Being the Church: In the face of Opposition

The persecution or the Power?

Why did they leave? B/c of the persecution or did the Power of the Spirit use the persecution to spread the gospel?

Time and again we will go back to the mission and the mandate:

reminded of a story of ESJ in the early days of the Republic of India-

profess, practice, and propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ (take any away and you do not have religious freedom for the Christian)

Biblically & historically we know why persecution unfolds:

There were four main causes of persecution for the Church: Religious, Social, Political, and Economic.

Religious, Social, Political, and Economic.

Religious persecution of the Church came mainly from the Jews because the Jewish leaders didn’t accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah. While some Jews viewed Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy which moved the Jews into the messianic age. Those who doubted found a great deal of force and urgency with their persecution of Christ-followers. A secondary reason for religious persecution was because of the enthusiasm Christ-followers had after their conversion. Christianity was contagious and as Acts chapters 1-6 traces it grew in epidemic proportions very quickly.

8:1-4

Social persecution came from two areas. First the fact that Christianity put the master and the slave on equal ground and secondly blame due to the disrespect of other gods. Slavery and religious tolerance had swelled like a tumor in this time with the rise of Greek philosophy and melting pot of gods were thrown together and all worshiped for different purposes and meanings. The Christians claimed that Jesus was the only one true God and this did not sit well with religious relativist worship.

Political persecution came from a similar vein of idol worship. As Christians claimed Jesus exclusively as God they refused to say that Caesar was Lord. For this reason they also refused to serve in the army in which they had to proclaim this statement and were deemed unpatriotic. (8:9-25)

In the economic realm, Christians hurt business of those selling idols for idol worship.(8:9-25)

The scattering was never a problem for God.

-warned them it would come (dispersal related to seed being scattered)

-HS was means of comfort & wisdom

Opportunity to live out the faith and model for others the extent to which the gospel was willing to go in order to share the love and life of Christ

The New American Commentary: Acts Philip and Simon (8:9–13)

The gospel is the great equalizer. In the gospel there are no “half-breeds,” no physical rejects, no place for any human prejudices. There is acceptance for all, joy for all, “great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10).

no matter what we are invited to keepour eyes on what matters

-gospel & kingdom

-teaching, preaching, proclaiming, baptizing, name of jesus.

-avoid dsitractions & minors not essentials

-wecannot manipulate or scheme the holy spirit

The New American Commentary: Acts Peter and John and the Samaritans (8:14–17)

It is not without justification that many refer to this as the “Samaritan Pentecost.” It is a major stage of salvation history. The Spirit as it were indicated in a visible manifestation the divine approval of this new missionary step beyond Judaism.

The New American Commentary: Acts Peter and Simon (8:18–24)

Peter and John’s laying on of their hands is best seen as a gesture of the apostolic solidarity and fellowship with the Samaritans. The receipt of the Spirit is above all God’s answer to their prayer (v. 15).

The New American Commentary: Acts Peter and Simon (8:18–24)

Apart from his repentance, Simon’s state would remain one filled with the “gall of bitterness” and captivity to the “bonds of sin”

some will respond to the message, the power, and the invitation of God. Some with attempt to hijack, distort, and manipulate the ways of God. But the evidence is in how people respond and how His people respond.

Went on His way rejoicing; continued preaching the gospel in the Samaria on their way back to Jerusalem; led by the Spirit to a new place toward Ceasarea; the other asked for a prayers on their behalf, not surrendered and guided by the ways of the One.

Who

Jews and Gentiles

Results

Biblical: Fulfilling mandate and mission (to be on the go, to be preaching, proclaiming, baptizing, making disciples)

Going—to other places, people, cultures

preaching & proclaiming—gospel is given life as it is spread. can only have the capacity to bear fruit if it is spread. 2 examples. Plants. Salmon.

What man has intended for evil, God has used for good

what can we learn from this stance of faith? evidence of types of persecution and how the church responded.

if we have influence in these areas, then our influence ought to lead people to relationship with Jesus, or at least reflect relationship with Jesus. not intended to be a theocracy-church over the state. but church can influence and prohetically guide the state. But their is no doubt of allegience. we get into difficulty when we allow the state, commerce, society to assert and tell the church how it ought to be and live. essentially losing its prophetic voice

how will we respond when opposition comes? will we seek to assert our power, or to boldly live for christ? who’s will and way will we reflect and model?

where will God open doors for the gospel to penetrate?

in nature, plants are impacted by animals, wind, water, fire…yet those events create an opportunity for growth.

First, they had become too strong to be defeated. In some provinces, such as Bithynia and Cyrenaica [today, northern Egypt and Libyal, they may already have formed a majority, and they were well organized.

Further, Christians attracted people, as a Neo-Platonist philosopher explained c. 300, by their religion’s “simplicity,” its direct moral teaching and promise uncomplicated by its rivals’ mythology.

More than that, Christianity had never lost its martyr spirit. As one contemporary (Lactantius) explained, “There is another cause why God permits persecutions to be carried out against us, that the people of God may be increased.” People rejected the old gods because of the cruelties perpetrated in their names. People inquired what was so good that it seemed preferable to life itself, “so that neither loss of goods, nor of the light, nor bodily pain or tortures deter them.” In Egypt in 311–312, Eusebius of Caesarea was an eyewitness of the final horrors of Maximinus’s persecution. He writes that “we ourselves beheld, when we were at these places, many [Copts] all at once in a single day, some of whom suffered beheading, others punishment by fire, so that the murderous axe was dulled, and worn out, was broken in pieces, and the executioners grew utterly weary.… It was then that we observed a most marvelous eagerness and a truly divine power and zeal in those who placed their faith in the Christ of God. Thus, as soon as sentence was given against the first, some from one quarter and others from another would leap up to the tribunal before the judge and confess themselves Christians.… ”

Popular opinion had been changing in favor of Christianity in the previous 30 years. Against such spirit the pagan authorities were powerless. They might sometimes win intellectual combats, proving Plato was a cleverer man than St. Paul, but those who regarded death as liberation had the last word.

Words of warning and wisdom from our past--

power & influence, have the capacity to corrupt. Equal amounts of persecution done in the name of Christ toward other Christians and against the innocent

when we get complacent the gosepl equally becomes complacent (can’t lose our urgency)

when we get comfortable we tend to build our kingdom (instead of participating in God’s kingdom activity)

when we compromise with culture & politics, our faith & trust in Christ wanes and is compromised. What are the essentials of the faith. Do the ways of man or the ways of Christ enliven us?

Can’t lose our prophetic voice and standards of holy living (internal and external cohesively)