The Lord working with them
This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ (Acts 17:3).
Following their persecution in Philippi, and the jailer’s remarkable conversion, Paul and Silas are released from prison. It is touching to see them go from the Philippian jailer’s home to the home of Lydia. These were the homes of two very different people, but places where the love of God was freshly known and shared. Paul and Silas must have been so encouraged as they left the small assembly God had formed. They had witnessed, and God had given the increase. Not only had there been salvation, but the features of Christ were clearly seen in the hearts and lives of new believers. They left, knowing that God would care for His people.
Paul and Silas made their way to Thessalonica and a fresh opportunity to preach the Gospel. Over three Sabbath days, they reasoned from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that Jesus was the Christ. Their ministry was founded on God’s word and the belief that He would bless it to the hearts of those who listened. They sowed the word, and God gave the increase. Soon another young church sprang up and prospered. During Paul’s missionary journeys, it was remarkable that God in grace provided a network of synagogues in which the Gospel could be freely proclaimed. And it was also remarkable that many of the people who trusted Christ were familiar with the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit was able to use this understanding to equip them to share their faith effectively and for the church to grow. How this should encourage us to be grounded in the word of God, to look for opportunities to communicate the Gospel freely, and trust God to bless His word and glorify His Son in people’s hearts.
Soon the people of God at Thessalonica faced persecution. Paul was once lowered in a basket down the outside of the wall in Damascus by night (Acts 9:25). The Philippian Jailer had cared for Paul and Silas in his home in the middle of the night (Acts 16:34). And when their safety was endangered, the Thessalonian church protected Paul and Silas, sending them away by night to Berea (Acts 17:10). Persecution served to give expression to the love of God. It is so heart-warming to see how God’s people protected Paul and Silas at no small cost to themselves. These acts of sacrificial love show how quickly and deeply the love of God had rooted itself in their hearts.
At Berea, Paul and Silas did not lie low but immediately shared the Gospel in the synagogue. This time, God’s word was received eagerly, and the people searched the Scriptures to discover that Jesus was indeed the Christ. Once more, troublemakers from Thessalonica arrived in Berea, and the persecution continued. And again, God’s care for Paul is seen as his new brothers in Christ escorted him to Athens. We should be challenged by seeing how God progresses His work through broadcasting the Gospel, the expectation that it will be blessed and people transformed, and the love of Christ seen. We may not live in the same days as Paul did, but we can, in our small ways, look to share the love of Christ. It may be mocked and rejected out of hand, but we can have confidence that God will honour His word. We each have our story of salvation to tell and we can discover that the Lord works with us (Mark 16:20). He alone gives the increase and, in the process, continues to fill our hearts with Christ, love for one another and love for our neighbours.
