Why did Paul expect persecution to come upon Christians?
Paul expected persecution because, by the sovereign grace of God, he was given a foreview of the horrible persecution that was going to come upon Christians. He also lived expecting the Lord to return at any moment, and he saw that persecution would make single believers better able to face suffering without family being torn apart.
Les explains that Paul was expecting the Lord to come at any moment, and on top of that, by the sovereign grace of God, Paul had a foreview of the horrible persecution that was going to come upon Christians. Because persecution could fall suddenly, Paul saw that being single would be easier: a wife would not have to suffer her husband being taken away in the middle of the night, or children suddenly kidnapped and their fate unknown. It would be better to be alone, face persecution and death, and have it over with. This helps explain his statement in I Corinthians chapter 7, “I wish all men were even as I myself.”