CHRISTIANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PECULIAR PEOPLE, often viewed as strange by the non-Christians they live among. This was definitely the case of the early Church among the Roman populace. Writing in the early second century, the Roman historian Suetonius described Christians as “a class of people animated by a novel and dangerous superstition.” Christian ethics (particularly in the realm of sexuality and marriage) were often seen as overly severe. Christian practices (prayer, the Lord’s Supper, giving to the poor) were routinely labeled as the ways of the ignorant or the rituals of the superstitious.
The Church was also viewed as narrow-minded because of their lack of participation in the worship of local deities. One may remember the riot that was caused in Ephesus when craftsmen of the shrine to Artemis observed that their business was shrinking because fewer people were buying their wares (Acts 19:21-41). One of the leading silversmiths, Demetrius, declared, “this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing” (Acts 19:26-27). The Christian faith was disrupting the economics and social conventions of Ephesus and this was leading some to slander the followers of Christ as evildoers.
In his first letter to the churches throughout Asia Minor, the Apostle Peter provides an answer for the hostility many Christians in the region were facing. He urged them not to assimilate and give in to customs of their communities, but rather to “abstain from the passions of the flesh” (which were oftentimes in concert with the ethics of Roman culture) and to live honorably among the Gentiles. Christians were to remember that they were sojourners and exiles among the predominant culture.
Their home in heaven and their identity as God’s people ought to lead them to live distinctly for missional purposes, that the unbelievers among them would “see [their] good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). The hope was that somehow the quality of their holy living would be a means of bringing worship to Christ by the Gentiles – either through the conversion of unbelievers in this life or by the recognition of their error at the day of judgment.
Today, Christians in the West need to heed Peter’s exhortations to live differently than the culture. Too often we have accepted conclusions that Christians are narrow-minded and intolerant, leading us to acquiesce to the predominant culture’s views on cohabitation, sexuality, transgenderism, and abortion. These issues around the expression of one’s sexuality are like the Artemis worship of Ephesus. They are our culture’s primary “local” deities. And when they are threatened, crowds will assemble to either demand our allegiance or call for our “cancellation.”
If Peter were carrying on a lengthier discussion with us about “keeping our conduct among the Westerners honorable,” he would probably note the significance of not only abstaining from the practice and acceptance of sexual sin, but also the need to express tender mercy to all of those involved. Our “good deeds” the world around us sees are not primarily the restriction of certain cultural norms, but rather the gracious ways in which we extend Christ’s love to a world that is under God’s judgment, as we once were ourselves.
PRAYER
Father in Heaven, you have called us out of darkness and into your marvelous light. You desire for us to live in a way that leads us to greater fellowship with you, not in ways that wage war against our souls. We pray that you would help us to live as foreigners in this place – as a people with distinct customs and ethics. Though this may make us seem strange to those who live near us, we pray that our uniqueness would lead our neighbors to see your exceptional character and bring praise to your Name. Amen.
PONDER
- In what ways does it bring you comfort that Jesus was also maligned and spoken of as an evildoer?
- Which “passion of the flesh” that our culture propagates do you find yourself most susceptible to accepting?
- Pray for an unbeliever who has opportunity to observe your good deeds to no longer slander the name of Christ but begin to praise God because of the grace he offers all.