Atos 8

Atos 8

Calvin puts it this way: “The government of the Church of Christ has been so divinely constituted from the beginning that the Cross has been the way to victory, death the way to life.”...It is the principle that dying in one produces life in another. This is what Saul will later learn when (as Paul) he will write to the Corinthians, “So death is at work in us, but life in you” (2 Cor. 4:12). A great persecution began against the church (ekklesia) in Jerusalem - This was the first persecution of the Christians as a whole. The persecution against the church grew incrementally - first it was against Peter and John (Acts 4:1-7,8-21), then against the 12 apostles (Acts 5:17-18, 26-39, 40), then the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7:55-60), and finally culminating in an all out attack on the entire Jerusalem church. Clearly Saul was instrumental in instigating the outbreak of great persecution. And if not the chief instigator, he certainly was instrumental in its enactment and effectiveness. Great (or loud)(megas) is used repeatedly in Acts 8 - Acts 8:1, 2, 7, 9, 10, 13. Persecution (1375)(diogmos from dioko = to chase, to pursue) literally refers to a chase or pursuit and figuratively means to put to flight or to pursue with repeated acts of enmity. Persecution is not my favorite topic, but I can recall in my first decade as a believer that I was ignorant of this aspect of being a follower of Christ and I was ambushed by fellow church members who had previously shown themselves to be our friends. This unfounded attack shocked and disheartened me and almost caused be to totally withdraw from any leadership roles in the future. I am sure the Jewish believers in Jerusalem were taken aback by the degree of persecution far more severe than I was forced to endure. So here is the point for us today -- we may never experience a persecution like our brothers and sisters did in first century Jerusalem, but if we are serious about our practicing our faith in a sin-darkened, devil controlled world, we can be sure that we will experience persecution in some form. Do be surprised as I was - to be forewarned is to be forearmed! And so in his last known letter, an exhortation to Timothy, Paul gave his young disciple a "Bible promise" writing Indeed, all (GREEK MEANS "ALL" WITHOUT EXCEPTION!) who desire to live godly (THE CONDITION TO BE MET) in Christ Jesus (IN HIM IS THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE GODLY - SUPERNATURAL NOT NATURAL!) will be persecuted (THE PROMISE). (2 Ti 3:12+) Derek Thomas reminds us that "Christ had promised his followers that living for Him would lead to trouble (see Luke 21:12–19). This is still true. If we boldly live out our faith, the light of our lives will expose the sinfulness of others. Our words of truth will pierce their souls. Some will be convicted and yield to the leading of the Spirit. Others will become angry and hardened in their hatred of the truth. As Jesus said, “The people of the world will hate you because you belong to Me” (John 15:21NLT). We shouldn’t be surprised or abandon our faith when we are persecuted. (Philip Preaching Christ in Samaria) Charles Swindoll makes an interesting practical observation - Few people in the twenty-first-century West have even experience religious persecution. (ED: HE IS REFERRING TO IMPRISONMENT FOR OUR FAITH, ETC) We may endure a little mockery at school, a sarcastic slam at the office, some ruffled feathers in the neighborhood, but little more. (ED: HOWEVER IF YOU ARE IN LEADERSHIP I WOULD ADD BE PREPARED FOR IT TO COME AT YOU FROM WITHIN THE RANKS OF THE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP!) It would be exceedingly revealing if persecution put our modern-day churches to the test. One wonders how many would quickly defect? Though the early believers fled, they did not defect. (Swindoll's Living Insights - NT Commentary - Acts). I would add to Swindoll's comments that not only did they flee and not defect, but they were manhandled and did not murmur, complain or grumble (as far as we can tell from Luke's text). To the contrary, instead of grumbling, the went about gospeling the Gospel (or as one writer said "gossiping the Gospel")! While Luke does not specifically tell us, it would seem the only way these believers could manifest such grateful hearts and courageous Gospel proclamation (remember some are going to areas inhabited by Samaritans who normally hated them!) is because they were filled with, controlled by and empowered by the Holy Spirit of Jesus. They leave quite an example for all believers of all ages to emulate. Let it be true again of Your global Church Lord. Amen Related Resources: Persecution Predicted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount Persecution - Synopsis of persecution of the church - interesting article Persecution - Dictionary articles Phil 1:29 - See Discussion of Persecution/suffering 2Ti 3:12-See Discussion of Persecution And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria - The word "all" does not mean all without exception, for Luke qualifies the quantity with except the apostles. In addition, we know from the succeeding chapters of Acts, that there was a viable, active church in Jerusalem. Thus many feel that the "all" refers primarily to the Hellenistic Christians, but we cannot be dogmatic. Later in Acts Luke adds... So then those who were scattered (diaspeiro) because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch (See this map for locations), speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. (Acts 11:19) Comment - And Antioch would become the great missionary church that sent Paul out on three missionary journeys to the uttermost parts of the earth. So we see God's plan playing out - from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth Were scattered throughout (1289)(diaspeiro from dia = throughout [denotes separation] + speiro = to sow seed) means literally to sow hither and yon, to sow (seed) throughout, to scatter abroad and in this verse is used figuratively to refer to the dispersion of the Church out of Jerusalem. The famous use in the Septuagint describes " the LORD scattered them abroad from there (BUILDING THE TOWER OF BABEL) over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city." (Ge 11:9) Because of Israel's unfaithfulness and disobedience to her covenant with God, He declared (a prophetic promise) "‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste." (Lev 26:33+) Sowing seed in the olden days was describing as broadcasting the seed when the farmer would toss the seed from his bag as he walked down the soil prepared to receive the seed. The soil of the Samaritan hearts had been prepared by the Spirit and probably also by Jesus pioneer missionary trip in John 4 Vine says diaspeiro "in general is suggestive of the effects of the scattering in the sowing of the spiritual seed of the word of life." The root verb speiro is used by Jesus in His famous parable of the soils describing the "good soil" which the evangelizing believers and the evangelist Philip encountered in Judea and Samaria. “And the one on whom seed was sown (speiro) on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” (Mt 13:23) Comment - Philip was proclaiming the word into "good soil" in Samaria and the fruit of new lives in Christ was the result as the Spirit took the word implanted and used it to save their souls (James 1:21b+). Diaspeiro - Acts 8:1, 4, Acts 11:19 Diaspeiro - 57v in the Septuagint - Gen. 9:19; Gen. 10:18; Gen. 10:32; Gen. 11:4; Gen. 11:8; Gen. 11:9; Gen. 49:7; Exod. 5:12; Lev. 26:33; Deut. 4:27; Deut. 28:64; Deut. 32:8; Deut. 32:26; 1 Sam. 11:11; 1 Sam. 13:8; 1 Sam. 13:11; 1 Sam. 14:23; 1 Sam. 14:34; 2 Sam. 18:8; 2 Sam. 20:22; 1 Ki. 12:24; 1 Ki. 22:17; 2 Ki. 25:5; 2 Chr. 18:16; Est. 3:8; Est. 9:19; Ps. 44:11; Isa. 11:12; Isa. 24:1; Isa. 32:6; Isa. 33:3; Isa. 35:8; Isa. 41:16; Isa. 56:8; Jer. 13:24; Jer. 15:7; Jer. 18:17; Jer. 32:37; Jer. 40:15; Jer. 49:5; Jer. 49:36; Jer. 52:8; Ezek. 11:17; Ezek. 12:14; Ezek. 12:15; Ezek. 17:21; Ezek. 20:23; Ezek. 22:15; Ezek. 29:12; Ezek. 30:23; Ezek. 30:26; Ezek. 32:15; Ezek. 34:5; Ezek. 34:6; Ezek. 34:12; Ezek. 36:19; Dan. 9:7; Joel 3:2 James Montgomery