Thank you again for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

As Jesus walked this earth there were many who wanted to destroy him for fear of loosing their place and their nation (John 11:47-53). Soon, their plot to kill Him was helped by one of His twelve who betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver and then was crucified and raised again.

That brings us to the search of "Who was to suffer for Jesus' sake?", as we find Stephen being stoned for telling the council that they not only killed the prophets but also the Son of God (Acts 7) and as they had heard all they could take they rushed upon him and took him out of the city and began stoning him as "the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul." (Acts 7:54-60). After the death of Stephen, there was a great persecution that came upon the church at Jerusalem and Saul went from house to house dragging off men and women with the Way and had them put into prison. The church was then scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. But those that were scattered continued to preaching the word (Acts 8:1-5). Saul then goes to the high Priest and obtains a letter to the men of the synagogues at Damascus so that if he found any "belonging to the Way", he could bring them bound to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-3). On the road to Damascus, Jesus appears before Saul in a vision and tells Saul to go to Damascus and there it would be told what he must do (Acts 9:5-6). Then a man named Ananias was told by Jesus "Get up and go to the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus for a man named Saul, for he is praying, and He has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight." (Acts 9:1-12). But Ananias' response,

Acts 9:13-15 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard much about this man, how

much harm he did to Your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority form the chief

priests to bind all that call upon Your name. But the Lord said to Him "Go, for he is a

chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons

of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."

Saul then responds to the question posed by Ananias, "Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling upon His name." (Acts 22:16). The real journey for Saul then begins as he defends preaching the gospel truth, even though there were some who were preaching another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4) who are false apostles disguised as workers for the Lord as they did boast in their Hebrew heritage, just as Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

2 Corinthians 11:22-30 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are

they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? -I speak as if

insane-I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without

number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a

night and a day I spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers of the

rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles,

dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false

brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights , in hunger

and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things,

there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without

my being weak? Who is led to sin without my intense concern? If I have to boast of what

pertains to my weakness.

Yes, the answer is Saul, who is later called Paul, that is the answer to our question. Paul did suffer for Jesus' name, as we can see, in about every circumstance in his life. Paul could have been someone great as a Hebrew, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, a zealous persecutor of the church, and s strict follower of the Old Testament Law, but these things he counted as rubbish for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:1-9). Even though Paul knew he would shortly be martyred for Christ he says, "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,

Which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but to all that have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

May we too fight the good fight of faith like Paul as we count the things of this earth as rubbish in comparison for the gain of our Lord for that eternal home.