____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ February 9, 1992 ____________________________________________________ Paul's Persevering Patience by Tom Edwards God's timetable is not always the same as man's; and man, therefore, must learn to be patient. As the Bible declares, ``One day to the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.'' This is not to say that God spent 6,000 years during the ``six days'' of creation, but it does express that time doesn't have the same bearing on God as it does on us. Concerning the six days of creation as spoken of in Genesis 1, Ken Ham makes the following remark: ``The Hebrew word for `day' in Gen. 1, `yom,' is defined as an ordinary solar day the first time it is used (v. 5). Furthermore, when used with a modifying number (as it is 358 times in the Old Testament), it always means an ordinary day. Why would Genesis 1 be the exception...? `Yom' is used with the defining phrase `evening and morning' 38 times in the Old Testament outside Genesis 1. Each time, it means an ordinary day.'' Because we live in this realm of time with its days, months, and years, we have need of learning to be patient. The Bible not only shows us of examples about this, but it also instructs us to make this virtue part of our lives. According to Galatians 5:22,23, patience is a fruit of the Spirit which is to be blended with love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Today, let us consider the example of the apostle Paul that we may better learn patience through him. Acts 23:11 states, ``But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, `Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.'' Paul was in Jerusalem when he heard this revelation. It had been one of his great desires to take the gospel to Rome (Rom. 1:7-11), but God's timetable for this probably turned out to be much different than that which Paul had first expected. There would be some other ``stops'' that Paul would have to make on the way and that which might appear as ``inconvenient'' and ``undesirable.'' Is it not in these unpleasant times of inconvenience that one's patience can be greatly tested? Paul had just completed his third missionary journey, and his testimony in Jerusalem had caused quite a stir. Some of the Jews had bound themselves under an oath that they would ``neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul'' (Acts 23:13). They had asked the chief priest and elders to notify the commander to have Paul brought to them in order that these Jews could then ambush him on the way. Remember, though, that God had promised Paul that he would speak for Him in Rome. What had prevented this murderous plot? The Scripture shows that the son of Paul's sister had overheard this plan to ambush his uncle, and he warned him of the danger. Paul, in turn, had his nephew take this message to the commander, Claudius Lysias, who made further arrangements for the apostle's safety. Was this just a mere coincidence or was it another case of the great providence of God? On learning of this plot, Claudius then gave orders for 200 soldiers to escort Paul to Caesarea, with 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen. Located on the Mediterranean coast between Joppa and Dora, Caesarea was a Roman capital of Judea; and, according to Halley, the ``most important Roman city in Palestine.'' Having been brought to this destination, Paul would now have to patiently trust God's promise to bring him to Rome--and this he would have to do for two years before finally being given permission to sail for Italy. During this imprisonment, the apostle was under the rulership of two consecutive officials: Felix and Festus. And to these, as well as others, Paul continued to preach the word of the Lord. Acts 24:25 states, ``Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, `Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.''' Later, while under the rule of Felix's successor (Festus), Paul not only preached to him, but also to King Agrippa (Acts 25:25-27). It was this king who had said to the apostle, ``almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian'' (Acts 26:28); and in verse 31, the statement is made that ``This man (Paul, TTE) is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment.'' A point I want to emphasize is that Paul learned to be patience and make the most of his circumstances, even when unfairly treated. Rather than complaining and perhaps being perplexed as to the fulfillment of God's promise to him of his preaching in Rome, the apostle ``seized the moment'' by sharing the gospel during his incarceration and waited patiently for God to fulfill His word in His own good time. Finally, the two years had elapsed, and because of Paul's appeal to Caesar, he was now sent on a ship toward the city of Rome. But again there is another ``setback'': The ship was caught in a tempest, and Paul would once more be detained--this time on a small island off the coast of Italy called Malta (Melita, KJV). Do you think the apostle might have become restless and wondered whether he would ever make it to that capital city? The Bible doesn't say if he had any doubts about this, but it does show that the Lord reassured him with a comforting message (Acts 27:22-26). The message had come prior to the shipwreck, and it told Paul that there would be no loss of life--only the ship would be destroyed. The proclaimer was an angel of the Lord who also declared unto Paul that he would stand before Caesar to make his appeal. Yes, Paul's shipwreck led to another detainment, but it did not lead to any complaints uttered by this faithful follower of Jesus Christ. For three months, Paul had remained on this island; but again, he took advantage of the situation and used it to bring glory to God. While on this island of Malta, Paul had preached to Publius (the leading man of the island) and healed him of his infirmity. After so doing, all the sick of the island were brought to him, and these he also healed. Because of his faith, love, and patience, Paul was able to turn what some people would view as a misfortune or an inconvenience into an opportunity to serve his Lord. Apparently, it was Paul's great faith that helped him to be patient and to realize that the Lord would keep His word. Perhaps Paul did not arrive in Rome as soon as he had first expected, but the delay meant simply more time to serve God in other areas; and this he did without grievance. Paul had been successful because he learned to give himself totally to the work of the Lord in whatever the situation rather than concentrating all his efforts on fulfilling merely his own whims and pursuits. Undoubtedly, his faith and patience helped him considerably in doing this. After having arrived in Rome, Paul again was incarcerated--though with more freedom this time. The book of Acts closes by saying, ``And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered'' (28:30,31). Paul was granted certain liberties during his imprisonment in Rome: He was able to stay in a place of his own, have guests, and share the gospel with all who would come to him. It was during this time that Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians (the ``epistle of joy''), Colossians, and Philemon. He also spent much time preaching and teaching, as the above passage shows. Because of his faith in God and love for Him, Paul did not have to wait for the ``ideal situation'' before doing the Lord's will. Rather, he was prompted by his faith and love to make the best of any circumstance and use it wisely as a loyal servant of Jesus Christ. This Paul did ``in season and out of season''--when times seemed good, and when times seemed not so good. And without question, it was Paul's faith in and love for the Lord that contributed toward his patient endurance, even while under the most pressing circumstances. If you are a faithful child of God then the Lord has promised you an eternal home in heaven. Just as it was for the apostle Paul, however, our course might also be lined with many a ``pothole,'' a ``bump'' or other obstacle; but let us remember the words of Jesus in Luke 21:19, ``In your patience ye shall win your souls.'' The patience we need to ``wait'' on the Lord is one that is coupled with a life of obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a patience that just doesn't passively sit back, but one that helps us to be actively involved. Bible ``patience'' often denotes ``fortitude,'' ``endurance,'' or a ``patient holding up under evils and injuries.'' It is this patience that God can help develop which can enable the disciple to keep pressing on to the goal even when the road becomes bumpy, steep, and hard to climb. We need to each strive to have this type of patience, as also seen in the apostle Paul. How often, however, do we seem to lack this needed virtue when just being an hour detained or having to wait an extra day for something? Remember Paul's patience: Though he met many obstacles, he always found a way in which he could be of service to his Lord and, therefore, with faith, love, and patience, he turned his obstacles into profitable opportunities for carrying out God's will and introducing others to the kingdom of God's dear Son. May we also be found doing the same. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________