Advance Into Europe

by George Prasher, Manchester, England | Category: New Testament Churches Of God | Dec 1999

Paul and Silas were puzzled! They had travelled north-west from their base, the Church of God in Syrian Antioch, in order to revisit the churches in Galatia. Then they wished to carry the message still farther west into the general area of Western Turkey as we now know it; but the Holy Spirit had forbidden this. When they thought instead to travel north-eastwards towards Bithynia, 'the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not' (Acts 16:7). Reaching the port of Troas, one of the gateways from Asia Minor into Greece, they waited further for God's leading. Reminding us that at times God closes doors of service we feel inclined to enter, and as we wait on Him He directs to an opening of His wiser choice. In Troas the apostles were given a clear directive when 'a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us' (v.9). Concluding that the Lord was calling them to preach the gospel in that province, Paul, Silas, Luke and Timothy sailed from Troas and set foot on Grecian soil. This marked a new phase of apostolic outreach from Syrian Antioch into Europe.

Paul and his helpers first centred their efforts on Philippi, a Roman colony and the most important city in the District. Some few days after their arrival they met a group of women who gathered for prayer on the sabbath by the riverside outside the city. Amongst them was devout Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, of whom Luke writes: 'whose heart the Lord opened, to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul' (v.14). How delightfully this God-fearing woman welcomed the light of the gospel immediately it was brought to her! The Lord opened her heart to receive the Word. She and her household were baptized, reflecting her godly influence on those living under her roof, that they too were ready to accept the message and obey the Lord in baptism. More than this Lydia urged the apostles to make her home their headquarters as they pioneered the work of God in Philippi. 'If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord', she said, 'come into my house and abide there'. Apparently she was a woman of substance to be able to offer this accommodation. May we also each have grace to place ourselves and our resources at the Lord's disposal in a similar spirit. Much blessing flowed from Lydia's willing consecration to her new-found Saviour.

For the gospel made rapid progress in Philippi, a development not unnoticed by the Adversary. Always waiting to hinder God's work, Satan used a subtle plan to compromise the gospel of Christ in Philippi. He stirred up a young woman who had a spirit of divination to harass the apostles. Following them through the city streets she would cry out, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, which proclaim unto you the way of salvation' (v.17). No wonder Paul felt embarrassed and troubled about this. The woman was a well known fortune-teller in Philippi, earning handsome profits for her masters; and now 'the gospel of the glory of the blessed God' was being publicly associated with a demon-possessed woman. Darkness testifying on behalf of light! The embarrassment continued for many days, until Paul turned and said to the evil spirit, 'I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her' (v.18). The evil spirit departed, expelled by the power of the Name which is above every name. The woman could no longer tell fortunes so her masters' profits had gone. Enraged at their loss they dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates and accused them of setting forth customs which Romans should not receive and observe. Without giving the apostles an opportunity to defend themselves the magistrates ordered them to be beaten with rods, and they were cast into the inner prison and their feet made fast in the stocks. How shocked the disciples in the newly formed Church of God in Philippi would feel at this sudden crisis, so cleverly engineered by Satan!

However, God can make even the wrath of man to praise Him (Ps. 76:10). Satan had overreached himself. Dungeon, chains and stocks were to provide the dark setting against which God's grace shone out brilliantly through His servants. At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Imagine the effects of this joyful testimony in such painful circumstances! There followed a dramatic divine intervention: '... there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened; and every one's bands were loosed' (v.26). Fearing his prisoners had escaped, the jailor was about to commit suicide, but Paul reassured him. Then in distress of soul he cried out, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ...Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house', the apostles replied (v.31). A positive response from the jailor and his household brought astonishing results: at that early morning hour the apostles spoke to them the word of the Lord; the apostles' wounds were washed and tended by the jailor; having believed in God, the jailor and 'all his' were baptized immediately; the apostles were taken to the jailor's home and provided with a meal; the newly converted jailor and his household 'rejoiced greatly'.

Soon afterwards the apostles departed from Philippi, but they left behind a Church of God which became distinguished for its enthusiasm in the promotion of the gospel. Several years later, writing from another prison, Paul addressed 'the saints... which are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons' in these warmly appreciative terms: 'I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, ... for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he which began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ' (Phil. 1:1-6 RVM).

Paul's reference to 'saints, overseers and deacons' is instructive. The use of the word 'saint' in our New Testament is of course quite different from the usage since given by church tradition. According to the New Testament all born-again believers are saints; not through any self-attained merit, but because they are viewed by God as having been made holy in Christ. Time and again, when writing of disciples in churches of God, Paul referred to them as saints. Verse one of the Philippian epistle is a case in point. So there were saints, overseers and deacons in the Church in Philippi, distinctions confirmed by other New Testament scriptures. Overseers and deacons were also saints, but they were distinguished from others in the churches because the Holy Spirit had fitted them for spiritual leadership. A church of God is part of the kingdom of God and therefore has to express the rule of God, so godly leadership is vital. The overseers and deacons were named and known to the saints, who were responsible to obey the overseers as those having 'the rule over' them (see Hebrews 13:17).

The ancient city of Thessalonica was the second place in Macedonia where Paul and Silas worked for the establishment of a Church of God. This Church was born in conflict. Paul later wrote to them: '... we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure' (2 Thes. 1:4). There had been persecution and conflict from the beginning, when Paul and Silas first presented to a synagogue audience the claims of Jesus as the Christ. Some of the congregation were persuaded by Paul's message; also a great number of devout Greeks, and many of the chief women; but Jews who rejected the gospel stirred up hooligan elements in the city and caused a riot, dragging some of the disciples before the city rulers. 'These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also', they cried, alleging that Christians acted 'contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus' (Acts 17:6,7).

After this disturbance the brethren sent Paul and Barnabas away by night, so their personal stay in Thessalonica was brief. Yet much had been accomplished in that time. For disciples had been brought together to form a strong and effective Church, as confirmed by the apostle's later commendation:

For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth; so that we need not to speak anything (1 Thes. 1:8).

Little wonder Paul felt so warmly towards them: 'Ye were become very dear to us', he said (1 Thes. 2:8).

How telling also that the enemies of the gospel in Thessalonica could describe the apostles as men who had turned the world upside down! News of their activities and the impact of the gospel had travelled ahead of them. Changed lives were evidence of its power. The forces of darkness felt themselves challenged and on the defensive. Paul later wrote, '...our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; ...And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit' (1 Thes. 1:5,6). The gospel has not changed today. Despite all the sophisticated evil of modern times the gospel is still the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. Only let it still be spoken in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance!

The disciples in Thessalonica had been imitators of the apostles and of the Lord in joyfully enduring affliction (1 Thes. 1:6). They were also imitators of the churches of God in Judaea, receiving the apostolic message as the word of God (1 Thes. 2:13,14). Readers will recall the divinely given pattern of church constitution and fellowship in connection with the first Church of God in Jerusalem (Acts 2:41,42). That same pattern was the basis of all the churches of God in Judaea; and now in Gentile Thessalonica, far out from the original centre in Jerusalem, it could still be said that they were imitators of the churches of God in Judaea. There was identity of foundation principles throughout all New Testament churches of God.

In 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10 we find a meaningful summary of the experience of these converts from paganism:

...how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivereth us from the wrath to come'.

Turning, serving, waiting! This is how it should be with each of us. Turning in repentance from our former way of life; turning our back on the world, with its rejection of Christ, and its obsession with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life. Serving the living and true God, who has given all authority in heaven and on earth to His Son; having expressed our subjection to His will by baptism in water, we should gladly serve Him according to all that He has commanded. Waiting for His Son from heaven: to wait expectantly for our Lord's return should be the spiritual orientation of our whole Christian experience.

Paul's letters to the Church of God in Thessalonica are rich in instruction about the coming again of the Lord Jesus. The apostle had spoken much to them about this great hope when he was with them in trying days of persecution. At such times the hope of the Lord's return has special appeal.

And to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2 Thes. 1:7,8).

Whatever unjust suffering God's people may now endure, a day of compensation is certain. Suffering disciples learn to view God's purposes in Bible-wide perspective, and to balance out the trauma of present affliction with the assured prospect of eternal glory (cf. Rom.8:18).

At the close of this series on New Testament churches of God, remembering the earnest dedication to the Lord's will which marked so many disciples in those early days, let us take to heart Paul's stirring challenge from 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11:

But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up...

George Prasher, Manchester, England | Dec 1999
New Testament Churches Of God