handling opposition

Good morning all,
This morning’s reading shows Paul continuing his ministry in Ephesus and elsewhere in Asia. When Acts talks about Asia they are referring to the Roman province of that name, which took up a good portion of the western coast of modern day Turkey. Paul’s model continues to be to start out with the synagogue and then to move on from their if he faced opposition or saw a better opportunity. In this case much of his preaching was in a secular lecture hall. Paul’s thinking is sound: if people don’t want to hear the good news they aren’t going to listen and our energies are better spent elsewhere.

We’re told that God worked powerfully through Paul and that’s clear from the stories. Not only did he perform many miracles and have power over spirits, he was also very effective in spreading the good news of God’s love. Many people who had been pagan and some who had been sorcerers came to faith in Christ. Truly God can do amazing things with us if we commit ourselves to his work.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 19:8-20
8He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. 11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.
13Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15But the evil spirit said to them in reply, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” 16Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. 17When this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, everyone was awestruck; and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.
18Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices. 19A number of those who practiced magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins. 20So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.