“Jesus Christ!” I hear it all the time. We have this board at work. Things people are thankful for!!! Yesterday I read the notes that were attached to the board. Attached to one is the statement “mythology” and another read “Darwin!!” Both of which were sarcastic in your face responses to Christians writing what they truly beleive. I’m glad to live in a free country but opposition is only mounts against Christianity.
We tend to think of persecution as facing a grulling death. But just like bulying today.
I recently read Larry Hurtado’s book “How on Earthy Did Jesus Become a God? The titles is rather provocative but the subtitle speaks more to the heart of the book “Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus.” Hurtado draws that conclusion that Devotion to Jesus is at the earliest Jewish stages of Christianity. He draws this conclusion because unlike the polythestic world which was accustomed to accepting multiple gods, Christianity was pronouncely monthestic or “binetarian” as he terms it. Like Judaism they refused to worship any other God. They did worship Jesus but they believed that this was bound up in the glory due to the one God. This is not pagan Christianity.
In one chapter of his book “living and dieing for Jesus” Hurtado recounts many of the forms of persecution the earliest followers of Jesus faced in making this bold step of faith.
Family Relationships
Wider Social Relations
Political Consequences
