You Have Everything Needed to Share the Gospel

Discover how Paul used his Roman citizenship to continue spreading the gospel despite fierce opposition in Jerusalem. Learn that God equips you with everything needed to share your faith boldly.

[Scripture]

Acts 22:22-29 (ESV)

[22] Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” [23] And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, [24] the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. [25] But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” [26] When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” [27] So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” [28] The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” [29] So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. (Acts 22:22-29, ESV)

[Daily Word]

The Rage That Sought to Silence the Gospel and God’s Protection

When the Jews heard that God had sent Paul to the Gentiles to proclaim the gospel, they erupted in fury — shouting, tearing off their cloaks, and throwing dust into the air. They could not accept the truth that Jesus is the Righteous One and Lord, nor that God had chosen the Gentiles as well. Therefore, they sought to rid the world of Paul, who spoke such words they deemed blasphemous, and attempted to kill him.

In the midst of this situation, the commander stepped in to protect Paul and brought him into the barracks. When we share the gospel with people in this world, there are times when those who hear it repent and receive Jesus. Yet there are also times when the work of Satan is evident — people reject the gospel and instead persecute, threaten, and obstruct those who proclaim it. Even so, we must not let persecution and threats cause us to fear sharing the gospel. For God is our protector.

What is certain is this: the fact that God sent the evangelist to the Gentiles — as Paul himself declared — also implies that God’s protection is already presupposed in that calling.

Using Citizenship to Open the Door for the Gospel

Once inside the barracks, the commander ordered that Paul be examined by flogging in order to find out why the Jews were so violently opposed to him. At this, Paul said to the centurion, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” Roman law prohibited the flogging of a Roman citizen before any guilt had been established.

Notably, Paul’s reason for now declaring his citizenship is not to escape persecution. First, he did not want the door to evangelism to be shut — even if it meant revealing his citizenship before the Jews. Second, his reason for disclosing his citizenship to the Roman soldiers was to regain an opportunity, under Roman protection, to continue proclaiming the gospel.

The Conditions for Sharing the Gospel Are Already Sufficient

When the commander hears that Paul is a Roman citizen, he asks him to confirm it. The commander mentions that he himself had paid a large sum of money to obtain his citizenship, while Paul reveals that he was born a citizen. At this, those who had been about to interrogate him realize that what they were doing was unlawful and immediately step back.

The fact that Paul became an evangelist was entirely part of God’s plan. God had already prepared more than sufficient gifts and circumstances for Paul to serve as an evangelist and carry out his ministry. In the same way, when we set out to fulfill the Lord’s calling, we often look first at our own shortcomings and circumstances and become afraid before we even begin. Yet we must remember that the reason this work has been entrusted to us is that God already knows our weaknesses and has chosen to be with us.

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me”¹ — may we all take hold of this promise and live today, and every day, faithfully carrying out our calling with nothing but faith.

Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com