Support The Ministry At All Cost - Acts 17-18

Acts 17:5-9 (ESV)

But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

We should look at the above passage through the lens of 3 John, which was written decades later:

3 John 1:5-8 (ESV)

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

It was the practice of the early church for those teaching and preaching the Gospel to travel about and to proclaim Christ crucified.   Even though John records and writes about this practice much later than the above passage taken from Acts 17, this is where John’s words finds its source.  Paul had visited Thessalonica with Timothy and Silas.   Someone by the name of Jason supported their ministry.  He took them into his house.  He provided for them.   Because the wicked and jealous men of the city formed a mob, he was forced to pay restitution to save his life and that of his family.  The cost of supporting traveling teachers was expensive, in more ways than money.   Jason could have lost his life.   This is the message of 3 John.   We are not to be passive in our support for the Gospel.  It should cost us.  The early church was not a comfortable environment.  Everyone who came to Christ took a risk.   Everyone who came to Christ was responsible to support the work for Christ.   The mob is going to come after those who support Christ.   Count on it.   But that cannot dissuade us from supporting the message of the Gospel.