Aim: To remain faithful to Jesus as His church—especially when persecution calls.
Doctrine: Bungled persecution reminds the church that our God is sovereign. Even in one of the most immoral cities in the world, God's promise of protection was a good as gold.
Exegesis: The nature of bungled persecution: as usual, united Christ-haters lie about faithful gospel preachers (vv. 12-13); as is unusual, sometimes God's servants do not have to say a thing (vv. 14-15); as is to be expected, someone suffers at the mob's hands (vv. 16-17).
Further application: What the true church should glean from the doctrine of bungled persecution: that though we must suffer for Jesus in this world, the sources of our discomfort are always funneled through our loving heavenly Father's hands.
Key verses: vv. 14-15 ''But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, 'If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.' ''
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Rev. Mark Henninger is a retired, ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa (B.A.) and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.Div). He is married to his wife, Lesley, and together they have one daughter and...
