"Conflict" (Acts 17:5-9, 13-15)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/11/2018 8:56 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                                  Focus:  Conflict

Bible Reading & Meditation                                              Reference:  Acts 17:5-9, 13-15

            Message of the verses:  “5 But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world have come here also; 7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." 8 They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them….13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.”

            This is the fourth sub-point that we have been looking at in this section of the 17^th chapter of Acts.  We have been combining these two stories into one because they are very similar, in fact a lot of this last part of Acts has similar stories as Paul and his team go into a town to proclaim the gospel, going to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles because the Jews really want nothing to do with the gospel.  After a while persecution will break out on Paul and his team and so they have to leave town.  In many cases Paul will write to the churches that the Lord has begun through Paul and that is where we get many of the letters in the book of Acts, with the exception of Romans, and Colossians as Paul had not visited those two cities when he wrote to them.  At any rate as we look at our fourth sub-point in this section of Acts we will see that this last point is the result of the first three.  Those who seriously proclaim the right message and then win converts will face conflict.  I saw a little of this a little over ten years ago when I had led many people in one family to the Lord, and yet the men in the family wanted nothing to do with the gospel and so they caused a bit of trouble.  Eventually one of the men did come to the Lord.  

            We see that the unbelieving Jews at Thessalonica were actually enraged by the success of the gospel as they “loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).  As the Jews were jealous of the success of the Gospel they came upon the house of Jason because they thought Paul and Silas were there but in fact they were not there and so they had a chance to flee to Berea. 

            John MacArthur writes “Paul, Silas, and Timothy were not there, and the mob had to content itself with dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities.  Luke’s description is accurate; he uses the term politachs for the officials—the exact term that occurs for the local magistrates in inscriptions uncovered in Macedonia.  Nothing is known of Jason, except that he was probably Jewish, since Jason was a name often taken by Diaspora Jews.”

            As we look at the two charges against the believers, one being that these men who have upset the world have come here and Jason has welcomed them.  The other is a charge similar to what happened at the trial of Jesus when the Jews told Pilate “we have no king but Caesar.”  These men were saying that the missionaries were saying that there is another King, Jesus instead of Caesar.  Well we know that there is only one King and that King is Jesus and this will be shown to the world in the 1000 year kingdom after the return of Christ from heaven as seen in Revelation 19.

            We see that in the end Jason and the others gave the authorities a pledge and then they released them.  This probably was kind of like a bond and if any more trouble came from the missionaries then the bond would be forfeited.  Because of this Paul and his team left the city.  MacArthur writes “The anguish that expulsion caused Paul is reflected in his comments in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18.”  “17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while-in person, not in spirit-were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18 For we wanted to come to you I, Paul, more than once-and yet Satan hindered us.”

            Now as we look at the remaining verses for this SD we see that after Paul and his team go onto Berea that eventually the Jews from Thessalonica come and cause trouble there in Berea for them and then Paul is forced to leave and go to Athens where we will be looking at Paul’s short ministry there in our next several Spiritual Diaries.  This is something that I am looking forward to as the sermon that is recorded from Athens is very powerful and I have seen many excerpts from it in different studies that I have done, or from messages that I have heard. 

            I will finish with a quote from John MacArthur who then will quote G. Campbell Morgan.

            “Christians who would shake the world as did Paul and his companions must be courageous.  They must proclaim the right message and recognize the importance of enlisting the aid of others.  They must also be prepared to weather the storm of persecution that will surely follow.  In the words of G. Campbell Morgan,

‘The measure of our triumph in work for God is always the measure of our travail.  No propagative (to cause to multiply) work is done save at cost; and every genuine triumph of the Cross brings after it the travail of some new affliction, and some new sorrow.  So we share the travail that makes the Kingdom come.’”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  (1) Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,

We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair;

But Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away,

All tears forever over in God's eternal day.

Refrain

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

 

(2) Sometimes the sky looks dark with not a ray of light,

We're tossed and driven on , no human help in sight;

But there is one in heav'n who knows our deepest care,

Let Jesus solve your problem - just go to Him in pray'r.

Refrain

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

 

(3) Life's day will soon be o'er, all storms forever past,

We'll cross the great divide, to glory, safe at last;

We'll share the joys of heav'n - a harp, a home, a crown,

The tempter will be banished, we'll lay our burden down.

Refrain

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to give me some triumphs in my life each day.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Five” (Luke 9:13-14).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who said, ‘Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s’?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/11/2018 9:54 AM