Suffering for the Gospel
Opening Prayer
Ask God to increase your awareness of what it means to be so committed to Christ that you may face hardship.
Read Acts 14:1-7
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
[1] At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. [2] But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. [3] So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. [4] The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. [5] There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. [6] But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, [7] where they continued to preach the gospel. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How was God at work in Iconium?How do you feel when you hear of Christians suffering for their faith? This is one of Luke’s themes in Acts 14. Paul continues his habit of going to the Jewish meeting place, this one in Iconium (perhaps 100 miles or so from Pisidian Antioch but still in the province of Galatia). Iconium was a largely Greek city with a reputation for independence, resisting Roman influence. Such resistance may have brought Jews and Gentiles together, yet Paul’s preaching opens up divisions (2), confusion (4) and antagonism (5). Undeterred, Paul and Barnabas remain with these new believers for some time demonstrating evidence of God’s power, until it becomes too dangerous to stay (5). Notice that Luke refers to them as apostles (4; also v. 14) which is unusual, since neither were among the twelve, although Paul refers to himself as “an apostle” or “apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 1:1,5; 1 Cor. 9:1,2; Gal. 1:1). These two were fulfilling the task originally given to the twelve. Suffering for Paul continued (see 2 Cor. 11 for a full list). But after all, he was a follower of Jesus Christ who was himself a victim of persecution. We should expect no less, too.
Apply
Ask yourself this: How willing are you to accept hardship as a result of your faithfulness to the Lord?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, I pray for Christians around the world who are suffering for You. Encourage, strengthen and help them.
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