Wesley Huff

Oh, I think the time period that we live in is much more emblematic of the early church in those first few centuries of its existence. in that you have a culture that was very much accepting of, say, promiscuous sexual ethics and idolatry and was open to things and misrepresented and misunderstood Christianity fundamentally.

Oh, I think the time period that we live in is much more emblematic of the early church in those first few centuries of its existence. in that you have a culture that was very much accepting of, say, promiscuous sexual ethics and idolatry and was open to things and misrepresented and misunderstood Christianity fundamentally.

in that there was a common practice within ancient Rome called exposure, where if you had a baby and you didn't want it, you would put it outside the city gates. You would put it in the garbage dumps. And Christians were notorious for going and saving these babies. And so the Christian movement actually grew in part because they were against this form of abortion in the ancient world.

in that there was a common practice within ancient Rome called exposure, where if you had a baby and you didn't want it, you would put it outside the city gates. You would put it in the garbage dumps. And Christians were notorious for going and saving these babies. And so the Christian movement actually grew in part because they were against this form of abortion in the ancient world.

And so they would collect these babies and they would raise them. And a lot of these babies were girls, which actually meant that the early Christian movements became a statistically predominantly women because a lot of these women, these little girls were exposed in this.

And so they would collect these babies and they would raise them. And a lot of these babies were girls, which actually meant that the early Christian movements became a statistically predominantly women because a lot of these women, these little girls were exposed in this.

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?