Read: Acts 17:1-15
1
Now when
they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came
to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
2
And Paul, as
his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days
reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3
Opening and
alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen
again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto
you, is Christ.
4
And some of
them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the
devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not
a few. 5
But the Jews
which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain
lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and
set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of
Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6
And when
they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren
unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned
the world upside down are come hither also;
7
Whom Jason
hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of
Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
8
And they
troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they
heard these things.
9
And when
they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let
them go. 10
And
the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night
unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of
the Jews. 11
These
were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched
the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12
Therefore
many of them believed; also of honorable women which were
Greeks, and of men, not a few.
13
But when the
Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was
preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and
stirred up the people.
14
And then
immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to
the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
15
And they
that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a
commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with
all speed, they departed.
What do we do
when we find ourselves assailed by honest doubt? Well, first we
must recognize that doubts can be valuable if they motivate us
to search deep and long for the answers.
Perhaps it was
this thought that led Samuel Coleridge to say, "Never be
afraid of doubt ... if you have the disposition to believe."
Unfortunately,
there is very little sympathy given to those who doubt in most
evangelical churches. Doubters are about as welcome in some
congregations as a ham sandwich in a synagogue!
It was because
of the lack of concern shown in many churches toward those with
honest doubts that two American missionaries, Francis and Edith
Schaeffer, set up their ministry in a remote Swiss village. They
established a center for those with doubts about their faith and
called it L'Abri, which is French for "The Shelter."
Hundreds made
their way there over the years, and came back with their doubts
resolved. Have you ever heard of Frank Morrison? He was an
agnostic who, many years ago, set out to demonstrate the
validity of his doubts about the resurrection of Christ.
The more he looked into the facts, however, the more convinced
he became that Christ actually did rise from the dead. He
finished up writing a book entitled Who Moved the Stone?,
which is one of the greatest evidences for the resurrection I
have ever read.
There are clear
answers to all the doubts you may have concerning the Christian
faith. Search for these answers, and the more you struggle, the
stronger will be your faith.
PRAYER:
Father, help me today to understand that all things can
contribute to my faith, including my doubts. When I realize
this, then I will go far. Thank You, Father. Amen.
FURTHER
STUDY:
21:21-22; Luke 12:29; Heb. 11:6; James 1:6-8
- What did Jesus teach about
doubt?
- What causes doubt, and how
should it be dealt with?
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