Christianity, the “Mischievous Superstition” that Conquered the World
Posted: Sunday, November 20, 2011
by Joel Kontinen
http://joelkontinen.blogspot.com/
Christianity, the “Mischievous Superstition” that Conquered the World
The Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus (AD 56 – ca. AD 117) was definitely no fan of Christianity. In his Annales he described “a most mischievous superstition” that had spread from Judea all the way to Rome:
“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judæa, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.”
Predicting the manner of His death, Jesus had said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” (John 12:32). The gospel has indeed spread among most people groups, but the Great Commission of taking the message of the Cross to the ends of the earth has not yet been completed.
Writing a decade or so before Tacitus, the apostle Paul explained what the non-Christian world thought of the gospel: “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeksfoolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1: 22-24).
The only way of testing the veracity of the claims of the gospel is by believing it. As Jesus said: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31).
Far from being a mischievous superstition, Christianity is in reality a radical way – the only way humans can have access to the God who has revealed Himself in the Bible.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Compelling. Short. Powerful. Nicely done.Thanks for reading.
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