THE CHALLENGES OF THE CHURCH (ACTS 20:3–28:31)
The church had experienced more than its share of difficulties and setbacks, but everything had gone according to God’s plan. The third stage of that plan, taking the gospel “even to the remotest part of the earth” (1:8), began in the missionary journeys recounted in the preceding section and continues in this portion of Acts —but with new obstacles and stresses creating unsought yet valuable opportunities for the Lord’s witnesses. In fact, challenges had already proven opportune for the church, and these would be no different. Not long after His resurrection, the Lord met with His followers —no fewer than 120 of them —and made a solemn promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (1:8). He not only promised power, but He also predicted victory. During His earthly ministry, Jesus told the Twelve, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18). Within days of His ascension, the believers received the first part of His promise: The Holy Spirit filled every believer, granting each individual the power to fulfill his or her role in God’s redemptive plan. Initial persecution did little to curb the church’s growth until the martyrdom of Stephen dealt the community of believers its first significant blow.
Rather than curtailing church expansion, this challenge became —under the Lord’s power —a catalyst for explosive growth. The believers scattered into the surrounding territories, carrying the gospel with them to Samaritans and Gentiles alike, just as Jesus had said: “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria” (Acts 1:8).
The challenge of persecution gave way to the challenge of prejudice. Paul had been called to proclaim the gospel among the Gentiles and was in God’s crucible, preparing for ministry, but he could not advance until the church had overcome its chauvinism. Then Peter became the Lord’s anti-prejudice project.
After a profound vision and the experience of seeing the Holy Spirit fill Gentile believers in a quintessentially “unclean” home, Peter and the Jerusalem church could not deny the brotherhood of Gentiles in the kingdom of God.
With this change of perspective, the ministry of Paul to Gentiles all over the Roman Empire could begin in earnest. The challenge of prejudice had affirmed grace (cf. 15:11) and propelled the church into a new era. Jesus had said, “You shall be My witnesses . . . even to the remotest part of the earth” (1:8), and that, too, came to pass.
As Paul’s third missionary journey concluded in Corinth, the plan of God had progressed remarkably quickly. Even so, the apostle found little reason to rest or even to slow down. Even though thriving churches dotted the eastern empire and inevitably would replicate themselves, little if anything had been done for the province of Gallia and the frontier of Hispania, the territories now known as France and Spain. Paul dreamed of carrying the gospel where few in the east dared to go. He would visit Jerusalem (20:22) to deliver a gift from the Gentile churches (Rom. 15:25-28; cf. Acts 24:17), maybe bid farewell in Antioch, and then sail for Rome, from where he would launch a fourth missionary journey. He had no way of knowing, of course, that the plan of God would ride on the wings of yet another challenge. Humanly speaking, it would appear that the rest of Paul’s life was spent in continual frustration of a dream. By now we know differently. God has His own agenda, He is always right, and obstacles become divine catapults to success.
Rather than proclaiming the gospel to people in synagogues and marketplaces far to the west, Paul’s divinely appointed itinerary would see him testify in places of power, before social and political leaders, beginning again from Jerusalem and proceeding to Rome, the very capital of the empire. As Paul and those around him faced swirling changes and unforeseen challenges, they would learn to adapt, accept God’s plan, and trust in Him more than ever. So also today’s believers must trust God amid challenges in the continuing story of the gospel’s unhindered growth.
KEY TERMS IN ACTS 20:3–28:31
diōkō (διώκω) [1377] “to persecute,” “to pursue,” “to hasten,” “to strive for”
This Greek term carries the idea of “forcing,” “pressing,” “impelling,” “pursuing,” or “zealously engaging,” usually for the sake of a particular cause. Unlike the English term “persecute,” its connotations are not always negative and do not necessarily imply a violation of human rights. For example, the Septuagint uses this word to render Hosea 6:3: “We will press on (diōkō, translating the Hebrew radap [H7291]) to know the Lord” (NETS). In Acts, most instances refer to the persecution of the church and therefore bear a negative connotation, but at key points that I will highlight, Luke makes use of the neutral nuances of the Greek term.
diamartyromai (διαμαρτύρομαι) [1263] “to solemnly testify,” “to bear witness,” “to urge”
Based on the verb martyreō [3140], “to bear witness” or “to testify,” this emphatic verb carries the idea of stating something firmly or with absolute assurance. Outside the Bible, this kind of testifying usually accompanied swearing an oath or calling down divine curses from the gods. This verb also describes the act of standing up in court to present the absolute truth, knowing that perjury would result in severe penalties.
eutheōs (εὐθέως) [2112] “immediately,” “at once,” “as soon as,” “then”
The adjective euthys (“straight” [2117]) came to be used as an adverb in both its adjectival form and later in the regular adverbial form eutheōs. Luke’s use of the latter form marks his Greek style as different from that of Mark, for example, who uses euthys. Furthermore, ancient authors used these adverbs to connect points and events in a variety of ways. While John uses eutheōs to denote a short lapse of time between events, Luke uses eutheōs to establish a sequence of certain events while declaring others unrelated or incidental to the story.
katēgoreō (κατηγορέω) [2723] “to accuse,” “to bring charges against,” “to denounce”
This term almost always appears in a legal context where one party brings another before a mutual authority for the purpose of obtaining justice through restitution, censure, or punishment. This term is used as a source of irony in Acts. Beginning with Paul’s arrest, enemies of the gospel continually bring charges against Paul that create a legal dilemma for the Romans, who cannot release the apostle yet cannot find a charge. Thus, Paul becomes a prisoner of divine truth.
keleuō (κελεύω) [2753] “to command,” “to issue a legal order”
The voice of official authority carried great weight in the Roman Empire. The ability to give a command and have the world respond was the definition of power and status. Other matters, such as truth, fairness, kindness, and intelligence would be of concern only to historians who would judge a person in posterity. In the present, none of those things mattered without power. In Acts, the issue of power becomes a source of irony. Beginning with Paul’s journeys, the commands and orders of secular rulers appear to control the apostle; however, Luke shows that the Lord remains in command throughout.