Religion Scripture Readings (2 Viewers)

[DaLincolnJones]

3. (57-58) The execution of Stephen by stoning.

Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

a. When Stephen declared that he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God, it was too much. The Sanhedrin react quickly, violently, and together. When Jesus, before this same body of men, declared that He would sit at the right hand of God, they had the same reaction and sealed his death as a blasphemer (Matthew 26:64-66).

i. "For Stephen to suggest that the crucified Jesus stood in a position of authority at the right hand of God must have ranked as blasphemy in the thinking of those who knew that a crucified man died under the divine curse." (Bruce)

b. They cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord: These were distinguished, older men acting this way! The reaction of the Sanhedrin seems extreme, but is typical of those rejecting God and lost in spiritual insanity. They wail in agony and cover their ears at the revelation of God, which they regard as blasphemy.

i. What a dangerous thing it is to be religious apart from a real relationship with Jesus Christ! This fulfills what Jesus warned about in John 16:2-3: Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.

c. Ran at him uses the Greek word hormao. This is the same word used to describe the mad rush of the herd of swine into the sea (Mark 5:13). This was an out-of-control mob rushing at Stephen.

d. They cast him out of the city and stoned him: The extent of their rage is shown by their execution of Stephen, which was done without regard for Roman law, and which was performed according to traditional Jewish custom (stoning).

i. The second-century Jewish writing Mishnah, describes the practice of stoning: "When the trial is finished, the man convicted is brought out to be stoned … When ten cubits from the place of stoning they say to him, 'Confess, for it is the custom of all about to be put to death to make confession, and every one who confesses has a share in the age to come' … Four cubits from the place of stoning the criminal is stripped … The drop from the place of stoning was twice the height of a man. One of the witnesses pushes the criminal from behind, so that he falls face downward. He is then turned over on his back. If he dies from this fall, that is sufficient. If not, the second witness takes the stone and drops it on his heart. If this causes death, that is sufficient; if not, he is stoned by all the congregation of Israel." (Cited in Bruce)

e. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul: Saul stood there as the "supervisor" of the operation. As a member of the Sanhedrin, he had also approved of Stephen's execution.

i. Young man literally means, "a man in his prime." It certainly does not mean that Saul wasn't old enough to be a member of the Sanhedrin. In Acts 26:10, Paul says I cast my vote against them, and the plain implication was that he had a vote as a member of the Sanhedrin.

4. (59-60) Stephen's last words.

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

a. They stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." His life ended in the same way it had been lived: In complete trust in God, believing that Jesus would take care of him in the life to come.

i. "The fires … in the olden days never made martyrs; they revealed them. No hurricane of persecution ever creates martyrs; it reveals them. Stephen was a martyr before they stoned him. He was the first martyr to seal his testimony with his blood." (Morgan)

b. Lord, do not charge them with this sin: God answered Stephen's prayer, and used it to touch the heart of a man who energetically agreed with his stoning, though the man didn't know the prayer was being answered. When we get to heaven, make sure to look up Stephen and thank him for every blessing brought through the ministry of Saul of Tarsus.

i. God heard Stephen's prayer, and Paul is the evidence of it. We have no idea how greatly God can use us in our times of suffering.

ii. Augustine said, "If Stephen had not prayed, the church would not have had Paul."

c. Cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not charge them with this sin: Stephen displays the same forgiving attitude that Jesus had on the cross (Luke 23:34). He asked God to forgive his accusers, and he made the promises loudly and publicly.

i. If the gospels contain that which Jesus began to do and to teach, they also only contain that which Jesus began to suffer. There is a sense in which Jesus suffers along with Stephen as he is martyred now.

d. He fell asleep: Tenderly, the text notes that Stephen did not "die." Instead, he merely fell asleep, and woke up in a much better world.

i. If Stephen fell asleep, the church had to wake up. "If there had been any rose-colored optimism about quickly winning the Jewish people to their Messiah, that was gone. The Church could not expect triumph without a bloody battle." (LaSor)

e. Stephen wasn't a superman, but he was a man filled through all his being with the Holy Spirit. You have no idea of how greatly you can be used of God as you walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 8

Philip and the Samaritans
A. Saul persecutes the church.

1. (1) The church is persecuted and scatters.

Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

a. Now Saul was consenting to his death: In Philippians 3:6, Paul says of his life before Jesus that he was so zealous in his religious faith that he persecuted the church. Saul's "supervision" of the execution of Stephen was just one example of this persecution.

i. What kind of attitude did Paul persecute Christians with? Consenting probably isn't strong enough. The idea behind the Greek word suneudokeo is "to approve, to be pleased with." Some people are reluctant persecutors, but Saul wasn't one of these; he took pleasure in attacking Christians.

b. A great persecution arose against the church: Stephen's death is only the beginning. The floodgates of persecution have now been opened against the Christians.

i. On Sunday, January 8, 1956, on the shores of a lonely river deep in the jungles of Ecuador, five missionaries were murdered by the natives they wanted to tell about Jesus. To many, this death seemed like a senseless tragedy. Many could only see five young missionaries who had their careers cut short or the five widows and fatherless children. But God did an amazing work through those five men, even in their deaths, and the blessing still reverberates through people like Elisabeth Elliot - one of the five women whose husband was murdered.

ii. In the same way, Stephen's death might seem sort of meaningless at first glance. His young ministry of power and eloquence was cut abruptly short. His ministry also seemed to end in failure - no one was immediately saved, and all that came forth was more persecution against the church. But as always has been the case, the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church.

c. They were scattered throughout the regions: Now the church is forced to do what it had been reluctant to do - get the gospel out to the surrounding regions.

i. In Acts 1:8 Jesus clearly told His followers to look beyond Jerusalem and bring the gospel to Judea, Samaria, and the whole world. But to this point, Jesus' followers hadn't done this.

ii. Was this persecution the will of God? God can and will use pressing circumstances to guide us into His will. When everything is fine, we may have never considered going a certain course; then a crisis opens our eyes to that course. Sometimes we have to be shaken out of our comfortable state before we do what God wants us to!

2. (2) The burial of Stephen.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

a. Seemingly, these devout men were Jews who were horrified at what had been done to Stephen. Perhaps this is Luke's way of showing that not all Jews were enemies of Christianity.

b. Since Jewish law prohibited open mourning for someone that had been executed, Luke's account that these devout men … made great lamentation over him may suggest their repentance towards God as well as their sorrow over Stephen.

3. (3-4) Saul continues his persecution.

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

a. What did Saul do? Made havoc uses an ancient word that could refer to an army destroying a city or a wild animal tearing at its meat. He viciously attacked Christians, including women.

i. "Not only did he not spare the women, but he did not stop short of seeking - and securing - his victims' death (9:1; 22:4; 26:10)." (Stott)

b. Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word: The end result is for the glory of God, because the persecution simply serves to spread the message. We shouldn't think that those who left Jerusalem left as formal preachers. Most were "accidental missionaries" who talked about Jesus wherever they went.

i. "The statement that they preached the word is misleading; the Greek expression does not necessarily mean more than shared the good news." (Stott)

ii. We can be just like these early Christians! We can share the good news of what Jesus has done in our lives. Most people don't come to Jesus through a professional preacher or an evangelist; they come to Jesus through people just like us.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

B. Philip preaches to the Samaritans.

1. (5-8) Philip brings the gospel to the Samaritans.

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.

a. Philip, like Stephen, was one of the men chosen to serve the church family in practical ways when the dispute regarding Hellenist widows arose (Acts 6:5). He was one of those forced to flee persecution (Acts 8:1), ending up in Samaria.

b. Preached Christ to them: After the Jews had rejected the gospel again, we see God extending the offer of salvation in Jesus out to other peoples, beginning with the Samaritans.

c. Who were the Samaritans? Six hundred years before this, the Assyrians conquered this area of northern Israel and they deported all the wealthy and middle-class Jews from the area. Then they moved in a pagan population from afar. These pagans intermarried with the lowest classes of remaining Jews in northern Israel, and from these people came the Samaritans.

i. Jews hated the Samaritans. They considered them compromising half-breeds who corrupted the worship of the true God. "There was deep-seated prejudice, amounting almost to hatred, standing between the Jews and the Samaritans." (LaSor)

ii. James and John (and the other disciples as well) once thought that the Samaritans were only good for being torched by God's judgment (Luke 9:51-56).

iii. Jesus' experience with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) and His story about the kindness of a Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) illustrate this point.

iv. Why did Philip preach Christ to them? Because Jesus had touched Philip, there was no room for this kind of prejudice in his heart. He wasn't a racist towards the Samaritans.

d. Philip comes presenting the gospel, with signs and wonders following as an impressive confirmation: When the people found Jesus, there was great joy in that city!

i. Undoubtedly, one reason there was such fruit was that Jesus had sown the seed in Samaria during His ministry (John 4:1-26). Now Philip is reaping the harvest.

2. (9-13) Simon the Sorcerer believes.

But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God." And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

a. A certain man called Simon: This Simon had a fair degree of local fame. He was honored as one who didn't only have the power of God; they said of him "This man is the great power of God."

b. Previously practiced sorcery: Remember that sorcery in the Bible always has the connection with the occult and with drug taking. Whatever real power Simon had, it was from Satan, not God.

i. The specific wording indicates that Simon was a magi. In the ancient world there was a class of astronomers and scientists known as magi (Matthew 2:1), but local wizards and sorcerers also took the title. They used it to prey on the ignorance and superstitions of the common people.

ii. "Ramsay describes the magi (esp. the lower sort who appealed to the widespread superstition of the ancient world) as the strongest influence that existed in that world and one that must either destroy or be destroyed by Christianity." (Williams)

c. And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries: The Samaritans wrongly assumed that because Simon had real spiritual power, it was from God; but that simply wasn't the case.

d. Amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done: Simon is convinced by Philip's preaching and amazing miracles, to the point where he declares belief, is baptized, and continued with Philip. Simon became a follower of Philip and his ministry.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

3. (14-17) The Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit as Peter and John lay hands upon them.

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

a. They sent Peter and John to them: When Jesus gave unto Peter (and the other apostles) the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:19) it was really for this purpose. Here they are officially welcoming those (the Samaritans) who had previously been excluded from the people of God into the kingdom of God.

b. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them: Obviously, there was a subsequent experience with the Holy Spirit that these Samaritan believers did not know until the apostles came and ministered to them.

c. They laid hands on them: Often, the empowering and filling of the Holy Spirit is received as hands are laid on a person and prayer is offered for them (Acts 9:17, 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6). We should always be ready to receive whatever special graces and gifts God has to give us through the laying on of hands.

d. They received the Holy Spirit: We don't know exactly how this was evident. Perhaps certain spiritual gifts were manifested (1 Corinthians 12:7-10).

e. The fact that these Christians received the Holy Spirit in what seems to be a subsequent experience to their salvation has caused much controversy; there have been different explanations offered.

i. Some say they were never saved to begin with under Philip's preaching. When Peter and John came, they really trusted in Jesus and then received the Holy Spirit.

ii. Some say they were really saved, and then in a subsequent experience, they received the Holy Spirit in a pattern that believers should follow today.

iii. Some say they were really saved at Philip's preaching, yet God, in a unique move, withheld the gift of the Holy Spirit until it could be bestowed on them by Peter and John. God's purpose in this was to ensure continuity between the church in Jerusalem and the new church in Samaria, guarding against division.

iv. Some say they were really saved and did really receive the Holy Spirit at the time of conversion, but were given special gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit at the laying on of hands by Peter and John.

f. The last option seems to best explain what happened. Whatever the Samaritans experienced, it seems to have been more than the "regular" bestowal of the Holy Spirit at salvation. This is a filling of the Holy Spirit we should always desire and seek.

4. (18-25) Peter confronts Simon and his desire to buy the power of God.

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." Then Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me." So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

a. That anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit: Simon did not really desire the Holy Spirit for himself, but the ability to impart the power of the Holy Spirit to others at his will. This would give him much spiritual authority.

i. Essentially, Simon wanted to be "in charge" of the Holy Spirit! He regarded the Holy Spirit as a "power" he could use as he willed, instead of a Person who would rule his life. "The sin was a desire to possess spiritual power for personal ends." (Morgan)

ii. The practice of purchasing offices or influence in the church became known as Simony, because it is done in the same spirit as this Simon.

b. Your money perish with you: We must again praise Peter for his bold discernment, and realize how difficult it would have been to stand by and watch this confrontation. The tendency today would have been to say to Peter, "Hey, lighten up on Simon! Look, he's a new Christian!" or something else. Peter was willing to tell Simon the truth in love, though it was hard for Simon and those standing by to hear it.

i. Phillips translates the phrase your money perish with you like this: To hell with you and your money. Certainly, this is offensive to some, but it is an accurate translation.

c. Simon was definitely poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. Yet Peter doesn't attempt to cast a demon of bitterness or iniquity out of him. Instead, Peter calls him to repentance (Repent therefore), prayer (pray God), and righteousness (the thought of your heart).

d. Simon gave every outward evidence to being saved. He expressed a belief in the preaching of Philip and was baptized (Acts 8:13). We can be sure that Philip would not have baptized Simon if he didn't think he really wanted to follow Jesus. Simon also continued with Philip (Acts 8:13) and attended meetings of the church (Acts 8:18). But when Peter says, You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God (Acts 8:21), it is a pretty clear indication that Simon's belief was superficial and his baptism just a ceremony.

i. In this matter is literally "in these words" or "in this message." Simon had shown (and Peter had discernment to see) that he really had neither part nor portion in the message of who Jesus was and what He did to save us.

ii. Peter also made it clear that Simon was headed towards hell. That is exactly what is meant by the phrase Your money perish with you.

iii. "Men may come very near, they may be intellectually convinced of the supremacy of Jesus; they may even decide that they will adopt His ethical ideal; they may go so far as to determine that they will imitate the perfection of His example. But these things do not make men Christians." (Morgan)

e. What prevented Simon from coming to a genuine belief in Jesus? Probably it was pride. Before the coming of Philip and the gospel, Simon was an admired holy man in the region, and had been admired for a long time (Acts 8:11), so much so that people declared, This man is the great power of God (Acts 8:10). A proud person might give an outward display of faith because it is the "right" thing to do in the eyes of others, but in the secret place of their heart, they may fail to submit to Jesus Christ.

f. Pray to the Lord for me, that none of these things come upon me: Instead of actually humbling his own heart before God, Simon asks Peter to pray he would be spared the consequences of his sin. This shows Simon felt a true conviction of the Holy Spirit, but had not yet been willing to humble his own heart before God. Peter couldn't humble Simon's heart for him!

g. What must we do to have our heart … right in the sight of God? We must trust in Jesus, in who He is and what He has done to save us, with our heart. It is a private transaction, something no one can do for you, but you must do with God yourself. As bad as Simon's case was, he could still Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you (Acts 8:22). The door of repentance and getting the heart right with God was open to Simon if he would only take it.

i. We don't know what became of Simon. We don't know if he followed through on the conviction of heart evident in Acts 8:24. Church tradition says he went off the deep end, and became a dangerous false teacher among the early Christians. It is possible that he did repent and get his heart right with God.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

C. Philip preaches to the Ethiopian.

1. (26-29) Philip, led by the Holy Spirit, is directed to an Ethiopian government official.

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot."

a. We might have thought that Philip would have objected to leaving the great success of the work in Samaria to go out to the desolate desert, but God had a plan in it all. Philip was submissive to God's plan.

b. This is desert means that Philip's errand was foolish from man's perspective, but wise in God. What could be more foolish than to leave a place of prospering ministry and go to a desert road?

i. "There were two roads from Jerusalem to Gaza, and the Spirit commands Philip to take the one that was seldom used." (MacArthur)

ii. "If Christ is hindered, it is because some Philip is not willing to go!" (Morgan)

c. A man of Ethiopia … had come to Jerusalem to worship: On the desert road, Philip encountered an Ethiopian proselyte to Judaism returning from Jerusalem - reading the Bible!

i. Of great authority: The Ethiopian was undoubtedly a successful man. Yet his success obviously didn't answer all the questions in his life. He knew he needed some real spiritual answers in his life, and he was seeking God.

ii. Candace was the title for certain female royalty in Ethiopia.

d. He was reading Isaiah the prophet: The Ethiopian was hungry for God's Word. Typically, the scroll would have cost him a lot of money, so he would have had to really want it!

2. (30-35) Philip preaches Jesus to the Ethiopian.

So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth." So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

a. The Spirit said to Philip: It took real boldness for Philip to go right up to the Ethiopian's chariot and speak to him, but that is what the Holy Spirit told him to do.

i. The Ethiopian was a rich man, a man of power, and at least in some way a celebrity. Yet Philip knew he needed Jesus just a much as anyone else. Why do we fear telling "important" people about Jesus?

ii. We often shrink back from speaking boldly about Jesus, and the world lets us know we shouldn't talk about such things. But does the world shrink back from cramming its gospel down our throats? How many people are upset when all sorts of immorality and lies are forced upon believers? We should be just as bold to the world about Jesus as the world is bold to us about sin!

b. Heard him reading the prophet Isaiah: Philip knew at that moment that God had given him an open door, a prepared heart. Plainly, God had arranged this meeting between Philip and the Ethiopian; this is a glorious example of how God opens doors for evangelism. God wouldn't have directed Philip unless God had already arranged an open door.

i. One of our greatest jobs in preaching the gospel is to simply pray for open doors. Then, having prayed for open doors, we must keep alert to the opportunities God presents.

ii. Philip was effective as an evangelist because he knew how to flow with what the Holy Spirit wanted to do. He was truly led by the Spirit, not by his own whims and feelings.

c. Heard him reading: In the ancient world, it was common to read aloud. Philip knew what the Ethiopian was reading by listening as he read.

d. Do you understand what you are reading? It was good for the Ethiopian to be reading the Bible, but unless understanding was brought to him, there would be little benefit from his reading. But God had brought someone (Philip) to bring understanding.

i. How can I, unless someone guides me? This is the proper question of anyone who wants to understand the Bible. We should never feel bad if we need to be taught before we can understand many things.

ii. It is glorious when we come to understand the great truths of Scripture on our own, but God always has a place and a purpose for teachers in the body of Christ.

iii. How can we get more understanding from our own time in the Bible? To get anything from our Bibles, we must plunge in. Butterflies wander over the flowers in the garden and accomplish nothing, but bees plunge right down into the flower, and carry away essential food. We won't get anything if we just hover over our Bibles; we have to dive right in.

e. I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man? Regarding this passage from Isaiah 53:7-8, the Jews of that day had different ways they interpreted the identity of this suffering servant. Some thought the suffering servant was the nation of Israel itself, as Israel had suffered greatly in wars, exile, and persecution. Some thought the suffering servant was Isaiah writing about himself. Some thought the suffering servant was the Messiah, but they thought this hard to accept, because they didn't want to think of the Messiah suffering.

f. Beginning at this Scripture: Philip talked about more than this passage from Isaiah, but this is where he started. He started at common ground with the Ethiopian, but made his way to talking about Jesus. It was easy to talk about Jesus beginning at this Scripture!

g. Philip's effective preaching consisted in explaining who Jesus was (like a lamb … preached Jesus) and what He has done for us (He was led as a sheep to the slaughter). Explaining who Jesus is and what He has done for us is the essence of the gospel.

i. Today, too many preachers focus on what we must do for God, but the gospel begins with what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

3. (36-40) The Ethiopian's response to the gospel and Philip's mysterious departure.

Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

a. And the Eunuch said: The Ethiopian himself was ready to respond to the gospel. This was a work of the Holy Spirit, not a tribute to Philip's "salesmanship."

b. Philip insisted that the Ethiopian believe with all his heart before being baptized. In a nutshell, this describes how we should respond to the gospel: Believe with all [your] heart.

i. The devil himself has the faith of the head, but he hates the truth in his heart. God wants His truth not only in our heads, but also in our hearts. We may intellectually know that Jesus died for the sins of the world, but do we know in our hearts that He died to cleanse our sins?

c. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God: This confession of faith, taken in all that it means, is the essential belief for anyone who will come to God. We must believe in the person of Jesus, in all that He is and has done as Christ. We must believe that He is the Divine Son, and that He is the Son of God sent from the Father to accomplish the salvation of all those who will believe with all their hearts.

d. See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? This shows that the Ethiopian did in fact believe, and that he wanted to be baptized to declare his belief.

i. Went down into the water … when they came up out of the water: Clearly, Philip immersed the Ethiopian in baptism. This was not sprinkling, but immersion.

e. The Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more … Philip was found at Azotus: Suddenly, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, while the Ethiopian was still in the water where he was baptized! He was then "transported" supernaturally to the former Philistine city of Azotus (also known as Ashdod).

i. This is a strange, perhaps unprecedented event in the Scriptures. But a similar thing happened when the disciples' boat came immediately to its destination (John 6:15-21), and a similar thing will also happen when the church is caught up together with Him at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).

f. He went on his way rejoicing: The joy of the Ethiopian, even after Philip's strange departure, shows that his faith was firmly rooted in God, not in Philip

 

[DaLincolnJones]

A few thoughts. When I started with Acts my interest was in the development of the early church in historical context. The deeper I go it has become a more personal journey into the sacrifices of these early apostles. It amazes me to understand the struggle that they had in converting their own Jewish people to the word of God, and the resistance they received from the entrenched priests.

Acts 9

The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
A. Saul on the road to Damascus.

1. (1-2) Saul's purpose in traveling to Damascus.

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

a. Then Saul: We last saw Saul in Acts 8:3, where it says that he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Here he continues and expands this work to the city of Damascus.

i. Damascus was 130 miles northeast of Jerusalem. This was at least a six-day journey, and Saul's willingness shows how committed he was to his cause. When God got a hold of Saul, Saul wasn't looking for Jesus!

b. Went to the high priest: The high priest mentioned here is Caiaphas. Recently, an urn was found in Jerusalem inscribed with the name of this high priest and positively dated to this period. These are the first physical remains (such as bones or ashes) of a specific person mentioned in the New Testament.

c. Still breathing threats and murder: Saul was committed to persecuting Christians, and even after he became a Christian, he remembered his days as a persecutor. In Philippians 3, he makes mention of this background, saying he was circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

i. In Galatians 1:13, Paul adds more regarding his background: For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

d. What did Saul look like? A very old apocryphal book, dating to the end of the first century, describes Paul like this: "A man of moderate stature, with crisp hair, crooked legs, blue eyes, large knit brows, and long nose, at times looking like a man, at times like an angel." (Cited in Gaebelein)

e. If he found any who were of the Way: Here, Christianity is referred to as the Way. This seems to be the earliest "name" for the Christian movement, and a fitting one - used five times in Acts.

i. The name the Way means that Christianity is more than a belief or a set of opinions or doctrines. Following Jesus is a way of living as well as believing.

2. (3-6) God meets Paul on the road to Damascus.

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

a. Suddenly a light shone around him from heaven … and heard a voice: This spectacular event also must be regarded as unusual. God does not normally confront sinners with a heavenly light and an audible voice from heaven.

i. In Acts 26:13 Paul reveals that this happened at mid-day, when the sun shines at its brightest; but this heavenly light was brighter than the sun could ever be.

b. Then he fell to the ground: Saul's reaction was simply to fall to the ground. This wasn't because of honor or reverence for God, it was simply a reaction of survival - he was terrified at the heavenly light.

c. And heard a voice saying to him: The rabbis of Saul's day believed that God no longer spoke to man directly, as He did in the days of the prophets. However, they believed that one could hear the "echo" of God's voice, what they called "the daughter of the voice of God." Here, Saul learns that one can hear God directly!

d. Saul, Saul: When God repeats a name twice, it is to display deep emotion, but not necessarily anger (as in the Martha, Martha of Luke 10:41 and the Jerusalem, Jerusalem of Matthew 23:37).

e. Why are you persecuting Me? As the heavenly light overwhelms him, Saul is confronted by the true nature of his crime: He is persecuting God, not man.

i. Saul thought that he was serving God in viciously attacking Christians, but now he discovers that he has been fighting against God.

ii. This has been sadly true through history. Men who were convinced they were doing God a favor have done much of the worst persecution and torture ever practiced.

iii. We shouldn't only emphasize the "Me" in why are you persecuting Me; we should also notice the "why" and see that Jesus is asking "why are you persecuting Me?" That is, "Saul, why are you doing such a futile thing?"

f. I am Jesus: This was all Jesus had to say for Saul to know exactly who He was, even though "Jesus" was a fairly common name. Saul knew who Jesus was; he had undoubtedly heard Him teach in Jerusalem and as a probable member of the Sanhedrin, Saul sat in judgment of Jesus in the trial before His crucifixion.

g. Saul responds with two of the most important questions anyone can (and must) ask. The first question is "Who are You, Lord?" The second question is "Lord, what do You want me to do?"

i. Most everyone has questions they would like to ask God. A recent Gallup Survey asked people to choose three questions they would most like to ask God. The top five responses: "Will there ever be lasting world peace?" "How can I be a better person?" "What does the future hold for my family and me?" "Will there ever be a cure for all diseases?" "Why is there suffering in the world?" It is strange that people would want to ask God these questions when they are already answered in the Bible! But they really aren't the most important questions for us to ask. Saul asks the right questions!

ii. Who are You, Lord? We must ask that question with a humble heart, and ask it to God. Jesus shows us exactly who God is, and He can answer this question. Paul spent the rest of his life wanting to know more completely the answer to this question (Philippians 3:10).

iii. What do You want me to do? Few dare to really ask God this question, but when we ask it, we must ask it with submission and determined obedience.

iv. Saul's question was personal. He asked the question with a "me": "Lord, what do You want me to do?" We often are quite interested in what God wants others to do. But the surrendered heart asks, "Lord, what do You want me to do?"

h. In saying "It is hard for you to kick against the goads," Jesus is giving Saul a "mini-parable."

i. The insertion of it is hard for you to kick against the goads and Lord, what do You want me to do? in Acts 9:5-6 is accurate, but not in Luke's original text. They were added by scribes, based on Acts 22:10 and 26:14, who thought they were doing God a favor by putting it in here.

ii. A goad was a long, extremely sharp stick that was used to get an ox going the way you wanted him to when you were plowing. You would jab the hind legs of the ox with the goad until the ox cooperated.

iii. Essentially, Saul is the ox; Jesus is the farmer; Saul is dumb and stubborn - yet valuable, and potentially extremely useful to the Master's service. Jesus is goading Saul into the right direction, and the goading causes Saul pain, but instead of submitting to Jesus, Saul is kicking against the goad - and only increasing his pain.

iv. Is it too much to say that if we will not ask these two great questions and listen to God's answers to these questions, then we are acting like dumb oxen?

v. We may complain that God compares us to oxen, and indeed it is an unfair comparison. After all, what ox has ever rebelled against God like we have? God almost owes an apology to oxen!

i. It is hard for you shows the great love of Jesus. He is the one being persecuted, yet his concern is for the effect it is having on Saul. What a tender heart Jesus has!

j. The fact that Saul was trembling and astonished by all of this reminds us that it is not always pleasant to encounter heaven dramatically. Saul was terrified by this experience, not oozing with warm, gushy feelings.

i. In Acts 9, we are only given the briefest account of what happened here. We know more from what Paul says about this experience in Acts 26:12-18, 1 Corinthians 9:1 and 15:8. We also know more from what Barnabas says about Saul's experience in Acts 9:27 and from what Ananias says about Saul's experience in Acts 9:17. From these accounts, we learn that Jesus appeared to Saul personally in this blinding vision.

ii. In response to this light, Saul undoubtedly shut his eyes as tight as he could; yet, Jesus still appeared before him. After the same pattern, Jesus has often had to appear to us even though we shut our eyes.

iii. In this encounter with Jesus, Saul learned the gospel that he would preach his whole life. He insists in Galatians 1:11-12, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

k. When Saul asks "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Jesus answers him only by telling what to do right at the moment.

i. This is often the character of God's direction in our lives. He directs us one step at a time instead of laying out the details of the grand plan at once.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

3. (7-9) Saul immediately after the Damascus road.

And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

a. The men who journeyed with him stood speechless: The experience was incomprehensible to Saul's companions, but as Saul opened his eyes (presumably shut tight in a terrified reaction to the heavenly light), he still could not see (when his eyes were opened he saw no one).

i. We can almost hear God saying to Saul, "You shut your eyes against My light and My Saviour. Fine! Spend a few days as blind physically as you have been blind spiritually!"

b. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank: It seems that he was so shaken by the experience that he was unable to eat or drink for three days. All Saul could do was simply sit in a blind silence. This was a humbling experience, and a time when Saul must have challenged all his previous ideas about who God was and what pleased God.

i. In the three days of blindness and deprivation, Saul was dying to himself. It would only be after the three days of dying that he would be raised to new life.

B. God ministers to Saul through Ananias.

1. (10-12) God's message to Ananias.

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. "And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight."

a. To him the Lord said in a vision: There is an entirely different character in the way God spoke to Ananias than in the way He spoke to Saul. Saul had a bold, almost violent confrontation from God, but Ananias hears the voice of God sweetly in a vision, where God calls and Ananias obediently responds. What better response could there be than "Here I am, Lord"?

i. We shouldn't be surprised if unbelievers receive the word with initial resistance and questioning like Saul, and we should expect Christians to receive the word like Ananias.

b. Arise and go: God's instructions to Ananias are clear, but curiously, God tells Ananias about Saul's vision in Ananias' own vision!

c. Behold, he is praying: Paul had never really prayed before; he merely repeated formal prayers. Before, his prayers were not spiritual, he had never prayed with Jesus as mediator, he had never prayed in Jesus' name, and his own heart was proud and far from God. He had said many prayers, but had never prayed.

d. Why Ananias? Was he a prominent Christian? We have no reason to believe so. Did God need to use a human agent at all in this work? Not really. God used Ananias because God loves to use people, and Ananias was a willing servant. Ananias asked Saul's question, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" by the way he lived his life.

e. Ananias was an ordinary man - not an apostle, a prophet, a pastor, an evangelist, an elder, or a deacon. Yet God used him especially because he was an ordinary man. If an apostle or a prominent person had ministered to Paul, people might say Paul received his gospel from a man instead of Jesus. In the same way, God needs to use the ordinary man - there is a special work for them to do.

2. (13-16) God overcomes Ananias' objections.

Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."

a. Lord, I have heard from many about this man: Certainly, Ananias had heard that this angry and violent persecutor named Saul of Tarsus was on his way from Jerusalem. The Christians of Damascus must have been anxiously preparing for the persecution to come.

b. I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done: Ananias' objections are perfectly logical and well-founded. However, they presume that God needs instruction, or at best, counsel. It is almost as if Ananias is asking, "God, did you know what kind of guy this Saul is?"

c. He is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name: God had a call for the life of Saul. At this time, God had not even revealed that calling to Saul, though He tells Ananias first.

i. God considered Saul His chosen vessel long before there appeared anything worthy in Saul to choose. God knew what He could make of Saul, even when Saul or Ananias didn't know.

d. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake: This is almost chilling. Saul was going to leave a life of privilege to embrace a higher call, but a call with much suffering.

3. (17-19) Ananias prays and Saul is healed and receives the Holy Spirit.

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

a. Brother Saul: When Ananias laid his hands on Saul, it was not only a gesture with the spiritual meaning of bestowing the blessing of the Holy Spirit on Saul; it was also a simple gesture of love meeting the needs of a blind man who could not see the love on Ananias' face, so he communicated it through his touch.

b. Be filled with the Holy Spirit: It seems that this is when Saul was actually born again. Here is where he receives the Holy Spirit and is healed from his blindness, which was spiritual blindness as much as physical blindness.

i. Be filled: God did an effective job of "breaking" Saul, but it wasn't God's intention to leave him broken. God wanted to break Saul so He could fill him and leave him filled.

ii. "It is often said that Saul was converted on the road to Damascus. Strictly speaking, this is not the fact. His conversion began in his encounter with the law but it was not accomplished until the gospel entered his heart by faith, and that did not occur on the road, but in Damascus." (Lenski)

c. When he had received food, he was strengthened: Saul immediately began to be strengthened both physically and spiritually. God is concerned about both areas of need.

4. Observations on the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.

a. Paul regarded his conversion experience as a pattern for all believers: Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief … However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. (1 Timothy 1:13,16).

b. If Paul's conversion is a pattern, then we can share his experiences. First, Jesus must confront us with Himself, with our sin and rebellion against Him, even the sins which were done in ignorance. Then we must humbly wait for the work within us that only He can do.

c. Saul's conversion reminds us that at its core, salvation is something God does in us. What we do is only a response to His work in us.

d. Saul's conversion reminds us that God finds us, even when we are not looking for Him.

e. Saul's conversion reminds us that God looks for people to cooperate in the conversion of others, even when they are not really necessary, except as a demonstration of the importance of the family of God.

f. Saul's conversion reminds us that it isn't enough that we be broken before God, though that is necessary. God's desire is to only use brokenness as a prelude to filling.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

4. Observations on the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.

a. Paul regarded his conversion experience as a pattern for all believers: Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief … However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. (1 Timothy 1:13,16).

b. If Paul's conversion is a pattern, then we can share his experiences. First, Jesus must confront us with Himself, with our sin and rebellion against Him, even the sins which were done in ignorance. Then we must humbly wait for the work within us that only He can do.

c. Saul's conversion reminds us that at its core, salvation is something God does in us. What we do is only a response to His work in us.

d. Saul's conversion reminds us that God finds us, even when we are not looking for Him.

e. Saul's conversion reminds us that God looks for people to cooperate in the conversion of others, even when they are not really necessary, except as a demonstration of the importance of the family of God.

f. Saul's conversion reminds us that it isn't enough that we be broken before God, though that is necessary. God's desire is to only use brokenness as a prelude to filling.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

C. Saul's initial ministry in Damascus and Jerusalem.

1. (20-22) Saul preaches powerfully in Damascus.

Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, "Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?" But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

a. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues: Because Saul was a skilled student of the great rabbi Gamaliel, he could take advantage of the synagogue custom that invited any able Jewish man to speak on the Scriptures at synagogue meetings.

b. He preached the Christ: The message of Paul was all about Jesus. He knew they needed to know Jesus in truth, that He is the Son of God.

i. Many people think when Jesus is called the Son of God it is a way of saying He is not God, only "the son of God." But in Jesus' day, everyone knew what this title meant. To be called the "son of" something meant you were totally identified with that thing or person, and their identity was your identity. When Jesus called Himself the Son of God, and when others called Him that, it was understood as a clear claim to His deity.

ii. In fact, on two occasions when Jesus called Himself the Son of God, He was accused of blasphemy, of calling Himself God (John 5:17-18, Matthew 26:63-65). Everybody knew what Jesus meant in calling Himself Son of God, and everyone knew what Saul meant when he preached that Jesus is the Son of God.

c. Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name: People were genuinely amazed at Saul's conversion; it was hard to believe just how powerfully Jesus could change a life. Years later, Paul himself would write: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Paul lived that verse long before he wrote it!

d. Is it surprising Saul was serving the Lord so soon after his conversion? Not at all; that is often the best time to serve the Lord, and especially to tell others about Jesus. When we are newly converted, we still understand the way people who don't yet know Jesus think.

i. It is true that young Christians shouldn't hastily be put in positions of authority in the church (1 Timothy 3:6), but you don't need a position of authority to serve the Lord!

ii. Saul's willingness to serve the Lord was a contributing factor in the fact he increased all the more in strength. As we seek to serve others, God ministers strength to us.

e. Proving that this Jesus is the Christ: Saul, an expert in the Old Testament, could easily see how Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Scriptures.

2. (23-25) Saul's escape from Damascus.

Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.

a. After many days were past: In Galatians 1:13-18, Paul elaborates on what happened during these many days. He describes how he went to Arabia for a period of time, and then returned to Damascus. After his return to Damascus, he went to Jerusalem. Paul spent a total of three years in Damascus and Arabia (Galatians 1:18); truly these were many days.

i. In 2 Corinthians 11:32-33, Paul refers to this incident and mentions it happened under Aretas the king. This means that this escape from Damascus happened between 37 and 39 A.D. So, taking into account the three years mentioned in Galatians 1:18, and that this incident happened at the end of those three years, we can surmise that Paul was converted sometime between 34 and 36 A.D.

b. The Jews plotted to kill him: This essentially begins the many things he must suffer for My name's sake the Lord spoke of in Acts 9:16. Saul now becomes the persecuted instead of the persecutor!

c. But their plot became known to Saul: If Saul would now know what it was to be persecuted for his faith, he would also know the mighty deliverance of God. Saul would enjoy divine protection until his ministry was completed before the Lord.

d. The disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket: Saul would indeed know divine protection in the midst of persecution, but he would also learn that God's deliverance often comes in humble ways. There is nothing triumphant about sneaking out of a city by night hiding in a large basket!

3. (26-30) Saul with the Christians at Jerusalem.

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

a. He tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him: Why would Christians in Jerusalem be so suspicious of Saul even three years after his conversion? They may have thought that Saul was part of an elaborate and extended plot; they may have wondered why he went off by himself for a while in Arabia; or just as likely, they probably were reluctant to embrace such a dramatic conversion without seeing it with their own eyes. Simply, they did not believe that he was a disciple.

i. At this point, some people might turn their back on Jesus Christ. They might say, "I've been serving the Lord for three years, preaching Jesus Christ, enduring assassination attempts and death threats. Now you don't want to accept me as a Christian? This is the love of Jesus? Forget it!"

ii. But Saul had a greater heart of love for Jesus and Jesus' followers. It no doubt hurt, but he understood that the disciples in Jerusalem would long remember the Christians Saul had killed and persecuted. If the disciples in Jerusalem might lack a little in love, Saul would add a little more love to make up for it.

b. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles: Thank God for people like Ananias and Barnabas, who will welcome people into the family of God with simple friendship.

i. Barnabas simply extended the love of Jesus to Saul, and as Paul would write later, love believes all things (1 Corinthians 13:8).

c. He was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out: In Galatians 1:18, Paul writes that in this first trip to Jerusalem, he stayed with Peter for fifteen days. He also says that he never had an audience with all the apostles, seeing only Peter and James, Jesus' brother.

i. This time with the apostles in Jerusalem was important, because it finally and certainly welcomed Saul into the family of the followers of Jesus. But Paul made a point of the limited nature of his time with the apostles in Jerusalem to show clearly that he did not receive his gospel from the other apostles. Though he was no doubt blessed and benefited from that time, he received his message by direct revelation from Jesus on the road to Damascus. Luke alludes to this when he writes that Saul, speaking to the apostles, declared to them … what He had spoken to him. The apostles were no doubt rejoicing that they and Saul and the exact same message from Jesus!

d. He spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus … but they attempted to kill him: Saul again faces persecution and assassination attempts. This will be a recurring pattern in his ministry.

e. For his own protection, the Christians in Jerusalem sent him out to Tarsus. Twelve years will pass in the life of Saul before he again enters into prominent ministry, being sent out as a missionary from the church at Antioch. At that time, it will also be Barnabas who reaches out to Saul, remembering him and loving him.

4. (31) The health of the churches in the whole region.

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

a. Acts 9 began with a zealous man breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1). But God was more than able to turn this terrible threat into a great blessing. Now Luke wants us to know that God's work was not only continuing, but it was strong, despite the great opposition that had come against it.

b. Galilee: The text of the Book of Acts tells us nothing about the establishment of churches in Galilee. We don't know who started these churches, how they did it, or all the great works of God which took place in these young churches. This reminds us that Acts is only a partial history of the church during this period.

c. The churches … had peace: This doesn't mean that all persecution had stopped; instead, it means that they had peace in the midst of persecution.

i. At the end of verse 31, we are at an important historical crossroads in Acts and the events of the Roman Empire. In 37 A.D., Caiaphas was replaced as high priest, first by Jonathan, then by Theophilus. In the same year, Caligula succeeded Tiberius as Roman Emperor. Caligula was bitterly hostile against the Jews and would be assassinated four years later.

d. The churches … were edified: The word edified has the idea of being built up. The churches were growing in numbers and strength.

e. Whenever God's people are walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, you may expect that they will also see their numbers multiplied.

i. The fear of the Lord … the comfort of the Holy Spirit: Which of these do you need more today? Of course, we need both, but which do you need more today: The fear of the Lord or the comfort of the Holy Spirit? Often, God wants the comfortable to be afflicted (gaining the fear of the Lord) and the afflicted to be comforted (by the comfort of the Holy Spirit

 

[DaLincolnJones]

D. God works miracles through the apostle Peter.

1. (32-35) Peter heals Aeneas at Lydda.

Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately. So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

a. Peter went through all parts of the country: The previous pattern of the apostles staying put in Jerusalem and those needing ministry coming from afar to them (as reflected in Acts 5:16) is now shifting. Peter went through all parts of the country to do ministry, traveling the 25 miles from Jerusalem to Lydda.

b. There he found a certain man: Peter found the needy man God wanted to miraculously heal, and Peter found him as he was out ministering to others in the name of Jesus. If we will be like Peter, who went through all parts of the country, then we will also find opportunities for the miraculous power of God.

c. Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you: Peter clearly identifies who it is doing the healing - Jesus the Christ. Peter is only His instrument. Jesus healed with the power of Jesus, but Peter did not heal with the power of Peter. Peter relied solely on the power of Jesus.

2. (36-42) Dorcas from Joppa is raised from the dead.

At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.

a. Both the names Dorcas and Tabitha mean "deer." This woman was a beloved member of the Christian community in Joppa, because she was full of good works and charitable deeds.

i. Luke makes it clear that Tabitha was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. Some people are full of good works and charitable deeds, but they are only full of them in their minds and hearts. They don't actually do them as Tabitha did. This is why Luke adds, which she did.

b. Why did Peter raise Dorcas from the dead? There is no indication that anyone asked him to, and we can't say that it was Peter's custom to raise every dead believer that he saw. It must have been a response to the direct leading of the Holy Spirit.

i. Does God still do this? Can God still raise the dead? Yes, of course He can and does. But Christians today must not be gullible about unsubstantiated reports.

c. Tabitha, arise: Peter seems to remember the healing Jesus performed in Mark 5:38-43, when He brought the daughter of the ruler of a synagogue back to life. In that healing, Jesus said, "Talitha, cumi." Peter says here (in the original language) "Tabitha cumi." Peter could hear Jesus' words in his head as he ministered.

i. Peter is simply trying to do what Jesus did. Jesus is his leader. He isn't trying to lead Jesus anymore, as he did when he told Jesus not to go the way of the cross in Matthew 16:22. Now Peter is letting Jesus lead him.

d. We should remind ourselves that Dorcas was not resurrected; she was resuscitated to her old life, where she would die again.

e. The fact that the Lord raised Dorcas, yet Stephen (and later, James in Acts 12:2) remained dead, reflects on God's unknowable ways. After all, it certainly seemed that Stephen and James were more important to the church than Dorcas; yet God knows what He is doing, even when we don't.

i. Dorcas wasn't raised for her own sake. She would have enjoyed heaven better! She was raised for the sake of her ministry to others, which is the same reason we have passed from death into life (John 5:24).

f. Acts 9:32 and 41 mention the saints in Lydda and Joppa; this is the first time Christians are called saints in Acts. When the Bible calls Christians saints, the idea isn't of a super-perfect people; the idea is of a people who are different. Saints are set apart from the world at large; they are distinctive.

3. (43) Peter stays with Simon, a tanner.

So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.

a. He stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner: For a law-keeping Jew of that time, it was strictly forbidden to associate with anyone who routinely worked with dead animals. According to the laws of that time, a tanner had to live at least 75 feet outside a village because of his ritual uncleanness.

i. "The trade of a tanner was held in such supreme contempt that if a girl was betrothed to a tanner without knowing that he followed that calling, the betrothal was void." (Morgan)

b. Because he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner, we see Peter is less concerned about Jewish traditions and ceremonial notions than he was before. This work of God in Peter's heart lays groundwork for what God will do in Peter in the following chapter.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Some excerpts in the bible make me snicker. Just got done reading this one.

Acts 19:11-15

11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 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.

13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Some excerpts in the bible make me snicker. Just got done reading this one.

Acts 19:11-15

11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 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.

13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”

What is it that makes you snicker? Is it the way that the passage you posted was worded? Many times I have to read multiple sources to get a clear understanding.

This may help put the text into perspective. If not let me know, I am more that happy to go into anything you want to explore.

2. (11-12) Unusual miracles in Ephesus.

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

a. Now God worked unusual miracles: Luke states that these were unusual miracles, and gives an example, that Paul's handkerchiefs or aprons (literally, "sweat-bands") could be laid on a person even without Paul present, that person would be healed or delivered from demonic possession.

i. Literally, the phrase unusual miracles could be translated, miracles not of the ordinary kind. Even if we should "expect" miracles, these are the unexpected sort!

ii. It was unusual for God to use handkerchiefs or aprons in such a way. "The pieces of material were presumably those which Paul used in his tentmaking or leather-working - the sweat-rags for tying around his head and the aprons for tying around his waist." (Bruce)

b. How did the handkerchiefs or aprons work? In the same way that the shadow of Peter (Acts 5:15) or the hem of Jesus' garment (Matthew 14:36) might heal: the item became a point of contact by which a person released faith in Jesus as healer.

i. We are not told that Paul did these unusual miracles, but that God worked them by the hands of Paul.

c. We can imagine this happening at first almost by accident - perhaps a person in need of healing took a handkerchief from Paul in a superstitious manner and was healed. But it would soon become a pattern that others imitated.

i. I remember seeing what looked to be loosely rolled up newspapers on a pulpit in Bulgaria, being told they were pieces of fabric (wrapped in newspapers) that the pastor would pray over and they would be taken home to sick people. This was a common practice in these Bulgarian churches.

ii. As we will see, the superstitious practice of magic and sorcery was prevalent in Ephesus. So, it should not surprise us that some took a quite superstitious view of the miracles done through Paul.

d. Observations on these unusual miracles.

i. Note that these were unusual miracles; we should not expect that God would continue to use this method to bring healing.

ii. God delights in doing things in new and different ways; so we receive whatever is proven to be from the hand of God, but we pursue only that which we have a Biblical pattern for.

iii. God will stoop down to meet us even in our crude superstitions. This never means that God is pleased with our superstition, but that in His mercy He may overlook them to meet a need.

3. (13-16) A rebuke to the seven sons of Sceva, the hopeful Jewish exorcists.

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

a. Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists: At that time, there were Jewish exorcists who practiced their "trade" with a lot of superstition and ceremony. Here, a group of itinerant Jewish exorcists try to imitate Paul's "formula" for success.

b. We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches: The Jewish exorcists failed because they had no personal relationship with Jesus. They only know Jesus is the God of Paul, not their own God.

i. There are many people - many churchgoers - who will perish in Hell because they have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They only know "the Jesus the pastor preaches" or of "the Jesus my spouse believes in" instead of the Jesus of their own salvation.

ii. Do you have the "right" to use the name of Jesus? These sons of Sceva did not, because they had no personal relationship with Jesus.

c. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" The evil spirit knew exactly who Jesus was, and knew exactly who Paul was. But they didn't know who the seven sons of Sceva were. Apparently, evil spirits know who their enemies are (in this case, Jesus and Paul), and don't waste their effort knowing those who aren't a threat to them (in this case, the seven sons of Sceva).

d. Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them: Because the seven sons of Sceva had no real relationship with Jesus, they had no spiritual power against the evil spirit. They left the encounter naked and wounded. It was dangerous for them to take the reality of spiritual warfare lightly.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

What is it that makes you snicker? Is it the way that the passage you posted was worded? Many times I have to read multiple sources to get a clear understanding.

This may help put the text into perspective. If not let me know, I am more that happy to go into anything you want to explore.

2. (11-12) Unusual miracles in Ephesus.

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

a. Now God worked unusual miracles: Luke states that these were unusual miracles, and gives an example, that Paul's handkerchiefs or aprons (literally, "sweat-bands") could be laid on a person even without Paul present, that person would be healed or delivered from demonic possession.

i. Literally, the phrase unusual miracles could be translated, miracles not of the ordinary kind. Even if we should "expect" miracles, these are the unexpected sort!

ii. It was unusual for God to use handkerchiefs or aprons in such a way. "The pieces of material were presumably those which Paul used in his tentmaking or leather-working - the sweat-rags for tying around his head and the aprons for tying around his waist." (Bruce)

b. How did the handkerchiefs or aprons work? In the same way that the shadow of Peter (Acts 5:15) or the hem of Jesus' garment (Matthew 14:36) might heal: the item became a point of contact by which a person released faith in Jesus as healer.

i. We are not told that Paul did these unusual miracles, but that God worked them by the hands of Paul.

c. We can imagine this happening at first almost by accident - perhaps a person in need of healing took a handkerchief from Paul in a superstitious manner and was healed. But it would soon become a pattern that others imitated.

i. I remember seeing what looked to be loosely rolled up newspapers on a pulpit in Bulgaria, being told they were pieces of fabric (wrapped in newspapers) that the pastor would pray over and they would be taken home to sick people. This was a common practice in these Bulgarian churches.

ii. As we will see, the superstitious practice of magic and sorcery was prevalent in Ephesus. So, it should not surprise us that some took a quite superstitious view of the miracles done through Paul.

d. Observations on these unusual miracles.

i. Note that these were unusual miracles; we should not expect that God would continue to use this method to bring healing.

ii. God delights in doing things in new and different ways; so we receive whatever is proven to be from the hand of God, but we pursue only that which we have a Biblical pattern for.

iii. God will stoop down to meet us even in our crude superstitions. This never means that God is pleased with our superstition, but that in His mercy He may overlook them to meet a need.

3. (13-16) A rebuke to the seven sons of Sceva, the hopeful Jewish exorcists.

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

a. Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists: At that time, there were Jewish exorcists who practiced their "trade" with a lot of superstition and ceremony. Here, a group of itinerant Jewish exorcists try to imitate Paul's "formula" for success.

b. We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches: The Jewish exorcists failed because they had no personal relationship with Jesus. They only know Jesus is the God of Paul, not their own God.

i. There are many people - many churchgoers - who will perish in Hell because they have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They only know "the Jesus the pastor preaches" or of "the Jesus my spouse believes in" instead of the Jesus of their own salvation.

ii. Do you have the "right" to use the name of Jesus? These sons of Sceva did not, because they had no personal relationship with Jesus.

c. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" The evil spirit knew exactly who Jesus was, and knew exactly who Paul was. But they didn't know who the seven sons of Sceva were. Apparently, evil spirits know who their enemies are (in this case, Jesus and Paul), and don't waste their effort knowing those who aren't a threat to them (in this case, the seven sons of Sceva).

d. Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them: Because the seven sons of Sceva had no real relationship with Jesus, they had no spiritual power against the evil spirit. They left the encounter naked and wounded. It was dangerous for them to take the reality of spiritual warfare lightly.

Good stuff and thanks for going over it. I will look at it great detail in the next day or two.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 10

Cornelius, Peter, and the Conversion of Gentiles
A. God speaks to Cornelius about Peter.

1. (1-2) Cornelius, a Gentile who served God.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

a. A certain man in Caesarea: Caesarea was a predominately Roman city on the shores of the Mediterranean in Judea. It was the headquarters of the Roman governor of the province of Judea. Archaeologists have discovered a stone from a building in Caesarea inscribed with the name Pontus Pilate.

b. Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment: The first thing we learn about Cornelius is that he is an officer in the Roman Army. This is something that would have made him all the more hated by any patriotic Jew.

i. "Thirty-two such Italian cohorts were stationed in the different provinces of the empire. They were made up of Italian volunteers and were considered the most loyal Roman troops." (Lenski) Because he was such a loyal servant of the oppressors of Israel, any patriotic Jewish person of that day would have been automatically prejudiced against Cornelius.

c. Yet, Cornelius was a devout man; a man who feared God, prayed to God always and gave alms generously to those who were in need.

i. Cornelius was in the category of what the Jews called God-fearers (one who feared God). These were Gentiles who loved the God of Israel and were sympathetic to and supportive of the Jewish faith. Yet they stopped short of becoming full Jews in lifestyle and in circumcision.

d. Because of the way the life and heart of Cornelius is described, we can see he was a man who obviously had a real relationship with God. At the same time, he was not a part of the mainstream of Jewish life.

2. (3-6) God sends an angel to tell Cornelius to get Peter.

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do."

a. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision: We are not told specifically that Cornelius was praying, but it was the ninth hour (3:00 in the afternoon). This was a customary time of prayer for Jews. Also, as Cornelius relates the incident to Peter in Acts 10:30, he specifically says he was praying (at the ninth hour I prayed in my house).

b. He saw clearly in a vision an angel of God: This was not a dream, nor was it actually happening. This was a vision that came in the "mind's eye" of Cornelius. At the same time, it was so vivid that Cornelius would later say, a man stood beside me in bright clothing (Acts 10:30).

c. Send for Simon whose surname is Peter: Probably, Cornelius didn't even know who Peter was. But he knew that he should do what God told him to do, and he could trust that God was speaking to this Peter also (He will tell you what to do).

d. It is significant that God speaks to Cornelius so directly, even calling him by name. It is also significant that Cornelius responds with a healthy fear of the heavenly and holy (he was afraid). This shows that Cornelius had a real relationship with God.

e. God sent an angel in a vision to Cornelius, but He used a man to preach the gospel to him (He will tell you what you must do). "Angels may help to connect men with God's appointed preachers, they are never allowed to do more." (Lenski)

3. (7-8) Cornelius obeys God's command and sends for Peter.

And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

B. Peter's vision of the great sheet.

1. (9-10) Peter on Simon the Tanner's housetop.

The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance.

a. As they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray: As God was speaking to Cornelius, and as Cornelius had sent the messengers to call Peter, God was also speaking to Peter himself.

i. Typically, this is how God operates. He speaks to several people about a matter, not just one. Then confirmation is provided, and out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, a word is established.

ii. "Two men are thirty miles apart. They must be brought together. In order that they may meet, while Joppa is busy with its trade, and Caesarea with its great shipping interests, and will know nothing of what is going on; God within the shadows keeping watch above His own, sends the angel to Caesarea, and grants the ecstatic trance in Joppa. They were thus brought together." (Morgan)

b. In that culture, the housetop was normally used as a sort of "patio." There was nothing strange about Peter going up on the housetop t pray.

c. Then he became very hungry: This often happens during prayer; distractions in our body come while we are trying to direct ourselves to God. However, God would use these very distractions to speak to Peter, as he fell into a trance.

2. (11-16) Peter's vision.

And saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

a. All kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air: Peter sees all sorts of kosher and un-kosher animals prominently displayed on this sheet-like background (a great sheet bound at the four corners). Then, Peter hears a command: Rise, Peter, kill and eat.

i. When Peter became very hungry and wanted to eat during prayer, he no doubt regarded it as a distraction. Yet, God used it by speaking to him through a vision regarding food. His hunger may have made him pay more attention!

b. A voice came to him: How does God speak to us? It is rare for God to speak in an audible voice. More often, God speaks to our inner man. As a vision can be "seen" by the "mind's eye," even so we can "hear" the voice of God with the "mind's ear."

i. "God does not need sound waves to fall on an ear drum to speak to a man. When it pleases him to do so, he can speak directly to one's mind where all sound waves are finally interpreted." (Lovett)

c. Rise, Peter, kill and eat: This obviously goes against Peter's commitment as a Jew, which was to never eat anything except kosher foods. Certainly, among the all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air there were non-kosher animals included.

d. Not so, Lord! Peter's response is both absurd and yet typical of us. He says he says "no" to his Lord. The only legitimate answer to a request from our Lord is "yes."

i. Peter had a bad habit of telling Jesus "no" (Matthew 16:22, John 13:8). Compare Peter's response to God (Not so, Lord!) with Cornelius' response to God (What is it, Lord?). On this day, it seems that Cornelius was more responsive to God than Peter was!

ii. Peter had pretty much put God in a box of limitations, and now God was going to shake Peter up to change his thinking. He can do the same for us. "Shake yourself up a little, my brother. If you are too precise may the Lord set you on fire, and consume your bonds of red tape! If you have become so improperly proper that you cannot commit a proper impropriety, then pray God to help you be less proper, for there are many who will never be saved by your instrumentality while you study propriety." (Spurgeon)

iii. Peter was saved, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and Peter had been greatly used by God. At the same time, Peter was still Peter. God wasn't using him because he was perfect, but because he was in the right direction and he was available. We often fall into the trap of thinking that we must be perfected until God can really use us.

e. God responds clearly to Peter: What God has cleansed (declared clean) you must not call common (impure, unholy, unacceptable to God).

i. In Old Testament thinking, there was the holy and the common. The holy was made common when it came into contact with something common, and could only be made holy again through a ritual cleansing. When something was made holy it was called consecration; when it was made common it was called desecration.

ii. At this point, Peter believes that God is speaking about food. But shortly, God will show Peter that He is really getting at another point.

f. This was done three times: For deep emphasis, God repeats this vision three times. Peter was to regard this as important.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

3. (17-20) God makes Peter aware of the arrival of the messengers from Cornelius.

Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate. And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."

a. Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant: When the vision ended, Peter did not have it all figured out. That would come in time, and as God spoke to Peter through the visitors just arriving at his door.

b. The Spirit said to him: Previously, in Acts 10:13 and 10:15, it was simply said that a voice spoke to Peter. Now, we are told that the Spirit spoke to Peter. This was God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, speaking to Peter.

c. Three men are seeking you … go down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them: At this point, God has not told Peter that his visitors are Gentiles. Normally, a godly Jew like Peter would not associate like this with Gentiles. Knowing this, and knowing Peter's previous resistance (Not so, Lord!), God simply "surprises" Peter with the knowledge that these men are Gentiles. All Peter needs to know is that the Spirit said, I have sent them.

4. (21-23) Peter goes with the messengers back to Caesarea to see Cornelius.

Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?" And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you." Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

a. Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius: Peter must have been shocked when he opened the door and saw two servants and a soldier (Acts 10:7) at his door. He would have known immediately that they were not Jews, and he would have wondered why God told him to go with them and why God had sent them.

i. The idea that God could send and use Gentiles would have been entirely new to Peter. God is really expanding Peter's mind and heart here!

b. To summon you to his house, and to hear words from you: The messengers from Cornelius come with an invitation. Peter is to come to the house of Cornelius, and he wants to hear words from you. Of course, this was an invitation Peter couldn't pass up - or could he?

i. A Gentile - worse yet, an officer in the Roman army - wanted to hear the gospel from Peter. Peter has never done anything like this before! How will he respond?

c. Then he invited them in and lodged them: We can see the change in Peter's heart by the way he invited them in and lodged them. Lodged them is literally "to entertain as a guest." Peter didn't just coldly give these Gentiles visitors a room; he entertained them as welcome guests, and he did this against every custom of the Jews.

i. By entertaining these Gentile guests, Peter went against the customs and traditions of Israel, but not against God's Word. Possibly, at this very moment, God flooded Peter's heart with an understanding that though the Old Testament said God's people were not to become like their pagan neighbors, it also said God wanted His people to become a light to their neighbors who didn't know the true God.

ii. "I think angels watched that house that night, with the despised tanner a fellow-disciple, the great apostle, the three Gentiles as they lodged there." (Morgan)

d. On the next day Peter went away with them: Peter is reaching out in love to his Gentile neighbors, in obedience to what God has told him to do.

i. "Centuries ago another Jew had come to Joppa with a solemn message from his God, which he was commissioned to bear far hence to the Gentiles. Jonah, the prophet, took a ship from Joppa and refused obedience to the divine call." (Gaebelein)

ii. Jonah ran from God's call, thinking he could get away from the Lord, and he did not share God's heart for the lost. Peter was willing to re-examine his traditions and prejudices in light of God's word, and he shared God's heart for a lost world. Are you a Jonah or a Peter?

 

[DaLincolnJones]

C. The meeting between Cornelius and Peter.

1. (24-26) Peter comes to Cornelius' house.

And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man."

a. Cornelius was waiting for them: Cornelius has a lot of faith in God! He is waiting for Peter to come, knowing that since God motivated him to call Peter in the first place, God would bring the plan to completion.

i. Cornelius sends servants to get a man he has never met, come meet him, knowing only that the man is a pious Jew and by tradition would have nothing to do with a Gentile like Cornelius. Despite all that, Cornelius was waiting for them in faith!

b. Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him: Cornelius didn't know Peter, but must have thought him to be a special man of God, so fell down at his feet and worshipped him. This reaction was understandable, though wrong. Peter corrected Cornelius by saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." If Cornelius should not give such reverence to Peter, neither should Peter receive it.

i. Significantly, whenever worship is offered to men or angels (Revelation 19:10), it is refused. But Jesus received such worship freely (Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 28:9). This proves that Jesus is more than a man, and greater than any angel (Luke 4:8).

ii. In the great St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, there is a huge statue of Peter, where people come and kiss the toe of the statue. This is undue and inappropriate reverence towards any man or angel. We might almost wish that Peter would visit the cathedral named after him and set those people straight!

iii. "Peter refused both to be treated by Cornelius as if he were a god, and to treat Cornelius as if he were a dog." (Stott)

2. (27-29) Entering Cornelius' house, Peter explains why he came.

And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?"

a. He went in is one of the shortest, yet most important passages of this section. Peter is actually entering the house of a Gentile, something that Jewish customs and traditions strictly prohibited. By entering a Gentile's home, Peter is showing that his heart and mind have changed, and that he has learned the lesson of the vision of the great sheet.

i. "The principle subject of this chapter is not so much the conversion of Cornelius as the conversion of Peter." (Stott)

b. Then he said to them: Peter must explain why he, a godly Jew (who was also a Christian) entered a Gentile's house. So, he explains the message he received in the vision, realizing that God wasn't only (or even primarily) talking about food in the vision (I should not call any man common or unclean).

i. In saying "I should not call any man common or unclean," Peter understood that the vision was about people, not food. But the principle still relates to food. We understand believers are not under any obligation to keep a kosher diet. How we eat may be better or worse from a health perspective, but it doesn't make us any more right with God.

ii. Jesus spoke of this principle: Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart, but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods? (Mark 7:19).

iii. Paul knew this principle:I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself (Romans 14:14).

iv. Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink … which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ (Colossians 2:16-17).

v. Yet the connection between unclean persons and unclean foods was important. The idea of unkosher food was closely connected to the idea of unkosher people. "It was largely because of their lack of scruples in food matters that Gentiles were ritually unsafe people for a pious Jew to meet socially." (Bruce)

c. Therefore I came confirms it. If Peter had not received this vision, he would have never traveled with these Gentile messengers! God had to prepare Peter's heart with the vision before Peter would have come.

3. (30-33) Cornelius explains why he sent for Peter.

So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.' So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."

a. Cornelius, your prayer has been heard: Cornelius was praying, and the eventual answer to his prayer was the arrival of Peter with the gospel. So, what was Cornelius' prayer?

b. Undoubtedly, Cornelius was praying either generally to draw closer to God, or specifically that God would send the Messiah. God would answer this prayer through the gospel Peter brought to Cornelius.

c. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God: Peter was living a preacher's dream. His audience is attentive and well-prepared by the Holy Spirit.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

4. (34-43) Peter's short sermon to the Gentiles at Cornelius' house.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ; He is Lord of all; that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."

a. In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality is the foundation for Peter's understanding that the gospel should now go forth to Gentiles. This statement goes completely against the prevailing Jewish thought that God certainly did show partiality, towards the Jews and against the Gentiles. In essence, many Jews of Peter's day thought that God loved the Jews while hating the Gentiles.

i. A Jewish man would begin every day with a prayer thanking God that he was not a slave, a Gentile, or a woman. A basic part of the Jewish religion in the days of the New Testament was an oath that promised that one would never help a Gentile under any circumstances, such as giving directions if they were asked. But it went even as far as refusing to help a Gentile woman at the time of her sorest need - when she was giving birth - because the result would only be bringing another Gentile into the world.

ii. If a Jew married a Gentile, the Jewish community would have a funeral for the Jew and consider them dead. It was thought that to even enter the house of a Gentile made a Jew unclean before God. Ancient Jewish writings tell us of a Gentile woman who came to a rabbi. She confessed that she was a sinner and asked to be admitted to the Jewish faith. "Rabbi," she said, "bring me near." The Rabbi refused and simply shut the door in her face.

iii. But the Gentiles could give as good as they got from the Jews. Gentiles despised Jews as weird traditionalists, and believed that they were evil plotters who worshipped pigs. After all, Jews refused to eat pork, so they must worship pigs!

iv. All of this changed with the spread of the gospel. Christianity was the first religion to disregard racial, cultural and national limitations.

v. When the Jews showed this kind of partiality they were not being faithful to God's heart as revealed in the Old Testament. The idea that God shows no partiality is also stated in Deuteronomy 10:17 and 2 Chronicles 19:7: For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. (Deuteronomy 10:17)

b. Peter's point in saying but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him is not to imply that men like Cornelius were already right with God and don't need to become Christians. Instead, the point is that they need not feel excluded from God because of their national background.

i. We often think God sees color; He only sees the heart. God does not see economic status; He only sees the heart. He doesn't see nationality or ethnic group; He only sees the heart.

c. He is Lord of all is a powerful phrase, showing the deity of Jesus. How could anyone say this of someone who is not God?

d. Whom they killed by hanging on a tree … Him God raised up on the third day: Notably, Peter's preaching to the Gentiles is essentially the same as his preaching to the Jews. He presents the person and work of Jesus Christ, with an emphasis on the resurrection of Jesus and our responsibility before God in light of these things.

i. Peter didn't have one sermon for one group and another sermon for another. All people needed to be saved by coming to a living faith in a living Jesus Christ.

e. The brief sermon concludes with an understanding of the broadness of God's promise of salvation: Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. Note it carefully: Whoever believes! Jew or Gentile! Black or white! Rich or poor!

f. This message had great preparation. Peter was prepared by the Holy Spirit, and those at Cornelius' house were prepared to hear the message Peter brought. Our blessing is greatly increased when we prepare ourselves to hear the word of God.

5. (44-48) God-fearing Gentiles are saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, and baptized.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

a. While Peter was still speaking these words: Salvation came when each one of these Gentiles responded to Peter's message with believing faith in their hearts, so that they were actually saved while they listened.

i. While listening to Peter, these people made a secret and invisible transaction in their hearts with God, by setting their faith in Jesus Christ.

ii. The moment of a person's salvation isn't necessarily when they raise a hand or come forward at an evangelistic invitation. It is more likely at the moment they surrender to God and embrace Jesus in the sincerity of their hearts.

iii. Peter was willing to allow the Holy Spirit interrupt his sermon. The Holy Spirit was doing the greater work in the hearts of those listening, and Peter went with the flow. He stopped and called for their baptism.

iv. Were these the first Gentiles to be saved? Gentiles had probably received salvation in the eight years since Pentecost (Acts 2). But those Gentiles were saved as they embraced Judaism as well as Christianity. Gentiles may have received salvation before this, but they were saved as Jews, not Gentiles.

b. The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word … they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God: Their filling with the Holy Spirit was accompanied by the demonstration of spiritual gifts. This was a filling with the Holy Spirit in two senses. First, in the sense that He indwells and abides in every believer. Second, in the sense of a special empowering with gifts and graces from the Holy Spirit.

i. When they spoke with tongues, it was to magnify God, not to teach men. The audience was God, not man, as is consistent with the principle of 1 Corinthians 14:2.

c. Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished: The Jewish Christians present were amazed. They may have understood that God was now "starting" to love the Gentiles, but who would have thought God would fill Gentiles with the Holy Spirit in the same manner and degree as the Jews?

i. Peter makes the point clearly when he notes that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. It wasn't just that God was loving or blessing the Gentiles that astonished them. It was that God was loving and blessing the Gentiles just as He loved and blessed the Jews, and He did it while they were still Gentiles!

d. He commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord: The baptism in water did not save them. Instead, their baptism recognized the salvation they had already received.

5. This entrance of Gentiles into the church was not a "new" plan, but something promised long before.

a. The Old Testament looked for the day when a light would shine in the darkness of the Gentile world: Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60:1-3)

b. God promised Abraham, and his descendants, that the blessing that came through him would extend to all nations (Genesis 12:1-4). Here, we see Jesus - the greatest blessing from Abraham - extended to the nations.

c. Remember Jesus' promise of other sheep, not of this fold in John 10:16. Jesus also promised, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself (John 12:32).

d. The first Gentile Jesus dealt with in His public ministry was a Roman centurion from Capernaum. When Jesus healed that centurion's servant, He declared that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:5-13).

e. We should also see that Cornelius was an undoubtedly good man; yet he needed Jesus. Even good people, who are respectful towards God, still need to come to Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and put all their trust in who Jesus is and what He has done for them.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 11

Defending Ministry to the Gentiles
A. A controversy in Jerusalem regarding ministry to the Gentiles.

1. (1-3) Peter hears objections to his association with Gentiles.

Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!"

a. Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God: The greatness of the work among the Gentiles in Caesarea could not be kept hidden. Besides, there was no desire to hide it, even though many Jewish Christians (those of the circumcision) would be confused and offended.

b. "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!" The charges against Peter are simple: "You, who are supposed to be a faithful Jew, associated with and even ate with Gentiles!" This offended these Christian Jews, so they contended with Peter.

i. We must remember that sharing a meal together was a special sign of fellowship in that culture. This was considered to be a significant compromise by these Jewish Christians.

c. When we see what the reaction of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem was to what Peter did, we can see how wise it was of Peter to take six witnesses with him to Caesarea and his meeting with Cornelius (Acts 10:23; 11:12).

2. (4-15) Peter explains his ministry to the Gentiles.

But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' But I said, 'Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.' But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.' Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, 'Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.' And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning."

a. Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning: This account is an obvious condensation from Acts 10:9-43. God is emphasizing the importance of these events by repeating the story.

b. What God has cleansed you must not call common: At first, Peter thought God was speaking about food. But Peter came to understand the vision of the sheet and kosher and unkosher animals has to do with people, not food (Acts 10:28). There is a sense in which the sheet represents the church, having both "kosher" (Jews) and "unkosher" (Gentiles) on it, with no distinction.

c. The conclusion is important: The Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning shows that God's stamp of approval was on this ministry to the Gentiles. How could these believing Jews withhold their approval when God had given His?

3. (16-18) Peter interprets these events by remembering the words of Jesus.

"Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."

a. If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God? If God was moving ministry out to the Gentiles, who is Peter that he could withstand God? Peter recognized the importance of sensing where God is going and heading that same direction, instead of trying to persuade God to go your direction.

i. It is important also to note these Christians would see this was all in accord with the Scriptures. They had both the word of the Lord Jesus, recorded in Mark 1:8, and the Old Testament promise that Gentiles would come to the Lord through the Messiah (in passages such as Isaiah 49:6).

ii. There are many today who look at some work or another and say, "look what God is doing." But activity alone isn't enough to validated a work of God. It must also be in line with God's Word. This work among the Gentiles passed both tests.

b. They became silent: The Jewish believers in Jerusalem first react with a stunned silence. But then they glorified God, because they saw He was now working among the Gentiles also!

i. This is a powerful passage, demonstrating that the hearts of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were soft enough to be guided by God. It is a glorious thing when God's people will allow their prejudices and traditions to be overcome by God's Word and God's work.

ii. The church in Jerusalem embraced these Gentile believers at first, but it would be a long time until all the objections were answered.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

B. The Church in Antioch.

1. (19-21) The church in Antioch grows as Gentiles turn to the Lord.

Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

a. Preaching the word to no one by the Jews only: At first, Christians scattered over the Roman Empire preached only to Jews. But they eventually began to preach Jesus Christ to Gentiles as well.

b. Some of them were from Cyprus and Cyrene … spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus: These unnamed disciples from Cyprus and Cyrene are genuine heroes. They began the first mentioned "mission to the Gentiles" (here called Hellenists) in Antioch.

i. In Antioch, we have the first example of Christians deliberately targeting Gentiles for evangelism, and this effort had great results.

c. When they had come to Antioch: Antioch was founded about 300 B.C. by Seleucus I, one of the inheritors of Alexander the Great's empire. He had a thing about founding cities and naming them after his father, Antioch, and he did this about fifteen times. This city of Antioch was called "Syrian Antioch" or "Antioch on the Orantes." Back then it was a city of more than half a million; today it is a Turkish city with a population of about 3,500.

i. Antioch was considered by many the third greatest city in the Empire, behind Rome and Alexandria. The city of Antioch was known for its sophistication and culture, but also for its immorality.

ii. "The city's reputation for moral laxity was enhanced by the cult of Artemis and Apollo at Daphne, five miles distant, where the ancient Syrian worship of Astarte and her consort, with its ritual prostitution, was carried on." (Bruce)

d. And the hand of the Lord was with them: Because God was with them, their ministry was blessed and multiplied, the result was that a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

i. A ministry can't turn people to the Lord unless the hand of the Lord is with them. You can turn people to a personality without the hand of the Lord; you can turn people to a social club without the hand of the Lord; you can turn people to a church or an institution without the hand of the Lord. But you can't turn people to the Lord without the hand of the Lord.

2. (22-24) The ministry of Barnabas in Antioch.

Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

a. They sent out Barnabas: The church in Jerusalem sends an able man in Barnabas, previously known for his generosity (Acts 4:36-37) and his warm acceptance of Saul of Tarsus after he was converted (Acts 9:26-28).

b. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad: At the church in Antioch, when Barnabas had seen the grace of God, he was glad. Can people see the grace of God at our church? Or do they see a legal relationship with God?

c. Encouraged them with all purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord: Barnabas rightly focuses on his main job as a leader of the congregation. He strengthened the church family itself, with the result that a great many people were added to the Lord.

i. This is the plan for church growth spoken of in Ephesians 4:11-16. Leaders in the church dedicate themselves to building strong, healthy Christians. As the saints are equipped for the work of the ministry, they grow into maturity, and do their ministry, and it causes growth of the body.

3. (25-26) Barnabas and Saul work together in Antioch.

Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

a. Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul: Barnabas remembers this precious brother Saul, and how he had been sent out to Tarsus for his own protection (Acts 9:28-30). Now Barnabas goes and finds him.

i. To seek Saul is more literally to hunt him up; Barnabas had to do some looking. MacArthur says the original word "suggests a laborious search on Barnabas' part."

b. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. Together, Barnabas and Saul taught a great many people, making the church in Antioch strong.

i. Saul had spent some twelve years in Tarsus since we last met him; these years were not "wasted" or "lost," but spent in quiet ministry and preparation for future service.

c. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch: How did the name Christian ever become associated with the followers of Jesus?

i. The ending ian meant "the party of." A Christ-ian was "of the party of Jesus." Christians is sort of like saying "Jesus-ites," or "Jesus People," those of the group associated with Jesus Christ.

ii. Also, soldiers under particular generals in the Roman army would identify themselves by their general's name by adding ian to the end. A soldier under Caesar would call himself a Caesarian. Soldiers under Jesus Christ could be called Christians.

iii. In Antioch, they probably first used the term Christians to mock the followers of Jesus. "Antioch was famous for its readiness to jeer and call names; it was known by its witty epigrams." (Gaebelein) But as the people of Antioch called the followers of Jesus the "Jesus People," the believers appreciated the title so much that it stuck.

iv. Christians must be willing to take the title "Jesus People," and must also be worthy of the name. Instead of claiming any other title - Roman Catholic, Protestant, charismatic, whatever - we should be just plain Christians.

v. Eusebius, the famous early church historian, describes a believer named Sanctus from Lyons, France, who was tortured for Jesus. As they tortured him cruelly, they hoped to get him to say something evil or blasphemous. They asked his name, and he would only reply, "I am a Christian." "What nation do you belong to?" He would answer, "I am a Christian." "What city do you live in?" "I am a Christian." His questioners began to get angry: "Are you a slave or a free man?" "I am a Christian" was the only reply. No matter what they asked about him, he would only answer, "I am a Christian." This made his torturers all the more determined to break him, but they could not, and he died with the words "I am a Christian" on his lips. (Eusebius, Church History)

4. (27-30) A prophetic word announces a famine.

And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

a. Showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar: We don't know exactly how Agabus showed by the Spirit this famine was on the way. But the Christians took the word seriously, and generously begin preparations to meet the needs.

i. "We know from other sources that Claudius's principate was marked by a succession of bad harvests and consequent scarcity in various parts of the empire - in Rome, Greece, and Egypt as well as in Judaea." (Bruce)

b. You can tell these are truly disciples and Christians, because they gave generously to meet the need. They gave, each according to his ability.

i. We also see they determined to give. If a person does not determine to give, they often never do.

c. Sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul: The high regard that Barnabas and Saul had among all is evident by the fact that they were trusted with the relief fund

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 12

James Is Martyred, Peter Is Set Free

A. James the apostle dies as a martyr.

1. (1) Herod harasses the church.

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.

a. Herod the king: This is Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, who ruled in the days of Jesus' birth (Matthew 2:1-16). Herod Agrippa I was also the nephew of Herod Antipas, who had a role in the trial of Jesus (Luke 23:7-12).

b. Stretched out his hand to harass some from the church: No doubt, this was done because it was politically popular for Herod. It pleased many of his citizens who didn't like Christians. Many political figures are ready to persecute Christians if it will make them politically popular.

2. (2) The death of the apostle James.

Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

a. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword: This is a new development in the history of the church. James is the first of the twelve who followed Jesus to be martyred.

b. Up to Acts 12, the church has been on a "hot streak," experiencing one exciting conversion after another. First there was Saul of Tarsus, then the Gentile centurion Cornelius, then the mixed crowd of Jews and Gentiles in Antioch. But in Acts 12, the ugly opposition inspired by Satan again raises its head.

c. James is certainly not the first Christian to die in faithfulness to Jesus. Stephen (Acts 7:58-60) was martyred before this, and certainly others were also. But the death of James shattered the illusion that somehow, the twelve enjoyed a unique Divine protection.

d. James the brother of John, in particular, might have thought to have been "protected." He was one of the special intimates of Jesus, often mentioned with his brother John and with Peter (Matthew 17:1, 26:37, Mark 5:37, 9:2, 14:33; Luke 5:37, 9:2, and 14:33).

i. But Jesus promised no special protection for even His closest followers; He warned them to be ready for persecution (Matthew 10:16-26).

ii. In Mark 10:35-40, John and his brother James came to Jesus and asked to be considered His two chief lieutenants. Jesus replied to them, You do not know what you ask. Can you drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? James and John, not really knowing what they were saying, replied by saying they could. Jesus promised them, You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized. This martyrdom was the fulfillment of that promise for James. John fulfilled it by a lifetime of devoted service to God despite repeated attempts to martyr him.

e. Normally, with the sword means that James was beheaded.

i. Eusebius relates a story from Clement of Alexandria, who says that the soldier who guarded James before the judge was so affected by his witness that he declared himself a Christian also and was willingly executed for Jesus along side of James (Eusebius, Church History 2.9.2-3).

f. Significantly, there was no attempt to "replace" James, as there was to replace Judas (Acts 1). This was because James died as a faithful martyr, but Judas revealed his apostasy in betraying Jesus. There was no need for another man to take the office of James.

B. The release of Peter from prison.

1. (3-4) Herod imprisons Peter.

And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

a. Because he saw that it pleased the Jews: Seeing his approval ratings rise in the polls when he kills James, Herod seeks to improve his ratings even more when he proceeded further to Peter also.

i. There was a significant difference between the persecution from Saul of Tarsus (Acts 8:1-3) and from Herod. Saul, wrong as he was, persecuted out of sincere (though misguided) religious conviction, Herod persecuted out of purely political motives.

b. Intending to bring him before the people after Passover: Herod will deal with Peter at a politically opportune time, fearing an unpredictable mob reaction when Passover pilgrims flood Jerusalem.

i. Horton suggests three reasons for the delay in executing Peter:
(1) Herod wanted to show how scrupulously he observed the Passover; (2) he wanted to wait until the pilgrim crowds went home, fearing a riot; (3) he wanted to wait until he had the full attention of the Jewish population.
c. Delivered him to four squads of soldiers: Knowing Peter (with the other apostles) had mysteriously escaped from prison before (Acts 5:17-21), Herod assigns a high-security detail to guard Peter.

i. "Normally it was considered enough for a prisoner to be handcuffed to one soldier, but as a special precaution Peter had a soldier each side of him and both his wrists were manacled" (Stott)

2. (5) The church prays for Peter.

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

a. Prayer was offered to God for him by the church: Herod has his soldiers and his prisons; but the church has the power of prayer. The outcome will be decided easily!

b. Constant prayer was offered to God for him: The word constant also has the idea of earnest; literally, the word pictures someone stretching out all they can for something. "The verb ektenos is related to ektenes, a medical term describing the stretching of a muscle to its limits." (MacArthur)

i. Luke uses this same word ektenos for the agonizing prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44).

ii. Much of our prayer is powerless because it lacks earnestness. Too often we almost pray with the attitude of wanting God to care about things we really don't care too much about.

iii. Earnest prayer has power not because it in itself persuades a reluctant God. Instead, it demonstrates that our heart cares passionately about the things God cares about, fulfilling Jesus' promise If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you (John 15:7).

c. Constant prayer was offered to God: It is also important to see that the church prayed to God. It may seem obvious, but often our prayers are weak because we are no consciously coming into the presence of our great and holy God, offering our requests to Him.

d. When every other gate is shut and locked, the gate to heaven is wide open. We must take advantage of that open gate through prayer!

3. (6-11) God sends an angel to free Peter from prison.

And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."

a. The chains, the guards, the prison doors mean nothing to God and His appointed messengers; Peter is instantly set free.

b. That night Peter was sleeping: Peter shows no signs of anxiety. He is able to sleep soundly on what seemed to be the last night before his execution. Remember, He gives His beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2).

c. Did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision: Peter obeyed without really knowing what was happening. He knew enough to sense that God was doing something and the explanation could come later.

d. They came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord: The soldiers, the chains, the guard posts, the iron gate - are all nothing when God is with us and prayer is behind us. Many of us are worrying about the iron gate before we ever get to it. A month before hand, and we are anxious about the iron gate! But God will take care of it when we come to it.

e. F.F. Bruce relates the story of Sundar Singh, a Tibetan Christian who was likewise freed miraculously from a prison. For his preaching of the gospel, he was thrown into a well, and a cover was put over it and securely locked. He would be left in the well until he died, and he could see the bones and rotting corpses of those who had already perished in their. On the third night of his imprisonment, he heard someone unlocking the cover of the well and removing it. A voice told him to take hold of the rope that was being lowered. Sundar was grateful that the rope had a loop he could put his foot in, because he had injured his arm in the fall down into the well. He was raised up, and the cover was replaced and locked, but when he looked to thank his rescuer he could find no one. When morning came, he went back to the same place he was arrested and started preaching again. News of the preaching came to the official who had him arrested, and Sundar was brought before him again. When the official said someone must have gotten the key and released him, they searched for the key - and found it on the official's own belt. God is still writing the Book of Acts!

f. And has delivered me from the hand of Herod: Why did James die and Peter find deliverance? God alone knows; we know though, that James, having graduated to glory, did not consider himself a loser in any way!

i. Simply, it wasn't time for Peter to go home yet. Until it was time, he was invulnerable. He couldn't be harmed. It was time for James; it was not time for Peter.

4. (12-17) Peter presents himself to the believers that prayed for him.

So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel." Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren." And he departed and went to another place.

a. This brief account is so natural, so true to life. Passages like this display the completely historical character of the Book of Acts.

b. Because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate: Rhoda is so excited to hear from Peter that she leaves him out at the gate!

c. But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" We are comforted (and amused) by the little faith of these Christians. Even while they are praying for Peter, they find it hard to believe God actually answered their prayer.

i. Their prayer was earnest, but their faith was not overwhelming. Little faith can accomplish great things if it is placed in the great God.

d. It is his angel: The Jews believed in the idea of "guardian angels," and it seems that they may have believed that one's guardian angel bore some kind of resemblance to the human it was assigned to.

e. Go, tell these things to James and the brethren: The James that Peter tells others to report to is not the James who was just martyred. It is probably James, the brother of Jesus, who was a prominent figure in the church at Jerusalem.

f. And he departed and went to another place: Except for a brief mention in chapter 15, this is the last Luke speaks of Peter. We know that Peter later met Paul in Antioch (Galatians 2:11-14), and later he wrote his two letters.

5. (18-19) The execution of the soldiers who guarded Peter.

Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

a. No small stir is one of the great understatements of the Bible; Herod was furious that his prized prisoner had escaped.

b. He examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death: The execution of the guards was customary; in that day, if a guard's prisoner escaped, the guard was given the penalty due to the prisoner - in this case, death.

C. God judges a blaspheming Herod and blesses an obedient church.

1. (20-21) Herod gives a speech to the people of Tyre and Sidon, who are anxious to please Herod.

Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king's personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king's country. So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.

2. (22-23) Herod receives the overstated praise of the people of Tyre and Sidon, and he receives the judgment of the God he refused to glorify.

And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

a. He was eaten by worms and died: The manner of Herod's death befits his spiritual state; he corrupted from the inside out.

b. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus also describes the death of Herod in gory detail (Antiquities, XIX.8.2).

i. "He put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment, being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun's rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him; and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another (though not for his good), that he was a god … A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner … when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life."

3. (24-25) The work of God continues without hindrance.

But the word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

a. But the word of God grew and multiplied: The contrast between Herod and the church is clear. Herod believed he had the upper hand against God's people, but God showed who was really in charge - Herod is judged, the church is blessed.

i. Herod fought against God; but the church submitted to God and got in line with His plan through prayer.

ii. History is filled with the stories of men who thought they could fight God and succeed; their ruined lives are evidence that it can't be done. Friedrich Nietsche was the philosopher who coined the idea that God was dead, and that Christianity was a despised religion of weaklings. Fighting God drove him insane, and he spent the last several years of his life in that condition. Sinclair Lewis won the Nobel prize for literature, and fought against God in his book Elmer Gantry. The book was about an evangelist who was also an alcoholic and would sleep with any woman he could. Sinclair Lewis died a hopeless alcoholic in a clinic near Rome. Writer Ernest Hemingway lived his life of adventure and sin against God seemingly without consequences - until he blew his head off with a shotgun. Fighting against God just doesn't work.

b. Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem: Coming back from their relief effort to Jerusalem (Acts 11:30), Barnabas and Saul brought John Mark with them back to the church at Antioch.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 13

Paul's First Missionary Journey Begins

A. Barnabas and Saul are called and sent by the Holy Spirit.

1. (1) The people at the church in Antioch.

Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

a. In Acts 12:25, we learn Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark were all at the church in Antioch, having returned from delivering a gift of support to the church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30). Saul and Barnabas were among the teachers and prophets there, as were Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen.

b. Simeon who was called Niger: Since Niger means black, he was presumably a black African among the congregation at Antioch, and possibly he was the same Simeon who carried Jesus' cross (Luke 23:26).

c. The Manaen mentioned here had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch. This was the same Herod who beheaded John the Baptist and presided over one of Jesus' trials (Luke 23:7-12).

2. (2) The Holy Spirit calls Barnabas and Saul.

As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

a. As they ministered to the Lord: The call came when they ministered to the Lord. This is the first job of any servant of God, to minister unto the Lord.

i. They were doing the service of priests under the new covenant, offering their bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). "The word translated worshipping [ministered, NKJV] is that usually employed in the LXX for the service of priests and Levites in the temple." (Williams)

b. As part of their service to the Lord, they also fasted. Why did they fast? It is likely they sensed an urgency about something, a need to seek God in a special way. What did they seek God about? Judging from the response, it was about the need to spread the gospel to all the earth.

c. The Holy Spirit said: Presumably, the call came through the ministry of prophets in the church at Antioch, though it could have come simply through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.

i. "I do not for a moment imagine that the assembly heard a voice. That is the mistake we too often make. We try to force ourselves into ecstasies in order to hear the voice, then we imagine we hear it!" (Morgan)

d. Separate to Me: Before Barnabas and Saul can do anything great for God, they must first be separated to Him. If you will separate to God, it means you must separate from some other things.

i. You can't really say "yes" to God's call on your life until you can say "no" to things that will keep you from that call.

e. For the work to which I have called them: God had a specific work He had appointed to Barnabas and Saul to do. Paul would later write in Ephesians 2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God is calling Barnabas and Saul to these good works!

i. The calling God had for the life of Paul had already been stated in Acts 9:15-16: He is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake. This was not a touchy-feely "feel good" call - it was a serious call to a serious ministry.

f. Now separate to Me: God gave a timetable - now. Before, God had told Paul through Ananias what his calling was, but not that it was now. Now meant there was to be no delay.

g. If we assume they were fasting and praying about the need of the world for Jesus, we can see how God was answering their prayer - by using them! This is often how God moves, by sending the people who have it on their hearts to pray.

i. Many want to be "back seat drivers" in the ministry. They hope to say, "I'll have the burden and you do the work." But God's typical way of working is to send the people who have the burden to do the work.

3. (3) The Holy Spirit sends Barnabas and Saul.

Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

a. Having fasted and prayed: They were sent with fasting and prayer; now they had something to really pray and depend on God about!

b. And laid hands on them: The laying on of hands was a formal commissioning to this ministry; certainly Barnabas and Saul were "ordained" before this, but now they were entering a different sphere of ministry.

c. They sent them away: Notice that the church in Antioch sent Barnabas and Saul out. They were supported and sent by a specific congregation. As far as we know, this had never happened before in the history of the church. Certainly, people went out as "accidental missionaries" (as in Acts 8:4 and 11:19) but there was never a concerted and organized effort to win people to Jesus like this.

d. Where is the committee report? Where are the demographics? Where is the marketing survey? Where is the "spiritual mapping"? Barnabas and Saul went out without any of these things, only with the call and power of the Holy Spirit.

B. Ministry in the cities of Seleucia, Salamis and Paphos.

1. (4) First stop: Seleucia.

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

a. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit: Yes, the Christians of the church at Antioch sent Saul and Barnabas. But more importantly, it was the Holy Spirit sending them. And group of Christians can send someone, but if the Spirit doesn't send them, it won't amount to eternally effective ministry.

b. Went down to Seleucia: We aren't told of any specific ministry taking place in Seleucia, a city near Antioch. Saul and Barnabas may have gone there merely because it was the port city near Antioch, but it is hard to imagine them not doing any ministry there.

c. Since Seleucia wasn't far from Antioch, where there was a thriving church, it isn't difficult to assume there was already a group of Christians there in that city.

2. (5) On the island of Cyprus: The city of Salamis, on the east coast.

And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

a. We are not told why they went to Cyprus first, but we do know Barnabas grew up on that island (Acts 4:36).

b. They preached the word of God in the synagogues: This custom of the "open synagogue" would Barnabas and Saul many opportunities to preach. The custom of the open synagogue invited any learned man to speak to the congregation on the Sabbath.

c. They also had John as their assistant: This man, also known as John Mark, was mentioned previously in Acts 12:25. He is traveling with Barnabas and Saul on this trip.

i. This is the same Mark who will later write the Gospel that bears his name.

ii. Mark would have been a valuable companion for Barnabas and Saul. He grew up in Jerusalem, and was an eyewitness of many of the events in the life of Jesus and could relate them with special power to Barnabas and Saul, and to others whom they were preaching to.

3. (6-12) Ministry in Paphos, a city on the west coast of Cyprus.

Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? "And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

a. Paphos: This city was known for its immorality: "Paphos was infamous for its worship of Venus, the goddess of [sexual] love" (Barclay). We will see in Paphos a familiar combination: Immorality connected with spiritual darkness.

b. While ministering in the city (presumably after the same fashion - going into the synagogues and presenting Jesus), the representative of the Roman government (the proconsul) sought to hear the word of God.

i. "All Roman provinces were divided into two classes, those that required troops and those that did not. The latter were administered by the Senate and ruled by proconsuls; the former were under the administration of the emperor." (Williams)

c. Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated): Paul is opposed by a man named Elymas. His real name was Bar-Jesus, which means "son of Jesus," and Luke couldn't bear to call him that! This Elymas attempts to frustrate the missionary efforts of Saul and Barnabas with the local Roman leader.

i. We should not be surprised or shaken by opposition. "Wherever there is likely to be great success, the open door and the opposing adversaries will both be found. If there are no adversaries, you may fear that there will be no success. A boy cannot get his kite up without wind, nor without a wind which drives against his kite." (Spurgeon)

d. Saul, who also is called Paul: It was common for people in that day to have names that were similar, yet different according to the language or culture they were in. Certainly, Saul's given name was Saul, a Jewish name after the first king of Israel. But his Roman name was Paul, sounding similar to "Saul."

i. "Saul's father gave the child a Roman and a Latin name because he was a Roman citizen with all the rights in the Roman Empire this implied. The child had both names from infancy. When his father called him he shouted, 'Saul, Saul!' but when the Greek boys with whom he played called him they shouted, 'Paul, Paul!'" (Lenski)

e. Filled with the Holy Spirit … "O full of all deceit and all fraud": Paul, using spiritual discernment and operating in the gift of faith, rebukes and pronounces the judgment of God upon Elymas (you shall be blind).

i. As Elymas is struck with blindness, we can't help but think Paul would remember his own experience with God. Paul was struck blind at his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:9). Certainly, those who are resisting God are blind spiritually, so God is just giving Elymas a physical blindness corresponding to his spiritual blindness. However, we never hear of Elymas repenting, as Paul did.

f. Then the proconsul believed: Is Paul being too harsh here? Who does he think he is, coming against Elymas this way? Paul is acting correctly, because the eternal destiny of Sergius Paulus is at stake.

i. If you want to commit spiritual suicide, that's one thing. But how dare you bring others down with you? If you want to give up on the things of God and grow bitter in your heart against Him, that's your choice. But it is a heavy sin to draw anyone else away with you, either with your words or your example.

ii. "The severest words of the Bible, Old and New Testaments, are reserved for those who stand between men and truth, for those who stand between men and God … It must be the heart that loves Sergius Paulus that speaks in anger to Elymas the sorcerer." (Morgan)

g. When he saw what had been done: What was it that the proconsul saw?

i. He saw the courage of Paul. Here was a man of conviction, bold in his belief, and willing to make a stand for what he believed.

ii. He saw the just result of Elymas' sin, physical blindness corresponding to his spiritual blindness. If only we would see more of the trouble sin gets people into, we might run after the things of God a little harder!

h. Being astonished at the teaching of the Lord: As amazing as the miracle of Elymas' sudden blindness was, the good news the proconsul heard from Paul was even more amazing. His astonishment is said to be at the teaching of the Lord (presumably, the doctrines of God's gracious gift to man in Jesus, through the cross) not the miraculous work before his eyes.

4. (13) From Paphos to Perga.

Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

a. They came to Perga: Paul, Barnabas and their companions leave the island of Cyprus, coming to Perga on the mainland of what is today Turkey.

b. John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem: We don't know exactly why John Mark went home to Jerusalem. Was he homesick for his family? Was he afraid of the tough and dangerous travel through the mountains ahead of them? Was he resentful that the team of his cousin Barnabas and Saul (Acts 12:25) had now become Paul and his party? Was he a pessimist because Paul was suffering from poor health (Galatians 4:13)? Whatever the reason, Paul didn't appreciate the fact that John Mark abandoned the missionary journey here.

i. Who was right? Who was wrong? God had to deal with each party involved, but a great work was still going to be done for the glory of the Lord. Paul would continue to reach the world for Jesus, and John would write one of the gospels.

C. The sermon at Pisidian Antioch.

1. (14-15) The customary invitation in the synagogue gives Paul an opportunity to preach the gospel.

But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."

a. Went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets. A synagogue service generally went like this: Opening prayers were offered, then there was a reading from the Law (the first five books of the Old Testament). Then, a reading from the Prophets. Then, if there was an educated person present, they were invited to speak on subjects related to the readings.

b. Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on: Paul wasn't the kind of man who you invited to give a word of exhortation without expecting that he would take you up on the offer.

2. (16-23) Paul begins his sermon in the synagogue, explaining how God's work in history culminates in Jesus.

Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: "The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment. After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.' From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior; Jesus."

a. Men of Israel and you who fear God addresses both groups who would be at the synagogue on a typical Sabbath: Jews and "near Jews," those Gentiles who admired Jewish religion but did not make a full commitment to Judaism.

b. In this survey of Israel's history, Paul notes important events - the choosing of the patriarchs, the deliverance from Egypt, the time in the wilderness, the conquest of Canaan, the time of the Judges, the creation of a monarchy - but it all culminates in Jesus (according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior; Jesus).

c. This survey of Israel's history demonstrates that God has a plan for history, and we need to sense a connection to that plan. Jesus is the goal of history, and as we are in Jesus, we are in the flow of God's great plan of redemption.

3. (24-29) Using the examples of John the Baptist and the Jewish rulers, Paul shows how people both received and rejected Jesus.

"After John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.' Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb."

a. As John was finishing his course, he said: John the Baptist responded to Jesus the right way. He prepared the hearts of others of Jesus, and he saw Jesus as who He is. John knew Jesus was the One greater than all others. He knew Jesus was more than a teacher, He was the Lord God we must all answer to.

i. The sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose: This statement shows that John knew Jesus was high above him. In that day, it was not uncommon for a great teacher to have disciples follow him, and it was expected that the disciples would serve the teacher in various ways. This arrangement came to be abused, so the leading rabbis established certain things that were too demeaning for a teacher to expect of his disciple. It was decided that for a teacher to expect his disciple to undo the strap of his sandal was too much; it was too demeaning. Here, John insists he isn't even worthy to do this for Jesus!

b. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him: Those who didn't know the Scriptures rejected Jesus, and delivered Him to Pilate to be executed, and Jesus was executed, and laid in a tomb.

i. They took Him down from the tree: In calling the cross a tree, Paul is drawing on the idea from Deuteronomy 21:22-23. In that passage, it says that God curses a person who is hanged from a tree. Paul wants to communicate the idea that Jesus was cursed so we could be blessed (Galatians 3:13).

4. (30-37) Paul preaches the resurrected Jesus.

"But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings; that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.' And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.' Therefore He also says in another Psalm: 'You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.' For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption."

a. But God! What glorious words! Man had done his best to fight against God - even to kill Him - but God was greater than man's sin and rebellion, and rose in triumph over sin and death.

b. The fact is simply stated (But God raised Him from the dead). But evidence from eyewitnesses is offered (He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him).

c. Then, Paul applies the truth of resurrection. The resurrection means that Jesus truly is the unique Son of God (Psalm 2:7), and it proves He was utterly holy even in His work on the cross (Psalm 16:10).

5. (38-41) With a promise and a warning, Paul applies the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done.

"Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: 'Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.'"

a. Through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins: The promise is that, because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, forgiveness is offered to us freely in Jesus. We may be justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

i. What's wrong with justifying ourselves before God? It assumes God grades on a curve; it gives us the glory for our own salvation - instead of simply saying For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

ii. Some refuse to embrace the salvation of Jesus in the secret place of their heart, because they want a salvation of their own making. They want to be saved the old-fashioned way - they want to earn it.

iii. In only a few months, Paul will be writing a letter to these churches in Galatia, dealing with these same themes of being justified by God's grace and not by keeping the law.

b. Everyone who believes is justified: Jesus does not only forgive us, but we are also justified by Him. Forgiveness takes care of the debt of sin, but justification puts a "credit" on our account before God.

c. Beware, therefore: The warning is that if we do not embrace the person and work of Jesus with our whole lives, we are despisers who will perish.

d. Some commentators have complained that Paul preaches too much like Peter did on Pentecost. But what is to complain about? It shows us that Peter and Paul preached the same gospel, and the same gospel was preached some fifteen years after Pentecost as was preached on that first day.

i. Others note similarities between Paul's sermon here and the sermon of Stephen in Acts 7. That was a sermon that Paul heard when he still hated the name of Jesus. Perhaps the sermon of the first martyr of the church was still ringing in the ears of the man who led his execution!

D. The Response to the sermon at Pisidian Antioch.

1. (42-43) Many people, both Jews and Gentiles, express interest in Paul's message.

So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

a. We should assume that many of these believed, because Paul and Barnabas persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. This means they had already started to trust in the grace of God.

b. Continuing in grace is as important as beginning in grace; we must never leave it as the basic principle of our relationship with God. Far too many only think of grace as the introduction to the Christian life, but God wants grace to remain as the foundation for our life with Him.

2. (44-45) On the next Sabbath, envy creates opposition.

On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.

a. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God: The scene is easy to picture. The whole city is ready to hear the gospel from Paul on the next Sabbath, and this dramatic response makes the leaders of the synagogue envious, because they aren't in charge any more!

i. This is inevitable for those who are more concerned about being popular than serving God. When someone else is more popular, they get envious! We can't all be popular to the same degree, but we can all serve and please God to the same degree in Jesus Christ.

b. Contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul: Suddenly, Paul's preaching is opposed as if he were conducting a debate, his opponents contradicting him, and blaspheming God.

i. The blasphemy mentioned probably has to do with abusive and degrading language directed towards Jesus, whom Paul preached.

c. Why? Why would these religious people reject the Messiah they had waited for so long? One great reason was they wanted to keep the division between Jew and Gentile, and if Jesus was to be the Messiah of all men, they wanted no part of Him.

i. "They simply could not accept a teaching that opened such floodgates. For themselves and their adherents they could accept a message as God-sent and tolerate some change in their teaching and practice, but they could not endure that the Gentiles should be made equal with God's ancient people." (Williams)

ii. "The Jews could not endure that the Gentiles should be equal to them, being as much concerned against the Gentiles being exalted, as against their own being depressed." (Poole)

iii. Some people end up rejecting Jesus because of the way He changes our relationship with other people. Some would rather hold on to their bitterness and animosity towards others than turn to Jesus and be reconciled.

3. (46-50) Paul and Barnabas respond to the Jewish opposition.

Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'" Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

a. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold: Praise God for their zeal for the things of God! They wouldn't let this challenge go unanswered, because they really believed the truth about Jesus.

b. Since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles: They rebuke those who reject Jesus, letting the Jews know that it was a privilege that this message should come to them first, a privilege they are rejecting.

c. Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed: They respond with more evangelism to open hearts, now directing their efforts to the Gentiles, in obedience to God's command (Romans 1:16) and in fulfillment of prophecy (the quotation from Isaiah 49:6).

i. The Gentiles respond to Paul's invitation with enthusiastic belief, learning with joy that God does not hate Gentiles, but offers them salvation in Jesus.

ii. Paul shows wisdom in not spending all his time trying to persuade hardened hearts. We know that even after he made Gentiles the focus of his evangelistic efforts, he still prayed earnestly for the salvation of Israel (Romans 10:1), but he spent his missionary time ministering to more open hearts.

d. And the word of the Lord was being spread: It was being spread through the efforts of Paul and Barnabas, but especially through the lives of these people being brought to Jesus Christ.

e. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region: Wherever there is revival, the second party to be revived is the Devil. Jewish opposition was strong enough to force Paul and Barnabas to leave the area.

4. (51-52) Paul and Barnabas react to their expulsion from the city of Pisidian Antioch.

But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

a. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them: In doing this, Paul and Barnabas are treating the city as if they were a God-rejecting Gentile city.

i. If Jewish people had to go in or through a Gentile city, when leaving the city they would shake the dust off their feet as a gesture saying, "We don't want to take anything from this Gentile city with us." In this sense, Paul is saying "I don't want to take anything with me from you Jesus-rejecting religionists."

ii. This rejection did not make Paul and Barnabas think there was anything wrong with themselves. They knew the problem is with their opposition, not themselves.

b. And came to Iconium: They carry on the work, going next to Iconium. All too often, rejection and opposition for the sake of the gospel makes us want to give up. But Paul and Barnabas respond with appropriate determination.

c. They were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Being filled with joy and being filled with the Holy Spirit go together, and they have a joy that contradicts their circumstances.

i. Paul is a great example of his own command to be constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

ii. "The happiness of a genuine Christian lies far beyond the reach of earthly disturbances, and is not affected by the changes and chances to which mortal things are exposed. The martyrs were more happy in the flames than their persecutors could be on their beds of down." (Clarke)

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 14

The Conclusion of the First Missionary Journey
A. In the city of Iconium.

1. (1) Paul and Barnabas have evangelistic success in Iconium.

Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.

a. They went together to the synagogue of the Jews: Again, notice that they follow the familiar pattern for evangelism, beginning in the Jewish synagogue.

b. So spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed: Paul and Barnabas have success among the Jews and the Greeks, presenting the same gospel to both. The fact that Jews and... Greeks believed shows that Paul preached the same thing to both groups: That salvation is in Jesus, and we appropriate it by our belief (trust in, reliance on) in Him.

i. The success is refreshing, because they had just been kicked out of Pisidian Antioch, after much success there (Acts 13:50).

ii. Because Paul was inclined to stay in a region for an extended period of time, strengthening the churches and working where evangelistic efforts had already borne fruit, perhaps we should see the kind of persecution Paul had in Pisidian Antioch as God's way of moving him on to other fields.

2. (2-6) Successful ministry in Iconium creates opposition, forcing Paul and Barnabas out of town.

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.

a. Speaking boldly in the Lord: Paul and Barnabas did what they always did, they preached boldly despite the opposition, bearing witness to the word of His grace and touching others with the power of Jesus.

i. Granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands: "For no apostle could work a miracle by himself; nor was any sign or wonder wrought even by the greatest apostle, but by a special grant or dispensation of God. This power was not resident in them at all times." (Clarke)

b. Therefore they stayed a long time: They stayed as long as they could, despite the opposition, leaving only when it was absolutely necessary.

i. Why did Paul and Barnabas decide to stay a long time if there was opposition arising? Because they knew that these Christians would need all the grounding they could get to stand strong in a city with much opposition.

c. Paul and Barnabas preached the word of His grace, because that is the only word by which both Jews and Gentiles can be saved on an equal basis.

i. "The gospel is here called the message of his grace because divine grace is its subject matter." (Bruce)

d. A violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled: When forced to, Paul and Barnabas leave Iconium for Lystra (some twenty miles away) and Derbe. This shows that Paul and Barnabas did not rush headlong towards martyrdom. They did what they could to preserve their lives.

B. In the cities of Lystra and Derbe.

1. (7-10) In Lystra, a lame man is healed.

And they were preaching the gospel there. And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked.

a. And they were preaching the gospel there: Paul and Barnabas did many miraculous works, one of which is recorded in the following passage. But they were not traveling as miracle workers. Their focus was always preaching the gospel.

b. This man heard Paul speaking: The crippled man heard Paul preach about Jesus. When he heard about Jesus, he knew that Jesus could touch his life. A person can hear God's word, but never come to the place where they receive God's touch personally.

c. Paul saw that this man had faith to be healed; God is not obligated to heal because of our faith, but many people do not receive from God simply because they do not have faith.

d. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed: How could Paul "see" this man's faith? Obviously, God gave him the gift of discernment at that moment to minister to this man. From Paul's boldness, we can also surmise that God gave him the gift of faith, to believe God would heal the man right then and there.

i. "That this lame man had faith was made plain by his ready obedience to Paul's command to stand up." (Bruce)

2. (11-13) The excited crowd in Lystra declares Paul and Barnabas are Greek gods, visiting the earth.

Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

a. The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men! These people saw a stupendous miracle happen before their eyes, yet their idea of who God is has not changed. Therefore it seemed logical to them to consider Paul and Barnabas gods.

i. Notice that the miracle merely attracted attention, and in a way, it was unwanted attention. The miracle itself saved no one.

b. Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. In Greek mythology, it was common for the "gods" to come to earth in human form, though they did not always do so for the good of man.

i. The people in Lystra had a legend that once Zeus and Hermes had visited their land disguised as mortals, and no one gave them any hospitality except for one older couple. In their anger at the people, Zeus and Hermes wiped out the whole population, except for the old couple. No wonder the people of Lystra were so quick to honor Paul and Barnabas!

c. Hermes was known as the messenger of the gods, so it made sense to the Lystrians that Paul (the more talkative one) would be Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

d. Saying in the Lycaonian language: "The crowd's use of Lycaonian explains why Paul and Barnabas did not grasp what was afoot until the preparations to pay them divine homage were well advanced." (Bruce)

i. But when Paul and Barnabas saw the priest of Zeus, with oxen and garlands … intending to sacrifice, they knew things had gotten out of hand!

3. (14-18) Paul appeals to the crowd, asking them to recognize the true God instead of worshipping Paul and Barnabas.

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

a. They tore their clothes: They did this for two reasons. First to show that they were completely human, just as the Lycaonians. Second, out of an instinctively Jewish reaction to terrible blasphemy. For Paul and Barnabas, it wasn't just inconvenient that they were called gods; it was blasphemy.

b. That you should turn from these useless things: These were strong words from Paul to people who took their pagan worship seriously, but Paul wasn't afraid to confront this mob with the truth. And the truth was that their idolatry was wrong.

c. Paul is preaching to a pagan audience, and before he can tell them about Jesus and what He has done, he must turn the hearts of the people from these useless things to the living God. Jesus just can't be "added" to their pagan ways.

d. To the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them: Paul calls the Lystrian crowd to consider the real God, the One who stands behind all creation, not one of the lesser (and imaginary) Greek gods.

i. The things Paul mentions in Acts 14:17 (He did good … gave us rain from heaven … and fruitful seasons … filling our hearts with food and gladness) were just the kind of things these people would think that Zeus would give them. Paul is letting them know these blessings come from the true God who lives in heaven, not from Zeus.

e. God's kindness to all men (in giving rain and fruitful crops) should be seen as a witness of His love and power, something theologians call common grace.

i. Paul did not preach to these pagan worshippers the same way he preached to Jews or those acquainted with Judaism. He does not quote the Old Testament to them, but instead appeals to natural revelation, the things which even a pagan can understand by looking at the world around them.

f. And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them: even with all this, Paul and Barnabas had an extremely difficult time challenging the wrong conceptions of God held by these Lystrians.

4. (19-20a) Persecution follows Paul.

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city.

a. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came: These Jews were not content to kick Paul out of their own region (Acts 14:5-6); they followed him and brought their persecution with them.

i. Some of these persecuting Jews from Antioch and Iconium would have traveled more than one hundred miles just to make Paul miserable!

b. Having persuaded the multitudes: They incited the people of Lystra against Paul and Barnabas, and instigated the stoning of Paul. This was obviously an attempt to execute Paul and Barnabas - with the rocks being thrown by the same people who wanted to worship them a short time before!

i. We are amazed at how fickle the crowd is; apparently, their admiration of the miracle and desire to honor Paul and Barnabas as gods was extremely short-lived.

ii. It is such a dangerous thing for any spiritual leader to cultivate or allow a kind of "hero-worship." The same people who honor you one day will feel terribly betrayed when you show yourself human.

c. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city: Paul was miraculously preserved here. Some think that he was even actually killed and raised to life again, because stoning was a pretty reliable form of execution.

i. When Paul later says I bear in my body the marks of Jesus (Galatians 6:17), he may have had in mind the scars from this incident. He certainly later refers to this stoning in 2 Corinthians 11:25.

ii. It has been suggested that the heavenly vision described by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 took place at this attack. This is possible, but only conjecture.

d. Paul must have thought of Stephen when he was being stoned, and how he had been a part of Stephen's stoning (Acts 7:58-8:1).

e. He rose up and went into the city: When Paul was revived, he did not flee the city that stoned him. Instead he immediately went back into it. He had been driven out of Antioch and Iconium by this traveling mob, and he was going to leave Lystra on his own terms!

i. In Acts 16:1, we learn of a young Christian in Lystra and his mother - Timothy. Perhaps Timothy saw all this and was inspired to the high call of the gospel by noticing Paul's courage and power in ministry.

5. (20b-21a) Paul leaves Lystra for the city of Derbe, where they find more evangelistic success.

And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples.

a. When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples: despite the persecution they found in Lystra, the work of God continues. It just continued in a different place, Derbe. But Paul and Barnabas continue their work: preaching the gospel and making disciples.

C. The return trip home to Syrian Antioch.

1. (21b-22) The message of Paul and Barnabas on the return trip.

They returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

a. Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith: As Paul and Barnabas decided to head back home to Antioch, they passed through the cities they had visited before, to strengthen and encourage the Christians in those cities. Paul and Barnabas wanted to do far more than get conversions; they had a passion to make disciples.

i. How many Christians need strengthening in their souls! How many need exhorting … to continue in the faith! It is no small thing to walk with the Lord, year after year, trial after trial. It takes a strong soul and an encouraged faith.

b. How did Paul and Barnabas strengthen and exhort these disciples? By bringing a simple message, born of Paul's personal experience: We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. Paul could preach that message because he had lived that message!

i. Sadly, for many people, this is a forgotten message. They consider any kind of tribulation completely counter-productive to Christian living, failing to note the significant place suffering has in God's plan for us.

2. (23) The work of Paul and Barnabas on the way home.

So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

a. Paul and Barnabas were committed to not just making new Christians, but in establishing new churches, places where these new Christians could grow and be established in the Lord.

b. When they had appointed elders in every church: Paul and Barnabas knew that these churches must have proper administration, so they appointed elders in every city where there were Christians.

i. "It has more than once been pointed out that more recent missionary policy would have thought it dangerously idealistic to recognize converts of only a few weeks' standing as leaders in their churches; perhaps Paul and Barnabas were more conscious of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the believing communities." (Bruce)

c. And prayed with fasting: Paul and Barnabas demonstrated their great concern for the health of these churches by their prayer and fasting.

d. But in the end, they can only trust in God's ability to keep these churches healthy, having commended them to the Lord, because it is in the Lord they had believed, not in Paul or Barnabas or the elders. The church belongs to Jesus.

3. (24-26) The itinerary of Paul and Barnabas on the way home.

And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.

a. The words the work which they had completed are beautiful, yet only partially true. Although the immediate mission was accomplished, the work of planting new churches and strengthening existing ones has never ended.

4. (27-28) Paul and Barnabas arrive back in Antioch.

Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

a. They reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles: Their success with evangelism among the Gentiles, and the blessing of God that it demonstrated, showed that the work which was being done in Antioch was not unique. God wanted to replicate this work all over the world.

b. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples: Back at their home church in Syrian Antioch, we can assume that Paul and Barnabas took a long break and found plenty of ministry to do back there.

c. The trip was a great success, though not without great obstacles: The difficulty of travel itself, the confrontation with Elymas on Cyprus, the quitting of John Mark, being driven out of the cities of Antioch and Iconium, the temptation to receive adoration, and being stoned in Lystra. Yet Paul and Barnabas would not be deterred from the work God had them to do.

i. What will it take for you to back down from doing God's will? What kind of temptation or obstacle or opposition will do it? Can we have the heart of Paul and Barnabas and allow nothing to stop us? Nothing stopped Jesus from doing God's will on our behalf; as we look to Him, we won't be stopped either.

ii. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 15

The Jerusalem Council
A. The dispute between the men from Judea and Paul and Barnabas.

1. (1) The menfrom Judea state their case.

And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

a. Certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." These Jewish Christians (often called "Judaizers") taught that Gentiles may become Christians, but only after first becoming Jews, and submitting to all Jewish rituals, including circumcision.

i. It was very difficult for some Jewish Christians to accept that Gentiles could be brought into the church as "equal partners" without first coming through the law of Moses. "It was one thing to accept the occasional God-fearer into the church, someone already in sympathy with Jewish ways; it was quite another to welcome large numbers of Gentiles who had no regard for the law and no intention of keeping it." (Williams)

b. These Christians were from Judea, and were not content to keep their beliefs to themselves, but felt compelled to persuade other Christians. They taught the brethren, coming all the way to Antioch to preach this message.

i. By their teaching, these certain men from Judea were passing a negative judgment on all of Paul and Barnabas' missionary endeavors. On their recent missionary journey, they had founded churches among the Gentiles without bringing them under the Law of Moses. These certain men from Judea said Paul and Barnabas were all wrong!

ii. When in the city of Antioch in Pisidia, Paul preached this message: And by Him [Jesus] everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses (Acts 13:39). These certain men … down from Judea would have objected, saying "Jesus saves us, but only after we have done all we can do to keep the Law of Moses." But Paul taught a man could only be right with God on the basis of what Jesus had done!

c. You cannot be saved: This was not a side issue; it had to do with salvation itself. This was not a matter where there could be disagreement among believers, with some believing you must be under the law, and some believing it wasn't important. This was an issue that went to the core of Christianity, and it had to be resolved.

i. We can just imagine how Satan wanted to take advantage of this situation. First, he wanted the false doctrine of works righteousness to succeed. But even if it didn't, Satan wanted a costly, bitter doctrinal war to complete split and sour the church. This may be the greatest threat to the work of the gospel seen in the Book of Acts!

2. (2-4) Paul and Barnabas respond to the teaching of the men from Judea.

Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

a. Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them: Their first response was to persuade. We can imagine there was no small dissension and dispute with them indeed. These two who had seen God work so powerfully through the Gentiles would not abandon that work easily.

i. In this, Paul and Barnabas show the hearts of true shepherds: To confront and dispute with those who insist on promoting false doctrines in the church.

b. They determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem: When persuasion did not end the issue, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to have the matter settled by the apostles and elders. They couldn't just agree to disagree on this issue, because it was at the core of what meant to be a follower of Jesus.

i. Who are the they who determined that Paul and Barnabas should go to Jerusalem to determine this question? It seems to speak of the church collectively in Antioch, where this false doctrine was being promoted. This is indicated by the statement that they were sent on their way by the church.

c. They caused great joy to all the brethren: As Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem, they found plenty of other Christians who rejoiced at what God had done among the Gentiles. This is in contrast to the certain men from Judea.

3. (5) The men from Judea re-state their teaching.

But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."

a. Some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up: We see that many of these Judaizers were Christians who had been Pharisees. The Pharisees were renowned for their high regard for the law, and their scrupulous observance of the law.

i. If the Pharisees believed anything, they believed one could be justified before God by keeping the law. For a Pharisee to really be a Christian, it would take more than an acknowledgment that Jesus was Messiah; he would have to forsake his attempts to justify himself by the keeping of the law and accept the work of Jesus as the basis of his justification.

ii. In Lystra, Paul and Barnabas would not allow the pagans to merely "add" Jesus to their pantheon of Roman gods. The commanded that they had to turn from their vain gods to the true God (Acts 14:14-15). These Pharisees who had become Christians must do the same thing: Turn from their efforts to earn their way before God by keeping the law, and look to Jesus. You can't just "add" Jesus and now say "Jesus helps me to justify myself through keeping the law."

iii. Paul himself was a former Pharisee (Philippians 3:5) who became a Christian. But he knew that Jesus didn't help him do what a Pharisee did, only better. He knew that Jesus was his salvation, not the way to his salvation. Paul wrote: knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

b. It is necessary or circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses: These former Pharisees were teaching two things. First, Gentile converts must be initiated into Judaism through circumcision. Second, that Gentile converts must live under the law of Moses if they are to be saved, and embraced into the Christian community.

i. Basically, their teaching was: "Gentiles are free to come to Jesus. We welcome them and want them to come to Jesus. But they have to come through the Law of Moses in order to come to Jesus. Paul and Barnabas, among others, have been allowing Gentiles to come to Jesus without first coming through the Law of Moses."

c. We can imagine how they would have even made a case from the Old Testament for this teaching. They might have said Israel has always been God's chosen people and that Gentiles must become part of Israel if they want to be part of God's people.

i. Passages the Pharisees who believed might quote in defense of their position are Exodus 12:48-49 and Isaiah 56:6. These passages might be quoted to say that the covenant the Gentiles were invited to join was a covenant of circumcision.

B. The Jerusalem council.

1. (6-11) In the midst of a great dispute, the apostle Peter speaks to the issue.

Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they."

a. Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. Here, we see the church coming together to decide the issue. They didn't just let the issue sit, nor leave it up to the conscience of each believer.

i. The question raised by the Jerusalem council was immense: Are Christians saved by faith alone, or by a combination of faith and obedience of the Law of Moses? Is the work of Jesus by itself enough to save the one who trusts in Jesus, or must we add our work to Jesus' work in order to be saved?

ii. With significant doctrinal issues today, perhaps this sort of public "trial" of doctrine would be beneficial.

b. And when there had been much dispute: This would have been amazing to see! Christians serious enough about the truth to dispute for it! In the midst of this, Peter, as one of the leading apostles, rose up to make his opinion known on the matter.

c. Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago: Peter begins with a history lesson, recounting the work God had already done. He then makes the point that God had fully received the Gentiles apart from their being circumcised (God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us). If God had acknowledged these Gentiles as full partners in His work, they why shouldn't the church? If God received them, so should the church!

i. In saying, "Made no distinction between us and them," Peter makes an important observation. It comes straight from his vision of the clean and unclean animals, from which God taught him this principle: God has shown to me that I should not call any man common or unclean (Acts 10:28). Those of the sect of the Pharisees who believed thought that the Gentiles were inherently "common" (in the sense of "unholy") or "unclean," and had to be made holy and clean by submitting to the Law of Moses.

d. Purifying their hearts by faith. Peter shows how the heart is purified: by faith, not by keeping of the law. If they were purified by faith, then there was no need to be purified by submitted to ceremonies found in the Law of Moses.

i. Christians are not only saved by faith; they are purified by faith also!

e. Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Peter wisely answers another objection. One might ask, "What is the harm in bringing Gentiles under the Law of Moses?" Peter was right on the mark when he observed that the law was a yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear.

i. This is demonstrated by a brief look at Israel's history. At the birth of the nation at Mount Sinai, they broke the law by worshipping the golden calf. At the end of Old Testament history, they are still breaking the law by breaking the Sabbath and marrying pagan women (Nehemiah 13). From beginning to end, Israel could not bear the yoke of the law.

ii. Those of the sect of the Pharisees who believed were making a critical mistake. They were looking at Israel's history under the law with eyes of nostalgia, not truth. If they would have carefully and truthfully considered Israel's failure under the law, they would not have been so quick to put Gentiles under the law also.

iii. Paul makes the same argument in the book of Galatians 3:2-3. If the law does not save us, why would we return to it as the principle by which we live? In light of the finished work of Jesus, it is offensive to God to go back to the law. This is why Peter asked, "why do you test God?"

f. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they. Peter concludes with the observation that it is through grace that all are saved - both Jew and Gentile - and not by obedience to the law. If we are saved by grace, then we are not saved by grace and law-keeping.

i. Peter also insists there is only one way of salvation: We [Jews] shall be saved in the same manner as they [Gentiles]. Jewish Christians were not saved, even in part, by their law-keeping; they were saved the same way Gentiles were: Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. (12) Paul and Barnabas tell of their work among the Gentiles, supporting Peter's claim that God is doing a work among them.

Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.

a. Then all the multitude kept silent and listened: This shows that even though there had been much dispute, these men were all of an honorable heart. They were willing to listen, and to be persuaded if wrong.

b. Declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles: Barnabas and Paul confirm Peter's previous point. Essentially, they are saying "God has accepted the Gentiles, should not we as well?"

3. (13-21) James, the brother of Jesus, speaks to the issue, supporting what Peter and Paul had said.

And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 'After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the LORD who does all these things.' Known to God from eternity are all His works. Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

a. James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me." This James is not the apostle James, whose martyrdom is recorded in Acts 12:2. This is the one traditionally known as James the Just - the half-brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:155), brother of Jude (Jude 1), and author of the book of James (James 1:1).

b. God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people: James begins by insisting God had a people among the Gentiles. This would astound a religious Jew in that day!

i. The Greek word for Gentiles (it could also be translated nations) is ethne. The Greek word for people in this passage is laos. The Jews considered themselves a laos of God, and never among the ethne. For them ethne and laos were contrasting words. So, it would be challenging for them to hear that God at the first visited the Gentiles (ethne)to take out of them a people (laos).

ii. "The paradox inherent in the contrast between Gentiles (or nations) and people is striking, since the latter term was often used of the Jews as the people of God in contrast to the Gentiles. Now it is being urged that God's people includes the Gentiles." (Marshall)

c. With this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: James will judge this new work of God by the way any work of God should be judged. James will look to what is written.

i. Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name: In this passage James quotes (Amos 9:11-12), it actually says that salvation will come to the Gentiles. This demonstrates that what God is doing among the Gentiles has a Biblical foundation.

ii. Today, many things are considered Biblical if they merely fail to contradict something in the Word, even though they may have no root in the Word of God whatsoever. An outside authority would settle this debate. The outside authority was God's Word.

iii. "Councils have no authority in the church unless it can be shown that their conclusions are in accord with Scripture." (Stott)

d. I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down: When James quotes the prophecy in Amos 9:11-12 about rebuilding the fallen tabernacle of David, he remembers that the Judaism of his day had fallen down in the sense that it had rejected its Messiah. Now God wants to rebuild that work, focusing on a church made up of both Jew and Gentile.

i. All the Gentiles who are called by My name: When God says there are Gentiles who are called by His name, He is saying they stay Gentiles. They are not Gentiles who have been made Jews. Therefore, Gentiles do not need to become Jews and under the law to be saved!

e. Therefore I judge implies that James had a position of high authority in the church. He was probably respected as the "senior pastor" of the church at Jerusalem.

i. The Greek presents it even more strongly as "I determine" or "I resolve" (Expositor's). In addition, when the decision of James was published, it was presented as the mutual decision of all present (Acts 15:25: It seemed good to us). Clearly, James' leadership was supported by all present.

ii. "The rest either argued on the subject, or gave their opinion; James alone pronounced the definitive sentence." (Clarke)

f. What did James decide? We should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God. James essentially says, "Let them alone. They are turning to God, and we should not trouble them." At the bottom line, James decided that Peter, Barnabas, and Paul were correct, and that those of the sect of the Pharisees who believed were wrong.

g. But that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood: James' decision that Gentile believers should not be under the Mosaic Law is also tempered by practical instruction. The idea was that it was important that Gentile believers not act in a way that would antagonize the Jewish community in every city and destroy the church's witness among Jews.

i. If the decision is that one does not have to be Jewish to be a Christian, it must also be declared that one does not need to forsake the Law of Moses to be a Christian.

h. To abstain from things polluted by idols … from things strangled, and from blood: These three commands have to do with the eating habits of Gentile Christians. Though they were not bound under the Law of Moses, they were bound under the Law of Love. The Law of Love tells them, "don't unnecessarily antagonize your Jewish neighbors, both in and out of the church."

i. To abstain from … sexual immorality: When James declares that they forbid the Gentile Christians to abstain from … sexual immorality, we shouldn't think that it means common sex outside of marriage, which all Christians (Jew or Gentile) recognized as wrong. Instead, James is directing these Gentiles living in such close fellowship with the Jewish believers to observe the specific marriage regulations required by Leviticus 18, which prohibited marriages between most family relations. This was something that Jews would abhor, but most Gentiles would think little of.

j. Gentile Christians had the "right" to eat meat sacrificed to idols, to continue their marriage practices, and to eat food without a kosher bleeding, because these were aspects of the Mosaic law they definitely were not under. However, they are encouraged (demanded?) to law down their "rights" in these matters as a display of love to their Jewish brethren.

i. "All four of the requested abstentions related to ceremonial laws laid down in Leviticus 17 and 18, and three of them concerned dietary matters which could inhibit Jewish-Gentile common meals." (Stott)

4. (22-29) A letter of decision is drafted.

Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren. They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the law"; to whom we gave no such commandment; it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

a. It pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church: Much credit goes to the certain men of Acts 15:1, who allowed themselves to be convinced by the evidence from the Scriptures and by the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. They all agreed!

i. We can almost admire the certain men of Acts 15:1, because they boldly stated their convictions, even though their convictions were wrong. But even more admirable is the way they are willing to be taught and shown they are wrong. A teachable spirit is a precious thing!

b. To send chosen men of their own company to Antioch: The Jerusalem council wisely sends two members of its own community (probably Jewish Christians themselves) with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch, the place where the whole dispute arose.

c. They wrote this letter by them: The letter gives the express decision of the Jerusalem council, that Gentiles should consider themselves under no obligation to the rituals of Judaism, except the sensitivity which love demands, so as to preserve the fellowship of Jewish and Gentile believers.

i. To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: This letter is written specifically to these churches where Jews and Gentiles mixed together in this tension; it was not addressed to every Gentile congregation.

d. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us: Who made the decision at the Jerusalem council? When the apostolic letter says it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, it makes it clear that it was the Holy Spirit who decided the matter. Significantly, the Holy Spirit made the decision through the decisive leadership of James (who declared, "Therefore I judge," Acts 15:19).

e. Therefore, the issue is settled here in the infancy of Christianity, and for all time: We are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, not by any conformity to the law, and such obedience comes as a result of true faith, after the issue of salvation has been settled.

C. Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch.

1. (30-31) A joyful reception among the Gentile Christians at the church of Antioch.

So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.

a. When they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter: We can imagine how these Gentile Christians felt, wondering how the decision might come forth. Would the council in Jerusalem decide that they really were not saved after all because they had not submitted to circumcision and the Law of Moses?

b. When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement: How relieved they were to see that the principle of grace had been preserved! That heard that they were saved and right with God after all!

2. (32-35) The work of the gospel continues in Antioch.

Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles. However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there. Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

a. The certain men who had come from Judea to Antioch (Acts 15:1) had the potential to ruin the work of God in Antioch and beyond. But because the situation was handled correctly, the brethren were strengthened and the word of God continued to go forth.

b. Judas and Silas serve well in Antioch as visiting ministers from Jerusalem. Then Judas returned, leaving Silas in Antioch for future ministry.

D. The contention over John Mark.

1. (36) Paul suggests that he and Barnabas return to all the cities where they planted churches in the first missionary trip.

Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing."

a. And see how they are doing: This shows Paul had a real pastor's heart. He was not content to merely plant churches without seeing them carefully nurtured and growing in the faith.

b. Paul had the heart of both an obstetrician (bringing people into the body of Christ) and a pediatrician (growing people up in the body of Christ).

2. (37-41) Paul and Barnabas divide over the issue of taking John Mark with them.

Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

a. John called Mark: John Mark had previously left the missionary party under less than honorable circumstances (Acts 13:13). This probably made Paul unwilling to trust him on future endeavors.

b. Barnabas was determined … But Paul insisted: Luke does not give us a clue as to who was "right" and who was "wrong" between Paul and Barnabas. But it is never good when personal disputes flare up among those serving in the ministry.

i. Then the contention became so sharp: Wherever there is sharp … contention, someone is wrong, and usually there is wrong on both sides. There can be no way both Paul and Barnabas were each walking in the Spirit on this issue!

ii. The relationship between Paul and Barnabas was probably also strained when Barnabas sided with the Judaizers in Antioch when Peter came to visit (Galatians 2:13).

c. Since Barnabas was John Mark's cousin (Colossians 4:10), and because Barnabas had such an encouraging, accepting character (Acts 4:36, 9:26-27), it is easy to see why he would be more understanding towards John Mark.

d. They parted from one another: So, Paul (accompanied by Silas) and Barnabas (accompanied by Mark) split, each going out to different fields of ministry.

i. It is hard to know if their personal relationship was strained for a prolonged period. As Christians, we are commanded to resolve relationship problems with others before we present ministry to God (Matthew 5:23-24). It is always wrong to step over people in the name of ministry, and when it happens it must be made right.

ii. There is no doubt God used this division; but this can never be casually used as an excuse for carnal division. God can redeem good out of evil, yet we are all held accountable for the evil we do, even if God ends up bringing good out of the evil. Either Paul or Barnabas - probably both - had to get this right with God and each other.

iii. "But this example of God's providence may not be used as an excuse for Christian quarreling." (Stott)

e. Later, Paul came to minister with John Mark and to value his contributions to the work of God (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:11). We don't know if it was Mark who changed or Paul who changed. Probably God had a work to do in both of them!

f. Strengthening the churches: This was Paul's ministry, in addition to evangelism. New Christians needed strong churches to grow and mature in.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 16

The Second Missionary Journey Begins
A. From the city of Derbe to Troas.

1. (1-5) At Derbe and Lystra.

Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

a. Paul began this missionary journey having come from Antioch. First, he did the work of strengthening the churches through the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:40-41).

b. Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: Now he arrives in Derbe, where he had great success on his first missionary journey (Acts 14:20-21), and in Lystra, where a crowd tried to honor Paul and Barnabas as pagan gods on the first missionary journey (Acts 14:8-20).

i. The first missionary journey finished about five years before the events of this chapter. Paul was anxious to see for himself how the work of the Lord continued among these churches he founded five years before.

c. A certain disciple was there, named Timothy: In the time since Paul had been to Lystra, a young man named Timothy had been serving the Lord (He was well spoken of by the brethren). Timothy had a believing mother with a Jewish background (son of a certain Jewish woman who believed), but an unbelieving Greek father.

i. The last time Paul was in Lystra, they first worshipped him as a god and then tried to kill him by stoning (Acts 14:11-20). Paul's courage and wisdom in the face of these obstacles built a great legacy in people like Timothy.

d. Paul was impressed enough with Timothy that Paul wanted to have him go on with him. This shows God's provision, because John Mark and Barnabas just left Paul (Acts 15:36-41). No single worker in God's kingdom is irreplaceable. When a Barnabas leaves (for whatever reason), God has a Timothy to go on with him.

e. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews in that region: Paul had Timothy circumcised, not for the sake of his salvation (Paul would never do so) but so there would be less to hinder ministry among the Jews.

i. "By Jewish law Timothy was a Jew, because he was the son of Jewish mother, but because he was uncircumcised he was technically an apostate Jew. If Paul wished to maintain his links with the synagogue, he could not be seen to countenance apostasy." (Bruce)

ii. In Acts 15, Paul argued strongly that it was not necessary for converts to come under the Law of Moses for salvation. At the time Paul met Timothy, he was delivering the news of this decree which came out of the Acts 15 council (as they went through the cities, the delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem). So why is Paul telling Timothy to be circumcised? Doesn't this contradict the decree which was determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem? Not at all. Paul would have never told Timothy to become circumcised for the sake of legalism. But Paul would do things for the sake of love that he would not do for the sake of trying to please God through legalism.

f. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily: Paul's work was successful because his first interest was in strengthening the churches. Strong churches will naturally increase in number daily, without relying on carnal and manipulative methods.

2. (6-10) God directs Paul to the region of Macedonia.

Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

a. They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia: After strengthening the churches in the region, Paul seeks to go next to the immediate west, towards the important city of Ephesus. But Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to go there.

i. How could the Holy Spirit possibly forbid the preaching of the word in Asia? Because there was a work being orchestrated by the Spirit of God, and Paul wasn't the right person in the right place at the right time to begin bringing the gospel to the Roman Province of Asia Minor. There was certainly nothing wrong with Paul's desire to preach the word in Asia; but it wasn't God's timing, so it was forbidden by the Holy Spirit.

ii. How exactly did the Holy Spirit forbid them? It is difficult to say exactly how the Holy Spirit said no; it may have been through a word of prophecy, or by an inward speaking of the Holy Spirit, or by circumstances. One way or another, Paul and his company got the message.

iii. Asia does not refer to the Far East as we know it today. It refers to the Roman Province of Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey.

b. They tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them: After the attempt to go to Asia, Paul sought to go north into Bithynia, but is again prevented by the Holy Spirit. So, they came down to Troas.

i. Paul didn't set out to go to Troas. It was at least the third choice for him. But it was the Holy Spirit's plan to lead him there. Paul, beautifully responsive to the Holy Spirit, is willing to lay down his will and plans for the direction that the Holy Spirit brings.

ii. Paul is being guided by hindrance. The Holy Spirit often guides as much by the closing of doors as He does by the opening of doors.

c. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: In Troas, God makes Paul's direction clear. In a vision, Paul is "invited" to the region of Macedonia, westward across the Agean Sea.

i. This moves Paul and his missionary team from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe; this was the first missionary endeavor to Europe.

ii. The wisdom and greatness of God's plan is beginning to unfold. In Paul's mind, he wanted to reach a few cities in his region. But God wanted to give Paul a continent to win for Jesus Christ.

d. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." The Macedonian man wanted help. So Paul went to bring Macedonia the gospel!

i. The greatest help we can bring anyone is the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ! It is good for us to bring other help along with the gospel, but without the gospel, what real help have you given them?

e. Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go: Paul did not hesitate to answer the call of the Macedonian man. Paul's missionary team did not hesitate to follow him on the basis of this call. This was a strong, godly man, leading a strong, godly team!

i. God still calls people to the mission field. Perhaps many today will encounter a "Macedonia man" who will call them out to the mission field. Would to God that those who hear a "Macedonian man" today will respond the way Paul and his team responded!

f. Immediately we sought to go: The shift from they (they came down to Troas, Acts 16:8) to we in this verse probably means that Luke joined the band of missionaries in Troas. Perhaps he even came as Paul's personal doctor.

i. Now we see another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. We see another reason why the Spirit did not permit them to go into Bithynia. God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas and pick up a doctor named Luke. If God wouldn't have said "no" to Paul these two times, we would not have a gospel and a Book of Acts written by Luke!

ii. At the time, Paul probably had no idea of the greatness of God's purpose. God wanted to give him a continent for Jesus, to give him a personal doctor, and to give all of us the man whom God would use to write more of the New Testament than anyone else did. God knows what He is doing when he says, "No."

B. Paul's work in the Macedonian city of Philippi.

1. (11-15) The conversion of Lydia.

Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us.

a. Sailing from Troas: Paul and his missionary team (now including Luke) had to sail across the Agean Sea, from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe. This was a big step, perhaps bigger than Paul even knew!

b. From there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia: Paul's general strategy was to plant churches in the major cities. He knew that it was easier for the gospel to spread from these cities than to these cities.

c. On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made: The fact that the Jews had no synagogue and met by the river means that there were not many Jewish men in Philippi.

i. "Had there been ten Jewish men, they would have sufficed to constitute a synagogue. No number of women would compensate for the absence of even one man necessary to make up the quorum of ten." (Bruce)

d. Lydia … was a seller of purple: Anyone who was a seller of purple dealt in a valued, luxurious product. The dyes used for making purple were expensive and highly regarded.

i. From the city of Thyatira: Thyatira was well known as a center for this purple dye and fabric made from it. Later, there was a church in Thyatira also, and it was one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation (Revelation 2:18-29).

e. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul: Before Lydia was converted (as demonstrated by her baptism), the Lord opened her heart. This is a work God must do in all who believe, because as Jesus said, no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him (John 6:44).

i. Therefore, the most important element in evangelism is imploring God through prayer to open hearts, for without this there can be no genuine conversion.

f. She begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." Immediately, Lydia set about doing good. Her hospitality is touching and wonderful example.

2. (16-18a) A demon-possessed slave girl follows Paul.

Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days.

a. A certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination … brought her masters much profit: This girl, through demon possessed, was a source of profit for her owners as a fortune teller, because demons would give her supernatural insight into the lives of others.

i. Today, much of what fortune-tellers and psychics do is only a money making sham. But when it is true and has a supernatural origin (as opposed to clever, insightful guessing), there is no doubt that it is inspired by demons. There are still those today who are possessed with a spirit of divination.

ii. But how can demons tell the future? Because demons are created beings, not "gods" themselves, we surmise that they can not read minds, nor actually foretell the future. But they can read and predict human behavior, and can attempt to steer events towards a previously predicted conclusion.

b. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." The demon-possessed slave girl "preaches" for Paul, giving a demonic "testimony" to their divine credentials and the message that they preach, and this she did for many days.

3. (18b) Paul casts the demon out of the slave girl.

But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour.

a. But Paul, greatly annoyed: Why was Paul greatly annoyed? Didn't he appreciate the free "advertising"? No, because he didn't appreciate the source, and could do quite nicely without demonic approval of his ministry.

i. Paul knew that a man will be identified by both his friends and his enemies, and could do without a demonic "letter of reference."

ii. In this, Paul is like Jesus, who often told demons to be silent, even when they were telling the truth about Him (Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 3:11-12).

b. I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her: Jesus cast out demons with His own authority. Paul is careful to speak to demons only in the authority of Jesus Christ.

c. And he came out that very hour: The idea behind that very hour is that the demon came out immediately. But Jesus said that some demons would be more difficult to cast out than others would (Matthew 17:21).

i. Bruce translates the phrase with It came out there and then. He comments: "The words had scarcely left his lips when she was released from its power."

4. (19-24) Paul and Silas are arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for delivering the slave-girl from her demonic possession.

But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, "These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe." Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

a. The whole mess was instigated because her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone. The masters care nothing for the girl herself, only for their ability to exploit her demonic possession for money. They were occultic "pimps," prostituting her spiritually.

b. They seized Paul and Silas: Paul and Silas were singled out not only because there were the leaders of the evangelistic group, but also, by their appearance, they were the most obviously Jewish. This is indicated by how they began their accusation: "These men, being Jews."

i. Luke was a Gentile, and Timothy was only half Jewish. Paul and Silas looked Jewish, and "Anti-Jewish sentiment lay very near the surface in pagan antiquity." (Bruce)

c. Exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. Their charges are vague, simply accusing Paul and Silas of being troublemakers. But those vague charges were enough, because both the multitude and the magistrates were biased against Paul and Silas. They were biased because of their Jewish appearance, and because they assumed Paul and Silas were not Roman citizens.

i. In the Roman Empire, there were two very different laws: one for citizens of the Roman Empire, and one for those who were not citizens. Roman citizens had specific civil rights which were zealously guarded. Non-citizens had no civil rights, and were subject to the whims of both the multitude and the magistrates.

ii. Since they assumed Paul and Barnabas were not Roman citizens, they were offended that these obviously Jewish men would harass Roman citizens with their strange religion of a crucified Saviour. As well, the multitude and the magistrates felt free to abuse Paul and Silas because they assumed they were not Roman citizens.

iii. "There was great indignation that Roman citizens should be molested by strolling peddlers of an outlandish religion. Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters." (Bruce)

d. When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison: After being severely beaten, Paul and Silas are imprisoned in maximum-security conditions (commanding the jailer to keep them securely … the inner prison … fastened their feet in the stocks).

i. In Jewish legal tradition, there was a maximum number of blows that could be delivered when beating a person, but the Romans had no such limit. We can rest assured Paul and Silas were severely beaten. Paul would later write of his ministry: In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. (2 Corinthians 11:23)

ii. After such a bad beating, they were put in uncomfortable conditions (fastened their feet in the stocks). "These stocks had more than two holes for legs, which could thus be forced apart in a such a way as to cause the utmost discomfort and cramping pain." (Bruce)

iii. Even in their pain, God was not far from Paul and Silas. Tertullian said, "The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven."

 

[DaLincolnJones]

5. (25-32) The conversion of the Philippian jailer.

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

a. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God: Though they have been arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for doing good, Paul and Silas are filled with joy, and sing praises to God. What will it take to make us stop praising God?

i. Anyone can be happy in pleasant circumstances, but real joy comes only from within, and is a gift available to Christians at all times.

ii. "Instead of cursing men, they blessed God." (Stott)

b. And the prisoners were listening to them: What a strange sound it must have been to the other prisoners! Prayers and praises unto God at midnight, in the midst of a brutal prison. Those prison walls had probably never heard such a sound!

c. Suddenly there was a great earthquake: This earthquake was clearly supernatural. This was not only because of its timing and location, but in the way that all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

d. The keeper of the prison … was about to kill himself: The jailer's reaction had good reason behind it. Guards who allowed their prisoners to escape had to bear the penalty of their escaped prisoners. Knowing this, Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." He assures the jailer that no one has escaped.

i. It would have been easy for Paul and Silas to escape thinking God had instigated another miraculous jailbreak. But to them, the lives of others were more important than their own personal freedom and comfort.

ii. In not escaping, they showed tremendous discernment. The circumstances said, "escape." But love said, "Stay for the sake of this one soul." They were not guided merely by circumstances, but by what love compelled.

e. This hardened keeper of the prison fell down trembling. This is as dramatic as it sounds. This man was more affected by the love and grace in the lives of Paul and Silas than an earthquake. This may have even been the same guard who beat them a few hours earlier!

f. Sirs, what must I do be saved? The jailer was so impressed by Paul and Silas - by the love they showed to him, and from their ability to take joy even in misery - that he instantly wants the kind of life that Paul and Silas have.

i. This is how God wants our lives to be: Natural magnets drawing people to Him. Our Christianity should make others want what we have with God.

g. Paul's answer to the keeper of the prison is a classic statement of the essence of the gospel: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. This is salvation by grace alone, received by faith alone.

i. Some have worried that Paul's invitation to salvation here is too easy, and would promote an "easy-believism" and a "cheap grace." Others refuse to preach repentance, claiming that this text says that it is not necessary.

ii. Paul never specifically called the keeper of the prison to repent because he was already repenting. We see the humble repentance of the jailer in that he fell down trembling, in the full idea of the word believe (pistis, which means to trust in, rely on, and cling to), and in the command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ).

h. You and your household seems to be a specific promise for that Philippian jailer. Paul was, under inspiration by the Holy Spirit, telling the keeper of the prison that his household would trust Jesus just as he did.

i. This was a promise made specifically to the keeper of the prison. But it is a promise that the Holy Spirit may well make alive to us, helping us to trust Him for the salvation of our families.

ii. However, the jailer's household was not saved merely because he was; Paul came spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. They were all saved because they all trust the word of God and the Jesus revealed to us through the word.

6. (33-34) The Philippian jailer ministers to Paul and Silas.

And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

a. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes: The same jailer who had been punishing them was now ministering to Paul and Silas, caring for their wounds and he set food before them. This shows how repentant he was and how he followed the example of love shown by Paul and Silas.

b. And immediately he and all his family were baptized: The jailer and his family saw no reason to delay baptism; they were baptized that very night, and all this began around midnight (Acts 16:25).

c. And he rejoiced: This man was carried from suicidal fear to abounding joy in just a few minutes. All of it flowed from Paul and Silas' courageous praise to God in terrible adversity.

7. (35-36) Paul and Silas return to the prison, and are set free by the magistrates the next day.

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, "Let those men go." So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace."

a. Paul and Silas did leave the prison (in the protective custody of the jailer) to minister to the jailer's household. But Paul and Silas returned to the prison willingly to spare the jailer certain death.

b. Let those men go: To arrest, beat, and imprison someone; then to quickly release them is common in societies that recognize few rights for their citizens. This sort of treatment effectively terrorizes the population into submission.

c. The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace: If Paul and Silas were released the day after their beating, arrest, and imprisonment, why did God send the earthquake? We see that the earthquake had absolutely nothing to do with freeing Paul and Silas from prison. But it had everything to do with the salvation of a certain prison guard and his household.

8. (37-39) Paul and Silas reveal their Roman citizenship.

But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out." And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city.

a. They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans: Because Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they had recognized civil rights, which were grievously violated by the Philippian magistrates. Upon learning this, the magistrates are filled with fear, because it was a grave offense to treat Roman citizens as Paul and Silas had been treated.

b. Why didn't Paul and Silas reveal their Roman citizenship earlier? It is possible that they didn't have the opportunity, but it is more likely that the Holy Spirit was directing them to not reveal it until a certain time.

i. Our rights are not as important as our obedience to the will of God. God may ask us to lay down our rights for the good of another (in this case, for the good of the Philippian jailer).

ii. How could Paul and Silas have proved their Roman citizenship? "They may each have carried a copy of his professio or registration of birth, in which his Roman status would have been recorded. These were convenient in size … To claim Roman citizenship falsely was punishable by death." (Williams)

c. They came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city: The magistrates act like any politicians act by instinct. They try to make their problem go away quietly by sweeping them under the rug.

9. (40) Paul and Silas leave Philippi on their own terms.

So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

a. They agree to go, but only after they had seen the brethren and encouraged them. Paul and Silas would not be hurried out of town until they had brought their work there to a conclusion.

b. In Philippi, Paul and Silas left behind two notable converts: Lydia and the prison guard. Each of these two had their lives touched by Jesus in very different ways.

i. Lydia was a churchgoer; the guard was not. Lydia was prospering in business; the guard was about to kill himself. Lydia's heart was gently opened; the guard's heart was violently confronted. The guard had a remarkable sign - an earthquake, but all Lydia had was the move of the Holy Spirit in her heart. Both heard the gospel and believed, and through each of them their whole families were touched!

c. The great missionary David Livingstone summarized the spirit of Paul when he said, "I am prepared to go anywhere, so long as it is forward." (Cited in Barclay)

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 17

Paul in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens

A. God's work in Thessalonica.

1. (1-4) Paul finds more ministry success in the city of Thessalonica.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

a. As his custom was, Paul first went to the synagogue, and preached Jesus crucified and risen again to the Jews (explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead). He also explained that Jesus was the Messiah ("This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.")

b. In response, some of them were persuaded; most of them were devout Greeks, but also many prominent Jewish women (not a few of the leading women).

i. By all accounts, the work was a success, a great multitude believed. We can be sure that this work was bathed in prayer, and God was leading Paul to open, prepared hearts in his evangelistic work.

c. When Paul was in Thessalonica, he received financial support from the Christians in Philippi (Philippians 4:15-16). They helped with this successful work among the Thessalonians.

2. (5-9) Envious Jews instigate a mob to riot against Paul and Silas.

But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king; Jesus." And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

a. The Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar: As happened in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:45, 50), Iconium (Acts 14:2, 5), and Lystra (Acts 14:19) on the first missionary journey, here also Paul is opposed by a mob incited by envious people among the Jews.

b. And attacked the house of Jason:Jason was a Christian in Thessalonica whose house seems to have been a center for the church. When the evil men from the marketplace did not find Paul and Silas there, they attacked Jason himself, and some brethren who were with him.

c. Crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." When accusing these Christians before the rulers of the city, the evil men from the marketplace gave an unintended compliment to the effectiveness of God's work through Paul and Silas. To complain that the Christians were these who have turned the world upside-down have come here too was to say, "these men have radically impacted our world and nothing seems the same." God willing and blessing, people would say such things about the effectiveness of Christians today!

i. Jesus did not come only to be our teacher, but to turn our world upside-down. The powerful and the eminent of this world are at the top of the power pyramid and look down on the weak and insignificant; but Jesus comes and turns that pyramid around and says, "If you want to come to Me, you have to come like a little child." As Paul says, God has chosen the foolish and weak things of the world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27), and so God turns the world's power-pyramid upside down.

ii. Jesus gave a great example of this upside-down thinking when He spoke of a rich man who amassed great wealth, and all he could think about was building bigger barns to store all his wealth. We would make the man a civic leader or recognized him as a prominent man; Jesus turned it all upside down and called the man a fool, because he had done nothing to get his life right with God. (Luke 12:16-21)

iii. Actually, God was working through Paul and Silas to turn the world right side-up again. But when you yourself are upside-down, the other direction appears to be upside-down!

d. The evil men from the marketplace made an even more serious accusation: "these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king; Jesus." This troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things, because this raised the fear that their city might become a hotbed of political rebellion against Caesar.

i. Their fears were unfounded. Even though the gospel has definite political implications, it makes Christians better citizens than before, and their prayers for officials of government are more helpful than most imagine.

ii. Even the unfounded accusation of political revolution had a compliment hidden inside. Even the evil men from the marketplace understood that Christians taught that Jesus was a king, that He had the right to rule over His people. Why is it that all too many churchgoers miss this message today?

iii. "It may be for this reason that Paul avoided the use of 'kingdom' and 'king' in his letters to his converts, lest Gentile imperial authorities misconstrue them to connote opposition to the empire and emperor." (Longenecker)

e. When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Jason and the others were released once they left a security deposit, to guarantee against any future riots.

i. Basically, the Roman magistrates did not care what you believed. But when the public order was disrupted by riots, they came down with an iron hand. If things got out of hand, it wouldn't be long until the Emperor dispatched his legions to restore order, and no one wanted that. So Jason had to post the bond even though he did not instigate the riot.

B. God's work in Berea.

1. (10-12) More evangelistic success in the city of Berea.

Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

a. Then the brethren immediately set Paul and Silas away by night to Berea: Paul and Silas flee Thessalonica quickly, not wanting to bring more persecution on the Christians there or to jeopardize Jason's security deposit.

i. After they had left suddenly after spending only a few weeks in Thessalonica (Acts 17:2), Paul felt he had so much more to say to these Christians, so he wrote the letter of 1 Thessalonians. Many feel 1 Thessalonians was Paul's "first" letter.

b. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews: In Berea, they follow their familiar strategy, and found that their audience was more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica. Two things earned this compliment for the Bereans: first, they received the word with all readiness. Second, they searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

i. The Bereans were taught by the most famous apostle and theologian of the early church, and the human author of at least 13 New Testament books. Yet, they searched the Scriptures when Paul taught, to see if his teaching was truly Biblical! They would not accept Paul's word at face value, but wanted to know if these things were so. When they heard Paul teach, their settled reaction wasn't "My, he's a fine speaker." It wasn't "I don't like the way he talks." It wasn't "What a funny preacher!" Instead, the Bereans wanted to know, "Are these things … so? Is this man teaching us the truth? Let's search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things are so."

ii. Their research was not casual. They searched the Scriptures. It was worth it to them to work hard at it, and investigate what the Word of God said, and how Paul's teaching matched up with it. They also searched the Scriptures daily to find out. It wasn't a one time, quick look. They made it a point of diligent, extended study. Also, they searched the Scriptures daily to find out. They believed they could understand and find out truth from the Bible. For them, the Bible was not just a pretty book of poetry or mystery or nice spiritual inspiration for thoughts-for-the-day. It was a book of truth, and that truth was there to find out.

iii. But with all their diligent searching and concern for the truth, the Bereans did not become skeptics. They received the word with all readiness. When Paul preached, they had open hearts, but clear heads. Many people have clear heads, but closed hearts, and never receive the word with all readiness. It was both of these things that made the Bereans more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica.

iv. We should be more fair-minded than the Bereans. We should receive the word with all readiness, with open hearts. But we must also have clear heads, and when we hear a preacher, be those who search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things [are] so. If the great apostle Paul was worthy of this kind of close examination, how much more should teachers and preachers today be carefully compared with the Scriptures!

c. Therefore many of them believed: Paul had nothing to fear by the diligent searching of the Scriptures by the Bereans. If they were really seeking God and His Word, they would find out that what Paul was preaching was true. This is exactly what happened among the Bereans, and therefore many of them believed.

2. (13-15) Paul is forced to leave Berea.

But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

a. The Jews from Thessalonica were not satisfied to force Paul out of their own city. They even followed Paul to Berea to disrupt his work there also.

b. These troublemakers stirred up the crowds against Paul, just as had been done before in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:45, 50), Iconium (Acts 14:2, 5), and Lystra (Acts 14:19) on the first missionary journey, and in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-8) on the second missionary journey. This is now the fifth city Paul has been run out of by an angry mob, stirred up by envious Jewish leaders.

c. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away: The Christians in Berea sent Paul away to Athens, fearing for his life and a total disruption of the work going on there. But both Silas and Timothy remained there, because Paul wanted to leave them behind to take care of new Christians in Berea.

i. Why didn't they all go? Because Paul had a passion for planting churches, not just making converts. If Paul could not stay in the city and strengthen the Christians there, he wanted his trusted associates to stay and do the job.

C. God's work in Athens.

1. (16-17) Paul is provoked to preach in the city of Athens.

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

a. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him: The sense is that Paul would have preferred to wait until Timothy and Silas came from Berea before he began ministry in earnest in Athens. But when he saw that the city was given over to idols, he was compelled to preach the gospel immediately.

i. Paul had probably never been to Athens before, and like any tourist, he was ready to be very impressed by this incredibly famous and historical city. But when Paul toured the city, he was only depressed by the incredible idolatry he saw all around him.

ii. The idea behind given over to idols (kateidolos) is really under idols, or swamped by idols. So Paul saw the beauty of Athens, having the best that Greek sculptors and architects could offer. But all that beauty did not honor God, so it did not impress him at all.

b. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue … and in the marketplace daily: Paul's practice was to preach wherever he could get an audience. Here it was both in the synagogue and in the marketplace.

c. Paul faced a challenging audience in Athens. It was a cultured, educated city that was proud of its history. It was an intellectual center, much like Oxford or Cambridge in England. Paul spoke to a city perhaps different than any other city he had preached in.

i. "Although Athens had long since lost the political eminence which was hers in an earlier day, she continued to represent the highest level of culture attained in classical antiquity." (Bruce)

ii. "By now the greatest days of Athens were behind it, but it could still be fairly described as the intellectual capital of the Greco-Roman world and, at the same time, the religious capital of Greece." (Williams)

2. (18-21) The novelty his message earns Paul an invitation to preach at the intellectual center of the city, the Areopagus.

Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods," because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean." For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

a. Then certain Epicurean … philosophers encountered him: The Epicureans pursued pleasure as the chief purpose in life, and valued most of all the pleasure of a peaceful life, free from pain, disturbing passions and superstitious fears (including the fear of death). They did not deny the existence of gods, but believed that they had nothing to do with man.

b. Then certain … Stoic philosophers encountered him: The Stoics were pantheists who put great emphasis on moral sincerity and a high sense of duty. They cultivated a spirit of proud dignity, and believed that suicide was better than a life lived with less dignity.

i. The Stoics believed that everything was god, and god was in everything. So they believed that all things, good or evil, were from god and so nothing should be resisted, and they believed there was no particular direction or destiny for mankind.

c. And some said: Some derided Paul because he did not communicate with the philosophical niceties popular in Athens (What does this babbler want to say?). Others thought Paul was an exotic proclaimer of foreign gods.

d. However, the essence of Paul's message did not change in Athens. They all understood that he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

e. For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or hear some strange new thing. It was the novelty of Paul's message that earned him the invitation to the Areopagus. These ancient Greeks lusted after the latest, just like we today.

i. In the early nineteenth century, Adam Clarke described the situation of his day, and it sounds like it is even more true of our own time. "This is a striking feature of the city of London in the present day. The itch for news, which generally argues a worldly, shallow, or unsettled mind, is wonderfully prevalent: even ministers of the Gospel, negligent of their sacred function, are become in this sense Athenians; so that the book of God is neither read nor studied with half the avidity and spirit as a newspaper … It is no wonder if such become political preachers, and their sermons be no better than husks for swine. To such the hungry sheep look up, and are not fed

 

[DaLincolnJones]

3. (22-31) Paul's sermon on Mars' Hill (the Areopagus).

Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope 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 also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."

a. Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious: Paul does not begin with an exposition of Scripture, which was his custom when dealing with Jews or Gentiles who would be familiar with the Old Testament. Instead, Paul begins with general references to religion.

b. In all things you are very religious: The religious character of Athens was noticed by many ancient observers, some of whom thought that Athenians were the most religious of all human beings. But when Paul says this of the Athenians, he doesn't necessarily mean it in a positive way. Religion can lead a man away from God, and if we trust in a false religion, it is little credit to say of us that we are "religious."

c. I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD: Paul understood that in their extensive pantheon, the Greeks had an unknown god, who covered any god that may have been neglected. Paul will now reveal to them the identity of the Unknown God.

i. Athens was filled with statues dedicated TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Six hundred years before Paul, a terrible plague came on the city and a man name Epimenides had an idea. He let loose a flock of sheep through the town and wherever they lay down, they would sacrifice that sheep to the god that had the nearest shrine or temple. If a sheep lay down near no shrine or temple, they would sacrifice the sheep TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

d. God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth: Paul proclaims to them the God who created everything, yet He is distinct from His creation. Paul proclaimed that God was bigger than any temple men's hands could build (does not dwell in temples made with hands), and could not be represented by anything men could make with their hands (Nor is He worshipped with men's hands).

i. In bringing an understanding of who God is to these people, Paul started at the beginning: God is the Creator, and we are His creatures. "This view of the world is very different from either the Epicurean emphasis on a chance combination of atoms or the virtual pantheism of the Stoics." (Stott)

ii. Paul recognized that these philosophers had to change their ideas about God. They had to move from their own personal opinions to an understanding who God is according to what He tells us about Himself in the Bible

e. And He has made from one blood every nation of men: Paul proclaimed that we are all descended from Adam through Noah, and that there is one God who created us all and we are all obligated to. Since God created us all, we should seek the Lord … though He is not far from each one of us.

f. For in Him we live and move and have our being … For we are also His offspring: These two quotations Paul uses from Greek poets are attributed to Epimenides the Cretan [600 BC] (who Paul quotes again in Titus 1:12) and Aratus [310 BC].

i. Paul did not quote these men because they were prophets or because all their teaching was of God. He quoted them because these specific words reflected a Biblical truth, and by using them he could build a bridge to his pagan audience.

g. Therefore since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone: Paul proclaimed our responsibility to God because we are His offspring. Since we are His offspring, we are responsible to have right ideas about God, and therefore must reject the wrong idea that gold or silver or stone could represent God.

i. "The Athenians have acknowledged in their altar inscription that they are ignorant of God, and Paul has been giving evidence of their ignorance. Now he declares such ignorance to be culpable." (Stott)

h. Now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness: Paul progresses from knowing who God is (our Creator), to who we are (His offspring), to our responsibility before Him (to understand Him and worship Him in truth), to our accountability if we dishonor Him (judgment).

i. Paul wasn't preaching a "soft" gospel. He boldly confronted the wrong ideas the Athenians had about God, and confronted them with the reality of coming judgment.

i. He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man who He has ordained: Now, for the first time, Paul refers to Jesus. His first mention of Jesus considers Jesus as a righteous judge!

i. Certainly, Paul did not want to leave the Athenians with the idea that Jesus was only a righteous judge. However, he will be stopped short before he can tell them everything he wants to about Jesus. Probably, all that Paul said before was introduction; now he gets to what he wanted to speak about: The person and work of Jesus.

j. He has given assurance of this by raising Him from the dead: The emphasis on the resurrection is important. Paul sees the resurrection of Jesus as the assurance of this; it demonstrates that the person, teaching, and work of Jesus were all perfectly approved by the Father.

i. Paul seemed unable to preach a sermon without bringing in the resurrection of Jesus. For him, none of the Christian life made sense without the triumph of Jesus' resurrection.

4. (32-34) The reaction of the listeners at Areopagus.

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter." So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

a. When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: The resurrection was not a popular concept among Greek philosophers. Some though Paul foolish for even believing such a thing, and other wanted to hear more about this new teaching (others said, "We will heart you again on this matter").

i. The Greeks were fond of the idea of the immortality of the soul, but not of the idea of the resurrection of the body. They felt that anything material was inherently evil, so there really could be no such thing as a "glorified" body. They thought the ultimate form of glory would be "pure spirit."

b. So Paul departed among them: Paul wanted to talk about Jesus. He could have, if he wanted to, stayed there and discussed Greek philosophy all day long. But Paul was not interested. If he couldn't talk about Jesus, he didn't have much to say.

i. Without doubt, Paul was really just beginning his sermon. Far more than wanting to quote Greek poets, he wanted to tell them about Jesus. But as soon as he mentioned the resurrection, the stopped him short. Certainly, Paul discussed more with people one-on-one. But he was prevented from saying all he wanted to in his speech at the Areopagus.

c. However, some men joined him and believed: The results at the Areopagus seemed small, yet some did belive. Among those believing were a man named Dionysius (who must have been a member of the "court" of the Areopagus) and a woman named Damaris.

5. Assessing Paul's sermon on the Areopagus.

a. Some have criticized this sermon because there is no detailed reference to the cross or specific quotes from the Old Testament. Some think Paul compromised his message for an intellectual audience, and therefore there were few conversions.

i. The idea continues that when Paul went next to Corinth, he decided to preach the cross and the cross only, even if it seemed foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5). Because Paul preached this way in Corinth, he saw much better results.

ii. Ramsay popularized the theory that Paul was disappointed by his "meager" results in Athens, and went on to Corinth preaching the gospel with a pure focus on the cross, and without any attempt at philosophical explanation.

b. But Paul's sermon here is eminently Biblical. "Like the biblical revelation itself, his argument begins with God the creator of all and ends with God the judge of all … The speech as it stands admirably summarizes an introductory lesson in Christianity for cultured pagans." (Bruce)

c. As well, Paul did preach Christ crucified in Athens. In Acts 17:30-31 he specifically mentions the resurrection, and how could he preach the resurrection without preaching the cross which came before it? This is obviously a short extract of Paul's speech on the Areopagus; what is recorded takes barely two minutes to say.

i. "We learn from Paul that we cannot preach the gospel of Jesus without the doctrine of God, or the cross without the creation, or salvation without judgment." (Stott)

d. In addition, it is dangerous to judge the content of the message by the magnitude of the response.

i. "The reason the gospel did not take root there probably lay more in the attitude of the Athenians themselves than in Paul's approach or in what he said." (Longenecker)

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 18

Paul in Corinth; the End of the Second Missionary Journey and Beginning of the Third
A. Paul in the city of Corinth.

1. (1-3) Paul arrives in Corinth and meets Aquila and Priscilla.

After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.

a. Corinth was a major city of the Roman Empire, at an important crossroads of trade and travel; it was also a city notorious for its hedonism and immorality.

i. Even in Paul's day, Corinth was an ancient city. It was a commercial center with two harbors and a long rival to its northern neighbor, Athens. Corinth was a city with a remarkable reputation for loose living and especially sexual immorality. In classical Greek, to act like a Corinthian was to practice fornication, and a Corinthian companion was a prostitute. This sexual immorality was permitted under the extremely prevalent worship of Aphrodite (also known as Venus, the goddess of fertility and sexuality). In 146 BC, Corinth rebelled against Rome and was brutally destroyed by Roman armies. It lay in ruins for a century, until Julius Caesar rebuilt the city, and it quickly re-established its former position as a center for both trade and immorality of every sort.

ii. "It is significant that it was from this city that Paul wrote his Roman letter; and when one reads his description of Gentile corruption in that Roman letter, one has almost certainly a mirror of what he found in Corinth. (Romans 1:22-32)" (Morgan)

iii. One ancient writer described Corinth as a town where "none but the tough could survive."

iv. Paul knew that because people from all over the Empire passed through Corinth, a strong church there could touch lives all over the Empire. He knew Corinth was a tough city, but he wasn't only interested in planting churches where he thought it would be easy!

b. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila … with his wife Priscilla … and he came to them: It is implied, though not clearly stated, that Aquila and Priscilla were at this time Christians. But it is possible that Paul led them both to Jesus as they worked together as tentmakers (those who worked with leather).

i. For by occupation they were tentmakers: Paul's tentmaking was an important part of his ministry. Though he recognized his right to be supported by those he ministered to (1 Corinthians 9:7-14), he voluntarily supported himself on the mission field so that no one could accuse him of seeking converts for the sake of enriching himself (1 Corinthians 9:15-18).

ii. In the modern missions movement, people call any work that a missionary does to support himself on the mission field tentmaking.

iii. "In Judaism it was not considered proper for a scribe or a rabbi to receive payment for his teaching, so many of them practised a trade in addition to their study and teaching of the law." (Bruce)

c. Because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome: The Roman historian Suetonius writes that Claudius banished Jews from Rome because they were "indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus." There have been many attempts to explain who Chrestus was, but a likely solution is that Suetoniusm referred to Christ, but writing some seventy years after the events, had the name somewhat mixed up. It seems that the expulsion had to do with "dissension and disorder within the Jewish community of Rome resulting from the introduction of Christianity into one or more of the synagogues of the city." (Bruce)

i. Chronology is often a tricky issue, but it seems that this expulsion of Jews from Rome occurred at about 49 A.D.

2. (4-8) Paul's ministry among the Jews and Gentiles of Corinth.

And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

a. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath: Paul was effective as he reasoned among the Jews and Greeks. The Greeks present in the synagogue were Gentiles interested in and sympathetic with Judaism.

b. When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia: When Timothy came, he brought news about how the Christians in Thessalonica were remaining steadfast in the faith (1 Thessalonians 3:6-10). This brought Paul great joy, spurring him on in ministry (Paul was compelled by the Spirit). He answered back by writing 1 Thessalonians from Corinth.

i. Paul describes the character of his bold preaching in Corinth preaching in 1 Corinthians 2:1-16, where he declared, For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

c. According to 2 Corinthians 11:8-9, while Paul was in Corinth, financial support arrived from the Christians in Philippi, and he was able to put aside tentmaking for a while and concentrate more fully on the task of building the church in Corinth.

d. But when they opposed him and blasphemed: The blasphemy must have been directed against Jesus, because Paul was preaching Jesus as the Messiah (testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ). This is an indirect declaration of the deity of Jesus, because someone can only really blaspheme God.

e. From now on I will go to the Gentiles: Paul strongly sensed his responsibility to preach to the Jews first (Romans 1:16), but when his message was rejected, he did not waste time in going to the Gentiles.

i. Paul fulfilled the spirit of what Jesus said in Matthew 7:6: Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. When people are determined to reject the gospel, we shouldn't keep trying with them until the door is open again.

f. Paul shook his garments so that not a speck of dust from the synagogue would remain on his clothes, much less his sandals. This was a dramatic way of expressing his rejection of their rejection! Paul was certainly capable of dramatic and vivid demonstrations of his message.

g. However, Paul did not then forbid Jews to come to Jesus, because Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. Paul merely switched the focus of his evangelism from the Jews to the Gentiles.

i. Crispus was one of the few in Corinth whom Paul personally baptized (1 Corinthians 1:14).

h. What kind of people were the many of the Corinthians whobelieved and were baptized? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:26: For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

3. (9-11) God's special encouragement to Paul in Corinth.

Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

a. Do not be afraid: The implication behind this message was that Paul was afraid, fearing that here in Corinth his work would be cut short by either opposing Jews (as in Thessalonica and Berea) or by the incredible worldliness around him.

i. Jesus didn't tell Paul that his opponents wouldn't try to stop him, only that they would not be successful.

b. The solution to Paul's fear is for him to obey Jesus' command to not be afraid; and to speak and not keep silent, that is, to keep getting the Word of God out.

c. The basis for God's command to not be afraid and to keep preaching is the promise I am with you. When we understand what this means, and Who is saying it, this is enough.

d. The additional promise I have many people in this city was a constant assurance to Paul, who must have often had doubts about the survival and health of the Corinthian church.

e. And he continued there a year and six months: Paul was in Corinth a year and a half, which seems to be longer than in any other city where he founded a church. His ministry at Corinth is described simply: teaching the word of God among them.

i. The duration of Paul's stay in Corinth shows where his heart was in ministry. He was no "in and out" evangelist, but a man committed to making disciples.

4. (12-17) The Jews of Corinth attempt (unsuccessfully) to convict Paul before the civil authorities.

When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, "This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters." And he drove them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.

a. In approaching the proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth are trying to stop Paul not only in Corinth, but also in the entire province.

i. "If Gallio had accepted the Jewish charge and found Paul guilty of the alleged offense, provincial governors everywhere would have had a precedent, and Paul's ministry would have been severely restricted. As it was, Gallio's refusal to act in the matter was tantamount to the recognition of Christianity as a religio licita" (Longenecker)

b. Gallio was correct in seeing that the government has no legitimate role in attempting to decide religious matters, though government does have a legitimate role in matters of wrongdoing or wicked crimes.

c. Gallio looked the other way when angry Gentiles (probably more anti-Jewish than truly sympathetic to Paul) beat Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue.

i. Apparently, when Crispus trusted in Jesus, he was replaced as ruler of the synagogue (verse 8) by Sosthenes - who later himself seems to have become a Christian (1 Corinthians 1:1).

B. The end of Paul's second missionary journey.

1. (18) Paul leaves the city of Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla.

So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow.

a. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow: The vow was undoubtedly the vow of a Nazirite (Numbers 6). Usually, the vow of a Nazirite was taken for a certain period of time, and when completed, the hair (which had been allowed to freely grow) was cut off and offered to the Lord at a special ceremony at the temple in Jerusalem.

i. The purpose of the vow of a Nazirite was to express a unique consecration to God, promising to abstain from all products from the grapevine, to not cut one's hair, and to never come near a dead body.

ii. Why did Paul do this at this time? William Barclay suggests, "No doubt Paul was thinking of all God's goodness to him in Corinth and took this vow to show his gratitude." But the purpose of a Nazirite vow seems to be more of consecration than thanksgiving. Perhaps the intense worldliness of Corinth made Paul want to express his dedication and separation unto the Lord more than ever.

b. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed: Paul's intention is to travel to Jerusalem to offer this hair in a prescribed ceremony for those who had completed the vow of a Nazirite.

c. Apparently, though Paul was adamant that Jewish ceremonies and rituals must not be required of Gentiles, he saw nothing wrong with Jewish believers who wished to observe such ceremonies, presumably if their fulfillment in Jesus was also recognized.

i. By tradition, a Nazirite vow could only be fulfilled in Judea. Paul began this vow at Cenchrea, not in Judea. Paul's adoption of the vow out of the bounds dictated by Jewish tradition could indicate a desire to practice a more purely Biblical observance of Jewish rituals.

2. (19-21) Paul in the city of Ephesus.

And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing." And he sailed from Ephesus.

a. And he came to Ephesus: Paul wanted to preach in Ephesus some two years earlier, but was prevented by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6). Now, the Holy Spirit gives him the liberty to minister in this important city, and great results are seen.

i. God has a special timing for everything in our lives. If Paul could have discerned it, the Holy Spirit was really saying, "wait" when he wanted to go to Ephesus, instead of "no." Sometimes God says, "wait" and He always knows what He's doing when He says it!

b. They asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem": Paul cannot stay long in Ephesus, wanting to present the offering of his Nazirite vow in Jerusalem at an upcoming feast.

3. (22) Landing at Caesarea, and going through Jerusalem, Paul returns to his home church at Antioch of Syria, concluding his second missionary journey.

And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch.

a. Gone up and greeted the church: When it says that Paul had gone up and greeted the church, it means he went up to Jerusalem and fulfilled his Nazirite vow in the temple.

C. Paul's third missionary journey begins in the regions of Galatia, Phyrgia, and the city of Ephesus.

1. (23) In the regions of Galatia and Phyrgia.

After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

a. Strengthening all the disciples: Paul's passion for building disciples, not merely making converts, is evident again.

b. Strengthening all the disciples was important to Paul. If he were right here among us, he would want to know: "How strong of a disciple are you? What can I do to strengthen your walk with the Lord?" He would remind us all that it isn't enough to make a strong beginning with Jesus, but we must be always getting stronger.

2. (24-28) The ministry of Apollos in Ephesus.

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

a. Aquilla and Priscilla: Apparently, when Paul came to Ephesus on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:19-21), he left Aquila and Priscilla, who had been traveling with him (Acts 18:18), there in Ephesus.

b. In Ephesus, Aquilla and Priscilla met a certain Jew named Apollos. He is described as an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, and fervent in spirit. The phrase fervent in spirit means literally "to boil in the spirit," and has the effect of "bubbling over with enthusiasm." Apollos didn't know much about Jesus (though he knew only the baptism of John), but what he knew he was excited about!

c. Apollos was a man who ministered mightily, yet with limited knowledge. So he was helped by Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus, when they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

i. Because Apollos knew of the work of John the Baptist, it is likely that he preached that the Messiah had come and we must respond to him, but he probably had little knowledge of the full person and work of Jesus Christ.

ii. The work of Aquila and Priscilla is an important area of ministry: Helping those who have a passion for God, and power in serving Him; yet they have limited knowledge or limited resources for truly effective ministry.

d. It seems Apollos (like many in his day) was a missionary called by God alone, because we have no indication that he was sent or commissioned by any specific apostle. He simply came to Ephesus.

e. The brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: With letters of reference from the church in Ephesus, Apollos ministered effectively in Achaia, especially among opposing Jews (he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly).

i. When Apollos went to the region of Achaia, it probably means he went to the city of Corinth in the region of Achaia. From what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, he apparently had a remarkable ministry there.

ii. Though some Corinthians fixated on Apollos in a divisive spirit (1 Corinthians 1:12, 3:4), there is no reason to believe that Apollos himself encouraged this. Paul himself regards Apollos as a trusted colleague (1 Corinthians 3:5-7; 16:12).

iii. Because Apollos was Jewish, and is described as eloquent, fervent in spirit, as one who vigorously refuted the Jews, able to demonstrate from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ, some scholars consider him the type of person who could have authored the letter to the Hebrews.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Acts 19

Paul in Ephesus
A. Ephesian disciples are baptized in the Holy Spirit.

1. (1-2) In Ephesus, Paul finds some disciples who had not yet received the Holy Spirit.

And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."

a. Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Apparently, there was something about these disciples that prompted the question from Paul; we don't have any indication that it was his custom to ask people if they had received the Holy Spirit.

b. We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit: By their reply, these Ephesian disciples reveal that they have very little knowledge of God's nature as revealed in Jesus. They know enough to be saved and students of Jesus (they are called disciples), but they didn't know much about all Jesus has done for us.

2. (3-4) Paul distinguishes between the baptism of John and baptism in the name of the Jesus.

And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."

a. Into John's baptism: These Ephesian disciples had only a basic understanding of the Messiah Jesus and His ministry, only what could be gained through the message of John the Baptist. They were in the same place as Apollos before Aquila and Priscilla explained the way of God more accurately (Acts 18:24-26).

i. They could have received John's baptism from the hands of John himself; or perhaps some of John's disciples continued on in his ministry after John's death.

b. John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance: Paul points out that John's baptism was one of repentance, not necessarily faith unto salvation. John's message pointed to Jesus, but did not take men there itself.

c. One can imagine that these Ephesian disciples heard about the coming of the Messiah through John's message, and they heard of their need to be ready to receive the Messiah and to ready themselves through repentance. Yet they actually do not seem to have heard that the Messiah had in fact come, and had not heard of their need to trust in His specific person and work.

d. Some have suggested that these Ephesian disciples were not actually Christians yet. The problem in this is that they are called disciples, which almost always refers to Christians, genuine followers of Jesus Christ. However, it must be said that the word disciple does have a broader understanding and application than its most frequent usage - describing a follower of Jesus.

i. However, Bruce makes the point: "When the men are called disciples without further qualification, that … seems to mean that they were disciples of Jesus. Had Luke meant to indicate that they were disciples of John the Baptist … he would have said so explicitly."

3. (5-7) The twelve Ephesian disciples believe on Jesus, are baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit with His gifts.

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.

a. They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus: Having been completely prepared by their response to the preaching of John the Baptist, they are ready to embrace Jesus fully, and are baptized in the name of Jesus.

b. After they were baptized, Paul … laid hands on them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and received His gifts.

i. Paul wrote the letters of 1 and 2 Corinthians during his stay in the city of Ephesus at this time, and 1 Corinthians has much to say about person and work of the Holy Spirit.

c. Now the men were about twelve in all reminds us that not the entire church in Ephesus had this incomplete understanding and embrace of Jesus' person and work, but only a small group.

4. What happened here?

a. It's a tough issue, and full of debate, whether these Ephesian disciples were actually Christians or not before they received this remarkable filling of the Holy Spirit.

i. On the one hand, they are called disciples - and appear to part of the company of Christians in Ephesus, things that would not usually be said of them if they were not actually Christians.

ii. On the other hand, they know so little about Jesus; and they are baptized in water again, this time in the name of Jesus.

iii. So were they Christians already or not? It's tough to say - but certainly, Paul perceived they lacked something of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

b. What about you? Would someone look at your life and see a conspicuous absence of the Holy Spirit - His peace and power - in your life? What do you see when you look at your own life?

i. These Ephesian disciples sensed their need to get right with God, and knew the answer was in God's Messiah - but they had gone no further than that. They need to go all the way, trust in everything Jesus is and everything He had done, and to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Is this where you are at?

ii. "Have ye then received the Spirit since you believed? Beloved, are you now receiving the Spirit? Are you living under his divine influence? Are you filled with his power? Put the question personally. I am afraid some professors will have to admit that they hardly know whether there be any Holy Ghost; and others will have to confess that though they have enjoyed a little of his saving work, yet they do not know much of his ennobling and sanctifying influence." (Spurgeon)

iii. God always wants us to go deeper. We have sipped where we might have drunk deeply, we have drunk deeply where we might have waded, and we have waded where we might have gone full out and plunged in!

c. What if you don't really know? "Perhaps I'm walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit right now, perhaps I'm not. I don't really know." If you are walking in it, you will know!

i. "Give a man an electric shock, and I warrant you he will know it; but if he has the Holy Ghost, he will know it much more." (Spurgeon) This isn't something to hope about; we can know - just as much as you know if you have a house, and a family, and that there are four quarters to the dollar, you can know you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

ii. Many Christians know little or nothing - mentally or experientially - of the Holy Spirit. Paul's question applies to each of them just as much as it applied to those Ephesian disciples.

B. Paul's continuing ministry in the city of Ephesus.

1. (8-10) Paul eventually leaves the synagogue and begins teaching in a borrowed school building.

And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

a. He went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months: Paul had an extended time of preaching in the synagogue, but eventually, the influence of those Jews rejecting the message drove him out. Then he resumed his teaching in the hall of a Gentile teacher named Tyrannus (reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus).

i. One ancient, though not inspired, writings say that Paul held his meetings at the school of Tyrannus from eleven in the morning to four in the afternoon. This would have been the time most people were resting from work, including Paul, who worked to support himself while in Ephesus. These may have also been the "off hours" for the school of Tyrannus.

b. And this continued for two years: Paul carried this on for two years, and his effective teaching equipped believers, who got the word of God out to all who dwelt in Asia.

i. There is no way that Paul, by himself, could reach this region. But he could equip Christians to do the work of the ministry, just as he described in Ephesians 4:11-12.

2. (11-12) Unusual miracles in Ephesus.

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

a. Now God worked unusual miracles: Luke states that these were unusual miracles, and gives an example, that Paul's handkerchiefs or aprons (literally, "sweat-bands") could be laid on a person even without Paul present, that person would be healed or delivered from demonic possession.

i. Literally, the phrase unusual miracles could be translated, miracles not of the ordinary kind. Even if we should "expect" miracles, these are the unexpected sort!

ii. It was unusual for God to use handkerchiefs or aprons in such a way. "The pieces of material were presumably those which Paul used in his tentmaking or leather-working - the sweat-rags for tying around his head and the aprons for tying around his waist." (Bruce)

b. How did the handkerchiefs or aprons work? In the same way that the shadow of Peter (Acts 5:15) or the hem of Jesus' garment (Matthew 14:36) might heal: the item became a point of contact by which a person released faith in Jesus as healer.

i. We are not told that Paul did these unusual miracles, but that God worked them by the hands of Paul.

c. We can imagine this happening at first almost by accident - perhaps a person in need of healing took a handkerchief from Paul in a superstitious manner and was healed. But it would soon become a pattern that others imitated.

i. I remember seeing what looked to be loosely rolled up newspapers on a pulpit in Bulgaria, being told they were pieces of fabric (wrapped in newspapers) that the pastor would pray over and they would be taken home to sick people. This was a common practice in these Bulgarian churches.

ii. As we will see, the superstitious practice of magic and sorcery was prevalent in Ephesus. So, it should not surprise us that some took a quite superstitious view of the miracles done through Paul.

d. Observations on these unusual miracles.

i. Note that these were unusual miracles; we should not expect that God would continue to use this method to bring healing.

ii. God delights in doing things in new and different ways; so we receive whatever is proven to be from the hand of God, but we pursue only that which we have a Biblical pattern for.

iii. God will stoop down to meet us even in our crude superstitions. This never means that God is pleased with our superstition, but that in His mercy He may overlook them to meet a need.

3. (13-16) A rebuke to the seven sons of Sceva, the hopeful Jewish exorcists.

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

a. Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists: At that time, there were Jewish exorcists who practiced their "trade" with a lot of superstition and ceremony. Here, a group of itinerant Jewish exorcists try to imitate Paul's "formula" for success.

b. We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches: The Jewish exorcists failed because they had no personal relationship with Jesus. They only know Jesus is the God of Paul, not their own God.

i. There are many people - many churchgoers - who will perish in Hell because they have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They only know "the Jesus the pastor preaches" or of "the Jesus my spouse believes in" instead of the Jesus of their own salvation.

ii. Do you have the "right" to use the name of Jesus? These sons of Sceva did not, because they had no personal relationship with Jesus.

c. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" The evil spirit knew exactly who Jesus was, and knew exactly who Paul was. But they didn't know who the seven sons of Sceva were. Apparently, evil spirits know who their enemies are (in this case, Jesus and Paul), and don't waste their effort knowing those who aren't a threat to them (in this case, the seven sons of Sceva).

d. Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them: Because the seven sons of Sceva had no real relationship with Jesus, they had no spiritual power against the evil spirit. They left the encounter naked and wounded. It was dangerous for them to take the reality of spiritual warfare lightly.

4. (17-20) Many in Ephesus renounce objects associated with the demonic.

This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

a. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all: The incident with the sons of Sceva impressed the people with the reality of the demonic realm. It made them fear the Lord and the demonic (both in healthy ways) and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

i. "Ephesus was a stronghold of Satan. Here many evil things both superstitious and satanic were practiced. Books containing formula for sorcery and other ungodly and forbidden arts were plentiful in that city." (Gaebelein)

b. Many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds: Apparently, before the sons of Sceva incident, many believers did not know they were involved in the demonic. They saw their actions in a far more innocent light, until they knew the reality of the demonic.

c. Many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all: The sons of Sceva incident also prompted Christians to renounce any remaining connection to the demonic. They renounced the demonic by confessing and by burning their magic books, disregarding whatever value they might have.

i. It is significant that these practitioners of magic came confessing and telling their deeds; it was thought that the power of these magic spells resided in their secrecy, which was renounced in the telling.

ii. These books and scrolls full of magic charms, amulets and incantations were well known in Ephesus, and they were valuable. The drachma was a silver coin representing about a one-fourth a day's wage, and if we estimate 300 working days a year, at an income of $25,000, this amount represented more than $1 million!

iii. Christians must do this also today, removing books, tapes, records, statues, charms, games, or whatever else might have connection with demonic spirits. They should also destroy them so they are of no use to others.

iv. "You will have enough temptation in your own mind without going after these things. Is there any habit, any practice, that you have got that defiles your soul? If Christ loves you, and you come and trust in him, you will make short work of it. Have done with it, and have done with it forever." (Spurgeon)

d. The end result was obviously worth it all: The word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

C. The riot in Ephesus.

1. (21-22) Paul's companions leave him alone in Ephesus.

When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.

a. Paul purposed in the Spirit: Guided by the Holy Spirit, Paul determined his itinerary. He would travel through Macedonia and Achaia, then to Jerusalem, then to Rome.

i. Luke doesn't mention it here, but we know that one reason why Paul wanted to go through Macedonia and Achaia, then to Jerusalem was to collect and deliver a fund he had been collecting from other churches to help out the church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-31; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4).

b. So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus: Paul sent Timothy and Erastus on ahead to Macedonia, while he stayed in Ephesus (Asia) for a time.

c. Who ministered to him: Notice the job of Timothy and Erastus. They ministered to Paul; they were truly assistants to the apostle, helping Paul to maximize his ministry.

2. (23-28) Demetrius, a maker of idols, opposes Paul because his business has suffered.

And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship." Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

a. This trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed: This tremendous temple to Diana (also known as Artemis) in Ephesus was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was supported by 127 pillars, each 60 feet high, and was adorned with great sculptures. It was completely lost to history until 1869, when it was discovered again, and its main altar was unearthed in 1965.

i. "The Temple of Artemis was also a major treasury and bank of the ancient world, where merchants, kings, and even cities made deposits, and where their money could be kept safe under the protection of deity." (Longenecker)

ii. Whom all Asia and the world worship: The temple of Diana in Ephesus was indeed famous around the world; and trinkets and idols from it must have been a substantial trade, no matter how immoral the worship of the sex-goddess was.

b. This Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands: The opposition of Demetrius and the other idol makers is a great compliment to the effectiveness of Paul's work in the region. Paul was not on a "let's close down the temple of Diana" campaign, he was just doing the Lord's work. As people came to Jesus, they naturally stopped worshipping Diana and buying shrines associated with the temple.

i. In verse 37, the city clerk specifically says that Paul had not blasphemed the goddess Diana. He was on a "pro-Jesus" campaign more than an "anti-everything else" campaign.

ii. This is how we should endeavor to change society. "I wish the gospel would affect the trade of London; I wish it might. There are some trades that need affecting, need to be cut a little shorter … Not by an Act of Parliament! Let Acts of Parliament leave us alone. We can fight that battle alone. But may it come to an end by the spread of the gospel … I have no faith in any reformation that does not come through men's hearts being changed." (Spurgeon)

3. (29-34) The riot builds momentum.

So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions. And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

a. The whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord: Considering Rome's iron-fisted attitude towards such civil disorder, things were rapidly getting out of hand.

b. They drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward: Alexander wanted to make sure that the mob knew that the Jews did not approve of Paul either; but he accomplished nothing before the angry crowd.

c. The chant Great Diana of the Ephesians! must have sent a chill up the backs of the Christians, including Paul who no doubt could hear it from outside the theater.

i. "The noise must have been deafening. The acoustics of the theater are excellent even today and at that time were even better because of bronze and clay sounding vessels placed throughout the auditorium." (Williams)

4. (35-41) The city clerk is able to calm the passion of the crowd.

And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: "Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering." And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

a. Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly: The city clerk speaks sensible words; Luke is trying to show that rational people see nothing to fear or oppose in Christianity.

i. The city clerk was actually what we would consider the "mayor" of the city.

b. He dismissed the assembly: God used the city clerk to calm the mob and end the immediate threat to Paul and the other Christians. God had preserved His work, and His people, again.

i. Assembly in Acts 19:41 is the Greek word ekklesia, the same word used for "church." It was a non-religious term used to describe a gathering or association of people.