“For some days [Saul] was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ And all who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?’ But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”
[ACTS 9:19b-40]
“As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.’ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, ‘These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.’ The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, ‘Let those men go.’ And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ‘The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.’ But Paul said to them, ‘They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.’ The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed” [ACTS 16:16-40]. [1]
I have now lived well beyond the three score and ten allotted years that are commonly accepted as the criterion qualifying one to be thought of as aged. During the years of my journey, I have witnessed numerous events that generated great excitement in society, if only briefly. I have seen the rise of a number of individuals who were heralded as someone worthy of our attention, only to witness them as they crashed and burned when they became consumed with their own importance. They believed the hype of reporters who extolled them as someone important. I have paid particular attention to those individuals who had an impact on the course of the Faith, especially the Faith as seen among the churches in the western world.
I recall the excitement among a surprising number of churches when Eldridge Cleaver, the Black Panther Party Minister of Information, returned to the United States in 1975. He had been in exile in Cuba, in Algeria, and in France, having fled the United States following an ambush of Oakland police officers during which two of the officers who had been ambushed were wounded. Cleaver claimed to have surrendered his life to Christ. Instantly, he was promoted as a speaker at a number of well-known Evangelical churches. Within a very short time, these same churches were embarrassed by his evident lack of understanding of the Faith and his advocacy of unbiblical positions. He advocated unbiblical positions and ultimately drifted into affiliation with several cults. And the cults were not as gullible as the churches!
I never considered Eldridge Cleaver to have been the problem so much as were church leaders who imagined they could appropriate his notoriety as a means of building their religious fiefdom. These church leaders had slid into the error of believing that a crowd was evidence that their actions were correct and somehow honouring to the cause of the Risen Saviour. Something similar happened in more recent years with Kanye West and his purported conversion to the Faith. The problem was not West’s conversion, but the thought that he is qualified to provide guidance without time to grow in the Faith. The underlying issue is celebrity religion in which some notable person is supposed to be worthy of hearing because they are widely known.
It is a wise thing, even an essential matter that we should encourage the new follower of Christ to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ before attempting to provide leadership among the people of God. Living among those blessed saints who have trod the pilgrim pathway before you has a way of preparing the individual for effective service. In fact, I daresay that without taking time to grow, without taking time to observe the lives of more mature saints, learning from their experiences gained through their life journey and listening to their wisdom, it is doubtful that you will ever be of any particular value in the advance of the faith. Oh, you may exhibit zeal, but you will be hard-pressed to exhibit or encourage stability.
The newly minted Christian should not be immediately promoted to a position of responsibility within the assembly of the righteous. The life of one who is twice-born requires time for maturation. This is especially true before one is promoted to a position in which he or she will exert influence on the assembly. It is a blight upon the congregations of the Lord that such premature promotions are even considered, much less pushed and/or embraced. An individual is not suited for leadership within the assembly of the righteous without sufficient time to mature, without time to grow up. This is the meaning behind Paul’s cautionary warning, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure” [1 TIMOTHY 5:22]. There is genuine danger to the faithful when untested individuals are promoted to positions of oversight within the assembly. This is witnessed through examining the distinction between the “ministry” of Saul of Tarsus and the service of Paul the Apostle.
THE MAKING OF SAUL OF TARSUS — His parents named the child “Saul,” and that had been the name by which he had been known for all the years of his life. Since the child had been born into the Tribe of Benjamin, and the first king of the United Kingdom was a Benjaminite named Saul, it was appropriate that the child would carry the honoured name of one of the most notable members of the tribe. However, just as that first king revealed himself to be impetuous and even devastating to the cause of the Living God, so this young man would prove that despite his unquestioned desire to serve God, he would attempt do serve with a character so reckless that he created more harm than good and brought dishonour on the Name of the Lord God.
Throughout childhood, then during the years he was engaged in university studies, and throughout his years of training under esteemed rabbinical tutors until at last he became a noted rabbi himself, the man was known as Saul of Tarsus. This man had distinguished himself through rigorous study of the Talmudic literature and through his intellectual brilliance demonstrated in defending Judaism. Then came that fateful day when everything was changed. But in order to understand who this Saul was, we need to have some understanding of how he became the man we meet who sought to drive the followers of The Way from the earth.
He had made a name for himself by persecuting and driving from Jerusalem and its environs the new sect identified as “The Way.” Rabbi Saul was violent and rabid when it came to what he viewed as an assault against the Jewish Faith he loved and which he embraced as his own. This fierce rabbi hated these Followers of The Way with an intensity that was unmatched even among the leaders of the Jews. In white hot fury he repeatedly revealed his determination to attack these pretenders to the faith he promoted; if he could not silence them, he would drive them from the face of the earth. And these violent urges led him to go beyond the precincts of Jerusalem seeking out those who were followers of the Way. This rabid rabbi was intent on ensuring that when he was finished there would not be a follower of The Way to be found, not even in a museum! He would ensure that they no longer contaminated the air with their breath!
Now, he was on his way to Damascus. He had every intention of seeking out any who dared breathe that hated name of Yeshua! How infuriating it was that the honoured name Yeshua was appropriated by this unlearned Galilean that had gathered an untutored mob to follow Him as though he was a sage. How dare that man allow Himself to be called “Rabbi!” How dare this uneducated rabble call Him “Rabbi!”
The first one identified as a follower of the Way to have been executed because of his worship of the Risen Christ was a man named Stephen. He brought Jewish wrath upon himself because of how effective he proved to be in turning Jewish worshippers to embrace this Jesus as the Messiah. Stephen had even led some of Saul’s relatives into receiving this new Faith.
Doctor Luke reveals the powerful impact of Stephen’s witness on that day, writing, “Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” [ACTS 6:8-10]. There are always those who wish to withstand the power of God working through His servant, but just as those in that day could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking, so they are powerless to withstand you when you permit the wisdom and the Spirit with which you speak as you serve the Saviour. Christian, you are endued with power that is greater than anything you can imagine!
This godly deacon enjoyed an especially successful witness to some who belonged to a synagogue identified as “the synagogue of the Freedmen.” You must recognise that what I am about to say is purely speculative; however, I believe this speculation to be both plausible and possible. According to the information Doctor Luke provides, this Synagogue of the Freedmen appears to have included primarily worshippers originally haled from Cilicia and Asia. We know that Tarsus was the chief city of Cilicia, and that Saul was from Tarsus. If Saul himself was not regularly in attendance at this synagogue, it is likely that he had friends and family that worshipped at the synagogue of the Freemen. In the Letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul speaks of Andronicus and Junia, whom he identifies as his kinsmen, stating that they were in Christ before himself [see ROMANS 16:7]. It is not out of the realm of possibility that these two worshipped at the synagogue of the Freedmen and that they were converted to Christ through the ministry of Stephen. If this is the case, it would account in part for the intense hatred that drove Saul to rid the earth of these worshippers of the crucified Galilean. I am not saying that this is the case, but I recognise that if this is what happened, it would account in great measure for Saul’s rage against the Way.
Stephen was haled before the high priest and falsely accused of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death. Though his defence was cogent and powerful, he was dragged away and stoned. There is a reference that is important to note as we read of Stephen’s execution. In this account of his death, we read, “Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul” [ACTS 7:54-58]. The violent young rabbi was not only present, but he guarded the clothing of the executioners when they had removed their garments to allow them freedom to sling the stones. Imagine! These religious zealots could not even trust one another not to steal a garment! Some religion! Some worshippers!
It is likely that Saul was seated as a member of the Sanhedrin. That is at least suggested when we read his defense in later days after he himself was set upon by a mob of enraged Jews. Saul, by then known as Paul, testified, “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him” [ACTS 22:17-20].
Let me return to something that I addressed moments ago. I spoke of the power that is ours when we are serving the Master. Your words will not be casually dismissed by others so long as you are walking in the Spirit and speaking in His power. Do not imagine that simply because the wicked cannot resist your words that they will not seek to harm you. And God may permit those who are opposed to grace to succeed when they harm you! However, you must know that because He is working in you, even when you imagine that you have failed, His power and His grace will accomplish what glorifies Him. Saul could not escape the knowledge that a godly man had died with a gracious prayer on His lips. And the wicked who witness God at work in your life will not easily escape the knowledge that God has been working in you.
The story is told of an event that occurred for the Twelfth Legion of served in Sebaste around 320 A.D. The Emperor Valerius Licinianus Licinius commanded that all soldiers must sacrifice to the Emperor as one of the Patheon of gods. Counted among the members of the Twelfth Legion were forty Christians who served valiantly. The Twelfth Legion was known as the Thundering Legion, these men were among the bravest soldiers serving in the army. They were promised money and honours if they would be consent to worship the Emperor.
Camdidus, speaking on behalf of the soldiers responded to the offer, “You offer us money that remains behind, and glory that fades away. You seek to make us friends of the
Emperor, but alienate us from the true King. We desire one gift, the crown of righteousness. We are anxious for one glory, the glory of the heavenly Kingdom. We love honours, those of Heaven. You threaten fearful torments and call our godliness a crime but you will not find us fainthearted or attached to this life or easily stricken with terror. For the love of God, we are prepared to endure any kind of torture.” The company was united in confessing they would rather die than renounce their faith in the Christ.
Their answer only enraged the commander. They were ordered to die a slow, painful death. About midnight they were stripped of their clothing and placed upon the ice of a frozen lake where they would remain until they froze to death. At the same time, the commander ordered that large tanks of warm water were to be prepared and placed at various points along the edge of the ice so that if any would renounce Christ, he could save his life by coming to the edge of the lake after which he would be warmed and restored to the Governor’s service.
The soldiers, naked and shivering in the inky darkness of that night were marched onto the frozen surface of the lake. They encouraged one another, saying, “One night of suffering, and then an eternity of joy in Heaven.” They prayed that their resolve might be strong and that their number would remain forty, and that they all might remain as a unit, persevering to the end. As the night wore on, those on the shore could hear the soldiers saying in unison, “Forty brave soldiers for Jesus. Forty brave soldiers for Christ. We’ll be true to our God and stare death in the face. Though we perish on this lake of ice. We’ll be forty brave soldiers for Christ.”
After hours of suffering, and in the early light of a gray and frigid morning, one of the soldiers was observed crawling to the shore. He could take no more of the suffering. He was prepared to renounce Christ and worship the Emperor. He was immediately wrapped in a warm robe and escorted to the warm bath where he would be revived. Warmed at last, the shock of the change in temperature caused him to drop dead, startling all who witnessed what was happening.
On the frozen lake, the words that were now spoken by the remaining soldiers was changed to reflect the loss of a companion. Saddened by the desertion of one who had stood firm with them, they now said in thin, weakened voices, “Thirty-nine brave soldiers for Jesus.” Hearing the change in tone, Agelaius, who had served as the jailer for the forty soldiers throughout the week prior to the execution of their sentence rushed to the edge of the frozen lake.
At that moment, something happened in the heart of Agelaius the jailer. What it was, only he and God will ever know. The guards reported hearing a great cry which jerked them awake. Rubbing their eyes they watched as Agelaius the jailer wrenched off his armour, stripped naked and ran onto the frozen lake shouting: “Forty brave soldiers for Jesus. Forty brave soldiers for Christ. We’ll be true to our God and stare death in the face. Though we perish on this lake of ice. We’ll be forty brave soldiers for Christ.” Agelaius was converted at that moment and took the place of the man who had fallen out of the brave group. [2]
Know that Christ will empower you as His servant, and know that the warm baths of the world will always be kept before your eyes to allure you to turn from following Him. Know, also, that because you serve the Risen Saviour, the cost of your service may be great, perhaps greater than you can now imagine. But know that the power of the Risen Christ will rest on you, enabling you to stand firm. Whatever may happen, know that God is at work, and someone watching you is being drawn to new life in the Son of God.
TRANSFORMATION — The change witnessed in Saul had been as sudden as it was dramatic; that change was revealed in one question that the raging rabbi asked: “Who are you, Lord?” This is what the transformation was all about, as related by Doctor Luke. “Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank” [ACTS 9:1-9].
I suppose you could say that the conversion with the unseen person, when it came, was precipitous. It was assuredly unexpected for the rabbinical persecutor. How could those who knew him understand what was taking place when the man who had been so virulent didn’t understand what was happening. This shouldn’t be surprising since none of us who follow the Master can say precisely what happened when we met the Saviour. We speak in generalities, but none of us can precisely tell what took place. Afterward, we read what is written of the work that God performed in our life, but we can’t really explain it. We have experienced that transformation, but we can no more explain the work of God than could the Apostle.
A light flashed out of the heavens, seeming to envelope Saul. He appeared to have been immersed in light, light so brilliant that those travelling with him were unable to look on it. It was as though Saul disappeared into the light. Something supernatural seemed to take place, and Saul dropped to the ground, almost as if he had been struck down by an unseen hand. At that moment, he heard a question, though there was no one who could have given voice to what was asked. The persecutor clearly heard these words, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Saul spoke—they all heard him, but there was no person visible to whom he spoke. “Who are you Lord?” How much weirder could things get! A brilliant light. The learned rabbi asking who was addressing him when no one was there. Weird? No, spooky!
Those travelling with Saul clearly heard him ask the question, and in answer to the rabbi’s question, they actually heard an answer! Here is what was really disconcerting: they saw no person! They heard the voice and they understood the words that were spoken, but no one was there! At least, there was no one they could see. However, Saul distinctly heard an answer to his query, and the answer he heard was unimaginable. Saul heard what many would have undoubtedly argued was an impossibility! Saul heard the voice challenging him, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do” [ACTS 9:5b-6].
Well, with that sort of an experience, who wouldn’t obey what the disembodied voice commanded? Saul was blinded by the brilliance of the light; he could see nothing! He had to be led about by others. So, he continued his journey into the city, stumbling and shuffling because of his changed situation. However, he had clearly heard that voice. And though his emotions were in turmoil, he knew that he had just met the very One he hated so much. And that One had commanded him to go into the city where he would at last be told what he must do.
I can only imagine that Saul’s wait was interminable. Sitting in darkness, hearing those about him whispering about what they had witnessed, waiting for… What? He didn’t even know what he was waiting for other than that he would soon receive instructions for what he was to do. For three days, Saul was blind, but there was a light that had dawned in his heart. I would guess that during the whole time he nervously awaited what would happen next. Nevertheless, the Lord was working, though Saul could not know all that was taking place.
Here's the thing to know: the Lord always seems to work in secret. You may recall how the Lord has spoken through Isaiah, saying,
“Thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel,
‘In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’
But you were unwilling,”
[ISAIAH 30:15]
We anxiously wait to know what is happening, and He seems to be in no hurry. He works silently, and we are unaware of what He is doing at such times. Here is what we tend to forget: “We walk by faith, not by sight” [2 CORINTHIANS 5:7]. Did you hear that? We live by faith, not by sight. The God we serve is not a god such as the world wants, a god that is seen, a god that works according to our ideals. Our God works in the darkness, preparing what is good for us and what glorifies His Name. Though Saul could not see God at work, God worked nevertheless.
In the verse preceding our text, we read how God spoke to an otherwise unknown disciple. Here is the account as recorded by Doctor Luke. “Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name’” [ACTS 9:10-16].
Ananias hesitated. In fact, he demurred, suggesting that God possibly didn’t know who this Saul of Tarsus was. It is almost as though Ananias is attempting to instruct God as though the disciple is more knowledgeable than the Lord. Ananias wasn’t anxious to meet Saul of Tarsus, the rabid rabbi known for destroying churches and hunting down those who followed the Way. But the Lord insisted that Ananias obey, because God had a special purpose for this Saul. The work that God suggests for this raging rabbi would require a man who understood pain, because he had inflicted so much pain on others. God is informing Ananias that a major transformation is about to take place, and this Saul of Tarsus is going to figure prominently in what will take place in the life of the churches. God’s Word is revealing to His servant that God is greater than any mere mortal; Ananias can’t imagine what God is about to do.
You may remember the LORD speaking through Isaiah, to instruct us,
“The rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return,
but instead water the earth
and make it produce and yield crops,
and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.
In the same way, the promise that I make
does not return to me, having accomplished nothing.
No, it is realized as I desire
and is fulfilled as I intend.”
[ISAIAH 55:10-11 NET BIBLE]
God’s will is what will happen. We seldom understand what He is doing, but we may be confident that God does work, and that He is always working! And we may be certain that He always works for the benefit of His people and to ensure that He receives glory for the work that is done. Jesus has testified, “My Father has been working until now, and I, too, am working” [JOHN 5:17 ISV].
There is an essential truth, an incredible truth that we must not forget, and one that I must emphasise at this point in the message. Never forget that when God wants to effect a momentous change in an individual, it will most commonly be through the words of an obedient disciple that He works. Throughout the Word, this appears to be the common way in which the Lord works. To be certain, God can speak through a jackass, speaking with the voice of a man to arrest a renegade prophet such as Balaam. Or God can send His angel to reveal what He is doing. However, the normal way in which we witness God working is through His disciples. He will announce His salvation to those who are lost by the voice of a mortal, a redeemed individual who testifies about the grace of the Living God. He will encourage you when your heart is broken through the gentle words of a fellow Christian who grieves with you and seeks to honour God. When Saul is at last informed of what must be done, it will be because a servant of God was sent by the Spirit of Christ to tell him what to do.
We can say of Ananias that he was hesitant, perhaps even timid. However, God chose this hesitant, timid servant to deliver the message that Saul required. Ananias protested when the Lord first spoke to him. God didn’t argue, but simply demanded obedience, closing with this statement, “I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name” [ACTS 9:16]. I take note of the next verse, “So Ananias departed” [ACTS 9:17a]. God spoke, Ananias obeyed. And the will of the Lord was fulfilled to the blessing of the faithful for the remainder of history.
SERVING THE SAVIOUR — I have for years enjoyed listening to the songs of the Faith. I cannot help but sing such songs in times of sorrow and stress. One song that springs to my lips in times of great stress, in those periods when the opposition seems to grow exponentially, was recorded by a group known as “The Mighty Clouds of Joy.” That song goes thusly,
Teach me to sing at midnight songs of joy, and hope, and praise.
Though it be darkest at midnight, I know You’ll hear my song of faith.
The same song that I sing in the daytime, is the same song I want to sing at night.
Teach me to sing at midnight the same song I sang today.
Teach me to pray at midnight prayers of joy, and hope, and praise.
Though it be darkest at midnight, I know You’ll hear my prayer of faith.
The same song that I sing in the daytime, is the same song I want to sing at night.
Teach me to sing at midnight the same song I sang today. [3]
Well, there is nothing in Paul’s response to the trials he faced that would even suggest that he was a rookie by this point in his life and service to God. The account we are given reveals the mature man of God whom we recognise as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Let’s review the account as Doctor Luke recorded it.
“As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.’ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, ‘These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.’ The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks” [ACTS 16:16-24].
They set a demonised woman free, and it offended those who had enslaved the poor woman. And you thought cancel culture is was new phenomenon. Well, some wealthy men were enraged, and they were going to ensure that their loss of capital would not go unpunished. So Paul and Silas were haled into court. Seized! Beaten! Imprisoned! Restrained in stocks! How would you respond to such harsh, cruel treatment. I suspect that most of us would shortly be singing the blues, whether we enjoy the blues or not. However, that is not the response of Paul and Silas. In our text, we read, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” [ACTS 16:25].
The prisoners heard their song; and the Lord also heard their song! The Lord seemed to say, “That is enough! I’m going to set my servants free.” So He just sent an earthquake, shaking the foundations of the jail and opening the doors. The stocks were broken and the prisoners could stand freely. God acted, as only He is capable of acting.
“Run, Paul! Run, Silas! Now’s your chance!” But the missionaries didn’t run. After all, Paul is a servant of the Risen Christ, and he doesn’t run from the attacks of the wicked, he faces their attacks manfully. And how did that work out for him? Because the missionaries stood firm, the jailer and his entire household were converted to the Saviour. He now treated with kindness the very men he had beaten and incarcerated only hours before. Paul and Silas received an apology from the magistrates who also escorted them out of the jail. They had abused these servants of the Christ publicly, and now they could remove the opprobrium with which they had attempted to besmirch them. God vindicated His servants and the message they delivered. When you are attacked, do you want vengeance? Or do you want vindication? God vindicates His people, and if there is need for vengeance, He will take care of that. Isn’t that what we learn when we see the Apostle write, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” [ROMANS 12:19-21].
Maturity makes the difference in the life of the follower of Christ. We are growing constantly, but as we reach maturity in Christ, we make an impact far out of proportion to our stature in our world. This is the reason for the Apostle’s plea for Christians to grow up. Paul writes, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature” [1 CORINTHIANS 14:20].
The goal of our salvation and our service here is mature manhood, just as we are told when Paul writes, “[The Risen Saviour] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” [EPHESIANS 4:11-16].
And the spiritually mature take a new view of their service. Again, Paul writes, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” [COLOSSIANS 1:24-29].
To the people of God, I echo the words of the writer of the Hebrew Letter, pleading, “Let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” [HEBREWS 6:1-2]. Let us grow up in Christ; let us strive to be mature in Christ the Lord. Let us cease playing in the sandbox of spiritual immaturity to reach for the goal of presenting each follower of Christ as mature in the Risen Lord of Glory, Christ our Master. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] This story was memorialised in song over forty years ago. You may still hear the song as it was sung by Tom Green, “40 Brave Soldiers,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiWS55J3r3I, accessed 4 March 2023
[3] Margaret Pleasant Douroux, “Teach Me to Sing At Midnight”
