In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul states, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Paul was deeply persuaded that conflict is inevitable between the righteousness lives of the saints and those living ungodly lives in the world. This is nothing less than a tension between light and darkness.

John Hooper, the English Reformer and pastor, was burned at the stake for his unwavering stand upon the truth of Scripture. In 1555, just three weeks prior to his martyrdom, John Hooper gave the following charge in a letter: “You must now turn all your thoughts from the peril you see, and mark the happiness that follows the peril…Beware of beholding too much the happiness or misery of this world; for the consideration and too earnest love or fear of either of them draws us from God.”1

In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul states, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Paul was deeply persuaded that conflict is inevitable between the righteousness lives of the saints and those living ungodly lives in the world. This is nothing less than a tension between light and darkness.

In the conclusion of his beatitude statements in Matthew 5, Jesus pronounces divine blessing upon those who suffer persecution because they exhibit the godly characteristics of the previous beatitudes. Jesus defines persecution as arising from two sources:

First, true disciples of Christ are persecuted “for righteousness” (Mt 5:10). The beatitude statements can be divided into two groups of four with each group ending with a reference to “righteousness.” The first group concludes in verse 6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” and the second group in verse 10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” The three beatitudes that lead to “hunger for righteousness” are descriptions of a type of holy emptiness–blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn over their needy condition, and blessed are those who are meek and give their cause over to God. These three descriptions of need are fulfilled in the form of mercy, purity, and peacemaking. The inevitable result is persecution for this very righteousness. In other words, the righteousness exhibiting itself in the life of the Christian through the characteristics of mercy, purity, and peacemaking provokes violence in those who do not know Christ. The ungodly observe the righteous lives of believers as a condemnation upon their own unrighteous behavior. In response, they lash out in ridicule and sometimes through severe forms of persecution.

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