The First Christian Missionaries

                                      

In the center of Main Street in Alabama, stands one of the strangest monuments in the world. It's a memorial to an insect! Nicely carved in stone is the image of a boll weevil. In the early days almost everyone in the community grew cotton. But as the years rolled on, a serious weevil infested the area. As a result, it became almost impossible for the crop to reach maturity. George Washington Carver and the scientists became deeply concerned about the situation.

Intensive studies began to see if any substitute crop could be grown in that part of the country. Raising peanuts was the answer. In time, cotton gins were forgotten in that region, and it became known as the peanut center of the world. Soon the farmers' profits far exceeded what they had earned from their best cotton yield. The destructive insect they had feared had actually triggered the research that brought prosperity.

In Acts 8 we find an account of the first Christian martyr. We read “and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God … he fell asleep (Acts 7:59). Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him (Acts 8:2). From a human perspective, the death of this fearless and godly man was "premature" and a horrible tragedy. But a Christian’s death is always timely.

Christians “come to the grave at a full age; as a sheaf of grain ripens in its season (Job 5:26). The text does not say, you shall come to the grave in “old age” but in a “full age.” Stephen may have died in the prime of his life but it was his full age. A good farmer does not harvest his corn pre-maturely nor does he leave it in the field past maturity to rot. God's perspective of life is not the same as ours. We see only in time, while he sees in eternity.

Stephen’s death was not a horrible tragedy. Psalm116:15 tell us that “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants”. Jesus stood up to welcome him home. Even though Jewish law prohibited open mourning for someone that had been executed, godly men mourned deeply for him. The first Christian martyr was not hauled away like “a bundle of tare” (Matt. 13:30). Devout men carefully carried him like “a sheaf of ripe grain of wheat”.

Stephen’s young ministry of power and eloquence was cut abruptly short. His ministry also seemed to end in failure; no one was immediately brought to faith. Jesus said, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). Much fruit resulted from Stephen’s death over the subsequent years. Be faithful where God has you planted. He will take care of the fruit which endures for eternity! 

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1). Persecution continued to increase in intensity. At first the focus was just on the apostles. Then Stephen, who was not an apostle, was killed. In chapter 8 every believer is at risk.

Chapter 8 is a key juncture in the book of Acts as it marks a change in direction for the Church. Jesus described his evangelism plan outline to his disciples in Acts 1:8, "you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." Stage one of the plan was the arrival of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the Church and the evangelization of Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-7:60) .

This was now accomplished (Acts 5:28), it was now time to move to stage two “Judea and Samaria”. Acts 8:1 uses exactly those two unreached areas in that order, "they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria." While Satan was doing his best to destroy the church and to sabotage the Lord’s evangelism plan, God was just checking off stage two in his outline.

Saul went from house to house; he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. This is a vivid picture of vicious persecution. Saul was zealous to exterminate the Church of Jesus Christ. He went as far as securing his victims’ death (Acts 9:1; 22:4; 26:10). Several others followed Stephen into martyrdom.” He was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities (Acts 26:9-11). Years later Paul sorrowfully remembered all this (Acts 22:20; 1 Cor.15:9; Gal.1:13, 23; Phil.3:6; 1 Tim.1:13).    

And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (Acts 8:1). The word translated here as "scattered" elsewhere describes sowing seed (Matt. 13:3-4). In the olden days a farmer would broadcast the seed from his bag as he walked about. In Acts 8:1 the word “scattered” is used figuratively to refer to the dispersion of the believers out of Jerusalem. The apostles remained at their post, determined to face whatever dangers threatened.

Their lives were at risk so they fled leaving their homes and livelihoods behind. In Hebrews10: 32 -34, we read of believers who “joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions”. Perhaps some of them were even in this Jerusalem persecution and later went to the congregation to whom the book of Hebrews is written.

Therefore, those who had been scattered went about sharing the word. As the believers scattered, the gospel seed went with them and was broadcasted as they moved on. The enemy meant evil but persecution accomplished God’s purpose. Notice that it is the laypersons who spread the gospel. The beauty and the power of their lives was also displayed as evidence of the transforming power of the gospel.

Saul was a zealous persecutor of the Church, but he was not just some horrible criminal. He believed that he was devotedly serving the God of his fathers. In Galatians 1:13-14 he wrote “intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

Saul was destroying a “cult” that was threatening his fathers’ religion. But, unknown to him his fathers had already lost the way to the true God. Some people say it does not matter what you believe as long as you believe. Some say that all religions are true and right; that they are different paths leading to the same destination; that is not so.  Saul was highly religious but he was absolutely wrong. Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 3:3; 10:9; 14:6).

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them (Acts 8:5).  Like Stephen, Phillip was one of the seven chosen to care for the widows in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:5). He was a Spirit-filled man. His willingness to preach to the Samaritans demonstrates an openness that had not characterized Jesus' disciples formerly. There had been a centuries-long hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans.

After the death of King Solomon, the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms. Ten tribes formed the northern kingdom (Israel); their capital was Samaria. The tribe of Judah and Benjamin formed the southern kingdom (Judah); their capital was Jerusalem. Assyria conquered Israel and took most of its people into captivity. They brought in Gentile colonists (2 kings 17:24) to resettle the land.

The foreigners brought with them their pagan idols, which the remaining Jews began to worship alongside the God of Israel (2 kings 17:29-41). Intermarriages also took place (Ezra 9:1-10, Neh. 13:23-28). The Jews in the south viewed Samaritans as an impure race who practiced half pagan religion. Jews had no dealings with Samaritans (John 4:9). When Jesus sent out the twelve, He gave them orders not to go into the cities of Samaria (Matt.10:5). But in Acts 1:8, he lifted that restriction.

When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said (Acts 8:6). Possibly Jesus’ fruitful ministry in a Samaritan village (John 4) laid the groundwork for Philip’s ministry.  Many Samaritan heard the Samaritan woman’s testimony and followed her to where Jesus was. Many became believers and said “now we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man is really a saviour of the world” (John 4:39-42).

When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said (Acts 8:6). Philip could also perform miracles like Jesus and the apostles. God authenticated his message through miraculous signs. The kingdom of God came not only with words but with power. So there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:8). It’s amazing that the presence of only one believer brought great joy to a city. His presence did not go unnoticed.

God desires to reach all people, even those whom we may not naturally like. We have to drop any prejudice and see every person as a candidate for the gospel. People you may not like need Christ and He is powerful to save them. All human beings need Christ; God’s redemption plan is all inclusive. Jesus died for all people. Standing before God’s throne on the last day will be people from every nation, tribe, people and language (Rev.7:9).

Philip was a Hellenistic Jew like Stephen. He would be welcomed by the Samaritans more than the disciples from the “pure race”, who despised them. It’s not a wonder that God used him as the pioneer evangelist to Samaria. The Samaritans formed a perfect bridge to the Gentile world because they were half-breeds. The gospel would go there first before finally getting to the Gentile world.

Phillip is the only man in the Bible called an evangelist (Acts 21:8). The original word translated as evangelize meant “soap sellers.” When soap was first invented, its power needed to be demonstrated to the people. Street soap sellers (evangelists) would look for dirty people and wash them in public to demonstrate the cleaning power of soap. Believers were talking about the inner cleansing power of gospel. They became known as “spiritual soap sellers” (evangelists).

Evangelists demonstrate the cleansing power of the gospel by the way they live and the evident transformation it brings to the lives of those it touches. Evangelism was done by lay men as they moved from place to place. Every Christians should naturally share the gospel with the people he interacts with in the normal day to day life. That is what God used to spread the gospel those early days and it is still the way he does it today.

Before Jesus left the earth he said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). Exactly how were these few men expected to make disciples of all nations? Jesus did not say “it’s up to you”. Instead he added a stunning promise to the commission. He said “and surely I am with you always , to the very end of the age” (Matt.28:20b). This is a blanket promise to every generation.

They may not be equal to the task but he is; all “authority in heaven and on earth is given to him.  We have a lot of fears about evangelism. You can avoid the embarrassing situations evangelism will subjects you to, if you decide never to talk about your faith at all. But if you do not evangelize you will never discover the true power and presence of Jesus.