Fan the Flame - a Journey Through Actsഉദാഹരണം

Day 45 - "The Important Thing is that Christ is Preached"

In yesterday’s reading, we caught a glimpse of the uproar caused by Paul’s enemies in Jerusalem – they even conspired to kill him. So he was sent under protective custody to the headquarters of the Roman governor at Caesarea, where he was held for two years. As things turned out (read the intervening story!) Paul became a “controversial case” for the two most important political figures in the region: Festus (the Roman governor), and Agrippa (the grandson of Herod the Great and last Jewish client king of Rome). They agreed to let Paul tell his story in person; Paul (as ever) takes the opportunity to give his testimony!

I wonder if Paul had Jesus’s words in mind as he stood to speak: “On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matt 10:18-20). Be that as it may, on the surface of things, the results of Paul’s speech are hardly encouraging. Festus, the Roman politician, thinks Paul has gone insane. Agrippa the Jewish king seems to understand Jesus's fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy, but he can't accept the personal implications. It’s not easy to understand whether Agrippa’s response in 26:28 is sincere or a deliberate attempt to mock Paul. But it didn’t seem to worry him – the same Paul, perhaps writing during this very imprisonment in Caesarea to the church in Philippi, declared, “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Phil 1:18).

When you think about sharing your faith in Christ, are you overly concerned about whether you are likely to get a positive response, or not? Why? Would we pray together today that the Lord would remind us that neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who makes things grow (1 Cor 3:7). God, please give us the confidence to be faithful witnesses, and to leave the results in your hands.

Written by D Morcom