I’m working my way from Genesis to Revelation looking at the theme of persecution.
When he writes to the Romans, Paul’s pioneering work in the east was complete. He plans to begin work in Spain and hopes to visit Rome on the way and spend time with the churches there. He’d like their support in the mission.
He is introducing himself to churches where he’s not personally known.
His motivation for the mission is the gospel—God’s power revealed in Christ to bring salvation. The whole world—Jews and pagans—is bound by sin and under God’s judgment. Forgiveness comes only by faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
Paul doesn’t address persecution directly, but he provides the context for understanding it. Surrendering to the gospel and proclaiming it to the world puts us in the firing line.
The world is at war. God’s wrath is being revealed against all forms of godlessness and evil. In their wickedness, people suppress the truth. So God has handed them over to their depraved minds.
Those who put their faith in Christ’s death are justified before God and saved from God’s wrath (Rom 5:9).
None of these can separate us from Christ’s love:
trouble
hardship
persecution
famine
nakedness
danger
sword
We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Paul doesn’t think the list is long enough, so he adds to it. None of these can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord: Neither…
death nor life
angels nor demons
present nor future
nor any powers
neither height nor depth
or anything else in all creation
Paul assumes that disciples who are true to the gospel will face trouble and persecution.
He’s saying the whole universe could turn against you and attack your faith in Christ and you would win. Nothing can separate you from God’s love in Christ.
You can stand against the world if you stand in the gospel.
As I write, I think about my friends in Iran, Lebanon, and Laos; the reason they are suffering is that they have surrendered to the love of God in Christ. If they stayed silent about the gospel, they’d be left alone. Perhaps that’s why we’re not persecuted in the West.
