Has Christianity Died?
Has Christianity died?
It looks dark...but
Mark 15.
3 When the [o]sixth hour came, darkness [p]fell over the whole land until the [q]ninth hour.
Acts 7.
57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he [ag]fell asleep.
Matthew 5.
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [e]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
Luke 13.
18 So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the [e]air nested in its branches.”
20 And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three [f]pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”
It looks dark but....
I'm reading Philip Yancey's 2014 book, Vanishing Grace, Whatever Happened to the Good News, I was moved by his analysis of the history of Christianity. He said that the early Christians though a despised minority made quite an impact.
"These impious Galileans not only feed their own poor, but ours also...Whilst the pagan priests neglect the poor, the hated Galileans devote themselves to works of charity." (A fourth century Emperor known as Julian the Apostate)
Acts 2.
43 [ap]Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and [aq]signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed [ar]were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread [as]from house to house, they were taking their [at]meals together with gladness and [au]sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding [av]to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Yancey quotes G. K. Chesterton;
"the Faith has to all appearance gone to the dogs...it was the dog that died....Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave." P. 158
Larry Wishard
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