Boldness

“we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition”  1 Thessalonians 2:2

Boldness – Star Trek and Freedom of Speech.  They are tied together.

We make a big deal out of the “right” to free speech.  It is central to our political system, although there are certainly times when its exercise grates on us.  But freedom of speech was not the usual state of affairs in world history.  In fact, many people died for speaking what they believed.

Paul uses a form of the Greek root parresia.  This comes from two important Greek ideas – pas (all) and rhesis (speaking).  Paul is saying that they didn’t hold anything back in delivering the message.  They exercised freedom of speech about God.  We get the idea of “boldness” because there is an emotional overtone here.  They spoke without restraint.  They were completely frank. 

Do you suppose that Paul was just such a great orator that he could sway the audience with his linguistic expertise?  Do you think he was a great preacher because he took the First Century version of  “How to Win Friends and Influence People”?  I don’t think so.  Paul says that his ability to speak freely and without constraint was the direct result of his trust in God.  Paul paid dearly for his boldness.  But it didn’t stop him.  He carried the message of the King of the universe.  Nothing deterred his effort to proclaim it.

When we stand before Jesus, do you think he will ask, “Did you proclaim my message of reconciliation without restraint to the dying world?  Were you free when you spoke about me?”  It is a tough question.  It shouldn’t be.  We have the answer to life.  We have the secret of the ages, the story that angels longed to hear.  But we aren’t very free in telling it, are we?  We worry, “Well, I don’t want them to think I’m some sort of fanatic” or “It’s embarrassing to make such a big deal out of this.  I’ll just show Jesus by how I live”.  So they march to destruction while we forget that freedom of speech has a purpose.

Take a hint from Star Trek.  “To boldly go where no man has gone before”.  Become the Captain of your own Enterprise.  Tell someone your story.  The most powerful witness to the truth about God is what happened to you.  That’s what the good news is.  “I met this man named Jesus and something happened to me.  Let me tell you about it.”

Here’s the 24-hour question:  Who should know what happened to you?