BP 78 - How the Ancient Church Thrived in the Midst of Deep Persecution (for Monday 2026-02-16 Post)

 


 

Four Factors that Enabled The Faithful (in the first and second centuries) to Thrive [Note:  Again, these overlap and are synergistic] in “this current Earth-life”…

 

1/The Person and Presence of The Holy Spirit.

 

2/The deeply supportive role of The True (and local) Church Community (that is, The Local Ekklesia—The Expanded Fellowship, Image, and Authority of The Trinity on Earth).

 

3/The Messages of The Cross [see segment later in this section].

 

And…

 

4/The belief that a man [or woman] must partner together with God (via The Divine Processes of Metanoia) to be and become Like Him.


--


The Seven Spirit-wrought Factors (following The Incarnation, Life, Crucifixion, Suffering, Bodily Death, Burial, Bodily Resurrection, Ascension, and Exaltation of Jesus) that Historically Enabled The Kingdom of God to (on Earth) ORDINATELY Establish Itself, Strengthen Itself, Expand Itself, and Thrive [Note:  And, yet again, these overlap and are synergistic]…

 

1/The Outpouring of God’s Spirit at Pentecost (and thereafter).

 

2/The Progressive Unveiling of Jesus, which includes The Divine-assembling and -affirming of The Graphe [God’s Written Word, The OT and NT Scriptures].

 

3/The Apostolic Era (as experienced and lived-out in The Ancient Church during the first century and the earliest decades of the second century).

 

4/The True distinctiveness of Jesus-followers—BOTH A/As individuals; and B/As Local Communities of The Ekklesia.

 

 5/The persecution and suffering of Jesus-followers—BOTH A/As individuals; and B/As Local Communities of The Ekklesia.

 

6/The Ministries of Divine-deliverance.

 

And…

 

7/The Ministries of Divine-healing.






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