Persuaded?!

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.  ² Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”  ⁴ And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. (Acts 17:1-5)

These verses present a challenge to me. Not that I am a hyper-calvinist, but there are times we do not know the ways of God. These verses are like that. To read of Paul persuading some of them sounds a lot like the Arminian call to believe. But is this what is really going on?

As a Calvinist, we believe in a call to repentance and a reasoned faith. That is to say, we believe our faith is rational, or better, logical. But such faith does not rise up from our mental faculties. Indeed – if it were up to us alone, and our reasoning abilities – we would never buy the argument. Yet here we are, Children of God by faith.

And that is the key. Whose faith is it? Or stated differently, from where did our faith arise? We read in Eph. 2:8-9 that faith itself is a gift of God so that we do not boast.

Consider this – if my adoption into the family of God, my membership into the body of Christ was up to me alone actually, then what are some conclusions about that which I might draw?

Ø  I could indeed boast. My superior reasoning faculties were the strength of my confession.

Ø  Further, it means that if those with superior reasoning, such as I have, only seriously consider the evidence – then they too would believe.

Ø  It follows that those whose mental faculties are not up to the challenge could have no hope whatsoever of salvation.

The truth of the matter is that there are men and women of great minds who, having examined the faith rejected it. Examples might be Aldous Huxley, Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Strauss, Bertrand Russell, Susan Jacoby, Richard Dawkins, and Stephen Hawking.

Yet apart from such examples the Scripture says, And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. (Verse 4)

We read in verses 2-3 that it was Paul’s reasoning & demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead. So how do I explain this (apart from the usual Deu 29:29 cop-out)?

In Isaiah 55 we read one of my favorite Old Testament passages. God reasoning with us,

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. ² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. ³ Incline your ear, and come to me... (Isa. 55:1-3 a)

It is God Himself who is a reasoning God. Even from the very introduction of Isaiah we read,

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. (Isa. 1:18)

So when we see Paul ‘reasoned with them on 3 Sabbaths from the Scriptures’, we can see he did so on good authority – and with power,

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isa. 55:11)

Paul’s reasoning with them was not a human task. The Arminian likes to use (at times) human efforts and tools to persuade – soft music and emotional appeal. But we persuade men by the Word of God and when they are persuaded, it is not their great reasoning power, nor the eloquence of the preacher (For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18)). Instead it is the efficacy of the Word of Life which has its way!

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. (2 Cor. 5:11)