Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Acts 5:41,42 ESV

Worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. This statement stood out as I am currently studying the Acts of the Apostles. Those words seemed to hang in the air after reading it out loud. I paused for a moment and re-read it. I underlined it and highlighted it. Another translation said “worthy to suffer shame” (KJV). Others said that they were treated shamefully. What a way to treat men of God, men who had done many signs and wonders while preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Let’s picture this for a moment. These apostles were not treated as anything special before the council. The high priest and those with him rose up in anger and jealousy at the apostles for what God was doing through them in signs and wonders and the multitudes coming to Christ. Prior to their burst of rejoicing in such dishonor and shame for the sake of Christ, they had been imprisoned for these things. These apostles were men who walked with Jesus Christ and were chosen by Him to be His apostles. They witnessed His death, burial and resurrection, and their preaching and testimony carried authority. Jesus promised them persecution and trials for His sake. They were promised dishonor. While imprisoned, they boldly preached the gospel to the council for which they were imprisoned, calling forth repentance and forgiveness of sins. They were beaten with rods and told not to speak in the name of Jesus. Rejoicing and the obedience to not cease in teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ followed this act of dishonor (Acts 5:42). Apostles of Christ had been shamed and dishonored for His sake, and yet they counted it as a valuable treasure, fueling their zeal for the gospel and His glory.

Many want to return to the Acts church today for different reasons as the model for conduct and occurrences. Areas are highlighted while others are ignored. Signs and wonders passages are given credence without proper Biblical understanding. We do not hear much preaching on the threat of persecution for the sake of Christ nor of judgment incurred from professing believers lying to the Holy Spirit. We skip the verses where believers are imprisoned, beaten and even killed for His sake. When the true gospel is preached, it incites anger or joy, depending on which aroma the individual perceives. The stench of death and judgment brings anger while the fragrance of eternal life through repentance and faith in Christ brings great joy. This gospel forced men like Paul to be lowered in a basket out of a window in order to escape death soon after preaching Christ and Him crucified. This gospel caused men to plug their ears, grind their teeth and stone Stephen to death. This gospel incited riots. The Acts of the apostles does not end with an amen, but it does have a line of martyrs extending past its pages, those who counted their lives as nothing and did not refuse dishonor and shame for the sake of Christ. Who wants to sign up for that? In a world and even a church clamoring for honor and notoriety, will we welcome open shame for His name?

The true gospel of Jesus Christ will bring dishonor and shame regardless of title. Honor is a popular word in our modern society and even in areas of church culture. You can find books about living a culture of honor in the church, and the focus will be more on honoring created beings than honoring God Himself in word and deed. Part of this culture of honor is refraining from dishonor by calling into question teaching and doctrine. When there is a strong emphasis on honoring individuals in high places while also claiming that it is dishonorable to question doctrine, teaching and the like, there is error. The error lies in thinking that any of us are above testing against Scripture. You and I have an innate desire to be honored before men, and there is such a thing as honor in the proper context of Scripture. However, when we honor God and obey His instructions, proclaiming the gospel and the truth of His Word, dishonor and shameful treatment are inevitable, and we can be at peace with that. We rejoice in those moments when it is for His glory and not our own. This is a valuable lesson we can learn from these authentic apostles.

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