My latest article: ‘Sometimes It's OK to Flee’

It discusses what the Book of Acts teaches us about safety and security in the face of danger

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD

Copyright (c) 2020

I’m pleased to announce the publication of my most recent article, which is published by the South African Theological Seminary (SATS). It is titled, “Sometimes It's Ok to Flee: What the Book of Acts Teaches Us About Safety and Security in the Face of Danger.”

The article presents my view on church attendance and safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It offers a few lessons that we can learn from the believers in the Book Acts.

You can read it here or by following this link: 
https://www.academia.edu/43406162/Sometimes_It_s_OK_to_Flee_What_the_Book_of_Acts_Teaches_Us_About_Safety_and_Security_in_the_Face_of_Danger

In the article, I invite the reader to see the believers’ response to persecution as a model for today’s response to the pandemic. While noting that the passages in Acts refer specifically to persecution, I call for a broader application that includes any life-threatening crisis, including Covid19. I suggest the following:

“If Pentecostals can use this book of history as a model for speaking in tongues and evangelicals can use it as a model for missions and evangelism, can it not also be used as a model for persecution and suffering? I submit that the actions of the disciples, including the apostles, provide us with a model for dealing with threats and any situation that endangers our lives. At the same time, these experiences in the early church provide us with a few important lessons.”

I sincerely believe that if getting out of the path of danger was good enough for Paul and the early church, then it’s good enough for us.

#Covid19 #Pandemic #Coronavirus #Persecution #protest #SATS

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ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is a writer, chaplain, historian, and former newspaper reporter. He is the author of more than a dozen books and Gospel tracts. For more information about his work and history, see his Personal Profile here or visit his website: http://www.roscoebarnes.net. Connect with him on Twitter (@roscoebarnes3) or by email: roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com.