When should a Christian take a Stance

Acts 16: 35-40

It is clear in the Sermon on the Mount where we are given the Beatitudes, that retaliation is not part of living out what Christ has commanded, and that is made clear in Matthew 5:39, “But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  But what about confrontation when we have been wronged publicly?  We have many examples of Jesus confronting the religious guys, and now we have Paul and Silas saying no way to the magistrates. 

In this case the magistrate had gone outside of Roman law when he had publicly had Paul and Silas beaten and put into prison without a trial.  This was the law in regards to a Roman Citizen: None but the whole Roman people could pass sentence on the life of a Roman citizen. No magistrate could punish him by stripes or capitally. The single expression, “I am a Roman citizen,” checked their severest decrees.”  So when a policeman shows up and tells the jailer to “Let those men go” the jailer I’m sure is excited because the man who has introduced he and his family to Christ is no longer a prisoner, and the magistrate is relieved to have this man out of his jail.  The Bible is silent on how wide the earthquake was but it seems clear from the Scriptures that it was a great quake and so it must have done damage to things in the city.  In that case the magistrates may have believed these men had authority over more than evil spirits.
This is Dr. Luke’s report of the events: “And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.”  (Acts 16:36-40 ESV)
In the United States we the people have many rights given to us by our Constitution and our “Bill of Rights,” but as Christians do we use those rights to confront evil in our time?  Evil is when a government tells us it is ok to take the life of an unborn child, or that a man and a man, or woman and a woman can be married, when is it time to stand, is it not now? 
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice