There is much content in the New Testament that clearly defines our identity as adopted sons and daughters of God the Father through Jesus – In this way, Royalty (eg. 1 John 3v1) …
… But, there is also much written to suggest there is also a mandate to be Soldiers of Christ. (eg. 2 Timothy 2v3)
How can we be both, one suggests, luxury, abundance and prosperity, the other suggests hardship, battle and struggle.
The life of Paul the apostle, who writes about both, may help give us some indication?
Paul must have been from an affluent, well recognised family because he was a Roman citizen. Paul was from Tarsus, Tarsus was part of the Roman Empire. It was an important trade, intellectual & craft centre of its region. Despite being part of the Roman Empire, natives of Tarsus did not automatically receive Roman citizenship. Roman citizenship was only given to families of social standing in Tarsus for 4 generations or more.
Some historians rank Tarsus as the number 1 intellectual centre in the world of its time, disputing the reputation of Alexandria . It is clear by the fact that Paul is well versed in classical Greek that he was highly educated.
Of course Paul was also of prominent Jewish lineage and schooling. He was a Pharisee and believed to have been part of the line of Benjamin.
So it would seem Paul knew what it was to have plenty.
If ever there is a case for life getting messed up after conversion Paul’s is it.
Paul’s was not a story of rags to riches, certainly not one of desperation to abundance in the physical sense.
(Of course he had persecuted the church but he had done so within the context of Jewish law and Roman law, laws which later often caught up with him, he was far from a common murderer).
After a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, life massively changed for Paul.
The highs and lows of his ministry that followed his conversion and his role in the establishment and growth of the early church have inspired & encouraged missionaries for thousands of years since…
But they do present somewhat of a problem in the context of popular, contemporary teaching on prosperity and abundance.
(To clarify, I am not anti-prosperity nor anti-abundance).
How do we reconcile prosperity, abundance, adoption into the Father’s Royal family etc with one of the heroes of the bible’s many experiences of imprisonment, hunger, shipwrecks, and beatings?
Acts 28 gives us a fascinating insight into this paradox.
“Paul Ashore on Malta
1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.”
To give a quick bit of background;
- Nearly 3 years before, after arriving in Jerusalem, Paul visited the temple to observe a traditional purification ceremony.
- Recognised Paul was accused of preaching against Jewish tradition.
- A riot followed and he was dragged out of the temple by a large mob who were trying to kill him.
- The local Roman Commander in charge of the city, on learning a riot was taking place took a troop of soldiers and arrested Paul.
- The Commander couldn’t figure out what Paul had done to upset the mob so he took him to the cities fortress.
- The Commander ordered his soldiers to whip Paul to force a confession out of him of what he had done.
- As he was being tied down Paul asked the officer in charge if it was legal to whip a man who is a Roman Citizen without a trial.
- After the officer reported this to the Commander he was spared the whipping.
- Instead to try and get to the bottom of it all the Commander sent Paul before the Jewish high council and things got pretty wild again so the soldiers took Paul back to the fortress.
- Next Paul was sent to Caesarea to stand trial before the regions governor Felix.
- Felix hoped for Paul to bribe him so he kept him imprisoned for 2 years until Festus took over as governor.
- After Festus took office the Jewish leaders, still desperate to kill Paul, made a case for having him executed.
- But unable to prove the accusations of the Jewish leaders Festus wanted to send Paul for trial before the Jewish High Council again.
- Paul argued that he should be tried as a Roman Citizen before a Roman court and eventually after much debate was sent to Rome for trial.
- On his way to Rome Paul’s ship was hit by a wild storm and wrecked off the coast of Malta.
Acts 28 starts at the point that Paul and fellow travellers and prisoners wash up on a beach on the Island of Malta.
From what I can tell for 3 years Paul knew hardship, imprisonment, trials and eventual shipwreck, all based on unsubstantiated accusations from the Jewish leaders. 3 years far from abundance, prosperity or favour.
Yet in the midst of all of all the hardship we find a beautiful moment where Jesus’ promises are fulfilled. Mark16 records Jesus to have said;
15 …“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.[e] 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
What happens in Acts 28?;
- Paul is bitten by a snake, which should kill him, but he is unharmed.
- After word spread Paul is welcomed by the islands chief official and his Dad is healed
- After word spread the rest of the sick on the island are brought to Paul and they to are healed.
- When they were ready to sail they were given all they needed for their voyage.
Almost a direct parallel!
Remarkably it seems at the very time Paul was most distant from abundance and prosperity is where God provided such and fulfilled what was promised by Jesus.
This raises several questions in my mind?
- Is prosperity, abundance and our adoption into God’s Royal family automatically connected to financial security, our comfort or personal safety? (please note I am not suggesting God makes bad things happen to us)
- Do we place higher value on the above than perhaps God might?
- Is God’s heart positioned towards the lost as much/more as it is towards the found.
- What could God do with someone who is prepared to give up their “rights” as royalty to endure as soldiers of Christ?
- Is there something incredibly powerful about being a son and daughter of the Most High but choosing to care more about the lost and the sick than our own personal comfort.
Afterall … Jesus the rightful Son of God gave up all the comfort of heaven to live, part of our world with “no place to lay his head” and experience one of the most brutal executions of recorded history for the lost and the sick.
I am challenge by the thought that whilst I am sure God loves to bless us with abundance and prosperity as his adopted children… He also loves to pursue the lost and sick!
From what I can understand, most often he asks for this to happen through us as His children … And that often requires a soldier like attitude and determination, to grit our teeth and push through whatever it takes, the highs and lows to bring life to the lost and sick of our worlds.