Will persecution end the church?
Acts 8:1-8
1 And Saul approved of their killing him.
That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.
4 Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6 The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, 7 for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralysed or lame were cured. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Today we begin a journey that will take us from Acts 8 to 20, the middle of the book. Some of the passages covered in the devotional are also being preached on this fall at St. Andrew’s.
In Acts 8:1, we meet Saul – who was to become Paul – for the first time. Luke’s telling us about him is to foreshadow what is coming later in Acts. Stephen, the first Christian martyr and brilliant debater is buried as Saul launches a brutal persecution of the church in Jerusalem. Saul would break down doors and arrest people in their homes for being members of the church. It looked like the church was on the ropes, about to be eliminated.
Vs. 4 is important to the narrative – the followers of Jesus fleeing the persecution get scattered to communities outside of Jerusalem. Yet as they ran from the persecution they shared the good news about Jesus (“the word” vs, 4) with people they met. The persecution did not silence them, they continued to speak of Jesus. Some of them arrived in Samaria – and we are reminded of Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 – “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem (where the church had started and the city they were now fleeing); Judea (the province around Jerusalem that some followers went to for safety); Samaria (the neighbouring province and outside the control of Saul’s bosses); and the ends of the earth (where the rest of the story is going).”
In Samaria, Philip, one of the second group of leaders in the church, had an effective and busy ministry. People heard the good news about Jesus and responded to it, as well there were miracles and people were healed from all manner of diseases.
The passage which begins with the church in Jerusalem in trouble, ends with the church outside Jerusalem growing well and facing no persecution, at least, in Samaria.
We so often look only at our own context and fail to look wider. While it is true that the Christian Church in Canada is experiencing decline, the church in other parts of the world is growing well. The good news of Jesus continues to spread.
PRAYER:
God of grace, at times it appears as though your church is about to be wiped out. But then surprisingly by your grace new life appears. Teach us in the ebb and flow of the church’s history to trust that you are leading your church into the future you have for it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.