Tom Schreiner: A Biblical Meditation on the ISIS Execution of 21 Christians

Credo Magazine contributor Thomas Schreiner has written a guest post on Justin Taylor’s blog, Between Two Worlds, responding to the ISIS execution of 21 Christians. Here is the start of his article:

Most of us have read the story of 21 Egyptian Christians kidnapped in Libya. An ISIS video showed about 12 of them being beheaded, and it is quite certain that all of them were murdered.

We Are Not Surprised

Jesus told us to expect persecution, teaching his disciples that unbelievers would hate us just as they hated him (John 15:18-20).

Jesus predicted that some of those who kill us “will think” they are “offering service to God” (John 16:2).

Even though most of us won’t lose our lives for Christ’s sake, we should not be surprised if we do. All of us need to be ready to surrender our lives for Christ. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). …

You can read the rest of this article here.