A Costly Interruption: The Sermon On the Mount, pt. 2 - Blessed
The world into which christianity was born
1. The World Into Which
Christianity Was Born
HOW WAS IT POSSIBLE TO GROW?
2. The Roman Empire
• Filled with:
• Paganism
• Emperor Worship
• Greek Philosophies:
• Stoicism
• Platonism
• Epicureanism
Egyptian and Persian Mystery
Cults
Zoroastrianism
Mithraism
Judaism
How Can A New Religion of Faith in Jesus Triumph Over All of These?
3. Christ Faith Flourished in Spite of Opposition
• Paganism could not compete – Acts 14, 19
• Greek Philosophers could not squash the rational basis
–Acts 17
• Judaism converted or were crushed by the strength of
the Christian argument that the Messiah had come in
Jesus – Acts 2-7
4. Factors:
• Prophetic Expectations Were Building – Dan.2, 9
• Three years of miracles witnessed by many Jews
• Eyewitness Excitement
• Theological Excitement
• An Exciting Hope Based Upon the Resurrection and
Ascension of Jesus as undeniable fact
5. Persecution Could Not Stop It
• The prevailing attitude of Christians was:
“Let the world be ashamed for not knowing Him,
But Let Me never be ashamed of He who was not ashamed
to die for Me!”