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Number 1 Spring 2014 Reflections on Persecution Volume 18 · Number 1 Spring 2014 Reflections on Persecution Editorial: Stephen J. Wellum 3 Thinking about the New Covenant and Persecution Gregory C. Cochran 7 Christian Persecution as Explained by Jesus (Matthew 5:10-12) Gregory C. Cochran 33 What Kind of Persecution is Happening to Christians Around the World? Paul Hartog 49 The Maltreatment of Early Christians: Refinement and Response G. Stephen Weaver, Jr. 81 “Patiently to Suffer for Christ’s Sake”: Hercules Collins as an Exemplar of Baptists During the Great Persecution” (1660-1688) Benjamin Lee Hegeman 99 Persecution and the New “Normal” World: “When persecuted, we endure.” (1 Cor 4:12) Ajith Fernando 125 Heaven for Persecuted Saints Jarvis J. Williams 145 Sermon: “Don’t Be Surprised When You Suffer for Christ, But Rejoice!” (1 Peter 4:12-19) The SBJT Forum 153 Book Reviews 167 Editor-in-Chief: R. Albert Mohler, Jr. • Editor: Stephen J. Wellum • Associate Editor: Brian Vickers • Book Review Editor: Gregory A. Wills • Assistant Editor: Brent E. Parker • Editorial Board: Randy L. Stinson, Daniel S. Dumas, Gregory A. Wills, Adam W. Greenway, Dan DeWitt, Timothy Paul Jones, Jeff K. Walters, Steve Watters, James A. Smith, Sr.•Typographer: Eric Rivier Jimenez and Brittany Loop• Editorial Office: SBTS Box 832, 2825 Lexington Rd., Louisville, KY 40280, (800) 626-5525, x 4413 • Editorial E-Mail: [email protected] Editorial: Thinking about the New Covenant and Persecution Stephen J. Wellum Stephen J. Wellum is Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and editor ofSouthern Baptist Journal of Theology. He received his Ph.D. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and he is the author of numerous essays and articles and the co-author of Kingdom through Covenant (Crossway, 2012). When we compare and contrast life under the old covenant versus life un- der the new covenant there are a number of differences which immediately come to mind. Obviously the greatest difference is what the old covenant typified and anticipated has now come to pass in Christ. So, for example, and certainly not limited to these points, circumcision has given way to its fulfillment, namely the coming of Christ, his glorious cross work, and the reality that the entire community of Christ’s people is now a regenerate peo- ple, born of the Spirit, in contrast to the mixed nature of Israel. Or, the sac- rificial system tied to the entire priestly work has now given way to the work of our great High Priest, who by the offering of himself has brought to fulfill- ment what the old system pointed forward to, namely the full atonement of our Lord and the accomplishment of our justification before God. In many, many ways the old covenant in all of its structures, types, and patterns has reached its telos, terminus, and fulfillment in Christ. However, there is also another way in which the old is different than the new covenant. When one thinks of the words, “suffering” and “persecution,” it is important to think through how these concepts differ depending upon which covenant we live under. Generally speaking, under the old covenant, SBJT 18.1 (2014): 3-5. 3 one of the great blessings of that covenant was that the people of God were not to suffer and experience persecution if they remained faithful to the Lord. So, for example, when one reads Deuteronomy 27-28, one is struck by the fact that if the people obeyed God, they would have received not only physical and material wealth but also victory over their enemies. Yet, conversely, if they disobeyed God, they would experience the curses of the covenant, namely, various forms of suffering and persecution. Now it is im- portant to quickly note that this is generally speaking. Even old covenant be- lievers lived in light of Adam’s sin and thus experienced the reality of death. In fact, this is one of the reasons why the book of Job is so important in the OT canon. Without it, one could get the false impression that the blessings of God are always material and physical and that it is only due to sin that we experience God’s curse. Obviously, given Adam’s sin, this is not the case and Job clearly reminds us that there is such a thing as a righteous sufferer even in the OT era. Yet, with that said, under the old covenant, more often than not, suffering and persecution is identified with disobedience and disregard for God’s covenantal demands. Under the new covenant, however, this is certainly not the case. Given that our Lord Jesus Christ has experienced suffering to glory in order to accomplish our salvation, we too, yet not for exactly the same reasons, are called to suffer and experience persecution for his name’s sake. In fact, un- der the new covenant, generally speaking, suffering and persecution is not primarily due to our disobedience (except in the case of our sin), but it is the result of our faithfulness and obedience to the Lord. As Paul reminds us, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (1 Tim 3:12, ESV). Or, as our Lord himself teaches about who the truly blessed person is and what kingdom life is all about: “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 re- ward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:10-12, ESV). This staggering change of covenantal emphasis is not something the Western church has taken seriously or done justice to, especially in the last century where we have lived in relative peace and calm. Among us has grown up all kinds of health and wealth gospels which have distorted the teaching of Scripture, led Christians to have false expectations, and which have failed to account for kingdom life as lived under the new covenant. No doubt, throughout the history of the church and even in our own day, a majority of 4 the church has experienced and known what it means to suffer and be per- secuted for Christ’s sake as new covenant believers. Even as I write this edi- torial, we hear of an increase of persecution against Christians in many parts of the world. What has been fairly common throughout church history (and even today outside first world countries), is now coming to the West, but are we ready for it? One of the main reasons why our last issue of SBJT and this current issue have focused on the themes of suffering and persecution in Scripture and Church history is to prepare Christians, especially in the West, for what we will certainly experience and, in truth, what we should expect to experience as faithful new covenant believers. Before the difficult times arise, we need to think anew about what Scripture teaches on these important subjects, as well as learn lessons from Christians throughout the ages, in order to stand strong and faithful to our Lord today. It is for this reason that we offer this issue ofSBJT on the theme of per- secution. Starting with the biblical data of how we should think about true persecution, and then turning to the lessons of Church history, our aim is to prepare the Western church to live out our calling as new covenant believers, living between the times, as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is our goal that as we think through these important matters our attitude towards suffering and persecution will be brought more in line with Scrip- ture. And, as a result, when we experience true persecution for Christ’s sake, we will rejoice that we are found worthy to be identified with our great and glorious Lord who has gone before us and won the victory on our behalf. 5 ** Southern Baptist Journal of Theology (Spring 2014) - KF - Disk: Febuary 24 A REMEDY for EVANGELICALISM’S SUPERFICIAL THEOLOGY Building on years of research, writing, and cross-cultural ministry, renowned author and theologian David Wells calls our attention to that which defines God’s greatness and gives shape to the Christian life: the holy-love of God. “Rich, deep, and faithful—God in the Whirlwind invites us to come before the very heart of God. No theologian understands the modern world better than David Wells, yet no theologian uses the modern world more powerfully to wrench us back to truths that are foundational and never to be superseded by the latest anything.” OS GUINNESS, cofounder, The Trinity Forum; author, The Call “Dr. Wells is again the splendid biblical theologian he has long since proved himself to be—whose work is driven by devotion to the God who is Holy-love, and whose Luther-like desire to ‘Let God be God’ is clear on every page.” SINCLAIR B. FERGUSON, Professor of Systematic Theology, Redeemer Seminary, Dallas, Texas 6 crossway.org Christian Persecution as Explained by Jesus (Matthew 5:10-12) Gregory C. Cochran Gregory C. Cochran is the Director of the Bachelor of Applied Theology program at California Baptist University, where he also teaches courses in applied theology and pastoral ministry. He earned his Ph.D. in Christian Ethics from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he wrote his dissertation on the topic of persecution in the New Testament. Dr. Cochran has published articles in the Areopagus Journal and The Journal of Family Ministry.
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