Condemned or Praised?

I recently read a blog post entitled Felix: Before and After at subversive1 where Keith shares two quotes from Minucius Felix, a Christian apologist from around the second century. One quote is from prior to his conversion the other after. I want to share the “before” quote:

“The Christians, they form a rabble of profane conspiracy, they despise temples as if they were tombs, they despise the titles and the purple robe of the high government office, though they are hardly able to cloth themselves in their own nakedness.

Just like a rank growth of weeds the abominable haunts where this impious confederacy meet are multiplying all over the world. Root and branch like a weed, it should be exterminated. Because they love one another before they even know one another, they practise a cult of lust calling one another brother and sister indiscriminately.”

I hope that when people look at my life and the life of the church they can accuse us of:

• Despising the temples as if they were tombs (seeing that Christ brings life as opposed to religious observation)
• Despising titles and purple robes (we do not seek to be held of high esteem but simply to glorify Christ)
• Multiplying all over the world (that the gospel is spread and that believers would spring up all over the world seeking to follow Christ within a community of believers)
• Loving one another before we even know one another
• Calling one another brother and sister indiscriminately (that others might see our desire to live as family with other believers)

What a great condemnation leveled against the early Christians, I hope such awful things can be said of all those who follow Christ!