New Hope Christian Church, 5/5/24
Great events in human history include the creation, Noah’s Flood, the tower of Babel, the choosing of Abram (Abraham) and his family. President Nixon declared in July 1969 that the greatest event in human history was man landing on the moon. However great any of these was, the greatest change in human history was accomplished in the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, coronation, and glorification of Jesus of Nazareth, resulting in the coming of the Holy Spirit. That event changed the world, as evident in the fact that Jesus’ birth resulted in a different way of dating the calendar. (Even those who prefer the “secular” terms of BCE and CE still must admit that the birth of Jesus marks the division between the two.)
The history that changed the calendar was first recorded in the Biblical book of Acts. This book does describe some (not all) of the ministry acts of some (not all) of the apostles of Christ, but it is in reality a narrative of how the gospel of Christ, often referred to in the book as “the word” or “the word of God,” spread throughout the Roman Empire in the first century AD. In fewer than forty years, the number of adherents of “the Way” grew from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands. This numerical growth was so vast that it could only be described in general terms: “The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere” (1 Thessalonians 1:8, AD 52). “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you [Christians in Rome], because your faith is being reported all over the world” (Romans 1:8, AD 58). The apostle Paul described it this way: “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. . . . This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant” (Colossians 1:6,23, AD 63).
Following the resurrection of Christ, three preliminary steps prepared for this wild-fire-like spread of the word.
Instructing about the Kingdom
Luke, a companion of the apostle Paul, was the author of the book of Acts. He began by referring back to his Gospel, which is called in the ancient manuscripts, “According to Luke.” In that Gospel he had written about “all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven” (Acts 1:1-2). His information had come from “those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word” (Luke 1:2). He was equally as meticulous and historically accurate in the present work, as attested by many who have examined it from an historical perspective.
For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus taught His disciples, speaking about the kingdom of God (1:2-3). No doubt part of this time was spent in correcting any mistaken views that they may have had about the kingdom, especially as He had told Pilate, “‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place’” (John 18:36). Pilate obviously understood that Jesus was no threat to Rome, for he immediately concluded, “‘I find no basis for a charge against him’” (18:38). After Jesus’ instruction, it is absurd to think that the disciples’ further question (Acts 1:6) implied that they misunderstood the nature of the kingdom.
The instruction during this interim period included “many convincing proofs that he was alive” (1:3). The Bible never calls for faith without evidence (see, for example, Romans 10:14-17). The apostles certainly needed these proofs, for they were not gullible, as seen in their responses to His appearances. For example, when Jesus appeared “in a different form” to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, they told this “stranger”:
“Jesus of Nazareth . . . was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” (Luke 24:19-24)
Note that even after the report of the women, these two were skeptical, for they still only “had hoped” that Jesus was the Messiah, implying their present doubts.
Jesus, of course, revealed Himself to them (24:30-31), and they hurried back to Jerusalem to report what they had seen. They were met with exclamations that Jesus was indeed alive, having appeared to Simon (24:32-34). While those gathered there “were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost” (24:36-37). With Him standing right there, they still doubted! Of course, He proved to them that He was really there (24:38-43). The apostle Thomas, however, was not among them; and when they told him about Jesus being alive, he also expressed doubt. It took another appearance a week later to convince him as well (John 20:24-28).
The many convincing proofs were necessary for the task which was soon to be assigned them.
Finalizing the Mission
That task would also require greater power than just their faith. “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized in* water, but in a few days you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 1:4-5). It seems that the gravity of this promise did not immediately sink in, for it was at a later time that they asked, “‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority’” (1:6-7). He then connected these three concepts: (1) the kingdom, (2) the power of the Spirit, and (3) their part in His plan. “‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’” (1:8). What a great task lay before them!
Each Gospel writer records, in different appearances, the scope of this task: “‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’” (Matthew 28:19-20). “‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned’” (Mark 16:15-16). “‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you’ . . . . Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:21,30-31). Luke had written in his Gospel: “'This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.'” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “'This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things'” (24:44-48)
It’s no wonder that this task has been labeled, The Great Commission.
How long would this task last? Much longer than the apostles’ physical life here on earth. Indeed, until He returns. "After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven'" (Acts 1:11).
Filling the Vacancy
It would be ten more days before their baptism in the Holy Spirit. Something important needed to happen during that time: a vacancy needed to be filled. Returning to Jerusalem, they spent the time praying (1:12-14), waiting, and worshiping (Luke 24:50-53). Peter took the lead, pointing out the need for a replacement for Judas, who, filled with remorse for his treachery, had hanged himself (Acts 1:15-20). That left only eleven apostles. That would not do! Although Saul/Paul of Tarsus would be called to be the apostle to the Gentiles, an Abrahamic/Israel-based mission would require twelve leaders at the top. “‘For,’ said Peter, ‘it is written in the book of Psalms, “May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,” and, “May another take his place of leadership”’” (1:20).
Others could carry on the work of spreading the gospel, but one part of the task had unique requirements: “‘Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection’” (1:21-22). Two qualified candidates were put forward, and Matthias was chosen. From that day on, “he was added to the eleven apostles” (1:26).
Everything was now in place. All things were ready. The stage was set. The most important change in human history was just around the corner!
Conclusion
We also are in a time of preparation, waiting for the Return, but we must not be content with praying and worshiping. We must take up our place in the greatest mission ever! For heaven’s sake, what on earth are you doing?
*In several instances, the NIV marginal reading of prepositions associated with baptism is followed in these citations.
New Hope Christian Church, 5/19/24
Hebrews 11 presents a Hall of Fame, featuring Old Testament Heroes of Faith. “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (11:39-40). God made many promises to them along the way; and, in regard to some of those promises, some even “gained what was promised” (11:33), but not the ultimate promise: the new country where they could find the city of God (11:10,16).
Someday this life will be over; and when that time comes, we must be found to be citizens of that city. The question is not, are you ready to meet God, but rather, is God ready to receive you?
Following the ascension of Christ back to Heaven, the task that lay before the apostles was enormous. They had been prepared, but they still needed power for that Great Commission, power which would come upon them on the Day of Pentecost (probably, on our calendars, May 28, AD 30). For that reason, God had promised the Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of the followers of the Messiah. This promise was presented on Pentecost in three stages.
The Promise Through the Prophet Joel
Before ascending back to Heaven, Jesus had promised His apostles that they would receive the needed power to carry out their mission: “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit’”—as a result, “‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 1:4-5,8). The waiting must have seemed interminable: one day, two days, three days . . .
Ten days later, during the Pentecost Festival, the waiting was over.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. (Acts 2:1-6)
Luke (the writer of Acts) then relates that people from seventeen different areas from around the Roman Empire reported hearing the message, not only in a common language (such as Greek) but in their own native dialects! “Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine’” (2:12-13).
The apostle Peter then took the lead, addressing the crowd with the explanation that what they were experiencing was the fulfillment of the prophecy (Joel 2:28-32) that, sometime following the Jews’ return from exile in Babylonia, God would pour out His Spirit upon “all flesh.”
“‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Acts 2:17-21)
This event would be world-changing, signified by the apocalyptic (symbolic) language that accompanied it. As a result, everyone who would call on the name of the Lord would be saved. Peter is saying, this is that time!
The Promise to David
Peter then switches to a different Old Testament set of prophecies regarding the enduring dynasty of King David, who had personally reigned over Israel from 1010-970 BC. Peter introduces this prophecy by referring to events of the previous three plus years: “'Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him'” (2:22-24). At this point, Peter reminds them of events that the locals were well aware of and explains that it had all been a part of God’s plan.
That plan centered around a promise to David: “David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence’” (citing Psalm 16:8-11; Acts 2:25-28). Peter then affirms that this promise could not have been fulfilled in David himself, since he had died, and his tomb was still present in Jerusalem (2:29).
“Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ [Messiah], that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”’” (citing Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:30-35).
Peter had brought his hearers to the inescapable conclusion: “‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ’” (2:36). Their response? “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (2:37). The evidence from the prophets, coupled with the eyewitness testimony, led many of them to cry out in desperation, for they had been convinced that Peter’s assertion was true, including their own culpability in this crime against God.
The Promise to You
Peter’s response to them was a word of good news: “‘The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call’” (2:29). The promise of salvation to all who call upon the Lord was for those present, their succeeding generations, and also for the Gentiles, “all who are far off.” It took a while for the apostles to grasp the last part of this promise, but they eventually did (Acts 10,11,15). Paul, the “apostle to the Gentiles,” wrote: “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6).
The promise, however, had terms: After they cried out, what shall we do, “Peter replied, ‘Repent [turn from your sins] and be baptized [immersed in water], every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (2:38). The decision was up to them, for God had offered salvation to them, but only on His terms. Therefore, “With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation’” (2:40). In what sense could they save themselves: Only by accepting and acting upon the terms laid out for them. No one else can accept the promise on your behalf. It’s up to you. God has spoken. Will you accept?
Now, as we read this first proclamation of the gospel of Christ, we might notice that the people were not told to believe. That is because it was obvious by their response that they already believed the message. (See also Romans 10:6-17 regarding how we come to faith.) We might also, in light of the teaching of most Protestant churches, ask why did Peter include baptism in his reply to them? The New Testament clearly teaches that faith cannot be separated from baptism in our acceptance of the promise of salvation. Just one example: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).
Won’t everyone who calls on the name of the Lord be saved? Yes, but how do we call on the name of the Lord? Paul’s personal example answers that question: Although certainly having been a believer for three days, he was told, “‘And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name’” (Acts 22:16).
Conclusion
How did Peter’s Pentecost audience respond to his preaching? “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (2:41).
Salvation is a serious matter, for we must understand the consequences of rejecting the call to believe. Because it is so serious, we must understand what is meant by the claims of Jesus (2:36) and the meaning of the terms (faith, repentance, confession, baptism). If you have accepted the promise, praise God! If not, why not? Whatever your reason, what if you are wrong? Listen to the word: “We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:9-11). Here is the promise and the warning: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36).
New Hope Christian Church, 5/26/24
What’s the difference between bacon and eggs? The hen was involved, but the pig was fully committed! More seriously, men and women join the armed forces to protect the nation, but storming the beaches demonstrates the level of their dedication.
The “Great Commission” is not called that because it is wonderful, but rather that the task of the church is so immense. Indeed, it is so great that it cannot be achieved just by those who are commonly (and unscripturally) referred to as “the clergy,” while members just sit on the sidelines, paying and praying. The mission of the church requires the dedication of all her members. The very first church (probably before it was even called “the church”) was dedicated to the Lord Jesus and His mission: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Let’s examine these four areas of devotion or dedication.
Devoted to (the) Prayers
Luke tells us that the believers devoted themselves (“continued steadfastly,” KJV) to prayer. The original text literally reads, “the prayers.” The definite article plus the plural form no doubt implies times when praying together, rather than just individual practices. If so, we do not have any record of the times or the subject of these prayers. In addition to Jesus’ specific teachings on and examples of prayer (for example, Matthew 6:9-13; 9:38; 11:25; 24:20; Luke 21:36; 22:32,41-42; John 17), the apostle Paul’s prayers (for example, Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-12; Romans 10:1) may give us some insight into what the twelve apostles may have taught this first church.
We know that these prayers included praise to God (Acts 2:47); and later, calling on God, especially in times of trouble. After James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I and Peter was subsequently imprisoned, we are told that “the church was earnestly praying to God for” Peter (Acts 12:5); but we are not told the specifics of their prayer. If they were praying for his release, it seems strange that they would be surprised when he showed up at the door of one of these prayer groups (12:13-15)! (Although, even though we know that God works in mysterious and marvelous ways, sometimes He does surprise us.) The prayer (Acts 4:24-30) offered after the apostles’ first negative encounter with the Jewish authorities is instructive, for they did not call for God’s vengeance or even for their future protection:
“Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
In times of trouble, especially persecution, following their example might enable us to stand strong in the faith.
Paul’s conclusion to his listing of spiritual armor available to us encourages us all, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). The he added a prayer that would apply to all who are engaged in spreading the gospel, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (6:19). Regarding the latter, is there some significance to his repetition? “Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (6:20). Are you praying for your preacher and our missionaries?
Devoted to (the) Fellowship
These first members of the church—although the record at this point did not call it that—also devoted themselves to the fellowship, that is, sharing in their life with God. The word translated “fellowship” is koinonia. It referred to much more than associating with one another socially. We refer to “the fellowship hall” as the place where we eat our “fellowship meals.” These expressions vastly understate what Biblical fellowship is all about. Paul wrote to a church having serious divisions, “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:9). Note that Christian fellowship is not something we take on our own initiative but rather a relationship with one another as a result of God’s call. John described this fellowship as a relationship we have with one another as a result of our relationship with God: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). The “we” and “us” in this passage refer to the apostles; “what we have seen and heard” refers to Jesus; and “you” refers to those who believe on Jesus through the testimony of the apostles. In other words, followers of Jesus are in fellowship, share a common life, with one another as a consequence of the life we share in Him.
This fellowship, however, is not just a doctrine of Scripture—it results in tangible actions toward one another. In our starting Scripture (Acts 2:42-47) we are told, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need” (2:44-45). This does not mean that they sold everything they had, placing it in a common treasury, but rather, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had” (4:32). As a result, “There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need” (4:34-35). (The NIV correctly renders the Greek expression in the imperfect tense as “from time to time.)
Fellowship, then, involved sharing their lives, including material goods, with one another. (This sharing is to be distinguished from other donations to the non-church poor, as Jesus taught in Luke 10:25-37; 11:41; 12:33; and 14:12-14.) Luke presents an example: “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet” (4:36-37). Note that he “sold a field,” not everything he owned.
The second example (5:1-4) makes it clear that these contributions were totally voluntary—not a requirement for members of the church.
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”
Their sin was not that they held back part of the money but rather that they lied about it. (It may be that they were envious of the attention Barnabas was receiving for his generous gift.)
Some twenty years later, after the gospel had spread as far as Rome, the apostle Paul gives us some insight into the meaning of fellowship (koinonia): “Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings” (Romans 15:25-27). Here “contribution” is a translation of the noun form, and “share” is a translation of the verb form, of koinonia. In this passage, fellowship is shown to be a sharing in both spiritual and material blessings.
Devoted to (the) Breaking of the Loaf
The first members of the church were also devoted to the breaking of bread—Luke’s way of referring to the Lord’s Supper—or, more literally, “the breaking of the loaf.” The Greek word for loaf can refer to bread in general, but with the word “breaking” it is more specifically translated “loaf.” In 2:42 the definite article precedes both “breaking” and “loaf.” Later Luke refers to a gathering for the purpose of breaking bread (although he does omit the definite article before the first reference but includes it before the second). “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight” (Acts 20:7, see also 20:11). From this passage we can draw several inferences. (1) The purpose of this gathering was to break bread, not specifically to worship or to hear Paul. (2) Gathering to break bread on the first day of the week was apparently a regular occurrence for this church. Two points can be made in support of this inference. First, there is no reference to this being a special occasion. Second, Paul was in a hurry to leave the next day, but during the preceding week no effort had been made to gather the church together—indicating that he expected them to gather on Sunday. (3) It seems reasonable to assume that regular meetings on the first day of the week to “break bread” were a part of the apostles’ teaching.
Breaking of the loaf was done in memory of Jesus’ sacrifice: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). This passage connects the breaking of the loaf with the fellowship of the believers. The word translated “participation” is again koinonia. In fact, it is probably even better translated as a joint or shared participation. And here, the translation is definitely “one loaf,” for “one bread” would be confusing. The frequent practice of pre-cutting the loaf into small individual pieces should be seen as assuming that the pieces began as one loaf. Of course, in a large congregation several loaves would be necessary, but they should be considered symbolically as one.
In the first few generations the Lord’s Supper included a full meal, as implied at the beginning: “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46). Breaking bread here could refer to regular meals rather than the Lord’s Supper, but eating together seems to imply more than just everyone going to his own home to eat.
1 Corinthians 11:18-34 gives us some insight into the practice of the church at Corinth. Paul criticized their observance of the Lord’s Supper: “When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else” (11:20-21). A more literal translation would be “it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper,” implying that eating the Lord’s Supper was intended to be the primary reason for their meeting (see 11:33 as well as Acts 20:7) but also that their behavior had made it something less than the Lord’s Supper. That this “Supper” involved more than a bite of bread and a sip of the “fruit of the vine”—the Bible never uses the word wine in conjunction with the Lord’s Supper—is seen in his reference to their practice that “as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?” (11:21-22). Remaining hungry by those who arrived later and getting drunk by those who arrived earlier were the results of abusing this meal. By this abuse, they were bringing judgment upon themselves. He is not condemning their eating but rather their attitude toward one another.
Devoted to (the) Apostles’ Doctrine
The early disciples were also devoted—Luke places it first in his list—to the “apostles’ teaching.” Traditionally this teaching has been called the apostles’ doctrine. “Teaching” is fine as a translation as long as it is seen as the body of what was taught and not the act of teaching. Actually the apostles’ teaching was the teaching of Christ, verified by their working many wonders and miraculous signs (Acts 2:43, see also Hebrews 2:3-4). Their primary teaching was, of course, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).
However, much more was related to the foundational doctrine, especially that which was necessary for the mission of the church and the edification of the disciples (members). For this reason, Jesus told His apostles: “‘But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you’” (John 14:26). “ But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. . . . I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come’” (John 16:7,12-13).
Because they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, who reminded them of previous teachings of Christ and added new teachings from Christ, all of the New Testament really should be “red letter,” that is, considered Christ’s teaching or doctrine.
As long as the church follows the apostles’ doctrine, it remains loyal to Christ. When it does not . . .
Conclusion
Notice that none of these elements of their devotion was intended to be an individual matter. They could study the New Testament (as it came into existence through the apostles’ writings) on their own; they could break bread alone (if physically unable to attend the meeting; and they could pray at home—but none of these is a substitute for devotion as a church (and then as many churches being spread around the globe). And what about fellowship? The word itself requires group activity.
What was the result of such devotion? They were “praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). God was glorified, people were impressed, souls were saved.
How devoted, dedicated are you?
New Hope Christian Church, 6/2/24
An amazing thing (Acts 3:1-10)! Jesus had previously astonished the people with His miracles, wonders, and signs. And after Pentecost, His apostles had continued: “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles” (Acts 2:43). Perhaps it had been some time since then—we do not know how much time may have passed between chapters two and three—or perhaps the previous miracles had been primarily among the disciples; or perhaps there were some new people at the Temple on this particular day. Why did this lame man ask for money rather than a miracle of healing? Had Peter and John, who regularly visited the Temple, not seen him before? Or had he not asked them previously, with so many others passing by him? Whatever the reason, he asked for money. Peter’s response? “‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk’” (3:6). Then he took him by the right hand, helping him to stand up. Feeling strength in his ankles and feet, the man “jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God” (3:8). The people nearby saw him, recognizing “him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him” (3:10).
Such events happened frequently in the foundational days of Christ’s church, but not so much today! We need to understand the purpose of such miracles; otherwise we find ourselves doubting God or our faith when we or our loved ones are not also healed. We focus on the word “miracles,” but the key to understanding them is to focus on the accompanying word, “signs.” On this occasion, the apostles used the healing of the lame man as a sign that Jesus was the Prophet for whom they had been waiting for more than 1400 years. Consider the following three facts about this Prophet.
Long Expected
The coming Prophet had been expected for a long time, first predicted by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18, ca. 1405 BC), the supreme prophet in the Old Testament. “‘For Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people”’” (Acts 3:22-23). This Prophet would not be an ordinary, run of the mill, prophet, but rather One who would be like Moses, the Lawgiver. Moses commanded the people to “listen,” that is, pay attention to and obey Him. Failure to do so would result in being excluded from God’s people. Peter added, “‘Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days’” (3:24). In his defense before the Sanhedrin (Jewish court), Stephen would emphasize this expectation of the Prophet: “‘This is that Moses who told the Israelites, “God will send you a prophet like me from your own people’” (7:37). In His attempt to convince the Jews regarding His own authority, Jesus had criticized them for their hypocrisy: “‘But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?’” (John 5:45-57).
It seems that many of the Jewish people of the early first century AD had concluded that the Prophet about whom Moses had written was the promised Messiah; furthermore, perhaps from the prophets, especially Daniel, that the time for His appearance was near. When John the Baptizer appeared on the scene, they were trying to identify him with someone predicted in the prophets. When he denied being the Messiah, they “asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No’” (John 1:21). Some of the Pharisees questioned him, “‘Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’”
After Jesus fed 5,000 men, plus women and children, with only five loaves of bread and two fish, “they began to say, ‘Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world’” (John 6:14). They credited Moses with the manna that fed the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years, so it was a natural inference that this Man must be the Prophet predicted by Moses. Later, hearing His teaching at the Feast of Tabernacles (and probably reflecting on His miracles), “some of the people said, ‘Surely this man is the Prophet’” (John 7:40). This teaching led the temple guards, who had been sent to arrest Him, to return empty-handed, for “‘No one ever spoke the way this man does’” (7:46). The chief priests and Pharisees rejected this conclusion: “‘Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee’” (7:52), unaware that Jesus had been born in Judea, not Galilee.
Upon her encounter with Jesus, the “woman at the well” responded, “‘Sir, . . . I can see that you are a prophet’” (John 4:19). “‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us’” (4:25). Jesus then affirmed that He was the Messiah. She apparently considered the Messiah to be Moses’ promised Prophet, for she ran into town, exclaiming, “‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’” (4:29).
That they had expected the Prophet in their time was demonstrated in the disciples’ disappointment following the crucifixion of Jesus. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus said to the incognito Jesus, “‘He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people . . . but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel’” (Luke 24:19-21). Of course, this disappointment was short-lived!
Now Revealed
“While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade” (Acts 3:11—this was a covered area, supported by columns, at the east end of the Temple). Peter took the occasion of the healing of the lame man, who was walking and jumping—we would call it his happy dance—to announce that the Prophet, long-ago predicted by Moses and recently expected in their time, had indeed now been revealed. (Perhaps this Scripture came to his mind: “‘But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall’” Malachi 4:2.)
Peter then explained that all of this was in God’s plan, including the Jews’ part in crucifying the Prophet:
“Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. (3:12-18)
Instead of listening to the Prophet promised by Moses, they had put Him to death! Nevertheless, there was good news.
Bringing Blessings
The third fact about this Prophet is that, in spite of their complicity in murdering that Prophet, they could not only be forgiven but also blessed. “‘And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways’” (3:25-26). It seems counter-intuitive to see a blessing in the message of repentance, but repentance is a prerequisite for the reception of all other blessings from God. Sin stands as a barrier to the way of the Spirit of God. Instead of God’s bringing wrath immediately upon those who had refused to listen to His Prophet, the death of the Prophet was indeed the means of forgiving sin—for He took upon Himself our sins and paid the price for them. “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Colossians 1:21-22). “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25).
Being cleansed from sin opens the door for all other blessings promised to God’s people. However, this cleansing does not come automatically: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets’” (Acts 3:19-21). Until that time comes, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19-22).
Conclusion
The blessings began with the Jews but were then expanded to all who would become disciples of the Prophet. However, we must beware that there are still many false prophets, but the only authentic source of truth is Jesus; and the only way to know Jesus’ word is from the Bible. Failure to follow this word results in being led astray. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you” (2 Peter 2:1). “For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4). The only way to know the truth is through the word of God.
New Hope Christian Church, 6/9/24
Do you know the legend of the capstone? It refers to Psalm 118:22-24, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.” (Many versions translate it “chief cornerstone” or “head of the corner,” but the Hebrew word is different from the word for cornerstone, and it means the top of the corner, the keystone, or the most conspicuous stone). It is an ancient legend, and we do not know whether the psalm refers to an actual event, or whether the legend was based on the psalm. “In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built” (1 Kings 6:7). According to the legend, one of the preformed blocks that arrived on site did not fit anywhere, and so it was laid aside. As the weeds grew up around it, the builders forgot all about it. Then, when the Temple was about to be finished, there was a missing capstone. Then someone remembered the stone that had been laid aside. The stone the builders had rejected turned out to be the most important one, the capstone. The apostle Peter drew on this psalm, whether or not he knew the legend, in his preaching and teaching about Jesus.
Some people actively reject the gospel, others just ignore it, and even some who have made a commitment to Christ find themselves being too casual or negligent in their worship of Him and service to Him. While others reject the Stone laid in Zion (to be discussed below), we can place our complete trust in Him. The narrative about the first persecution of the apostles (Acts 4:1-31) exhibits three views of that Stone.
God’s Choice
Jesus, of course, is the Stone. After Peter and John were arrested (see next point), Peter began their defense by asking for clarification as to the charges against them: “‘If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone’” (4:9-11). The lame man had been healed in the name of Jesus. Peter drew the conclusion that Jesus, therefore, was the capstone mentioned in the psalm. He presented the crucifixion and resurrection as the evidence for this claim.
Then Peter, based on that conclusion, drew another conclusion: “‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved’” (4:12). This Stone was God’s one and only choice for salvation from sin and for eternal life.
Later, near the end of his life, Peter wrote about Jesus as “the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him” (1 Peter 2:4). Then (2:6) he called up a different Scripture (Isaiah 28:16): “‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.’” (The words for capstone and cornerstone are different in the Greek of the New Testament and also in the Hebrew of the Old Testament.) This Stone is both a tested stone—it can always be trusted—and also a testing stone: “‘I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line’” (28:17). Just as the cornerstone determines the horizontal and vertical criteria for a building, so this Cornerstone sets the criteria for our lives: justice and righteousness. We are to align ourselves with Jesus’ teaching.
Rulers’ Rejection
Those who arrested Peter and John had their own view of the Capstone. Although many who had “heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand” (Acts 4:4), the priests and Sadducees “were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (4:2). (The Sadducees were a religious party that denied the afterlife, and they held the most positions on the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court). No doubt these same rulers had joined in the Pharisees’ coverup of the empty tomb (see Matthew 28:11-15) on top of their refusal to acknowledge Jesus’ appeals to Old Testament Scriptures and His miracles in support of His claims to be the Messiah, the Son of God.
These rulers had stumbled over the stumbling stone “‘that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the message” (1 Peter 2:8, quoting Isaiah 8:14). Now, with the apostles before them, they continued their blindness to the facts.
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. . . . After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. (4:13-18,21-22)
Apostles’ Response
How did the apostles respond to the rulers’ orders and threats? “Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard’” (4:19-20). They made no threats of God’s vengeance or insults regarding their treatment. They simply called on the rulers to decide for themselves what the apostles should do.
After being released, they reported back to the others—“their own” (4:23). Their prayer began by acknowledging God as the Creator and Ruler of the universe. Then, they acknowledged that this treatment was to be expected (4:24-28): Scripture (Psalm 2) and Jesus had predicted rejection of God’s law and persecution of the Anointed One by the nations’ rulers. The prayer continued by calling on the Lord to notice the threats—again, no calls for vengeance or even protection—and to continue working through them, as they trusted in the Name of Jesus (4:29-30).
After the prayer, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (4:31).
Conclusion
We should expect the majority of the world, including the powers that be, to reject Jesus and our teaching. (When they leave us alone, or even acknowledge the truth, then praise the Lord.) We must leave the events in His hands and continue trusting Him as we worship and serve.
New Hope Christian Church, 6/23/24
Launched in 1977, Voyager I was a wild success in its mission to study Jupiter and Saturn. Having left the solar system in 2012, it is now on what NASA calls an unstoppable path in interstellar space. After going silent last November, Voyager has again been sending signals back to Earth. No one knows how long it will be able to communicate with Earth (until, of course, it collides with Nomad and then encounters Captain Kirk and the Enterprise in 2273!—for you Star Trek fans).
Voyager will eventually run out of power and become just another hunk of space junk. More important to humanity and relevant to us personally is the fact that God has sent His Son to earth to establish something truly unstoppable, the kingdom of Heaven. In Daniel 2:44 re read, “In the time of those kings [Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman], the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” The timing of this kingdom—“in the time of those kings”—makes it clear that this kingdom is the church established by Christ when He sent the Holy Spirit to empower His people with the message of salvation, continuing His mission to seek and save the lost. Just before leaving this earth, Jesus promised His apostles, “‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 1:7-8). They were wildly successful in achieving their personal part in the fulfillment of that promise. Just thirty-three years later, the apostle Paul wrote, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing” (Colossians 1:6); and, “This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven” (1:23). That last statement may seem like an exaggeration, but Paul likely meant that the message was widely spread across and even beyond the Roman world, and made available to all nations.
Of course, the apostles all died—all but one as martyrs—and the world continued on. That meant that the message had to be passed along from generation to generation until the end of time. The agent Christ chose to continue His mission was through the apostles’ converts, gathered together wherever they would be found, forming themselves into congregations. Paul wrote to the evangelist (preacher of good news) Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). These believers are collectively known as the church of Christ. This church is unstoppable because of its foundation in the work and teaching of those original apostles. We will consider three factors about the apostles of Christ that made Christ’s church unstoppable.
Apostolic Miracles
The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira created fear in the church and others who heard about them (Acts 5:11), making people afraid to be seen with the church (5:13). That perhaps could be described as a hiccup in the church’s growth, but it did not stop the believers from meeting together (5:12) and, amazingly, their numbers from growing. “Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number” (5:14), for “they were highly regarded by the people” (5:13); and the apostles continued working miracles (signs and wonders, 5:12). The apostolic miracles and preaching (implied in the growing number of believers) led many to come for healing (5:15-16). Perhaps because of the need to overcome the hesitance of people to “join them,” that is, to attend their teaching, an extraordinary number of healings were performed: “As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed” (5:15-16).
Later on, the apostles would give, through the laying on of their hands, some of their disciples the ability also to work miracles, especially healing diseases and casting out demons. See, for example, Acts 6:8; 8:5-7,17-18; Romans 1:11; and 2 Timothy 1:6. These miracles, of course, met human needs, but their purpose was to confirm the apostles’ preaching: “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Hebrews 2:3-4). “Then the disciples [that is, the apostles] went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it” (Mark 16:20). The apostles are no longer with us, working miracles, but in the New Testament we have ample evidence to believe their testimony for Christ. Their work is continued through their written word.
Fear and other things that make people hesitant to confess Christ can be overcome when they see the positives (blessings) that He has promised those who believe and are baptized (Mark 16:16) into Him. They can see these blessings through our preaching and example (Romans 10:13-17; 2 Corinthians 4:4-7).
Apostolic Testimony
Filled with jealousy over the apostles’ success in the growing numbers of believers, the Sadducees (a religious order that included the chief priests and made up the majority of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court) ordered their arrest and jailing (Acts 5:17-18). However, that night an angel freed them but did not tell them to run away; rather they were told to go back to their preaching in the Temple courts, of all places, “the full message of this new life” (5:19-21). The next morning, when they were sent for, the cell was found to be empty (5:21-24). Discovered instead to be preaching, they were rearrested (5:25-27),
The apostles were charged with filling Jerusalem with their teaching, contrary to the orders given previously to Peter and John in 4:17-18, and determined to make the Sanhedrin “guilty of this man’s blood” (5:28). This second charge was ironic, considering what they had prompted the people (Mark 15:9-13) to say to Pilate regarding the responsibility for crucifying Jesus, “‘Let his blood be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:24-25).
The apostles responded by testifying (5:29-32): “‘We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.’”
“When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while” (5:33-34). Then (5:35-37) he reminded the court of two previous movements to revolt against the established authorities. Both efforts had come to nothing. He then advised, “‘Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God’” (5:38-39). His conclusion was that, if from God, this present movement would be unstoppable. For the time being, his advice was persuasive (5:40).
Their Perseverance
However, they did not want the preaching to continue, so they “called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go” (5:40). (Flogging by the Jewish court was limited by the Law to a maximum of thirty-nine lashes.) In spite of the flogging and more threats, the apostles demonstrated their perseverance in the work Jesus had committed to them. First, they rejoiced because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the Name of Christ (5:41). Why would they rejoice to be “considered worthy” of such suffering? Certainly because of what they had been taught by the Master: “‘Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you’” (Matthew 5:10-12).
However, there may have been another reason that they desired to be “counted worthy” of suffering. When Jesus was arrested, what had been their reaction? “Then all the disciples deserted him and fled” (Matthew 26:56). And then, when they should have been expecting the resurrection—after all, He had told them at least ten times that He would—where were they when the first witnesses came to report it, and even again a week later? Behind “doors locked for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19,26)! No doubt, their first doubts of the good news that He was alive lay heavy on their consciences. But now that they too were suffering for Him, they rejoiced for being “counted worthy” of that suffering.
Rather than yielding to the authorities’ threats and punishments, the apostles set the example for all believers yet to come: “Day after day, in the temple courts [right in the face of those authorities] and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” (5:42). What’s stopping us?
Conclusion
We all have a part to play in the mission of the church: We need to keep bearing the fruit of good works, living consistently with our preaching. We need to preach, teach, and converse with others about the word (not our opinions) in spite of all opposition and obstacles. Whether or not we accept this responsibility, Christ’s church, built upon the rock-solid truth that He is the Messiah, is unstoppable, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it (Matthew 16:16,18).
New Hope Christian Church, 7/7/24
Every church has its problems: old or new, those that are growing, those that are not. The very first church was no exception. “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food” (Acts 6:1).
The work of the church involves many different kinds of activity and ministry (1 Peter 4:10; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10). And being composed of human beings, the church will naturally have problems among its own congregants as well as obstacles that it encounters in the world. How a church handles these obstacles and problems will affect the effectiveness of its life and mission. For that reason, actions of the church must be prioritized with a proper balance among its ministries. In this example from the very first of Christ’s churches, we recognize three key priorities in finding the proper balance among the church’s ministries.
Ministry of the Word
The priority for the apostles (as well as other preachers and teachers in the church) was the ministry of the word. “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. . . . [We] will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word’” (Acts 6:2,4). The Great Commission given to them (and through them to the church as a whole) was to “‘go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’” (Matthew 28:19-20).
The first church recognized this importance of the apostles’ teaching: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42). The apostles were the other disciples’ only continuing connection with the teaching of Jesus. Without the teaching of the word, all other activities of the church are only temporal (that is, regarding life in this world) and temporary. This is not to say that other activities of the church are unimportant, only that they are secondary to the church’s primary mission as Christ’s agent as He continues to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).
Ministry of “Tables”
Since the church does not consist of angels but rather human beings who still live in this world and have this-world needs, the fellowship of the church requires attention to be paid to those needs. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:16-17).
The early church grew quite rapidly, starting with converts from many nations around the world (see Acts 2:9-11). The apostles (or some volunteers) had apparently set up a type of Meals on Wheels program to provide food for widows within the congregation who had no family upon whom they could rely for daily needs. (The Grecian Jews were disciples who had migrated from other places in the Empire and normally spoke Greek. The disciples in Judea primarily spoke Aramaic.) The widows of the “Grecian Jews” had somehow been slighted in the program. Accordingly, the apostles devised a plan to solve the problem. Rather than neglecting their own duties, their plan was to turn the problem over to others: “Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them” (Acts 6:3). The apostles set the number required for the work and their qualifications. (By the way, this procedure has been seen as a good pattern for any work of the church: see the need, follow Biblical guidelines for leadership, then officially set apart qualified persons to oversee the work.)
The “ministry of tables” (6:2) would be an appropriate umbrella term for the services of the church that are not primarily teaching-oriented. Peter would later write of such a division: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides” (1 Peter 4:10-11). God’s enabling power for ministry is thus divided into two types, “speaking” and “serving.”
Taking care of the church’s widows may have been a common service. For example, in Ephesus Timothy was given instructions regarding such a ministry: “Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need” (1 Timothy 5:3). Paul set forth requirements for those who were qualified to be included on “the list of widows”: “No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds” (5:9-10). We can infer that this list was limited so that no one would “join the church” just in order to receive such services. In addition, “If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need” (5:16).
The church does not have the resources to feed the world, but it has always been concerned about members in need. (This does not mean that we do not want to help those outside of the church, but such help is encouraged for private donations rather than using limited ministry resources.) When Paul introduced himself to the other apostles, “James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Galatians 2:9-10).
Acts 11:27-30 relates one example of Paul holding to that agreement. When it was learned (by prophecy) that a famine was about to hit the Empire, the disciples in the church at Antioch “each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.” On his third missionary journey Paul (Saul) collected from the churches additional funds to be taken to relieve the hardships of the disciples in Judea. To the church at Rome he wrote, “For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings” (Romans 15:26). For more about this contribution, read 2 Corinthians 8-9 (which, by the way, sets forth several principles regarding the Christian view of giving).
Spreading the Word
The overarching priority of the church, of course, is spreading the gospel of Christ for the salvation of all who will put their faith in His name. (That is why this series on the book of Acts is titled “Spreading the Gospel.”) The apostles’ handling of the situation in this way led to increased spread of the word. Jesus had instructed His apostles, “‘Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’” (John 13:34-35). His point was not just that people would recognize them as His disciples. Later that same night He prayed, “‘I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me’” (17:20-21). Unity of Christ’s people is a strong incentive for attracting others to Him.
The apostles’ plan maintained the unity of the church. “This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them” (6:5-6). Based on the names, all being Greek-oriented, we infer that all of the widows (including those of the Aramaic-speaking disciples) were trustingly placed in the hands of the complainants. In doing so, it became clear that the negligence was totally unintended.
What was the result of a balanced ministry, the apostles’ priority in preaching the gospel, the care exhibited for these widows, and the unity maintained in doing so? “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith” (6:7). The priests, who were well-versed in the Old Testament Law’s care for orphans and widows as well as justice for all, became convinced that Jesus was indeed the Messiah prophesied in the Law.
Conclusion
We must always examine what we do as individuals and as a church keeping in mind the proper balance of priorities. Where do you fit in with these priorities? What about your attitude toward the word preached, read, and studied? What is your attitude toward helping others with their needs? How important to you is the church’s mission of helping people find life in Christ?
New Hope Christian Church, 7/14/24
Stephen, the first martyr for the cause. Until then, the apostles had experienced opposition and even persecution, but no one—other than Jesus—had died. (The word translated martyr is literally just an ordinary word for witness. It took on the connection with martyrdom because the person dying for the faith was considered a witness to the truthfulness and the importance of the faith.) How important is the faith to us? Stephen (whose name means crown, as in “the crown of life”) was the first in a long line of disciples who have died—and many who are still dying—for the gospel of Christ. In this installment of “Acts: Spreading the Gospel,” we will examine the three stages in the trial of Stephen that led to his martyrdom.
The Charge
We read the charge against Stephen in Acts 6:6-14. Although he was one of the Seven who had been selected to oversee the daily distribution of food for the church’s widows, Stephen became much more than a minister of “tables” (see previous sermon on Acts 6:1-7). Up to this time, only the apostles had been working miracles. Now, at least two of the Seven upon whom the apostles had laid their hands—see the significance of this action in Acts 8:17-18; 19:6; Romans 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:6—were also gifted with this power: “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people” (6:8). Continuing the apostles’ miracle-working made his preaching hard to ignore. However, opposition arose “from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke” (6:9-10).
As so often happens when arguments fail, false witnesses were persuaded, in this case, to claim that they had heard Stephen speaking words of blasphemy against Moses and God (6:11). This claim stirred up the people and some of the religious leaders, elders and scribes (teachers of the law). Arresting Stephen, they brought him before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish high court), claiming, “‘This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law,’” that is, the Temple of God and the Law of Moses (6:12-13). Two specific charges were leveled against his teaching: (1) that Jesus of Nazareth was going to destroy the Temple—which neither Jesus nor Stephen had claimed, and (2) that Jesus was going to change the customs handed down to them from Moses (6:14). Jesus had actually said, “‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished’” (Matthew 5:17-18). (It was true that many things under the New Covenant would be changed, including the covenant itself, but the Law, which we call the Old Testament, had itself prophesied these changes under the Messianic Age.) It’s noteworthy that they did not attempt to deny (1) the many prophecies fulfilled by Jesus’ teaching and actions or (2) the resurrection of Christ, verified by the empty tomb and the many appearances!
The Defense
As Stephen began his defense, “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (6:15). Did it glow, did he look innocent, or perhaps he just looked eager to defend himself—after all, the word angel means messenger? His defense is recorded in 7:2-54. Stephen began by reminding his hearers of 2,000 years of God’s dealing with the people of Abraham. He reminded them of God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, sealed with the rite of circumcision (7:2-8).
Next, he reminded them of Joseph, whom God had sent to Egypt to save their world from famine (7:9-16). He subtly included the fact that Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery. Next in the list was Moses (7:17-41), whom their ancestors at first had rejected as their leader; and often, after he led them out of slavery, they refused to obey him, even making a golden calf to worship! Then Stephen reminded them of their ancestors’ propensity to idol worship, so often that God eventually had them exiled to Babylon (7:42-43).
After this historical rundown, Stephen appealed to the Old Testament in defense of the two charges against him. First, the Tabernacle and then the Temple were built by Moses and Solomon (7:44-47). “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet (Isaiah 66:1-2) says: ‘”Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?”’” (7:48-50). Second, Stephen accused the people of Israel as a whole: “‘You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One’” (7:51-52).
Then, Stephen countercharged with the coup de gras (deathblow) regarding the Messiah predicted by the prophets: “‘And now you have betrayed and murdered him—you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it’” (7:52-53).
The Sentence
That was more than they could take! They did not even wait for a finding by the court, guilty or not guilty. “When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him” (7:54). Then, to top it off, they were incited to a feverish decision by his claim: “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God’” (7:55-56). (We ask ourselves, what was the significance of Jesus standing rather than sitting? Was He outraged at what He was about to see?) “At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him” (7:57-58).
As they stoned him, they followed legal protocol—ignoring all the other injustices–of having the witnesses be the first to throw stones, signified by their laying “their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul” (7:58). How would you react if your were being stoned to death, especially based on false charges? Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the high priest centuries earlier, was similarly put to death under the direction of King Joash (2 Chronicles 24:17-22). His final words had been, “‘May the Lord see this and call you to account’” (24:22). We can all identify with that sentiment. But not Stephen. He knew His Lord’s words from the cross, “‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34). “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:59-60). Forgiving (proving that it can be done), even in death. He was more concerned about their salvation than about his miscarriage of justice.
Luke’s mention of Saul (who would become the apostle Paul) may have been a hint as to how they would be forgiven, for God was about to send out into the world the greatest missionary (other than Jesus) known to man, with the message of salvation by grace!
Conclusion
Is your faith worth dying for? Consider how Paul, as an old man, viewed the value of his faith:
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:12-16)
Then, very close to his own martyrdom, he wrote, “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8).
Jesus said it first, “‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?’” (Matthew 16:24-26).
Worth dying for, yes, but also worth living for: “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).
How about your faith? Is it worth dying for?
New Hope Christian Church, 7/21/24
In Deuteronomy 32:11 God’s care for His people is said to be “like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.” I’ve always heard that this was talking about certain eagles that push out from the nest their young ones who are too hesitant to try out their wings—it’s a long way down from the aerie! The fledglings apparently are not literally thrown out of their nest but are coaxed out by hunger—we’re not feeding you anymore, so if you want to eat . . . or food—here’s your next meal; you just have to jump for it. The type of eagle in the Scripture would catch the little ones if they did not immediately start flying, then carry them back up and dump them off, repeating the process, until they got the message—you have to spread your wings if you don’t want to fall.
Maybe birds don’t literally push their little ones out of the nest, according to a Google search. The prophet Jonah, however, was thrown out of the ship . . . . Sinking down into the sea, he realized that it might be a good thing to follow the Lord’s command. (If you don’t know the story, read his book in the Old Testament—it’s only 4 chapters, doesn’t take long.)
Sometimes God pushes Christians and churches “out of the nest,” a place of comfort, in order to fulfill Christ’s plans for our lives. Leaving the nest is often unpleasant but it yields great rewards. Revelation 14:6 refers to a different kind of flying creature: “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.” The gospel is for all, and it’s up to the church, beginning with the apostles of Christ and continuing down through the generations to follow, to be that angel: “‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 1:8). The eighth chapter of the New Testament book of Acts describes three steps in which God pushed the first Christians out of the nest in order to fulfill their mission.
Overcoming Reluctance
We are not told why the early church had to be pushed out of their nest, but it seems fair to infer that they were having too good a time as the New Covenant people of God to think about the rest of the world: great fellowship, many extraordinary miracles, and thousands of decisions to follow Christ, in spite of the occasional persecutions. The death of the first martyr, Stephen (see previous sermon), marked a turning point, a crux, a crisis in the life of the church. In fact, Saul’s persecution temporarily forced the church (all but the apostles) out of Jerusalem (8:1-3). We are not told why the apostles were spared, but previous encounters with them had not gone well for the Jewish authorities.
Those who fled for their lives were not deterred. After all, Jesus had promised that the gates of Hades themselves could not prevail against His church. And so, they took the gospel with them. “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (8:4), demonstrating their understanding that the responsibility did not belong solely to the apostles. The church could grow without the apostles’ physical presence because the believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (2:42). That teaching, combined with the fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and the prayers, had prepared them for spreading the word, regardless of the cost. Hebrews 10:33-34 seems to be referring to the cost they were paying: “Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.” The church today, absent from the physical presence of Jesus or His apostles, still can grow, taking the gospel to the world, if we follow the example of the New Testament church.
Harvest in Samaria
Jerusalem was the center of life and worship in Judea, and so the gospel had spread throughout that territory. With the scattering by the persecution, the next closest area, Samaria (just north of Judea), came into focus (8:5-25). Jesus had previously sown the seed (John 4:4-42), although afterward it seems to have largely lay dormant, even while Jesus was still here. He had experienced great success with “the woman at the well” and her village, and the word of His encounter there surely had spread to other areas in Samaria. Later, however, while traveling from Galilee to Judea by way of Samaria, His presence was not welcome (Luke 9:51-53).
Now, however, here came Philip the evangelist (Acts 8:40; 21:8), daring in the strength of Christ to preach the gospel even in Samaria. Like Stephen, Philip had been one of “the Seven,” now also able to work miracles, evidently as a result of the laying on of the apostles’ hands. “When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city” (8:6-8). Even the local sorcerer, known as “the Great Power,” believed and was baptized.
Philip’s success was so outstanding that “the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,” and so, “they sent Peter and John to them,” apparently to check things out. From this part of the narrative we see that the work was still subject to the authority Christ had granted the apostles. Peter and John were obviously pleased with Philip’s work, continuing it by doing what Philip himself (not being an apostle) could not do. He could work miracles, but he could not pass along the ability to others, the way the apostles did. Even the converted sorcerer could see that this special work of the Holy Spirit “was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands” (8:18). (See also Romans 1:11; Acts 19:6; 2 Timothy 1:6.)
Harvest in Ethiopia
Philip was having marvelous success in preaching the gospel, but then an amazing thing happened. The Lord called him away to preach to one man, an Ethiopian eunuch. This might seem like a poor use of resources, but Philip was again pushed out of the nest. “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out” (8:26-27). God had a plan. Philip was not sent to Ethiopia; Ethiopia was brought to Philip, although Philip had to be in the right place. (Ancient Ethiopia, identified by that name by the Romans, was south of Egypt and thus in the location of modern-day Sudan.)
What do we know about this one man to whom Philip was sent? (He was probably not alone, considering who he was, no doubt being accompanied by a chariot driver and even possibly some officers.) He was a black man (literally an African), a convert to Judaism or at least a worshiper of God. He held an important position in the government, in charge of the treasury of the Queen, whose title, not her name, was Candice. (He was a eunuch, common for the servants of important women in those days.) This man, whose name we are not told, had come over 1600 miles to Jerusalem to worship. When was the last time you traveled that far to worship!
The Ethiopian “was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him” (8:28-31). Notice that God’s angel and the Spirit were both involved in this mission, but it was left up to a disciple of Jesus to bring in the harvest. Later, the apostle Peter would be involved in a similar way (Acts 10). It may be proper to infer from such accounts that, in the plan fo salvation, God does what only He can do, but we (the church) are responsible for doing what we can do.
It so happened that this man was reading from the passage of Scripture which was later designated Isaiah 53, a chapter prophesying the fact and the meaning of the Messiah’s suffering. (God’s timing is perfect!) “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus” (8:35). His teaching certainly would have involved not just Old Testament prophecies but also a brief summary of the Gospels, culminating in the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and coronation of Jesus. Luke summarizes it as preaching Jesus to him.
Evidently “preaching Jesus” involved the necessity of baptism in water to become a Christian (that is, a disciple, a follower of Jesus). We know this because as “they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” (8:36). This event also makes it clear that baptism was by immersion. First, they would not have needed to wait until “they came to some water” if a little water from the eunuch’s drinking water would have sufficed. Then also, here we have a very clear description of the action—very similar to Jesus’ own baptism (see Matthew 3:16)—for “both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him”; then “they came up out of the water” (8:38-39).
We are not told what else Philip told him, but certainly it included some instructions about telling others about Jesus and forming new believers into churches (assemblies, congregations) of Christ. (The Ethiopians have some traditions about the gospel coming into their land through this unnamed eunuch so many years ago.) Whatever the teaching involved, it was apparently enough, for “the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea” (8:39-40). (Certainly he was not rejoicing that he no longer saw the preacher!) Does Philip’s being taken away suddenly by the Spirit just mean that he immediately left for Azotus, or did the Spirit “teleport” him there—it kind of sounds like an instantaneous transport, doesn’t it? That would be quite a trip!
Are you open to God putting you together with those who need to hear about Jesus? We need to look for and be prepared for opportunities that come to us. Who knows where God may be sending you?
Conclusion
The church must never become satisfied with the status quo, for God may use force to incentivize us; and it’s much more pleasant to go on our own than to be pushed out of the nest! We must learn to watch for opportunities to share Jesus with others. The apostle Paul wrote, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6). And Peter had similar comments: “[In] your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:13-16).
New Hope Christian Church, 7/28/24
Those with a naturalistic or materialistic worldview deny the possibility of many things described in the Bible. Their greatest doubts regard the Creation, miracles—especially the resurrection of Jesus—and the claims of prophecies of the future. After those “biggies” is the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (later to become known as the apostle Paul). From a purely human psychological view, there is just no way to understand how the greatest opponent of the Way could become its greatest proponent!
The change in Saul’s life involved his free will both before and after. He freely chose to persecute the disciples of Jesus, and he freely chose to accept the opposite commission presented to him. (If he had not chosen the latter, we do not know what would have happened. Christ could have stopped the persecution by striking Saul dead!) As we study Saul’s encounter with the risen Christ, we need to understand that we were not created with free will in order to please ourselves but rather to enjoy a life dedicated to serve the One whom we worship.
Saul’s encounter with Jesus changed the destiny of the church from the threat of extinction to becoming a force so powerful that the whole world has felt its lasting impact. This study (Acts 9:1-31) reveals three results of Saul’s encounter with the risen Jesus.
Conversion
Spurred on by the preaching and subsequent martyrdom of Stephen, Saul set out to destroy the church. “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. . . . Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison” (8:1,3). After driving out most of the disciples from Jerusalem, “Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem” (9:1-2). (The word “Christianity” does not appear in the Bible. Several times in Acts, this movement is called simply, The Way.)
Christ could have removed the threat by killing Saul, but He saw something in him that could be used in a mighty way for the kingdom. Paul himself describes this “something” in 1 Timothy 1:12-13, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” Instead of killing him, Christ confronted him: “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied” (9:3-5). Jesus then told him to continue on his way to Damascus, where he would be given further instructions.
God does not do for us what we can do for ourselves. Only the encounter with Jesus could change Saul’s course of action, but further instructions were to be given through one of Jesus’ disciples, a man by the name of Ananias. (We ran into another Ananias in Acts 5, and will meet another one later; but other than the references—3 times in Acts—to this meeting with Saul, we know nothing more about this Ananias.) Having been blinded by the light from heaven, Saul had to be led by the hand into Damascus, where he waited, praying (9:11); waiting for three days for his further instructions. Those must have been three long days! (How did this event affect those who had been traveling with him? Were they upset? Did they become believers? Did they report him to the high priest?)
The Lord called to Ananias in a vision, telling him to go to Saul, who had seen Ananias in a vision, coming to place his hands on him to restore his sight. Ananias immediately questioned this instruction, for he had heard about Saul’s persecution in Jerusalem and his present intent and authority to arrest the believers there in Damascus. After assurances that this command was what the Lord wanted, he went to Saul—the Lord had told him where Saul was staying—placing his hands on him and telling him that he had been sent by Jesus so that he might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized” (9:18) and washed his sins away, calling on the name of the Lord (22:16). After “taking some food, he regained his strength” (9:19).
Commission
Jesus did not confront Saul just to save him from sin or to put an end to his persecution of the disciples. Saul now had a new mission in life. Later, he would write of this new mission: “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead . . . I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:1,11-12). Each of the three accounts of Saul’s conversion presents information regarding his mission: “‘This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’” (Acts 9:15-16). “‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard’” (22:14-15). “‘I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me’” (26:15-18).
Testifying before King Herod Agrippa II and the Roman Governor Festus, Paul—he had begun using his Greek name during his first missionary journey—said, “‘I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds’” (26:19-20). Before preaching in Damascus, he had spent about three years receiving revelation from the Lord (Galatians 1:15-17). Acts 9:19-20 gives the impression that he began preaching immediately after his baptism, but his own testimony in Galatians corrects that impression. Returning to Damascus, Paul spent several days with the disciples there, preaching “in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.” This message, of course, made him a whole new set of enemies. “All those who heard him were astonished and asked, ‘Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?’ Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ” (9:21-22), no doubt using both his own conversion and his new understanding of the prophecies in the Law and the Prophets.
The Jews could not abide Saul’s change of loyalty and conspired to kill him, “but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall” (9:23 -25).
Significance
The third result of Saul’s encounter with Jesus was its significance for the church and the world. First, Saul/Paul became the thirteenth apostle of Christ (not counting Judas Iscariot). Fleeing the conspiracy against him in Damascus, he went, naturally, to Jerusalem to meet and join the apostolic band, “but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus” (9:26-27). Barnabas was of such a character that they believed him and welcomed Saul to their number. Saul had met the primary qualifications to be an apostle of Christ: to be a credible witness of the resurrection (Acts 1:22; see 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8-10), and to be appointed by Christ, designated as an apostle who was sent out by Him to preach (Mark 3:14). “So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord” (9:28). He began talking to the Grecian (Hellenist) Jews, of whom he was one and Stephen had been. As we can expect, they did not take kindly to this turncoat. After learning of a conspiracy to kill him, the apostles sent him to his home in Tarsus of Cilicia (9:29-30), where he may have received a warmer welcome.
The second significance of Saul’s conversion was the peace that was restored (temporarily) to the church. Saul had begun “to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison” (8:3). Now, however, “the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord” (9:31). Threatened with extinction, the church of Christ had been rescued by the intervention of Christ Himself. After all, He had promised that the gates of Hades themselves could not overcome it (Matthew 16:18).
Furthermore, through Paul’s obedience to “the heavenly vision,” Christianity spread across the Mediterranean world, establishing it as a movement that could not be stopped. “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:18-19), as far as Rome and possibly to Spain (15:24).
In addition, over 1/3 of the New Testament was written about Paul or by him. Missionary, theologian, teacher of the church—none other has ever come close to his contribution to spreading the word. It would be impossible to overestimate his influence on Christ’s church.
Conclusion
The message of the good news was spread by Paul in a way beyond the efforts of anyone before or since. Paul himself acknowledged that his work as well as his salvation came only through the grace of God, that he might “be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:16).
God works to fulfill His plan where we are unable; but He does not do for us what we can do—in the power of His Spirit—ourselves.
Finally, have you seen the light? Are you open to His leading? Don’t wait for a sign from Heaven!
New Hope Christian Church, 8/4/24
Aeneas (a paralytic in Lydda, healed) and Dorcas (a seamstress in Joppa, raised from the dead) were two people who experienced miracles at the hands of the apostle Peter (Acts 9:32-43), which for him was just ordinary ministry as he traveled through Judea and Samaria! (Lydda was either a village or an area in Judea and Samaria, and Joppa was the main seaport for Israel, now called Jaffa, a suburb of Tel Aviv.) Sometimes church work just comes naturally. Sometimes we have to be pushed out of the nest (see sermon, 7/21/24 on Acts 8). Then those are the other times when it takes divine intervention to get through to God’s people, even to Peter. In the current passage (Acts 10), we can trace five steps that it took for Christ to get His church to become serious about reaching Gentiles with the message of salvation. (This narrative takes place about ten years after the church was established, and thus around AD 40.)
An Angel
The church, although having been sent to preach the gospel to the whole world (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19), they seem to have been slow to understand the significance of this commission. (As we see in the Gospels, it was not unusual for the apostles to be slow to understand!) And so, God had to take the initiative to introduce a Gentile (not a Gentile that had been converted to Judaism) to the apostles. We are introduced to Cornelius, a centurion (the top enlisted rank in the Roman army): “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly” (10:1-2). Cornelius was a good man, a worshiper of God (like many people we know), but he was unsaved (like many people we know)!
God sent an angel to assure Cornelius that his prayers and his gifts to the poor had been noticed by God (10:3-4). He was told to “‘send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea’” (10:5-6). Being a true worshiper of God, Cornelius immediately told two servants and a godly soldier under his command what the angel had said and sent them off to bring Peter to Caesarea so that he and his family could hear the message by which they could be saved (11:13-14).
A Vision
As they approached Joppa about noon the next day, Peter had gone up on the flat roof to pray. He became hungry and asked for something to eat (10:9-10). While he was waiting for the food, he fell into a trance and saw something like a huge sheet being let down out of heaven (10:11-14). In this sheet were many types of unclean animals (according to the Mosaic Law). A voice from heaven told him to kill and eat. Peter was a brave man, for he told God, no. (That was not the first time. Twice he had dared to contradict Jesus, Matthew 16:22; 26:34-35.) He insisted, “‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’” Peter had apparently forgotten that Jesus had previously declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19).
God, of course, did not really want him to eat these animals, although properly killed and cooked it would have been kosher, seeing that it was at the command of God. In order to reinforce the lesson, yet to be learned, this procedure was repeated two more times. (In the Old Testament, testimony required two or three witnesses.) “The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven” (10:15-16).
An Insight
(10:17-23) While Peter was mulling over this vision, the Spirit informed him that three men were at the door, looking for him. They happened to be the men who had been sent by Cornelius. He asked why they had come. After they explained, he invited them in to stay the night, an odd invitation for two reasons: (1) they were Gentiles being invited into a Jewish home, and (2) this was not Peter’s home! However, Peter could plainly see that this event was God’s doing. The next day Peter, the three men, and six (11:12) disciples departed for Caesarea.
(10:24-26) Cornelius had calculated the time when his men should return, anticipating that Peter would be with them, and had invited his relatives and close friends to hear what Peter had to say. When Peter entered the house, Cornelius mistakenly bowed down in reverence. Peter, of course, unlike many religious leaders today, would have none of it. “‘Stand up,’ he said, ‘I am only a man myself’” (10:26).
(10:27-33) Finding a good sized crowd awaiting a word from him, Peter realized what was happening. Putting it all together, his visions and this invitation to the home of Cornelius, he realized that, in spite of the Jewish law not to associate with or visit a Gentile, God had shown him that he should not call anyone impure or unclean. Therefore, he had come to visit this home without raising any objection when he had been sent for. Then he asked, “‘May I ask why you sent for me?’” (10:29). Cornelius then told him about the angel’s visit. “‘So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us’” (10:33).
Peter’s new insight—that he should not call anyone impure or unclean; after all, if it was kosher for a holy angel to visit this home, it surely was for Peter—this insight now became a light that dawned upon him. “‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right’” (10:34-35). (By the way, it would take a while before Peter fully realized this truth.)
A Sermon
Peter then began by reminding Cornelius and his family what they had already heard about Jesus. (For several years the gospel had been proclaimed throughout the area. See 8:4, for example, or perhaps Cornelius had told him.) “‘You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him’” (10:36-38). No doubt this, like all the sermons in Acts, was a condensation of the full message. One wonders whether Peter might have emphasized two words in this sermon: (1) peace—for this time in history is known as the pax Romana, the peace of Rome, which, of course, was achieved through military might and (2) Lord—for every Roman soldier had sworn an oath to Caesar as lord. Now Peter was asserting that peace comes from the good news (gospel) of Jesus, who is Lord of all.
Having begun with what they already knew about Jesus, Peter laid before them certain facts: the apostles (as well as many others) were witnesses of the ministry of Jesus and also of His death and resurrection (10:39-40). He asserted the truthfulness of these facts through witnesses who had spent years with Him: “‘He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead’” (10:41).
These facts attested by eyewitnesses were not simply historical events—they had a purpose: “‘He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead’” (10:42), thus fulfilling the prophetic testimony regarding the Messiah: “‘All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name’” (10:43).
An Invitation
We can anticipate that Peter was about to issue an invitation for these Gentiles to become disciples (followers) of Jesus, but God was not yet done with His part. Remember those six Jewish disciples that had come with Peter (10:23; 11:12)? Peter was convinced. Surely Cornelius, his family, and probably also his close friends were convinced. But what about the church back home? What would these six have to say about the whole affair? This was no time to quarrel over the Gentiles’ inclusion in Christ’s church! (That dispute would arise later). Just to certify that Peter had not gone off the deep end, had left the reservation, had gone crazy, God interrupted Peter’s sermon with a reminder of Pentecost (Acts 2): “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God” (10:44-46).
There was only one thing to do, a rhetorical question by Peter: “‘Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with [in] water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have’” (10:47). Certainly no one could object. And so, Peter followed up with a very logical command: “So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (10:48), indicating the importance of baptism in water, which was equated with baptism in the name of Jesus. They were not commanded to be baptized in order to publicly confess their faith or to join the church. How do we know? What had the angel told Cornelius? “‘“Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved”’” (11:14). That message certainly included the gospel facts but it ended with the command to be baptized in water, in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter was just being consistent. The first time anyone asked the apostles, what must we do, he had told them, “‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call’” (Acts 2:38-39). Now, perhaps for the first time, Peter realized that those “who are far off” were Gentiles, that is, the rest of the world!
Conclusion
The early church took a while to understand the place of the Gentiles in God’s plan of salvation. We are well aware of that. Will it take divine intervention to get through to those who call themselves Christians, that Christ and His apostles were serious when they spoke of the importance of unity in the work of evangelism? The night before the crucifixion, Jesus prayed “‘that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me’” (John 17:21).
And what about you? Have you surrendered to Jesus as the Lord of your life so that you can have the “peace that transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), or are you waiting for a sign from heaven to give your life to Jesus? Your “sign from heaven” is Jesus’ invitation, “‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’” (Matthew 11:28-29). Now, “‘what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name’” (Acts 22:16).
New Hope Christian Church, 8/11/24
Change! Most people hate change, as demonstrated in the closing statement of Jesus’ parable regarding the importance of change (Luke 5:33-39). Although new times call for new methods, still “‘no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, “The old is better.”’”
Do you appreciate what momentous changes the early church had to experience in order to include you in God’s plan to save the world? Although the first Christians were Jews, with Jewish prejudices, the church eventually became composed mostly of Gentiles. Upon Peter’s new insight (Acts 10:34-35—see previous sermon), God’s covenant with Abraham ignited like the thrust from the third stage of the Saturn 5 rocket—the one that sent astronauts to the moon—with a new God-ordained strategy for spreading the gospel. “‘I will make your name great, and . . . all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’” (Genesis 12:2-3). In Acts 11:1-26 we can see three components of that new strategy.
A New Target
Peter returned from his mission to the home of Cornelius (Acts 10), a mission that had resulted in the baptism of Gentiles who had never converted to Judaism. He found himself having to defend his actions. “The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, ‘You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them’” (11:1-3). This criticism implied that, if it was wrong even to enter the house and eat with them, then it was certainly wrong to accept them into the Christian community. (Eating with someone was considered a sign of fellowship and approval. Jesus had often been criticized by the Jewish leaders for the same reason. See, for example, Luke 15:2).
Peter countered the criticism by explaining how God had been involved in this incident from first to last—an angel appearing to Cornelius, Peter’s vision from heaven, the Spirit’s instruction to him, and the Spirit’s being poured out upon the new believers (11:5-16). Then he concluded: “‘So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?’” (11:17). His argument was so persuasive that it overcame their prejudice: “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life’” (11:18).
Several (perhaps three) years earlier, Saul of Tarsus (later to be known as Paul) had been appointed by Christ as His apostle to the Gentiles (9:15; 22:21; 26:16-18). However, the significance of this selection apparently had not been realized by the majority of the believers (including the other apostles) in Jerusalem. Now, however, with the conversion of Cornelius and family, the pieces were starting to fall into place; but still, as the gospel spread into Syria, “those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews” (11:19).
Many of the Jews who lived among the Dispersion (that is, outside of the land of Israel) had already been practicing a less-than-strict observance of the Mosaic Law. It is significant that some of these Hellenist Jews who had become believers in Christ were the first pioneers in taking the gospel to Gentiles. Perhaps bolstered by the conversion of Saul and Peter’s clarified insight, men from Cyprus (island in the Mediterranean) and Cyrene (in Lybia) “went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (11:20-21). (Josephus, Jewish historian, referred to Antioch as the third largest city in the Empire. Estimates of the population range from 100,000 to 300,000, a city perhaps as large as Cleveland, Columbus or Cincinnati.)
A New Partnership
News of their success quickly came to the apostles in Jerusalem. Always cautious about the church’s adherence to the faith, they sent Barnabas—an obvious choice in light of his commitment to the believers (4:34-37) and his experience with Saul—to check things out (11:22). (Remember, they had earlier sent Peter and John to check out the evangelist Philip’s preaching in Samaria.) “When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (11:23-24)
So many people in Antioch were turning to the Lord that Barnabas soon realized that they needed additional help, especially from someone with apostolic authority and inspiration. Whenever people, especially large numbers, are converted to Christ, they always bring their “baggage” with them, that is, their previous beliefs, traditions, and customs. (That’s one reason why God had demanded Israel to destroy the idolatrous peoples in Canaan.) These previous beliefs, especially, could affect other believers. Barnabas knew that, working with these Gentile believers, someone special was needed at Antioch; and so, “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people” (11:25-26).
A new partnership was born, one with historical significance (see Acts 13-14). Barnabas and Saul, later to be known as Paul and Barnabas, would become the church’s first missionary team.
A New Name
A broader geographical spread of the gospel required a new name. “Israel,” though appropriate for God’s chosen people while they lived in a single geographical area, was soon to be enhanced by a new name, one that would be appropriate for a world-wide family of believers. Indeed, Isaiah had predicted several new names for God’s people in the Messianic era: “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow” (62:1-2). And again, “No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married” (62:4). (Hephzibah is Hebrew for “My delight is in her,” and Beulah means “married.”) Also, “They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you [Jerusalem] will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted” (62:12).
It may be that this new name, one that included the meanings of those names predicted by Isaiah, was the new name given to the believers in Antioch of Syria. That name was Christians (that is, those who belong to Christ): “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch” (11:26). Bible students and scholars are not in agreement as to who first called them Christians. Some argue that Barnabas and Saul, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, applied the name to them. Others argue that it was at first a nickname given them by the community.
Both arguments have good reasons behind them. One thing to be considered, however, is why Luke (author of Acts) never again refers to them as Christians. (The only other place in Acts where the name occurs is on the lips of King Agrippa II: “‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (26:28). On the other hand, Luke prefers to continue calling them disciples or believers; but Paul, in his letters, never calls the believers disciples or Christians. His preferred term for believers in Christ seems to be saints.
Regardless of the specific origin (divine or human) of the name Christian, Peter writes, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:14-16). By this time, probably about fifteen years later, the name seems to have become the commonly accepted one for those who had been baptized into Christ.
In other words, if you are truly one of Christ’s own, you should be proud (not in a haughty way) to be called a Christian. How can you tell whether you are one of Christ’s? Hear Christ’s own words: “‘Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved’” (Mark 16:16); and, “Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in [mg., or into] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Conclusion
Christ’s church (or, the Christian church) has often been plagued with persecution, hypocrisy, and division—Satanic attempts to thwart it from God’s intended purpose—but God included in our spiritual DNA, to be discovered only in the New Covenant Scriptures, all that is needed to overcome all such hindrances and to stay on track. Not only the early church but also believers down through the ages have had to make sacrifices, at times including martyrdom, so that the gospel could be presented to you.
How much do you appreciate what others have done for you? What are you prepared to do for Christ in passing the torch to our generation and the next?
New Hope Christian Church, 8/18/24
Once again our nation’s future depends on the choices we make regarding not only the President, but also senators and representatives—those who will be speaking and acting on our behalf. Although our choice in voting will affect our national and our individual futures, the outcome of our spiritual choices has eternal consequences. We must, therefore, choose wisely regarding these spiritual choices, primarily in the choice between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of Christ. Our present Scripture (Acts 11:27-12:25) reveals three contrasts between these two kingdoms.
Meeting People’s Needs
The kingdom of the world, regardless of what those in charge claim, provides for people’s needs on the basis of keeping the rulers in power. They may or may not sincerely care about the people under their charge, but even those who do care seek first and foremost to find a way to stay in power. Herod Agrippa I was eager to keep the peace with the Jews; and so he beheaded the apostle James, brother of John, in order to please them. Having succeeded, he then planned to do the same to Peter (Acts 12:3). In 12:20 we read that he had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. He apparently was using his power to withhold their food supply in order to bring them into line.
The kingdom of Christ, however, genuinely cares about what is good for all people, treating them with mercy, according to what they need. (Of course, not all people respond properly to God’s love.) In 11:27-30 and 12:25, we read that the Christians in Antioch, being informed by a prophecy of a coming famine, made plans to send help to those who were no doubt going to suffer more than others: “The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul” (11:29-30).
The apostle Paul, having been encouraged at the beginning of his ministry “to remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10), later wrote, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. . . . Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:2,9-10). Notice that they were to emphasize fellow believers but not to neglect others. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 we find an example of a church that demonstrated this same type of concern for others, even more so: "And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints."
Source of Power
The second contrast between these two kingdoms lies in the source of their power. The kingdom of the world exists in many forms, everything from local governments to empires. Ultimately, whether benevolent or malicious, all have one source of power, the physical strength to carry out the will of the government. None of these forms operates solely on the level of moral persuasion or encouragement. Without laws, enforced by physical power, they cannot remain in power. Again, we have an example in Herod Agrippa I: He not only used death and imprisonment (12:1-4), but also enforced his enforcers through drastic means. After Peter was released from prison, “In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed” (12:18-19).
Another example, less drastic, is found in an attempt by Governor Felix to keep the peace: “Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, ‘Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?’” (25:9). Only Paul’s appeal to the Roman law (25:10-12) prevented Felix from turning him over to his enemies for judgment. And, of course, that Roman law was enforced by physical power.
Of course, not all human governments act so drastically, but they all must rely on some form of physical power to enforce their will.
The power of Christ’s kingdom, unlike that of the world, is not confined to human efforts. Christ brings moral persuasion and even supernatural power, when needed, into His work of fulfilling God’s plan of salvation. In Acts 12:6-17 we find that He was not yet ready for Peter to be taken from the arena. An angel from Heaven came to his cell and led him out to freedom. We are not told why James was allowed to be martyred whereas Peter was spared. “God works in mysterious ways.” Isaiah 14:24,27 explains, in reference to his handling of Assyria, “‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. . . . This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?’”
The source of power with Christ’s kingdom is not only supernatural (as opposed to purely human) but also compassionate and is geared for the benefit of all. How does the kingdom of Christ accomplish its goals? It exists as individual congregations—the denominational and super-church structures are patterned after the world, not the word of God—congregations (local churches) empowered by the love of Christ, His love poured out by the Spirit of Christ (Romans 5:3-5). Paul wrote (Ephesians 3:16-19): "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
The love of Christ is not some sappy sentimentality but rather the power of God to accomplish His will. Accordingly, Paul closed the thought, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (3:20-21).
How do we human believers tap into that power? Through prayer: “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him” (Acts12:5); and through the word. The power of that word is described in Hebrews 4:12, “ For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Through prayer and the word, “though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
The kingdom of Christ exercises the power of God’s truth rather than human force of will.
Future Destiny
The third contrast between these two kingdoms is their final destiny. Empires, governments, and political parties rise and fall, and will eventually be held accountable to God. Agrippa discovered that the hard (and painful) way (Acts 12:20-23): "Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, [the people of Tyre and Sidon] asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply. On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, 'This is the voice of a god, not of a man.' Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died." The Jewish historian, Josephus, describes this event, commenting on the shiny material of Herod’s robe. He added, in horrific and graphic detail, that in the days following this event, worms in his intestines painfully worked their way out of his body.
Psalm 2 refers to the kings of the world who rejected the moral rules of God, and appeals to them to bow in submission to His Son, whom He had anointed King on Mount Zion, before it was too late. Paul writes of the final end of all the kingdoms of the world (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9): "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power."
Regardless of what the kingdom of the world does, the kingdom of Christ continues to spread. After Agrippa’s conflict with the church, he was dead, but “the word of God continued to increase and spread” (Acts 12:24). There was no doubt about the ultimate outcome, for the prophets had predicted such a kingdom (Isaiah 9:1-2,6-7):
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. . . . For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Also, after listing the four great empires depicted in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, Daniel told him, “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever” (2:44). Elsewhere, he referred to this kingdom to be set up by God (7:13-14,17-18):
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. . . . The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.
Conclusion
If Trump is elected, maybe democracy will cease to exist (as claimed by his opponents). If Harris is elected, maybe the country will cease to exist (according to her opponents). So, choose wisely! One thing we know for sure, the kingdom of this world will one day fall to the kingdom of Christ. “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever’” (Revelation 11:15). Which side do you want to be on? It will depend on the choices you make before then. Choose wisely!
New Hope Christian Church, 9/1/24
Let’s go on a mission! In-person mission trips certainly help to build our faith as well as encouraging the people we are visiting, but at the present our going is vicarious, experiencing it through the efforts of others. Through the historical record of Luke, we will be accompanying Paul and Barnabas on what has been termed “Paul’s First Missionary Journey.” Saul of Tarsus, later to be called the apostle Paul, began his preaching in Damascus, Syria, then in Jerusalem. Having to leave both of those behind on account of persecution, he then went to his home territory in Cilicia until Barnabas brought him to help in the new work in Antioch of Syria. It is there that our present text finds them.
Part of New Hope’s mission is to equip those we have reached to become “God’s messengers of reconciliation in everyday life.” We need to understand the seriousness of this part of our mission, learning how to become God’s messengers of reconciliation through the teaching and examples of others, especially by studying those in the first century church. In our present text we discover three elements in the mission travels of Paul and his associates.
Presenting the Good News of Eternal Life
Of course, the central element, indeed the purpose, of all Christian missions is presenting the good news of eternal life as we continue Jesus’ mission to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). It is not enough just to sit and wait for the lost to come to us. As Paul wrote, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14). He adds, “And how can they preach unless they are sent?” (10:15). Of course, the apostles (and through them, the church) were sent by Jesus in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8). Individual mission efforts need to be supported by churches sending out missionaries. That brings us to Acts 13—let us look in on the beginning of Paul’s First Journey.
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. . . . From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. (Acts 13:1-5,13-14)
Through fasting and prayer, the mission team was sent off. Tracing their path, we might infer that Paul (from Cilicia) and Barnabas (from Cyprus) were intending to include their own home territories in this journey. (They made it to Cyprus, but not to Cilicia—probably because of winter weather—see chapter 14.)
Paul’s usual procedure in his travels was established in this First Journey. Because of the Diaspora, that is, the scattering of the Jews, at this time in history, synagogues had been established in most of the cities in the Roman Empire, wherever there were at least ten adult males. As a result Paul and Barnabas found a people who already believed in the one true God and the prophecies of the coming Messiah. Perhaps being recognized as rabbis, they were usually given opportunity to speak to those in attendance.
They proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth as the long-promised Messiah (13:15-41). In Pisidian Antioch (to distinguish it from Antioch in Syria) Paul began his message by recounting the history of the Jews as God’s chosen people, through their time in Egypt, the forty years in the wilderness, and the conquest of Canaan. He spoke of the judges, of Samuel in particular, and the rule of King Saul. He moved from God’s choice of David as their king to the Messiah as one of David’s descendants. Paul introduced Jesus through the preaching of John the Baptizer, and then summarized the ministry of Jesus, emphasizing finally His death, burial, and resurrection as proof that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah. This proof included witnesses to the resurrection of Christ as well as references from the Law (the Old Testament) proclaiming the Messiah to be the Son of God. He closed with a promise—”Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses” (13:39)—and a warning from the prophets: “‘Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: “‘“Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you”’” (13:40-41).
Our mission as ministers of reconciliation is described by Paul, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. . . . All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:14,15,18).
Overcoming Opposition
What a privilege we have in being God’s messengers of reconciliation! Unfortunately, along with the privilege comes opposition. Paul’s team were opposed just about everywhere they went. For example, in Paphos (Cyprus) Elymas the sorceror “opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith” (13:8). “Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, ‘You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun.’ Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand” (13:9-11).
In Antioch, “When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: ‘We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth”’” (13:45-47). They were quoting from Isaiah 49:6 regarding God’s commission to His Messiah—the “you” is singular. After many Gentiles then accepted the gospel, “the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region” (13:50).
They overcame the opposition by their faith in and commitment to the mission—see the next point. After it was clear that they could not safely continue in Antioch, “they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium” (13:51), the next city eastward. (Compare this action with Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 10:14.) Nevertheless, “the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52).
Paul later would write, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God” (Philippians 1:27-28).
Reaching Those Inclined to Eternal Life
As the missionary team encountered and overcame the opposition, we see another important element in being God’s messengers of reconciliation. That element is to realize that not everyone will respond positively to the message—even Jesus was unable to reach most people with His message of salvation—and so we need to concentrate on those who are inclined to or desirous of eternal life.
Paul and Barnabas found Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul on Cyprus, as one who was interested in the message of eternal life: “The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. . . . When the proconsul saw what had happened [to Elymas], he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord” (13:7,12). In the synagogue at Antioch, “the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. . . . When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord” (13:42-44). After the opposition (see above) arose and Paul declared that they would take the message to the Gentiles, Luke records, “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for [or, inclined to] eternal life believed” (13:48). (The NIV says, “all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” This is one possible translation of the verse; other translations include “ordained” or “destined.” The Greek word can also mean, “disposed” or “inclined.” In 1 Corinthians 16:15 the NIV translates it, “devoted themselves.” Since eternal life is granted on the basis of faith in Christ, the sentence structure seems awkward if “appointed” or “ordained” is meant, seeming to place “appointed” to eternal life prior to their believing—although considering the foreknowledge of God, that would still be an acceptable way of phrasing it.)
The outcome of preaching the gospel to those who were interested in hearing it resulted in many new believers: “The word of the Lord spread through the whole region” (13:49). Learning from this example, we can see the importance of looking for those with open hearts and minds, and then presenting the open door. “‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me’” (Revelation 3:20.
Conclusion
All of us who follow Jesus are part of His plan to save the world, in spite of opposition. We need to pray for more harvesters and for those already in the field. Prayer is needed, but not enough. As Paul wrote: “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:3-6).
Are you doing your part in prayer and in looking for ways to encourage others to follow Jesus?
New Hope Christian Church, 9/8/24
Last week, we joined Paul and Barnabas on Paul’s first missionary journey. In Pisidian Antioch, the mission was suddenly moved forward: “The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium” (Acts 13:49-51). They were following the original instructions from Jesus: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town” (Matthew 10:14). Nevertheless, “the disciples [the new believers] were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit,” 13:52).
For many and various reasons (including opposition), we often find the need to be encouraged to move forward in our mission of being God’s messengers of reconciliation through our support of missions as well as in our daily lives. Preaching the gospel must move forward in spite of opposition. In our virtual journey alongside Paul and Barnabas, from city to city, we discover three different results in the cities of southern Galatia. (By the way, the churches in these cities were among those being addressed in Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.)
Iconium: Great Number of Believers
In Iconium many people became believers in Christ as the gospel was confirmed by miracles. “Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. . . . So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders” (Acts 14:1,3). However, in spite of the miracles some Jews “refused” to believe; they “stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers” (14:2).
This opposition resulted in violence against the messengers: “The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them” (14:4-5). Accordingly, Paul and Barnabas fled that city—“we know when we’re not wanted!”—again, following the instructions of Jesus: “When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another” (Matthew 10:23).
In Lystra: Mistaken as Gods
The next city eastward—no doubt still following the plan to return to Syrian Antioch by way of Paul’s home territory in Cilicia—was Lystra. Here, “they continued to preach the good news” (14:7). One of those listening was “a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked” (14:8). “Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!’ At that, the man jumped up and began to walk” (14:9-10). That certainly got the audience’s attention! They decided that these were not mortal men but rather gods (14:11-12)! (Certainly something that I’ve never been accused of!)
Thinking that they were gods—only one thing should be done: offer sacrifices to them (14:13). At first, it seems, the mission team did not understand what was being planned, being discussed in the local dialect. (Their preaching would have been in Greek, understood by most people in the Empire.) “But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: ‘Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them’” (14:14-15). Explaining that there is only one God, who in the past “let all nations go their own way,” they affirmed that He had “not left himself without testimony,” having shown kindness by giving them rain from heaven and crops in their seasons, thus providing them with plenty of food and filling their hearts with joy (14:16-17). “Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them” (14:18).
It’s amazing how quickly people’s attitude can change! “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead” (14:19). (Paul would later experience an opposite change of attitude—see Acts 28:3-6.) With Paul having been left for dead, the new believers “gathered around him, [then] he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe” (14:19-20). Was he really dead and then brought back to life? The language is uncertain. In fact, Paul himself may not have known. He may have been recalling this incident—the timing seems to fit—when he later wrote about himself in the third person to the church in Corinth: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).
Apparently in this preaching visit to Lystra, a very important contact was made. Later, upon the return to Lystra, we are introduced to “a disciple named Timothy” (16:1). And in his last letter, Paul wrote to Timothy, “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them” (2 Timothy 3:10-11).
To Derbe and then the Return Home
They then came to Derbe, where they won a large number of disciples (14:21) and apparently encountered no opposition. (Remember that the opposition in Lystra had come from Antioch and Iconium. Perhaps these trouble-makers thought Paul was dead and returned to their home towns.) If the team had been heading to Paul’s home territory (Tarsus of Cilicia), delays they had encountered—maybe due in part to John Mark’s lack of help (13:13)—may have pushed their timetable into the possibility of encountering extreme winter weather common in the Cilician Gates in the Taurus Mountains, which lay between them and Syria. Such weather would have forced them to retrace the steps of their journey rather than moving forward. Whatever the reason, the mission team returned through the towns of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, where they had preached the gospel. The new churches in each of these towns certainly needed additional teaching as well as encouragement in the face of persecution.
Taking advantage of this return trip, they strengthened the newly formed churches of Galatia, encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed [or, ordained, or, had elected] elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust” (14:22-23).
Returning to Antioch, “they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (14:27).
Conclusion
New Hope has done well and should always look for ways to do better in providing financial support for worldwide missions. This support needs to be undergirded by constant prayer, for there is still much opposition. What can you do to increase your missions prayer life?
New Hope Christian Church, 9/15/24
Jesus charged the elders and scribes: “‘You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to” (Matthew 23:13). Of course, the primary way they were closing the door to the kingdom was in their opposition to Him. Are we also sometimes guilty of closing the door to others? We must be on the alert for our own actions as well as those of others that might make it difficult for people to enter the kingdom of God.
God has opened the door of salvation to everyone, but too often the church makes it hard for people to enter or even to see that door. In our current text (Acts 15) we see three door-closers that threatened the growth of the church in its early years.
Unauthorized Sources of Teaching
False teaching about the kingdom and how to enter it is not always a product of incorrect interpretation of Scripture. Often it comes from following sources that have not been authorized by Christ. Jesus described such sources as blind guides:“‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit’” (Matthew 15:13-14).
Our text refers to some who were relying on the Law of Moses for instruction on entering the kingdom of Christ: “Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved’” (Acts 15:1). The Law of Moses—and more specifically, the Ten Commandments, as a law code—was the founding document—the constitution—for Israel prior to the coming of the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled the Law, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14). This teaching brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp debate with them; so “Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question” (15:2). Upon arriving, they discovered the source of this erroneous teaching. “Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses’” (15:5).
Since the source of this contention was found within the church in Jerusalem, that was the place to challenge it. In his letter to the churches in Galatia, the apostle Paul referred to this meeting: “This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you” (Galatians 2:4-5). The proper place to go to verify the truth was the church where the apostles, Christ’s authorized spokesmen, could set things straight. “The apostles and elders met to consider this question” (15:6). The “apostles,” of course, included Paul who was also an authorized source of teaching since he had been “sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1).
Although much of the Old Testament is relevant to the Christian age (especially in its teaching about God and His plan, man, and morality), the primary source authorized for the church is the teaching of Jesus and His apostles, as recorded in the New Testament. Regarding some who had rejected the authority of these apostles of Christ, the apostle John would later write, “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us [the apostles], but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:18-19). This apostolic authority had been granted to them by Jesus: “‘I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me’” (John 13:20, see also 14:26; 16:13). Jesus had told Peter, “‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’” (Matthew 16:19). Later, He gave those keys to all the apostles, “‘I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’” (18:18). This “whatever” no doubt refers to teaching about the responsibilities and morals of His followers as well as the terms of forgiveness. Regarding the latter, the resurrected Jesus told them, “‘If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven’” (John 20:23).
This conclusion about the apostles being the only authorized source of doctrine (teaching) for the church does not mean that there can be no other teachers in the church; just that all others must teach only what the apostles taught. Paul wrote, “Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written.’ Then you will not take pride in one man over against another’” (1 Corinthians 4:6). The foundation of the church is Jesus Christ: “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). Each new believer is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).
Adding to or Subtracting from the Terms of Salvation
The text (Acts 15) describes a second door-closer, adding to the terms of salvation. At this Jerusalem conference, Paul and Barnabas represented the Antioch conviction that circumcision was not required for the Gentiles, but “some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees” (15:5) were convinced that the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10) not only was still in effect but also required the Gentile converts to practice circumcision. After both sides of the question were discussed, the apostle Peter reminded those in the meeting of his encounter with Cornelius (15:7-11):
“Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Through the ministries of Peter and Paul, God had opened to the Gentiles the door of grace through faith (15:12). Jesus’ half-brother James, probably the lead elder in the Jerusalem church, cited the Old Testament (Acts 15:15-17) as agreeing that God would accept the Gentiles in the Messianic age. He concluded, based on Peter and Paul’s experiences and the teaching of the prophets, “‘It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God’” by requiring them to practice circumcision. The Jews had discovered that many Gentiles believed in their God and wanted to live for Him—and were thus known as God-fearing (that is, worshipers of God, Acts 10:2; 13:26,50; 17:4,17)—but the insistence on circumcision and other aspects of the Law, understandably, made many unwilling to convert to Judaism.
As a result, although the Jewish Christians usually continued the practice of male circumcision for their own children (in reference to the covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17), it was recognized as not necessary for salvation through Christ. They did not want to close the door to the kingdom by requiring beliefs or actions that the gospel did not require. Paul based the concept of the unity of Christians on the terms of salvation: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:5-7). In writing to the Galatians at about the same time, he challenged them: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all” (5:1-2).
Although the text in Acts 15 does not mention it, subtracting from the terms of salvation would also be a door-closer since it can lead people to believe mistakenly that they have obeyed the gospel when, in fact, they have not. People who are led to believe that they just need to belong to a particular sect or church, or that they just need to believe in Jesus without repentance or baptism (Acts 2:38), or that they can just live anyway that they think God approves, are being kept out of the kingdom.
Now, teaching that the “essential” conditions for becoming a Christian are all that it takes to enter the kingdom, does not mean that there are not other essentials for Christian living. In fact, James suggested certain moral conditions should be required for the converted Gentiles in their Christian life, not for becoming Christians but for living as Christians: “‘Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood’” (15:20). Apparently all were in agreement, for in the letter to the believers in Antioch, they wrote, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to [all of, 15:25] us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements,” then listing the above points (15:28).
Additional essentials also include those that are essential for spiritual growth (2 Peter 1:5-10) and for leaders in the church (Titus 1:6-11).
Clinging to the Past
The final door-closer in the text (Acts 15:36-38) did not actually occur since the involved parties worked around it: clinging to the past. “Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work” (see 13:13). Was Paul holding a grudge against Mark or just not willing to take a chance on him? Either way, this “sharp disagreement” regarding Mark could have prevented a second missionary journey. It was handled by forming two teams: Barnabas would take Mark and visit the churches on Cyprus, and Paul would take a new partner, Silas, to the churches previously established in southern Turkey. At the end of his life, Paul would tacitly acknowledge that Barnabas had been right. He wrote, “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).
Another way to cling to the past is through traditionalism. People hang on to the old ways because they are comfortable with them, even though they are no longer effective in building the kingdom. Jesus accused the Jewish leaders, “‘You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men. . . . You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!’” (Mark 7:8-9). When He and His disciples were accused of not fasting, He said, “‘No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘“The old is better”’” (Luke 5:36-39). What did He mean? New times—the Messianic Age—call for new methods, but people often like the old ones better. That is still true, even though those old ways might lessen the church’s influence.
However, it is not traditions that are necessarily wrong, but rather being tied to them when something new would work better. We should not forget the past, but rather build upon it. “‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old’” (Matthew 13:52).
Conclusion
There are other door-closers, for example, tempting others to sin, hypocritical Christians, and church fights. Jesus stands at all the closed doors, seeking entrance into our hearts: “‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me’” (Revelation 3:20). We must first open the door that keeps Him out of our heart and then make sure we are not making it difficult for others to open theirs.
New Hope Christian Church, 9/22/24
Abraham’s first act of faith (Hebrews 11:8) was to follow God without knowing where he was being led, resulting in great blessings to him and his descendants. Like Abraham, we can experience many blessings of God that come from following Christ into unknown territory; but we often are not comfortable with where He is leading and pray for relief from the trials He allows us to experience.
When prayers go “unanswered,” remember this: the Lord Jesus Christ knows what He’s doing. The best blessings come only when we’re willing to go through the fire. The apostle Paul’s team on his second missionary journey experienced blessings on the following three occasions that came only after encountering opposition to their work.
Return to Turkey, Acts 16:1-6
After his disagreement with Barnabas regarding John Mark, Paul chose Silas to join him on the next missionary journey (15:39-41). Silas had been one of the prophets that accompanied Paul and Barnabas back from their conference in Jerusalem (15:27,32). On the first missionary journey, when they had preached in southern Turkey, Paul and Barnabas had been run out of every town but Derbe (see13:50-51; 14:5-6,19-20). On this second journey, no opposition was reported. In fact, in Lystra (where Paul had been stoned and left for dead), the church was apparently firmly established, from which a very important team member was added, a young man by the name of Timothy. Although Timothy was both Greek (father) and Jew (mother), “the brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.” He proved to be an exceptional disciple: “Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek” and therefore may have been reluctant to listen to further preaching by the missionary team. How many men would undergo a surgical procedure for the sake of spreading the word of God?
Having previously suffered persecution “throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia,” this time “they traveled from town to town,” delivering “the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey [chapter 15]. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers” (16:4-6). (The Greek actually says “in number,” perhaps implying that the growth was not just in the number of disciples but also in the number of churches.) What a blessing these results must have been to the mission team!
Into Europe, 16:6-15
It’s easy to imagine that the team, delighted by their success, would have wanted to push on to other cities, and so, westward they traveled. However, their plans were not the same as Christ’s. In modern times, this area of Turkey is called Asia Minor. The Romans had established there a province that they called Asia. Apparently Paul wanted to preach the gospel there but was “kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia” (16:6). Following one of the roads through the interior, “Asia” and Mysia would have been to the left, Bithynia to the right. “When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (16:7). Forbidden to go left or right, the only remaining option was straight ahead toward Troas, on the coast of the Aegean Sea. Looking for more unevangelized territories, Paul must have wondered what God had in mind for him.
“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” (16:9-10). Macedonia was (and still is) the northern part of Greece. Note that, unlike many people today who are so sure that God is leading them, even after this vision, they only “concluded” that God was leading them to preach in Europe. More importantly note the word “us.” At this juncture in Paul’s ministry he was joined by Luke, who would become the author of Acts and the Gospel bearing his name. By the way, this event has given rise to the concept of the “Macedonian call,” a sense or conviction that God is calling someone to a particular evangelistic ministry.
Acquiring steerage, they crossed the Aegean into Europe. Passing through several smaller cities or villages, they came to Philippi, “a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia” (16:12). Being a Roman colony, where Roman customs and traditions imitated those in Rome, Philippi would not have been particularly comfortable for Jews. Therefore, Paul’s usual first stop in a synagogue was not possible, indicating that there were fewer than 10 adult male Jews living there (the minimum necessary for a synagogue). When the next Sabbath day came, they went down to the riverside, a frequent meeting place for Jews when there was no synagogue. (“Meeting place” here may even have been a technical term for such a place for prayer.) Finding only women there, they presented the gospel to them.
Ironically, their first convert was from “Asia,” the province that they had previously been forbidden by Christ to enter. Lydia was “a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira” (16:14), and thus a woman of some means, for purple cloth in ancient times was very expensive. She was a “worshiper of God,” indicating that she was a Gentile who believed in the Jews’ God but had not converted to Judaism. “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message,” and, believing the gospel, she and “the members of her household” (probably meaning family and/or servants) obeyed the gospel by being baptized. She then invited the mission team to come to her house, seemingly to set up their headquarters there.
An interesting question arises about God opening her heart. That expression does not occur elsewhere in the Bible. In what sense did God “open her heart”? Since she was already a worshiper of God, perhaps the expression simply means that she was persuaded about Christ through the preaching of the cross and, of course, the testimony concerning His resurrection. Paul would later write of his preaching to the Galatians (3:1): “Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” The apostle John had written that Jesus said, “‘But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself’”; explaining that He “said this to show the kind of death he was going to die” (John 12:32-33). Also Paul wrote, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). However, “we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (4:5-7). He then listed many of the hardships and sufferings that God’s messengers experience. His point was that, when the messengers keep presenting Christ in spite of their difficulties, sometimes it gets the hearers’ attention. Perhaps God opened Lydia’s heart through the preaching of the cross in spite of the difficulties of those who were doing the preaching.
Singing in Jail, 16:16-40
Opposition to the gospel did not come from Jews in Philippi, but the mission team still encountered resistance, this time from Gentile businessmen. They ran across “a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling” (16:16). For a while she followed them, “shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved’” (16:17). One might think that Paul appreciated this confirmation of his mission, but he did not want the endorsement of an evil spirit any more than Jesus had wanted the testimony of the demon-possessed. After many days of this, Paul cast out the spirit, ending her ability to predict the future (to whatever extent she had been able). Her owners were not happy to lose this source of income, so they took Paul and Silas before the city magistrates. They did not charge them with hurting their business, but rather, “‘These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice,’” perhaps a reference to the preaching of the one true God as opposed to the Roman practice of offering sacrifices to their gods.
“The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks” (16:22-24). A Roman flogging was much harsher than the Jewish lashes, so we can assume that the prisoners were suffering greatly (not that the Jewish rods or whips were easily endured). “About midnight”—perhaps implying that it took several hours for their pains to subside—they prayed and sang hymns to God. No doubt such a response to being beaten was a mystery to the other prisoners. Then, suddenly “there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose” (16:26). The jailer woke up and, noticing that the doors were open, assumed that the prisoners had all escaped. Romans were not kind to their officers who allowed prisoners to escape, and so the jailer just decided to kill himself.
Paul, now freed and perhaps standing close to the jailer, assured him that no one had escaped. (The earthquake was, of course, a miracle from God, but it seems almost a miracle that the prisoners had not escaped!) Before drifting off to sleep the jailer may have been listening to some of Paul’s singing and maybe testifying as well—would we, in a similar situation, have been concerned enough about others’ souls to be preaching to them? He fell down, trembling, before Paul and Silas. This jailer, under Roman authority, recognized the superiority of Paul’s God to his gods. He did not know much else, but something about their singing and/or preaching moved him to realize his need to be saved. “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household’” (16:30-31).
Many people take their instruction out of context, claiming that believing in Jesus is all that it takes. However, the word continues, “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized” (16:32-33). He did his best to ease their suffering by washing their wounds, indicating his sorrow regarding what they had endured. The “word of the Lord” indicates a fuller presentation of the gospel (for example, as found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8) and how one obeys the gospel (for example, Acts 2:38). After they were baptized, the “jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family” (16:34).
Opposition to the preaching of the gospel once again resulted in acceptance of the gospel. By the way, Paul and Silas could have made known their Roman citizenship (16:37) at the very beginning of this incident and avoided the flogging and being thrown into jail. But if they had, the jailer and his family might never have been saved. What happened after the meal at the jailer’s house? He took them back to jail! After all, that was his duty, and Christians obey the law, even when unjust (see 1 Peter 2:13-25). (Much to their chagrin, the other prisoners undoubtedly were returned to jail—but they had experienced the power, the preaching, and the testimony of God’s messengers. We can only hope that many of them took to heart the new message that the jailer now had for them.) The next day, perhaps also having been frightened by the earthquake, the magistrates sent word to release Paul and Silas. However, their reputation (and that of the newly formed church) was at stake, and so they demanded the magistrates themselves escort them out (16:37-39), exonerating them as lawbreakers. Although requested to leave the city, instead they went back to Lydia’s house “where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left” (16:40). The “brothers” now included, at a minimum, Lydia, her household, and the jailer and his household. A church powerful in the work of Christ was now established, one that Paul would always consider fondly. For more about this church, read the letter to the Philippians as well as 2 Corinthians 8—where they and the other churches (Thessalonica, Berea) established at this time are referred to simply as Macedonians.
Conclusion
When we give ourselves to the service of Christ, we never know where it will lead. The best blessings come only when we’re willing to go through the tribulations (Acts 14:22). Don’t you want to know the blessings that come through your participation in the work of the church, regardless of the cost?
New Hope Christian Church, 9/29/24
Preachers of the gospel often identify with Ezekiel (33:30-32). They appreciate it when people invite others to come and hear the message from God, but too often the hearers consider the speaker as “nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear [his] words but do not put them into practice”! The Bible says, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). God is still speaking through His word (the Bible), but are we listening? More importantly, the question is not just, are you listening, but also, how are you listening (see Luke 8:18)? What are you doing with the word?
In Acts 17 we follow Paul and Silas as they continue the Second Missionary Journey into three Greek cities, where we see three differing types of responses to the gospel.
Jealous Traditionalists
Leaving Philippi (chapter 16) and passing through the smaller villages of Amphipolis and Apollonia, the missionaries came to Thessalonica (17:1), the capital of Macedonia. They followed their usual custom (which had been interrupted in Philippi): “Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,’ he said” (17:2-3). Notice that, as usual, Paul referred to Messianic prophecies in the Law and the Prophets as he demonstrated how they were fulfilled in the Person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. “Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women” (17:4); but “the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd” (17:5).
At first look, it appears that they were jealous of the numbers of their people who were accepting this new understanding of God’s word. More deeply considered, the message seems to have been discounted by those who were jealous of (holding on to, at all costs) their own religious traditions: “they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: ‘These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house’” (17:6-7). They must have drawn the same conclusions from the gospel message that Stephen’s hearers had drawn: “‘This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us’” (6:13-14). (Later, the elders in Jerusalem would tell Paul that the Jews in Jerusalem had been erroneously informed that he had been teaching “‘all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs’” [21:21]).
These in Thessalonica rejected Jesus as their king (that is, the Son of David), but, for political reasons, viewed this Messianic claim as a threat to Caesar; claiming that the disciples were “‘all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus’” (17:7). As a result, “the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go” (17:8-9). That they were only required to post bond indicates that the authorities did not take seriously the claim that Jesus was a threat to Caesar. At His trial before Pilate, Jesus had been charged with the same claim; and Pilate had not taken it as a real threat either. In both cases, the authorities just wanted to maintain peace; so they gave in to the mob.
Philosophical Skeptics
Two stops later found Paul alone in Athens—Silas and Timothy had been left in Macedonia, and apparently with Paul gone, the others were ignored by the opponents. Athens was considered the wisdom capital of the Empire, being considered under the protection of Athena, goddess of wisdom. Paul was distressed to see so many gods in this metropolis. “So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there” (17:15-16). The marketplace (agora) was also a place where others gathered, “doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas” (17:21). Hearing Paul’s preaching the good news about Jesus, and especially the resurrection, some thought he was advocating foreign gods. “A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him” (17:18). (Epicureans taught that the greatest good in life was pursuing pleasure; but the Stoics taught the opposite, the denial of sensual pleasure.) They wanted to hear him, but were not sincerely seeking the truth.
Invited into the Areopagus (Greek for Mars Hill—although in Paul’s day they no longer actually went up on the hill), a place where public philosophical discussions were often held, Paul spoke to them about the God of creation. He began by saying that he had noticed they were very religious, indicated by their many altars to their gods. He mentioned that he had seen an altar “to an unknown god” and then began telling them about that God, the one who is not
“served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” (17:25-28)
Then he pointed out that such a Creator could not be made of “‘gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead’” (17:29-31).
Few of these members of the “intelligentsia” responded positively: “When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, ‘We want to hear you again on this subject.’ . . . A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others” (17:32,34). For the majority, however, the message was filtered out by those who were too confident of their own intelligence. Paul wrote about such people in 1 Corinthians 1:18-21, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For . . . the world through its wisdom did not know him . . . .” And again, (2:4-8):
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
We all know how wealth can interfere with a person’s commitment to Christ, but a wealth of intelligence can also prevent an honest hearing of the evidences for faith in Him; but in this case it is not so much a person’s greed as his pride!
Genuine Truth-seekers
Between the jealous traditionalists among many of the Jews in Thessalonica and the “we know more than you” philosophers of Athens were those with open minds and an eagerness to know the truth. Paul’s team found such persons in Berea. He preached the same message in all three cities, although adapting his methods to their individual situations. Nevertheless, in spite of his individualized approaches, the responses to that gospel varied with the listeners. Upon speaking in the synagogue in Berea, Paul discovered that “the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men” (17:11-12).
The message preached in Berea was not filtered out by tradition or philosophy, being sincerely examined and compared with Scripture. Later, Paul would write to the Thessalonian church that they should not expect the Second Coming to be soon, for a rebellion would occur first, led by a “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). This person would “exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God” (2:4). People would believe this lie (2:11) because “they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (2:10). Paul wrote to those who had obeyed the gospel, to encourage them not to fall for anyone bringing a different gospel: “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2:13-15).
Conclusion
Jesus concluded the “Sermon on the Mount” with these words (Matthew 7:21-27):
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Are you a daily and eager searcher of Scripture? Or are you satisfied with just taking others’ words or even your own opinions as the truth?
C. Ermal Allen, New Hope Christian Church, 11/3/24
Leaving Athens, the intellectual capital of the Greco-Roman world and renowned as the pinnacle of wisdom, the apostle Paul, having left Silas and Timothy to continue the work in Macedonia (Acts 17:14-15), took the gospel to one of the most sexualized and depraved cities of the empire. The temple of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of erotic love, stood at the top of the acropolis (the highest point in the city). According to a long-held belief—although some have recently cast doubts on this belief—one thousand prostitutes served the worshipers at this temple. In the empire a sexually promiscuous woman was sometimes called “a Corinthian girl.” Later, Paul would write the following about the lifestyle out of which the Christians had come. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)—”that is what some of you were”! Indeed, in some cases they were still in the process of overcoming their previous way of life. For example, Paul wrote, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife” (5:1). In his second letter (12:20-21) to the church there—prior to his third visit—he wrote: "For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be . . . . I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. I am afraid that when I come again . . . I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged." Note that he is talking about the church members!
“A rising tide raises all boats,” and a falling tide lowers all. With great difficulty Christians maintain high standards when the culture around them is becoming more and more wicked. Contrary to what many Christians believe, America has never been an overly godly nation; but since the teachings of Darwin and Marx have invaded our educational systems and then our culture as a whole, beginning with the post-World War II generation, immorality has come out of hiding in secret places and is now acceptable to many, including many who claim to be Christians. If we continue this downward spiral into sinful behavior, we will fall under Paul’s charge against humanity in general (Romans 1:28-32):
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Establishing and maintaining a strong church in a culture immersed in sensuality and idolatry requires determination, a strong awareness of right and wrong, and trust in God’s word and provision. Three factors made it possible to establish a church of Christ in ancient Corinth, a city known for its depravity.
Tent-making (Acts 18:1-5)
The first factor was Paul’s willingness to take on a side job since his ministry funds had dried up. He met a Jewish couple who had recently moved from Rome to Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla. They appear to have been quite wealthy, being tent-makers—a trade in ancient days that was greatly needed. Because he had also been trained in tent-making, Paul worked with them in order to pay his expenses. They were Christians, but Luke neglects to tell us whether they had become disciples of Jesus while in Rome or under the influence of Paul. (Luke writes that the Emperor “Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.” A Roman historian reported this expulsion, resulting from rioting among the Jews over one “Chrestus.”) Aquila and Priscilla would become life-long friends with Paul and co-workers in the faith, apparently involved with the churches in both Rome and Ephesus (see 18:18,19,26; Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; and 2 Timothy 4:19).
Taking on this side job demonstrates Paul’s determination to take the gospel to more places: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation” (Romans 15:20). He could have stayed in Macedonia, especially Philippi and Berea, where the churches were more supportive of his work; but he chose instead to stick it out in Corinth.
The tent-making made it possible for Paul to continue preaching, although only on Sabbath days: “Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:4). However, it was only a stop-gap procedure; for when the mission support came in, it enabled him to lay aside the tent-making and preach full-time: “When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching” (18:5). It seems that the primary financial backing was from Philippi: “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only” (Philippians 4:15).
Teaching, 18:4-8
As usual, in Corinth Paul began in the synagogue, with an emphasis on Jesus as the Messiah (18:4-5). Soon, however, opposition arose; but this time his team was not forced to leave. They went next door: “But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’ Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God” (18:6-7), that is, he was a believer in the Jews’ God but had not fully converted to Judaism.
Luke does not tell us whether Titius Justus was a disciple, but it seems likely that he was. We are told that the synagogue ruler, Crispus, accepted the gospel, the good news that Jesus was the Messiah (18:8). Furthermore, it seems that his successor, Sosthenes (see 18:17), also became a Christian (see 1 Corinthians 1:1). In addition, as a result of this move, many of the Corinthians, who probably would not have attended the synagogue, believed and were baptized.
Trusting, 18:9-17
The third factor that made it possible to establish a church of Christ in this city known for its depravity was Paul’s trust in the leading and presence of Christ. “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city’” (18:9-10). As a result, “Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God” (18:11). As far as we know, other than in his home-base in Syrian Antioch, this was to date the longest time he had ever spent preaching in a single location. (He would exceed that time in the next city, Ephesus.)
The presence of Jesus in his ministry was necessary since the opposition continued. They even tried to take him to court, but the Roman proconsul, Gallio, threw out the charges since they were religion-based and not relevant to Roman law. (Rome did not at this time consider Christianity to be separate from Judaism.) Paul’s opponents were so outraged that they turned on their own synagogue ruler, Sosthenes (18:17), perhaps because they did not think he had tried hard enough. (They may have even suspected that he was a sympathizer of Paul.) And so, Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time (18:18). (Interesting side note: a coin indicating Gallio’s presence in Corinth helps us establish the date of Paul’s time there.)
Conclusion
Paul would later write two letters to the church in Corinth which demonstrate that this church had multiple moral as well as theological problems. Nevertheless Paul stuck with them, visiting at least two more times. In spite of their struggles with the sin so prominent in Corinth, he still referred to them as “saints” who had been called into fellowship with God through Jesus Christ. If a strong church could be established in Corinth, it can be in our culture as well. What are you willing to do for the sake of the name of Christ? Will you stick with the church and help us stand for the gospel of Christ?
C. Ermal Allen, New Hope Christian Church, 11/17/24
On his second missionary journey, “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia” (Acts 16:6). Following a vision in the night, the team left Turkey and traveled into Europe, first into Macedonia and then into Achaia (northern and southern Greece, respectively). Even when following what we consider the will of God, the “best-laid schemes o’mice an’ men Gang aft agley” (Robert Burns). For that reason, we need always to be open to God’s direction in our lives: even when we plan to serve God in a specific way, sometimes He has other things in mind. That was often true even for the apostles of Christ.
It is ironic that Paul’s first convert in Greece was a woman from the province of Asia (16:14). As he closed out his second journey, he did finally make it to this province, although very briefly. In our present text (Acts 18:18-19:41), we discover three facets of Paul’s ministry in the city of Ephesus, one of the major cities in the Roman Empire, located on the western coast of Turkey. (Population counts that long ago are largely educated guesses, but we can see something about the population of Ephesus in the fact that the amphitheater could seat 25,000!)
Promises
First, we will consider two promises of Paul that were connected with Ephesus, one kept and the other not so much. The first promise was made in his first visit to Ephesus, in fact, only a stopover. Leaving behind the church in Corinth, he “sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. . . . They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. But as he left, he promised, ‘I will come back if it is God’s will.’ Then he set sail from Ephesus” (18:18-21). (Notice that this promise had a condition, “if it is God’s will.” We should be careful about making unconditional promises, for they are probably prohibited by Jesus’ teaching regarding taking oaths, as in Matthew 5:34.)
After concluding the second missionary journey and spending “some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples” (18:23), thus beginning his third missionary journey. As indicated, he returned to churches established during his first journey, then adding new territory further west (but still in Turkey), keeping his promise to return to Ephesus (19:1). Paul’s original target in “Asia” (16:6) may have been Ephesus. Its importance is seen not only in his lengthy ministry there, compared to most other places, but also in sending Timothy (1 Timothy 1:3; see also 2 Timothy 1:18) and Tychicus (2 Timothy 4:12) to help the church there. The church in Ephesus later received one of the seven letters in the book of Revelation (1:11;2:1).
In Ephesus (19:1-7), Paul “found some disciples and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’” When they answered that they had not even heard of the Holy Spirit, Paul immediately questioned them about their baptism, for baptism into Christ necessarily involved teaching about the Spirit (2:38). Replying to this question, they responded, “‘John's baptism.’” Paul then informed them that “‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.” Then Paul “placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.”
However, Luke’s record is so brief that it leaves us with several unanswered questions: (1) The word disciples, as used in Acts, would imply that they were followers of Jesus; but did not Paul’s reference to John’s teaching about Jesus (19:3-5) indicate that they also did not know about baptism into the name of the Lord Jesus (2:38) and would therefore not be His disciples (see Matthew 28:19)? (2) Some have suggested that these had been taught by Apollos, who at first had known only the baptism of John although he did know some of the facts about Jesus (18:25); but, after he had been taught more adequately (18:26), would he have left for Corinth (18:27; 1 Corinthians 1:12) without teaching his students this new information? (3) Furthermore, if they had not known about baptism into Jesus, would they have known about His crucifixion and resurrection? Surely anyone who had been taught these facts would also have been taught about baptism (8:35-36; 16:31-33). (4) Finally, since the Spirit is given upon baptism into Christ (2:38; 5:32), Paul’s initial question about receiving the Holy Spirit, which assumed incorrectly that they had been baptized into Christ, must have been not about the indwelling of the Spirit but rather about the possibility of receiving a miraculous gift such as tongues or prophecy. Why would he think that? Was he aware that another apostle, perhaps Peter, had been there earlier? Except in two cases (Acts 2 and 10) this type of Spiritual gifts came only through the apostles’ hands (see 8:14-18; Romans 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:6; 2 Corinthians 12:12).
Putting aside these questions for now, we continue with the narrative. After this encounter, Paul then followed his usual procedure, teaching in the synagogue. He spoke “boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God” (19:8). In spite of his persuasiveness, “some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way” (19:9). He then “took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (19:10).
During his stay at Ephesus, Paul had to modify a second promise, one that had been made to the believers in Corinth. “Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia” (19:21). Luke only refers to the modification, but we learn about the original promise in 2 Corinthians 1:15-16. At some point, Paul had told them that, upon leaving Ephesus, he would return to Corinth before going to Macedonia: “I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea.” It seems that Paul had made this commitment during his second visit to Corinth (see 2 Corinthians 13:1)—a short visit not mentioned in Acts. While still in Ephesus, he wrote to them (1 Corinthians 16:5-9): "After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me."
Some of them did not take this change very well, accusing him of hypocritically (“lightly” and “in a worldly manner”) going back on his word (2 Corinthians 1:17). (Some of them were apparently just looking for reasons to criticize him. See chapters 10-11.) He responded to their criticism: “I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth” (1:23). Later in the letter he explained (12:19-21):
Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
This response to his first letter as well as the continual sinful behavior by some of them may have been reported by Titus (7:6), although his overall report was favorable.
Partners
During that earlier, short visit to Ephesus, Paul “went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.” He was well received but, for some unknown reason, left, closing out this journey back home in Syrian Antioch (18:19-22). He did promise to return (see above), leaving behind his new-found friends, Priscilla and Aquila. This couple essentially became his partners (“fellow workers”) in the gospel in Ephesus, and later in Rome (see Romans 16:3), eventually returning to Ephesus (2 Timothy 4;19).
A new partner appeared on the scene in Ephesus, “a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria” (18:24). Luke described him as “a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures” (the Old Testament). Apollos had somewhere, by someone, been instructed about the Way, although, mysteriously, “he knew only the baptism of John”! What could he have known about the Way without knowing about the baptism of Jesus? The Gospels relate the message of John the Baptizer: the Kingdom of God was at hand; the “true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world”; people needed to prepare by repenting of their sins; the One coming after John was far superior to him; and finally, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1). Apparently Apollos knew this much but no more. His message about Jesus was accurate but incomplete (18:25). “He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately” (18:26).
Priscilla and Aquila had apparently taken the seed planted by Paul and grown it into a church. Apollos, perhaps having heard about Paul’s work in Corinth (in the province of Achaia), decided he would like to help the believers there. The brothers in Ephesus “encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed” (18:27). Apparently one of that church’s greatest needs was a greater acquaintance with the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah—his strong point—for Apollos “vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (18:28).
Provocations
After Paul returned to Ephesus, he had great success building on the work that had already been done. An important element in this success was the challenge to the many who were involved with demonic and occult practices. In what we might call a preliminary bout with the devil, “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them” (19:11-12).
These miracles impressed even some Jews, including sons of a chief priest, so that they tried imitating Paul by invoking the name of Jesus in their own attempts to cast out demons. The demons, however, were not so compliant, at one point replying to the would-be exorcists, “‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (19:15-16)! “When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor” (19:17).
As a result, many believers “now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power” (19:18-20). (A drachma was equivalent to a day’s pay for the average worker.) When people can see how much our faith is worth to us, it makes an impression and opens doors for our work in spreading the gospel.
It was at this point that Paul decided to stay longer in Ephesus “because a great door for effective work” had opened to him, in spite of the fact that there were many who opposed him (19:21-22). He might have changed his mind if he had known what was about to happen.
Provoking the demonic elements was one thing, but, as is often the case, it was the provocation to the economic interests of some merchants that brought Paul’s presence in Ephesus to an end. “A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen” (19:24). Apparently Paul’s claim that man-made gods were not real was leading people to make fewer purchases from these merchants. To read Luke’s thrilling account of the riot that ensued, read 19:25-34. Finally, a city official took control of the mob, warning them that the Romans would not look kindly upon this uproar. “When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia” (20:1).
Conclusion
Fortunately, in most places now, we can preach Christ without raising a riot! Although, that might be because we are not as zealous for the gospel. Christ is still calling us all to serve Him. Have you tried and found the door closed for some service to Him? Then, pray for open doors and/or look for another place to serve.
Are you searching His word and praying for His leading? If not, what’s holding you back?
New Hope Christian Church, 12/1/24
Often bands take a farewell tour, indicating the end of their public performances. Although Paul was not concluding his ministry, he was closing out his third missionary journey, returning to Jerusalem (Acts 20:1-21:17). (His plans for the future included Rome and Spain—see Romans 15:20-25.) This was the last time he expected to visit the churches in the province of Asia and Greece. He made a brief stop in Miletus to speak to the elders of the church in nearby Ephesus; but, to their sorrow, he said, “‘Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again’” (20:25). (He may have been mistaken—plans were soon to change.)
As Christians, from time to time each of us needs to examine what we are doing with our lives. Are we just routinely going through life, waiting for the end? Or, is there more that we can do for Christ’s mission to seek and to save the lost? After all, the work of spreading the gospel is a multi-generational project, always requiring new recruits. In our text, supplemented by information from his letters, we can see four activities in Paul’s farewell tour (in this missionary journey) that laid the groundwork for ministry that would last far beyond his death. Wouldn’t you like to leave a legacy that outlasts many generations to come?
In-person Teaching
In-person teaching of the churches along the return route to Judea presented not only additional teaching but especially encouragement for the churches now to be left on their own. On their first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas had established this practice: “They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust” (14:21-23).
Now, he spoke “many words of encouragement” to the Christians in Macedonia (20:1-2,3-6, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea), Greece (20:2-3, Athens, Corinth, and probably Cenchrea), and Ephesus (20:1,16-17). After passing back through Macedonia, Paul stopped at Troas. Luke does not tell us of Paul’s previous work in Troas (in northwestern Turkey), but evidently he had established a church there. His time in Troas had been productive but short—see 2 Corinthians 2:12-13. This second visit is instructive to us regarding church meetings. Although he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost (20:16), he spent an entire week in Troas, waiting for their regular assembly: “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight” (20:7). “Break bread” was the way Luke referred to celebrating the Lord’s Supper (see Acts 2:42). That this was a weekly occurrence is implied by the matter-of-fact way that Luke refers to it. (By the way, at this point in the narrative we are informed that Luke was present—see the word “we.”)
This passage clearly implies (and is confirmed by early post-apostolic writings) that the early churches met every first day of the week for the purpose of “breaking bread.” Certainly, in an atmosphere of worship toward God, they studied the Scriptures (as they became available), enjoyed fellowship with one another, and prayed together. But none of these things, including worship, is ever described as the reason they came together. The Lord’s Supper was the main purpose—see also 1 Corinthians 11:20-34—for their meeting.
“Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight” (20:7). After an interruption (see next), “Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left” (20:11). We can only speculate regarding the content of this teaching. However, it seems likely that much of it would be the same as he had been teaching the other churches in person as well as in his letters. The length of this teaching is explained by the brevity of his initial visit (2 Corinthians 2:12-13).
The interruption in this teaching was caused by a young man by the name of Eutychus. Luke refers to the many lamps in this third-floor room. Apparently they were putting out quite a bit of heat, and considering that “Paul talked on and on,” Eutychus sought some cool air by sitting in the window. He became drowsy, and falling asleep, he fell out of the window to the ground below. (We should not assume that Paul’s message was boring. No doubt Eutychus had been working all day and just fell asleep from exhaustion. At least, he was there and trying his best to stay awake!) The fall was fatal (or, at least, appeared to be—Luke just says, he “was picked up dead.”) “Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He's alive!’” (20:9-10). After the meeting was over, “The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted” (20:12).
Remote Teaching
While in Macedonia and Greece, Paul also wrote letters to several churches. Without these letters that were to have a lasting significance, we would know very little of his teaching to the churches of that day. Luke does not mention in Acts any of Paul’s letter-writing, but his collection of copies of those letters reveals the importance of this part of Paul’s work. It has been theorized that Luke intentionally did not mention these letters because he was planning the collection as the third part of his work, his Gospel being the first, then Acts.
The letters penned by Paul at this time that have been included in the New Testament were these:
From Macedonia, 2 Corinthians—compare Acts 20:1-2 with 2 Corinthians 2:12-13; 7:5; and 9:2,4
From Macedonia, Galatians (inferred from its similarity to Romans, but with a sense of hurriedness along with a less than systematic treatment of the gospel), Acts 20:2
From Corinth (or nearby Cenchrea), Romans—compare Acts 20:2-3 with Romans 15:25-26 and the mention of Phoebe in Romans 16:1; Gaius in 16:23 and 1 Corinthians 1:14; and Erastus in Romans 16:23 and 2 Timothy 4:20 (if the same one)
Paul wrote other letters, of course, some prior to these and others afterward.
Collecting Funds for Jerusalem
This third missionary journey, establishing new churches and visiting others previously established, had a secondary mission: Paul was collecting money to help relieve the poverty of many Jewish Christians in Judea. After his return to Jerusalem and subsequent arrest, his defense included his purpose for being in Jerusalem: “‘After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor’” (24:17). This was a constant concern for Paul. At the beginning of his ministry, “James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Galatians 2:9-10). And while he had been working with Barnabas at Syrian Antioch (Acts 11:27-30): "During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul."
Paul had instructed the saints in Corinth: “Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me” (1 Corinthians 16:1-4). And to the Roman believers, he wrote, “Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem” (Romans 15:25-26).
This collection was not only a gift of benevolence. In doing so, Paul was building a sense of universal concern within the brotherhood: “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little’” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15). “They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings” (Romans 15:27).
Training New Workers
Although Luke does not specifically say so, the men from the churches where the money was being raised were probably being trained by Paul in the work of evangelism. Luke mentions several: “He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia” (20:4). The apostles’ commission (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19) outlasted their lives here on earth. And so, they had to prepare the church for the coming centuries—of course, they did not know how long, but the centuries have now become millenia.
Paul wrote about the plan: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). In this last letter, Paul referred to some of these men (and one wife): “Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus” (4:19-20).
Conclusion
This farewell tour demonstrates the three legs of the apostolic commission and thus the church’s continuing mission: winning people to Christ and establishing new churches, encouraging and training established churches, and seeing to the needs (temporal as well as eternal) of the believers.
How do you fit in with that three-pronged mission?
New Hope Christian Church, 12/8/24
What would the apostle Paul say to our church if he were around and had just one shot at his final advice? Do you have some idea? I’m sure most of us, whether long-timers or short-timers, if we thought about it a bit, could come up with an idea or two. Every congregation, especially its leaders, needs to look carefully at its history, its strengths and weaknesses, and its potential for serving Christ in a meaningful way.
After leaving Troas (Acts 20:13-16), Paul and company traveled southward along the western coast of “Asia” (Roman province in Turkey) to Miletus, about 36 miles from Ephesus. The apostle’s instructions to the elders of the church in Ephesus were timeless—they speak as well to the 21st century church. In these instructions we learn of three primary duties of church leaders.
Follow Paul’s Example
Unlike many church leaders today, Paul did not hesitate to call on people to follow his example (1 Corinthians 11:1). From Miletus, he sent for the elders of the church in Ephesus. When they arrived, he said to them: “‘You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. . . . Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears’” (20:18-19,31). Consider several instances where he used the expression, “with fear and trembling”—2 Corinthians 7:15; Philippians 2:12—not necessarily to be taken literally but rather emphasizing utmost importance. Nevertheless, those leaders who love their people sometimes literally shed tears for those who will not listen to the word. Paul had written to the church in Corinth, listing some of the many hardships he had gone through and then adding, “I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?” (1 Cor. 11:28-29). Every true leader feels this way when someone in the congregation refuses to listen to the word.
Paul also provided the example for preaching, emphasizing those things that would be helpful to them: “‘You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus’” (20:20-21). This does not mean, however, that it was just “practical” or daily living responsibilities as Christians: “‘Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God’” (20:26-27). What was his point about being innocent of others’ blood? No doubt, he was thinking of passages in Ezekiel 3:18-19: “‘When I say to a wicked man, “You will surely die,” and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.’” See also 33:8-9.
Furthermore, Paul set the example in following the Spirit’s leading, regardless of the consequences (Acts 20:22-25). Of course, the way that the Spirit leads us is different from the way He led the apostles; see Galatians 5:16-26 for examples of living by the Spirit as opposed to living by the sinful nature. He summarized the leading of the Spirit in Romans 14:17-18, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” Another way to summarize following the leading of the Spirit is to live by faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:3). The primary difference between the Spirit’s leading the apostles and His leading of us lies in the way He communicates His will. The apostles were divinely inspired, whereas we are taught through the written word. Therefore, how can we expect to follow the leading of the Spirit without studying the word? When we ignore the word, what we think is the leading of the Spirit turns out to be merely following our own inclinations or the thoughts of others—either one being highly susceptible to the devil’s schemes.
In addition, Paul set the example in his work ethic. “‘I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (20:33-35). (This saying by Jesus is not recorded in any of the Gospels; so it was either a tradition handed down from the Twelve or a direct revelation to Paul.) When Paul was low on support funds, he could have gone back to a former church or dropped out altogether; instead, he took on a side job during these low times, falling back on the skill he had learned earlier in life, tent-making (Acts 18:2-3). (At times, even tent-making did not provide for all of his needs, for he knew what it was to be lacking in food and clothing; see 2 Corinthians 11:27 and Philippians 4:12.)
This practice of Paul gave rise to the concept of “tent-making preachers,” those who take on a non-church job in order to support themselves in cases when the church is unable to pay them a living wage, the usual divinely appointed arrangement: “the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).
Whether in ministry-related activities or working a side-job to support himself and others on his mission team, Paul worked hard on behalf of the weak. All who take up any leadership role in the church must be prepared to do the same.
Shepherd the Flock, 20:28
The goal of the work of elders is shepherding God’s flock. The reason for this was taught by Jesus, the Good (John 10:11) and the Chief (1 Peter 5:4) Shepherd: “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things” (Mark 6:34). Isaiah had said about Israel, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (53:6). God told Ezekiel, regarding the government and religious leaders, “‘“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? . . . You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and . . . wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them”’” (34:2-6).
And so, Paul told the elders to be “shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). “Be shepherds” is the verb form of the noun usually translated “pastors” in Ephesians 4:11, the only place where the word is translated this way. We can guess that the reason the English versions translate it this way here is that “pastor” is more prestigious than “shepherd.” (Jesus had condemned Jewish leaders for using ordinary titles in order to elevate themselves above the “laymen”—see Matthew 23:5-12.) In the New Testament church, elders (presbyters), shepherds (pastors), and overseers (bishops) were three titles for the same leaders. See also 1 Peter 5:1-2.
First, the elders were to watch themselves, a wise practice for all church leaders. Paul would later write to an evangelist, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).
Then, they were to remember that they had been made elders by the Holy Spirit. He does not say how, but it seems a natural inference from other Scriptures regarding ministry that (1) the apostles’ had taught the importance of elders in the oversight of the church: “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust” (Acts 14:23). “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you” since “an overseer is entrusted with God’s work” (Titus 1:5,7). Furthermore, (2) the Spirit had made them elders by equipping them with ministry gifts (Ephesians 4:7), character building (1 Timothy 3:2-7; Titus 1:6-9), and appointment by apostles or evangelists (Titus 1:5; 1 Timothy 5:22).
Perhaps most of all, they were to remember that the church, which is now under their care, has been bought with His blood (Acts 20:28), and therefore belongs to Him. (Some manuscripts say, “the church of the Lord,” probably because some scribe thought that it was improper to think of God’s blood. Nowhere in the New Testament is the church called, “the Lord’s church” or “the church of the Lord.”) For this reason, they were to keep watch “as men who must give an account” (Hebrews 13:17).
As we can see, much is packed into this one verse (20:28). It would do us well to spend extra time meditating on its possible implications.
Beware of the Wolves
A less palatable activity of leadership, and for that reason one that is too often neglected, is the need to beware of the wolves. Paul told them, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock” (20:29). This warning sounds like persecution, but it is more likely that it refers to false doctrine of such a nature that it perverts the gospel and thus endangers the salvation of believers. Shortly before this, he had written to the churches in Galatia, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7), which is, of course, the only true way to salvation.
Paul even warned that some of their own number would “arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (20:30). Jesus had warned, “‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves’” (Matthew 7:15). Therefore, the elders were told, “‘So be on your guard!’” (20:31). Paul later wrote that an elder “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).
“Beware of the wolves” warns us to beware of those who claim to be preaching the gospel but are not following the whole teaching of Scripture (20:27).
Conclusion
Now that Paul was no longer going to be available to these shepherds (elders) and their flock, he committed them to God and the word of His grace (20:32). “When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship” (20:36-38).
Like them, we have been left without the apostles’ personal attention; but we have their writings. Will we ignore this continuing help? As sheep, we are to be followers, first and foremost of the Chief Shepherd, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us and then gave His apostles the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth. However, we are not on our own to read and understand those Scriptures, for He “gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11). Therefore, Hebrews 13:7 instructs us, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
New Hope Christian Church, 12/15/24
We do some things because we have to; and others because we want to. Are there at least one or two things in your life—whether at home, work, or church—that you’re always ready and eager to do? We need to evaluate our priorities—God, family, work, personal well-being—and determine whether the things we are eager to do actually line up with our priorities. If they do not, why not?
The apostle Paul was always ready to fulfill God’s will for his life and ministry. In Acts, chapter 21, we see three components to his readiness.
Ready to Die
In the first fourteen verses Luke (the author) traces Paul’s trip from Miletus, where he had met with the elders of the church in Ephesus, down the coast of the Aegean Sea and then across the Mediterranean until he arrived at Caesarea. Along the way, they spent a week in Tyre where the disciples “through the Spirit” urged Paul to stay away from Jerusalem, but nothing else is recorded as to the reason. Arriving at Caesarea, they stayed with Philip the evangelist—remember him from the Seven in Acts 6 who had been put in charge of the distribution to the widows and also from his preaching in Samaria and to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8—who had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. While they were there, the prophet Agabus—remember him from 11:28, accurately predicting a famine—“took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, “In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles”’” (21:11). At that, those traveling with Paul (including Luke) as well as the disciples from the area who had come to visit him, pleaded with him not to continue to Jerusalem (21:12). His reply? “‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus’” (21:13). Seeing his determination, they gave up, saying, “‘The Lord’s will be done’” (21:14).
He was ready to die for Jesus, but was he acting contrary to God’s will? Notice that in neither case had the Spirit told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. He was simply warning him, as well as preparing the others for the events about to unfold. Paul’s ministry had always been dictated by the Spirit: (1) He and Barnabas had been specifically sent out by the Spirit on their first missionary journey (13:2-4). (2) They had been kept, for the time being, from preaching in the province of Asia and Bithynia and called instead to Macedonia (16:6-10). And even in Miletus, (3) he was “compelled by the Spirit” to go to Jerusalem, not knowing what would happen to him there (20:22). He had already been warned by the Holy Spirit that prison and hardships were facing him (20:23). Nevertheless, he was ready to die for Jesus—somewhat imitating Jesus’ own readiness to die in accordance with the will of the Father—“‘I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace’” (20:24).
Although we look with admiration at Paul’s readiness to die for the gospel, Jesus had, in fact, challenged all of us, “‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?’” (Matthew 16:24-26).
Ready to Compromise
In the next twelve verses (21:15-26), upon his arrival in Jerusalem Paul illustrated his readiness to compromise in order to maintain peace within the church. He met with James, the brother of Jesus, and the other elders of the church—we last saw them in Acts 15, in the conference on circumcision. (Apparently the apostles were at that time preaching elsewhere.) After he gave them a report of his success in leading many Gentiles to believe in Christ, they praised God (21:19-20). Then they explained to Paul that he was going to run into opposition from the local Jewish believers: “‘You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come’” (21:20-22). Although formerly the (Jewish) Christians had been run out of Jerusalem (8:1), they had not only returned but had great success in convincing many others (literally, myriads, that is, tens of thousands) that Jesus was the Messiah. This, of course, resulted in much contention between those who believed and those who did not. And now, Paul was being inserted into the mix.
To quell the certain coming unrest, the elders had a request for Paul: “‘There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law’” (21:23-24). They assured Paul (21:25) that they remembered the decision reached in the earlier conference (15:19-21). Paul followed their advice: the next day he “took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them” (21:26-27).
This compromise between Paul and those who had grown up as Jews was in accordance with Paul’s regular practice:
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
This compromise had to do with traditional practices, not the requirements for salvation, as discussed in that previous conference: “We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you” (Galatians 2:5). Shortly before this current visit, he had written, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:6-8). Indeed, he would not compromise on anything in the declared will of God (Acts 20:26-27).
Ready to Preach
The compromise, however, did not ease the tension between the believers and the unbelieving Jews. When the seven days for completing what was probably a Nazirite vow (see Numbers 6:2-21)—unrelated to the word Nazarene, by the way—was nearing the end, some Jews who had perhaps encountered Paul in Ephesus (see Acts 19:29-31) were incensed upon seeing him in the Temple. Luke explains that they had seen Trophimus (a Gentile from Ephesus) with Paul there in Jerusalem and assumed that Paul had brought him into the part of the Temple limited to Jews. They immediately stirred up a mob, dragged him out of the Temple, and tried to kill him. The commotion was reported to the Roman commander, whose headquarters were adjacent to the Temple. He immediately took some soldiers and stopped the violence against Paul. However, assuming that Paul had done something to cause the uproar, he ordered him chained and inquired why the crowd was so upset. Receiving varied answers from the mob, he ordered Paul to be taken to the barracks to be questioned (21:27-34).
“When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, ‘Away with him!’” (21:35-36). Before they made it to the barracks, Paul asked for permission to speak to the commander, who was surprised to hear that he could speak Greek. Explaining that he was a Jew, Paul asked to speak, not to defend himself to the commander but rather to speak to the people. Being given permission, he spoke to the people in the local language, Aramaic (21:37-40). Chapter 22 begins with a narrative of his own history, but instead of defending himself against the initial charge, he took the opportunity to tell them the gospel, which is for all people, not just the Jews.
Just as in Ephesus (19:29-31), Paul was ready to preach. Unlike in Ephesus, he was given the opportunity this time because the Romans were in charge of the situation.
Paul’s readiness to die for Jesus was tied to his readiness to preach the gospel regardless of the personal consequences. He had written to the believers in Rome: "I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith'" (Romans 1:14-17).
Paul dared to preach, first because he recognized that preaching the gospel was necessary for Christ’s sacrifice to make a difference in saving people from the coming wrath of God. His death on our behalf would have been useless if we were not told how to benefit from that death:
Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1:24-29)
Christ’s death was sufficient for our salvation. Nothing more is needed. No good works. No sacrifices. “He paid it all.” However, it was not efficient without the preaching of the gospel. “‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:13-14).
The second reason Paul dared to preach, regardless of what happened to him, lay in his constant remembrance of his early persecution of the church. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. . . . I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man . . . . Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:12-16).
Conclusion
What are you eager to do for Jesus? Has His love for you engendered an abiding eagerness to help others come to know Christ—personally and/or through supporting others who are spreading the word? Won’t it be grand when one day you hear those words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”!
New Hope Christian Church, 1/5/25
Do you think that the twelve apostles, especially Peter, might have been a little jealous of Paul’s being chosen by Jesus to take the gospel to the Gentiles, followed by his great success in doing so? The first church history (Acts) devotes approx 60% of its space to Paul, twice as much as to the others. Nine of the others are not even mentioned by name after the first chapter. Do you want your life to make a difference? Do you want to do great things for Jesus? The apostle Paul was a unique disciple of Jesus, but his ministry serves as an example of how Jesus can use you.
In our last episode of “Acts of Apostles: Spreading the Word” (12/15/24) we saw Paul concluding his third missionary journey with a visit to Jerusalem, presenting to the elders a report on his work as well as turning over the money he had collected from the churches for the saints (God’s people, followers of Jesus) in Judea. In order to quell rumors that he had taught the Jewish converts “to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to [Jewish] customs” (Acts 21:21), Paul agreed to sponsor four believers who had made a (probably Nazirite) vow by joining in the purification rites and paying their expenses. As he was doing so in the Temple, some Jews from the province of Asia saw him and thought (incorrectly) he had violated the Temple by bringing a Gentile with him. A riot ensued, ending only by the intervention of the Roman commander, who arrested Paul and ordered him to be interrogated. Paul then asked for permission to address the crowd—remember, he was always ready to preach! His address described three stages of his life.
Persecutor, 22:1-5
Speaking in their local tongue, Aramaic—in this way getting their attention since they had expected him to speak in Greek—Paul began by describing his early life, being trained to becoming, probably, a Rabbi: “‘Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today’” (22:3). His zeal was evident in his rejection of claims that Jesus was the Messiah and his subsequent determination to stamp out the Way (the early designation of Christianity). His dedication to the Law of Moses led to extreme measures of persecution: “‘I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished’” (22:4-5).
These actions haunted Paul the rest of his life. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16). His example says, regardless of your past, no matter what you have done, Christ calls you, too, to serve in His kingdom. He won’t appear to you in a flash of heavenly light or call you to become an apostle, but He does call you into service for Him.
Disciple, 22:6-16
Then, on the road to Damascus, on the way to imprison more Christians, Paul was met by Jesus Himself: “‘I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, “Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” I asked. “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,” he replied’” (22:7-8). Jesus did not tell him what He expected of him—God’s doesn’t do for us what we can do ourselves—except to continue on to Damascus where he would be told what to do.
A man named Ananias, “‘a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there’” (22:12), brought two messages from Jesus to Paul. (Paul did not call him a disciple, although he certainly was one—this description no doubt was intended to gain the goodwill of his audience.) The messages were (1) what Paul was expected to do for Jesus and (2) what he first needed to do to become a disciple rather than an enemy of Jesus, that is, to get right with God as well as to receive forgiveness for his persecution of Jesus (see above).
First, Ananias told him he had been sent to restore his sight—Paul had been blinded by the light—and immediately he was able to see (physically as well as spiritually). Then he told him why Jesus had chosen to intervene in this spectacular way: “‘“The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard”’” (22:14-15). (More of this part of the message will be made known in a later testimony by Paul.)
Before Paul could embark on his new mission, he had to get right with God, to become a disciple of the Messiah. Ananias told him, “‘“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name”’” (22:16). This one verse could be a sermon all by itself: (1) Obedience to the gospel was urgent—what was he waiting for? Of course, Paul could have said, “I didn’t know what to do until you told me”! (2) What was so urgent? To be baptized. (3) That baptism here means immersion in water is implied in the command, “Get up.” It had to be a reference to water since it was a command to be obeyed, something Paul could do. If it meant only baptism in the Spirit, that is something that only Jesus could do (see John 1:33). Furthermore, it would not require Paul to “get up.” The same could be said about the action (immersion) meant by the Greek word translated “be baptized.” If he could have been sprinkled (or, more precisely, sprinkled upon), or if he could have had water poured upon him, he would not have needed to “get up.”
(4) This command to Paul to be baptized is connected with two other actions: washing away his sins and calling on the name of Jesus. Note that Paul had obviously been a penitent believer for three days, having seen Jesus Himself; and yet he was still unsaved—thus proving that salvation does not come as soon as one believes. He would later write to the believers in Rome, quoting from Joel 2:32, “‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13). It is a natural inference that baptism in (Greek, literally, upon) the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38) is how we call on the name of the Lord. (Jesus Himself had taught, “‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’”—Matthew 7:21.) “Washing away sins” is implied as baptism in water in the following passages: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5); “having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22); and, “cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:26). None of these passages teaches that the water itself washes away sin but rather that in baptism our faith reaches out to and trusts the promise of God to save us by the blood of Christ. That is why it is written that Noah’s family was “saved through water,” which water “symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ . . .” (1 Peter 3:20-21).
Are you a disciple (committed follower of Christ) or just “saved”? Are you right with God? And, if so, are you satisfied with going through life without making a difference?
Apostle, 22:17-21
Through this experience and his obedience to Christ, Paul was transformed from persecutor to persecuted, but with a mission. (“Apostle” means “one sent on a mission.”) He testified: “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking. ‘Quick!’ he said to me. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” (Acts 22:17-21).
Have you found your place in the kingdom? If not, here are some suggestions as to how you can determine that place:
• What are your gifts (skills, abilities that can be used for the Lord)? In Ephesians 4:7 Paul wrote that “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” This “grace” is not the grace by which we are saved but rather a function to be used by the power of God for the benefit of others (see 3:7-9 for Paul’s description of his “grace”). Examples of this kind of grace can be found in Romans 12: prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing to the needs of others, leadership, and showing mercy. Except for prophecy, each of us can and should serve in all of these ways, but those who have “the grace” for one or more are especially skilled and effective in doing so. Not all have the same function, but all have some function. You may need training or education to bring your skills to maturity, but you probably are aware of what your abilities are.
• What need of others has God shown to you? What need just jumps out at you? What need do you see that most other people don’t?
• What opportunities do you have to meet those needs? If you do not have the opportunity for doing what you believe you can do, then look for other ways to serve. God may have other plans for you.
• Finally, what excites you about a specific ministry for Christ? If it is really your place to serve, the very thought of it will excite you.
Conclusion
As Paul explained that he had been sent to the Gentiles, “The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, ‘Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!’” They were “shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air” (Acts 22:22-23). Not everyone was pleased, but Jesus used Paul in a mighty way. You also have been chosen to be sent. The road of service is not always pleasant or appreciated by your family or friends, but it leads to glory.
New Hope Christian Church, 1/12/25
What are the primary objections to the church in our society? Judgmentalism, hypocrisy, being anti-science? We must understand that (1) sometimes the church—using the word in the broad sense, as seen by the world—has given them good reason to those objections, but (2) the real objection is deeper, something different. The enemies of the church rarely admit their primary objection, even though they may not be sure of what it is. After spreading across the Roman Empire in its early centuries, the church was accused of (1) being atheistic—because Christians did not believe in the pagan gods, (2) being cannibals—because their meetings included words like “eating my flesh and drinking my blood,” and (3) being haters of mankind—because they did not revel in the blood and gore of the circuses and gladiatorial contests. In the very earliest days, however, the greatest objections came from Jews, objections we have seen before in the book of Acts.
As Paul, having returned to Jerusalem, was arrested and brought to trial, we can see three stages in those events that demonstrated how Paul responded to the complaints against him. In doing so, we can learn for ourselves what is the underlying reason for the world’s problem with us.
Before the Sanhedrin
The Roman commander had taken Paul into custody (Acts 21:31-33), assuming that he was the reason for the uproar in the temple. (He was, of course, the occasion, but not the cause.) As Paul was being escorted in chains into the soldiers’ barracks where he would be interrogated by flogging, Paul asked the centurion, “‘Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?’” Of course, it was not, for those with Roman citizenship had many rights under Roman rule. (Rome was not so concerned with the rights of others.) This question left the commander in a quandary: he had already violated Paul’s rights, but he couldn’t just ignore the Jewish contingent calling for Paul’s death. He decided to submit the issue to the Sanhedrin for further investigation (22:24-30). The Sanhedrin was the religious court of the Jews, consisting of 70 elders plus the high priest. In order to help keep the peace, the Romans gave the Sanhedrin considerable authority in religious and minor infractions.
Speaking to the Sanhedrin (23:1-6), Paul asserted, “‘My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.’” The high priest ordered him to be struck in the mouth for this impudent claim. Paul responded, “‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!’” When rebuked for speaking to the high priest this way, Paul apologized, saying that he did not realize that it was the high priest who had spoken, for he knew it was wrong to speak evil of the ruler of God’s people. It is difficult to think that Paul did not know who had given the command or that he was the high priest—at any rate, the same rebuke would apply in regard to any of the rulers, not just the high priest. It may be that Paul was refusing to recognize Ananias as the high priest, the order of Melchizedek having replaced the descendants of Aaron (see Hebrews 7), with the Messiah now occupying that position.
Paul then asserted that he was being charged with preaching his hope in the resurrection of the dead. Now, it was time for the court to be in a quandary (23:7-10), for the majority of the Sanhedrin were members of the Sadducees party. They did not believe in the resurrection, or angels or spirits. The Pharisees had often quarreled with them over these matters; and Paul was asserting that the Pharisees were correct. At this point, these bitterly divided theological partisans turned on one another, with some even taking Paul’s side, “‘We find nothing wrong with this man . . . . What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’” The dispute became so violent that the Roman commander had to rescue Paul from them.
While Paul was waiting for whatever was coming next, “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome’” (23:11). Can’t you imagine what it might have been like for the Lord to be standing near?
The Plot to Kill Paul
Not everyone was happy to let the Romans handle Paul’s case—they could tell that the Romans were not likely to charge him with any crime. Forty men conspired to assassinate Paul (23:12-15), requesting the commander to bring him back to the Sanhedrin as they were planning on killing him on the way. At this time (23:16-22), we are told that Paul had a nephew—we do not know how old he was—who somehow overheard the conspiracy and reported it to Paul. Calling a centurion, Paul asked him to take the nephew to the commander with a message. When the commander heard about the plot, he decided to get rid of the problem by sending Paul to headquarters in Caesarea (23:23-35).
Taking no chances, he sent Paul with an escort of 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen. Leaving during the night, they left for Caesarea, carrying a letter from Claudius Lysias—the first time we learn the commander’s name—explaining to the governor Felix why he was sending Paul. (He erroneously claimed that he had rescued Paul after learning about his Roman citizenship.) Governor Felix, having ascertained that Paul was from the province of Cilicia, ordered him to be kept as a prisoner in Herod’s palace. He would make a decision after Paul’s accusers came to press their claims.
The Real Issues
What was their real problem with Paul? They brought a hired spokesman, a lawyer—not the kind we think of, but rather a person with oratorical skills who had some knowledge of court procedures. Tertullus opened the case (24:1-8) with praise for the governor and an assurance that Paul was “‘a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world . . . a ringleader of the Nazarene sect,” who “even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.” Of course, this was not their real objection to Paul—see 22:21-22—but they knew that their religious objections would mean nothing to the Romans.
The Jews who had come with him joined in the accusation, but Paul responded that he had not been in Jerusalem long enough—no more than twelve days—to cause the kind of trouble they were attributing to him: “‘My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me’” (24:12-13). Instead, he asserted (24:14-21) that he (1) was a follower of the Way, (2) agreed with everything taught in the Law and the Prophets, (3) held to the same hope as his accusers, that “‘there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked,’” (4) always strived to keep a clear conscience with God and man, (5) had come to Jerusalem to bring gifts for the poor and to offer sacrifices at the Temple, and (6) had not gathered a crowd or instigated any disturbance.
He then complained that the Jews from the province of Asia who had brought the original charges against him had not even come to Caesarea to present their claims. He then called on the present Jews to charge him with any wrongdoing before their own court, other than his claim that he was being charged because of his belief in the resurrection of the dead.
The governor responded (24:22-27) by putting off any further decision until Commander Lysias would come to explain what had happened in Jerusalem. “He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.” This lenient treatment indicated what he thought about the charges. He was looking for a way out, but a charge had been made. Over the next days, Felix and his Jewish wife, Drusilla, talked with Paul, who spoke to them about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come! (Just who was the real defendant?) “Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’” Apparently Lysias had nothing to say about the case, and no one else came forward with evidence; and so Paul, not tried further, remained under arrest for two years! “Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.” Nevertheless, Felix kept calling him up, hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe.
Conclusion
What was their real objection to the Way? The same as it is for modern society. Jesus said, “‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you’” (John 15:18-19).
And regarding modern-day charges, the “church” needs to repent of giving the world just cause to brand us as judgmental, hypocritical, and anti-science. We need a real revival among the churches so that we can fairly present our message, the gospel of Christ.
New Hope Christian Church, 1/19/25
On His final approach to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled through Jericho. Two blind men intercepted Him, calling out, “‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’” (Matthew 20:31). He asked them a question which seems to us not to have been necessary: what did they want from Him? Obviously, they wanted to see. (It would be interesting to study Jesus’ other encounters with people in need of a miracle. Sometimes, they too asked for help; sometimes others asked on their behalf; and sometimes Jesus took the initiative without waiting to be asked.) This time, He required them to be specific: what kind of mercy do you need? When they responded that they wanted to see, they apparently did not mean spiritual sight, for their quest had acknowledged that He was the Messiah, the Son of David.
Throughout the Bible, God had to deal with people who did not want spiritual sight: “‘For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them’” (Matthew 13:15). During his ministry, Paul also had encountered many such people. Nevertheless, he had faithfully continued his mission, the mission to open their eyes.
Last week, we left Paul in prison in Caesarea without having been given a definitive hearing for two years. “When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison” (Acts 24:27). Now we will continue his saga, and along the way we will hear from him regarding his commission.
(Acts 25:1-22) Shortly after Festus arrived in his new appointment, the chief priests and Jewish leaders wasted no time in presenting their charges against Paul. Feigning an attempt to bring him back before the Sanhedrin, they plotted another ambush attempt, intending to assassinate him on the return to Jerusalem. Festus instead required them to appear before him in Caesarea to press their charges (25:1-5). When they did so, they could not prove that he had done anything contrary to the Roman law. “Paul made his defense: ‘I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar’” (25:8). Festus, wanting to gain the Jews’ favor asked Paul if he would be willing to stand trial before him in Jerusalem. “Paul answered: ‘I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried’” (25:10). Pointing out that Festus himself knew that he had done nothing against the Jewish law, Paul asked to be tried in a Roman court. He was willing to die if he deserved death; but if he were not guilty of the charges the Jews had made against him, no one (that is, Festus) had the right to hand him over to them. Then, he took advantage of his right as a Roman citizen, “‘I appeal to Caesar!’” After consulting with his council, Festus declared, “‘You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!’” (25:11-12).
Shortly afterward, King Herod Agrippa II came to Caesarea to pay respects to Festus, who told him about Paul’s case. Summarizing the events that had led up to that time, Festus related that he had told the Jews “that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges” (25:16). (In this whole affair, the Roman sense of justice outweighed the politics of the situation.) He laid out before Agrippa the basis of the charges as being primarily religious rather than legal disputes. However, since Paul had appealed to Caesar, refusing to return to be tried before the Sanhedrin, Festus was asking Agrippa for some advice; for he was “at a loss how to investigate such matters.” Agrippa then expressed a desire to hear Paul for himself (25:17-22).
The next day, Paul was brought in (25:23-6:1). Festus explained:
“King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.” (25:24-27)
Then Agrippa gave Paul permission to speak for himself (26:1).
With that long historical introduction, we can turn to the substance of Paul’s defense. As we do so, we must listen with open hearts (see 16:14) and open eyes. In short, Paul explained how his commitment to Christ had brought him to this point. Instead of attempting to refute the Jewish charges, he laid out two reasons for believing that Jesus was the Messiah for whom the Jews had been waiting for 2,000 years.
God’s Promises to the Fathers Fulfilled, 26:2-8
First, instead of rejecting the Jewish faith, Paul pointed out that he had grown up and been trained in “the strictest sect of our religion,” that is, as a Pharisee (26:5). “‘And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me’” (26:6-7). He had previously stated this hope: “‘I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked’” (24:15). In other words, their hope was in a resurrection in which the righteous would be rewarded and the wicked would be punished. This concept of justice would appeal to the Roman mind. Therefore, Paul asked, “‘Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?’” (26:8).
After explaining how he had been converted from being a persecutor of Christians to becoming a proponent for the faith (see next point), Paul set forth the testimony of the Law and the Prophets—what we call the Old Testament—regarding the promise that was to be fulfilled by the appearance of the Messiah. “‘But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles’” (26:22-23).
This appeal for faith in Jesus of Nazareth as the long-promised Messiah was present even before He appeared on the scene. John the Baptizer had announced His appearance. At the close of the second recorded sermon by the apostles, Peter had declared that the crucifixion and resurrection was “‘how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer’” and that He “‘must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets’” (Acts 3:18,21). Peter then referred to Moses’ promise of a Prophet like himself: “‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people’” (3:22-23; see Deuteronomy 18:18-19). Abraham, Samuel, and “‘all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days’” (3:24). We could especially cite passages in the Psalms and the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Micah, and Malachi.
The God who can plan and foretell the future, who created the universe, who worked through Israel for centuries, can certainly raise the dead. That was Paul’s assertion to Festus, Agrippa, and company. More than that, the resurrection of Jesus demands that everyone who hears the gospel must choose to follow or to reject Him. There is no middle ground.
True and Reasonable Evidence for the Resurrection, 26:9-27
That choice was one that Paul had made. For the third time in Acts (see also chapters 9 and 22) we read of Paul’s conversion. Before this court, Paul laid out the facts of his attempts to wipe out the Way of Christ and his subsequent change (26:9-15). He had been brought to a decision through this question of Jesus, “‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads’” (26:15). This account of Paul’s testimony was the first that included that last sentence. Like a stubborn mule or bull being prodded, Paul’s conscience had apparently been bothered by his persecution of fellow Jews—the followers of Jesus for the first ten years or so had all been Jews or Jewish converts—and perhaps by the believers’ reasoning regarding the crucifixion and resurrection; and yet he had pushed on in his misguided zeal.
In addition to the appeal to Old Testament prophecies and how Jesus fulfilled them, the testimony of the early disciples of Jesus was foundational in leading people to faith. For example, Peter had testified to Cornelius and the others with him, “‘God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead’” (Acts 10:40-41).
Paul next referred to the commission given him by the resurrected Jesus: “‘I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me’” (26:16-18). By opening their eyes to the truth of the gospel, he would enable them to see the light. By turning them from the “power of Satan to God,” they could receive the forgiveness of sins as well a place among all who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.
Paul had not been disobedient to this heavenly vision, but had preached to Jews and Gentiles alike “‘that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds’” (26:20). At this point, he affirmed the teaching of the prophets that “‘Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles’” (26:23).
The governor, of course, being a common-sense Greco-Roman, could not believe his ears! “‘You are out of your mind, Paul!’ he shouted. ‘Your great learning is driving you insane’” (26:24). “‘I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied. ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner’” (26:25-26). Festus had only recently come to Judea, but Agrippa had been around all his life, being the grandson of Herod Antipas, who had participated in Jesus’ trial. Therefore, he could not have been unaware of the early claims regarding the post-resurrection appearances and the empty tomb, followed up by the many miracles performed by the apostles. In addition, Paul asked, “‘King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do’” (26:27). Paul apparently knew something about Agrippa’s personal beliefs, and so he appealed to those beliefs.
Conclusion
Who was really on trial? Agrippa responded to Paul’s query, “‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’” Paul replied, “‘Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains’” (26:28-29).
We are also on trial. Do we believe?
We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1-4)
Are your eyes open? Is your heart?
New Hope Christian Church, 1/26/25
Paul’s hearing before Governor Festus and King Agrippa resulted in their conclusion, “‘This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.’ Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar’” (Acts 26:31-32). Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius for the journey to Rome, where Paul would be tried in Caesar’s court. Luke, the author of Acts, and Aristarchus, a Macedonian, were allowed to accompany Paul (27:1-2). (Aristarchus may have been a prisoner, perhaps voluntarily in order to be of assistance to Paul. See 19:29; 20:4; Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24.)
They acquired passage on a ship bound for the western coast of the province known as Asia (now Turkey). The ship stopped at Sidon (in modern Lebanon), no doubt to take on provisions. While there, interestingly, Julius “in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs”! Setting sail, they were forced to go north of Cyprus and then hug the coast of the mainland on account of the westward winds. Landing at Myra, they found an Alexandrian ship headed for Italy (27:3-6). This type of ship was a large cargo vessel, equipped for hauling wheat. That set the stage for one of the most thrilling eyewitness accounts of a storm-tossed ship at sea, which we call Paul’s Journey to Rome.
Acts 27:13-15, although literally and historically factual, acts as a parable of the Christian life. A gentle south wind began to blow, and that was just what they wanted. Before long, however, a northeaster, a hurricane-like wind, swept down from Crete. Sailing ships cannot steer directly into such a wind, and so they “gave way to it and were driven along.” The Christian life is full of blessings; but we must never think to ourselves or express to others that it is always smooth sailing. However, regardless of “the winds,” the word of God enables us to navigate life’s storms. Carrying the messenger of the “bread of life” as well as the bread of sustenance for the Roman Empire, this storm-tossed ship became a carrier of encouragement for Christians today. We can observe at least four factors in navigating through the storms of life.
Reality of the Storm
The first factor to consider regarding this storm is its reality. Everything about it confirms Luke’s eyewitness account—what they experienced was common in the first-century Mediterranean Sea. Jesus warned us of other kinds of storms in His Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27). The wise and the foolish both build their life experiences during storms: “‘The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house’” (7:25,27). One cannot distinguish between the righteous and the wicked by the presence of storms in their lives. Everyone experiences hard times.
Even when involved in ministry for Christ, the storms come. Paul had always wanted to preach in Rome, and now he was on the way, thanks ironically to those who opposed his preaching. Nevertheless, the eyewitness narrator writes, “We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved” (Acts 27:18-20). Even Luke acknowledged that this might be the end. The storm did not arise out of the opposition to the gospel, but Paul’s presence on that ship did. On the other hand, sometimes the storm does come because you are living for Christ. Later—and yes, they did survive—Paul would write, “And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am” (2 Timothy 1:11-12). He warned Timothy and us as well, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (3:12). By the way, if you have never suffered any kind of persecution on account of your faith, perhaps you need to ask why not.
Sources of Advice
A second factor is the presence of those who want to give you advice on how to avoid or endure the storms. In our society, everyone seems to think he/she knows as much as the doctor, the lawyer, and the preacher! Advice is everywhere. We must be wary of the source of advice, however. In the case of this storm at sea, Paul, who had been shipwrecked more than once (see 2 Corinthians 11:25), could tell that the delay in sailing along with the rising winds made it too dangerous to set sail across the Mediterranean. (From October to March, it was considered too dangerous to sail.) He warned them that continuing the voyage would be disastrous, leading to loss of the ship and their lives as well. However, the centurion rejected Paul’s advice, following instead that of the pilot and the owner. Their present location, Fair Havens in Crete, was “unsuitable to winter in” and so they decided to try for Phoenix, a harbor on the west coast (Acts 27:7-12). When we are given advice, we need to watch out for others’ agendas. They may not have our best interests in mind.
We also must watch out for others’ worldviews, their personal philosophies about life. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Modern worldviews include atheism—there is no God; naturalism—only what is scientifically observable (or explainable) is true; and the belief that “the universe” is in control of our lives. Religious worldviews include universalism—everyone or at least all “good” people will go to Heaven; and the view that everything happens because that’s the way God wants it to happen.
How can we evaluate these philosophies? Where can we go for ultimate and reliable truth? Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), but He is not personally speaking to us now. Rather, through His Spirit, Jesus has spoken through the apostles and prophets (what we call the Bible, and especially the New Testament): “‘But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you’” (John 14:26). Therefore, to navigate the storms of life, He has promised through our faith in the apostolic teaching, “‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid’” (14:27).
People Saved from the Storm
Another factor demonstrated in Acts 27 regards the people saved from the storm. First, all those aboard were saved when Paul warned Julius about the crew’s attempted desertion. Soldiers, preachers, and prisoners were not equipped to handle a ship, especially during a storm—the sailors were essential for the lives of all. “In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.’ So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away” (27:30-32).
Later, having run aground on a sandbar on the island of Malta, the “soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping” (27:42), since they would be held accountable for the escape (see 12:18-19; 16:27). “But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety” (27:43-44). Do you think the other prisoners were grateful that they were saved because of the centurion’s desire to save Paul?
Accordingly, Paul’s saving ministry continued, first in healing the father of the chief official of the island (28:7-8) and then others as well: “When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured” (28:9).
Furthermore, think of how much of the New Testament would not have been written if Paul had perished in that storm: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, and possibly Hebrews.
Courage to Face the Storm
Finally, this narrative reveals the true source of courage. Paul was assured by the Lord’s word that they were going to survive the storm. After reminding those aboard that they could have spared themselves the damage and loss of cargo—sort of an “I told you so”—if they had taken his advice not to leave Fair Havens (27:8-10), then he assured them that, although the ship was to be destroyed by running aground on an island, they themselves would survive: “‘Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me’” (27:21-26).
We also can find courage to face life’s storms by learning and trusting the assurances we find in God’s word. Furthermore, as we continue in our service for Christ, we will actually experience His power to overcome those difficult times. Paul had written to those in Rome that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:3-5). Living through the storms by relying on the love of Christ, we find courage to face whatever is yet to come.
Paul used his courage to encourage the others aboard the ship: "Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, 'you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.' After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves" (27:33-36). (We learn something about the size of this ship by Luke’s next comment, “Altogether there were 276 of us on board.”)
In addition to finding courage from our own experience with the Lord, we are then able to encourage others, both with our words and by examples of our own courage. (Perhaps you can think of a certain youth worker who perseveres in spite of difficulties that would have made the average person give up long ago!)
Conclusion
When Jesus was here on earth, the apostles found themselves in a storm at sea several times, wondering if they were going to drown; but His power saved them. At those times perhaps they thought of these verses:
Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. (Psalm 107:23-32)
Isaiah 26:3-4 encourages us, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.” Paul himself would write, not long after this stormy voyage to Rome:
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:5-9)
New Hope Christian Church, 2/2/25
Do you have a bucket list? Paul had two: one for his personal life and one for his ministry (Romans 15:20-25). Personally, his bucket list included spiritual goals: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11). His desire to die as a martyr no doubt arose out of the haunting fact of his previous persecution of followers of the Way (see Acts 8:3; 1 Timothy 1:13,15; Colossians 1:24). The word translated “resurrection” is not the usual one—occurring only here in the New Testament—but rather an intensive form, perhaps to refer only to the “resurrection unto life” as opposed to the resurrection of all the dead, some to life and some to be condemned (John 5:29).
Professionally, Paul’s bucket list was a general one, with different applications at different points in his ministry: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation” (Romans 15:20). Nearing the end of his third missionary journey, he wrote, “This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there” (15:22-25). We do not know for sure whether he ever made it to Spain.
Everyone needs a purpose in life, a purpose that should determine life-goals, that is, one’s bucket list. The book of Acts does not have an ending, but rather suggests a continuing journey for its readers, a journey that informs the contents of each one’s bucket. Acts 28:10-31 suggests three stages in this unfinished story of Paul and indeed the church of Christ.
The Completed Journey
The first stage (28:10-16) was Paul’s completed journey to Rome. Having survived the shipwreck, crew and passengers spent the winter on the island Malta (also known as Melita), in the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Italy. Safely on shore, with the rain still falling, Paul joined in the search for wood to build a fire so that the castaways could dry out. A deadly viper, driven out of the wood by the heat, bit Paul and hung on to him. The locals took this as a sign that Paul, though having survived the storm, must have been a criminal. However, when he shook off the viper, suffering no ill effects, they decided he must have been a god! (28:2-6). The saga of the rescue from the storm, Paul’s healing ministry among the islanders (28:7-9), and no doubt his preaching of the gospel, emphasizing the power of Christ, made an impression on the locals. Luke wrote, “They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed” (28:10).
“After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux [known as the constellation Gemini]. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days” (28:11-12). Traveling by land in Italy, they were met by some disciples who, somehow, had heard they were coming. “And so we came to Rome” (28:14-16). Paul was allowed to live under house arrest, chained to a Roman soldier (Ephesians 6:20) but not imprisoned. (Several years later Paul would finish his days in the Mamertine Prison in Rome, a totally different setting, prior to being beheaded at the order of Emperor Nero.)
Although he had planned to come to Rome in a different fashion, he had now completed the journey, completing one item of his bucket list (Romans 1:9-15):
God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.
Until now, though eager to preach in Rome, his strategy had not allowed him the pleasure.
The Continuing Conversation
Paul did not allow being a prisoner of Rome to deter him from his mission. His strategy had always been, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. After a three-day rest, he called for the Jewish leaders in Rome to visit with him. Remember, Aristarchus (Acts 27:2) and Luke were with him; and they may have taken his invitation to one of the synagogues, relating the harrowing tale of the storm to create an interest in hearing him. He began by assuring them that he had done nothing against the Jewish people or the ancient customs. Furthermore, although a prisoner of Rome, the Romans had already determined that he had done nothing worthy of death (28:17-18). He had been forced to appeal to Caesar even though he had no complaint against his own people (28:19). “‘For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain’” (28:20). They replied that they knew very little about the case, for neither letters nor visitors from Jerusalem had said anything negative about Paul. However, they were interested to know his views—after all, he had been a disciple of the venerable Rabbi Gamaliel (22:3)—and people everywhere were talking against the Way (28:21-22). And so, at a time when they brought others to hear what Paul had to say, “From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets” (28:23).
Some were convinced by his reasoning, but others “would not” believe (28:24). (As usual, they apparently did not try to dispute the facts about Jesus, but simply were not willing to accept the consequences of faith, that is, admitting that the New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah had been fulfilled in Him.) They disagreed among themselves as Paul warned them from the prophecies: “‘The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: “Go to this people and say, ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.’ For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them”’” (28:25-27).
Paul closed, “‘Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!’” (28:28). In just a few short decades, the church would become more Gentile than Jewish.
Paul continued preaching, however, even from house arrest: “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (28:30-31). Luke says, “boldly and without hindrance.” He relied on others to bring people to see him so that he might share the living power of the gospel with them. How often do we complain about our hindrances to preaching the gospel!
Chapter Twenty-nine
Of course, there is no chapter 29 in the book of Acts; but chapter 28 declines to tell us about the outcome of Paul’s appearance before Caesar. There may be a hint, however, for Luke uses the expression, “two whole years.” Roman law provided for a prisoner to be released if witnesses to the alleged crime did not make an appearance before the court within two years. That expression may have been Luke’s way of saying that Paul was released without trial. We do know that Paul had a brief (up to five years) ministry afterward, for his letters to Timothy and Titus (and possibly Hebrews) provide some clues to a continued traveling ministry.
Why didn’t Luke tell us more? Some think that the case against Paul had not yet been settled and that the book of Acts was Luke’s brief to present to the court, showing that there was no legal cause to keep him in jail or further punish him. Others think that Luke intentionally left the story unfinished because he had a third volume planned. This third volume was not more about Paul’s travels but rather a collection of Paul’s writings to instruct, challenge, and lead the church down through the ages. One factor favoring such a conclusion is found in Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1. At the beginning of these two books, Luke refers to Theophilus, a name meaning “lover of God.” This Theophilus, it is argued, may have been Luke’s patron, a wealthy disciple contributing to the distribution of Luke’s trilogy (Gospel of Luke, Acts of Apostles, and Letters of Paul). In those days a book was often (even as today) dedicated to a particular person. In the case of a series of books, the dedication would appear at the beginning of each volume and then again at the end of the final volume. Since Luke’s third volume, according to this theory, was a collection of Paul’s writings, then there would have been no need or place for a dedication at the beginning or the end of that final volume.
At any rate, the work of the church for nearly 2,000 years and counting continues the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are Chapter 29.
Conclusion
Have you found your place in this continuing saga? What pages are being written by you in Heaven’s Book of Life and the open books (Revelation 20:12)? Have you found a purpose in life that has eternal significance? Does your bucket list include items of lasting value? Who is being influenced by you to follow the Master?
New Hope Christian Church, 2/9/25
What do you want out of a relationship with Christ? Are you satisfied with just knowing you’re going to Heaven since your sins have been forgiven?
Even when we have eaten a full meal, sometimes we need something sweet to top off our satisfaction. (Until she decided that it wasn’t healthy for Dad, my mother always served a dessert after supper.) Acts 2:36-39 (regarding salvation) in conjunction with 1:8 (geographically) set the theme for the book of Acts. After being convicted for their part in the crucifixion of Jesus, the crowd had implored, “‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (2:37). “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (2:38). There was a reason for the second part of the promise, the indwelling presence of the Spirit, for it is not enough to be satisfied with being forgiven.
In fact, we will never be spiritually satisfied if all we expect from God is the forgiveness of our sins. We need to put "Acts" into our lives. Here are three reasons why we must not be satisfied with just being forgiven.
Jesus Is Worthy of More: Love
We must never be satisfied with just being forgiven, for Jesus is worthy of much more on our part. (At this juncture we can only dip our toes into the oceans of this statement.) In the Parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus said, “‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . . No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again’” (John 10:11,18). Pilate would later warn Jesus that he had the authority to crucify or to free Him. Jesus responded that Pilate himself would have no authority if it had not been given him by the Father (see 19:10-11). The Gospels all affirm that Jesus did not die as a result of fading strength on the cross but rather from the voluntary giving up of His life (Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30). He laid down His life for us His sheep (those who follow Him): “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). His death was sufficient for all but, of course, effective only for those who become His sheep.
In addition, Jesus is worthy of more than our being satisfied in being forgiven: “‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’” (John 10:10), that is a life “of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Therefore, we should no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died for us and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:15). Such a life experiences a love that is beyond imagination: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:16-19). This kind of love calls for all the love we can give Him. He is worthy of our love and even more!
The Need Calls for More: Service
Secondly, we must never be satisfied with just being forgiven because the great need calls for more from us. What is that need? The need to share this forgiveness with others. “‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work’” (John 4:34). What was that will? He had been talking to “the woman at the well,” a Samaritan who knew about the coming Messiah but also who had a messed up life. After talking with Jesus, she became convinced that He was indeed the Messiah and immediately went into town to spread the word, “‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’” (4:29—“Christ” means “Messiah”). He explained to the disciples: “'Do you not say, "Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying "One sows and another reaps" is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor'” (4:35-38).
On a different occasion, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’” (Matthew 9:36-38).
The need is great because souls are lost without the saving gospel of Jesus. “‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:13-14). The prophet Isaiah was called to preach God’s warnings to a disobedient Israel: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8). Do you hear a similar call?
Perhaps you are saying, “But I don’t know how!” Christ anticipated our reticence as well as our weakness. That is why he gave us equippers (Ephesians 4:11): apostles (to testify to the resurrected Jesus and to provide a Holy Spirit-inspired written record of His teaching) and prophets (to provide additional Spirit-inspired teaching). The work of these resulted in the New Testament for teaching the lost how to be saved and for teaching the saved how to follow Christ. Their teaching continues through the ages in the work of evangelists (preachers), pastors (church elders) and other church teachers. Though each of these equippers had their own function, their work had one goal: “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (4:12-13).
When the followers of Christ are thus properly equipped, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (4:14-16).
You Need More: Purpose
That brings us to the third reason why you must never be satisfied with just being forgiven, for you need more: a purpose for life. Every other purpose pales in comparison to the eternal results of the proper purpose. This purpose begins with the forgiveness of sins: The blood of Christ cleanses “our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hebrews 9:14). Only a clean conscience can effectively serve God, for only with such a conscience can we speak with confidence to others about Christ as the source of salvation.
In order to keep our consciences clean, that is, to continue living for Christ, we need help ourselves—it cannot normally be done without the help of others. That is why the writer of Hebrews writes about the importance of attending and participating in church. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together [literally, “our assembly], as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:24-25). The reason for this is seen in the next verses. The NIV omits the first word in 10:26, but that word is important. It should read (as seen in other versions), “for if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,” and then the writer goes on to tell how serious it is to fall back into a life of sin. So what is the point? If we try to live the Christian life on our own, we are likely to fall back, however gradually, into a nonchristian way of living. Church was given to us as a preventative measure: we are to encourage and be encouraged toward “love and good deeds.” (Of course, that requires the church to be the church as intended by Christ and taught in the New Testament.)
What does all that have to do with purpose in life? “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4). This power is to bear fruit for Jesus. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). You have a job to do for Christ. That job is determined by your gifts, your abilities, your skills, the needs you see. The work of Christ continues through all of us working together, serving others in faith. Never be satisfied with just being forgiven!
Conclusion
If not you, then who? If not now, then when? What is Christ calling you to do? It’s not just a matter of obedience but of life! Life to the fullest!