If you intend to live a trouble-free life, following Christ may not be for you! Few people have followed Christ more fervently or whole-heartedly than did the apostle Paul. Yet his life provides a litany of the numerous ways First-Century Christians could experience persecution and opposition. He was plagued by it his entire Christian life.
Not only did people disagree with Paul, they tried to kill him! They filed false charges. They incited mobs to riot against him. Rarely was someone indifferent to the apostle!
Yet Paul warned that all those who desired to live a godly life, would suffer persecution. It is inevitable. That’s because we live in an extremely ungodly world. Darkness loathes light. Wickedness despises godliness. Don’t be surprised when people take offense because you behave like Christ. Paul predicted that would happen, 2,000 years ago.