Deleted Scenes: Upside Down is the Norm

I think one of the best things about studying church history is finding out that whatever obstacles you’re facing, whatever doubts you’re experiencing, whatever temptations you come across, you’re not alone. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” When our whole vision is limited to our present experience, or the experience of our church, or the experience of our present culture, we might begin to think “oh woe is me!” when struggles are present.

For example, I think some of us look at the church in a place like Canada and feel that we are being unfairly marginalized. We might think about previous generations when Christians seemed to have held more of a place of privilege in Canadian society. We might think about our workplaces and see ways that Christian beliefs are openly mocked and that those who hold them are sidelined. And we might think that these are hardships that we can’t and shouldn’t have to bear. After all, this wasn’t the case in our culture until pretty recently.

As I said on Sunday, I actually believe that truly following Jesus will land you in trouble at some point or another in every culture. You will look upside down in the eyes of the world in some aspect. The Gospel might involve more of those upside down elements in some cultures than others, but it will always happen. But as I said on Sunday, being distinct from our culture is far from a bad thing. It may actually be one of the primary ways the Lord brings people from the darkness into His light. It certainly was that way in the early church.

I mentioned the early church on Sunday and read a quote from the second century Epistle of Diognetus about the church being in the world but not of. In a great book I’ve got on my shelf (Evangelism in the Early Church by Michael Green), he has a quote from the third century church leader Tertullian about the struggles of a Christian (particularly a Christian wife) who is married to an unbeliever. Read this: “if there is a morning service to be attended, her husband makes an appointment to meet his wife at daybreak at the baths. If there is a fast to be observed, the husband that same day arranges a supper party. If a charitable journey has to be made, never is family business more pressing. For who would allow his wife, on the pretext of visiting the brethren, to go round from street to street to other men’s homes, and, worst of all, to the poorer cottages? Who will willingly put up with her being away from his bed at nightly meetings? Who will, without anxiety, endure her absence all night long at the Easter Vigil? Who will, without suspicion, send her off to attend that Lord’s Supper of which so many defamatory things are said? Who will allow her to creep into prison to kiss a martyr’s bonds?”

Tertullian is saying that a Christian woman in the third century Roman context is going to come up against continual opposition from a Roman husband, who will throw up every possible barrier to keep her from living out her faith. She will have to go against the flow in terms of cultural expectations for a distinguished wife. She will have to bear unfounded and untrue rumours being whispered about her wherever she goes. For some of you, the situation Tertullian writes about may feel quite real. You’re living it out. I pray that reading that quote will remind you that you’re not alone- not today, and not throughout church history. Personally, I’ve read that Tertullian quote a few times, and every time it hits me again how immense the challenges of being a Christian in those first few centuries was.

I’m hit by that, and I’m comforted because I know that these disciples endured those hardships with joy through the Holy Spirit. I’m comforted because, far from being cause for decline in the church, God worked through the “against the flow” nature of Christian faith to bring many people to faith in Jesus in those early centuries. The story of the early church is one of incredible growth despite zero support from the powers that be. The official “press coverage” of the church in those early centuries was almost entirely negative, but it didn’t stop the Gospel from spreading far and wide. I’m encouraged that we are called to be that kind of set apart people today, and that God can once again use us to bring many people from darkness into His light. May it be!