Suffering Persecution (a discussion)

When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” [Acts 21.14]

The context of this verse is the believers in Caesarea trying to persuade the apostle Paul to stay away from Jerusalem because of their confidence that trouble awaited Paul there. But they couldn't.

Why were they all so confident that trouble awaited Paul in Jerusalem?

First, Paul himself declared it:

“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. [Acts 20.22-23]

Then, the believers at the harbor of Tyre in Syria prophesied it:

We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. [Acts 21.4]

And then, a prophet from Judea came to Caesarea and prophesied to Paul:

Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’” [Acts 21.10-11]

Bottom line: The Holy Spirit is doing a whole lot of 'telling' about Paul's pending troubles.

Where did this talk of troubles for Paul all start? It started when Jesus Himself instructed Ananias concerning what he was to do with Paul:

But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” [Acts 9.15-16]

But apparently, Ananias did not keep what Jesus said to himself. It would appear he either had told Paul or the Holy Spirit had told Paul the same thing. Remember what Paul said in Miletus:

“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. [Acts 20.22-23]

But the following statement by Paul really explains it best:

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. [Acts 20.24]

If Jesus or the Holy Spirit told Paul he was going to suffer, and They told others the same thing, then it is highly likely it was the will of God for Paul to suffer persecution.

It is important to point out here that Paul indicated that his work assignment might look differently than other's work assignments. My only problem with this is that we are all called to the exact same thing Paul detailed: the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Two things are important to consider from all this. First, God reveals His will and confirms it among believers. Second, although it sounds like Paul indicated God's will for one person may not be His will for all, the work Paul described as being God's will for his life, is in fact, one and the same as God's will for us all - the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Then the big question looms. Does suffering go along with the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God?

It is not ironic that Paul told Timothy the following:

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. [2 Timothy 3.12]

Jesus said:

Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. [John 15.20]

None of us wants persecution. However, we have ample witnesses indicating it accompanies the life of a true believer.

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. [Matthew 5.10]

Father, I want to understand that persecution reveals Your glory in me and therefore prepare myself to glorify You!.