quote:

Originally posted by loveverybody:

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon Dennis:
Yep. But then again, there wasn't really much a Christian could do if he was targeted by the Roman government for extermination. .

If that is the case, why did the Jews rebel ? Were the Jews more powerful than the christian Jews when their nation was occupied by the Romans ? WHY DID JEWS REBEL AND WHY DID JEWS WHO BECAME CHRISTIANS NOT REBEL ?

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon Dennis: They did what they could and hid, practicing their faith. .

Why did they hide ? why could they not have organized violent resistance like the Jews did ? WHY DID JEWS WHO BECAME CHRISTIANS HIDE AND JEWS WHO DID NOT BECOME CHRISTIANS VIOLENTLY REBEL AGAINST ROME

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon Dennis: What can a Christian do if his church is raided by Romans and he and his friends are tied to a stake to be burnt? .

well, the Jews who did not become Christians rebelled, so why did not the Jews who became Christians rebel ?

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon Dennis: How do we know many of them did not struggle or try to free themselves? .

Struggling and wanting to be free is very different from an armed struggle or the violent overthrow of the government like the Jews (who did not become Christians) tried to do in the first and second centuries

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon Dennis: We conjure this picture of martyrs calmly tied to a stake quoting verses as they perish by flames, but was this common? .

There is no evidence of an armed insurgency by Jews ( who became Christians) in the first or second centuries but there is plenty of evidence of Jews (who did not become Christians) rebelling violently against the Romans in Israel in the first and second centuries

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon Dennis: What about the Christians that were thrown into the arena to be killed by gladiators and wild animals; did they just roll over and accept death? .

Yes, all evidence points to Jews who became Christians becoming suddenly passive and Jews who did not become Christians tried to violently overthrow the Romans

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon Dennis: I do not think so, nor do I think that to resist death takes away their crown of martyrdom. .

It depends what you mean by resisting death..........Jesus told the Jews to flee Jerusalem and not defend it.......but Jesus never told to defend oneself violently........so what is a martyr ? someone who kills people and in the process dies himself or one who does not kill people and does not denounce Christ and is killed for it ?

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon Dennis: Jesus allowed the authorities to take him for crucifixion because it was his time. .

So are you saying that if a christian is supposed to die for his faith, he should not resist the authorities ?

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon Dennis: There are places in the Bible where Jesus does prevent those who would strike out against him from doing so because it wasn’t his time. .

True, but why did Jesus not violently attack those who tried to kill Him before His time ?