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Despite The Difficulties, Christianity Triumphed

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 14, 2014

I believe that for those who claim to be Christian, discovering Christianity’s unique beginnings should be continually sought and made afresh with new understanding and study. Why? Because I think we will be encouraged and challenged.

This doesn’t mean you need to get a Ph.D. in the subject. Maybe you should just read a few things such as a blog post or two (consider what I have written about the growth of early Christianity over the past few days: day 1, day 2, day 3). Regardless of what you read, the book of Acts should never be left out.

One of the ways I think studying the early church will encourage us is that we will be reminded of the difficulties the early disciples had to overcome.

Consider what Michael Green wrote in Evangelism in the Early Church:

It was a small group of eleven men whom Jesus commissioned to carry on his work, and bring the gospel to the whole world. They were not distinguished; they were not educated; they had no influential backers. In their own nation they were nobodies and, in any case, their own nation was a mere second-class province on the eastern extremity of the Roman map.

If they had stopped to weigh up the probabilities of succeeding in their mission, even granted their conviction that Jesus was alive and that his Spirit went with them to equip them for their task, their hearts must surely have sunk, so heavily were the odds weighted against them. How could they possibly succeed? And yet they did.

So what were some of the difficulties the early disciples faced?

The early disciples were nobodies.
They were seen as atheistic as they did not honor the customary gods.
They were believed to be guilty of both incest and cannibalism. The reason for this is that they met in secret, spoke about feeding on Christ in the Eucharist, and spoke of each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Their idea that Jesus’ death on the cross was the key to the wisdom of the ages was laughable.
Their ethical lifestyle was not appealing.

(see Chapter 2 in Evangelism in the Early Church)

Basically, “Christians were opposed as anti-social, atheistic, and depraved,” writes Green. “Their message proclaimed a crucified criminal, and nothing could have been less calculated than that to win them converts.”

And yet despite all of this, the message spread throughout the Roman Empire. Though the message of the cross was folly to those who were perishing, to those who were being saved it was the power of God (see 1 Corinthians 1:18).

What difficulties does the church face today? What difficulties do you personally face in sharing the gospel? Is it easy to get discouraged? If so, it will do us good to remember the early church and the hardships they overcame as the proclaimed the gospel–the gospel which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).

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The Growth Of Early Christianity & Compassion

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 13, 2014

So why did Christianity grow in the Roman Empire? In a world full of religious options and a plurality of gods, what was the attraction to Christianity?

As was written earlier, one attraction to Christianity was it’s treatment of women. Many have said that Jesus’ “attitude toward women was revolutionary as for him the sexes were equal.” So the early church, as it modeled Jesus, viewed men and women as equal as well.

But there is one more consideration as to why Christianity grew in the early centuries. It is because Christians provided help and compassion for those in need. This is evidenced by the help Christians provided during the plagues (see chapter 4 in The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark).

In the early years, plagues tragically hit the Roman Empire. In 165, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, a plague swept through the Roman Empire in which the mortality rate was so massive that Aurelius wrote of “caravans and wagons hauling out the dead.”[1]

Christians sought ways to help during the plagues as seen by a letter from Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria to those who had nursed the sick and to those who were giving their lives in doing so:

Most of our brothers showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains. Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead…. The best of our brothers lost their lives in this manner, a number of presbyters, deacons, and laymen winning high commendation so that in death in this form, the result of great piety and strong faith, seems in every way the equal to martyrdom.[2]

Evidence of Christian’s helping others is not only found among Christian writings however. In 362, the emperor Julian launched a campaign in order to help start pagan charities in order to match the Christians. In a letter to the high priest of Galatia, Julian urged the pagans that they needed to “equal the virtues of the Christians, for recent Christian growth was caused by their ‘moral character, even if pretended,’ and by their ‘benevolence toward strangers and care for the grave of the dead.”

In another letter Julian wrote, “I think that when the poor happened to be neglected and overlooked by the priests, the impious Galileans [Christians] observed this and devoted themselves to benevolence.”

Julian also wrote, “The impious Galileans [Christians] support not only their poor, but ours as well, everyone can see that our people lack aid from us.”[3]

So what can we learn from this? How important is it for us to be compassionate? Should not the church be in the midst of the suffering of the world?

Jesus said, You are the salt of the earth…. You are the light of the world…so let you light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:13-16).

[1]Rodney Stark, The Triumph of Christianity, 116.
[2]Rodney Stark, The Triumph of Christianity, 117.
[3]Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity, 84-84.

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The Growth of Early Christianity Among Women

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 12, 2014

The growth of Christianity in the early centuries, as was written about the other day, is quite staggering. This is especially so in light of the Roman Empire and its religion.

For a small Jewish group, of whom Rome thought nothing about, to grow into something that in 300 AD would estimate to over 6 million people is an incredible story. And it’s one we can learn much from.

So how did it happen?

Rodney Stark, in his book The Rise of Christianity, gives us some answers. “It is obvious,” writes Stark, “that people do not embrace a new faith if they are content with the older one.” In order for a new religion to break into a culture therefore, they must always “make their way in the market opening left them by weaknesses in the conventional religion (s) of a society.”

This is especially true in a pluralistic market where there are many options. For a new religion “to make headway—Hindu groups in the United States, for example—is extremely rare and depends on something’s having gone wrong in the process by which pluralism maintains market equilibrium.”

So why did Christianity grow in the Roman Empire? In a world full of religious options and a plurality of gods, what was the attraction to Christianity?

One attraction to Christianity was it’s treatment of women. Many have said that Jesus’ “attitude toward women was revolutionary as for him the sexes were equal.” So the early church, as it modeled Jesus, viewed men and women as equal as well.

Stark writes that increased female status can be found “within the family and within the religious community.” This happened as a result of several things. First, Christians did not condone female infanticide (actually, they didn’t condone infanticide at all). Second, Christians condemned “divorce, incest, marital infidelity, and polygamy.” And third, should women be widowed, they were not pressured to remarry and were allowed to keep their husband’s estate.

There has been objective evidence that leaves no doubt that the early Christian women did enjoy greater equality with men than did Jewish and pagan women. A study of Christian burial in the catacombs under Rome, based on 3,733 cases, found that Christian women were nearly as likely as Christian men to be commemorated with lengthy inscriptions. This “near equality in the commemoration of males and females is something that is peculiar to Christians, and sets them apart from the non-Christian populations of the city” (see the Triumph of Christianity by Rodney Stark).

To summarize, “women were drawn to Christianity because it offered them a life that was greatly superior to the life they otherwise would have led” (see Chapter 7 in The Triumph of Christianity).

So what can we learn from this? What does this say about the power of the gospel to change lives and the cultures we live in? What does the early church say to us about the power of “loving your neighbor as yourself” and treating those around you as equals, not inferiors?

There is something powerful about the gospel when we treat others as Paul commands in Philippians 2:3-4: Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

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A Tale of Three Moms

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 11, 2014

So here is a tale of three moms…

First, there is a mom and grandmother whose heart of service could be rivaled by none. If anyone, especially family, were to enter her house and not feel blessed to be there, it was a rarity.

Most often, her way of service was in cooking. There was no such thing as a small meal. Even partaking in a “light” breakfast with only toast meant having the option of 3 to 4 home-made jellies and jams. There was no such thing as leaving her house hungry.

Second, there is a mom who was an example of grace. Forgiveness flowed from heart to those around her. Most often, such grace was needed for her son. Many times, her kindness and forgiveness were enough to change his course of direction.

For this mom, it was never about her for some reason. She never boasted in herself. In fact, it wasn’t until she died at an early age that her son began to hear just how much she cared for others at her job. True, she was a nurse and caring was her job, but there was something different about the way she took care of others. Most likely it was because of her grace-filled life.

Finally, there’s a mom who is filled with love. There is not a day that goes by in which she does not show love to her kids in one way or another. And there’s not a day that goes by in which she doesn’t tell them how much they are loved. Her favorite words to her children are “I love you!”

Her love has not only blessed her children, but her husband as well. Her love has made the home a place of laughter and peace. Bottom line: her love has transformed her home and is molding her children to become true servants of others.

Now this tale of three moms is not just about some random folks. It is a tale about my grandmother, my mom, and my wife. And though there is much more that could be written, each, by the grace of God, has modeled for me a heart of service, grace, and love. And for that I am most thankful today.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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The Growth of Christianity In The First Centuries

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 10, 2014

The growth of Christianity in the first centuries is quite staggering when looking at the numbers. Robert Wilken in his book, The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity, writes:

At the end of the first century there were fewer than ten thousand Christians in the Roman Empire. The population at the time numbered some sixty million, which meant that Christians made up 0.0017 percent.

By the year 200, the number may have increased to a little more than two-hundred thousand, under one percent (0.36).

By the year 250, however, the number had risen to more than a million, almost two percent of the population.

The most striking figure, however, comes two generations later. By the year 300 Christians made up 10 percent of the population, approximately six million.

Sociologist Rodney Stark looks a bit more closely at these numbers in his book The Rise of Christianity and wonders if such growth is possible.

He concludes that if Christianity grew at a rate of 40 percent per decade, “there would have been 7,530 Christians in the year 100, followed by 217,795 Christians in the year 200 and by 6,299,832 Christians n the year 300.”

This is an encouraging find for Stark as it is close to the growth rate of the 43 percent per decade that the Mormon church has maintained for the past 100 years.

Therefore, “the numerical goals Christianity needed to achieve are entirely in keeping with modern experience…and history allows time for the normal processes of conversion, as understood by contemporary social science, to take place.”

Now just because Stark writes that such growth “is possible” in keeping with our experience and historical understanding does not negate the miraculousness of God in growing His church. What it shows is how God works through His people in bringing about His Kingdom. And that in itself is quite miraculous!

In considering the growth of Christianity in the beginning centuries, we need to remember that the Roman Empire was very religious and had many gods. And though they were always open to new gods, they were not open to any religion that would worship only one God.

Therefore, though Jews were found throughout the Empire, the Romans did not think much of them. Why? Because they only worshipped one God and forsook all the others.

So when Jesus came, the Romans didn’t care who he was. The Jews were obviously interested because of the claims Jesus made in relation to Yahweh and the Old Testament, but the Romans had other things to worry about than what was happening in Jerusalem. Besides, if Jerusalem were to be a problem, Rome could just destroy it and go about their business (Rome did actually destroy Jerusalem in 70 AD)

So for a small Jewish group, of whom Rome thought nothing about, to grow into something that in 300 AD would estimate to over 6 million people, is quite an interesting story.

So how did it happen?

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Around The Web

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 8, 2014

Faith and Reason: Is Christianity Irrational? – Should Christians believe what is unreasonable? That’s the question here. I’m more concerned for the moment with Christians who consider the best faith blind faith in what is irrational. My question to secularists is from Pascal: “Do you love by reason?” And I would say to them what he said: “The heart has reasons the reason knows not of.”

Field Trip to a Junkyard – How can we teach our children the emptiness of materialism in a direct and memorable way? Take them to a garage sale and show them how things that people spent great amounts of money on are now sold for pennies.

Church is For Messy People – Church should be a place where messy people feel comfortable. When I say “messy people”, I don’t mean people who are willfully engaging in unrepentant sin. I mean people who are seeking to follow Jesus, but who often find themselves struggling, and falling, and failing. I’m talking about the weak, weary, and worn out.

The Problem With Seeking God’s Will – I have spent too much of my life, and my prayer life, asking for God to lead me into His “perfect will”. “God lead me”. “Guide me”. “Use me”. “Bless me”. While I know that God is a gracious, condescending God who meets us wherever we are, I sometimes wonder if God has been up there saying….

Top Ten Causes of Depression in Pastors – As Pastors and Ministers, we have had opportunities to experience the highs of ministry and being used by God to bring healing in many situations. Unfortunately, on the flip side, many pastors have difficulty fighting through the challenges of ministry. The expectation is that the pastor would never reach the depths of depression, but persevere despite all challenges.

5 Observations About Younger Southern Baptists – What about younger Southern Baptists? What does the future of the SBC look like?

Kevin Durant’s MVP Award Acceptance Speech – POWERFUL!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehlBKRqPveQ

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God Uses The Unlikely

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 7, 2014

Do you have a hero of the faith? Is it Paul? David? Abraham? Ruth? Esther? Or maybe it’s someone like Jim Elliot who was killed trying to share the gospel with the Auca Indians. Or it could be someone in your family like a mom, dad, or grandparent.

As you consider these heroes, do you ever say to yourself, “I could never be a Paul, David, Esther or Jim Elliot. I’m too quiet and reserved to lead or start anything. I just don’t have what it takes to do anything like they did.”

First of all, I’m not sure God wants you to be Paul, David, Esther, etc…. He created you to be you. Second, just because you may not preach to thousands or have your name in the headlines of Christian ministry doesn’t mean God is not changing the world through you. Consider the ranch hand who said, “I may not be Billy Graham, but I can serve God in a blue collar job.”

Finally, I want us to consider who our heroes of the faith actually are. Are they not mere men and women in whom God used to glorify Himself? When you look at the lives of David, Paul, Esther, etc…, they were folks who did not have it all together. They weren’t super heroes.

We must remember this because sometimes we think we are not talented enough for God to use. If you feel this way, then you need to consider 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

In this passage, Paul reminds those in Corinth that God does not necessarily use the strong and wise, but the weak and foolish. Consider the cross. What kind of god uses such a vile method of execution to show his glory? It was unthinkable, and yet today, it is the cross in which we boast.

So if you think you “ain’t got what it takes,” then you are in great shape! Why? Because God is not looking for self-reliant glory hounds, but humble, weak, servants in whom his glory can shine.

When we look at the lives of David, Paul, and anyone else who follows Christ, God wants us to see his glory, not theirs. We must remember that God does not and will not share his glory (see Isaiah 48:11).

Consider the words by Kent Hughes:

Life is not as it appears to be. We are led by today’s culture to imagine that God pitches his tent with the especially famous and powerful – those who can speak of ecstasies and miraculous power and who command large crowds as they jet from city to city and enjoy the spotlight of center stage – but it is not so. Christ pitches his tent with the unknown, the suffering shut-in, the anonymous pastor and missionary, the godly, quiet servants in the home and in the marketplace.

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Jesus: Another Failed Reformer?

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 6, 2014

Ivor J. Davidson:

The story of the Christian church has its genesis in the belief of a small group of Jews in the first-century Palestine that a man who had been crucified had been raised from the dead. Jesus of Nazareth, the charismatic prophet, teacher, and healer whose ministry had caused a storm in Galilee and Judea, appeared to have died in defeat and he had been put to death by crucifixion, sentenced by the Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate, around the year A.D. 30.

This ought to have been the end of the matter. Jesus, it seemed, was just another failed reformer–courageous, no doubt, in his protest against religious and moral systems that he felt were wrong; commendable, certainly, in his principled concern for the needs and the marginalized and his practical efforts to address social injustices; but in the end just another pious martyr to a cause.

Jesus had been an impressive teacher and miracle worker; and his brief ministry had made an impact on a wide variety of people, but he had died a common criminal’s death, crying out to God in an apparent sense of being forsaken. His death left his band of followers without a leader and without any obvious sense of direction.

Whatever Jesus had stood for; it appeared either that he had been mistaken or that his mission was a failure.

What changed all this was the conviction that though Jesus had died a violent death and been laid in a tomb, he was dead no longer. Within a matter of days of his crucifixion, stories were circulating that his grave was empty and that he had been raised from the dead.

The belief that Jesus was raised was not some pious idea that the events of his crucifixion had been reversed or that the dreadful reality of his suffering had somehow been cancelled out. The Jesus who appeared was not a resuscitated corpse, amazingly brought to life again. Nor was he a ghost or a phantom pictured in the minds of grieving–and perhaps guilt-ridden–disciples, looking back sentimentally on the individual they had known and failed in the hour of his greatest need.

At the heart of the first-believers’ faith was a conviction that Jesus was alive as a concrete, flesh-and-blood reality.

His followers believed his appearances were confirmations that God had vindicated him and that his life and death, far from being in vain, were in fact the decisive means by which God was acting in history to effect not only the renewal of Israel but the redemption of the world.

-Ivor J. Davidson, The Birth of The Church: From Jesus to Constantine AD 30-312 (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 11-12.

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