A distant, swirling cloud of dust signaled the approach of Turkish death squads. But who could escape? The villages of Armenia sat exposed and defenseless on a rocky plain. Doomed Christians clung together on the floors of their homes, praying, singing, and shivering with fear.
This scene was repeated often during World War I, and it usually ended in a massacre. The Turkish assault against Armenian Christians was one of history's worst religion-inspired bloodbaths: over one million people died. But, sadly, the Armenian tragedy was but one of many attacks against 20th-century Christians.
More people have died for their religious faith in this century than all the rest of history combined. Thousands of Christians died in East Africa, first in the Mau Mau uprising and then during Idi Amin's reign of terror. Millions more suffered under Soviet and Chinese governments. And the oppression goes on: even today some countries imprison and torture converts to Christianity. This fact alone makes the book of 1 Peter starkly relevant for modern readers.
How to Respond to Persecution
What advice would you give Christians about to undergo persecution? The apostle Peter took up that challenge just as ominous rumblings from Rome were striking fear in every Christian community. Half-crazed Nero had seized on believers as scapegoats for the ills of his empire.
Should the persecuted Christians flee or resist? Should they tone down their outward signs of faith? Give up? Peter's readers, their lives in danger, needed clear advice on |
