On November 12, 2014, the Ho Chi Minh City Bible School in Vietnam was attacked and destroyed by hired thugs and police—for the seventh time since June. The thugs destroyed the building while the police arrested nine Christians in the school who did not have proper identification documents (documents which were confiscated in an earlier raid and never returned). The nine were taken to police headquarters and interrogated for two hours before being released.

This particular Bible school trains young Christians, the majority of whom come from outlying tribal groups. After the attacks in June 2014, the building’s utilities were cut off. Since June, in addition to the school being continually bombarded with rocks and rotten eggs, students and others who worship there received bomb threats, harassing phone calls, bodily attacks and injuries, and had personal property stolen or damaged.

As of November 2014, in spite of the attacks and intimidation, The Voice of the Martyrs reported that the school remained open and students continued to attend—all for the privilege of gaining knowledge of the Word of God and spreading that knowledge throughout Vietnam.

Think about what you had to do the last time you wanted to increase your knowledge of the Bible and grow in spiritual maturity. You got in your car and drove to church or to a home Bible study; you went online or to a local bookstore for a Bible-based book; you participated in an online Bible study curriculum; you opened your email and read a daily devotion that comes to you free of charge; you took one of several Bible versions off your shelf to read. Or, like those students in Vietnam, you might even have enrolled in a course of study at a local Bible college or church-sponsored Bible institute.

But unlike those students in Vietnam, you could have pursued any of those means of gaining Bible knowledge without an ounce of opposition. The only cost would have been the investment of some time and treasure.

The question is this: If we faced the same opposition as those young Bible students in Vietnam, would we have continued to pursue our knowledge of the Bible and our growth in grace? Another question: Given the lack of obstacles and opposition we face as Christians, are we taking advantage of our freedoms to learn and grow? Or are we learning just enough to get by—just enough to qualify as “Christian”?

There is no end, at least in America, to the opportunities we have to obey the admonition of Peter: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

“Be ready”—that is the key obligation we have. Be ready to defend the faith; be ready to tell others why you believe; be ready to be bold, brave, and firm while manifesting the humility of Christ in the face of opposition.

Readiness in Spite of...

We often look to the examples of the Early Church, especially in Acts, for inspiration. But here is something we often overlook: The Early Church faced circumstances much more like those in modern Vietnam than those in modern America. In spite of tremendous odds, obstacles, and opposition, the Early Church was braver, bolder, and more beautiful in their witness than we sometimes are.

Think about it: Jesus was arrested by temple guards and thugs in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:47). His disciples were so afraid that they all fled out of fear for their lives (Mark 14:50). In the evening of the day Jesus was resurrected, the disciples were hiding behind locked doors (John 20:19). After Pentecost, the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem immediately put Peter and John in jail for preaching the Gospel (Acts 4:3) and continued to harass them (Acts 5:27). One of the first servant-leaders in the Jerusalem church, Stephen, was stoned to death for preaching (Acts 7:5-58) resulting in widespread persecution against the church (Acts 8:1). The story continues throughout Acts until the book ends with Paul in jail in Rome for his witness for Christ.

What resources did the Church have that allowed them to be “ready”? They had no Bibles, no books, no curriculums, no Internet, no DVDs, and no Bible schools. But they did have meetings where they pursued “the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship...the breaking of bread, and...prayers.” They “had all things in common,” sharing “as anyone had need.” They met “daily with one accord,” shared “their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God” (Acts 2:42-47) And most importantly, they had the Holy Spirit—His gifts and fruit to build and bind the Church together.

They had to be careful when and where they met, especially in the days immediately following Pentecost. But they proved beyond measure that they were ready to give a reason for the hope that lay within them.

Readiness as Shown by...

In the preceding paragraphs, I pulled out some examples of the culture of persecution the Jerusalem church grew up in. Let’s go back through those same chapters to see something remarkable: In spite of opposition, we find the Jerusalem believers being brave, bold, and beautiful as they represented their faith to their community. They demonstrated their readiness by their words and actions!

They Were Brave. What is bravery? It is the courage to forge ahead with what must be done in spite of the risk of danger or harm. That certainly characterized the believers in the Early Church.

Just fifty days after the disciples of Jesus deserted Him to prevent being arrested along with Him, they risked being arrested by preaching in His Name. Peter stood up in Jerusalem and preached to a huge crowd at Pentecost and thousands were converted to Christ and baptized on the spot (Acts 2:38-41). Later, the apostles were jailed (Acts 5:18) and “strictly command[ed]” (Acts 5:28) not to preach further. But they did and were flogged by the Jewish leaders (Acts 5:40). Examples like this abound. Their bravery is in stark contrast to some nominal followers who backed down in the face of threats (Acts 5:13).

The early believers demonstrated their readiness by their bravery.

They Were Bold. The apostles and believers were not just brave in the face of possible danger. They were bold. That is, they spoke out and boldly gave the reasons for the hope that lay within them.

The apostles were bold in words and deeds. Peter preached at Pentecost (Acts 2:14), not hesitating to say who was humanly responsible for Jesus’ death (Acts 2:23). Peter preached again to the crowd that assembled after he and John healed a paralytic (Acts 3:12). Then Peter preached to the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:8), as did Stephen (Acts 7:2). When the Jewish leaders told Peter and the others to stop preaching, they said “No.” They would obey God, not man (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29). And Peter boldly confronted the sin of some deceitful church members (Acts 5:1-4).

But their boldness was more than just talk. They publicly baptized new believers (Acts 2:41), assembled daily in the courts of the temple (Acts 2:46), held house church meetings, and moved out into Judea and Samaria in obedience to the Great Commission (Acts 1:8; 8:4, 26).

The early believers demonstrated their readiness by their boldness.

They Were Beautiful. As Isaiah wrote and Paul later quoted, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach...[and] who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15) That’s what the Early Church did.

They delivered gifts of healing and mercy to those in need (Acts 3:6; 5:12-16). In the midst of persecution and scarce resources, they shared their belongings with whoever might have a need (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-37). They took special care of the widows who needed daily bread (Acts 6:1-3). And they spent time in worship and spiritual growth (Acts 2:42). That is, they became the hands and heart of Jesus in Jerusalem.

The early believers demonstrated their readiness by their beauty toward God and others.

Are you and I ready to show the world our faith in Jesus Christ—in spite of opposition and obstacles? We must be ready by knowing God’s truth and manifesting it with bravery, boldness, and beauty.