This is a very amazing song. After Jesus was gone, the Christians were persecuted. Hugh Nibley wrote on this subject: Jesus had told his disciples they would be insulted, beaten, brought before magistrates, jailed, lied about, and executed. It was a grim, depressing outlook.

Then, after a century or two, Christianity became very popular, even the state religion of the Roman Empire. This was regarded as a great triumph. But there was a caveat: there were no more miracles, healings, revelations, visions, like in the early days. Christianity had lost its power. The Apostles had been murdered, usually using the law as a weapon. The church became corrupt, is why the wicked world loved it. Wicked men became the leaders, false doctrines and practices were adopted, and the writings of the Apostles were redacted of many things that would indict these goin's on. But there are still traces in the New Testament of Jesus' predictions about the rough lives his disciples would have. Like this song sez.

Here's a performance of it w/ banjo, by Murphy Campbell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJMaurxuJpE