Rejoicing in Suffering

Enemies of the gospel frequently try to suppress the spread of the gospel by persecuting the church. Such attempts at suppression by persecution go all the way back to the earliest days of the church. Opponents of the gospel even tried to stop it by killing the Head of the church, Jesus Christ. Our Lord’s resurrection demonstrated that the foes of the gospel cannot finally succeed in their efforts to destroy the church.

Those who persist in sin become unable to grasp the truth, so the continuing persecution of the Apostles only weeks after the resurrection makes sense in a certain perverse kind of way. The Sanhedrin, based in Jerusalem where reports of Jesus’ resurrection were first given, was perfectly situated to receive the truth of the gospel. Yet the council members hardened their hearts and could see in the Apostles and the early Christians only a threat to their power. So they arrested the Apostles but were persuaded by the Pharisee Gamaliel to release them, though they did flog the Apostles and again warned them not to continue preaching the gospel (Acts 5:17–40).

It is not surprising that the Apostles continued to preach despite this threat, as we see in today’s passage (vv. 41–42). They had continued to proclaim the gospel after being arrested and released once before (4:1–31). What might be less expected is not only that they continued to obey God rather than the evil dictates of man but that they did so with joy. The Apostles did not grumble or complain about their suffering, but they rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (5:41). Our natural inclination is to think that we are doing something wrong if we are suffering for the gospel or at least that it is shameful to be dishonored by the world for following Christ. This is the wrong perspective. Jesus Himself pronounces a blessing on those who suffer for His sake (Matt. 5:11–12).

Our suffering, while painful in itself, ultimately contributes to our good. “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” such that we will not be ashamed when we stand before God at the last day (Rom. 5:1–11). Faithfulness while suffering for the gospel conforms us to Christ. Matthew Henry comments, “Reproach for Christ is true preferment, as it makes us conformable to his pattern and serviceable to his interest.”