Dangerous Christians: Spiritual Aggression

christian martyrs

The only adequate answer to an aggressively pagan world is for Christians to recover the New Testament power of spiritual aggression – Karl Barth

So what kind of spiritual aggression was that?

Let me give you a sneak peek of how aggressive New Testament Christians were:

Matthew 11:12 English Standard Version (ESV)

12  From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,[a] and the violent take it by force.

Acts 4:13-16 English Standard Version (ESV)

13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

And it goes back even way to the Old Testament

Hebrews 11:32-38 English Standard Version (ESV)

32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson,Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34  quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35  Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37  They were stoned, they were sawn in two,[a] they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

We do not know all the that we are doing when we risk for our faith. Great wheels turn on little axes. – Charles Spurgeon