Wesley Huff

Now the society around them heard about these strange Christians who were talking about, you know, with the Lord's supper, drinking blood and eating flesh. And then they knew that they were going out and they were, taking these babies from the garbage dumps. And so they started to develop rumors that Christians were cannibals.

Now the society around them heard about these strange Christians who were talking about, you know, with the Lord's supper, drinking blood and eating flesh. And then they knew that they were going out and they were, taking these babies from the garbage dumps. And so they started to develop rumors that Christians were cannibals.

And yet, despite what is a pretty heinous accusation, complete misunderstanding of what's going on, Christianity still grew. And some of the earliest critics of Christianity referred to Christianity as the religion of slaves and women. because it gave agency to these groups that were marginalized within society. So funny.

And yet, despite what is a pretty heinous accusation, complete misunderstanding of what's going on, Christianity still grew. And some of the earliest critics of Christianity referred to Christianity as the religion of slaves and women. because it gave agency to these groups that were marginalized within society. So funny.

The mob's been around always, and it confuses and gaslights people all the time. Definitely. And Christians were accused of being atheists, A, being the negative participle, and then theos, meaning God, because they denied that the gods existed, and antisocial, because they wouldn't participate in the goings-on within society that were inherently religious. And so...

The mob's been around always, and it confuses and gaslights people all the time. Definitely. And Christians were accused of being atheists, A, being the negative participle, and then theos, meaning God, because they denied that the gods existed, and antisocial, because they wouldn't participate in the goings-on within society that were inherently religious. And so...

It's in this context that Christianity grassroots from the bottom up eventually goes from 11 scared disciples hiding in an upper room when Jesus is crucified to fundamentally taking over the Roman world within half a millennium.

It's in this context that Christianity grassroots from the bottom up eventually goes from 11 scared disciples hiding in an upper room when Jesus is crucified to fundamentally taking over the Roman world within half a millennium.

And it's because of the faithful witness of the Christians who were being persecuted and yet were still proclaiming Jesus as Lord and were fundamentally speaking into the society that they lived in with a message that overturned the norms because it gave people purpose. And ultimately it gave them truth that the idea of God stepping out of eternity changes the paradigm.

And it's because of the faithful witness of the Christians who were being persecuted and yet were still proclaiming Jesus as Lord and were fundamentally speaking into the society that they lived in with a message that overturned the norms because it gave people purpose. And ultimately it gave them truth that the idea of God stepping out of eternity changes the paradigm.

I mentioned Glenn Scrivener. He has this really good illustration where he talks about all worldviews are some version of survival of the fittest. I'm paraphrasing him here, but what he says is all worldviews are some version of survival of the fittest in that you need to do right, you need to think right, or you need to feel right.

I mentioned Glenn Scrivener. He has this really good illustration where he talks about all worldviews are some version of survival of the fittest. I'm paraphrasing him here, but what he says is all worldviews are some version of survival of the fittest in that you need to do right, you need to think right, or you need to feel right.

And Christianity is different in that the fittest steps down and sacrifices himself for the survival of the weakest. And that message, you know, we're just over the Christmas season, right?

And Christianity is different in that the fittest steps down and sacrifices himself for the survival of the weakest. And that message, you know, we're just over the Christmas season, right?

The Christmas message of God becoming a baby and becoming vulnerable is both an example to us of humility and how we should live, but ultimately in worlds where might and power in a very abusive way are often seen as the way to go, Christianity subverts that.

The Christmas message of God becoming a baby and becoming vulnerable is both an example to us of humility and how we should live, but ultimately in worlds where might and power in a very abusive way are often seen as the way to go, Christianity subverts that.

in that Jesus could have taken cues from all the rulers of his day, of Caesar and of Herod, and later on during his earthly ministry of Pilate, right? He doesn't do that. He comes down, he humbles himself, he lives a life of a servant, and he gets murdered. And that changes the narrative. And then he rises from the dead and conquers sin and death.

in that Jesus could have taken cues from all the rulers of his day, of Caesar and of Herod, and later on during his earthly ministry of Pilate, right? He doesn't do that. He comes down, he humbles himself, he lives a life of a servant, and he gets murdered. And that changes the narrative. And then he rises from the dead and conquers sin and death.

And so, because of that, those 11 scared disciples are now willing to go out into the world and suffer persecution and beating and death for the sake of this message that ultimately spreads out through all the ancient world and gets us to where we are today, where we're talking about things like freedom. And that's because of the Christian revolution.

And so, because of that, those 11 scared disciples are now willing to go out into the world and suffer persecution and beating and death for the sake of this message that ultimately spreads out through all the ancient world and gets us to where we are today, where we're talking about things like freedom. And that's because of the Christian revolution.