Doug Van Pelt

Paul Stood Up For Himself

Sometimes we get a tweaked (and false) view of Christianity. As people we (I know I have this tendancy) swing like a pendulum between extremes. One such extreme is being super mellow and gentle, like the Prince of Peace (or so we think). This is great when it's the right time, but there are times when other, more disruptive and brazen attitudes are called for. Jesus cleaned out the temple in righteous anger.

Paul spoke up and demanded something in Acts 16. What happened was they started out on a missionary journey. A disciple named Timothy joined Paul for this trip. Paul did something unusual to make the journey easier for them -- he circumsized Timothy (a grown man). He did this because of the Jews in the area. That's an interesting decision. It seems like outward pressure and expectations are not always ignored and resisted in the name of what's right.

Later on they traveled throughout the region of Phyrgia and Galatia, "having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia." That's an interesting detail there. I wonder if we in America would be believers had the Spirit not stepped in and guided these guys. Who knows?

Paul and his friends crossed paths with a slave girl that had a spirit that helped her predict the future. Perhaps this link to eternity allowed spirits that live outside of linear time gave them access to information in the future. I wonder if and how that effects evil spirits' strategy and plans for meddling with, attacking, and hindering believers and non-believers on earth. Interesting.

Paul became so troubled by this slave girl's actions (she was telling everyone -- actually shouting it -- that they were "servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved."), which weren't necessarily a false message, but it must've been disruptive, because Paul "turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the Name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her. When the owners of the slave girl found out what happened, they had Paul and Silas dragged before the authorities. The magistrates had them stripped and severely flogged. Then they were thrown into jail, with stocks on their feet.

At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to killhimself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, 'Don't harm yourself! We are all here!' The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'"

Perhaps he had heard the shouting of the slave girl. Otherwise, why would he immediately jump to the conclusion of being saved? Interesting.

"They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved -- you and your household.' Then they spoke the Word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized." Then he fed them a meal inside his house.

"At daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: 'Release those men.'" The jailer told Paul, and said, 'Now you can leave. Go in peace.'

"But Paul said to the officers: 'They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.'"

Paul raised a stink. He stood up for himself and his rights as a Roman citizen. I liken this to there being a time and a season for everything. There's a time to lay down and surrender your will; and there's a time to fight and resist. Perhaps the next time I see a Christian raising a stink in the Name of God, I will not be so quick to dismiss them as acting on their own, with the erroneous thought, 'They are full of anger. That is not Christ-like!' I could be flat-out wrong in my judgment of that situation. It's not always meek and mild behavior for God's people.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at November 23, 2005 10:08 AM