Acts 26:1 ¶ Then Agrippa
said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched
forth the hand, and answered for himself: 2
I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself
this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
3 Especially because I know thee
to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I
beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4 My
manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at
Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5 Which
knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most
straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of
the promise made of God unto our fathers: 7
Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God
day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused
of the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought
a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to
do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many
of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief
priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11 And I punished them oft in every
synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad
against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
One thing of note here was that it was common under persecution
for a Christian to be required to renounce Christ before being released.
Usually, this followed a great deal of torture and threatening thus the compelled
them to blaspheme statement. This occurred under Roman as well as Jewish
persecution and even today a Christian in the Sudan who refuses to renounce his
faith in Christ is likely to suffer most horribly. This underscores that
persecution in the Bible is not about someone ripping off your magnet sign from
your car as much as it is about physical suffering and death.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not
them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear
him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and
one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye
are of more value than many sparrows. 32
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also
before my Father which is in heaven. 33
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my
Father which is in heaven.
Romans 8:17 And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that
we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together. 18 For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us.
2Timothy 2:12 If we suffer,
we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
There were contentions in the historical church early on whether
or not a Christian who denied Christ under torture could be readmitted into
fellowship with other Christians. Fortunately, for us, we know from the example
of Peter at Christ’s trial that God has provided a way back for those in places
like Vietnam or Indonesia today who face terror and persecution and give in, so
to speak. Some early Christians did lose their nerve but then came back and led
exemplary lives for Christ even being killed in later persecutions.
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