A Pastor in a Plague and Persecution
September 16th - the church remembers Cyprian
Who? - A pastor from the 200's and was from North Africa.
One such pastor the Lord provided for the church was Cyprian of Carthage. Well, that's from left field! Most believers have never heard of this pastor. Cyprian was first a lawyer. He then was converted later in life, probably in his thirties and wrote quite a few books about some of the false theology the church was facing. He became a bishop/pastor in 249 AD.
I bring him up because he was a pastor that served during a terrible pandemic. Historians think that it was either a terrible flu, small pox, or - wait for it - the Ebola virus. Just in Rome, almost 5000 people a day died from this disease.
However, Cypran was known for being a great pastor and caring for the needs of the people, even though he himself had to be secluded during the height of pandemic. He gave most of his wealth away as his famiy was wealthy and he began as a lawyer. Most of his writings reflected a deep care and concern for the people the Lord gave him to preach to and administer the sacraments of Christ.
After the plague settled down, he rose to become quite a leader within the church and was elected as a bishop of the pastors in 249AD.
How Did it End?
Cyprian did not stop confessing the Christian faith and opposed worship to the Roman Gods when the Roman emporer ordered all people make sacrifices to them. Cyprian refused and was beheaded.
Why this history lesson? God always provides His mercy and strength through the worse of our times. His Word endures, forgiveness cleanses and strengthens us, and the battle goes on. The Lord continues to provide pastors and teachers of the Christian faith, but it is always a sacrifice on our part to provide for our families, each other, and the citizens of the community.
For more on Cyprian, Pastor Surburg, a Lutheran pastor in Illinois wrote a lengthy article on Cyprian and is available here.
