44 Bible Verses about Persecution, Nature Of

And in my vision I saw a grey horse. His rider's name was Death, and the Lord of the Place of Death rode behind him; and power was given them over the fourth part of the earth, so that they might 'destroy with sword and famine and death, and by means of the wild beasts of the earth.'

In appearance the locusts were like horses equipped for battle. On their heads there were what appeared to be crowns that shone like gold, their faces resembled human faces, and they had hair like the hair of a woman, their teeth were like lions' teeth, and they had what seemed to be iron breastplates, while the noise of their wings was like the noise of chariots drawn by many horses, galloping into battle.read more.
They have tails like scorpions, and stings, and in their tails lies their power to harm men for five months.

Now Satan took possession of Judas, who was known as Iscariot, and who belonged to the Twelve; And he went and discussed with the Chief Priests and Officers in charge at the Temple the best way of betraying Jesus to them.

Exercise self-control, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, like a roaring lion, is prowling about, eager to devour you.

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The Devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tempted, and may undergo persecution for ten days. Be faithful even to death, and I will give you the Crown of Life.

If the world hates you, you know that it has first hated me.

Do not wonder, Brothers, if the world hates you.

But those tenants said to one another 'Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and his inheritance will be ours.'

This made the Jews all the more eager to kill him, because not only was he doing away with the Sabbath, but he actually called God his own Father--putting himself on an equality with God.

If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world--that is why the world hates you.

I have given them thy Message; and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, even as I do not belong to the world.

Reassuring the minds of the disciples, urging them to remain true to the Faith, and showing that it is only through many troubles that we can enter the Kingdom of God.

For you, Brothers, began to follow the example of the Churches of God in Judea which are in union with Jesus Christ; you, in your turn, suffering at the hands of your fellow-citizens, in the same way as those Churches did at the hands of the Jews-- The men who killed both the Lord Jesus and the Prophets, and persecuted us also. They do not try to please God, and they are enemies to all mankind,

Think what love the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called 'Children of God'; as indeed we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it has not learned to know him.

See to yourselves! They will betray you to courts of law; and you will be taken to Synagogues and beaten; and you will be brought up before governors and kings for my sake, that you may bear witness before them.

Be on your guard against your fellow men, for they will betray you to courts of law, and scourge you in their Synagogues;

It was at that time that King Herod began to ill-treat some of the members of the Church. He had James, the brother of John, beheaded; And, when he saw that the Jews were pleased with this, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread.)

This, too, is a reason why we, on our part, are continually thanking God--because, in receiving the teaching that you had from us, you accepted it, not as the teaching of man, but as what it really is--the teaching of God, which is even now doing its work within you who believe in Christ. For you, Brothers, began to follow the example of the Churches of God in Judea which are in union with Jesus Christ; you, in your turn, suffering at the hands of your fellow-citizens, in the same way as those Churches did at the hands of the Jews-- The men who killed both the Lord Jesus and the Prophets, and persecuted us also. They do not try to please God, and they are enemies to all mankind,read more.
For they would prevent us from speaking to the Gentiles with a view to their Salvation, and thus are always 'filling up the measure of their iniquity.' But the Wrath of God has come upon them to the full!

That is why I send you Prophets, wise men, and Teachers of the Law, some of whom you will crucify and kill, and some of whom you will scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute from town to town; in order that upon your heads may fall every drop of innocent 'blood split on earth,' from the blood of innocent Abel down to that of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. All this, I tell you, will come home to the present generation.read more.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! She who slays the Prophets and stones the messengers sent to her--Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children round me, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not came!

There have indeed gathered together in this city against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you has consecrated the Christ, not Herod and Pontius Pilate only, but the nations and the people of Israel besides-- Yet only to do what thou, by thy power and of thy own will, didst long ago destine to be done. Now, therefore, O Lord, mark their threats, and enable thy servants, with all fearlessness, to tell thy Message,

At this the High Priest was roused to action, and he and all his supporters (who formed the party of the Sadducees), moved by jealousy, Arrested the Apostles, and had them placed in custody.

In my persecution of this Cause I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike--

It had been permitted to fight with Christ's People and to conquer them, and it had received power over men of every tribe, and people, and language, and nation.

And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of Christ's People and with the blood of the martyrs for Jesus. When I saw her, I was amazed beyond measure;

A man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will turn against their parents, and cause them to be put to death;

When his relations heard of it, they went to take charge of him, for they said that he was out of his mind.

Yet at that time the child born in the course of nature persecuted the child born by the power of the Spirit; and it is the same now.

That is why I delight in weakness, ill-treatment, hardship, persecution, and difficulties, when borne for Christ. For, when I am weak, then it is that I am strong!

Though hard pressed on every side, we are never hemmed in; through perplexed, never driven to despair; Though pursued, never abandoned; though struck down, never killed! We always bear on our bodies the marks of the death that Jesus died, so that the Life also of Jesus may be exhibited in our bodies.read more.
Indeed, we who still live are continually being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the Life also of Jesus may be exhibited in our mortal nature. And so, while death is at work within us, Life is at work within you.

Are they 'Servants of Christ'? Though it is madness to talk like this, I am more so than they! I have had more of toil, more of imprisonment! I have been flogged times without number. I have been often at death's door. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes, all but one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep.read more.
My journeys have been many. I have been through dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in towns, dangers in the country, dangers on the sea, dangers among false Brothers.

Need I add anything more? Time would fail me if I attempted to relate the stories of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, and those of David, Samuel, and the Prophets. By their faith they subdued kingdoms, ruled righteously, gained the fulfillment of God's promises, 'shut the mouths of lions,' quelled the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, found strength in the hour of weakness, displayed their prowess in war, and routed hostile armies.read more.
Women received back their dead raised to life. Some were tortured on the wheel, and refused release in order that they might rise to a better life. Others had to face taunts and blows, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were tortured, they were swan asunder, they were put to the sword; they wandered about clothed in the skins of sheep or goats, destitute, persecuted, ill-used-- men of whom the world was not worthy--roaming in lonely places, and on the mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

Yes, and all who aim at living a religious life in union with Christ Jesus will have to suffer persecution;

But, as he has no root, he stands for only a short time; and, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Message, he falls away at once.

"I tell you," said Jesus, "there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, on my account and on account of the Good News, Who will not receive a hundred times as much, even now in the present--houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though not without persecutions, and, in the age that is coming, Immortal Life.

For, even while we were with you, we warned you beforehand that we were certain to encounter trouble. And so it proved, as you know.

For 'nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,' and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All this, however, will be but the beginning of the birth pangs! When that time comes, they will give you up to persecution, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations on account of my Name.read more.
And then many will fall away, and will betray one another, and hate one another.

Do not let any one deceive you, whatever he may do. For it will not come until after the Great Apostasy, and the appearing of that Incarnation of Wickedness, that the Lost soul, Who so opposes himself to every one that is spoken of as a God or as an object of worship, and so exalts himself above them, that he seats himself in the Temple of God, and displays himself as God!

Then to each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest yet a little longer, till the number of their fellow-servants and of their Brothers who were about to be put to death, as they had been, should be complete.

And that was why the Jews began to persecute Jesus--because he did things of this kind on the Sabbath.

Who will not receive a hundred times as much, even now in the present--houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though not without persecutions, and, in the age that is coming, Immortal Life.

Before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you, and they will betray you to Synagogues and put you in prison, when you will be brought before kings and governors for the sake of my Name.

Remember what I said to you--'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have laid my Message to heart, they will lay yours to heart also.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him-- "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," the voice answered;