The apostle Paul, as were the other apostles, skilled in their calling as Christians, not because of natural ability or even the work of the Holy Spirit alone. They had to apply themselves to avail themselves of the Lord’s investments in them. Paul used his developed skills in this city of Thessalonica so successfully that Satan mustered anti-missionaries to hunt for him but he was a moving target and headed elsewhere to preach Christ.
Israel’s Future Hope
This section begins with the prophet sharing a vision of Israel’s future kingdom under the rule of the Messiah, who we know is Jesus Christ. Then the prophet once again addressed the sin in the land, the idolatry, the immorality and arrogance. This brought the call for accountability and judgment, along with an order to separate from those separated from God by their apostasy, idolatry and arrogance.
What Hell Feared
Having been beaten with canes and locked in a jail, Paul and Silas, likely unable to sleep because of their wounds, began praying then singing to the Lord. Satan could not silence their joy. What Hell feared was that these two men would continue to make converts and cast out demons in Philippi. But beating and jailing them did not work, they continued to reach lost souls. This is what Hell feared, and the two men converted their jailor and his household, baptizing them and leaving the city with a healthy church in Philippi.
Twofaced Artificial Religion
Isaiah delivers an indictment against those in Judah who are carefree about outward devotion with inward disobedience. Full of satire and rebuke the message from God is delivered without leaving doubt as to the severity of their twofaced, artificial religion, which essentially rendered God to a status of a mascot. God asks the guilty, “What is the point of religion when the God of that religion is disrespected?” Then comes the offer to resolve this and finally a lamentation over what God’s people could have been but refused to be.
Christians vs. Culture
Arriving where the Holy Spirit had sent them through a vision to Paul, they find women who assembled by the riverside to pray and there Paul made converts. As Paul and his group traveled the city a demon possessed girl followed them crying aloud some truth about their message, but truth from the devil must not be endorsed. Paul cast out the demon and as a result was persecuted by the people of Philippi. Here the clash between the Christian way and the way of the culture intensifies.
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