Some

Acts 17:4 (ESV) – And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

I have a weakness. I want everyone to be happy. I am tempted to believe I have not succeeded unless everyone agrees with me, but that is not usually a realistic expectation. Most of the time, some people will not accept what we say. However, if we do our part, some will believe.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy arrived at what is still Greece’s second largest city, Thessalonica, and immediately followed their pattern of going to the Jewish synagogue and showing from the Jewish scriptures (what most Christians now call the Old Testament) that Jesus was the long promised Messiah and he needed to be crucified and rise from the dead (Acts 17:3). There is solid evidence for his claim, but as he reflected on this time in his first letter to those who did believe, Paul said there was more than just his own human words at work in the persuasion process. The Gospel came “not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit with full conviction.” (I Thessalonians 1:6) Yet, in spite of all Paul’s humanly persuasive power and, more significantly, the Holy Spirit’s full conviction, only some believed. Yet, some did believe.

Although we may want everyone’s approval, we cannot use the rejection by some as a sign of failure or falsehood. It seems Paul and his friends were only able to be in Thessalonica for a few weeks on that first journey before those who rejected their message drove them out of town (Acts 17:5-9), but those who did believe experienced lasting life change and together became a great church. The mission was accomplished.

Not everyone will probably accept you and what you have to say, but some will. Say it.