Reasonably Opposing Idolatry

August 29

(Acts 17:17 NIV) “So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.”

(Acts 17:1-4 NIV) ““When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. {2} As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, {3} explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said. 4Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God–fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.””

(Isaiah 1:18-21 NIV) ““Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. {19} If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; {20} but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. {21} See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her -- but now murderers!””

When Paul saw the rampant idolatry in Athens, he didn’t just wring his hands, or complain to his Bible study group about how the world was going to hell in a hand basket. Armed with truth, he initiated a battle with them on two fronts. He reasoned with them in the synagogue (for us, that is the church), and he reasoned with them in the marketplace (for us, that is where we work and shop). He didn’t rant, rave, and shout about people burning in hell. He wasn’t hostile or condemning. Scripture says he reasoned with them. He told them of a God who could be known… a God who created all things… a God who could not be captured in an idol made of gold, stone, or wood. He spoke about judgment, repentance, and a man who rose from the dead. He had their attention. Paul shows us that we can reasonably oppose idolatry and that when we do, the hearts of some will be changed. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Idolatry Run Amok

August 28

(Acts 17:16 NIV) “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.”

(1 John 5:21 NIV) “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”

(Exodus 20:2-5 NIV) “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. {3} You shall have no other gods before me. {4} You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. {5} You shall not bow down to them or worship them…”

Paul went to Athens, a very cosmopolitan and sophisticated city, full of highly educated and intelligent people. But Paul saw something that disturbed his spirit. This modern metropolis was filled with idols. The many shrines and altars there betrayed a polytheistic culture. These people were very religious. They had a shrine for every god except the true God. Paul was highly educated and certainly knew of Athens before he was saved. But now he came with new eyes… eyes opened by the Holy Spirit, and what he saw was idolatry run amok. And if our eyes are open, we can see the same thing today. We live in a polytheistic culture where individual choice reigns supreme. Our idols may not look the same as those in Athens, but they are numerous and powerful, and we bow down to them and worship them in various ways. Ask God to give you eyes to see the idols in your life. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

History Repeats Itself

August 27

(Acts 17:12 NIV) “Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. {13} When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. {14} The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. {15} The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.”

(Acts 13:49-50 NIV) “The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. {50} But the Jews incited the God–fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.”

(Acts 14:1-2 NIV) “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. {2} But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.” 

(1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NIV) “You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. {2} We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. {3} For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. {4} On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.”

Wherever Paul preached, some believed and gave their lives to Christ. But there were always those who criticized and threatened. Paul faced opposition in every town, in every conceivable form – and often it became physical. You could always count on pushback. It was inevitable, as history repeated itself over and over again. But Paul would not quit. He was like a pit bull for the gospel. He would not let go. He would not stop talking about Jesus. He would not quit, because he had been called and because everywhere he went, someone got saved. That made it worth the risk and the pain. Is that your philosophy of ministry as a Christian? Will you push through the pushback for the sake of a soul saved? Like Paul, this is our calling. Accept the inevitable opposition and keep speaking the truth in love. Souls are at stake. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Daily Bible Study

August 26

(Acts 17:11 NIV) “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

(1 Cor. 2:12, 14 NIV) "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. {14} The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

(James 1:22 NIV) "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Daily Bible study is a vital tool for the disciple of Jesus. Here are some hints on how to become more like the Bereans. First, find a translation you understand. There are many, and most of them are good. Second, find a reading plan and stick to it. God is a God of order. It makes sense to use an orderly plan for reading the Bible. Third, ask the Holy Spirit to speak through the Scriptures. We need God’s help to understand. Ask God to open your ears and your heart so you can hear what He is saying. Fourth, as you read, ask two questions: what does it say, and what does it say to me? In other words, what did it mean then, and what does it mean to me today? Fifth, be faithful in personal application and obedience. Once we know what God is saying to us, we need to do what the Lord says. Without this last step, the Bible is just words on paper. God wrote it to be far more than that. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day