reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine"
2 Timothy 4 : 2
The Old Testament narratives are to the Law what the book of Acts is to the epistles of Paul. That is, in the law of moses we find brief commandments telling us how to live, but in the narratives of the Old Testament we see that Law applied to myriad real-life situations. Likewise, in the epistles we find short, sometimes pithy statements from the apostle Paul, but in the book of acts we see how he lived out those principles.
Paul challenged his young disciple, Timothy, to preach the word "in season and out of season throughout Acts, and particularly in chapter 17, we see what this looks like in the context of daily ministry.
Take a second look at Acts 17 and list all of the people who came into contact with Paul. Then note the wide variety of reactions to his message.
Sometimes the Wird was hated. The Jews in Thessalonica opposed Paul in the stiffest of terms. Their opposition resulted in mob violence in the marketplace and the ransacking of the home where Paul was thought to be staying. This group even pursued Paul to the next town, Berea, when they heard he was ppreaching there. While wpaul's ministry in Thessalonica bore some fruit, I think Paul would have classified his time there as being largely "out season,"
In Berea, the next town iver, the Word was received. What made the difference?
Did Paul make the Word more palatable to his. Hearers? Luke clearly tells us that the difference was to be found in the people themselves; they were more "fair-minded" (Acts17:11) and searched the Scriptures, so that "many of them believed" ( verse 12 ). This ministry was "in season."
In athens, the word came to the indifferent. Paul reasoned in the synagogue, as usual, but also in the marketplace with "those who happened to be there" (Acts 17:17). Next he was invited to the Areopagus to introduce pagans to an unknown God. Quite apart from his methodical reasoning in the synagogues, one grts the feeling that Paul was free lancing at this point, that is, he had no idea what to expect from the Athenians. Did Paul preach because he was impressed with si many Athenians "seekers." No, he preached because that is what he was commissioned to do.
In all circumstances good, bad or indifferent Paul preached the Word. In this pragmatic age when ministry is judgedcrassly by how many people flock to hear the Word, we would do well to listen to the apostle's admonition to Timothy. Yes there are many ways to communicate the Gospel. But instead of pulling out our calculators to see who is receiving our message and who is notp, we should be truly tenacious about only one thing being true to our commission to proclaim the Word in Season and out.
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