Religious intolerance
Make every effort to live in peace with all men…
Nationalism
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Family persecution
“…I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in- law, and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.”
Merchants and mobs
But the Jews were jealous, so they rounded up some bad characters
from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.
Five external tactics
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him.
Spiritual weapons
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the
contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
Spiritual warfare tactics
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms
God uses problems and persecution to perfect you
"We can rejoice when we run into problems...they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.”
God uses problems and persecution to protect you
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
God uses problems and persecution to correct you
"...It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws.”