Winks From Scripture: God’s Subtle Work Among UsSample

God Winks in the Acts

Glory in suffering is an element of discipleship. In the way of Christ, suffering comes before glory. How puzzling. How perplexing. Yet, the story in Acts winks and tells us this is so.

As the story moves on from chapter 8, Luke employs a literary device to develop the idea of glory in suffering. He parallels the ministry of Paul to the ministry of Christ, subtly painting them with the same brush by bringing the similarities of their experiences into line.

We notice that both Jesus and Paul are on a journey, headed toward a particular destination where they will suffer for their witness. Jesus is headed to Jerusalem, where He will die. Paul is headed to Rome where he, too, will die.

In Acts 21:36, Paul is arrested by the Romans, and the crowd shouts, “Away with him!” This “away with” phrase is related to language Luke uses in his gospel when Jesus was on trial and the crowd condemned Him: “But they all cried together, ‘Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas’” (Luke 23:18).

Luke confirms that both Jesus and Paul are innocent sufferers. The whole of Acts 21–28 portrays the innocence of Paul as does Luke’s account.

These analogous details are not coincidences. Luke has intentionally written them in this manner. It’s a subtle wink to us. We realize that if our ministry will parallel Christ’s and the apostle Paul’s, there’s likely suffering ahead. We are challenged to follow Paul in the Way, just as he followed Christ.

The glory that Paul and the other disciples experience along the Way in Acts—union with God (Acts 7:59–60), healing (9:32–35), direction from the Holy Spirit (16:6–10), miraculous deliverances (16:25–27), and supernatural rescues (27:23–44)—occurs in their times of suffering and great sorrow.

In our culture, Christianity has become inundated with materialism and Western ways of measuring success. The story of Acts winks. It calls us back to the Way of Christ—to understand discipleship the way the apostles did, to be with God where we don’t want to go.

Glory in suffering and power in weakness are part of the mysterious way of the kingdom. Where is God? Just examine the story of Acts. Does it look like your story? If so, your life parallels Christ’s. And He’s not far off.