In schools, colleges and universities you may generally speak your mind. You have freedom of speech. You may raise topics, discuss topics, pose questions about virtually anything … but the one thing you are no allowed to do is speak about Jesus Christ, the Bible and Christianity. When the principal of a high school asked me in 1997 to take a class in Biblical Morality, but not to evangelize, I readily agreed because when teaching Biblical Morality using the Bible text, it is in itself evangelism. In those days, almost four years after the first democratic election, the Department of Education had a strict stance against Christianity. Those heading the department were not Christian. They wanted a positive approach to all religions, teaching all the morals, ethics, etc. various religions stood for. Christianity was sidelined. The same position was taken with the radio stations. You could talk about any religion and its beliefs, but as soon as someone called in and spoke about the Bible, Jesus or Christianity, they were treated harshly by most radio hosts. Where there had always been opposition to the Gospel, since democracy, it intensified. The same is true in the United Kingdom. A friend told me of how at schools and even in society, you don’t mention the Bible, Jesus or Christianity. I have heard similar things like this said in Australia. In fact, where the Reformed Faith started in Europe and Britain and sent pastors, evangelists and missionaries into all the world, they have now become a mission field! Literally, where it comes to the Bible and Gospel, it is a no go zone. More and more this is the reality throughout the world. We ought not to be surprised about this onslaught against the Truth of the Gospel. Did our Lord Himself not say:
Jn 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.”
As Paul persecuted the Christian Church before he was saved, so he was treated often. We see this in our reading from today for a few days:
Ac 19:8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
1) Paul speaking in the synagogue at Ephesus.
Ac 19:8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
We have spoken about apologetics a few times and we return to it again today. Paul was a man who had been well trained in Judaism under the teaching of Gamaliel, who was like a Theological University Professor. Of himself Paul writes:
Gal 1:13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
He had a deep grasp of the Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy) as well as the rest of the Old Testament Books. After his conversion he spend time in Arabia, then in Damascus.
Gal 1:15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. 18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days.
It would appear he spent time in the Lord’s presence for a few years being taught and discipled in Arabia and maybe even in Damascus. (How this took place is unknown but we do know at his conversion Jesus met him face to face.) So he was fully trained in both Judaism and Christianity and had a good general knowledge of life, various cultures, religions and traditions. Luke uses two compelling words to describe Paul’s 3 month “bold teaching” in the synagogue.
(1) The word arguing, also translated as reasoning has the idea of mingling thoughts with thoughts. One gets the picture of Paul taking Jewish “thoughts” (doctrine, theology and teaching) and lining it up against Christian “thoughts” (doctrine, theology and teaching), showing that the “New” replaced the obsolete “Old”.
(2) The next word is persuading, which means to “cause belief in a thing” or “induce one by words to believe”. Before you think of this as indoctrination, allow me to say that you cannot take the word “persuading” and its meaning without joining it to “arguing”. That is, we need to read “arguing persuasively”. Put like this, we understand that Paul was able to compare the Jewish Faith and Scriptures with the Christian Faith and Oral Tradition, proving Jesus was the promised Messiah!
2) Paul’s speaking in the synagogue pointed to the Kingdom of God.
Ac 19:8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
What is important to understand is … “the Kingdom of God”. There are two matters here to reflect upon.
(1) The Kingdom of God relates directly to Jesus as Messiah and especially as it was introduced by His Death and Resurrection. Listen to Jesus
Mk 1:14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
He brought the Kingdom of God through His sacrificial death and resurrection … which is the God News. This Kingdom is distinctively different to all worldly kingdoms as it is spiritual and eternal. At Pentecost, Peter told the crowds:
Ac 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Jesus brought the Kingdom and He is Lord of the Kingdom … or if you like, He is the King of the Kingdom.
(2) Jesus as Lord and King rules the Kingdom. Taking these two concepts together shows us that Paul would have not just explained how Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant through the Cross and Resurrection, but that He is the King of God’s Kingdom and anyone wanting entrance into this Kingdom would need to submit willingly to live under Jesus’ Kingly reign or be excluded. We need men today who are able to explain the true Gospel, innovatively, so that people might hear, understand, believe, repent and be saved.
Father God, please raise up people who know the Gospel experimentally, who are enabled by the Spirit to arguing persuasively about the Kingdom where Jesus reigns as King. Amen.