SAMIZDAT

SAMIZDAT

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

2Timothy [MKJV] 2:1-3 Therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

  While reading I learned a new word, samizdat. It is a Russian operative word having to do with the dissident political movement beginning many decades ago.  The word means “to copy”, in particular doing so covertly in opposition to political powers.

  Certain books and literature (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Zhivago_(novel) , the Bible, western newspapers and magazines, et al.) was forbidden and people were prosecuted severely, even sent to concentration camps in Siberia, for possessing or reading them.  As in some countries today, China for instance, a single or small number of an original publication is smuggled across the border, and copies are made. This sometimes done laboriously by hand. Sometimes the literature involved is broken down in portions and circulated. 

  Imagine reading the middle chapter of a novel and then chapter 3 and then ….

  Or reading 2Peter chapter 3 and then John chapter 6 and then …..

  Consider the early decades of the church (A.D). as the gospels and epistles (Letters to congregations.) were written, sent, copied, circulated . . . it was not a matter of as with our reading and studying Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1Corinthians, 2Corinthians ….

  We can say this is not Russia under draconian communism, or restrictive China, or brutally Sharian ISIL, but what if current national and international trends against *Christian continue? Will we then fulfill the Apostle Paul’s urging to Timothy?

EBB4

*It is Christian that is being opposed. It’s personal! When one suffers, all suffer. G5546 Χριστιανός; Christianos; khris-tee-an-os' From Strong’s G5547; a Christian, that is, follower of Christ: - Christian. Note 1Corinthians 12:26; 1Timothy 3:12. Of concern this morning I read in the Omaha World-Herald (Nebraska, USA) that in reaction to recent events: “The addition of a hate intimidation offense to the municipal code [of Omaha] gives prosecutors another tool to charge someone if he or she commits a crime against someone based on age, race, gender, gender identity, ethnicity or other protected classes.” This leaves me with questions: Who by and how will hate be defined in various incidents? What’s with the “other protected classes”?