Persecution
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that persecution would come for the faithful, but that we ought not to let it defeat us.
Matthew 5:10–12"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you
falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward is great in heaven,
for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
The apostles took the admonition quite literally when they were beaten by the Council for teaching in the name of Jesus.
Acts 5:27–29, 40–41
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men…."
And…they beat [the apostles] and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then [the apostles] left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
The Christian Response to Persecution
Jesus teaches us to pray for those who persecute us.
Matthew 5:43–45
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."
Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
The parable of the sower includes a negative example of someone who does not endure persecution.
Matthew 13:18, 20–21
"Hear then the parable of the sower…:
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away."
The apostles told other churches about the endurance of the church at Thessalonica.
2 Thessalonians 1:4
[We] boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.
The Reality of Persecution
Persecution is inevitable for a faithful child of God.
John 15:20
"Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you…."
2 Timothy 3:10–14
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it….
Mark 10:28–31
Peter began to say to him, "See, we have left everything and followed you." 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 lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
Those who do not obey God have always engaged in persecution of the just.
1 John 3:12–13
We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and sacrificed his brother. And why did he sacrifice him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.
Acts 7:52
"Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered…."
Galatians 4:22–23, 28–29
It is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise….
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
But persecution does not mean God has forsaken us, nor does it have the power to take us away from God.
Romans 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
2 Corinthians 12:9–10
He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul's Persecution & Christ's Patience
Jesus demonstrated His perfect patience when He called Saul to repentance. When Paul repented, Jesus forgave his vicious persecution against the saints.
1 Timothy 1:12–16
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.