So, in the face of prosecution for having a religious belief, you'll hide under the bed? How important is that belief, then?
I forget which religious sect first encouraged the, "They're never going to be saved because I can tell they aren't one of the elect. . ." thing for people to never share their faith, but it stinks.
No one but God knows who is, who will be, and who won't be converted. There may well have been a person or three in that parade that saw the Christians, and seriously thought about it. If that's all that happened, I'd consider the "protest" a success.
Yes, don't cast your pearls before swine. There's another verse that says something like, "when the city you are in rejects you and your message, leave, and kick the dust off your feet." Kicking the dust from one's sandals was considered a bigtime diss, so to speak. I'd gather that, until you know who exactly who the swine is, you have to treat them as if they are not. BTW, when you find out who will and won't be saved, email me the list. :P
I've watched the video. They're being rediculously peaceful. There was no reason to arrest them. The police may have pulled the "for your safety" routine, and I could have at least understood that.
Matthew also wrote that Jesus told his disciples that he was sending them out like sheep among wolves, and that they should be as shrewd as snakes, and as innocent as doves.
They got the "innocent" part right, based on what I saw in the video, and that may save them from conviction on these trumped-up charges, but it doesn't strike me as very shrewd to wade into a known vicously hostile and unreceptive crowd to preach the gospel.
"No one but God knows who is, who will be, and who won't be converted. There may well have been a person or three in that parade that saw the Christians, and seriously thought about it. If that's all that happened, I'd consider the "protest" a success.".....
True.
Isa 55:10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; (11) So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding {in the matter} for which I sent it. "