In this final sermon in a series on the first letter of Peter, we took a close look at the first six emperors of Rome. Why? To provide some vivid and even shocking context for what otherwise might seem like easy words and phrases in the Scripture passages. The details, frankly, are gruesome; and they are important for us to know. They’re also why Peter’s words hit all the harder: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Are those words for us today, too? Yes, indeed, and Peter’s admonitions help focus our responses to the sometimes gruesome nature of the world around us.

Join us as we dive into one of the most chaotic, brutal, but formational times in Christian history.

The image associated with this post is “The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer” (detail) by Jean-Leon Gerome (1883).