So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen – that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.

ACTS 26:19–23

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I’ve long wanted to visit Malta because it’s the scene of one my favourite Bible stories: the shipwreck in Acts. I finally made it there last June, and it was striking how much Paul means to Malta – they even have a bank holiday in his honour!

It’s a history that goes back to his arrest, with his claims about the resurrection of Jesus and its impact on Gentiles as well as Jews, stirring up hostility among Jews. Their attempts to silence him, even kill him, drew the attention of the Roman authorities. He was arrested and questioned three times, the last of which was before King Agrippa, who had oversight of the region.

Opposition to the gospel still exists today, with 365 million Christians worldwide facing high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. This includes in Iran, where Christian activities are deemed a threat to the staunchly Islamic regime. Taher* is one of the many believers who’s been arrested. And during interrogations, his family was threatened unless he named other believers. Astonishingly, Taher refused to write down a single name. He was later released, but he and his family had to flee Iran.

Paul and Taher’s stories are a reminder that the gospel will not be met with universal approval. Jesus said as much (John 15:18–25). As God’s people living in the UK, we’re highly unlikely to lose our lives for the gospel – but we might lose our livelihoods, reputations, or social kudos.

We have the freedom of thought, belief, and opinion, meaning any opposition is small compared to what believers like Taher experience. But his courage can inspire us as we navigate our own challenges, whether in the workplace or elsewhere. And that’s one of Open Doors’ key aims: to share stories from our persecuted family to help deepen the faith of the church here in the UK and Ireland. For Taher, beholding the face of Jesus gave him the strength to count the cost. ‘I would give even more and it would still be worth it,’ he says.

So, as we stand up for what is right in our workplace, decline a request to do something which goes against our God-given conscience, or speak about our faith with a colleague, it might be costly but let’s allow Paul and Taher’s testimonies to enlarge our own vision of Jesus and drive a deeper commitment to be all he wants us to be in our everyday lives – even if it comes at a relatively small cost.

*Name changed for security reasons

Tim Bechervaise
Tim Bechervaise is a copywriter for Open Doors UK & Ireland, and a freelance writer.

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