Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.
Pagan society during the apostolic age was characterized by almost unimaginable debauchery. This state added to the difficulty of making disciples. Not only did conversion to this new religion invite persecution, but it also required abandonment of a life style that, in the popular mind, was perfectly acceptable and even had the sanction of current religion. It is nothing short of amazing that a gospel that was intolerant of immorality in all its forms and that called upon its converts to be prepared to suffer for their faith could ever have gotten a foothold.