THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD

The People Of The Way

“And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities," Acts 26'11.

 

THE WAY, MEN AND WOMEN

Following the Holy Spirit's arrival on the Day of Pentecost the impact of Christ's good news of the Kingdom of God on the Jews was considerable.

Their opposition built up to the point that anyone who believed the good news of Christ were unacceptable. These unacceptable ones were "... any who were of the Way. Opposition became persecution. And the depth of it was such that the ultimate punishment was inflicted upon a well-known Believer named Stephen. Among the persecutors/murderers was a Pharisee named Saul.

"Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the Lord's People who were at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
As for Saul, he made havoc of the Lord's People, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word," Acts 8'1-4.

These men and women were expressing the good news of the Kingdom of God. They preached that Jesus is the Way to God. But, what's more, they gave glory to God through Him. They were calling Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Anointed One - the Messiah! And that was unacceptable!

At this stage in his life, Saul had only that one thing in mind. He wanted every one of the Way dead. But why did these people upset him to such an extent? It was because he was utterly given over to Judaism, his religion. To him his religious standing was everything. At a later time he said this of himself:

"... circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee ... concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless," Philippians 3'5-6.

But worse still for Saul, these people of The Way believed the same Hebrew scriptures that he knew well. Consequently, he became one of those who were persecuting them (Acts 7'58; 8'1,3; 9'1).

Little did he know that Jesus had a different plan for him and when he was on one of his assignments to persecute them the Lord intervened and Saul ...

"... fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?'," Acts 9'4-6.

Needless to say, he was shocked, especially when Jesus revealed that He knew about the "goads" that Saul was being seriously troubled with. Perhaps they were all the Messianic scriptures of the Old Testament that he knew very well which were troubling him. He was realising that they fitted the man, Jesus, who he had witnessed being stoned to death.

He was agonisingly coming to realise that Jesus was all that He claimed to be and the people of the Way were His people.

He immediately repented and became an ardent follower of Jesus, and one the People of The Way - the same ones he had been chasing down so wickedly. 

Later, Saul, now Paul said: "... what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ (Philippians 3'7).

THE WAY WAS ON THE WAY

As the two-fold Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God spread men and women of various nations heard it. They believed it. They repented and received Christ. Everything was about The Way:

* Saul (later to be called Paul) "went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem," Acts 9'1-2.

* "This man (Apollos) had been instructed in the way of the Lord ... though he knew only the immersion of John ...

When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately," Acts 18'25-26.

* "But when some (Jews in Ephesus) were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he (Paul) departed from them," Acts 19'9.

* "And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way," Acts 19'23. (This took place in Ephesus.)

* "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women," Acts 22'4. (Paul speaking to a crowd of  "brethren and fathers" in Jerusalem.)

* "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers," Acts 24'14. (Paul before the Governor in Caesarea.)

* "But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings," Acts 24'22. (Paul before the Governor in Caesarea.)

* "And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed," 2 Peter 2'2.

At the start the Jewish leaders noticed that the first Believers were expressing the ways of the One called The Way:

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marvelled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus," Acts 4'13.

As the Good News of Christ and the Kingdom spread out from Jerusalem, the People of The Way grew as the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. 

And their Christ-Kingdom lifestyle showed in:

the way they lived,

the way they treated one another,

the way they treated outsiders,

the way they treated strangers,

the way they spoke - and more.

All these things testified to what Peter described sometime later:

"... His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,

through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,

that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature,

having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust," 2 Peter 1'3-4.

IS THE WAY A CULTURE?

The ideas like "Kingdom Culture" and "The Culture of the Kingdom" appear from time to time. The idea seems un-Biblical. But, having said that, a culture is a lifestyle.

But People of the Way express the Kingdom of God. But could the Kingdom of God, or The Way, be compared to a culture?

However, The Way differs from being a culture in that it arises out of thanksgiving to God, not carrying out the symbolic ideas of a group. Believers thank our Father for sending His Son because through Him He has given us a unique way of life.

And we serve Christ and do acts of righteousness in service to Him as he served His Father.

Perhaps, though, The Way could be likened to a culture inasmuch as new Believers grow up in Christ like new members of a culture would, as they:

- observe the lifestyle and behaviour of godly men and women (Philippians 3'17);

- learn and experience the elementary foundational principles of Christ (Hebrews 6'1-3).

- hear, read and absorb the scriptures, particularly the Kingdom scriptures of Acts 2'1 to Revelation 3'22;

Of course, no earthly culture compares with the earthly expression of God's heavenly Kingdom.

GOD'S INTENTION

Ever since The Fall, God has had an intention. Throughout the ages He has pointed towards the time when New Creation Saints will do what Adam and Eve failed to do. They would manifest God's very good creation by obeying, not disobeying, Him.

They obeyed Satan instead of glorifying God by doing His will.

However, by His life, death and resurrection Jesus achieved what they surrendered, relationship with God. 

Following the Lord's ascension God sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, confirming that Jesus had been glorified (John 7'39). Then Believers were filled with Holy Spirit showing that all who believe could also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus had said ...

“... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1'8) ...

::

"... to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God

might be made known by Christ's Called-Out People

to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,

according to the eternal purpose

which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord"

(Ephesians 3'10-12).

::

Jesus, The Way, had led the way. He stood up and faced Satan. He demonstrated God's manifold wisdom: ... the light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1'5). So the principalities and powers could not comprehend it.

He is the great earthly example for His People of The Way (1 Peter 2'21).

Α-Ω