Rushdoony argues that the book of Acts shows persecution is inevitable wherever Christianity becomes effective. The real issue is always lordship by what power and by what name things are done. The early church was not persecuted for immorality or disorder, but because it manifested God’s power outside state control, making Christ a rival to Caesar. Any ruling order that sees itself as man’s savior will react with hostility to a gospel that offers salvation apart from the state.

Tracing Acts, he shows how rulers and even religious leaders resisted the apostles because fallen man wants to define law and morality for himself. Rome treated the church as a rival government, responding first with bans and licensing, later with state control of the church, and eventually with “toleration” that allows Christianity only if it stays irrelevant. When relevance returns, persecution follows through defamation, lawsuits, and legal pressure. Paul’s sermon in Acts 17 provides the answer: God is Creator and sovereign, nations exist by His decree, and Christ’s resurrection guarantees judgment. That certainty provokes rage in the ungodly. Rushdoony concludes that persecution is not surprising; lukewarm faith is. Empires pass away, but Christ endures and the church must choose obedience under Christ rather than safety under Caesar.