Scott Clark recently was critical of what we are reportedly trying to do here in Moscow.
“The culture reacted to the early Christians in official and unofficial ways. 1 Peter 4 reflects this. The apostolic Christians suffered social stigma not for trying to “take back” or “take over” the Roman empire (or small towns in Asia Minor) but for simply living quiet, godly lives. They suffered shame for worshiping a crucified Jew. They were misunderstood for eating “the body” of Christ. They were mocked for changing their lifestyles, for not getting drunk and attending orgies any more.”
Two quick comments. I am afraid that this is a little simplistic, on two fronts. The first is that there were many political undercurrents to the clash between Rome and the Christians. What was a religious issue for the Christians was a political issue for Rome. And those who had it in for the Christians knew exactly what buttons to push. “Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus” (Acts 17:7). But what they were accused of doing and what they were actually doing were two distinct things. Which leads to the next point.
Clark is quite right about 1 Peter 4. The Christians were attacked for living pious and orderly lives. But the reason for the attack and the content of the attack were different. They were accused of cannibalism and and incest so on. So what would we say to the Christians in Achaia who were mistakenly critical of their brothers in Asia Minor? What should we say to a theological professor at Achaia Reformed Seminary who posted a stern warning to the slandered Christians of Asia Minor? “We should be persecuted for the sake of Christ, and not for practicing cannibalism or incest, for pity’s sake!” Perhaps a letter suggesting that perhaps such charges are, to use an old-fashioned word, false? Yes, I bet a letter would fix everything.
The price of doing exactly what the apostles required of us is that unbelievers will slander us, and speak of things that “we know not” (Ps. 35:11). Another cost is that fellow believers, who ought to know better than to believe this kind of stuff, will (for reasons of their own) accept it anyway.