There was a time in my ministry when I felt very discouraged. Like many pastors, I reached a point where I considered leaving the ministry to do something else. A man who led a counseling agency offered me a job. I thought about it and prayed, and then the Holy Spirit whispered Paul’s words from Romans to my heart.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is God’s saving power for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Romans 1:16).
Since that crisis point in my ministry, I have seen hundreds of examples of God transforming people when His Word is preached and received in faith. I am deeply thankful that I listened to the Holy Spirit and continued in ministry. Without a doubt, the good news of God’s love is powerful when received in faith.
Another important point in this verse is that the gospel was meant to go first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. In this context, “Greeks” refers to all people considered Gentiles.
Paul and Barnabas followed the pattern God revealed to the early church. When they traveled, they first visited a Jewish synagogue, where they could meet both Jews and Greeks who were interested in the Jewish faith.
The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers (Acts 14:1).
Judaism was an attractive religion to Gentiles in the first century. The Gentile religions were immoral and filled with idolatry and superstition. The ethical standards of the Jewish faith appealed to them, so Gentile proselytes came to learn a way of life supported by the one true God.
Paul and Barnabas taught a message that went against the beliefs of some leading Jews in the synagogue. They opposed the teaching and tried to turn away Gentiles who might have believed it.
But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers (Acts 14:2).
I expect that if you surveyed pastors, many would say their biggest source of conflict and opposition comes not from outside the church, but from within it. People with strong beliefs who feel they are right often oppose the message or leadership of their pastors.
Pastors are sometimes wrong, but they can also face opposition from people who want power or hold a different point of view. This is happening among churches in America today. Culture wars are affecting church leadership, with some churches adopting one view and others choosing another.
What is striking is that both sides often treat Bible verses like weapons, firing them at one another instead of serving one another in love.
Disputes within a church or between churches harm those involved and poison the minds of those watching. People may see this and say, “If that is Christianity, I want no part of it.” It is tragic. In our blindness to God’s purposes, we may actually be working against them.
Bold in the Face of Opposition
Paul and Barnabas did not let conflict stop them from serving the Lord. Even in the face of opposition, they continued to proclaim God’s grace.
So they remained for a long time speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them (Acts 14:3).
Several years ago, I heard a wise preacher compare spiritual warfare to a basketball game. He said that the other team may hack, foul, and play dirty, but your job is to keep scoring points.
We are in a battle with the enemy of our souls, who will do all he can to make life hard and discourage us from sharing the gospel. But if we keep scoring points by helping people experience God’s love, we win.
Our goal is to be like Paul and Barnabas: to persist and not give up, even when life is difficult.
Time to Walk Away
There came a time when Paul and Barnabas wisely left because the stirred-up crowd was threatening their lives.
And when an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, the apostles learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region, and there they continued proclaiming the good news (Acts 14:5-7).
A friend of mine was a very effective missionary in an African country. She was one of the few Christians in her area. Three witches often gathered around her home and spoke curses over her. Others who wanted control of the area threatened her life more than once.
Still, like in the basketball story, she kept scoring points. She served the country, delivered aid, and openly shared her faith in Jesus. But eventually, she needed to leave to protect her life.
We need to know when to walk away and when to stay and preach.
In a world filled with disputes, debates, and different opinions that can poison the faith, we need to be loving representatives of the Lord. Let’s not walk away before we have the chance to honor Him through our words and practical acts of love.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Acts 14:1-7 on YouTube today.
