The Cost of Following Christ Recorded in the Book of Acts
By: Junior Tate What the Early Church Endured for the Name of Jesus The book of Acts records the birth, growth, persecution, endurance, and expansion of the early Church. It begins with the risen Jesus Christ commissioning His disciples to be witnesses and ends with the apostle Paul preaching the kingdom of God while under Roman custody. Between those two points, Acts records an unmistakable truth; following Jesus Christ could be costly. The early Christians did not follow Christ because discipleship promised them an easy life. They followed Him because they believed He had risen from the dead and that He alone was Lord and Saviour. Their faith brought them into conflict with religious authorities, political rulers, violent mobs, false accusers, prison systems, and a culture that often rejected the Gospel they preached. Some were threatened. Some were beaten. Some lost freedom. Some were driven from their homes. Some were imprisoned. Some were falsely accused. Some were stoned. Some were killed. Yet persecution did not silence the Gospel. The book of Acts is not primarily a book about suffering. It is a book about the continuing work of Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost and His witnesses. However, suffering repeatedly appears because the Gospel entered a world that did not always welcome its message. The cost of following Christ in Acts therefore cannot be separated from the mission Christ gave His followers. Christ Called His Disciples to Be Witnesses Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He told His disciples that they would receive power from the Holy Ghost and become His witnesses. Acts 1:6-8 (KJV)“When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The mission was enormous. They were to begin in Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus had been rejected and crucified. From there the Gospel would move into Judaea, Samaria, and eventually toward the uttermost part of the earth. Jesus did not promise that everyone would welcome them. He promised power to witness. The word “witness” is important throughout Acts. These men testified to what they knew concerning Jesus Christ, especially His resurrection. Their message was not merely a philosophy or moral system. They declared that Jesus had died, risen from the dead, and was Lord. That testimony immediately began to create opposition. The Gospel Was Preached Boldly in Jerusalem After the Holy Ghost came at Pentecost, Peter preached publicly concerning Jesus Christ. Acts 2:22-24 (KJV)“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” Peter openly declared that Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead. This was courageous because the same city had recently witnessed the crucifixion of Christ. The apostles were not preaching in a distant place where no one knew what had happened. They were speaking openly in Jerusalem. Thousands believed the Gospel, but opposition soon appeared. Peter and John Are Arrested for Preaching Jesus Acts chapter 3 records the healing of a lame man at the temple. Peter used the miracle as an opportunity to preach Christ. The religious authorities responded by arresting Peter and John. Acts 4:1-4 (KJV)“And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.” The apostles were imprisoned because they preached Jesus and the resurrection. Notice the contrast. The preachers were arrested, but the Gospel continued working. They were put in custody, but many believed. Opposition could restrain the messengers temporarily, but it could not imprison the Word of God. Following Christ had already begun to cost the apostles their freedom. Peter Refuses to Stop Speaking of Christ The rulers questioned Peter and John and commanded them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Acts 4:18-20 (KJV)“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” This passage establishes an important principle. The apostles respected authority, but when earthly authority commanded them to disobey God, their loyalty to God came first. They did not organize violence. They did not threaten the rulers. They simply refused to stop speaking about Jesus. Their words were direct: “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” For Peter and John, silence would have required disobedience to Christ. That is one of the costs of discipleship. There may be moments when faithfulness to Christ brings conflict with those who want the Christian message silenced. The apostles chose faithfulness. The Early Church Prayed for Boldness, Not an Easy Life After Peter and John were released, the believers gathered and prayed. Their prayer is revealing. They did not primarily … Read more
