Saturday 20 May 2023
- Bible Book:
- Acts
After a severe beating, they were thrown into jail, and the jailer was ordered to lock them up tight. (v. 23)
Background
Being a Christian can be difficult. Paul and Silas were imprisoned because of their faith. They were in Philippi and being bothered by a woman who was possessed and who was being used by others to make money through fortune-telling. Paul drove the spirit out of the woman. Her masters were upset at losing income and so they had Paul and Silas arrested and imprisoned.
Paul and Silas were arrested because others had had their livelihoods damaged and they wanted revenge. Their preaching was used as a pretext for the arrest, it was not the reason for it.
Paul had set a possessed woman free. He did it because she was bothering them, but it was still clearly a good thing. Yet there were consequences that led to their arrest. If there had been no exorcism, it seems likely that Paul and Silas would have been left alone; their views and teaching just another strand of life in a cosmopolitan city.
Paul and Silas encountered conflict because of the practice of their faith. The conflict came from those who lost business through Paul's actions. It is a reminder that religion and faith are about the whole of life and not just a small part of it; religious values and beliefs shape all we do and sometimes being holy – different – provokes a harsh response.
To Ponder:
- When politicians say the Church must keep out of politics what is your response?
- In what ways can we take action that shows our faith?
- In what ways have we become more concerned about being ‘safe’ rather than proclaiming the truth?