Last week we talked about Paul’s dramatic conversion to the Christian faith after an encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. This was the pivotal moment that turned Paul from a prosecutor to an evangelist, and this event would be the backdrop of his missionary ministry moving forward. It was because of this event and his certainty of the truth of Christ that Paul preached boldly throughout his life, even in the face of severe persecution.
By Acts Chapter 13, we see that the church is growing rapidly. People are seeing the apostles perform miracles and are coming to faith in Christ in droves. At the same time, we see the church being persecuted.
In Acts 13, Paul preaches in a synagogue in Antioch, explaining to the listeners how Jesus is the fulfillment of what had been prophesied:
- Acts 13:23 (2 Samuel 7:12-16)
- Acts 13:27-29 (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Zech 12; Jesus predicted his own condemnation)
- Acts 13:33-35 (Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3; Psalm 16:10)
- Acts 13:40-41 (Habakkuk 1:5)
- Acts 13:47 (Isaiah 49:6)
At first, the gospel was generally well received by both the Jews and the Gentiles. The following week though, massive crowds came to hear the gospel, and the Jews became jealous.
In just a week’s time, they went from a warm reception to persecution and blasphemy from the people, ultimately ending in them being expelled from the island of Cyprus.
Despite the disappointment, they didn’t quit. They went on to Iconium and preached powerfully. Did Paul just have more grit and determination than the average person?
That may have been part of his personality, but it’s also clear that Paul exercised an important Christian discipline in his ministry – faithfulness. It’s also a characteristic of God Himself.
Paul would have known of God’s faithfulness from the Old Testament; he also experienced it in his own life, and throughout the New Testament encourages the churches to be faithful. It’s Paul’s faithfulness amidst difficulty that demonstrated his boldness.
Boldness isn’t itself a fruit of the Spirit, but faithfulness is. Faithfulness is a sign that the Spirit of God is at work in your life.
What a blessing it would be to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” at the end of our lives. May we be faithful to our calling to live boldly for the gospel, regardless of the outcome.
