All will be persecuted: what did Apostle Paul mean?
Today, when the Church is being persecuted in Ukraine – temples seized, bishops jailed, and believers considered second-class citizens – it makes sense to think: can it be otherwise?
In Ukraine, for many years now, believers have been living in a reality in which the persecution of the Church, the seizure of temples, and the harassment of Christians have become commonplace. And therefore the words of the Apostle Paul that "all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12) are perceived especially relevant.
The Second Epistle to Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul while he was in Rome, in chains, awaiting imminent execution: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is near" (2 Tim. 4:6). He also endured many other afflictions: "You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes" (2 Tim. 1:15); "…I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal…" (2 Tim. 2:9); "for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia…" (2 Tim. 4:10); "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm" (2 Tim. 4:14), and so on.”
On the other hand, the Apostle Timothy himself also endured hardships: "You therefore must endure[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3). From this, we see that the words "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" were spoken by one persecuted and suffering man to another who was likewise persecuted and suffering.
Who are those "who desire to live godly"?
The Apostle Paul wrote categorically: "All." Not "many," not "possibly," not "under unfavorable circumstances," not "at times". No! All who follow Christ will be persecuted. Moreover, He did not say: "all who live godly," but "those who desire to live." Already at the moment when a person decides to turn away from sin and follow Christ, he begins to endure persecution.
The Old Testament also speaks of this: "My son, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation" (Sir. 2:1). This turning point is called repentance in the original sense of the word. In Greek, metanoia (μετάνοια) signifies a fundamental change of mind or worldview. From this moment, every Christian will be persecuted.
But to be persecuted, one must not only "live godly," but "in Christ Jesus". It is not enough to be just a "good person". A godly life in Christ is not about respectability or moral behavior. It is about following Christ wherever He goes. And the path of Christ is the path to Golgotha. The world that "lies in wickedness" (1 John 5:19) can accept morality but cannot accept the cross of Christ, "to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness" (1 Cor. 1:23). And of course, it is faith in Christ: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matt. 16:16).
Who are the persecutors?
Persecutors can be conditionally divided into three categories:
- external persecutors in relation to the Church;
- internal persecutors in relation to the Church;
- internal persecutors in relation to the individual.
The first category includes open persecutors of the Church, from Emperor Nero to our days. These figures sought to physically destroy the Church, forcing Christians to renounce their faith under threat of death, exile, deprivation of property, and so on. These are the most primitive and easily detectable persecutors, although sometimes the most brutal. This category also includes public opinion, state ideology, and so on. These are mockery, slander, misunderstanding, false stereotypes, etc.
The second category refers to those who formally belong to the Church, sometimes even holding leadership positions in it, but nevertheless oppose those who live godly in Christ. About such people, the Apostle Paul wrote: "Having a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Tim. 3:5). These are those who loved glory, wealth, and pleasures more than Christ. Also, outwardly pious ascetics, like the Pharisees, who fasted and prayed, but, according to Christ, "neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith" (Matt. 23:23). These are also various heretics, false teachers, and young elders.
The most dangerous category, the third, is one's own human passions, our old self, which in Scripture is also called "the flesh": "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another..." (Gal. 5:17). The Apostle further lists what he means by "the flesh": "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like..." (Gal. 5:19–21).
Why is persecution inevitable?
The answer should be sought at the very beginning of the Book of Genesis, where the consequences of man's fall into sin are described. Pronouncing judgment on the serpent, God says to him: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed..." (Gen. 3:15). Here, "the seed of the woman" refers to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, and all His followers. There is always enmity between them and the ancient tempter.
The Apostle John writes: "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:10). In other words,
if a person has no love, he will be a persecutor of his neighbor.
And John further explains: "For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous" (1 John 3:11–12). From this, we learn that
one who does evil deeds cannot live peacefully alongside one who does good deeds. He will inevitably become his persecutor.
Is everything really so gloomy?
No. Quite the opposite. One of the paradoxes of Christianity is that the followers of Christ will rejoice and be glad because of persecution, not despair. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ says: "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matt. 5:11–12).
The reward will come later, in the Kingdom of Heaven, but Christ calls us to rejoice now.
The same thought is repeated by the Apostle James: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials..." (James 1:2). The Apostle Paul also wrote about this joy to Timothy in the same epistle: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Tim. 4:6–8).
It is impossible to describe exactly what this joy is about. Only the one who decides to "live a godly life in Christ Jesus" can truly feel it.
