External pressure on the early church, while shocking and violent, was in some ways a gift. Stephen had been stoned (Acts 7:59), a great persecution had broken out (Acts 8:1), James was killed by the sword (Acts 12:2), but the gospel had been extended beyond the borders of Israel. Antioch was the third most important city in the Roman empire, after Rome and Alexandria. It was mostly a Greek-speaking city rather than Latin or Aramaic.

The Holy Spirit superintended this expansion of the gospel through Mediterranean and African believers. We don’t even know their names, but they were pioneers. They were the first to break out of the Hebrew mindset and to speak of the “good news about the Lord Jesus.” It didn’t make sense to speak to the Greeks about Jesus the Messiah, the national savior of Israel. However, it resonated deeply with these polytheistic peoples of Antioch to speak of the one, true Lord of all, Jesus himself. And the Lord’s hand was with them. It was a remarkable breakthrough in this bastion of Roman imperial power and economic wealth.

Chiang Mai in Thailand is the second city of the nation. Almost 1 million people live in the metro area. Though the translation of “Chiang Mai” means “new city,” the city is old. Founded in 1296 A.D. as a new capital, Chiang Mai is considered a world heritage city. One Thai king described it as the “pure diamond” of the nation. It’s also a hub for communication to Mainland China, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos. In a country of almost 70 million people, where 85% are Buddhists, the Christian presence remains small (1.1%). Efforts to communicate the gospel to the Thai peoples of Chiang Mai are challenging. One recent breakthrough was the translation of the New Testament into the language most people speak in Chiang Mai, Northern Thai. Paula and Bill Hanna, Park Street missionaries, were engaged in this remarkable project. Only when the word is in the heart language of the people can it take root, just as it did in Antioch.