Why should we be thankful that Christianity survived?
We should be thankful because Christianity was constantly under satanic attack and, apart from God's grace, would never have gotten off the ground. Its survival, despite widespread defection and persistent opposition, means we today still have the Word of God.
Les explains that Paul had to write that all in Asia—the western half of Turkey where he established churches like Ephesus, Thyatira, Pergamos, Derbe, Lystra, and Antioch of Pisidia—had turned away from him, with Phagellus and Hermogenes as the leaders. Les says it is heart-wrenching because Paul had gone through years of privation only to conclude that those congregations founded in his gospel of grace and knowledge of the mysteries had turned aside. Les observes that but for the grace of God Christianity would never have gotten off the ground because it was constantly under satanic attack. Therefore we should thank the Lord that it survived so that today we at least have the Word of God. Les notes that even today the fundamentals of Christianity are under constant attack from within Christendom and from without, giving a taste of what Paul described.
This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.