BULLETIN ARTICLE – 26 August 2018
DIFFERENT REACTIONS TO THE GOSPEL IN ACTS 17
Reaction 1: Anger in Thessalonica. What prompted the anger? Jealousy. But what caused the jealousy? People respond to Apostle Paul’s teaching, unsettling traditional religious beliefs about Jesus –
suffering, dying, rising from the dead. Anger today: People do not want their comfortable ideas about God challenged. They are okay with God as a benevolent father-figure with little impact on their lives but get upset when presented with Biblical truths about trusting and obeying God.
Reaction 2: Enthusiasm in Berea. People are open to the message of the gospel of Jesus. They examined the Jewish Scriptures daily for themselves and realised about the truth of the gospel and responded to it. Enthusiasm today: People are more likely to respond to the gospel message enthusiastically if they have open and not closed minds. They realise that religious belief is not the same as a personal relationship with God. They know that they are in need of salvation and see something different and attractive in Christians in their beliefs and behaviour.
Reaction 3: Interest and indifference in Athens.Athens was the ultimate place for reason and debate. People are interested generally but only as an intellectual exercise. They had little interest in the idea of a creator God dwelling among the people. They listened to Paul’s preaching about God as Creator but Jesus’ resurrection was something new to them. Interest and indifference today: People are willing to talk about God, have a general belief in him, but usually are not keen and feel uncomfortable responding to the life-changing message with God, as Creator and Saviour.
Focus points for us to consider
1. Paul continued proclaiming Jesus, even when people did not respond. Today we meet people with indifference to the Gospel of Jesus. Our Christian lifestyle and response to difficulties are good openings in proclaiming Jesus and what he offers in the matter of salvation and Christian living.
2. Paul and Silas travelled about 100 miles in their weakened condition to Thessalonica knowing that a church started there would spread the faith to surrounding towns. That is strategy and commitment!
3. Epicureans believe man’s chief end is pleasure and avoidance of pain. Epicureans say, “Enjoy life”. This philosophy is alive and well today in our pleasure-worshiping, pain-avoiding, modernistic- culture!
4. Stoics are pantheists and fatalists believing that, since life is filled with unavoidable good and bad, the best we can do is grin and bear it. Stoics say “Endure life”.
For more than 2,000 years anyone who calls on Jesus’ name turns the world right-side-up again. Where there was darkness, missionaries brought the light of the Gospel. Where there was hatred, they brought godly love. Where there was anxiety they brought a peace that passed understanding. Where there was sadness, they brought joy and laughter. Where there was bondage, they brought freedom from sin. Where there was fear of death, they brought the good news of eternal life in Jesus. Now it is our turn to carry on this teaching till Jesus returns for his people!
