and you will be objects of hatred by all people because of my name.

These words found their fulfillment early in the first century.

⁴ Paul himself admitted that Christians were persecuted and that he himself, as Saul of Tarsus, was one of the persecutors. As recorded at Acts 26:9-11, he said: “I, for one, really thought within myself I ought to commit many acts of opposition against the name of Jesus the Nazarene; which, in fact, I did in Jerusalem, and many of the holy ones I locked up in prisons, as I had received authority from the chief priests; and when they were to be executed, I cast my vote against them. And by punishing them many times in all the synagogues I tried to force them to make a recantation; and since I was extremely mad against them, I went so far as to persecuting them even in outside cities.”

 5. (a) What did Paul say would be the lot of those who desired to live with godly devotion in association with Christ? (b) How did early Christians look upon persecution? (c) What questions present themselves?

⁵ Later when Saul of Tarsus became the Christian apostle Paul he in turn suffered persecution at the very hands of those whom he once served. As a Christian he wrote to Timothy: “All those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3:12) To the Philippians he said: “To you the privilege was given in behalf of Christ, not only to put your faith in him, but also to suffer in his behalf.” (Phil. 1:29) Early Christians not only were persecuted for their faith, but considered it a privilege to suffer for Christ, according to Paul.