“Discerning the Spirit”

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“Discerning the Spirit”

Hrang Hlei

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8 so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. (Acts 16:6-10)

Based upon the above scripture, let us meditate on “Discerning the Spirit.” First, we might want to ask some questions: what is “Discerning the Spirit?” What does it mean to discern the Spirit, and how can we discern the Spirit? Theologically speaking, to discern means to see in the realm of the Spirit and be able to perceive what God is doing in the world. In other words, to discern means to be able to understand what the will of God is in difficult situations. In fact, discernment requires us to have a constant relationship with God, and choosing to live in such a relationship with God makes us more determined and focused when making important decisions in the church as well as in our personal lives.

Craig Van Gelder, a professor at Luther Seminary, notes that discerning the Spirit is foundational for effective ministry. The church, he says, is called and sent out to participate in God’s mission in the world through discerning the works of the Spirit. Looking at the Book of Acts, we can see how the works of the Spirit are described to disrupt (Acts 8), interrupt (Acts 15, 16), and even to surprise the disciples (Acts 17). Also, throughout the Book of Acts, the Spirit is portrayed as actively leading God’s people amidst difficult circumstances (Van Gelder, The Ministry of the Missional Church).

Looking at the New Testament, especially the Book of Acts, it is evident that the leading of the Spirit was decisive for the development of the early church, though the strategic planning from the human side also was involved. Reflecting on Paul’s mission approach, F. F. Bruce noted that Paul exhibited a combination of strategic planning and keen openness to the guidance of the Spirit. We can clearly see this element in Acts 16:6-10).  

Acts 16:6-10 is about Paul’s second missionary journey, which began right after Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:36-16:40). As the scripture tells us, Paul and Silas went through Syria and Cilicia (now southeastern Turkey) and strengthened the churches there (Acts 15:41). At Lystra, Timothy joined them, and together they planned to launch significant mission works. But, interestingly, as soon as they began to implement their strategic mission plans, the Spirit interrupted them for three times.

(1) In verse 6, the scripture says: “as they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, the Holy Spirit forbade them to proclaim the gospel in Asia.”

(2) In verse 7, it says: “the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to enter into Bithynia.”  

(3) And in verses 9-10, the Holy Spirit intervened through Paul’s vision, which is known as a “Macedonian Call.”

Actually, the scripture does not give us specific information regarding how and in what manner the Spirit interrupted them. But what we do know is that Paul and his mission team must have spent a deliberate time to discern what the Spirit wanted them to do, before making any decisions. We may call it a spirituality of discernment, which is an important element in doing mission as well as in the leadership of the church.

This reminds us that discerning the Spirit is not easy, because it is difficult to understand what the will of God is in critical circumstances. It requires a careful listening to and the courage to hear and obey what God has to speak to us (individually as well as communally). The point is that discernment is more community oriented than individualistic. For example, community was involved both in Paul’s prophetic leading and the interpretation of his vision (Robert L. Gallagher and Paul Hertig, Mission in Acts). Possibly, the Spirit spoke through Paul’s missionary colleagues (Silas, Timothy, and Luke). After much prayer and discerning the will of God together, they were convinced that they were called to preach the gospel in Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10). In fact “the rest of Acts hinges on this text: proclaiming the good news to others around the world” (NIB, The Book of Acts).

As I read through Paul’s missionary journeys, especially his second journey, I find similar narratives in the life and works of Adoniram Judson and his wife, Ann Judson, who came to Burma as the first American Baptist missionaries in 1813. Let us look at how they discerned the works of the Spirit in their lives and obeyed the will of God.

Judson was the son of a Congregationalist pastor, Adoniram Judson, Sr. and of a devout Christian mother, Abigail Brown. He was born on August 9, 1788 in Malden, MA. At the age of 25, in 1813, he came to Burma as a missionary, accompanied by his wife, Ann Judson. He died on April 12, 1850, on his way back to America, and was buried in the Andaman Sea.

Judson was a young man with a bright future who had the potential to become a playwright (a popular career in his time), a Congressman, or even the President of United States. He was successful in academic. But he was living a secret life: he was an atheist. He did not believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which his father preached and taught every Sunday. Reflecting on his past life, Judson later confessed: “I was then a wretched infidel.”

It seemed that the earnest prayers of his parents had no impact on their son. But, what Judson’s parents could not foresee was God’s hidden plan for their son. Usually, it is hard to understand the will of God and how God guides and speaks to us in difficult situations. This was true in Judson’s life. Both he and his parents did not know how his trip to New York City would change his whole life.

Reading from his biography, we learn that Judson took a trip to New York City to venture a new life and career. But instead of finding a new career, he found Jesus Christ. In other words, he was struck by the Holy Spirit, as in Paul’s conversion on Damascus road, and became a new person. Then, while in New York City, Judson began to realize that he misunderstood his parents. So immediately, he decided to return home and reconciled with his parents.

Not long after returning home, Judson decided to enroll at Andover Theological Seminary (now Andover Newton Theological School) in 1808. While at Andover, he read a sermon, “The Star in the East” by a former Anglican chaplain for East India Company, which aroused Judson’s interest in mission. Later, he wrote in his journal: “This day I made a solemn dedication of my life to God.” So, together with his three other friends at Andover, he dedicated himself to become a missionary. Then, the young atheistic Judson became a faithful apostle for Christ to the people of Burma. This reminds me of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s words: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die” (Cost of Discipleship). I believe that this idea is well reflected in Judson’s life. He responded Christ’s calling and remained faithful to Him until death.

What is most interesting is how Judson and his wife ended up in Burma without having any prior plan to go there, in the first place. As the story unfolds, the new young couple, not long after they got married, decided to become missionaries to any foreign land. Their original plan was to go to India and establish a Congregationalist Church there. But it did not work, because the Spirit did not allow them to preach the gospel in India. One of Judson’s main purposes of going to India was to challenge the great missionary, William Carey, on the matter of infant baptism. But instead of having that theological debate, the Judsons were convinced by the Baptist way of baptism, and they were baptized by one of Carey’s missionary partners in Calcutta, India.

Like the story of Paul and his companions in Acts, the Spirit did not allow the Judsons to preach the gospel in India. Instead, they were forced by the East India Company to leave the country immediately. Their plan to go to Port Louis (a small French colony Island) and to Penang Island (west coast of Malaysia—once occupied by East India Company) also was not successful. They must leave India, but they had no idea where to go. They were in despair. But all of a certain, they found a boat called Georgiana, which was bound for Burma. Without much thought, they decided to take the boat not knowing what they would have to go through in the months and years ahead. Like Paul’s vision of a “Macedonian Call” in Acts 16:9-10, Burma opened her door just wide enough for the Judsons to squeeze in. So, they arrived in Burma in the midst of July monsoon, in 1813 (Maung Shwe Wa, Burma Baptist Chronicle).  

Reading from the Book of Acts as well as from the story of Judson, we can firmly say that God speaks to us in a variety of ways. What is important here is to discern how God speaks to us and to obey the will of God. Interestingly, God always speaks to God’s people in different but significant ways in the Bible. Here are some examples, among many:

a.     Sometimes, God reveals God’s will through a vision. For example, God spoke to Ananias in a vision about Paul and his ministry (Acts 9:10-12). God spoke to Cornelius and Peter in their visions (Acts 10:3, 17-19; 11:5).

b.     In other times, God speaks to God’s people in a dream. For example, the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15). God also told the magi in their dream to return to their homeland in a different route (Matt. 2:12).

In fact, the whole ministry of apostle Paul could have been totally different, unless Ananias had the right discernment of what God revealed in his vision. In the same way, the story of Jesus could have turned into a mess unless Joseph did not listen to and obey what the angels had warned in his dream. Also, king Herod could have killed Jesus unless the magi followed the angel’s instruction in their dream.

The point I would like to make here, in conclusion, is that God speaks to us through different people, and it is important to discern what God wants us to do and be. Looking at the Book of Acts, the Spirit was at work throughout Paul’s missionary journeys in changing his plans. This same Spirit was the One that led Judson and his wife to Burma and opened a way for them to preach the gospel among the Burmans.

I strongly believe that the same Spirit that led apostle Paul and the Judsons is also with us today, guiding, leading, teaching, inspiring, and speaking to us through many different and dynamic ways. Therefore, what is most important for us, as believers, is to be able to discern what the will of God is, as we make decisions in the church as well as in our personal lives. This requires us to be humble and obedient, as well as to always be open for the interruption, disruption, and even the surprise from the Holy Spirit in our daily encounter with the world.

May God help us to discern the will of God, as we participate in God’s mission in the world. Amen!