Reception and Resistance

The missionary journeys of Paul, as articulated in the books of Acts, were filled with adventure, danger, and drama. Among other things, Paul was arrested, stoned, persecuted, escaped from prison, and shipwrecked. His deep commitment to proclaiming the gospel and sharing God’s love compelled him to persist and persevere.

In many places Paul had success in sharing the gospel, but just as often he found resistance. This pattern emerged on Paul and Barnabas’ first journey.  Paul’s first sermon came at a synagogue in Antioch (13:13-16) after e had been invited to share.  Paul proclaims the gospel by recalling the mighty works of God throughout history and situating Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises (13:17-41).  When he was finished the people initially responded well and asked them to return the following Sabbath.  By the time the next week came, the initial welcome given to Paul and Barnabas had shifted:

The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.^{* 45}But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul. ⁴⁶Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. Acts 13:44-46

The leaders of the Jewish community turned against Paul because of jealousy. The gospel was compelling to the people, but the leaders felt threatened and insecure. Paul and Barnabas were driven from the city (13:50) so they continued to the next community. 

This pattern of initial success followed by deep resistance was the norm for Paul in his mission work. It is no surprise the leaders would find Paul to be a threat to their power and self-interest.  What is surprising is the deep faithful witness and persistence of Paul.  Despite the many setbacks and tribulations, he keeps going for years and years. He never stops believing that the gospel is a message worth sharing. He never stops putting his trust in God to deliver him from danger—and churches sprung up throughout the Gentile world because of it.

Very often those who are called to serve God face such resistance.  Both within the church and outside of it, people resist deep change. But transformation and change are the inevitable result of encountering Jesus Christ. The gospel reminds us of God’s unfailing love for us, but following Jesus calls us to a new kind of life—a life of faithfulness, a life of service and sacrifice. The example of Paul should give leaders and faithful followers inspiration and hope. His life demonstrates that trust in God and persistence allow us to reach our full potential. His message of grace and love remind us that God’s mercy and forgiveness are available when we fall short.

The Difficulty of Conversion

All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” Acts 9:21

The so-called conversation of Saul is a powerful story about transformation. Saul goes from being the most ardent opponent of the nascent Christian church, to becoming its most successful evangelist. This transformation was the work of God, which brought Saul to his knees (9:4), blinded him (9:8), and filled him with the Spirit (9:18).  Saul was chosen by God to become an “instrument” to bring the Gospel to the world.  Saul’s zeal for persecuting the church gets channeled into an unquenchable desire to share Jesus Christ with the world. 

This is a story of how God can change lives; how no one is beyond redemption; no one is unreachable; that there is hope for all people. It is also a story which reminds us how difficult it is for a transformed person to be accepted.  When Ananias is told by the Lord to heal Saul, he hesitates saying: “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.” (9:13)  (See also Ananias and the Conversion of Saul) And later when Saul is brought to the disciples (9:19-21) they cannot believe that he is changed.  Saul has become a different person, or perhaps more correctly he has become the person he was created to be, but he is not easily accepted.  The disciples who had seen the miracles of God, who had witnessed the work of the Spirit, could not wrap their brains around the fact that Saul had become an instrument of God—a faithful believer in Christ. 

For those who have had a life-changing transformation, it is often very difficult being accepted by those who knew you prior. You are different and changed but others cannot easily accept it. Perhaps it is more prudent to be skeptical of those who purport to be “a changed man” lest we be taken advantage of and conned.  But what if the Lord really can and does change people?  Do we believe it is possible?  And if it is but our hearts are hardened, can we truly say we believe in redemption?  The fact is, most of us want Saul (and those like him in our life) to pay a penalty for his misdeeds, or at least have a probationary time where he proves himself.  But God’s grace comes to Saul—as he is—and gives him new life.  And so it is with us, God’s grace comes to us without pre-conditions or probation.  Saul didn’t deserve it and neither do we, and thank God for it!  May we be thankful for God’s grace, be gracious to one another, and on the look-out for God’s transforming work in the world.