THE LIVING CHURCH Meditations in the Acts of the Apostles Acts 21

THE LIVING CHURCH
Meditations in the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 28:7-10

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ONE of the truths which the Bible testifies to is that God’s blessing and protection over his believing people will extend to the wider society in which the Christian lives. The country of England, and in indeed the whole United Kingdom, has been blessed down its history, because of the number of believing people which have lived in Britain. This was specially marked after the revival in the eighteenth century, when the many social reforms which came out of that revival, have brought blessing and greatness to Britain ever since.

This truth is illustrated here in these few verses before us, and indeed in the wider history of this part of Acts. All the two hundred or so survivors of the shipwreck benefited and were blessed through Paul. Because Paul was viewed by the Islanders with great reverence, on account of the power and protection of God seen in his life when he was not bitten by the snake, not only was Paul treated well, but also the other survivors of the wreck. This chief official of the Island, Publius, gave the survivors hospitality on account of Paul.

Then we find that God blessed the Islanders themselves because of Paul. The healing power given to Paul by God, was used to heal the father of Publius, and this healing blessing was then extended to a great number of the sick in the Island. God cares for and protects his people, and this often means that others benefit through this blessing, at least in a temporal way.

Paul does more miracles of healing here than we have recorded of him anywhere else in his ministry. The whole occasion records very much like the healings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels. What we learn from this is that God sometimes does work in an extraordinary and miraculous way, but this does not create a precedence. God acts as he pleases according to his sovereign will, and according to his divine wisdom. We are right to pray for God to work in such ways, but we have no right to assume such miracles as either the norm, or to be had on demand.

Notice how this blessing of healing commenced with prayer. In verse 8 we read that Paul placed his hands on the sick father of Publius after prayer. We have the same recorded of Elisha in the Old Testament, before the miraculous bringing back to life of the dead son of the Shunamite woman. This fact of prayer must be noted and understood. This prayer before the healing, points to Christ as the source of the power to heal, and the author of the healing. Paul had no power to heal in himself. Nor was Paul given power to heal which he could exercise at his own will. Paul was the servant of Christ. As Christ’s servant, Jesus used Paul on this occasion and on others to dispense his healing grace. The power was Christ’s and it was Christ who gave the blessing. All the glory was his.

Here is truth about the spiritual life which must never be forgotten. The ministers of the Gospel have no power of their own. We are simply servant of Jesus. Paul constantly affirmed this in his letters, where he called himself the servant of Jesus Christ. The Greek word used by Paul was that he was the ‘slave’ of Jesus Christ.

The minister simply takes from Jesus and ministers the blessing to those to whom Christ sends him or her. This is true in every part of ministry. It is true in the ministry of physical or mental healing. It is also is just as much true in the spiritual ministry of preaching and pastoral care. Such blessing that is received, the conversions that are seen, the teaching that is received, and so on, are achieved by Christ and his power, and Christ alone. The minister has not brought these blessings. Christ has brought them through the minister. The minister is just the one privileged to be the instrument through which the blessing is given.

In the same way, all the skills we have in the service of Christ are God given. We must never imagine that we have done anything for God in our own strength. Without Christ we are, and can do, nothing. We must acknowledge this always, and give all the glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. However this truth also brings confidence and strength to those who minister in Christ’s name. We are Christ’s servants on his business. As long as we are seeking his will and walking in that will, we may expect to see fruit for our ministry through the power of Christ working through us.

All ministry, likes Paul ministry in these verses, must always point to Christ and exalt him. We must never allow people to venerate the minister. Ministry is going wrong as soon as people begin to look at the minister, rather than Christ.