Strange Methods

When persecution fell hard upon the early church as it was coming together in those days after Pentecost, believers were scattered into the regions of Judea and Samaria.  Those in authority intended for the persecution to bring an end to the Jesus movement, but God had another plan.  He used the scattering to make missionaries and evangelists out of those fleeing in fear for their live.  It had never been His intention for the gospel to find a comfortable home in Jerusalem.  It was meant for all the world.

 

If this sounds like an unusual strategy, how much stranger was the choice of Saul of Tarsus to be the chief advocate of the gospel.  When Stephen was stoned, Saul held the coats of those who threw the stones.  The Word says, "And Saul approved of their killing him."  (Acts 8:1)  And then the next Word about Paul tells us, "But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house...dragging them to prison."  (Acts 8:3)  And later when he went to Damascus, he went, "still breathing threats and murder against the disciples..." (Acts 9:1)  Saul of Tarsus certainly does not sound like the one in whose hands God would choose to place the bulk of the missionary and evangelism work of the church, but He did.

God not only used the persecution to spread the gospel, but He also used a product and ringleader of the persecution as well.  God is not predictable.  He is not bound by what seems logical.  He does what works for His purposes even though it involves strange choices and unusual circumstances.  In the Old Testament there is such a Word proclaimed by Isaiah, "Thus says the Lord to His anointed to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him..." (Isaiah 45:1)  Cyrus was not the first unlikely one God chose to do His work and Saul of Tarsus was not the last since He has also chosen the likes of you and me.