities. This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Read Part 1 here.

Every spiritual movement takes place in a practical way, from person to person, in the real world. Miracles did take place, the faith spread, and the church grew, for a few reasons which I provide here. Please note that this is entirely conjecture, but I believe that it aligns with Scripture and historical fact, and the context of the times in which it took place.  

Here are nine principles that were used by the early church to survive and thrive in a world that was openly hostile to their beliefs.

First principle: Followers of Jesus learned to be excellent, the best at whatever they did.  Slacking, being marginal, or just OK meant being lion food or relegated to a desperate life.  

Prior to the 19^th century and the industrial revolution, careers were largely familial, as the father passed a trade on to his sons. Nobody blogged about why their job sucked. There was no monster.com, and job-hopping didn’t work well (refer to the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32). No trade meant no income. No income meant no house and no food, which meant slim pickings, skinny kids and death. Bummer.  

This was true in Hebrew culture. Jesus was a craftsman of some sort, Paul made tents, etc.  The Jews have survived as a race and culture by being educated; cultivating useful, essential trades; and learning to thrive in whatever culture or nation in which they reside. 

For example, if you are the baker who makes the best bread, or the carpenter who builds the best home, or the most skilled surgeon, or the best educator, etc. – you are in demand; people will flock to your place of business. You are exceptional and get noticed for good reasons. To understand this from other Scripture, look at Phil. 4:8, 1 Tim. 3:13 and Tit. 3:8. Even an evil tyrant is hesitant to kill the only good dentist or beer-maker in his town.

By doing good, they did well. They were magnetic because of their excellence. As a result, people wanted to know ‘their secret to success.’ They couldn’t openly evangelize or be proactive in their approach, but if someone asked…well, that was different.  

1 Peter 3:13-17 talks to this: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

Second principle: Followers of Jesus let their actions speak louder than their words. In a world where sin and evil was prevalent, they were obviously different. The changed lives of believers attracted the curiosity of those in the community.  

When a temple prostitute, a drunkard or a Roman soldier started acting radically different one day, their friends, family and co-workers wanted to know why. When Daddy started treating Mommy and the kids differently (instead of like slaves or property that could be discarded), their friends and family wanted to know why. 

When the State started to notice that the sick, the crippled, the drunks and drug addicts, the hungry and naked, the thieves, street criminals, prostitutes and tax collectors all started to change and then disappear – they wanted to know why.  

Who was doing it and how did they do it? The church went after these hopeless, disgusting and unwanted people on the margins with the Love of Jesus and practical methods. They solved problems that the State and people in the community either couldn’t or wouldn’t tackle. Like the early believers, we are living in a world that says, “Don’t tell me what you believe, show me what you believe by your actions. When I see that you’re real, I’ll listen to what you have to say.”   

Third principle: Followers of Jesus exercised and maintained discipline and order within their ranks. 1 and 2 Corinthians are the rules of order for a group of believers in a wild world.  Certain people had to be called out and disciplined. Order was maintained. Sin was identified and just not tolerated among the followers. Discipline was lovingly exercised—with change and restoration in mind. The church, like God, was both just and full of grace.     

Fourth principle: Followers of Jesus were unified, generous and had a bias for action.  The Book of Acts, especially 4:32-35 is a clear illustration of this. Simple and powerful.    

Fifth principle: They boldly ignored every effort to stop them and focused on the mission that Jesus had given them, often practicing civil disobedience or going underground when necessary. Jesus and his disciples were told by both the government and religious authorities to stop what they were doing. They didn’t. The first followers of Jesus were told to stop what they were doing. They didn’t. If they had stopped, we would not have the Christian faith, the Bible or the Body of Christ today.   

Sixth principle: They understood that not everybody was going to like them, and that was OK. To some people, we stink. There’s a reason for that, and we don’t need to apologize. It’s in 2 Cor. 2:14-17 (NLT), which says: ”But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.”

Seventh principle: They bloomed where they were planted, were a force for good and their sheer numbers eventually overwhelmed or wore out their adversaries. Persecution, suffering and other bad stuff comes with the territory if you’re a follower of Jesus. Get over it, stop the whining and get to work.

Virtually all of the first believers were Jews. They understood persecution and how to survive.  The prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 29:4-7) sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon which said: “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

Eighth principle: When Jesus and the apostles quoted, taught from and referred to ‘the Scriptures’, they were referring to what we now call the Old Testament. God has not changed, nor has He changed His mind, nor have any of those Scriptures changed in context or meaning.  

The New Testament is a continuation, not the end, of God’s Word. It is alive and speaks to us. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 says: ”All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Scripture is full of wisdom on life, career, money, education, relationships, marriage, politics, government, management, leadership, culture, organization and many other practical issues.  The person who understands and applies it is far more effective than one who doesn’t.   Ignorance makes us stupid, unfruitful and vulnerable to the attacks of Satan, our enemy. Paul taught followers of Jesus not to leave the house without their ‘armor’ on (Eph. 6:10-17). 

Ninth principle: They understood how to be culturally relevant and translate their beliefs into the language of the people they were trying to reach. In Acts 17:16-34, Paul visits the synagogues and the Aureopagus, a forum for thinkers, intellectuals, elites and philosophers to discuss and debate worldviews with them.  

Jesus used parables. At the Aureopagus and throughout his travels, Paul framed his arguments and explained things in terms that people understood, not in ‘Christian-ese’ or Bible-thumping.  He took questions without getting rattled, handled some hecklers and was articulate and unapologetic. His logic and rhetoric skills were excellent. He had done his homework on what they believed before telling them what he believed. He treated them with respect, but never backed down. He was a humble ambassador for the Gospel. In short, he gave every follower of Jesus an example to follow.      

Bottom line, it’s not up to us to grow anything and programs don’t work. God is in charge, and we must work in concert with Him. 

In 1 Cor. 3:7 (NLT), there’s a big fat clue. If we work the farm, do our jobs and use our gifts God’s way for His purposes and remain faithful in the details, God takes care of the results.

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.”

Miss the beginning? Read Part 1 here.

Russ Minary is a retired sales executive, advertising and marketing consultant, small business owner and veteran. He helped businesses with hiring, talent consulting and organizational effectiveness before retiring.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.