‘Has the gospel made us more inclusive, progressive and hopeful?’ by Owen Lynch, 10 November 2024

What effect has the gospel of Jesus had on the way we see the world? Owen Lynch looks at the way this gospel spread across Europe in the time of Jesus’ first followers. It met with opposition from ruling powers and traditional institutions, but was received and spread in an inclusive, progressive and hopeful way. What could make anyone think it should be about exclusivity, regression and fear? Why does the church look like that to many today? How does Jesus want to move us forwards with him?

Transcript

We are working our way through the book of Acts and we are seeing how this revolutionary movement called “the Way” grew rapidly across the Roman Empire, because it was inclusive rather than exclusive, progressive rather than regressive, hopeful rather than fearful.

Right from the off, I want to ask you a question.  Has the gospel of Jesus made you more inclusive or more exclusive, has it made you more progressive or more regressive, has it made you more hopeful or more fearful?

Think about this as we explore Acts 17 where we will see how the gospel of Jesus got planted in the heart of Europe, and has shaped European history to this day. (Acts 17:1-12)

1 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Notice how in Thessalonica and Berea Paul goes to the local synagogue.  Over three weeks in Thessalonica, Paul spends every sabbath day reasoning with the Greek Jews in the local synagogue.

Some of the Jews were persuaded by Paul’s arguments, some weren’t and those that weren’t resorted to violence to control him.   

This is not Jew on Jew violence because they disagreed on a point of theology.  This was again, violence amongst Jews incited by talk of a political revolution.  We get a clue to this in Acts 17:6-8,

6 But when they did not find them (Paul and Silas), they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.

The Jews who disagreed with Paul, clearly thought that Paul was arguing that Jesus was the new political alternative to Rome.

We need to remember at this point that Paul fervently hoped that Jesus was going to return as undisputed King and Emperor within his lifetime. Shortly after his visit to Thessalonica, Paul wrote them a letter and suggested that they should live as though Jesus will return within their lifetime.  Later in the letter he says: (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Paul was clearly convinced that Jesus would return and we know from Acts 1 and 3 that the expectation that Jesus would return as global Emperor was central to the revolution.

We don’t know if Paul expected the Roman Empire to be literally turned up side down by the return of Jesus as Lord and Emperor, but his language could have easily been misconstrued as political insurrection.

And clearly, many people dissatisfied with the Roman Empire rallied to Paul’s side, including not just Jews, but also “a large number of God fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women too!”

Perhaps these Jews who incited a mob against Paul were fearful that Paul’s revolutionary movement would ignite a crackdown by the Roman authorities on Jews living all over the Roman Empire?

I find Luke’s description of the events here really interesting.  He points out that clearly not all Jews were so concerned by that fear.

11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Luke prefers the Jews of Berea to those in Thessalonica, because they are more receptive to the gospel of Jesus.

Maybe the Jews in Thessalonica were afraid of upsetting the establishment?  Paul’s message sounded like a political revolution, perhaps these Jews didn’t want their foundations or doctrines shaken by the return of a Messiah?  Maybe, they were fearful of the consequences. Their violent response suggests that fear and anxiety about change is driving them.

In contrast maybe the Jews in Berea were not driven by fear and anxiety?  Maybe they were driven by something else, perhaps love and hope?

Fear and anxiety often limits our ability to dream and look to the future, whereas love and hope enables us to dream and imagine the future with expectation and joy.

Fear and anxiety causes us to cling to anything that looks secure, even if it isn’t, whereas love and hope enables us to move forwards despite the risks.

Paul brought a new message that was progressive and inclusive.  Progressive because it challenged some of the doctrines created by Rabbis and Pharisees.  Inclusive because it included every human being in the story of Yahweh.

Some of the Thessalonians Jews would have considered Paul to be a heretic, whereas some of the Berean Jews would have seen that Paul’s message was simply a fulfilment of Hebrew prophecy.

I wonder how we might have responded to Paul’s theological message - with a progressive, inclusive and hopeful attitude, or a regressive, exclusive and fearful attitude?

Paul then heads off to Athens about 300 miles south of Berea. (Acts 17:16-23)

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

So Paul turns up in Athens and goes to the Synagogue, the city’s Financial Centre and the Parliament.

His actions are totally in keeping with his status as a leading Pharisee and statesman, which is easy to forget!  He’s like an Ambassador for the King and Kingdom of Israel (in his view - Jesus!)

But notice his distress at what he finds:

he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

Jews were indoctrinated to avoid idols at all cost, read Jeremiah and Ezekiel to get more perspective on this.  Paul’s distress at seeing so many idols is born of his deeply rooted identity as a Jewish Pharisee.

Similar to Peter’s trance in Acts 10, this is Paul overcoming his prejudice and indoctrination as a Jew to embrace the Gentile, to embrace a people whose lifestyle and preferences would have previously offended him and his religious culture.

It was simply Jesus and the Holy Spirit who enabled Peter and Paul to deal with their own deeply rooted dislike of people who they had demonised.

It was simply Jesus and the Holy Spirit who enabled Peter and Paul to overcome their fear of other Jews who would brand them as heretics for embracing people whose culture and lifestyle offended them.

Given Peter and Paul’s example:

I wonder why some evangelical Christians have not overcome their deeply rooted dislike and fear of people whose sexual and gender identities fall outside of the heterosexual and cisgender norms?

I wonder why some evangelical Christians have not overcome their deeply rooted dislike and fear of people who identify as Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Catholic, Mormon, Jehovahs Witnesses, Atheists, Agnostics, Witches, Shamans - I could go on!

What’s the deal?  Do we think that the gospel of Jesus would have spread across the Roman Empire, Europe and the World if it was exclusive rather than inclusive, regressive rather than progressive, fearful rather than hopeful?

Friends, at some point in our lives many of us have received the gospel of Jesus and been welcomed into a church, because we look the part.

Our culture, lifestyle and attitude probably hasn't offended the person who invited or welcomed us - we are probably cisgender, heterosexual, sympathetic to christian values, willing to conform our behaviour and accept what we are told without much question.  If we are those things, then we will have been made to feel really welcome and we may have been surprised by the warmth and friendliness of the church.

Sadly, if you aren’t like that, then you might have been made to not feel altogether welcome in many evangelical churches.  I’d like to think you have felt welcome here at Severn, but I suspect that there may be some who have presumed they aren’t welcome in this church.

My question for us is this.  Since we have been part of a church (this church or any church), has the gospel of Jesus made us more inclusive or more exclusive, has it made us more progressive or more regressive, has it made us more hopeful or more fearful?

I think that the book of Acts, the New Testament, Christianity in Europe or the rest of the world would not exist if Peter and Paul and all those that came after them had not been inclusive, progressive and full of hope.

So why would we be any different in our day and age?

Let’s take a moment to ask ourselves these questions:

Since we first heard the gospel of Jesus and been involved in a church, in terms of our values and beliefs, have we become:

• More progressive, or more regressive?

• More inclusive, or more exclusive?

• More hopeful, or more fearful?

What has the culture of the gospel and the church done to you and me?

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