discipling the powerful

1. Lesson 9

2. KEY TEXT
“The word of God
continued to spread; the
number of the disciples
increased greatly in
Jerusalem, and a great
many of the priests
became obedient to the
faith”
Acts 6:7

3.  How should a Christian relate to the
authorities?
 How did Jesus preach to the powerful?
 How did the powerful respond to Jesus’
preaching?
 Powerful people who accepted the
Gospel.
 Powerful people who rejected the
Gospel.
 How did the Church preach to the powerful?
We’ll study Jesus and the apostles’ example on
how to relate to powerful people.
“Powerful people” stands for people who have
political, civil or religious authority over other
people.
Kings, members of the Sanhedrin, praetors and
consuls were powerful people in Jesus time.
Kings, presidents, senators, representatives and
judges may be powerful people in our time.

4. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no
authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by
God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God,
and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves…
Render therefore to all their due: taxes to
whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs,
fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:1-2, 7)
Every Christian must respect and obey the
government and those who represent it, unless
they order something against God’s
commandments.
God rises up people to positions of authority.
Those people will have to report how they
used that authority to God.
“Our work is not to make a raid on the
Government but to prepare a people to stand
in the great day of the Lord… Let Seventh-day
Adventists do nothing that will mark them as
lawless and disobedient.” (EGW, Evangelism, cp. 7, pg. 173)

5. Jesus always sought to be
redemptive. He was seeking the
salvation of all people, even of
those powerful and influential
people who would eventually
condemn Him to death.
Jesus tried to persuade the
Pharisees, the Sadducees (a priestly
sect) and the Herodians when
talking to them:
 He led them to study the Scriptures
(Mr. 2:24-26)
 He reminded them the importance
of compassion (Mt. 12:7)
 He called them to awake their
conscience, decency and kindness
(Mt. 12:11-12)
 He performed miracles before them
(Mr. 3:1-6)

6. “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the
Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for
they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43)
Some of the Jewish rulers accepted Jesus; for
example, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.
Even a Roman centurion also declared that he
believed in Jesus (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)
1. He sent some Jewish elders to Jesus, so He
would heal his servant.
2. He sent some friends when Jesus set off for
his home, to tell Him he was not worthy of
hosting Him.
3. He finally came before Jesus, and Jesus was
amazed at his faith.
This story should encourage us to evangelize among people in powerful
positions. How many twenty-first century centurions are there?
May their faith inspire and strengthen ours.

7. CAIAPHAS: “For a moment the divinity of Christ flashed through His
guise of humanity. The high priest quailed before the penetrating eyes
of the Saviour. That look seemed to read his hidden thoughts, and burn
into his heart. Never in afterlife did he forget that searching glance of
the persecuted Son of God” (DA, cp. 75, pg. 707)
PILATE: “Pilate had a desire to know the truth. His mind was confused.
He eagerly grasped the words of the Saviour, and his heart was stirred
with a great longing to know what it really was, and how he could
obtain it. “What is truth?” he inquired. But he did not wait for an
answer” (DA, cp. 77, pg. 727)
HEROD: “Christ might have spoken words to Herod that would have
pierced the ears of the hardened king. He might have stricken him with
fear and trembling by laying before him the full iniquity of his life, and
the horror of his approaching doom. But Christ’s silence was the
severest rebuke that He could have given. Herod had rejected the truth
spoken to him by the greatest of the prophets, and no other message
was he to receive” (DA, cp. 77, pg. 730)
It may seem that Jesus’ work among the powerful was not fruitful.
Nevertheless, many priests and Pharisees accepted the message and
converted to Christianism later (Acts 6:7)

8. The church spread the Gospel even among
Caesar’s household (Philippians 4:22)
Some of the powerful almost believed. For
example, governor Felix (Acts 24:24-25) and
king Agrippa (Acts 26:28)
Others openly accepted the Gospel. For
example, proconsul Sergius Paulus
(Acts 13:12)
The Christians testified before the powerful
whenever possible. Sometimes they did so
while being accused in court (Acts 4:9-12;
23:6), or while performing miracles (Acts
28:8-9), or while being helped by angels
(Acts 8:26-39; Acts 10)
“But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge
you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings
for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles” (Matthew 10:17-18)

9. “You know not to what
position you may be called in
the future. God may use you
as He used Daniel, to take the
knowledge of the truth to
the mighty of the earth. It
rests with you to say
whether you will have skill
and knowledge to do this
work. God can give you skill
in all your learning. He can
help you to adapt yourself to
the line of study you take up.
Make it your first interest to
gather up right, noble,
uplifting principles. God
desires you to witness for
Him”
E.G.W. (Counsels to Parents, Teachers,
and Students, cp. 81, pg. 554)

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