Upside Down or Rightside Up? Acts 17:1-15

Wanted: A man full of the Spirit, giftedness acknowledged by his peers, prepared to go anywhere, for no compensation. Must be ready to suffer and possibly die in the course of his work, with nowhere to call home, except heaven.

Philippians 4:15-16 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.

1 Thessalonians 2:9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

2 Thessalonians 3:7-10 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

1 Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

Acts 1:21-22 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.

Acts 2:32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

Acts 3:15 …and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

Acts 5:32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed. --Stott

Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

1 Thessalonians 1:7-10 …so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God…

1 Thessalonians 1: and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

The clamour often raised against the Gospel is no argument against the Gospel itself. God’s messengers have in all ages been opposed by the ungodly. Even our Lord himself, who spake as never man spake, was credited by very few; but there will always be found some who will give the truth a favorable reception. Different hearers are differently affected with the word they hear in these days. This however only shews that human nature is the same now that it was in St. Paul’s time. --Simeon

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

They said the Apostles turned the world upside down. They meant by that, that they were disturbers of the peace. But they said a great true thing; for Christ's gospel does turn the world upside down. It was the wrong way upwards before, and now that the gospel is preached, and when it shall prevail, it will just set the world right by turning it upside down. --Spurgeon