Resilient Evangelism

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commanded His Apostles to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation. They embraced this mission and worked tirelessly to fulfill it. However, it came at a great cost. Peter, John, and others were frequently threatened. They were imprisoned, and they even faced the loss of their lives (Acts 4:3, 17, 18; Acts 5:17, 18, 28, 40; Acts 12:1-2).

These threats and acts of persecution did not stop the Apostles or discourage those who followed in their path. In Acts 4:29-31, after Peter and John were released and reported being threatened for preaching about Jesus’ resurrection, everyone joined together in prayer, asking God for boldness to keep speaking His word. In Acts 5:29, when Peter and the other Apostles were ordered not to teach in the name of Jesus, they shamelessly declare their intent to obey God rather than man. Despite being beaten in Acts 5:40 and ordered not to speak in Jesus’ name, they leave the council rejoicing in Acts 5:41, feeling honored to suffer shame for His name. In Acts 8, after Stephen is stoned for defending the Gospel and severe persecution breaks out against the church, Saul of Tarsus drags Christians from their homes and imprisons them, causing the church to scatter and preach the word everywhere (Acts 8:1-8). The work of spreading the Gospel has always faced opposition, how do our challenges compare to those faced by the early church? How does our effort and resilience measure up today? Perhaps, we have much to learn from our spiritual ancestors.