The idea for suffering in general for your faith was certainly part of the theology.
If you read the first couple of chapters of the book ofMatthew, that some claim was a later add-on (the birth story), the fact that they also included thousands of unconfirmed butchered babies (that no other source, not even a Jewish one supports), it fits nicely in to this same need for persecution.
And in the Jewish faith, one of the greatest honors is to be killed while sanctifuing god's name (kiddush HaShem). And how ironic that the Christians would be persecuting the Jews for the next few centuries, after they gave up on being persecuted themselves! (Although, every December in the USA, the Christians cry out that there is a "War on Christmas", to harken back to the good old days!) There is a good book on this by Joel Carmichael called "The Satanizing of the Jews", which brings forth the theological and spiritual need for this as a way of promoting the faith - like demonizing one group in order to promote your own agenda.
If you read the first couple of chapters of the book ofMatthew, that some claim was a later add-on (the birth story), the fact that they also included thousands of unconfirmed butchered babies (that no other source, not even a Jewish one supports), it fits nicely in to this same need for persecution.
And in the Jewish faith, one of the greatest honors is to be killed while sanctifuing god's name (kiddush HaShem). And how ironic that the Christians would be persecuting the Jews for the next few centuries, after they gave up on being persecuted themselves! (Although, every December in the USA, the Christians cry out that there is a "War on Christmas", to harken back to the good old days!) There is a good book on this by Joel Carmichael called "The Satanizing of the Jews", which brings forth the theological and spiritual need for this as a way of promoting the faith - like demonizing one group in order to promote your own agenda.
“I've done everything the Bible says — even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!"— Ned Flanders