Acts 22:22 (KJV)
And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
It is interesting what this mob was willing to hear before they insisted Paul should not live.
- They were fine with the rehearsal of his old life.
- They were fine with his account of meeting the Just One
- They were fine with his testimony of conversion
- They were fine with his personal baptism
- They were fine with his being a witness to all men
- They were fine with his grievance of being mistreated by Jews
But when he said God called him to preach to the Gentiles, they went ballistic. This is where Paul’s message interfered with their faith. They saw themselves as “elect of God” and better than the rest. Paul’s message insisted that they give that world view up and become one in a new man in Christ,[1] made of both Jews and Gentiles.
Most people will put up with almost any message so long as it does not offend their world view. As long as they see themselves as right before God,[2] pretty much they’re fine with anything else. But to challenge that standing before God is, in modern terms, hate speech and worthy the death penalty.[3]
It is just that message we are called to preach.
[1] A new body which is the local New Testament Church – Ephesians 2
[2] Even the atheist wants this. His answer is just that there is no God to which he must be right.
[3] Perhaps not judicially just yet.
To my readers:
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