You might not immediately recognize the name King Philip II of Macedon, but his influence resonates through history. The city of Philippi, a location of significance in early Christianity, was named in his honor. Furthermore, he was the father of Alexander the Great. This historical context sets the stage for a powerful lesson found in the book of Acts.
During one of Paul and Silas’s missionary journeys, they found themselves in Philippi. There, they encountered a young slave girl possessed by a demon. Through the power of God, they cast out the demon, freeing her from its influence. However, this act angered her owners, who profited from her ability to tell fortunes. As a result, Paul and Silas were severely beaten and unjustly imprisoned.
Confined within the jail, Paul and Silas responded in an unexpected way: they prayed and sang hymns to God. While they were engaged in worship, a powerful earthquake struck, miraculously opening the prison doors. The jailer, fearing the consequences of the prisoners’ apparent escape, prepared to take his own life. But Paul cried out, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” This act of compassion and faith deeply moved the jailer, leading him to repentance and conversion to Christ.
This abbreviated account, found in Acts 16, provides context for Paul’s later letter to the Philippians. In it, he urged them to, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). He also declared, “So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (2:10,11).
While Christians in America may not face physical beatings in the same way as Paul and Silas, they are increasingly encountering legal and cultural challenges to their Christian values. A recent example illustrates this point: a high school band in Mississippi was prohibited from performing “How Great Thou Art” at a halftime show. This decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by a single student who claimed discrimination, a claim supported by a U.S. District Court Judge. The band was effectively “benched,” silenced from expressing their faith through music.
However, the audience at the football game responded with a powerful act of defiance. They began to sing “How Great Thou Art” in unison, their voices rising in a harmonious expression of faith. Whether Judge Carlton Reeves (an Obama appointee) or the plaintiff heard this spontaneous act of worship is unknown, but it serves as a testament to the enduring power of faith and the prophetic truth of Paul’s words.
As Paul declared, “… at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord …” This declaration resonates with the belief that truth will ultimately prevail. After all, approximately 25% of Scripture is predictive, and remarkably, not a single one of the more than 1800 prophecies that have reached their time for fulfillment has failed to come to pass. This level of accuracy is what mathematicians would consider an anomaly, a statistical improbability that points to a higher power.
-Jim
#christianvalues #legalconflict