Faith Under Fire

MEMORY SELECTION: “The word of God grew and multiplied.” —Acts 12:24

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Acts 12:1-11

OUR selected scripture brings to our attention a very important aspect of our relationship to the Heavenly Father while we are endeavoring to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. In Acts 12:1-3 we read: “Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.” Then, in the succeeding verses we read that Peter was delivered from prison in a miraculous manner through the power of God.

There is nothing in the text or in other accounts to indicate why the Lord permitted Herod to slay James and why Peter was delivered. The point that is illustrated for us is that we have consecrated our lives to the Heavenly Father. We have agreed that our lives belong to him and that we must have absolute trust and confidence in his judgment. We must take unto ourselves the promise, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28) And the mental response to every circumstance of life must reflect the same sentiment as that expressed by the Hebrew children: “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”—Dan. 3:17,18

Our memory selection states that “the word of God grew and multiplied.” And in the 13th chapter of Acts the account of the ministry changes to that of Paul and Barnabas. In the 2nd and 3rd verses we read: “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul [Paul] for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

It was the practice of these faithful ministers of God to go directly to the synagogues of the Jews and there to preach the Gospel to them, as it had been necessary for a special time feature of God’s plan to be fulfilled. The prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 stated that Israel was to receive favor for seventy weeks. The Lord had not yet indicated to all the disciples that this special time had been completed. And many Jews were attracted and converted.

When Paul and Barnabas came to Antioch, they went to the synagogue, as was their custom, and they were invited to give a word of exhortation to the people. Paul recounted to them a brief history of their people and how down through their history they had been looking for the Messiah and how finally, when he came, they did not accept him but crucified him.—vss. 14-28

Then, in verses 29-37, the apostle proves to the Jews that Jesus was that long-promised Deliverer, because God had raised him from the dead. This was a fulfillment of the prophecies stated in Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3, and Psalm 16:10. This being so, then it followed that Jesus was the One who could rescue them from the curse of the Law, because it was through him that forgiveness of sins could be attained. In verse 44 we read, “And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” But when the Jews—principally the scribes and Pharisees—saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and they confronted Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

Then, in verse 46 the account states: “Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you [the Jews]: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” Apparently by that time God had clearly indicated to Paul in some way that the time of favor to the Jews had been fulfilled and that it was now time for him to turn his ministry to the Gentiles.

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