Very thought provoking, and backed up by clear historical facts. Thanks for offering a balanced and nuanced view on this. I think it is wrong to "celebrate" or "seek" persecution, but nor should we do everything we can to avoid it. As every context is different, it is unwise to paint it all with the same brush. Philippians 4 and Paul's words about having plenty or having scarcity seems to apply -- we are to be content and keep our eyes on God and glorifying him. Perscution won't automatically make it happen, nor does favor and wealth automatically mean we are moving away from God.
Very thought provoking, and backed up by clear historical facts. Thanks for offering a balanced and nuanced view on this. I think it is wrong to "celebrate" or "seek" persecution, but nor should we do everything we can to avoid it. As every context is different, it is unwise to paint it all with the same brush. Philippians 4 and Paul's words about having plenty or having scarcity seems to apply -- we are to be content and keep our eyes on God and glorifying him. Perscution won't automatically make it happen, nor does favor and wealth automatically mean we are moving away from God.