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John Piper’s sermons are often memorable, but one in particular has been seared in my mind ever since I first listened to it five or so years ago. I can still vividly hear his awestruck voice reading this passage from Hebrews 10: |
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But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. (vv. 32–36, ESV) |
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To joyfully accept the plundering of property—this is astonishing. It’s an especially surprising concept for many of us in the modern West, who generally worship without any threat of state-sponsored persecution. |
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"These early Christians were aliens and exiles whose true home was in heaven and in the age to come with Jesus," Piper said in that 1993 sermon. "That world was so real to them and so precious that they did the unthinkable: They ‘joyfully accepted the seizure of their property.’ It’s the joy that’s so jolting here." |
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I couldn’t help but remember that sermon again—and that incomprehensible joy from Christ’s church through the ages, despite so many waves of persecution—as I read Joy Ren’s reporting on the Christian churches facing a renewed campaign of persecution in China this week. |
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There, pastors, elders, and congregants are facing lengthy prison sentences for worshiping Christ. They have been subject to interrogation and surveillance, as well as intimidation by a government that wants to stamp out religion. But the congregants of Early Rain Covenant Church are still worshiping, still meeting together, still staying rooted in God’s Word, and they are approaching this moment of peril as a chance to point others to Jesus. |
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This quote, from a source close to Early Rain, stands out: "We are not arrested for ordinary reasons, but because of our faith—and even in these circumstances, we seek to bear witness to Christ not only to the world, but also, when possible, to police officers and government officials. … We also believe it is a chance to speak to the global church." |
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Astonishing bravery, and astonishing faith. |
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On The Russell Moore Show, Russell examines what Romans 13 means for Christians and state power. "That neither Paul nor Peter was giving a moral get-out-of-jail-free card to the state is obvious not just in these Scriptures but also in their very lives," he says. "After all, both were later killed by the sword of Caesar." |
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Isabel Ong, Asia editor: Recipes I’m loving lately for a cozy night in: this flavorful Taiwanese braised minced pork and a creamy chicken and mushroom soup. |
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Kate Lucky, senior features editor: Last Stop on Market Street tells the story of a boy named C. J. and his Nana, who, every Sunday after church, take a bus to a soup kitchen to feed lunch to their friends. C. J. complains. Nana tells him (paraphrase) to get over himself. The illustrations are beautiful. |
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Bonnie Kristian, deputy editor of Christianity Today: Get some HotHands if you're going to be outside this weekend. |
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| PAID CONTENT FOR GLOO |
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Technology has revolutionized our world time and time again. Electricity transformed daily life, increased industrial productivity, and provided safer and more stable power for lighting, heating and cooking alike. Television…
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Paper was once a far more precious resource. Sometimes, our ancestors would scrape markings from parchment, clean it, and start anew. Historians call these documents, inscribed with layers of text, palimpsest.…
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Trials dark on ev’ry hand and we cannot understandAll the ways that God would lead us to that blessèd Promised Land,But he guides us with his eye, and we’ll follow…
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This past Sunday in Minnesota, a group of protesters barged into a Southern Baptist church in Saint Paul during the worship service. Chanting "justice for Renee Good" and "hands up,…
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More than a decade ago, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates successfully pushed reparations into the contemporary conversation with his seminal essay on why, after 250 years of slavery, 90 years of Jim…
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When Jesus taught, he used parables. The kingdom of God is like yeast, a net, a pearl. Then and today, to grasp wisdom and spiritual insight, we need the concrete. We need stories. In this issue of Christianity Today, we focus on testimony—the stories we tell, hear, and proclaim about God’s redemptive work in the world. Testimony is a personal application of the Good News. You’ll read Marvin Olasky’s testimony from Communism to Christ, Jen Wilkin’s call to biblical literacy, and a profile on the friendship between theologian Miroslav Volf and poet Christian Wiman. In an essay on pickleball, David Zahl reminds us that play is also a testament to God’s grace. As you read, we hope you’ll apply the truths of the gospel in your own life, church, and neighborhood. May your life be a testimony to the reality of God’s kingdom. |
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