As I read the book or Acts, it occurs to me that the Kingdom of God did not need nor depend on the existing structures of authority or typical use of power in order to grow, spread, or gain influence. I think there is a lesson here for 21st century American Evangelical Christianity. For too long, we have thought that we somehow needed that power and authority in order to spread our message and increase our influence. We are so stuck in our Constantinian model, that we fail to see the beauty and power of our roots.
I think the next generation, those who will be a part of the most powerful and lasting movement for the Gospel, will be those who spend no time trying to influence existing power structures but who utilize a submissive-subversive method of propagating the message.
These evangelists will be happy to share the Gospel with those in positions of authority and make use of their influence for the positive spread of the message. If and when those in authority no longer serve the advancement of the Kingdom, we will walk away without a second thought and diligently seek to discover where God’s Spirit is moving, and then give our lives to be part of that movement. These revolutionaries never confuse position with power and know that God used those in the underground catacombs just as effectively, and perhaps more so, than those in the cathedrals. When the cathedrals crumble, we will return to the catacombs and rediscover from where our real power comes.