Article 2018-04 From Increased Persecution to Increased World Missions
Chapter 43: From Increased Persecution to Increased World Missions
Introduction
During the early years of church, local evangelism occupied the apostles totally; their incredible success may have prevented them to look to more complicated ministry fields. Then they were confronted with social challenges, but delegated that task to others. Unfortunately, the earliest church did not execute the task of cross-cultural missions at first. Remarkably, deacons were not excluded from performing apostolic ministry.
A church that fails or unduly delays the execution of its cross-cultural mandate faces divine correction, in this case in the form of persecution. Yet, through this suffering the fruit greatly increased because by the scattering of believers the gospel spread. We even see that God’s enemies of today can be His instruments of tomorrow.
Scripture reference
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:18-20)
Then the high priest and all his associates … were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail (Acts 5:17,18)
The story
The church in Jerusalem grew. Thousands were added, much to the chagrin of the leading Jewish religious elite. Miracles took place and every such happening was seized as an opportunity to preach the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
A crippled man of over forty was healed near the temple and Peter took the opportunity to witness. This noble deed was rewarded with an arrest and a night in jail, but the church increased to five thousand people. Next morning’s trial before the Sanhedrin, the superior Jewish Council, became a similar preaching opportunity. The Council of Pharisees, Scribes and Elders knew no better than to attempt intimidation – an effort that didn’t have an effect on the apostles, bold and fearless as they were.
When preaching and miracles went on as usual, the high priest and his party of Sadducees couldn’t stand it any longer and they jailed the apostles again. Their motive was jealousy: they had lost many of their members to this strange new sect. This time God overruled the imprisonment and freed them through an angel, so the next day they preached in the temple area again. It was a painful humiliation for the highest leader of the Jewish faith.
Gently the apostles were arrested again, because the leaders were afraid to arouse the common people, who loved this Messianic movement. When the command to stop evangelizing was expressed once more, the apostles simply said they couldn’t stop speaking about Jesus and that they had to obey God more than men. Peter’s next little sermon angered the Sanhedrin so much that they wanted to kill the apostles.
The Council might have succeeded, had not Gamaliel, an old wise Pharisee interfered, saying that if this movement were human it would eventually dissipate from self, but that if it were from God, there would be no point in trying to combat it. Gamaliel advised to leave the apostles alone, and his suggestion was followed grudgingly. The apostles were flogged and rejoiced that they had been worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus.
The apostles now had their hands free to concentrate on the church work. Not everything went as it should. Although there was a tremendous generosity among the people, some abused the situation to display greater charity than the facts justified. A man and his wife died only hours apart, because they had agreed to lie, thus showing contempt for the Holy Spirit and the apostles.
Scripture reference
“Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit …?” (Acts 5:3)
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples … and said … “… choose seven men from among you who are … full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them (Acts 6:1-3)
The story, continued
The next problem the apostles faced, was a reminder that there existed people from other cultures. Until then the Jerusalem church had been mainly Jewish. Outreaches took place among Jews only and therefore most church members were Jews. However, there were Jews of Greek origin in the church. They complained that their widows were overlooked with regard to social care. The apostles then installed a new level of church workers, the deacons, who occupied themselves with such care. The apostles now had their hands free to pray and teach the word. Seven deacons were appointed, among them Stephen and Philip (not the apostle).
Stephen occupied himself with social care and with apostolic ministry. He performed miracles and debated with Jews from abroad that criticized the church. So, the church was reminded once more that there were representatives of other nations who needed to hear the gospel too. Sad for these foreign Jews was, that Stephen never lost a debate and so much anger developed among them that they sought to make a case against him. Tension grew by the day. Dark clouds developed at the horizon of Jerusalem’s church.
Scripture reference
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed … And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 7:59; 8:1)
The story, continued
The Jerusalem church was soon hit by persecution and Stephen became its first victim. He had fearlessly told about the continued apostasy among the Jews throughout the ages, including the leaders of his time. This brought about such a rage that Stephen was stoned. The outcome was even worse: a structured persecution of the church started that was so bad that many believers fled Jerusalem. They sought refuge in other parts of Judea.
One man had been more than happy to witness Stephen’s stoning. He was a religious zealot and strongly in favor of this sect’s extermination. After some time he volunteered to become the main persecutor of the church, on behalf of the Jewish leaders. With a zeal for God, he became the devil’s murder machine. For the time being, that is, and only as long as the Lord permitted it. First, His purposes of a higher nature was to be accomplished. Again, eternal fruit was prepared through suffering.
Comment
Christ’s last words were about ‘Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth’. So far however, the great commission was not taken one inch beyond Jerusalem. True, the church needed to be organized. Yes, there were church-disciplinary and social care issues to be taken care of. But what about the Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth part? Almost a quarter of the book of Acts had passed and no progress was made beyond mono-cultural, local evangelism. There was no sign of cross-cultural outreach yet, in spite of the subtle reminders: Jews of Greek and other national backgrounds that demanded attention.
Why was that? Had the apostles settled so comfortably in Jerusalem after the initial wave of persecution? Were they suffering from ‘apostolic-headquarters-fever’? Did they fear that during their missionary absence, someone else might usurp the church’s leadership? Had the thought sneaked in that there was ‘no time for missions, since the need is right here’? We don’t know what kept the apostles from appointing local church leadership to venture into unreached areas themselves. The fact remains that they didn’t. This demanded divine intervention of a very painful nature.
For years the Jerusalem church concentrated on inner-city outreach, excluding the other parts of the great commission. The only way to change that huge omission was the involuntary spreading of the gospel through persecution. We see now that the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church. Many examples would follow through history and still follow today. May today’s church that does not yet suffer persecution take the warning seriously and execute its great commission share voluntarily.
Discussion & dialogue
- Discuss what excuses churches and their leaders use, to stick to local evangelism only, at the cost of sending out cross-cultural missionaries, and how such excuses can be countered from a biblical perspective
- Which 8 themes of the 10 feature in this story and how? (Answer: see Teacher’s Guide)
