Central Truth

Whenever the truth about Jesus is proclaimed, some will believe; others will reject and accuse the Christ-followers of being evil. Threats and rejection did not prevent Paul, Silas, and other early Christians from proclaiming Jesus as the promised Messiah. Fear of rejection should not silence our testimony for Christ.

Reflections

When the gospel conflicts with the dominant religion or worldview, there will always be a cost for proclaiming it. This timeless lesson has been driven home in recent months to Christians in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Homes have been destroyed and families have suffered the deaths of family members at the hands of violent mobs.

Christ followers in the early church soon discovered the high cost of discipleship. Yet they were willing to offer their lives as a living sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. Paul exclaimed that “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

While many in Thessalonica embraced the truth of Paul’s message, some Jews who rejected it were jealous of the gospel's success. They promptly gathered a mob and attacked the house of Jason, whom they accused of harboring insurrectionists who acted contrary to Caesar and proclaimed another king, Jesus. The local authorities then used the turmoil as a pretext to extort a “security” payment from Jason.

What was the crucial message that Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and others risked death to proclaim? "That the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead" and that “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” (Acts 17:3) How did Paul and others communicate this message so effectively? They reasoned from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that Jesus is the Christ. A message proclaiming these truths will always be empowered by God’s Holy Spirit.

Whether in a nation dominated by Islam, or one like the U.S., dominated by secular humanism, any person proclaiming the true gospel of Jesus Christ will be met by opposition. Paul warned “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12) That is one Bible promise we hesitate to claim. If we are to be accused, opposed, and perhaps assaulted because of our worldview, we should make certain it's based on the one truth worth dying for - the Truth of Christ.

Discussion Questions

1. Was the message that Paul and Silas delivered to the Thessalonians, that caused so much turmoil, different than what they had spoken in other cities?
2. Although Paul primarily sought to give his message in synagogues, which group of Thessalonians were the most offended and why?
3. What tactics did the critics of the gospel use in an attempt to discredit and silence the evangelists?
4. Can you think of a circumstance in our modern time or in your experience when critics have tried to silence those who would proclaim Jesus as the Christ?