tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33058819726405613992024-02-08T11:29:28.479-05:00Diligently Seeking Him...But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-67185092936300693542009-01-26T22:56:00.007-05:002009-01-26T23:19:05.543-05:00Acts Chapter 28<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul Arrives on Malta and Then to Rome</strong><br /><br /> After being shipwrecked on a unknown island, Paul and the crew came to recognize that they were shipwrecked on the island of Malta, a small island 60 miles south of Sicily. Malta had good harbors and was ideally located for trade. In two weeks the storm had carried them 600 miles west of Fair Havens, Crete. The term “Barbarous people” in verse 2 implies a Greek term used to refer to non-Greek speaking people. This does not mean the people were savages or uncultured, but that their civilization was not Greek oriented. They showed unusual kindness to Paul and the crew, building them a fire and welcoming them. As Paul was building a fire a viper (a poisonous snake) attached itself to the hand of Paul.<span class="fullpost"> Seeing that Paul was bitten by the snake the islanders concluded that indeed Paul was a murderer and he was getting due justice. But when Paul was unaffected by the snake bit, they decided that he was not a murderer, but a god.<br /><br /> The chief official of the island (Publius) in verse 7 welcomed the group into his home for 3 days. The father of the official became very ill, Paul prayed and laid hands upon him and he was healed. News spread quickly and all the sick of the island came to Paul and were healed. Paul and the crew were given much honor in many different ways and after 3 months the islanders furnished them with supplies when they were ready to depart via another ship. Since the crew and passengers left Crete in October or November (after the fast, 27:9) and were in the storm two weeks, their three months’ stay on Malta brought them through the winter to February or March. In that time they saw another ship docked at the island. Because it was a ship of Alexandrian origin, it too probably was a grain ship from Egypt that had spent the three months of winter, when it was to dangerous to sail at a seaport on Malta.<br /> <br />The twin gods Castor and Pollux on the ship’s figurehead were the heavenly twin sons of Zeus and Leda according to Greek mythology; supposedly they brought good fortune to mariners. It is at this point that Luke carefully traces Paul’s journey. They sailed north from the island of Malta to Syracuse, a Greek city on the southeast coast of the island of Sicily where they lodged for three days. They next sailed through the strait between Sicily and Italy at Rhegium, a seaport on the coast of southern Italy, across the strait of Messina from the island of Sicily. The next day a favorable wind came bringing them to Puteoli, a seaport on the western shore of southern Italy, 152 miles south of Rome and then on to Rome.<br /> <br />At Puteoli Paul and his companions found some brothers. This is very significant because it shows that the gospel had already spread from Rome to this Italian seaport. No doubt a church had been planted in Rome by Roman Jews who had gone to Pentecost in Jerusalem, heard Peter’s sermon, were saved, and returned home with the good news (Acts.2:10). Upon meeting these brothers Paul accepted the believers’ invitation to tarry with them for a week. The Christians at Rome soon heard of Paul’s coming so they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius (a market town about 43 miles from Rome) and the Three Taverns (33 miles from Rome, a place where that provided food and lodging for travelers), to meet him and his companions.<br /><br /> At the sight of these brothers Paul thanked God and was encouraged. At last God was bringing Paul to Rome and the welcome of fellow believers, whom he had never met, uplifted his spirit. Paul was delivered by Julius to the captain of the guard who took control of Paul and all the prisoners. Because Paul was a trusted prisoner he was allowed to live in a small rented house (vs.30) with one soldier to guard him. In accordance with his policy of witnessing to the Jews first, Paul sent an invitation to their religious leaders. When they came to his rented house he explained his case to them. He told them that although he had done nothing wrong against the Jewish people, or their customs, yet the Jews of Jerusalem had delivered him into the hands of the Romans for trial. The Gentile authorities could find no fault in him, and wanted to free him, but when the Jews cried out against it he was forced to appear before Caesar.<br /><br /> Paul stated that his appeal before Caesar was not to bring charges against the Jewish nation, rather it was to defend himself. It was because he was innocent of any crime against the Jewish people that he called the chief Roman Jews together. Actually it was because of the hope of Israel that he was in chains. The Jewish leaders professed to know nothing about Paul. They had not received any letters from Judea concerning him and none of their fellow Jews had brought reports to them against him. However, they did want to hear more from Paul. Some time later a great number of Jews came to Paul’s house to hear more from him.<br /><br /> Paul availed himself of the opportunity to testify to them concerning the kingdom of God and to persuade them concerning Jesus. In so doing he quoted to them from the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. Some believed the message of Paul and some disbelieved. When Paul saw that once again the gospel was being on the whole rejected by the Jewish nation, he quoted Isaiah 6:9 and 10, where Isaiah was commissioned by God to preach the word to a people whose hearts were dull, whose ears were deaf, and whose eyes were blinded. Paul again felt the heartbreak of preaching the good news to those who did not want to hear it.<br /><br /> In view of their rejection of the good news, Paul announced that he was taking the gospel to the Gentiles and he expressed the assurance that they would hear it. The unbelieving Jews departed arguing among themselves. Paul’s quoting a prophecy against them irritated the ungodly element who rejected the Messiah. It whipped them into a fury against those Jews who accepted him (the Messiah). Paul remained in Rome under house arrest for two years continuing to minister to a steady line of visitors. He enjoyed a considerable measure of liberty, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/Answers?<br /><br />1. In verse 8 what does the words “bloody flux means?</strong><br /> The Greek word is “Dysenterion” it comes from the word “Enteron” intestines, which implies disease of the intestines.<br /><br /> <strong>2. In verse 27 what does it mean to “wax gross”?</strong><br /> The words “Waxed gross” is the Greek word “Pachyno” which comes from the adjective “Pachys” which means “thick”, grow fat. Here in verse 27 it is used metaphorically of the spiritual heart and so it implies the heart has become calloused and dull.<br /><br /> <strong><font color="#744A00">Note:</font></strong> <font color="#744A00">It is here while imprisoned in Rome that Paul wrote his letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. These letters are sometimes referred to as the “Prison Letters”. The word “Epistles” is used also which means “letters.”</font><br /><br /><font color="#528412">It is my pray and hope that this Bible study on the Book of Acts has been a blessing for you as it was for me. Please feel free to leave comments or questions and I will do my best to respond to all comments and questions in a timely manner.<br /><br />May the Lord add a blessing to this study!</font><br /><br /><strong><em>In Christ,<br />James</em></strong><br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-91701960504614624692009-01-25T22:55:00.003-05:002009-01-25T23:11:45.273-05:00Acts Chapter 27<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul’s Voyage to Rome</strong><br /><br /> This chapter presents the thrilling saga of Paul’s voyage from Caesarea to Malta, en route to Rome. If Paul had not been on this trip, we would never have heard of the trip, or the shipwreck. It is apparent from Luke’s use of the word “we” that Luke was with Paul on this journey. The journey began at Caesarea. Paul was placed in the custody of an officer named Julius. This centurion was attached to the Augustan Regiment, a distinguished legion of the Roman Army. There were other prisoners on board who, like Paul, were being taken to Rome for trial. This Aristarchus of Macedonia, in verse 2, was the same man who was dragged into the amphitheater at the beginning of the riot in Ephesus (19:29; 20:4; Philemon 1:24). The ship on which they embarked was from Adramyttium, a city of Mysia in the northwest corner of Asia Minor. <span class="fullpost">It was scheduled to sail north and west, making stops at ports along the coasts of Proconsular Asia, the western province of Asia Minor.<br /> <br />The ship sailed north along the coast of Palestine, coming in a Sidon, seventy miles from Caesarea. Julius, the centurion kindly permitted Paul to go ashore and visit friends and to refresh himself. From Sidon, the route cut across the northeast corner of the Mediterranean, passing Cyprus on the left and thus taking advantage of the side of the island sheltered from the wind. In spite of the winds being contrary, the ship crossed over to the southern coast of Asia Minor, then sailed westward past Cilicia and Pamphylia until it arrived at Myra, a port city of Lycia. At Lycia, Julius transferred his prisoners to another ship since the first one would not take them any closer to Italy; it would rather sail up the western coast of Asia Minor to its home port. The second ship was from Alexandria, on the northern coast of Africa. It carried 276 people, both crew and passengers, and cargo of wheat.<br /> <br />For many days travel was slow, due to the adverse wind conditions. It was with difficulty that the crew brought the ship over against the harbor of Cnidus, a port on the extreme southwest corner of Asia Minor. Since the wind was against them, they headed south and sailed along the sheltered east side of the island of Crete. Rounding cape Salmone, they turned westward and bucked heavy winds until they came to Fair Havens, a harbor near the city of Lasea, on the south central coast of Crete. By now considerable time had been lost due to the bad sailing conditions. The approach of the winter weather made traveling much more dangerous. It must have been late September or early October, since the Fast (the Day of Atonement) was already over. Paul warned the crew that navigation was unsafe and that if this voyage were continued, there would be the danger of losing the cargo, the ship, and even the lives of some on board.<br /> However, the helmsman and the owner of the ship wanted to proceed, and over ruled Paul’s warning. Julius accepted their judgment and most of the others agreed with them too. It was felt that the harbor was not as suitable as Phenice would be as a place to spend the winter. Phenice was located forty miles west of fair haven, at the southwest tip of Crete. Its harbor opened toward the southwest and northwest.<br /> <br />When the south wind blew softly, the seamen thought they could make the extra distance to Phenice. They weighted anchor, and sailed westward, hugging the shore. Then a violent northeaster (Euroclydon) beat down upon them from the cliffs along the coast. Unable to steer the desired course, the crew was forced to let the ship be driven by the gale. They were driven southwest to a small island called Clauda, twenty to thirty miles from Crete. While they were south of the island they hauled in the lifeboat which was normally pulled in tow but now was probably full of water. When they reached the protected side of the island, they had difficulty securing the life boat which they had been towing. But finally they were able to hoist it on board. Then they tied cables around the hull of the ship to keep it from being torn apart by the sea and the storm. What they feared the most was that they would be driven south of Syrtis, (shallow sandbar) a gulf on the coast of Africa noted for its dangerous quicksand. To prevent this they lowered their (navigation) gear (sails and rigging) and were driven away from the direction of the sandbars.<br /> <br />After a day of drifting at the mercy of the storm, they began to throw cargo overboard to lighten the ship. On the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. Doubtless the ship had taken a lot of water and it was therefore necessary to lighten its load to prevent the ship from sinking. For many days they were tossed about helplessly without sight of sun or stars, and thus without the ability to make their bearings and find out where they were. They began to lose hope. Despair was becoming more prominent by hunger. The men had not eaten for many days. Most of their time was spent working to save the ship and bailing out water. Perhaps there were no cooking facilities. Sickness, fear, and discouragement robbed them of their appetite. There was no shortage of food, but neither was there an eagerness to eat.<br /> <br />Despite all hard work and fear that overcame them, Paul stood in the midst of them with a message of hope. First Paul reminded them that they should not have sailed from Crete. Then he assured them that though the ship would be lost, there would be no loss of life. Paul knew of such facts, because an angel of the Lord appeared to him that night, assuring him that he would yet stand before Caesar in Rome. God had assured Paul all those who sailed with him, in the sense that they, too would be preserved. Therefore, they should cheer up. The Apostle believed that all would be well, even though they would be shipwrecked on a certain island.<br /> <br />Fourteen days had elapsed since they left Fair Havens. They were drifting helplessly in a part of the Mediterranean known as the Ionian, the sea between Greece, Italy, and Africa. About midnight the crew sensed that they were drawing near some land. When they first measured the depth they found it to be twenty fathoms (120 feet), then a little further it was fifteen fathoms (90 feet). To prevent running the ship aground, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. The crew wanted to escape and leave the passengers to drown. Fearing such, the crew plotted to get ashore in the life boat. They were in the process of lowering the lifeboat from the bow of the ship by pretending they were putting out more anchors when Paul reported their plot to Julius the centurion.<br /> <br />Paul warned that unless the sailors remained on board the rest would not be saved. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes attached to the boat and let it fall off. The sailors were now compelled to try and save their own lives on board ship, as well as the lives of the other people. Shortly before daybreak, Paul encouraged the people to eat, reminding them that they had gone two weeks without food. The time had come for them to eat, their health depended on it. Paul assured them no one would lose a single hair on their head. Paul set an example for them by taking bread, giving thanks to God publicly and eating. By being encouraged by Paul’s action they took food themselves. There were 276 people on the ship. After eating they lighten the ship by throwing wheat overboard. Land was nearby, but they could not recognize it. The decision was made to beach the ship, as far on shore as possible. They let go the anchors, leaving them in the sea. Then they untied the rudders that had previously been raised and lowered them into position. Hoisting the mainsail, they made for shore and drove the ship aground at a place where two seas met—probably in a channel between two islands. The bow stuck fast in the sand, but the stern soon began to break apart by the violence of the waves.<br /><br /> The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners to prevent escape, but Julius wanting to save Paul, overruled the soldiers. He ordered all who could swim to make for shore. The rest were told to float in on boards or other parts of the ship. In this way, every one of the crew and passengers escaped safely to land.<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/Answers <br />1- What is a Euroclydon? </strong> <br />A fierce tempestuous wind often experienced by navigators especially in the spring in the Eastern Mediterranean sometimes of a hurricane or typhoon force.<br /><br /> <strong>2- Does the city Phenice have another name?</strong> <br />Yes in the King James Version it is also known as Phoenix<br /><br /><br /><strong> <font color= "#412700">Note:</strong> God provided for the non-swimmers, too, fulfilling his promise of verses 22-24.</font> <br /> <br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-31493839596523490782009-01-10T00:26:00.006-05:002009-01-10T00:35:25.315-05:00Acts Chapter 26<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul’s Defense Before Agrippa/Festus</strong><br /><br /> Paul had already made his defense to Festus (25:6-12), so now he will address Agrippa. Furthermore the purpose of the speech was for Agrippa information. When given the cue by Agrippa Paul stretched out his hands and began a recital of his Christian experience. First, he expressed gratitude that he was permitted to present his case before one who, being a Jew was conversant with the customs and questions which prevailed among the Jewish people. In his early life, Paul was an exemplary Jew.<span class="fullpost"> The Jews would have to admit, if only they were willing to testify, that Paul had followed a pathway of the strictest orthodoxy being a consistence Pharisee. Now he was on trial for no greater crime than the fact that he clung to the hope of the promise made by God to the Jewish fathers in the Old Testament.<br /> <br />The flow of Paul’s argument here seems to be as follows: in the Old Testament God made various covenants with the leaders of Israel, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Solomon. The principle covenant had to do with the promise of the Messiah, his coming to deliver the nation of Israel and to reign over the earth. The Patriarchs of the Old Testament died without seeing the fulfillment of this promise. Does this mean that God would not carry out the terms of the covenants? He would assuredly do so! But how could He do it when the fathers are already dead? The answer is “by raising them from the dead.” thus , in a very direct way, Paul links the promises made to the Old Testament saints with the resurrection of the dead.<br /><br /> Paul pictured the twelve tribes of Israel as earnestly and ceaselessly serving God, hoping to see the promises fulfilled. This reference to the twelve tribes is important in view of the current teaching that ten of the tribes of Israel have been lost since the captivity. Though they were scattered among the Gentile nations, Paul saw them as a distinct people, serving God and looking for the promised deliverer. This was Paul’s crime! He believed that God would fulfill his promise to the fathers by raising them from the dead. What was so incredible about this? Paul asked Agrippa and all those who were with him.<br /><br />Reverting to the story of his life, Paul recounted the savage and committed campaign he waged against the followers of the Christian faith. With all his strength he opposed the name of Jesus of Nazareth. With authority from the chief priest, he imprisoned many of the Christians in Jerusalem. When they stood before the Sanhedrin, he gladly cast a vote against them. Over and over again he arranged punishment for those whom he found in every Synagogue, and he did all he could to force them to deny their Lord. (When it says that he compelled them to “blaspheme” it does not mean he was successful, but he tried to do it). Paul’s hate campaign against the Christians had overflowed from Jerusalem and Judea to foreign cities.<br /><br /> Paul once again recounts his conversion. It was while he was on one of these foreign expeditions that a transforming experience occurred in his life. He was en route to Damascus, equipped with official papers authorizing him to arrest the Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. At midday he was overcome by a vision of glory. A light from heaven shone upon him, brighter than the midday sun. After he had fallen from his beast, and to the ground, he heard a voice asking him this probing question: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (ox goads). These were sharp pointed instruments used to force stubborn animals to move along. Paul was kicking against the goads of his own conscience, but even more important, against the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit. He was fighting against God himself. Paul asked, “Who art thou Lord?” The voice answered. “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” Jesus? How could that be? Hadn’t Jesus been crucified and buried? The truth quickly dawned on Paul’s soul. Jesus had indeed been buried, but He had risen from the dead! He had ascended back to heaven, from where He was now speaking to Paul.<br /><br />Next Paul gives a condensed summary of the commission which was given to him by the risen Lord Jesus Christ. He was told to rise and stand on his feet. He had this special revelation of Christ in glory because he was appointed to be a servant of the Lord and a witness of all he had seen that day and all of the great truths of the Christian faith which would be made known to him. The promise that Paul would be delivered from the Jewish people and the Gentiles must be understood as meaning deliverance in general until his work was done.<br /><br /> Paul would be sent especially to the Gentiles to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Through faith in the Lord Jesus they would receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified. Having been thus commissioned, Paul explains to Agrippa that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Both in Damascus and in Jerusalem, throughout all of Judea and then to the Gentiles Paul preached to men that they should repent and turn to God, doing works that prove the reality of their repentance.<br /><br /> Paul states that this is what he was doing when the Jews seized him in the temple and tried to kill him. But God had given him protection and help, and he continued to testify to all with whom he came in contact, preaching the message which the Prophets and Moses preached in the Old Testament. The message was that the Messiah would suffer, that he would be the first to rise from the dead, and that he would show light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.<br /><br />Being a Gentile, Festus failed completely to understand any of Paul’s argument. He accused Paul of being mad (crazy) as a result of too much learning. With no trace of irritation or temper, Paul simply and quietly denied the charge and emphasized that his words were those of truth and reason. Paul expressed confidence that the king knew the truth of what he had been saying. Paul’s life and testimony had not been a secret. The Jews knew all about it, and doubtless the report had reached Agrippa.<br /><br /> Addressing the king directly, Paul asked “king Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? Then Paul answered his own question, “I know that thou believest.” The force of the argument is unmistakable. Paul was saying in effect, I believe all that the prophets said in the Old Testament. You too believe their testimony, don’t you, Agrippa? How then can the Jews accuse me of a crime deserving of death? Or how could you condemn me for believing what you yourself believe?<br /><br /> That Agrippa felt the force of Paul’s words is indicated by his sarcastic remark “almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian”. Whether Agrippa was speaking in sincerity or in jest, Paul answered with deadly earnestness. He expressed the fervent wish that whether with little persuasion or with much, both Agrippa and all others present might enter into the joys and blessings of the Christian life, that they might share all Paul’s privileges, that they might become like him except for the chains. After conferring together they were all forced to admit that Paul had done nothing deserving of death or chains. Perhaps with a little tinge of regret, Agrippa said to Festus, if Paul had not appealed to Caesar he might have been set free. At this point we naturally wonder why the appeal to Caesar could not be cancelled. Whether or not such an appeal was unalterable, we do know that it was God’s purpose that the Apostle to the Gentiles should go to Rome for the trial before Caesar.<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/Answers?<br /> Who were the ten lost tribes of Israel?</strong><br /><br /> After the death of Solomon the kingdom spilt into two kingdoms. The southern kingdom consisted of Judah and Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob. The northern kingdom was comprised the other ten tribes which was centered around Samaria and Israel. Because of their sins the Assyrians in 722 B.C. took them into captivity. Historians have debated as to what happened to the ten lost tribes down through history with no right or wrong conclusion (See II kings chapter 17).<br /><br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-75375249670485800702009-01-08T17:44:00.001-05:002009-01-08T17:48:25.968-05:00Acts Chapter 25<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul Appears Before Festus</strong><br /><br /> This selection (verses 1-12) is crucial because in it Paul appealed to Caesar. It sets the direction for the remainder of the book and shows how Paul reached Rome. Although two years have passed, the Jewish leaders were still looking to kill Paul. One item heavy on the minds of the religious authorities was a trial for Paul. <span class="fullpost">They knew their case was so weak that the only way they could rid themselves of him was by ambush while Paul was being transferred from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Evidently Festus felt their request to send Paul back to Jerusalem was unreasonable so he promised to reopen the case in Caesarea. Paul was already there and Festus was returning there.<br /><br /> After a stay of more than ten days in Jerusalem, Festus returned to Caesarea and convened the court the next day. The Jews hastened to the attack, bringing many serious charges against Paul, but failing to prove any one of them. Paul sensing the weakness of their case contented himself with simply denial of any charges against the law, against the temple, or Caesar. Early the charges were simply that he was a trouble maker, leader of a sect, and he desecrated the temple. Now they added charges against Caesar. If they could prove Paul wanted to overthrow Caesar, this would bring Roman law into place, thus bring about the death penalty. This too failed.<br /><br /> For a moment it seemed as if Festus was willing to accede to the request of the Jews that Paul be sent back to Jerusalem for trial before the Sanhedrin. However, he would not do this without Paul’s permission. Paul obviously realized that if he agreed he would never reach Jerusalem alive. He refused by stating that the court in Caesarea was the proper place for a trial. If he had committed a crime against the Roman Empire he was not unwilling to die for it. But if he was not guilty of such a crime, then on what legal grounds could he be handed over to them? Taking full advantage of his rights as a Roman citizen, Paul then uttered the memorable words, “I appeal to Caesar”. After Festus conferred with his legal advisors he determined that Paul must be sent to Caesar.<br /> <br />The king Agrippa referred to here was Agrippa II, son of Herod Agrippa I (12:1) and a great-grandson of Herod the great (Matt 2:1). At this time he was a young man of about 30 years of age and the ruler of territories northeast of Palestine with the title of king. Because he was a friend of the Roman imperial family he was awarded the privilege of appointing the Jewish high priest and also had been made the custodian of the temple treasury. His background made him qualified to hear Paul; he was well acquainted with the Jews’ religion.<br /> <br />Agrippa II and his sister, Bernice, came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. Though Bernice had a tendency to support the Jews she lived a recklessly and wasteful life. She had an incestuous relationship with her brother Agrippa II. Festus reviewed Paul’s case which had been left by Felix. Festus frankly confessed he was incapable of handing the case (v 20). In particular he did not understand Paul’s insistence on the resurrection of Christ (v 19). Speaking with Agrippa had its desired effect on him. The Herodian (Herod) family was useful to Rome for their knowledge of Jewish affairs and Agrippa’s insights would be helpful to Festus. The next day a formal hearing was arranged. Agrippa and Bernice arrived with great pomp. They were accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city. Then Paul was brought in. Once again, Festus set forth the history of the case—the insistent demands of the Jews for Paul’s death, the inability of Festus to find Paul guilty of any crime deserving of death, and then Paul’s appeal to Caesar. Festus dilemma was this: he was forced by Paul’s appeal to send him to Caesar (Nero), yet there were no legal basis for a trial. Festus plainly stated that he hoped Agrippa would be able to help him; after all it did seem rather unreasonable to send a prisoner to Rome and not specify the charges against him. These proceedings were more of a hearing than a trial. The Jews were not present to accuse Paul, and Agrippa was not expected to render a binding decision. Paul will again be permitted to speak for himself.<br /> <br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-6381193952903319782009-01-07T23:29:00.003-05:002009-01-07T23:38:51.440-05:00Acts Chapter 24<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul Appears Before Felix</strong><br /><br /> The accusers arrived—Ananias the high priest; Tertullus, the lawyer and several of the Jewish elders of the Sanhedrin came down to Caesarea to give their false accusations against Paul. Their murder plot had failed, but they persisted in trying to kill him. Tertullus who was hired by the Sanhedrin would present the case before Felix. Tertullus spent almost as much time on his introduction as he did on the specific charges against Paul. His description of Felix was obviously to flatter Felix. The accusations were three fold: <span class="fullpost">(1) Paul was a worldwide trouble maker starting riots where ever he went, (2) He was a leader of the Nazarene sect, and (3) He attempted to desecrate the temple. The religious leaders were hoping that these accusations would persuade Felix to execute Paul in order to keep peace in Jerusalem.<br /><br /> The first charge had a political overtone because Rome desired to maintain order throughout the empire. The second charge was also concerned with the government because Tertullus made it appear that Christianity was divorced from the Jewish religion. Rome permitted Judaism as a legal religion, but would not tolerate any new religions. By describing Christianity as a “sect” of the Nazarenes, the lawyer made Paul’s faith appear to be cultic and bizarre. Desecrating the temple also had political overtones because the Romans had given permission to the Jews to execute any Gentile who went inside the inner court of the temple. Paul earlier had been accused of bringing a Gentile into the inner court (21:28), here he is said to have attempted to desecrated the temple. After the Jews had agreed to the truth of their prosecuting attorney’s charges, Paul was given an opportunity to respond.<br /> <br />Paul’s introduction was much shorter and truthful. He implied Felix knew the situation in Judea well enough to make an accurate decision. Paul gave several points in his own defense. First, he had not been in Jerusalem long enough to instigate a riot. In fact one of his purposes for being in Jerusalem was to worship, to observe the feast of Pentecost (20:16). Next he denied the charge that he incited the Jews to rebel. At no time, either in the temple....the synagogues or in the city, had he disputed with the people or attempted to stir them up. These were facts, and no one could disprove them. Third, he worshiped the God of Israel in full conformity with the law and the Prophets. Furthermore his faith was not in some sect but in Christianity, which was known as the way (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:22). His hope in the resurrection was the same as that of his accusers. Further, Paul always sought to keep his conscience clear.<br /> <br />Far from stirring the Jews up to insurrection, Paul had come to Jerusalem to bring alms (money) to the Jewish people. He was referring to the collection from the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, ear-marked for the needy in Jerusalem. Finally, Paul said his genuine accusers were not present, the Jews from the province of Asia who made the original false charges and incited the riot in the temple. Since the Sanhedrin had not found him guilty (23:1-9) Tertullus’ speech did not really contain any legitimate charges. When Felix heard the case he was faced with a serious dilemma. He knew enough about the Christian faith to realize who was right. Paul was obviously innocent of any crimes against Roman law. Yet if he were to acquit Paul, he would incur the wrath of the Jewish people. From a political standpoint, it was important to curry their favor. So he adopted the expedient of continuing the case. He said he would wait until Lysias the commander could come to Caesarea. This was just a delay tactic. There is no record that the commander ever did come to Caesarea. In concluding the case, Felix commanded that although Paul should remain in custody, he should be permitted limited liberty and that his friends be allowed to visit and supply him with food and clothing. With such liberty Paul could not be deemed a violent criminal. Some days after the public trial Felix and his wife Drusilla arranged a private meeting with Paul in order that they might hear more concerning the Christian faith. Without fear, Paul reasoned with Felix and his adulterous wife about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Felix seemed to be more moved than his wife. Although he was afraid, he did not trust the Savior. He deferred making a decision for Christ with the words “go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee”.<br /><br /> Sadly enough this convenient season never came, as far as the bible record is concerned. Yet this was not Paul’s last visit before Felix. The governor called him repeatedly during the next two years while a prisoner in Caesarea. Felix was hoping that Paul or his friends would pay him a nice bribe in order to have Paul released. After two years, in A.D. 60 Porcius Festus replaced Felix. Felix wanting to do the Jews a favor left Paul in Caesarea in chains.<br /> <br /><strong>Questions/Answers?<br /><br />Who was Drusilla, the wife of Felix</strong><br /><br /> She was the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I by his wife Cypros. According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, she was Jewess who married Auxesis, king of Emesa, who then converted to Judaism. Because of her great beauty, Felix desired her for his wife. She left Azizus and married the Gentile Felix in defiance of Jewish law.<br /><br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-4041868165354133372009-01-07T16:50:00.003-05:002009-01-07T18:34:52.344-05:00Acts Chapter 23<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul Appears Before The Sanhedrin</strong><br /><br />The setting for this brief trial is given here. Paul begins his defense before the Sanhedrin by simply stating that he had acted in good conscience before God, not only in this matter which he now stand accused, but throughout his ministry. Ananias the high priest ordered Paul struck in the mouth. Paul’s outburst was triggered by Ananias illegal command. How could the priest violate the law while sitting as judge over one who supposedly had transgressed the law? Jewish law presumed the accused to be innocent until proven guilty. <span class="fullpost"> Like a whitewashed wall, Ananias looked all right on the outside but was weak and rotten on the inside (Matt.23:27). Jesus too in His trials was struck on the mouth and challenged the legality of it (John.18:20-23). Paul did not recognize the high priest probably because he had not had any contact with the Sanhedrin for many years and the high priesthood changed hand frequently. At any rate, Paul recognized the position of the high priest even if he did not respect the priest as a person. <br /><br />In such a scene justice was impossible. Recognizing this, Paul changed his tactics and stated his hope in the resurrection of the dead was in line with the Pharisees who believed in the resurrection as the Sadducees did not. This was a clever move, because an argument broke out among the two factions. Amazingly the Pharisees defended Paul, a fellow Pharisee. Paul was in more danger in the midst of the Jews than in a Roman prison. So again the commander had him removed from the Sanhedrin and brought back to the barracks at the Antonia fortress. <br /><br />The following night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision. The importance of this vision was not only in its comfort and encouragement, but also in the confirmation it gave of Paul’s plans to go to Rome. The gospel of Christ would literally go from Jerusalem to Rome by means of Paul. This was the fourth vision the Lord gave Paul (9:4-6; 16:9; 18:9-10). When the two factions’ controversy died down, the religious leaders refocused their attention on Paul. To these leaders, politics and position had become more important than God. So great was their hatred for Paul, forty fanatical Jews plotted to kill him under an oath.<br /> <br />This is the only biblical reference to Paul’s family. Paul unnamed nephew somehow heard of the plot to kill his uncle. He was able to report to Paul and the commander of such plot. After learning of the plot the commander advised the young man to be quiet of what he heard. The commander decided to get Paul away from Jerusalem as quickly as possible. First, he sent Paul in the company of more than 470 men–two...centurions...200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen. Second, they began their travel under the cover of darkness at 9 P.M. In addition, Caesarea would be a far more secure place, not subject to riot like in Jerusalem. Paul would appear before the governor Felix. When a prisoner was forwarded to a superior, the subordinate officer was required to accompany the prisoner with a written statement of the case.<br /><br /> The journey to Antipatris from Jerusalem was more than 35 miles. This must have been a forced march, because they arrived the next day. Once the entourage was in Antipatris the soldiers were no longer needed. The remaining 27 miles to Caesarea could be traveled with less danger. When the cavalry and Paul arrived, Felix held a minor preliminary interrogation. After Felix learned that Paul was from Cilicia he determined to hear Paul’s case.<br /> <br /><strong>Questions/Answers<br /> Who was Felix?<br /></strong> <br />Felix was the procurator (governor) of Judea about A.D. 52-58. He is one of the three Roman procurator mentioned in the New Testament. The others are Pontius Pilate (A.D. 26-36) and Porcius Festus (A.D. 58-62). Felix married Drusilla (24:24), a sister of Herod Agrippa II, the Agrippa in (25:13-26:32).<br /><br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-45924929644557633292009-01-05T20:55:00.005-05:002009-01-06T18:11:04.405-05:00Acts Chapter 22<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul Addresses the Crowd<br /><br /></strong> At the end of our last study (chapter 21), Paul’s audience wanted to kill him thinking that he had profaned the temple by taking a gentile into the inner court of the temple. Once Paul was in Roman custody and requesting permission to speak, he spoke in Aramaic rather than Greek. As soon as they heard their native tongue they were surprised and their shouts ceased, at least for the time being. Paul would defend himself in three parts:<span class="fullpost"> (a) his conduct before his conversion, (b) his conversion, and (c) his commission to minister. The vocatives Men, Brethren, and fathers with which Paul began his speech are those Stephen used (7:2). Paul began with his roots as a Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia; his education was at the feet of the great rabbi (teacher) Gamaliel, and his instructions in Judaism. He gave special emphasis to his zeal as a Jew. Paul related how he had persecuted the Christian faith (this way), filling the prisons with those who believed in Jesus. <br /><br />The high priest and the Sanhedrin could bear witness to the thoroughness of his methods. It was from them that he received letters authorizing him to go to Damascus and bring back Christians from there to Jerusalem to be punished. Up to this point in Paul’s message the Jews could understand perfectly, and if they were honest, they would have to agree that what had been said was true. Now Paul will tell them of an event that changed his life forever. As Paul neared the end of his journey to Damascus he was confronted with a great light from heaven. The fact that it happened about noon, here recorded for the first time, indicates that the light was more brilliant and glorious than the sun itself. Struck to the ground by the intensity of the light, the persecutor heard a voice from heaven saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me”? Upon asking “who art thou” he learned that it was Jesus of Nazareth who was speaking to him from heaven.<br /><br />The men traveling with Paul saw the light and heard the sound of the voice (9:7), but they did not hear the actual words that were spoken to Paul. In other words they were conscious of noise, but not articulate speech. Having had this private audience with the Lord of glory, Paul made a complete commitment of his spirit, soul, and body to the Lord. This is indicated by his question “what shall I do Lord”. The Lord directed Paul to go into Damascus and there he would receive his instructions. Blinded by the light, he was led by the hand into the city.<br /><br /> In Damascus Paul was visited by one named Ananias. Paul describes him to his Jewish audience as a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there in Damascus. Ananias testimony as a respected member of the Damascus Jewish community would carry a lot of weight with the hostile audience. Ananias after addressing Paul as brother demanded that he receive his sight. It was then Paul first looked upon Ananias face. In verses 14-16 we learn for the first time what Ananias said to Paul. He informed Paul of several key points. First, he stated that it was God the Father who had ordered the events on the Damascus road. The reference to “that just one” is a reference to Jesus Christ, a title used by Stephen in Acts 7:52 also. This is important because it qualified Paul as an Apostle.<br /><br /> Second, the men to whom Paul was to present the gospel included Gentiles, kings and Jews (9:15). Finally, Paul was told to arise and be baptized, and wash away his sins. Now, for the first time, we learn of an experience Paul had toward the close of his first visit to Jerusalem after conversion. While praying in the temple, he fell into a trance and heard the Lord commanding him to leave Jerusalem quickly because the Jews would not receive his testimony concerning Christ. It seem incredible to Paul that his own people would refuse to listen to him. After all they knew what a zealous Jew he had been, how he had imprisoned and beaten the disciples of Jesus, and how he had even been an accomplice to the murder of Stephen. But the Lord repeated his command for Paul to depart quickly because now he will send him far from Jerusalem to the Gentiles.<br /> <br />Up to this point the Jews had been listening to Paul quietly but when his mention of going to the Gentiles with the gospel, this was too much for the crowd. Filled with rage and jealously they cried out for Paul’s life. The people in the mob threw off their cloaks and flung dust in the air an expression of intense anger. The commander who could not understand Aramaic was confused by everything that had just happened. He was determined to get to the bottom of this event even if it meant scourging Paul. As the preparations for the scourging were moving ahead, Paul quietly asked the centurion if it was legal to scourge a Roman citizen when he had not be found guilty of a crime. As a matter of fact, it was unlawful to even to tie up a Roman citizen before his quilt was proven.<br /> <br />The centurion quickly went and told the commander to be very careful of how they treated Paul, because he was a roman citizen. This brought the commander quickly to Paul side. On inquiry he learned that Paul indeed was a Roman citizen. There were three ways a person could become a Roman citizen. First, citizenship was sometimes granted by imperial decree as a reward for services rendered. Second, it was possible to become a citizen by birth, this was the case with Paul; he was born in Tarsus, a free Roman city and his father was a Roman citizen. Finally, it was possible to purchase citizenship often at a very high price. The commander explained that he brought his citizenship with a large sum of money. Paul stated he was born free.<br /><br /> The commander was obviously nervous for bounding Paul which was unlawful. Anxious to know for certain why the Jews wanted Paul dead, the commander decided to carry out the proceedings in a legal and orderly manner. Therefore on the day after the mob scene in Jerusalem, he had Paul taken out of prison and brought before the chief priests and the Sanhedrin.<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/Answers<br />Why was Paul baptized?</strong><br /> <br />First, it is evident that Paul was thoroughly converted on the road to Damascus, yet at that time water baptism was still required for salvation (Mark 16:16) thus he was called upon to “wash away his sins” by water baptism, not that water in itself could wash away sins, but an expression of faith. When God said water baptism was necessary to salvation, faith would respond by being baptized (Acts 2:38). <span class="fullpost">Water baptism is a natural symbol for washing or cleansing as this passage and many others indicate (Mark 7:1-5 where baptizo is twice rendered wash and where it is used alternately with nipto, another word for wash; also Heb. 9:10 where the original word is baptismos ). It should be observed here that Paul relates what took place at the time of his conversion. He was converted under the economy of the kingdom gospel where water baptism was required. When Ananias in chapter 9 came to Paul, why didn’t he tell Paul to believe, repent, and be baptized? Paul had talked with Jesus (9:1-19), he believed. Paul had three days to think about all that he had done (9:9), he was repentant. Ananias came and baptized Paul. <br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-57078958352046132022009-01-03T21:06:00.006-05:002009-01-03T21:31:42.865-05:00Acts Chapter 21<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul Continues to Jerusalem</strong><br /><br /> After the tender and affectionate farewell at Miletus, Paul and his companions sailed to the island of Cos where they spent the night. Cos was an inland island about midway between Miletus and Rhodes. The following day they continued southeast to the island of Rhodes. Leaving the northern tip of the island they sailed eastward to Patara, a seaport of Lycia, on the southern coast of Asia Minor. At Patara they transferred to a ship that was sailing over to Phoenicia, the coastal strip of Syria, of which Tyre was one of the principal cities.<span class="fullpost"> As they sailed southeast across the Mediterranean, they went around south of the island of Cyprus leaving it on the left side. They sailed through Syria and landed at Tyre. Since the ship was to unload her cargo there, Paul and the others looked up the Christian believers and stayed with them seven days. <br /><br />It was during this time that these disciples told Paul through the Spirit that he should not go to Jerusalem. This raises the age-old question as to whether Paul was deliberately disobedient in going to Jerusalem, whether he unwittingly failed to discern the mind of the Lord, or whether he was actually in the will of the Lord in going. A careful reading of this passage revealed that this was not a command from the Spirit for Paul not to go to Jerusalem; rather the Spirit had revealed to the believers at Tyre that Paul would face suffering in Jerusalem. Understandably, they tried to convince him as his friends not to go. Paul’s mission to Jerusalem had been given to him by the Lord (20:22-24), this is also supported by verses 10-12. The Spirit would never command him to abandon his mission.<br /> <br />When the seven days expired the believers turned out in numbers to accompany Paul and his companions to the ship and in an eloquent demonstration of Christian love, they kneeled down in prayer and gave their affectionate goodbyes. The ship pulled from port, and they returned home. After leaving Tyre, the next stop was Ptolemais (this was next to the last stop of Paul’s sea journey), a seaport about 25 miles south of Tyre. This was an old city. It got its name from the Ptolemy’s who were given it after the dividing of Alexander the Great Empire. It is the present day Acre. A stopover of one day allowed the Lord’s servants to visit the local brethren. <br /><br />On the next day they took the final portion of their trip, a thirty-mile sail south to Caesarea. There they stayed in the house of Philip the Evangelist. (This is not the Apostle Philip chosen by Jesus). This Philip was one of the seven Deacons chosen to be a deacon by the church in Jerusalem and who carried the gospel to Samaria. Through his ministry the Ethiopian eunuch had been saved (6:5; 8:4-8; 8:26-39). Obviously the gift of prophecy was given to both men and women. Women actively participated in God’s work (Acts 2:7; Phil. 4:3). Other women who prophesied included Miriam (Exodus 15:20); Deborah (Judges 4:4); Huldah (2 Kings. 22:14); Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14); Isaiah’s wife (Isaiah 8:3) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38). What these young women prophesied the Scriptures does not inform us. <br /><br />During Paul’s stay in Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. It was the same prophet who came to Antioch from Jerusalem and predicted the famine which took place during the reign of Claudius (Acts 11:27-28). Agabus took Paul’s belt and tied his hands and feet with it. By this dramatic action, like many of the prophets before him, he was acting out his prophesy before him, he was acting out his message. Agabus action predicted Paul’s arrest and imprisonment in Jerusalem by the Jews, who then will turn him over to the Romans. Seeing the action of Agabus, Paul’s friends pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem. Paul knew of the things that awaited him, but his respond was that he was determined to go to Jerusalem even if it meant imprisonment or death. Upon seeing that their pleadings would accomplish nothing, they ceased and put him into the hands of the Lord. <br /><br />From Caesarea to Jerusalem was an overland journey of more than fifty miles, a long trip in those days. Paul’s traveling party had been increased by the addition of some of the disciples from Caesarea and also by a Christian brother named Mnason of Cyprus. They lodged at his home. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, Paul and his friends were cordially greeted by the brothers. The next day a meeting was scheduled with James and all the Elders. This James was the brother of Jesus who was the leader of the Jerusalem church (15:13-21; Gal. 1:19; 2:9). Paul took the lead role by telling in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. This resulted in much joy among the brothers. <br /><br />However, some Jewish brothers were apprehensive. Word had traveled around that Paul had preached and taught against Moses and the law. This could mean trouble in Jerusalem. These rumors were probably started by the Judaizing teachers (15:1). The specific charge being made against Paul was that he taught all the Jews in foreign lands to forsake Moses, by telling them neither to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the Jewish customs. The Jewish brethren in Jerusalem had a scheme which they thought would placate their countrymen, both saved and unsaved. They suggested that Paul should take upon himself a Jewish vow. Four men were already in the process of doing this. Paul should join them, purify himself with them and pay their expenses. In doing this it would appear to Paul’s brethren that he was still Jewish in his life style and not working against the Jerusalem council. <br /><br />Verse 25 takes us back to our previous study of Acts chapter 15. The Jerusalem council at that time settled the issue of circumcision for Gentile believers. They advised Paul that no rules need be imposed on Gentile believers other than that they should abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. The purification process that Paul and the other men would undergo would take seven days. It began with Paul and the men washing and Paul entering the temple to announce to the priest the intent for the offering to be made for them at the end of the seven day period. <br /><br />When the seven days of the vow were almost ended, Paul attempt to pacify the Jews proved useless. When some of the unbelieving Jews from Proconsular Asia saw him in the temple, they incited a riot against him. Not only did they charge him with teaching things against Moses and the law, but they also accused him of defiling the temple by taking Gentiles into the inner court. What actually happened was this; they had previously seen Paul with Trophimus in the city of Jerusalem. Trophimus was a Gentile convert from Ephesus. Because they saw them together, they supposed that Paul had taken his Gentile friend into the inner court of the temple. <br /><br />Although the charges were obviously false, it served its purpose. The entire city was thrown into an uproar (nothing new for Paul). The mob seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple area, closing the gates of the inner court behind them. Before they could kill him word reached the ears of the chief captain, a military commander in charge of the garrison of Antonia. He took Paul from the mob and had him bound with two chains and inquired of Paul who he was, and what had he done. The mob was in such a confused state, some began to say one thing, while another said something else. The commander who by this time had not gathered any information concerning Paul, ordered Paul to the barrack so he could find out more of what was going on. After ordering Paul to be brought to the barracks, the soldiers had to carry Paul up the stairs to avoid the mob. Even though they could not get to Paul they still cried out “away with him”. <br /><br />As Paul was being led into the barracks, he asked the commander if he could speak. Paul’s use of language as an educated man startled the officer, who assumed his prisoner was an uncultured criminal. He apparently thought he had arrested an Egyptian who had stirred up a rebellion and led four thousands men called assassins out into the wilderness. Paul quickly assured the commander he was a Jew from the city or Tarsus, in Cilicia. As such, he was a citizen of no mean city; it was famous as a place of culture, education, and commerce, and had been declared a “free city” by Augustus. Paul then requested to speak to the people. <br /><br />Permission was granted, and as Paul stood there flanked by Roman soldiers, he quieted the crowd by motioning with his hands. The silence was still. He was now ready to give his testimony to the Jerusalem Jews. The Hebrew language here probably means Aramaic (a closely related tongue) as spoken by the Hebrews at that time. <br /><br /><strong>Question/Answers?<br /> <br />1. Paul was accused of teaching the Jews in foreign lands not to circumcise their children, and to forsake the Jewish customs. Did Paul actually teach this or did he not?</strong> <br /><br />The answer is no. Paul never taught the Jews not to circumcise. It is true that in his epistles some of which had been written before this time, he showed that circumcision and uncircumcision were equally unavailable for salvation, and that by the deeds of law no man could be justified; but he had not yet said to any Jew, forsake Moses, and do not circumcise your children. He told them that Jesus Christ had delivered them from the yoke of the law. Plainly, Paul’s own actions in Acts 21 testify though salvation or justification could not be won through keeping these things. Keeping them was not destructive unless one depended upon them for justification or salvation. In addition, there was no hesitation on Paul’s part to do them. Scripture gave no indication that he argued with James; in fact, we see a unity of minds between them. There is no indication of reluctance either, that somehow it would destroy Paul’s faith in Jesus Christ or that it would compromise him in the eyes of any Christian, Jew or Gentile, who might witness it. There is one other important point that should be noted, and that is, that no where in Scripture or any other writings do we find that God ever rebuked Paul for his actions of taking a vow. (See Scriptures: Acts chapter 15 - the Jerusalem council; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 3:21-31; 7:4-6; 13:9-10; Galatians 3:23-29; <strong>1 Corinthians 9:19-23.<br /> <br />2. In verses 10 and11 the Prophet Agabus acted out his prophesy. Are there other instances of other Prophets acting out their Prophecies?</strong><br /> <br />Yes. See Scriptures: Isaiah 20:3-6; Jeremiah 13:1-12; 27:1-7; Ezekiel 4:1-8; chapter 12.<br /> <br /><strong>3. Who was this Egyptian mentioned in verse 38?</strong><br /> <br />All we know is that the Jewish historian, Josephus, tells of an Egyptian rebel who was a false Prophet that had promised to drive out the Romans. With a force of 400 people he met defeat quickly. Hundred of his men were killed and captured, yet he escaped to never be heard from again. The commander assumed Paul to be this man.<br /> <br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-24175873249850095622008-12-31T21:51:00.005-05:002008-12-31T22:09:04.431-05:00Acts Chapter 20<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul’s Missionary Journey</strong><br /><br /> After the near riot in Ephesus had ceased, Paul understood that after three years it was the Lord’s time for him to depart Ephesus. The loss of Ephesus in the departure of Paul was the gain of other cities. From verse 1 it would appear that Paul traveled directly from Ephesus to Macedonia. However, from 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 we learn that he first went to Troas. There he found an open door to preach the gospel but was anxious to see Titus and to learn from him how the Corinthians had received his first letter. When he did not find Titus in Troas he crossed over the northeastern corner of the Aegean Sea to Macedonia.<span class="fullpost"> Paul stopped at all the congregations in Macedonia which he and his companions had planted (Philippi, Thessalonica), and sought to give them a word of encouragement. It is during this three-month period that Paul wrote his letter to the Romans. This is borne out in the Book of Romans itself (Romans 15:23-24; 16:23).<br /><br /> <br />Paul’s visit to Greece was short lived. The Jews were plotting to kill him. It was likely planned for when he would leave by ship. Thus Paul decided to foil their plans by going by land back through Macedonia. The men traveling with Paul represented churches he had established in Asia. Each man was carrying an offering from his home church to the believers in Jerusalem. Paul’s strategy of having each man deliver the gift gave the gift a personal touch and promoted the unity of believers. It was also an effective way to teach the church about giving, because the men were able to report back to their churches the way God was working through their giving. Paul discussed this gift in one of his letters to the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 8:1-21). It appears that the above seven brethren traveled on ahead to Troas, while Paul and Luke visited Philippi. We know Luke was with Paul because of the use of the first person pronoun “us” in verse 5 and 6.<br /> <br />After the days of unleavened bread, or Passover, Paul and Luke sailed from Macedonia to Troas. The trip took five days from Philippi to Troas, on the western coast of Asia Minor. Once there, they stayed a week so they could be there for the breaking of bread on the Lord’s Day. It is certainly clear from verse 7 that it was the practice of the early Christians to gather on the first day of the week in order to observe the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 16:2). That Paul should have spoken until midnight should not surprise anyone. We do not know if Paul began preaching during the day and continued until into the night, or if they had met after dark and continued to meet until the midnight hour. As the night wore on, it became hot and stuffy in the upper room. Perhaps the many lamps contributed to this as well as the number of people.<br /> <br />A certain young man by the name of Eutychus sitting in an open window fell asleep and fell three stories down to the ground and died. Paul went down and stretched himself over the body and announced to the people not to worry themselves because there was life in the young man. It might seem from Paul’s words that there was no need for concern because the young man had not died. But it is clear from verse 9 that the young man did die. When Paul returned upstairs, they broke bread (v.11) and observed the Lord’s Supper for which they had gathered for (v.7). After an all night meeting, never to be forgotten, Paul bade farewell to the believers and departed.<br /><br /> Paul left Troas on foot and walk 20 miles to the city of Assos. His traveling companions went by ship, and picked Paul up on the southern side. There is no explanation of why Paul chose to walk; perhaps he wanted a little time to himself. The party met Paul at Assos and he joined them. Sailing south, along the western coast of Asia Minor, they came to Mitylene, the chief city of the island Lesbos. The following night they anchored off the island of Chios. Another day’s journey brought them to the island of Samos and they stayed at Trogyllium. Finally they arrived in Miletus, a port on the southwest coast of Asia Minor, thirty-six miles south of Ephesus. Paul intentionally bypassed Ephesus because he feared that a visit there would require too much time, and he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost.<br /> <br />Upon landing at Miletus, Paul sent word to the Elders in Ephesus asking them to come for a meeting. Undoubtedly it took some time for the message to reach them and for them to make the journey, but they would be richly rewarded by the message they would hear from the mouth of Paul. Upon the arrival of the elders, Paul reminded them of his manner of life when he lived among them. From the first day he set foot in Asia, and all the time he was there, he served the Lord with true humility and self-denial. In connection with his ministry, there was a constant strain on his emotional system; there were tears of sorrow and trials. Constantly he suffered persecution as a result of the plotting of the Jews. Yet in spite of all the adverse circumstances, his ministry was bold and fearless.<br /> <br />Paul declared that he did not hold back any teaching that was useful. He lived the advice that he gave to other preachers and he taught both publicly and privately. Paul preached to all people both Jew and Gentile, and preached the necessity of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was not fleeing Ephesus. He had never labored out of fear for his life. In fact, he knew that arrest and imprisonment awaited him at the end of his journey. It was a bittersweet meeting for both Paul and the Ephesian elders. Paul had worked with these men and he probably appointed them elders over the flock at Ephesus. He was convinced that he would never see them again, which he did not.<br /> <br />In any event, he could leave with a clear conscience. He had held nothing back that would prepare them for the coming days ahead. Paul was guided by the Spirit, i.e. being “bound by the Spirit”; in that the Spirit revealed to him that he would suffer afflictions when he came to Jerusalem. Perhaps the Spirit witnessing in every town is referring to something similar in Acts 21:10-11. Paul did not become bitter because of the prospect of his impending suffering (see Acts 9:15-16). As Paul weighed this outlook in his mind, he did not think that his own life was the great issue. His ambition was to obey God and to please him. If in doing this, he would be called upon to offer up his life he was willing to do so.<br /> <br />Since Paul knew that he would never see them again, he delivered a solemn charge to the elders that they should first take heed to their own spiritual condition. Unless they were living in fellowship with the Lord, they could not expect to be spiritual leaders in the church, the church which Christ purchased with his blood. Paul knew that after his departure the church would be attacked from without and from within. False teachers, wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15), would prey upon the flock showing no mercy. Paul reminded them that for three years he warned them of these things day and night with many tears. These elders would need to remain alert for the dangers that would come.<br /> <br />There is one important point we need to learn from this passage, that faithfulness on the part of a congregation can never be assured past one generation. Grounding in the faith must be a continual process. Paul wanted them to depend on God and his word. Paul did not commend them to leaders of men, rather he entrusted them to God and his word. In his closing message Paul once again set before the elders the example of his own life and ministry. He could say in all honest that he never worked to take no one’s silver or gold, but he labored by his own hands to support himself. Paul was not saying that it was wrong to accept any support for the preaching of the gospel. On the contrary, he taught on several occasions that brethren had a responsibility to support those who preach the word (Philippians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 9:11-14). Paul is saying that these elders should labor unselfishly among the brethren. They should not be overly concerned with physical things.<br /> <br />At the conclusion of his message, Paul knelt on the ground and prayed with the elders. He had so much he wanted to pray about, but he was most of all concerned for the future of these brethren he loved so dearly. The reaction of the elders was one of deep sorrow. They wept unashamedly and showed their love for Paul by falling on his neck and kissing him. The words that particularly grieved them were his statement that they would see his face no more. Heavyhearted, they accompanied Paul to the ship for his trip to Jerusalem.<br /> <br /><strong>Question/Answers? <br />Who were the seven men that accompanied Paul on his missionary journey?</strong><br /> <br /><strong><em>The seven men are as follow: </em></strong> <br />1- <strong>Sopater of Berea:</strong> A Christian from Berea who was with Paul from Greece to the province of Asia (Acts 20:4). This may be the same man mentioned in Romans 16:21 as being a relative of Paul.<br /><br /> 2- <strong>Aristarchus of Thessalonica:</strong> Nearly lost his life in the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:29). We later read of him as being a fellow prisoner with Paul (Philemon 24; Col. 4:10). He accompanied Paul to Rome (Acts 27:2).<br /><br /> 3- <strong>Secundus:</strong> An early Christian who lived in Thessalonica (Acts 20:4). He was among the seven men that accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey.<br /><br /> 4- <strong>Gaius:</strong> A citizen of Derbe who was with Paul as far as Asia Minor (Acts 20:4). The name Gaius was a common name in the Scriptures.<br /><br /> 5- <strong>Timothy:</strong> Paul’s friend and chief associate. Timothy is mentioned as a joint sender in six of Paul’s epistles (2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philemon 1). Timothy first appeared on the second missionary journey of Paul (Acts 16:1-3).<br /> <br />6- <strong>Tychicus: </strong>A Christian of the province of Asia (Acts 20:4). He was a fellow worker and messenger of Paul (Eph. 6:21-22; Col. 4:7-8). Paul also sent Tychicus to Ephesus to deliver and perhaps read his letter to the Christians in that city (Eph. 6:21). He did the same with the letter to the Colossians (Col. 4:7). Paul sent him as a messenger to Titus in Crete (Titus 3:12) and afterward to Ephesus (2 Tim. 4:12).<br /><br /> 7- <strong>Trophimus:</strong> A Gentile Christian who lived in Ephesus and who accompanied Paul to Jerusalem at the end of Paul’s third missionary journey. Apparently Trophimus accompanied Paul on the trip to Rome. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul revealed “Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick” (2 Tim. 4:20).<br /></span> <br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-51391886038109964022008-12-29T14:12:00.004-05:002008-12-29T14:26:12.057-05:00Acts Chapter 19<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul’s Missionary Work in Ephesus</strong><br /><br />The travels of Apollos after he left Ephesus took him eventually to Corinth where he continued his ministry of proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. Paul was traveling at the same time pursuing his third missionary journey. If Paul had a companion with him, Scripture does not name him nor does it say much about the places Paul visited at the beginning. The Scripture informs us simply that he went through central Asia Minor (the regions of Galatia and Phrygia) until he reached the northern coast, probably Troas, his point of embarkment for Europe during his previous journey (Acts 18:23). <span class="fullpost">But this time he took a different course. He turned south and went to Ephesus, the most important city in the region. Ephesus was the capital and leading business center of the Roman province of Asia (part of present day Turkey). A hub of sea and land transportation, it ranked with Antioch of Syria and Alexander in Egypt as one of the great cities on the Mediterranean Sea.<br /> <br />Paul went there to keep a promise. At the end of his last journey he stopped in Ephesus and assured the Jews who showed interest in his message that he would return at first opportunity, if it was the Lord’s will (Acts 18:20-21). And God was willing. As it turned out, God had a major work for Paul to accomplish in Ephesus, requiring Paul’s presence for about three years (Acts 20:31). When Paul arrived in Ephesus he found a small band of disciples. When Paul asked them whether they had received the Holy Spirit, they responded with some bewilderment. Like Apollos, these Ephesians believers needed further instructions on the message and ministry of Christ. They believed in Jesus as the Messiah, but did not understand the significance of his death and resurrection or the work of the Holy Spirit. Becoming a Christian involves turning from sin (repentance) and turning to Christ (faith). They were incomplete.<br /><br /> Apparently, Paul had heard that they had been baptized so his next question was to inquire what kind of baptism they had received. They replied that they received the baptism of John (the Baptist). When Paul learned that the men knew only the baptism of John, he explained that although it was valid as a testimony of repentance, it was insufficient. Since the men had already made the decision to follow Christ, they were entirely willing to show their faith by being baptized again. Indeed, all were baptized. Then Paul laid his hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit, whose presence was manifest by an outward sign, they spoke in tongues and prophesied. All total it was twelve men.<br /><br />Paul then began an aggressive campaign to evangelize the city. As was his usual pattern he entered into the synagogue. Paul spoke for three months in the synagogue. Three months in the synagogue without a recorded riot was a record for Paul. The topic of his discussion was the kingdom of God which obviously included the person and work of Christ. Paul’s message did not go unopposed. Voices of unbelief forced him to engage in heated debate. As Paul debated them, they hearts became harden and their minds became blank, so further debate was pointless. Their actions became uglier. They began to bring evil charges against Paul and against the Christian generally. Paul decided to gather the followers and leave the synagogue.<br /><br /> Paul chose the school of one named Tyrannus as their new meeting place. The Scripture does not inform us if Tyrannus was a believer or not. Apparently Tyrannus made his lecture hall available to traveling teachers. One Greek manuscript adds that the school was available from 11 am to 4 pm, where Paul could use the hall for the majority of the day. Paul taught for a period of two years in the Tyrannus lecture hall. The Lord began a great work through Paul’s ministry. These feats of Paul parallel the miracles of Peter in 5:15-16. Quite clearly God’s hand of blessing was on Paul. Apparently the handkerchiefs and aprons were tangible symbols of God’s power through his Apostles; these objects had no magical powers in themselves. Certainly this is no basis for people trying to repeat such miracles today. As seen many times in Acts, miracles confirmed the work of the Apostles (2:43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 8:6; 14:3; 15:12).<br /><br /> There was in Ephesus a group of professional exorcists working in partnership. They were seven Jews, all sons of Sceva whom Luke described as a high priest. It was not uncommon in the ancient world for a Jew to claim to have magical powers. The sorcerer in Cypress that Paul inflicted with blindness was a Jew. Paul’s spectacular success in ridding people of demons came to their notice and provoked them to imitate his methods. They heard that Paul cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ. So when they were next called to a help a victim of demon possession, they called Jesus’ name when they ordered the demon to come out. The demon was unimpressed. By using the voice of the victim as his own, the demon cried out that he knew the name of Jesus and the name of Paul, but who were they.<br /> <br />It is evident that the evil spirit was well aware that he was subject to Jesus’ Apostles. He knew that after Jesus’ resurrection he gave the Apostles authority over the demon world (Mark.16:17). But the demons’ obligation to obey Paul, a true Apostle, did not extend to dabblers in exorcism who used Jesus’ name as a magical formula rather than as an expression of faith. Instead of being exorcized of the demon, the possessed man became supernaturally strong and overcame all seven beating them until they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. Demons can sometimes cause those they possess to have unusual physical power (Mark.5:3-4). There must have been witnesses to the scene, because news of what happened quickly spread through the whole city and beyond. Both Jews and Greeks heard that an evil spirit gave testimony to the authority of Jesus and his minister, Paul, and the effect was to put fear of God into their hearts.<br /><br /> Many Christians had also been involved in sorcery and spiritism and they openly confessed their evil deeds. The noun translated “deeds” is praxis, which probably describes magical spells and formulas. Furthermore, many publicly burned their manuals of sorcery. It was generally assumed that spells were effective only if kept secret. Therefore, when these practitioners of the occult made their spells public, they were not only renouncing their use but also, in their view, taking away their power. The price of burning their books was very large, about fifty thousand silver coins. The cleansed church became a powerful and growing church in the word of God.<br /><br /> The time came when Paul sensed that he was nearing completion of his work in Ephesus. As he looked ahead, he resolved to revisit Macedonia and Greece. No doubt he wished to strengthen and encourage the churches that he had established on his previous missionary journey. After going to Greece he intended to go back to Jerusalem, then on to Rome. In the book of Romans, we find that he thought that after he went to Rome he would go even farther westward, all the way to Spain (Rom.15:24). He was ambitious to carry the gospel to the uttermost parts. But according to the Lord’s plans, Rome would be his last stop. To prepare the way for his return to Macedonia and Greece, Paul sent his forerunners both Timothy and Erastus. The only other mention of this Erastus is in 2 Timothy (2 Tim.4:20), where we learn that he later settled in Corinth as his place of ministry. Before Paul’s departure and as an incentive for him to leave Ephesus there was a riot. In only two incidents recorded in Acts did Gentiles oppose Paul: here and in the case of the Philippian fortune-teller (16:16-24). In both cases the opposition was because of vested monetary interests. <br /><br />Diana (or Artemis, the Greek name) was a goddess of fertility. She was represented by a carved female figure with many breasts. A large statue of her (which was said to have come from Jupiter, the king of the gods, 19:35) was in the great temple at Ephesus. Silver craftsmen made statues (silver shrines) of this Ephesian goddess. When Paul preached in Ephesus, Demetrius and his fellow shrine makers did not quarrel with his doctrine. Their anger was because his preaching was bad for business. The craftsmen knew that if people started believing in God and discarding their idols, their livelihood would suffer. Demetrius’ strategy for stirring up a riot was to appeal to the people’s love of money and then to encourage them to hide their greed behind the mask of patriotism and religious loyalty.<br /><br /> The silversmiths, enraged at Paul by Demetrius’ speech, instigated a riot and rushed to the Ephesian theater, the largest place for an assembly of people. As token of opposition they seized Gaius and Aristarchus. Paul often sought others to help him in his work. On this occasion his traveling companions were Aristarchus (who would accompany him on other journeys: 20:3-4 and 27:1-2), and Gaius (probably not the same Gaius mentioned in Romans 16:23 or 1 Corinthians 1:14). Paul wanted to go to the theater to defend his friends, but the other believers wouldn’t let him go fearing his safety. The mob became anti-Jewish as well as anti-Christian, this Alexander may have been pushed forward by the Jews as a spokesmen to explain that the Jews had no part in the Christian community and thus were not involved in the economic problem of the silversmiths.<br /> <br />The term city clerk does not do justice to this man’s position. Actually he was the chief executive officer of the city. When he appeared, people listened. At this crucial moment, he succeeded in quieting the crowd. His speech was successful as lame. He said in effect that the Ephesians had nothing to fear. After all, everyone knew that Ephesus had been appointed the city to serve as temple guardian of the great goddess Diana. Also to them fell the privilege of guarding an image of Diana which was supposed to have fallen from heaven. Implying that their religious foundations were secure and that nothing could ever toppled the worship of Diana, he told the people that they were foolish to create a fuss. After all the men against whom they were fussing about had not been robbers of the temples or blasphemers of Diana. If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen had a complaint, the regular courts were open to them with the proconsuls ready to hear them.<br /> <br />If there was anything else to say, they could gather themselves and become a lawful assembly instead of becoming an out of control mob. The city of Ephesus was under the domination of the Roman Empire. The main responsibility of the local city leaders was simply to maintain peace and order. If they failed to control the people, Rome would remove them from office. An additional threat was that the entire city would be placed under martial law, taking away many civil freedoms. By this time the mob had been quieted, and they now hurried away to their home.<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/Answers <br />In verse 23 what does the term “about that way” implies? </strong><br />“About that way” refers to those who followed “the way” of Christ–the Christian. In John 14:6 Jesus said “I am the way” this is another title that is applied to followers of Christ.<br /><br /><strong>What does the word assembly means? </strong><br />The word assembly (vv. 32, 39, 41) translates the Greek word “EKKLESIA” meaning a called out company of people. It is the same word translated church in other parts of the New Testament. Whether the word refers to a heathen mob, as here in verse 32, or the congregation of Israel, as in Acts 7:38 or the New Testament church must be determined from the context. <br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-18469918834885719632008-12-04T22:48:00.006-05:002008-12-04T23:01:39.720-05:00Acts Chapter 18<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Church At Corinth</strong><br /><br /> Paul did not remain long in Athens where he found a lukewarm reception for the gospel. He resumed his travel southward and came to the city of Corinth which is the southernmost extent of Greece. Corinth was the political and commercial center of Greece, surpassing Athens in importance. It has a reputation for great wickedness and immorality. A temple to Aphrodite, goddess of love and war, had been built on a large hill behind the city. In this popular region, people worshiped the goddess by giving money to the temple and taking part in sexual acts with male and female temple prostitutes. Paul found Corinth a challenge and a great ministry opportunity.<span class="fullpost"><br /> <br />While in Corinth, Paul met a Christian couple who had recently come from Rome. They had departed Rome because of an edict in A.D. 49 or 50 from Claudius for all the Jews to leave Rome. They came to Rome to work in their trade, which was tent making. The man was Aquila, a Jew from northeast Asia Minor, and his wife was Priscilla. Paul immediately formed a close relationship with them because they not only shared a common faith, but also a common trade. They all were tent makers. Although the word for their trade is translated “tentmaker”, it refers more generally to leather worker. They made all sorts of leather goods.<br /> <br />For awhile, Paul was at a disadvantage as he tried to evangelize Corinth because the rest of his missionary team had remained in Macedonia. In Athens Paul sent back a message asking Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. Yet as he waited, Paul did not slip into doing nothing. He was not content to work each day at his craft. Rather, as was his custom he went every Sabbath to the synagogues and engaged both the Jews and the Greeks in discussions about Christ.<br /><br /> With the arrival of Silas and Timothy, Paul launched a fresh assault on the ignorance and unbelief of all around him. He declared to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. Here we pause for a moment to ponder a question. Had not Paul already been presenting Jesus as the Christ? The answer is yes, but when Silas and Timothy came they brought financial assistance from Macedonia (2 Cor. 11:9). Earlier, he received help only from the Philippians (Phil. 4:15), but it is possible that by now other churches had joined in contributing to his support. The money freed Paul from his trade and allowed him to devote himself full-time to the ministry. With all the lost souls weighting on him, Paul could now preach more aggressively.<br /> <br />When Paul intensified his campaign to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Christ, he stirred up much opposition. When the Jews raised their opposition to the level of blasphemy, Paul decided that it was time to leave the synagogue. He shook his clothes to show that he was free of any obligation to reason with them further, and he declared that from now on, having their blood on their own hands they alone would be held accountable for their eternal destiny. Paul will now go to the Gentiles who will be more receptive.<br /> <br />After Paul left the synagogue, he found a fortunate location for preaching the gospel to the assembly of saints next door in the house of one called Titus Justus. Titus was a God fearing Gentile who opened his house to Paul. In addition, Crispus the synagogue ruler with his family believed and were baptized by Paul. One night Paul heard the Lord speaking to him in a vision, with encouraging words. The Lord urged Paul not be afraid but to preach the gospel boldly because Divine protection was with him, and the Lord have many people in the city. Paul obediently followed the Lord’s direction and stayed in Corinth for a year and a half. During Paul’s stay in Corinth, a new man came to assume control of the government. He was Gallio, a member of a Roman family. He was the brother of Seneca the philosopher. Gallio came to Corinth because it was the Roman seat of government for the whole province of Achaia, that is, Greece.<br /><br /> As soon as he took office, Jewish enemies of the church decided to move against Paul. The Jews charged Paul with persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to Roman law. Rome did not permit the propagation of new religions. Judaism was an accepted and established belief. These Jews were saying in effect that Christianity was a new and different cult, distinct from Judaism. Before Paul could defend himself, Gallio spoke and stunned the Jewish leaders. He rebuked the Jews for wasting his time with charges that had no substance. This was a major judicial decision for the spread of the gospel in the Roman Empire. Judaism was a recognized religion under Roman law. As long as Christians were seen as part of Judaism, the court refused to hear cases brought against them. In essence Gallio told them to handle the matter themselves and not bother him.<br /> <br />Crispus had been the leader of the synagogue, but he and his family were converted and joined the Christians (18:8). Sosthenes was chosen to take his place. The whole Greek community rose up against the Jews, and arrested Sosthenes brought him before the judgment seat. There they subjected him to the humiliation of a public beating. Whether Sosthenes had conspired against Paul, we do not know. As Gallio watched the beating, he raised no objection, choosing rather to appear indifferent.<br /> <br />After a long, successful ministry in Corinth, Paul was ready to leave. He gathered all the believers and said farewell to them. Accompanied by his friends, Aquila and Priscilla, he left intending to return to Syria by the way of Jerusalem. Some time earlier, he had taken a vow of a Nazarite, as described in the Law of Moses (Num. 6:1-8). The ship did not go directly to Jerusalem, but stopped in Ephesus, the main city on the coast of western Asia Minor. It was the greatest commercial city in the region and among its citizens were a large group of Jews. Rather than go with Paul, Aquila and Priscilla decided to remain. Paul stayed long enough to proclaim Christ in the synagogue, but soon continued on his journey, even though some of the Jews wanted him to stay and explain more of the gospel. Paul wanted to reach Jerusalem in time for the feast (Passover).<br /><br /> After greeting the believers in Jerusalem, Paul went down to Antioch. This verse (22) marks the end of Paul’s second missionary journey and the beginning of his third missionary journey. After leaving the church at Antioch (his home base), Paul headed toward Ephesus but along the way he revisited the churches in Galatia and Phrygia (18:23), strengthening the disciples. During Paul’s absence from Ephesus, God sent the city another preacher. He was Apollos, a Jew from Alexandria. Apollos had only heard what John the Baptist had said about Jesus (Luke 3: 1-8), so his message was not the complete story. John message focused on repentance from sin, the first step. But the whole message is to repent from sin and then believe in Christ. Apollos did not know about the life, crucifixion, and resurrection, nor did he know about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Priscilla and Aquila taught him the right gospel.<br /> <br />Armed with the new doctrine, Apollos crossed the Aegean Sea to Achaia where he preached mighty. He refuted the Jews who did not believed that Jesus was the Messiah. The phrase “mightily convinced” the Jews implies that a great number of Jews came to Christ through his witness.<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/Answers <br />Who was Apollos? </strong> <br />Apollos was a learned and eloquent Jew from Alexandria in Egypt and an influential leader in the early church. He was an early disciple of John the Baptist.<br /><br /><strong><em>All Scripture references are from the King James Version</em></strong><br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-11148834659430430362008-12-03T15:17:00.005-05:002008-12-03T15:32:06.882-05:00Acts Chapter 17<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Paul Preaches in Thessalonica/Founding a New church </strong><br /><br />After departing Philippi, Paul followed the road that led to Greece, first going through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and then coming to the town of Thessalonica. There, in line with his usual custom, he went into the Jewish synagogue to preach Christ. The city of Thessalonica was one of the wealthiest and most influential cities in Macedonia. This is the first city Paul visited where his teachings attracted a large group of socially prominent citizens. For three Sabbaths, Paul expounded the scriptures foretelling that Christ would suffer for our sins and rise again. The effect on his hearers was to force a decision to believe or not believe. Among the Jews, some believed, but among the God-fearing Gentiles, the number was large including some of the upper class women.<span class="fullpost"> <br /><br />Paul’s success provoked an angry reaction among the Jews who did not believe. The root motive of their opposition was envy, as it had been years before when unbelieving Jews denounced Paul in Antioch of Pisidia. Paul’s opponents in Thessalonica foresaw that the followers of Paul’s teaching would band together and choose their own leaders that perhaps they would even turn away from the synagogues and its leaders. They were afraid of losing their power and influence. The unbelieving Jews waged a campaign against Paul and his companions that can best be described as vicious. They found allies among “lewd fellows of the baser sort”–in other words, thugs. By gathering a crowd of citizens and hounding them with false accusations against the Apostles, they managed to whip the people in to a state of rage. <br /><br />Looking for places where they might find Paul they attacked the home of one named Jason, a believer. Not finding Paul and his team, they refused to leave empty-handed, they seized Jason with some believers and dragged them before the rulers of the city (remember Paul and Silas in Acts 16:16-24). The Jewish leaders had difficulty manufacturing an accusation that would be heard by the city government. The Romans did not care about theological disagreements between the Jews and Paul. Treason, on the other hand was a serious offense in the Roman Empire. Although Paul and Silas were not advocating rebellion against Roman law, their loyalty to another King (Christ Jesus), sounded suspicious. <br /><br />The leaders evidently decided that the charges were exaggerated, instead of taking Jason and the believers into custody, they released them after they posted bail. Seeing that Paul and his missionary team were in danger the believers sent them on to the next city, Berea, which is one step closer to Athens. Paul’s first move to evangelize Berea followed his usually pattern, he started in the synagogues and preached Jesus. Here, Paul founded the people very receptive of his message for they searched the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul spoke of were true. Many upper class Greek women and a few Greek men were persuaded by Paul’s words. <br /><br />The enemy (Satan) was not going to allow Paul’s victory in Berea to go uncontested. The enemy brought news of what Paul was doing back to his enemies (unbelievers) in Thessalonica. Some of the unbelievers rushed to Berea to stop Paul. Knowing that the trouble these unbelievers would stir up against Paul, the believers insisted he leave town. Yet they all realized that wherever Paul went his enemies was sure to follow and disrupt his work again. Paul left the city of Berea on the road leading to the closest sea port. His enemies would assume that he was leaving Greece and returning to Asia Minor. But then he changed course and headed toward Athens. With him were some Berean brothers. He left Silas and Timothy behind in Berea so that they may further strengthen the new church. Silas and Timothy could safely remain because the enemies of the new teachings regarded Paul as the chief target. Silas and Timothy would join Paul later. <br /><br />Paul had now reached the capital of Greek civilization, Athens. The glory of Greece was fading in Paul’s day and even Athens, the proud center of Hellenism, was past its glory days. Even so, it was still a vital cultural center with a world famous university. Many of its famous buildings were built during the days of Pericles (461-429 B.C). Beautiful as the buildings were, Paul could not enjoy them because he was greatly distressed to see the city full of idols. Every where Paul looked he witnessed sculptured representations of gods and goddesses. Undeterred by what he saw, Paul began a one man assault on this stronghold of unbelief. Paul’s fight would be on two fronts: in the synagogues and in the marketplace. As was his usual practice, he first went into the synagogues and sought to win both the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. Luke only records that Paul disputed with them. He does not say that he won any over to the new gospel. Paul also preached Christ daily in the marketplace, known as the Agora, to a group that gathered there. <br /><br />The primary antagonists of Paul in the Agora were the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When these philosophers encountered Paul they began to dispute with him. Some called him a babbler and wanted to know what Paul was trying say. Others remarked he seemed to be advocating foreign gods. This response was due to their inability to grasp Paul’s doctrine of Christ and the resurrection; this was totally foreign to their thinking. The philosophers took Paul to the Areopagus, which means “Mars Hill”. This was the meeting place of the council of the Areopagus, where the supreme body for judicial and legislative matters in Athens was held. The council wanted to know about Paul’s teachings which were strange to their ears. The Athenians and foreign residents loved to debate the latest ideas. This openness gave Paul an opportunity to preach his message of Christ. <br /><br />Paul did not begin by reciting Jewish history as he usually did for this would have been meaningless to his Greek audience. Paul begins with the observation that they were very religious. When he thought of the idols he had seen, Paul was reminded of an altar with the inscription: to the unknown god. Paul saw in the inscription the recognition of two important facts: First, the fact of the existence of God and second, the fact that the Athenians were ignorant of him. Paul introduced God as the one who made the world and everything in it. As he looked around on the numerous idol temples nearby, the Apostle reminded his hearers that the true God does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is he dependant on the service of men’s hands because God is the source of life, breath, and all things. <br /><br />Paul was stressing the basic kinship of all men perhaps to overcome Greek prejudice against a Jewish preacher of a Jewish Messiah. Holding themselves to be superior, the Greek would have been tempted to reject Paul’s teachings simply because he was not Greek and Jesus was not Greek. Paul reminded them that all men have blood; in other words, that Jews were no less men than they were. Paul continued by explaining why God created man. The Greeks did not imagine that the gods had a strong interest in the human race. But Paul introduced the exciting idea that God actually care for man–that God wants a relationship with man, and that is the precise reason man was created; to find Him and enjoy His fellowship. Paul added that God is not far away from us. God is known in His creation and He is close to everyone. But He is not trapped in His creation–He is transcendent. God is the creator, not the creation. This means that God is sovereign and in control while at the same time He is close and personal. <br /><br />Having laid the groundwork for his final appeal, Paul told briefly what God, who is man’s creator, expects from man. In the past, God allowed the Greeks and other nations to continue in ignorance. The translation “winked at” is a bad translation. It suggests that God looked upon paganism with a kindly tolerance. The right translation is “overlooked.” The meaning is that God chose not to bring immediate judgment on the nations, although they deserved His judgment because they neglected Him. Paul declared that the time for removing their ignorance was here. God commanded every man to repent of their sins or face judgment that will surely come. <br /><br />God has appointed a day of judgment and appointed a Judge. The Judge would be a man, but not an ordinary man. God certified this man by raising Him from the dead. Paul’s sermon received a mixed reaction: some reacted to his sermon with out right mockery; others treated Paul with a little more respect by insisting they would listen to him at some later time. But Paul evidently viewed their words as merely an excuse to get away from listening to him for he walked away and made no effort to witness to them again. As Paul walked away, a small band of Greeks followed him and identified themselves with Christ. Among them was Dionysius the Areopagit. His name means that he was a member of the court that had just heard Paul’s teachings. The leading woman who believed in Christ was Damaris. Besides these two, there were others as well, so Paul did not view his time in Athens as a complete failure. <br /><br /><strong>Questions/Answers <br />1. What does the word agora mean? </strong><br />Agora means “market place” which contained more open space and was designed to be the center of public life. <br /><br /><strong>2. Who were the Epicureans? </strong><br />They were Greek philosophers who belonged to a school founded by Epicurus about 306 B.C. Their aim in life was pleasure. The Epicureans believed they could find happiness by seeking that which brought physical and mental pleasure and by avoiding that which brought pain. <br /><br /><br /><strong>3. What is Stoicism? </strong><br />The doctrine of the Stoics is a Greek school of philosophy that taught that human being should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, submissive to natural law, and calmly accepting all things as the result of divine will. <br /><br /><strong>4. Who was Dionysius the Areopagit? </strong><br />Areopagit was a member of the supreme council of Athens. He became a Christian after hearing Paul’s sermon. Nothing else is known of him except tradition. One tradition says he was martyred in Athens during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Domitian. <br /><br /><strong>5. Who was the woman named Damaris? </strong><br />Damaris was a women converted by Paul’s sermon in Athens on mars hill. The fact that she is mentioned with Dionysius the Areopagit may suggest that she was a woman of distinction.<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-26756640189785101502008-11-26T03:28:00.004-05:002008-11-26T03:38:44.384-05:00Acts Chapter 16<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Timothy Joins Paul and Silas/Philippian Jailer Converted</strong><br /><br />At the close of chapter 15 we saw Paul and Barnabas parted ways after disputing about taking John Mark on their missionary journey. Paul departed with Silas, a leader in the Jerusalem church, and traveled to Derbe and Lystra, cities where Paul and Barnabas had visited on their first missionary journey (Acts 14: 6-7). From Derbe he retraced the steps of his first missionary journey in reverse order, going next to Lystra. In Lystra Paul found a young man named Timothy (Timotheus). 2 Tim. 1:5 informs us that Timothy was raised by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice who were Jews. Timothy’s father was a Greek which was a known fact in the cities of Lystra and Derbe. <span class="fullpost">Paul sought to take Timothy with him on his second missionary journey, but the fact that Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and Greek father this to the Jews, meant that he was a half-breed like a Samaritan. The hindrance to using Timothy as a helper did not arise, however, because he was a half-breed. The hindrance came between everyone knew he was not a circumcised Jew.<br /> <br />Paul realized that if he brought a man like Timothy into the ministry some Jews would raise an objection. Yet everyone knew that Paul did not require circumcision of converted Gentiles. In every city that Paul visited he read the decrees of the Jerusalem council, exempting new converts from circumcision. To silence any possible objections to Timothy presence on the missionary team, Paul took and circumcised him. Timothy was not required to submit to circumcision, but he voluntarily did this to overcome any barriers to his witness for Christ. The phrase “and so were the churches established in faith” does not imply that Paul had just established these churches, but that the churches already there were “strengthened” and increased in numbers daily. <br /> <br />The missionary team then ventured out into new territory. They entered the heart of Asia Minor and toured the regions of Phrygia and Galatia. They then decided to swing south, toward the major cities in the lower portion of Asia Minor, but the Holy Spirit refused them permission to go in that direction. Then after moving westward into Mysia, they thought of turning north along a course that would take them into Bithynia, the province along the Black sea. But again the Spirit denied them. The only way left was for them to go toward the west. So, they moved on to Troas on the northwestern side of Asia Minor. Why did the Spirit prevent the Apostles from going south and north, but allowed them to go west? The Holy Spirit was leading them out of Asia Minor altogether. The Spirit wanted them to take a great leap and take the gospel to another continent, the continent of Europe. <br /> <br />At Troas, Paul had a vision that came to him at night. He saw a man of Macedonia (a Roman province) who called out for help. The next day Paul had no doubt that the vision came from God. Before leaving Asia, Paul and Silas added an important member to their team. In verse 10 Luke uses the pronoun “we”. This is the first occurrence of the first-person pronoun in the book of Acts. In a humble way, Luke wants little attention as possible. He joined Paul on the eve of his departure for Europe. For many years to come Luke will be a faithful companion of Paul. Immediately they set sail for Macedonia. Leaving from Troas, they went straight to the island of Samothrace, midway between Asia and Europe, and the next day they arrived at Neapolis, a port city in the province of Thracia. A short journey to the west brought them to Philippi, an important city of Macedonia. Unlike many cities in the region, it was a Roman colony, therefore, its culture was predominantly Roman (Latin) rather than Greek.<br /> <br />On the Sabbath day, Paul and his companions were searching for people to preach the gospel when they discovered that certain women who revered the God of Israel met every Sabbath beside a river for prayer. They went to the meeting place and began speaking to the women assembled there. One named Lydia, originally from Thyatira in Asia Minor but now a resident of Philippi, listened carefully to the words of Paul. She was a successful business woman who sold purple fabric, which was one of the chief products of Philippi. The Lord opened her heart to the words of Paul and she believed his words gladly. Then she must have gone home and brought her whole family to hear the Apostles for we read that soon after her conversion, apparently on the same day, her household came to Christ. Since the Scripture does not mention her husband, we can surmise that she herself was head of the household. Immediately she and her household were baptized according to the practice of the early church.<br /> <br /> Being grateful for the message of salvation, she insisted that they stay for awhile at her home. Her ability to furnish them with a place to stay may suggest that she was a wealthy woman. It is interesting to note here that Luke does not mention Paul and company visiting any Synagogues. One day a girl followed the Apostles who cried out repeatedly, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation”. She was perfectly correct, but Paul resented her words and became grieved. Why? She was possessed by the Devil, a spirit of divination. That is, the evil spirit within her enabled her to tell people’s fortunes. Finally Paul had enough and turning toward the possessed young girl commanded in the name of Jesus Christ that the demon depart from her. The translation, “and he came out the same hour”, leave the impression that the demon did not obey until an hour later. That is not the meaning of the statement. The meaning is that the demon left without delay, at the very same time Paul spoke his command. <br /> <br />The girl did not have her own fortune-teller business. Rather she was a slave working to earn money for her master who was an occultic pimp. After the demon left her work in divination vanished. The change was so quick that when her customers discovered she had no more power they stopped seeking her counsel. His income dried up and he was furious. Paul and Silas was arrested and charged with disturbing the city. The charges against them were vague at the least. In the Roman Empire, there were two very different laws: one for citizens of Rome and one for those who were not citizens. Roman citizens had specific civil rights which was zealously guarded. As were the non-citizens civil rights were subject to whims of both the multitude and the magistrate. Roman law permitted Jews to practice their religion, but not to proselytize Roman citizens.<br /> <br />Paul and Silas were brought before the magistrate and ordered that they be beaten with rods. The beating was extremely severe, amounting to “many stripes”. Then the magistrate cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them under tight security. To assure they would not escape, the jailer put them into the deepest part of the prison (dungeon), and put their feet in stocks. During the midnight hour while incarcerated in prison, Paul and Silas were in prayer and singing praises to God. Their confinement together became a worship service. Their torment became rejoicing. The whole prison heard their voices. At midnight, the two servants of God would be vindicated. God sent a great earthquake that rocked the foundation of the prison, opening every door and loosened every chain. Nothing could prevent Paul and Silas’ escape as well as the other prisoners. The jailer wakened from his sleep by the trembling of the prison, came quickly and found all the cell doors open. The jailer assumed that all the prisoners had made their escape. The jailer knew full well what the penalty was for losing a prisoner. He therefore resolved to kill himself in a more dignified manner. He took out his sword with the intent of falling upon it.<br /> <br />Before he could commit suicide, Paul called out to the jailer not to harm himself assuring him that all the prisoners were accounted for. Finding the prisoners in place, the jailer fell at the feet of Paul and Silas with inexpressible gratitude and asked “what must I do be saved?” The answer of the Apostles is a classic statement of the gospel in its simplest form: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thou house”. They emphasized the need to believe on Jesus’ full name, which distinguishes him from all the Jesuses that have been invented by false religions. The jailer and the jailer’s whole family received the truth of Paul’s gospel gladly, becoming disciples of Christ. The jailer showed compassion for his new brothers in Christ, by washing their wounds. As soon as they were able the jailer and his household were baptized by Paul and Silas. The jailer took the former prisoners home and set meat before them rejoicing.<br /><br /> On the morning after an earthquake strikes a city, there is much turmoil as people assess damage and look for victims. But Luke’s account gives no hint that the city suffered any effects of the earthquake. The magistrates met and reconsidered what they had done. They had punished two men without due process. To protect themselves, they immediately sent their sergeants to the jailer with word to release Paul and Silas. Paul was not willing, however, to pass over the injustice without protest. For the first time, he revealed that he and Silas were Roman citizens. Paul informed the jailer that they had been mistreated not only by being denied a trial, but also by being subject to an illegal punishment. Roman citizens were protected by law from a beating or any other punishment that brought them into public disgrace. <br /> <br />Not leaving quietly, Paul insisted that the magistrates come themselves and release him and Silas. Such a gesture would be an admission that they had acted without cause. Paul’s ultimatum was effective. When told that they were Roman citizens, the magistrates became afraid. They went to the prison and begged Paul and Silas to depart the city. Now that Paul had made his point, he was ready to leave. After a brief visit at the house of Lydia, where they met the believers and consoled them because circumstances would not allow them to remain, they departed from Philippi and journeyed toward the south.<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/Answers: <br />1. What does the word “divination” mean?</strong> <br />Divination implies occult practices such as fortune-telling and witchcraft which was common among the pagan nations of the ancient world. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 mentions the following specific occult practices that were forbidden by the Law of Moses.<br /> <br /><strong>2. What did the Apostles means by the phrase “and thy house”?</strong> <br />Some in tradition of covenant theology used this statement to support the idea that even the unsaved children of Christian parents participate in a covenant relationship with God. But this is not the true meaning of the phrase. The Apostles were merely explaining who could be saved by believing on Jesus Christ. At first they said “thou”. Then by attaching the phrase “and thy house”, they broadened the invitation to include the man’s family. The proof that this is the right interpretation is what happened next. The Apostles witness to his family with the evident desire that they believe also. <br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-72507361337663864892008-11-24T15:46:00.005-05:002008-11-24T16:02:37.196-05:00Acts Chapter 15<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Jerusalem Council/Circumcision Question Answered</strong><br /><br /> Not long after Paul and Barnabas finished their missionary work and returned to Antioch, the church there was visited by some believers from Judea. They were evidently men of high reputation because church leaders allowed them to address the brethren. When they stood before the assembly, they began teaching a doctrine that the people in Antioch had never heard before. They said the Gentile could not be saved unless he was circumcised. What they really meant was that a Gentile who converted to faith in Christ had to become a Jew. <span class="fullpost">The real problem for the Jewish Christians was not over whether Gentiles could be saved, but whether Gentiles had to adhere to the laws of Moses. They were worried because soon there would be more Gentile than Jewish Christians, and the Jews were afraid of weakening moral standards among believers if they did not follow Jewish laws. Paul, Barnabas and other church leaders believed that the Old Testament laws were important, but it was not a prerequisite to salvation. The law cannot save; faith in Jesus Christ is what a person must have to be saved.<br /><br />The teaching that the uncircumcised Gentiles could not be saved caused a great stir among the people. If the men from Judea were correct, then all the work that Paul and Barnabas accomplished was for nothing because they did not circumcised anyone. Therefore, Paul and Barnabas opposed their teaching vigorously. When Luke says that there was “no small dissension and disputation,” he means that the debate threatened to tear the church apart. Whether these men from Judea were saved, we do not know for sure. But they were certainly Satan’s tools. He gained control of them by working on their pride. Conviction based on one’s trust in God’s word is one thing, conviction based on confidence in tradition, education and lifelong habits are another. These Pharisees who wanted to circumcise the Gentiles were simply asserting themselves. They felt they were God’s chosen defenders of truth. They set themselves against men such as Paul and Barnabas, the true defenders of the gospel truth.<br /><br />The New Testament is filled with warnings against false doctrine. Three of its characteristics are illustrated in the dispute that arose at Antioch. First, it normally enters the church through leaders who look like real Christians (Matt. 7:15-20; 2 Pet. 2:1-2). Their motivation is never wholesome or benevolent. Rather, they are moved by wickedness, whether pride, greed, or lust (2 Pet. 2:10, 13-14). Eventually they draw people out of the church into a heretical cult (1 John 2:18-19). In Acts 15 we do not see anyone leave the church, but the false doctrine that first appeared in this chapter later produced a schism. Even after the Apostles declared that Gentiles need not be circumcised, some Jewish believers persisted in teaching the opposite and aggressively spread their doctrine. They targeted churches established by Paul and tried to convince the converts that they needed to become circumcised Jews.<br /> <br />As the believers in Antioch heard the dispute between the men from Judea and Paul, they were uncertain who was right. Wanting to follow the right doctrine, they decided to send Paul and Barnabas along with others to consult with the Apostles in Jerusalem. The delegation did not go straight to their destination. They took the round about way and went through Phoenicia and then Samaria. Their purpose was to visit as many churches as possible and to share the exciting news that many Gentiles had received the gospel. Coming finally to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas again told of the wonderful work of God’s blessings on their missionary journeys. The reception of Paul and Barnabas in Jerusalem was less enthusiastic than in other churches. Jerusalem was a city that was basically run by the powerful Pharisaical party that openly and strongly opposed the message that the Apostles preached. They immediately opposed Paul and Barnabas. They understood that they preached to the Gentiles, but they did not circumcise them, thus they were not Jews. With the dispute going no where the church leaders decided to gather and hammer out an official position. Even among the leaders there was a difference of opinion. Finally, Peter took the floor and rendered his judgment. He presented three arguments. He reminded the church that God had sent him down to Cornelius house (a Gentile, see Acts 10 ) so that by his mouth Cornelius and his household should hear the gospel. When they heard the gospel, the Lord gave them the Holy Spirit just as He had gave the Spirit to the Jews. Peter’s great point was that even though they received the Holy Spirit by faith, they were not circumcised. If God saved the Gentiles at Cornelius’s house without circumcision, why should the church impose circumcision on anyone else? Peter reminded them that the Law of Moses had always been a burden upon the backs of the people (Jews) which they could never bear themselves, how could they expect the Gentiles to bear it? Peter stated that Jews no less than Gentiles are saved by grace. Salvation is for anyone–Jew or Gentile, it is by God’s grace (vs.11) and is by faith (vs. 9; see Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8). <br /><br />Then Paul and Barnabas raised and spoke of the miracles that God had enabled them to perform among the Gentiles. These miracles were proof that their missionary journeys had the blessings and backing of God. As an act of grace, God showed Himself to the Gentiles so that they might believe on Him. Thus, they were saved by grace and not by their own merit or works. After they spoke, James the church leader (the Lord’s brother), whose voice carried a lot of weight rose to address the church. James refers to Peter’s mission to Cornelius’ house to show Peter that there were no longer a separation between Jew and Gentile. He reminded the church that salvation of the Gentiles was prophesied in the Old Testament. He quotes Amos 9:11-12, which states that God’s ultimate purpose is to bring people into the house of God from all over the world. James sided with Peter’s judgment that to impose circumcision upon the Gentiles converts would be wrong. It would merely trouble them and discourage them from continuing in the ways of God.<br /> <br />James entered a motion that the council send the gentiles a command to observe three rules: (1) that they abstain from pollution of idols–in other words, that they refrain from eating meat previously dedicated to a pagan god, (2) that they abstain from fornication, and (3) that they consume no blood, whether in liquid form or in meat from strangled animals. By “things strangled” he meant animals from which the blood had not been properly drained (Lev. 17:10-14). Missing from these rules was the rite of circumcision. James concluded his statement that the new rules would not lead to the neglect of the Old Testament. The writings of Moses would continue to be read and revered wherever there were Jews. The letter sent by the Apostles and elders confirmed the findings of the council. The church’s admiration for Paul and Barnabas is evident by the words our dear friends and their acknowledging that Paul and Barnabas risked their lives for our Lord Jesus Christ. Significantly, the letter referred to the Holy Spirit as the author in this truth. There were two other men that traveled with Paul and Barnabas. One named Judas (surnamed Barsabas) and Silas, both leaders of the church in Jerusalem. <br /><br />Although the letter was written to all the churches, the place where the controversy began was Antioch. They went straight to the city of Antioch. After reading the letter and hearing the good news of the council decision the multitude, both Jews and gentiles, responded with much rejoicing. Judas and Silas stayed in Antioch so that they might continue the work of strengthening the believers. After spending some time in Antioch, Paul approached Barnabas and suggested that they go back to Asia Minor and revisit the churches they had established. Barnabas agreed and began to make ready for the trip. Barnabas considered taking along John Mark, the same John Mark who had forsaken them on their first missionary journey (13:13). Paul objected to taking John Mark along because he did not think of him as trustworthy. Both of these great men could not agree. They parted with Barnabas taking John Mark and Paul choosing Silas. The church at Antioch knew Paul well so Paul and Silas were commended by the brothers to the grace of God. They traveled to Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches. <br /><br /><strong>Questions/Answers: </strong><br /><strong>1. Who were the men in verse 1 that came down from Judea with this new teaching? </strong><br />These men were called Judaizers who came preaching that the Gentiles had to be circumcised in order to receive salvation. In other words, they must become Jews. They opposed Paul’s teaching and found it difficult to set aside a tradition of gaining merit with God by keeping the law. This is why the Jerusalem council had to take up the issue. <br /><br /><strong>2. What was the importance of circumcision? </strong><br />Circumcision was a covenant God made with Abraham that set the nation of Israel apart from the Gentile nations (Gen. 17:10-14). <br /><br /><strong>3. Who is Simeon in vs. 14?</strong> <br />Simeon is another name for the Apostle Peter (Matt. 16:17). <br /><br /><strong>4. Who is Silas? </strong><br />Silas was a prominent member of the Jerusalem church and a companion of Paul. He was with Paul on his second missionary journey. In Paul’s Thessalonians letters he refers to Silas as Silvanus. (Acts 16:19, 25, 29; 17:4, 14-15; 18:5; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1). <br /><br /><strong>5. Who was Judas (surnamed Barsabas)? </strong><br />Judas was a disciple in the Jerusalem church.<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-42677382962383616352008-11-20T19:49:00.003-05:002008-11-20T19:54:22.518-05:00Acts Chapter 14<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Gospel Message to a New City</strong><br /><br /> After leaving Antioch in Asia Minor, Paul and Barnabas moved inland to Iconium, another city where the population was a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. They then followed their familiar pattern of evangelism; they went into the synagogues first. For many weeks, they declared Christ to the Jews and God-fearers who gathered for worship. Their preaching was a huge success. The number who believed among the Jews and Gentiles were a great multitude. The success of the Apostles did not come without opposition from the unbelieving Jews. Some of the Jews resented the new teachings and angrily rejected it.<span class="fullpost"> In their daily interaction with the Gentiles, they slandered Paul and Barnabas causing even the Gentiles to rise up against them. Even though God gave the Apostles the power to do great miracles as proof that it was of His power, the people was still divided. Because of the hostilely of the unbelieving Jews and the threat to stone them, Paul and Barnabas fled into Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia. There they began to preach the gospel .While preaching in Lystra Paul encountered a man who was lame from birth. Paul being filled with the Holy Spirit perceived that the lame man had faith to be healed and commanded the man to stand upright and walk.<br /> <br />The miracle led to results Paul and Barnabas never anticipated. By the miracle being performed in a public place and in a short time, everybody knew about it. The people flocked to the Apostles claiming that they were gods who came down from heaven in the likeness of men. The town folks even had names for them. Barnabas was called Jupiter and Paul was called Mercurius. Jupiter and Mercurius were two popular gods in the Roman world. There was a local tradition that these two gods had visited the city once in the past and seeing what took place, they decided that they had come again. When Paul and Barnabas saw the priest bring a sacrifice they recognized that things had gotten out of control. They rush among the people and rent (torn) their clothes crying out that they should stop because they were mere ordinary men such as themselves. Paul told them that God has never been far from their lives. He has always been the source of every good thing. From Him came refreshing rain, plenty harvests and satisfying food. Until now He had allowed the nations to walk in their own way. Even then, however they had evidence of the existence of God in creation and in providence. Paul message had its desired result. The people reluctantly ceased from their intention of offering sacrifices to the Apostles.<br /><br />Jews from Pisidia Antioch and Iconium caught up with Paul and Barnabas in Lystra. They succeeded in turning the people against them. The same crowd that wanted to reverence them as gods now stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that they had killed him. The Scripture does not tell us if Paul was really dead, but what it does tell us is the commitment of the man named Paul. Paul and Barnabas departed for Derbe the next day. In Derbe, the Apostles had the rare opportunity to preach in peace without opposition. They saw many turn to Christ and they were able to spend time discipling them. Afterward, they traced their steps through the cities where they had already established churches. It appears that they entered each city unnoticed and stayed only a short time because there is no record of further opposition. Yet, they stayed long enough to accomplish several key objectives: (1) They “confirmed” (strengthened) the believers by teaching sound doctrine, (2) hey warned them that the only path to the kingdom of God leads to many days of trouble; (3) They ordained elders for every church. That is, they chose men who could serve as pastor-teachers and (4) they gave time to prayer and fasting. The theme of their prayer was to seek God’s blessing upon His work. After returning home (Antioch of Syria) and without delay, they summoned the whole church and told them everything that happened on their missionary journey (mainly how God open the doors to the Gentiles to receive salvation). Paul and Barnabas lodged in Antioch for a good long time.<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/Answers: <br />1. What does the word “rent” means?</strong><br />Tearing or pulling garments apart, often as a sign of mourning: Gen. 37:34; Lev. 10:6; 21:10; 1 Sam. 4:12 etc., repentance: Gen. 37:29; Josh. 7:6 etc., blasphemy: Matt. 26:65; Mark 14:63. <br /> <br /><strong>2. Who were Jupiter and Mercurius? </strong><br />Jupiter the Latin name of Zeus king of the Greek gods. The King James Version translates Zeus as Jupiter. Mercurius in the King James (Mercury) was the Greek god of commerce, science, invention, and cunning. He also served as messenger and herald for the other gods. Hermes was identified by the Romans with Mercury.<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-88935376638151020102008-11-20T18:32:00.004-05:002008-11-20T18:46:14.824-05:00Acts Chapter 13<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Saul and Barnabas Are Commissioned by God</strong><br /><br /> Acts chapter 13: 28-31 deals with the ministry to the Gentiles and the spread of the church around the world. Paul replaces Peter as the central figure in the book. Paul completes three missionary journeys and ends up imprisoned in Jerusalem and transported to Rome to stand trial. The city of Antioch becomes the central base of operation. The book of Acts ends, abruptly, showing that the history of the church is not yet complete.<span class="fullpost"><br /> <br />In Acts 12:25 we learned that Saul, Barnabas and John Mark were all at the church at Antioch after returning from delivering the gift of support to the church in Judea. Saul and Barnabas were among the teachers and prophets there. Luke names three of the disciples there. They were Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, and one named Manaen. What is notable about this group is their racial, cultural and social diversity. Two are from North Africa (Simeon & Lucius), one is from Cyprus (Barnabas), one from Tarsus (Paul), one is from the holy land (John Mark), and the other (Manaen) Luke does not inform us where he is from. We know much about Barnabas (5:36; 11:22). Simeon called Niger (which means “black”) may have been the same Niger that carried the cross for Christ (Luke 23:26). Lucius of Cyrene was probably one of the men from Cyrene who first took the gospel to the Gentiles in Antioch (11:20). Manaen had ties to the royal family of Herod the great, ruler of the Jews when Jesus was born. In Greek, the expression “brought up with Herod” implies that they were childhood friends. This Herod Antipas was the one that beheaded John the Baptist and sent Jesus back to Pilate (Mark 6:14-29; Luke 23:6-12).<br /> <br />With the death of Herod, the church was again free to preach the gospel. The last great advancement in winning souls had been the addition of many Gentiles to the church in Antioch. Antioch (this Antioch is of Syria) will now become the springboard for the next great advancement. The Holy Spirit directed the Disciples to separate Saul and Barnabas for the work he has for them. He did not reveal exactly what that work would be. Rather, they would find out as they followed His (Holy Spirit) day-by day direction. The church spent much time in prayer and fasting. No doubt they asked God for strength and protection for them as they prepared to travel to dangerous places preaching the gospel. After praying and fasting, they laid hands on them. The laying of hands in this instance does not constitute ordination, but separation for a special task and the approval of its mission. The events leading to Saul’s first missionary journey show the way God usually puts new missionaries in the field. (1) God impressed on Saul and Barnabas his desire that they serve him as missionaries, (2) He confirmed to the church that these men were indeed called by God, (3) The church prayed for God’s blessings on their work, and (4) The church sent off the missionaries with the laying on of hands.<br /><br /> Saul and Barnabas traveled to the port city of Seleucia on the Mediterranean. The first place they went was Cyprus where the Jews had already heard the gospel. In Salamis, one of the principle cities, they followed a strategy that Saul used throughout his years of ministry. They focused on the Jews first, going into all the Synagogues and preaching on the Sabbath. John Mark became the third member. Saul and Barnabas eventually made their way to Paphos, another principle city on the island. This Paphos was the capital of Cyprus. They went to the home of the governor, Sergius Paulus, described as a “prudent man”. That is, he was wise and discerning and he took an interest in the message of Saul and Barnabas. Yet he had come under the influence of another Jewish religious teacher, a false prophet and sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, also called Elymas. The fact that he was Jewish is not surprising because many Jews engaged in various forms of magical practices during this era. As Saul and Barnabas preached to the Governor, Elymas realized that if the governor believed in Jesus he would be out of a job. He stood and tried to argue with them. Finally, Saul grew so annoyed that he sharply rebuked Elymas, calling him a child of the devil and an enemy of righteousness. Saul who is now called Paul, called on the Lord to strike Elymas with blindness for “a season” (that is, temporarily). He immediately lost his sight. The motive behind Saul’s harsh treatment of Elymas was not anger or spite. Saul was controlled not by the flesh but by the Holy Spirit. Paul remembered his experience on the road to Damascus that blindness is very useful for humbling a proud man. He brought physical blindness on Elymas in hope that it would open his spiritual eyes. After witnessing this event, the governor believed and came to the Lord.<br /> <br />With their success in Paphos Paul and Barnabas now sailed from there, intending to take the gospel to the vast unreached regions of Asia Minor. They landed on the southern coast at Perga in Pamphylia. For some reason not given, John Mark decided not to go along. Instead of giving more help to the cause, he went back to Jerusalem. Years later, Paul still viewed him as a quitter, but eventually Mark regained Paul’s respect. Paul and Barnabas did not stay in Perga, but traveled inland a short way to Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath they found the local Synagogue and sat down with the congregation. The service went according to custom. First, there was a reading from the Old Testament Scripture. Then, there was a sermon explaining and applying it. Recognizing Paul and Barnabas as teachers the rulers invited them to address the congregation. Paul accepting the invitation stood up to address the audience. In his opening words he addressed two kinds of people in the audience. There were Jews and there were “God fearers”. The term “God fearers” was a common way of describing Gentiles who regularly attended a Synagogue and worshipped the God of Israel.<br /><br />Like Stephen’s sermon before the Sanhedrin, Paul began with a review of the nation’s history. The lesson Stephen drew from this history was that the nation had always been rebellious. Paul on the other hand wanted to extract a very different lesson. He wanted to show God’s purpose in always being gracious to Israel. God had shepherd and preserved the nation so that someday it could produce the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Paul reminded the Jews of God’s disclosure to David and the Prophets that the Messiah would come from David’s line. Paul now made the sensational announcement that he had been preparing his audience to accept, that the Christ (Greek for “Messiah”) had recently come. He was Jesus. In just a few words, Paul presented a strong case that Jesus was the Christ. He was David’s seed, that is, a descendant of David. The Apostles could declare this fact without fear of contradiction because the truth was well known. During His lifetime, the crowds hailed Him as the Son of David (Matt.12:23; 9:27). John the Baptist, a man all Jews accepted as a Prophet of God, testified that Jesus was the Christ. John said that he was not worthy even to tie Jesus’ shoelace (Matt.3:11). In rejecting Jesus and sending Him to His death, the Jewish leaders brought to pass exactly what Scripture prophesied (Isaiah 53:5).<br /> <br />Paul explained that God raised Jesus from the dead. He then appeared to His own followers so that they could declare to all that He was alive (Acts 3:15; 10:39-41). Jesus’ resurrection fulfilled several prophecies in the Old Testament. Paul emphasized David’s prophecy in Psalm 16:10 that the Holy One would die, but not see corruption. The Jews though that David was speaking of himself, so Paul pointed out that David did see corruption after he died. Paul explained why it is important to believe in Jesus. By believing in Him, we gain two great benefits. First, we obtain forgiveness of sins and avoid the penalty we just deserve. Second, we are justified before God from all things which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses. The Jews though they could be justified by the law, but Paul declared they were mistaken (Rom. 3:28; 1Cor. 1:30; Gal. 2:15-16; 3:11; Phi. 3:7-9). Paul’s closing words were a stern warning. He quoted from the book of Habakkuk chapter 1 verse 5, which he applied to the future day when Christ would die for the sins of the world. When the world heard what Christ had done, many would not believe. Whoever despised Him and despised the message of salvation would perish in his sins.<br /> <br />Paul’s sermon hit the mark for some. After, the service the Jews left first as was the custom. The Gentiles wanted to hear more of Paul’s message and asked Paul to return on the next Sabbath. As they left outside the Synagogue, many Jews and proselytes followed them and listen as the Apostles exhorted them “to continue in the grace of God”. As the Gentiles requested, Paul and Barnabas returned on the following Sabbath. Paul’s preaching the good news a week earlier had caused a stir that nearly every Jew and Gentile in the city came to hear Paul preach again .Seeing such a massive crowd of people, the Jewish leaders had a mixture of jealousy and fear. They resented the Apostles’ ability to draw far more people than ever came to hear them, and they feared that if the new teaching was widely accepted, they would lose control of the Synagogue. Leadership would slip away from them. Accusing them of blasphemy, Paul and Barnabas stood boldly and rebuked the leaders. They stated that it was their duty to preach the gospel to them first. But seeing that they denied the words of God and have judged themselves unworthy of receiving ever lasting life they will now go to the Gentiles. Paul quotes Isaiah 49:6, which prophesied that Christ would provide salvation not for the Jews only but for the whole world.<br /> <br />The Gentiles were delighted at this turn of events, that they glorified the word of the Lord. Many more Gentiles believed the message of salvation and were saved. The new believers were so excited about the gospel that they quickly spread the message to the whole surrounding region. Meanwhile in Antioch, the Jews hostile to the Apostles were busy trying to stop them. They enlisted on their side a number of prominent people, both men and women. The women were devout Jews, very attached to their religious traditions. The leaders and the prominent women had enough power to make Paul and Barnabas leave the city. Paul and Barnabas were not defeated. They merely shook the dust of Antioch off their shoes and went on to another city (Iconium) where they continued preaching the gospel.<br /> <br /><strong>Questions/Answers<br />What does it means “to shake the dust off your feet”? </strong><br />Often Jews would shake the dust off their feet when leaving a Gentile town on the way back to their home. This symbolized cleansing themselves from contamination of those who did not worship the God of Israel. For Paul and Barnabas to do this to Jews implies that Jews who rejected the gospel were no better than pagans. Jesus had told His disciples to shake the dust off their feet of any village that would not accept or listen to them (Mark 6:11). The disciples were not to blame if the message was rejected as long as they had faithfully presented it.<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-91580629683625029382008-11-18T17:48:00.006-05:002008-11-18T18:20:05.335-05:00Acts Chapter 12<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Herod Harasses the Church/James t he Apostle is Martyred</strong><br /><br /> For several years after the conversion of Saul the church enjoyed some peace. Freedom from the persecutions allowed the church to grow. The disciples took the gospel to many places and won multitudes of Jews and Gentiles to Christ. The time of peace has now come to a close. Persecution will again raise its ugly head in the form one Herod Agrippa who was the most powerful ruler in the region. This is not the same Herod who slaughtered the infants in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:13-16), nor the same Herod who killed John the Baptist after John rebuked him for marrying his brother’s wife (Mark 6:14-29).<span class="fullpost"> Rather, Agrippa was the grandson of the first Herod (Herod the great) and the nephew of the second Herod (Herod Antipas). Agrippa was a skilled politician who made himself one of Caesar’s favorite .Caesar in turn granted him territory just as large as his grandfather’s, including the entire land of Palestine. While he pursued good relations with Rome he also sought the good favor of the Jewish leaders.<br /><br /> The time came when Herod decided to suppress the church. Herod might have unleashed a mass persecution, but instead he arrested one man, James the brother of John. James and John belonged to Jesus’ inner circle (Matt 17:1-17; 26:36-37; Mark 5:35-36; John 21:20; 19:25-27) which also included Peter. Herod’s arrest of James was an attempt to cripple the church, by striking down a leading figure. James was killed with “the sword” which implies like John the Baptist he was beheaded. Killing James the leader of the Jerusalem church would hopefully bring the others to a voice of silence. Delighted, the Jewish leaders loudly praised Herod for moving against the church. Getting their approval was what he (Herod) wanted, now he would step up his persecution by going after Peter a leader and the most vocal of the Apostles. Herod will deal with Peter at the opportune time.<br /> <br />Peter was arrested during the Passover (The day of unleavened bread which is a week long feast directly following Passover). This was a strategic move because there would be more Jews in the city than usual and now Herod could impress the most people. Peter was not killed on the spot because Herod wanted to wait until the end of the feast and then bring Peter before the people. He wanted to make a public spectacle out of Peter’s trial and execution. Peter being a high profile prisoner was delivered to four squads of soldiers and bounded with chains. All in all, sixteen soldiers guarded Peter. The church prayed fervently and without ceasing for the deliverance of Peter. It had been hard enough to lose Stephen and then James, but to lose their chief Apostle would have been devastating. The prayers of saints reached the ears of our Lord. Security at the prison was tight, escape seemed impossible (with God nothing is impossible) because Peter was sleeping between two soldiers chained to both of them, with a guard outside his cell. Every exit around the prison was guarded, and a large locked gate on the outside. But all of Herod’s measures were useless against God.<br /> <br />In the middle of the night, an angel of the Lord appeared to Peter (no one else heard a thing) and touch him and commanded him to rise and put on his cloak. It is interesting that Peter was sleeping like a baby. His ability to find rest on the night before his execution shows that he became a man of great courage and faith. Although the angel was instructing Peter and with the light in his cell, Peter is still half asleep thinking he is seeing a vision. After leading Peter out of the prison and through the front gate (which opened by itself), the angel departed. Peter finally come to his senses and realize that God has just delivered him from the hands of Herod. After his deliverance from prison by the angel of God Peter goes to the house of Mary where all are in prayer. Luke here mentions John Mark whom Saul/Paul identifies as the cousin of Barnabas (Col.4:10). This John Mark is the author of the Gospel of Mark. Like Saul/Paul John is his Jewish name and Mark is Greek name. Many scholars believe that this is the house where the 120 disciples received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-12). When Peter knocked on the door, a young women named Rhoda came to the door. Hearing the voice of Peter she was so overcome with joy that she never opened the door and left Peter outside, rushing back to tell the others that Peter was knocking at the door. The disciples did not believe her. Believing that the young Rhoda was mad, they tried to convince her it was Peter’s angel.<br /> <br />As Peter stood outside still knocking, someone at last beside Rhoda heard him. The disciples were amazed that Peter stood before them. They probably wanted to shout, but Peter motioned to keep quiet for fear they might awaken their neighbors and betray his presence. Peter began to tell them how the Lord delivered him from the hands of Herod. He wanted them to go quickly and report to James and other believers the series of events that just took place. This James is the brother of Jesus and the author of the Book of James. He assumed leadership of the Jerusalem church. Peter left the house of John Mark and went to another place which the Bible does not name. The following morning, the guards made an awesome discovery. The prisoner is gone. The guards are in a panic because they know what the dire consequences will be. Everyone would be punished which in turn meant death.<br /> <br />Herod is furious that his prized prisoner has escaped. After questioning the people involved he orders their executions. After this miraculous event, Herod leaves and goes down to Caesarea where he lives. Tyre and Sidon were coastal cities that were free and self-governing but economically dependent on Judea. We don’t know why Herod was displeased with them, but we see representatives from those cities trying to appease him through an intermediary named Blastus. Herod knew that when the people shouted out that he was the voice of a god and not a man, he should have refused such praised. He should have given God the glory, for his abilities as a ruler and an orator. Dressed in all his fine royal apparel and sitting upon his throne he accepted the title “god”. The angel of the lord struck him a deadly disease. Herod was literally eaten alive from the inside out by maggots or worms. After the death of Herod the church again enjoyed a time of peace. The church and the word of God continued to grow.<br /><br /> After depositing the famine relief money with the elders at Jerusalem (11:27-30), Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch. They took with them John Mark (13:5).<br /> <br /><strong>Questions/Answers? <br />Why was the Roman soldiers executed? </strong> <br />Under Roman law, if guards allowed their prisoners to escape they were subject to death. (See also Acts.16:16-34).<br /><br /> <strong>What is a damsel?</strong> <br />In the Hebrew it is the word “naarah” which implies a female child servant (Strong's 5291). In the Greek the word is “paidiske” which means female slave or servant (Strong's 3814)<br /><br /><strong>Reference:</strong><br />Strong, J. (1990). <span style="font-style: italic;">The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible</span>. Nashville, TN: Nelson<br /><br /><br /></span></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-32398541825174093342008-11-14T21:28:00.003-05:002008-11-14T21:40:11.103-05:00Acts Chapter 11<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Peter Justifies His Ministry to the Gentiles</strong><br /><br /> The news that Peter had preached to Cornelius’s household and won them to Christ spread quickly throughout the churches of Judea. Peter was called back to Jerusalem to explain to those of the “circumcision” (Jews), who had become offended. They sharply criticized Peter. The charge against Peter was simply “you who are a devout and faithful Jew was associating and eating with the unclean Gentiles”. Peter simply summarized the whole event leading up to association with Cornelius and his household. Peter explained that it was the will of God that Gentiles are to be considered clean and that he was to preach Christ to them. He testified that when the Gentiles heard the message of Christ, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as the Spirit fell on the Jews on the day of Pentecost.<span class="fullpost"> In conclusion, Peter justified his ministry to the Gentiles by arguing that he did not dare to “withstand God”. The intellectual questions ended and the theological discussion stopped with the report that God had given the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. They rejoiced in the Lord. This was a major turning point for the early church. They had to accept those whom God had chosen, even if they were Gentiles.<br /> <br />The wave of disciples that fled Jerusalem after the death of Stephen (Acts 7:59) confined their ministry to the Jews. They made converts in Phoenicia (on the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine), Cyprus (a large Mediterranean island west of Palestine), and Antioch (a city in Syria, north of Palestine). After God led Peter to share the gospel with Cornelius, other disciples began to seek out Gentile audiences. Some of the Jews won to Christ in Cyrus and Cyrene (a city on the North African coast of the Mediterranean, west of Egypt) came to Antioch where Jewish churches already existed. But now that the gospel had broken down the wall between Jews and Gentiles, the newcomers saw a need to evangelize the Greeks. They sought them out and gave them the gospel. Through the power of God, many believed. Almost overnight, a strictly Jewish church became a church with perhaps as many Gentiles as Jews.<br /><br /> It was in Antioch that Christianity was launched on its worldwide mission and where the believers aggressively preached to Gentiles. News of what was happening in Antioch soon reached the ears of Jerusalem. Now there was no controversy. Peter’s defense of his visit to Cornelius’s house had silenced all opposition including Gentiles in the church. Instead of provoking an argument, the news brought joy. The leaders in Jerusalem decided to send Barnabas to Antioch to investigate what they were hearing and to facilitate the work there. Barnabas found ample evidence of the mighty hand of God at work. He rejoiced at what he witnessed. The grace of God had radically transformed the new believers, leaving no room for doubt, that they were truly saved. Barnabas being full of the Holy Spirit and true to the meaning of his name (“son of encouragement) encouraged the believers and rejoiced with them.<br /><br /> Barnabas could have easily taken this opportunity to expand his own ministry and further his own importance, but being a man full of the Holy Spirit does a selfless and strategic thing, he seeks out Saul of Tarsus. Realizing that a man with Saul’s education and gifts was well suited to teach highly cultured Greeks, Barnabas was the first Jerusalem disciple to believe in the authenticity of Paul’s conversion and had confidently introduced him to the Apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27-29). For a whole year Barnabas and Saul worked as a team in teaching and preaching the disciples. At about this time a new name was coined for the followers of Christ. They were called Christians. At about this time there were serious food shortages during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius (A.D 41-54) because of a drought that extended across much of the Roman Empire. It was significant that the church in Antioch assisted the church in Jerusalem. The daughter church had grown enough to be able to assist the established church. The people of Antioch were motivated to give generously because they cared for the needs of others. This is “cheerful giving”) which the Bible commands (2 Cor. 9:7). The aid was entrusted to Barnabas and Saul to take to Jerusalem. These two men were doubtless chosen because both were highly regarded and personally known to church leaders.<br /><br /> <strong>Question/answers: <br />What does the term “Christian” means? </strong> <br />The word occurs three times in the new testament The designation of the early followers of Christ as Christians was initiated by the non-Christian population of Antioch (Acts 11:26) and originally it was probably a term of mocking or derision–“little Christ”. Eventually, however, Christians used it of themselves as a name of honor not of shame (Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Prior to their adoption of the name, the Christians called themselves believers (Acts 5:14), brothers (Acts 6:3), or saints (Acts 9:13), names which also continued to be used today.<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-383235188030041572008-11-13T21:08:00.004-05:002008-11-13T21:15:03.854-05:00Acts Chapter 10<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Peter at Cornelius’ House</strong><br /><br /> Not far from Joppa was another coastal city, Caesarea. There lived a Roman centurion named Cornelius of the Roman army. A centurion was the commander of about one hundred men. This Caesarea, sometimes called Palestinian Caesarea, was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 32 miles north of Joppa, the largest and most important port city on the Mediterranean in Palestine. Cornelius was a Gentile (not a Jew), and yet Scripture described him as a devout man, faithful in good works and in a life of prayer. How did it happen that a Gentile with a background in a heathen religion of Rome came to worship the true God? Cornelius was not alone. In his day, the Jewish religion attracted many followers. In the synagogues throughout the Roman world, the congregation was a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, called “God fearers”.<span class="fullpost"> Although most of these Gentiles did not go through all the rituals necessary to be considered actual Jews, they separated themselves from paganism and kept the moral law of God. Cornelius was a God-fearer so outstanding in his piety that God chose him to be the first Gentile-convert to Christianity.<br /><br /> <br />About the ninth hour of the day (3 PM), an angel appeared to him while in prayer. Seeing such an angel he became afraid. But the angel calmed his fears by assuring him that God was pleased with his prayers and his alms. The angel instructed Cornelius to send for once named Simon surnamed Peter down in the city of Joppa and follow his instructions. Cornelius commanded three trusted servants, two from his household and a Roman solider. It is quite possibly that the Roman solider could have been a God-fearer himself. While Cornelius’ men were on their way to Joppa, Peter was having a quite day at the house of Simon the tanner. At about the sixth hour (12:00 noon), Peter went to the roof top for prayer. After spending time with the Lord in prayer, Peter became hungry and asked for some food. While waiting for the food, Peter fell into a trance (that is God took control of his mind while still awake). Peter saw a strange vision. A large sheet appeared in the sky and descended before his eyes. Riding on the sheet was a whole zoo of animals. Among the sheet were clean and unclean animals. Leviticus chapter 11 explains to the Jewish people what animals are clean and unclean. When this strange sheet stopped before his eyes a voice commanded Peter to “Rise Peter kill and eat”.<br /><br /> <br />Peter had no doubt that the animals were real, yet being a good Jew who always kept the laws, Peter refused to obey, even though he recognized the voice to be that of the Lord. Peter’s refusal to obey God brought a stern rebuke from the Lord. The Lord informed Peter “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common”. Again he was commanded to eat and again he refused. This was done three times until the sheet disappeared into the heavens. While Peter was trying to understand the vision, the men sent by Cornelius arrived at the gate belonging to Simon the tanner. Peter himself did not hear the men inquire about him, but the Spirit informed Peter that his attention was required and that he should go with them because He, the Spirit, sent them. When Peter came to the front gate, he asked their purpose. They identified themselves as messengers from Cornelius, a Roman centurion, but they quickly added that he Cornelius was no ordinary Gentile. He was a God-fearer highly respected by the Jewish community.<br /><br /> <br />After being explained why they were there, Peter raised no objection, but invited them to stay overnight until the next morning. This is the first direct encounter Peter has with a Gentile. As they ready to leave some of Peter’s brothers accompanied him down to Cornelius’ house. The men accompanying Peter will play an important role in what the Lord has planned for Peter. They will be able to corroborate what is about to happen at Cornelius’ house. At Cornelius’ house Peter found that Cornelius had assembled a large company, including many of his relative and close friends. Seeing Peter entering his house, Cornelius fell at Peter’s feet to worship him; Peter immediately refused the honor and, picked him up saying that “he is also a man”. This is a major point for Peter a devout Jew. Peter inform Cornelius that it is unlawful for a Jew to be associated with a Gentile who is considered unclean, but the Lord showed him that he should not call what He (the Lord) call clean, unclean. At this point I believe it is important to understand Peter’s vision. God expressed himself symbolically, using animals to represent people, because he was simultaneously canceling restrictions against both. He was declaring that Gentiles should not be treated as unclean, and also He was nullifying the dietary laws in the Old Testament. Putting these laws aside was necessary to enable the church to reach Gentiles.<br /><br /> <br />Peter asked why he was sent for. Cornelius replied by telling Peter of his encounter with the angel. Cornelius asked Peter to share with them the things God commanded. Peter began by marveling at God’s perfect justice. The Jews held themselves to be superior to other people, but God does not accept a man just because he is a Jew. Nor does he reject a man because he is a Gentile. As Peter said “God is no respecter of persons.” Peter then used language to describe how a man gain acceptance with God. He said the requirements are to fear God and work righteousness. Yet although Cornelius and perhaps other Gentiles listening to Peter had won a measure of acceptance with God, they were lacking a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To be saved, they needed to put their faith in Jesus. Therefore, Peter started his sermon by demonstrating that Jesus deserved their faith.<br /><br /> <br />The facts about Jesus’ life and death were already well known to Peter’s audience, as they were to everyone in Palestine. As he summarized the life and ministry of Jesus, Peter emphasized that Jesus was not just some famous man, He was the Christ promised by the Prophets. More than that, He was the Lord of all. Then Peter stressed the contrast between Jesus’ life and death. His life was devoted to doing good. Through the power of God’s Spirit, He cast out demons from those under the power of Satan. Yet what was the end of this good man? He was taken by the authorities and hung on a tree. Peter refers to the cross as a tree because to be hung from a tree was the most disgraceful death a Jew could imagine. Paul, paraphrasing the Law of Moses said, “cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13). But the injustice in Jesus’ death did not stand. God raised Him up on the third day after His burial. Jesus then showed himself to his disciples and appointed them to be witnesses everywhere of His resurrection. Peter was sure he saw the risen Lord. He was no ghost because they ate and drank together.<br /><br /> <br />Briefly, Peter spoke of God’s direction in his life. The risen Christ charged Peter and the other Apostles to go about preaching. Their message— the message that Cornelius and his loved ones wanted to hear was very simple: The one way of salvation is to believe in Jesus. Whoever believes in him will receive remission (Forgiveness) of sins and gain everlasting life. As Peter spoke of the things of the risen Lord the Holy Spirit fell upon those who heard the word with the unmistakable sign of speaking in tongues. These tongues were actual human languages, for the Jewish believers with Peter heard them magnifying God. It is important to take notice here that Peter did not lay hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit (as he and John did down in Samaria), but the Holy Spirit came spontaneously on them in response to Peter’s message concerning Christ. The Jewish believers were beside themselves because the Holy Spirit was poured out on these Gentiles. Peter realized that if God baptized these Gentiles with the Holy Spirit, he could not refuse to baptize them with water. Without delay, Cornelius and his household were baptized in the name of the Lord. Cornelius and his household were the first Gentiles converted to Christianity. Asking Peter to stay for a few days, allowed Peter to instruct them more fully in their new found faith<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-56131669201804926862008-11-12T23:20:00.004-05:002008-11-12T23:30:30.128-05:00Acts Chapter 9<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Conversion of Saul</strong><br /> <br />As our study continues we last encountered Saul in Acts 7:58 and in Acts 8:3, where he was consenting to the stoning of Stephen, and making havoc of the church. Luke will again introduce his readers to Saul the chief persecutor of the church. The persecution he unleashed scattered believers far and wide (8:1). They had to flee for their lives. But God in His great wisdom had a good purpose behind the trouble, for everywhere Christians went, they preached the gospel (8:4). One place of safety seemed to be Damascus, the leading city in Syria. The church there was probably founded by Jews who had been converted at Pentecost, but now their ranks were <span class="fullpost"> swelling by the people fleeing Jerusalem. The concentration of believers in Damascus came to Saul’s attention so he obtained authority from the high priest to seize them and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial. The Romans at this time were not exercising strong control over the Jewish leaders (most of them were on the Roman government side anyway). Taking prisoners in Damascus merely required the cooperation of the local Synagogues. So, armed with letters of authority Saul started on his way.<br /> <br />The question arises as to why would the Jews in Jerusalem wanted to persecute Christians as far away as Damascus? There are several possibilities: (1)To seize the Christians who had fled, (2) to prevent the spread of Christianity to other major regions, (3) to keep Christians from causing trouble with Rome, (4) to advance the career of Saul, and build his reputation as a true Pharisee, zealous of the law, and (5) to unify the factions of Judaism by giving them a common enemy.<br /><br /> With Saul on the road were several companions. As they drew near to Damascus, a brilliant flash of light from heaven engulfed the whole company. Saul would later say it was brighter than the sun (Acts 26:13). Those with Saul were greatly frightened (Acts 22:9). They stood motionless and speechless, unable to understand what was happening. The group heard a voice, but saw no one. The voice from heaven spoke to Saul in the Hebrew tongue (Acts 26:14). Saul heard the voice questioning him saying, “why persecutest thou me?” Saul was confused. He knew he was in the presence of a being so exalted that he must address him as Lord. In his confusion, he called out the pointless question, “who art thou Lord?” it was pointless because he gave the answer. Moreover, Paul could see the person speaking, for years later he listed himself among those who had seen the risen Christ (1cor.15:8). Saul now had come to the realization that he was in the presence of the risen Savior. Who else was he persecuting? Saul now perceived with horror that his tireless work to extinguish the church was nothing less than blasphemy, for he was desecrating the work of the Lord.<br /> <br />The Lord continued, “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Jesus was referring to ox goads, a sharp instrument used to get oxen moving. Only a stubborn ox would respond by kicking the goad and thus inflicting more pain upon itself. The presence of the glorious Lord tore away the pride of Saul, and for the first time in his life he uttered words that were entirely humble: “Lord what wilt thou have me to do?” In other words, “I acknowledge who you are, Lord, and I submit wholly to your leadership. “What is your will?” The Lord instructed Saul to rise and proceed to Damascus, where he would receive further instructions. Saul now blind was led by his friends into Damascus where his blindness would last for three days.<br /><br /> In the meantime, the Lord appeared in a vision to a faithful disciple named Ananias. He was instructed to go to Saul, who was at the house of one named Judas on a street named Straight. The Lord wanted Ananias to lay hands on Saul and restore his slight. Saul was instructed in a vision that Ananias was coming to restore his sight. Ananias feared Saul because of Saul’s violent reputation of persecuting the believers. Everywhere Saul went his reputation preceded him. The Lord patiently assured Ananias that Saul is now his chosen vessel to carry the gospel before the Gentiles, Kings, and to the Jews. Saul is informed he will suffer for the sake of Jesus. The first recorded man to consider Saul a Christian brother was Ananias. Any apprehension that Ananias had has now turned to love for his Jewish brother. The laying on of hands by Ananias had a two fold effect. Saul is not only healed from physical blindness but, also from spiritually blindness. Ananias baptized Saul and nourished him. After Saul received his sight and food, he was strengthened, not to continue his persecution of the disciples, but to begin his new mission for the risen Christ.<br /> <br />Saul remained for some time with the church in Damascus. Immediately he began to preach Christ in the Synagogues. The unconverted Jews were amazed, for they recognized Saul as the man who had come to arrest Christians. Some tried to argue with Paul, but like Stephen, Saul was not easily beaten in debate. In time, as his faith and knowledge grew, he confounded those who opposed him. Saul preaching stirred up such opposition that the Jews plotted to kill him (Stephen all over again). The persecutor has now become the persecuted. Saul’s Christian brothers helped him to escape certain death by lowering him down in a basket over the city walls. Saul experience took a strange turn; he entered blind and left in a basket. Saul immediately departed for Jerusalem where he wanted to get acquainted with the Apostles. Saul soon found out that joining the Apostles or disciples would not be easy. There was suspicion about the authenticity of his conversion, and they knew full well of Saul’s violent activities against the church. Many looked upon Saul’s conversion as a ruse to come among the believers and then continue his persecution. They were understandably fearful of him.<br /><br /> Barnabas who we first met in Acts 4:36 and one of the leaders, believed in Saul’s sincerity and brought him before the Apostles. He explained how Saul was converted on the road to Damascus and how he had been boldly preaching Christ to the point where they wanted to kill him. The Apostles’ suspicions disappeared. Saul was received as a brother, and allowed to fellowship freely with everyone in the church. During this time he spoke with Peter and James, the brother of the Lord (Gal.1:18-19). As he had done in Damascus, he began to confront unbelieving Jews in their Synagogues. Knowing Greek, Saul targeted the Greek-speaking Jews. This was good practice for him, since his calling would be to evangelize the Greek world. Saul’s efforts received the same results as those of Stephen, they sough to kill him. For his safety, the believers brought Saul down to Caesarea and from there to his home city, Tarsus. Saul’s conversion ended the persecution (for a while) that had scattered believers throughout the regions. The church enjoyed a brief time of rest rejoicing and walking in the fear of the Lord. Again many believers multiplied.<br /> <br />Luke shifts focus away from Saul and back to Peter. We last heard mentioned of Peter in Acts 8:25 when he returned back to Jerusalem with John from their work in Samaria. Peter now engages in a traveling ministry. Lydda known as Lod in the Old Testament was located eleven miles southwest of Joppa (today is Tel Aviv). Peter encountered a man named Aeneas who was afflicted with a severe affliction of paralysis of his legs. Whether he was already a believer, is not known. But Peter took compassion on him and declared that the Lord would make him whole. Peter commanded the man to arise and walk. His legs were strengthened and he arose instantly. News of the miracle spread rapidly throughout Lydda, and the neighboring region. Luke reports that all unbelievers in Lydda and Sharon accepted the gospel and turn to the Lord. While Peter was staying in Lydda, a Godly woman in the neighboring city of Joppa had died. This woman was greatly loved by the church because of all her good deeds. Like many people in Palestine, she bore two names, one Aramaic and one Greek. Both the Aramaic (Tabitha) and the Greek (Dorcas) signify “Gazelle”. Two men in the church at Joppa hurried down to Peter and asked him to come quickly with them. It was the Jewish custom to bury someone the same day to avoid corruption of the body. The question arises, if she was already dead, what did her friends expect Peter to do? They must have had faith enough to believe that Peter could bring her back to life. Jesus had informed the Apostles that they would perform greater works than Himself (John 14:12). Therefore the believer in Joppa believed that Peter could raise Dorcas, and so Peter rushed to her bedside, confident that he could perform a miracle. <br /> <br />When Peter arrived in Joppa, he found all the widows weeping over their fallen friend. After putting the widows out of the chamber, Peter kneeled by the body and prayed. Satisfying himself that the Lord’s will be done, he turned and commanded Tabitha to rise. Immediately she opened her eyes and sat up and Peter helped her to her feet. The believers did not keep what had just happened a secret. They eagerly spread the news and soon the whole city knew that a great miracle had been performed. As a result many believed and came to the Lord. After Peter work in Lydda and Joppa he stayed at the home of one called Simon the tanner. Residing at the home of a person whose occupation is that of a tanner poses a serious crisis. A tanner was one who converted animal skins into leather (the hides were soaked until all the fat, blood, and hair was removed). The trade of a tanner was despised by the Jews because it violated the ritual purity laws of not touching dead animals (Lev. 11:1-31). It appeared that Peter was less concerned at this point about staying at the home of a tanner. The word of God in Peter’s heart would be the ground work for what the Lord planned for peter in the following chapter.<br /> <br /><strong>Question/Answer:<br />In verse 2 the Scriptures states the phrase “This Way” what does it mean?</strong><br />This description of Christianity, derived from Jesus’ description of himself (John 14:6), the phrase appears several times in Acts (19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22).<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-63339097580105885852008-11-11T23:09:00.006-05:002008-11-11T23:23:07.963-05:00Acts Chapter 8<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Persecution of the Church/Ministry of Philip/Simon the Sorcerer/Peter and John Arrives/the Eunuch</strong><br /> <br />The murder of Stephen by the Jewish leaders was a great blow to the church. The church must have felt that it could not afford to lose a man of Stephen’s caliber. As a leader, he exemplified being filled with the Spirit. As an evangelist, he possessed boldness and an eloquence of speech that few at that time could match. Therefore, after his death, “devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made lamentation over him”. Stephen’s death was just the beginning of more persecution to come. The leaders who stoned Stephen turned their vicious wrath against the whole church in Jerusalem. The one in charge of this persecution was a young man named Saul. Saul went throughout the city, <span class="fullpost">house to house rounding up all believers and throwing them in jail. This persecution of death drove thousands out of the city (Jerusalem). Although the Apostles remained in Jerusalem (as they were commanded by Jesus ( Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8), those fleeing the persecution spread throughout the region.<br /><br /> While the church was suffering persecution, it is reasonable to presume that the believers felt the cause of Christ was suffering a set back. But in fact the persecution assisted the work of the gospel. Before all the trouble started, the church was almost entirely confined to one place, Jerusalem. By the believers scattering beyond the borders of Jerusalem, the gospel of Jesus Christ went with them. Wherever they went they preached the “gospel”. They won many to Christ who never would have heard the gospel if the church had remained shut up in one city Jerusalem. As a result, the assemblies of believers appeared throughout Judea and Samaria, the first two places that Jesus commanded the Apostles to reach after evangelizing Jerusalem (1:8). Although the persecution made it seem that the forces of evil were winning, the real victor was the church. The persecution was God’s tool for scattering believers and spreading the gospel to new places.<br /><br /> Right after Stephen died, the church must have felt that he was irreplaceable. Was there any one else with the boldness in confronting the lost with the gospel of Christ. But God being all powerful and full of grace, immediately rose up a successor. He was Philip—not Philip the Apostle (John.1:43-44), but Philip one of the seven chosen to help out with the distribution of the food (6:5). When the seven was chosen it was Stephen named first then Philip was named second. Within a short time, Philip brought the gospel message to three new regions. He was the first to preach to the Samaritans (vs.5) with signs and wonders, he then witnessed to an Ethiopian eunuch who was traveling home from Jerusalem. The man believed and took the gospel message back to Africa. Afterward, Philip spread the gospel to cities along the Mediterranean coast. When the Samaritans heard Philip and saw the miracles, all believed with joy. In obedience to the great commission, all who believed were baptized.<br /> <br />Among those listening to Philip was a man named Simon the sorcerer. He claimed to be a great person, and all the people of Samaria believed in him describing him as the “great power of God”. In the days of the early church, sorcerers and magicians were numerous and influential. They worked wonders, performed healings and exorcisms and practiced astrology. Their wonders may simply have been magic tricks or the sorcerers may have been empowered by Satan. Whatever powers Simon had, they could not match the power of the Holy Spirit. He knew that what Philip could do was far beyond the reach of sorcery. When the news of Philip’s success reached Jerusalem, the Apostles decided to send Peter and John on a follow-up mission to Samaria. Upon arriving, Peter and John found that none of the believers had received the Holy Spirit. No doubt they were truly saved, because the Apostles did not seek to rebaptize them. Yet the Holy Spirit had not come to indwell them. To remedy their lack of Spirit, Peter and John laid hands on them, and they immediately received the Holy Spirit. The evil in Simon came to the surface. Seeing the supernatural change in those who received the spirit, his reaction showed that he still had the heart of a sorcerer rather than the heart of a believer. A sorcerer’s driving motive is lust for power. He wanted the power to control people. Now, after his supposed conversion, he envied the Apostles how they communicate the Spirit through the laying on of hands. He wanted the same power for himself. Without the least shame for his arrogance, Simon approached Peter and John as if they were fellow sorcerers. Simon proposed to cut a deal with them, that if they would give him the power to lay hands and give the Spirit, he would pay them handsomely.<br /> <br />Peter being appalled, was quick and blunt in his response. Peter understood exactly what Simon’s problem was. He was not saved. Therefore, unless he repented, he would perish just as his money would perish. Peter counseled Simon to seek the Lord’s forgiveness. Simon’s response shows that he was without guilt or remorse. Instead of admitting that he had done wrong, he said only that he wanted to escape the consequences. But to escape them, he refused to do what Peter commanded. Rather than praying on his own behalf, he asked the Apostles to pray for him. He did not want to humble himself before God and confess his sins. He was still a lost man.<br /><br /> After his triumphant evangelistic campaign in Samaria, an angel of the lord directed Philip to journey south to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Gaza was a desert along the coast between Jerusalem and Egypt. Philip went without delay to the appointed place, and saw a chariot coming from Jerusalem. The man in the chariot was reading a scroll out aloud. Philip soon came to realize that the man was of considerable importance. He was a high official in the government of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopian, who committed all of her treasure into his care. He was on the road through Gaza because he was returning home after worshiping at the temple in Jerusalem. His allegiance to the God of the Jews makes it likely that he was a convert to the Jewish religion (a proselyte). As he was returning home he was reading aloud from the scroll of Esaias (Book of Isaiah). With precise timing the Spirit ordered Philip to go to the chariot. Philip was first directed by an angel (vs.26), and then by the Holy Spirit (vs.29).<br /> <br />The text he was reading, was the wonderful prophecy telling that Christ would die in our place to pay the penalty for our sins (Isaiah 53). Philip asked the Eunuch if he understood what he was reading. The Eunuch, replying that he needed a teacher, invited Philip to join him. Philip preached to the Eunuch that the person whom he was reading about was Jesus Christ himself and not Isaiah. The Eunuch, believing the gospel Philip preached wanted to be baptized. After being baptized by Philip the Eunuch went away rejoicing in the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away and he was found in the city of Azotus. Azotus was about twenty miles north of Gaza. He than began an evangelistic tour of the coastal cities that took him all the way to Caesarea. Philip probably lived in Caesarea because he was still there twenty years later (Acts 21:8).<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/answers:<br />1. What is a Eunuch? </strong><br />A eunuch is a male deprived of the testes or external genitals. They were excluded from membership in the congregation of Israel (Deut.23:1). Eunuchs were regarded as especially trustworthy in the ancient near east and thus were frequently employed in royal service.<br /><br /> <strong>2. Who was Candace of Ethiopia?</strong><br />It is generally believed that “Candace” was a title rather than a proper name, though its meaning is uncertain. The title was used by several queens of Ethiopia.<br /><br /> <strong>3. Who is Esaias? </strong><br />Esaias is a transliteration of Greek spelling of Isaiah.<br /> <br /><strong>4. Who were the Samaritans? </strong><br />The Samaritans were a nation with roots going back when the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms, a northern and southern. The northern known as the kingdom of Israel, comprised ten of the original twelve tribes. The southern known as the kingdom of Judah, comprised the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. In about 720 B.C. the Assyrian army conquered Israel and carried many of the people into captivity. The Assyrians took people from other nations (Gentiles) and repopulated Israel with these nations. Over time the newcomers intermarried with the Jews that remained, the result being a mixed race known as the Samaritans. They rejected much of the Old Testament, appointed their own priests, and worshiped at their own temple in Samaria rather than in Jerusalem.<br /> <br /><strong>5. Where is Azotus? </strong><br />Azotus is Ashdod one of the ancient Philistine Capital<br /><br /><strong>6. What does it means to be “caught away”? </strong><br />It suggest more than a mere guidance to another place, rather it speaks of a miraculous and sudden movement. In this case it was a powerful confirmation to the Ethiopian that Philip was God’s representative. There were others who were caught away: Elijah (2 Kings 2:11; Enoch (Gen. 5:24) and Philip (Acts 8:39).<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-92192259894266366782008-11-09T20:46:00.006-05:002008-11-09T21:02:02.868-05:00Acts Chapter 7<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Defense and Martyrdom of Stephen</strong><br /> <br />So Stephen stands before the Jewish council. In verse one the high priest gives Stephen time to speak. This high priest is probably Caiaphas the same high priest who had earlier questioned and condemned Jesus (Matt. 26:57; John 18:24). Stephen can answer the charges against him (see 6:13-14), yet this is not what he does in the long speech which follows. He is more willing to use the time to speak of God’s truth. He wants to give all the glory to God. Stephen launched into a long speech about Israel’s relationship with God.<span class="fullpost"> From the Old Testament history he showed that the Jews had constantly rejected God’s message and His prophets, and that this council had rejected the Messiah, God’s son .Stephen outlines the history of Israel. God’s call of Abraham did not come in the promise land, but when he was far away in the land of Mesopotamia (Gen.12:1-3; 15:7; Neh.9:7). Although Abraham dwelt in the land of Palestine, he did not actually possess the land, but he only held it as a promise from God to him and his descendants. Abraham’s descendants did not quickly possessed the land, but instead would spend 400 years in captivity outside of the promise land (Gen.15:12-15). God entered into a covenant relationship with Abraham and his descendants by the sign of circumcision (Gen.17:9-14).<br /> <br />Verses 9-16 tell the story of the patriarch Joseph. This story begins in Genesis chapter 37 and goes on in Genesis 38-50. Even though Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, the Lord was with him (God’s divine plan: Gen.37:28; 39:2) and delivered Joseph who became second in command in all of Egypt (Gen. 41:54-56). Despite his brothers’ evil doings, it was Joseph who would save the rest of his family. Stephen begins to tell the story of the first part of the life of Moses. Moses was born under a sentence of death (vs.19), yet he was born to save his people like Jesus. GOD PREPARED Moses for the work which he was to do, but the Jews did not see that God had sent Moses to set them free (vs.22). Moses had to flee Egypt after killing an Egyptian who was assaulting a Hebrew. God renewed his call to Moses to do his work after spending forty years away from Egypt. Once, Israel did not want him, now he led them to freedom. In verse 37, Stephen uses a quote from the book of Deuteronomy 18:15. We have already found these words in acts 3:22. There, it was Peter who used them. <br /> <br />The Jews in the council thought that they had honored the memory of Moses. So, in verses 39-41 Stephen shows them how quickly the Jews forget the wonders that God had done at the Exodus. In the same way, the Jews who listened to Stephen forgot the wonders Jesus had done. Stephen had been accused of speaking against the temple (6:13). Although he recognized the importance of the temple, he knew it was not more importance than God. God is not limited; He doesn’t live only in a house of worship, but wherever hearts of faith are open to receive Him. For many years after coming into the promise land, Israel had no temple but continued to worship God at the tabernacle. King David a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) wanted to build a temple, but because of the blood on his hand, the building of the temple was delayed until David’s son Solomon built it.<br /> <br />After recounting their history, Stephen’s sermon began to hit home. He accused the Jewish leaders of being stiff-necked and uncircumcised in their hearts and ears, resisting the Holy Spirit, betraying and murdering the prophets, and the righteous One (Jesus the Messiah). The Jewish council hearing the truth of Stephen became “cut to the heart”. Instead of submission to the Holy Spirit, they respond with rage. Stephen will become the first Christian martyr. He saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Stephen’s vision supported Jesus’ claim and angered the Jewish leaders who had condemned Jesus to death for blasphemy. They did not want to hear no more of the Holy Spirit truth; they blocked their ears and gave aloud shout. They charged upon Stephen and dragged him out of the city. It seemed that when the Jews stoned someone, they did not just throw stones at him, they first removed the clothes from him. The witness had the duty to cast the first stone. It is here we come in to contact with Saul, who would later become the great Apostle Paul. As they stoned Stephen his words are like that of our Lord in Luke 23:46. The Lord trusted His Spirit to God, His Father. Stephen trusted his spirit to the Lord Jesus. Stephen was already badly injured. Yet he knelt up, and shouted in a loud voice. His words are again like the words of Christ in Luke 23:34. His last desire was to forgive his enemies. Stephen fell asleep. The death of Stephen is a transition point in Luke’s story. The spotlight leaves Jerusalem as the preaching is forced to the outlying regions. The story of Jesus is beginning to spread around the world. Luke will first take us to Samaria; its people were very unpopular with the Jerusalem Jews.<br /> <br /><strong>Questions/answers<br />Why was King David forbidden to build God a temple? </strong><br />King David was a warrior king who had committed adultery and murder (2 Sam.7:1-17; 2 Sam.11:1-27; 1 Chr. 22:5-16).<br /><br /> <strong>Stephen recorded that the Jews persecuted the prophets. Who were they? </strong><br />Indeed many prophets were persecuted: Jeremiah (Jer. 38:1-6; Isaiah (2 Kings 21:16 tradition says that he was killed by King Manasseh); Amos (Amos 7:10-13); Zechariah, not the author of the Bible but the son of Jehoiada the priest, 2 Chr. 24:20-22); Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-2). <br /><br /><strong>What the does the phrase “he fell asleep” mean? </strong> <br />The term “fell asleep” when it is applied to a Christian means that the person has died a physical death, not a spiritually death. The body goes into the ground to await the resurrection while the spirit goes back from whence it came, back to God who gave it. (See Genesis 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12:7). In the New Testament it is a common word for believers (John 11:11-14; 1 Cor. 11:30, 51; 1Thess. 4:14; 5:10).<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-90534615797418467762008-11-07T22:39:00.005-05:002008-11-09T21:06:48.219-05:00Acts Chapter 6<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Internal Dissension/Appointment of the Seven Deacons </strong><br /> <br />This very short chapter narrates the preliminaries of Stephen’s martyrdom, noting that it occurred following a period of great growth and prosperity for the new church, that Stephen’s rise to prominence was a result of his appointment as one of the seven chosen to administer the distribution of food to the needy, an appointment brought about by complaints of neglecting the Grecian widows (6:2-7). Stephen’s popularity, ability in debate, and his fearless proclamation of the truth resulted in a Pharisaical plot against him, leading to his arrest (6:8-15). <span class="fullpost">Many things of very significance come to view in this little chapter: there was the first instance of the laying on of the hands of the Apostles; there appeared the first violent opposition of the Pharisee; there occurred the first expansion of the church’s organization beyond that of the governing Apostles; and there was the exceedingly significant record of “a great company of priests” accepting the faith in Jesus Christ.<br /> <br />The church at Jerusalem had two groups of people in it by now. There were Jews who had always lived in Judea. They spoke the “Aramaic” language most of the time. This was more like the Hebrew language. Almost all of the Old Testament writers wrote in Hebrew. There were other Jews who spoke mostly Greek. The Greek speaking Jews were referred to as “Hellenistic Jews”. They were Jews by race, but not by culture. Many Jews who were scattered by the Diaspora (Acts 9:29), adopted the Greek culture, therefore they did not speak Aramaic, the language of the Hebrew Jews. This is where the problems arose. The Hebrews for the most part regarded the Hellenists as non Jewish, and the Hellenists considered the Hebrews as holier-than thou. This favoritism was probably not intentional but was more likely because of the language barrier. The early church took the responsibility to help support the widows because they had no other means of support (Acts 4:32-37). Despite the help that both groups received, they continued to complain.<br /> <br />The Apostles felt that their time should be spent in prayer, preaching, and teaching the word of God, so they chose others to administer the food program. This administration was not taken lightly. Notice the requirement for the men who would handle the food program. They were to be honest, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of wisdom. With these qualifications the men would be spiritually and practically minded. In the early church, the chosen men were commissioned (set apart by prayer and laying on of hands) by the Apostles. Laying hands on someone, an ancient Jewish practice, was a way to set a person apart for special service (Num. 27:23; Deut. 34:9). <br /><br />The seven chosen all had Greek names, thus implying that the people and Apostles showed great love and sensitivity to the offended Greeks by choosing them to served tables. Jesus had told the Apostles that they were to witness first in Jerusalem (1:8). In a short time their message had infiltrated the entire city and all levels of society. Even some Priests were being converted, an obvious violation of the wishes of the Jewish council, this would endanger their position and power. Stephen who was chosen first (6:5) is now again introduced to us as being a man full of faith, having the Holy Spirit, and full of power. Stephen performed many wonders and miracles among the people. The Bible does not tell us what wonders or miracles Stephen performed, but all of these acts were evidences of the grace of God working through him. After disputing with Stephen and suffering defeat, these men induced false charges against Stephen causing him to be arrested and brought before the Jewish council. The Sadducees, the dominant party in the Jewish council, accepted and studied only the writing of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy). In their view, to speak blasphemy against Moses was a crime. As it was with Jesus our Lord (Matt.26:59-61), they recruited false witnesses against Stephen. The face of Stephen revealed a clam, unruffled composure revealing the presence of the Holy Spirit.<br /><br /> <strong>Questions/answers: What is meant by “serve tables”?</strong><br />The word “serve” has the meaning of “minister to”, and is rendered from the Greek word (diakonia), a derivative from (diakonos), and the latter term being rendered by three English words in our version: Minister, servant, and deacon. It is here that the office of the deacon is though to have been established.<br /><br /> <strong>Who was Nicolaus?</strong><br />Nicolaus was a gentile who converted to Judaism then to Christianity. It is interesting that he is the only one designated a proselyte and the only one whose native city is given. He was from Antioch.<br /><br /> <strong>Who were the “Libertines”?</strong><br />Libertines would be better translated “freedmen”. Members of this group had once been slaves, but had received their freedom. A great many Christians in those early years were slaves, the same being indicated by their names as given in Romans 16; but the Libertines had been freed. The places named here refer to non-Palestinian areas of the Roman Empire populated by Jews of the Diaspora. Alexandria, aside from Rome and Jerusalem, was the largest Jewish city of Antiquity; and Cyrene and Cilicia might have been mentioned by Luke because of the connection of Rufus (a son of Simon of Cyrene), Alexander (a son of Simon of Cyrene and brother of Rufus), and Simon from Cyrene, this Simon that carried the cross of Jesus (Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26).<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-30779524833679023312008-10-28T23:02:00.004-04:002008-11-14T21:42:52.498-05:00Acts Chapter 5<div style="text-align: justify;">This chapter recounts the tragic fall of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11), the continued success and popularity of the Apostles’ mission (5:12-16), and the renewed opposition of the Sanhedrin with another arrest of the Apostles (5:17-32). The purpose of the Sanhedrin was to kill the Apostles, but this was prevented by the Rabbi Gamaliel and the beating of the twelve by the Jewish authorities (5:33-42).<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Ananias and Sapphira wanted to look good before the other people (vs.1). They sold some land and kept back part of the money. They did not give it all to the church as they led the people to believe (vs.2). What was wrong here was that they lied. They wanted the Apostles and others in the church to think that they had given over all the money to them. The sin Ananias and Sapphira committed was not stinginess or holding back part of the money as they could have chosen whether or not to sell the land and how much to give. Their sin was lying to God and God’s people. Peter tells Ananias (vs.3) that the enemy has filled his heart. This act was judged harshly because dishonesty and covetousness are destructive in the church. God knows all things. We cannot lie to Him. <br /><br />Peter’s rebuke of Ananias was administered in the Holy Spirit; and there is not the slightest hint that Peter struck Ananias dead, or even that God had told Peter that such a thing would occur. This was something God did independently of any of the Apostles. Peter probably was more surprise than any one. Fear spread among the church. The young men buried Ananias, but his wife did not know what had occurred. She came in three hours later. Peter asked her how much money they had from the sale of the land. In this way, Peter gave her a moment when she could have told the truth. Sadly, she repeated the lie her husband told. Sapphira was a knowing and willing participant in this scheme. God’s judgment was just as righteous for her as it was for him. <br /><br />The community of believers knew it was a serious matter to be a follower of Christ. People were added to the Lord, not the church, not the pastor, nor any movement, but to the Lord Himself. The believers were so convinced of the power of the Apostles that they believed Peter’s shadow could heal them. It was not Peter’s shadow, but God’s power working through him. What did these miracles healing do for the early church? (1) They attracted new believers; (2) they confirmed the truth of the Apostles’ teachings; and (3) they demonstrated that the power of the Messiah, Who had been crucified and risen, and was now with His followers. The religious leaders were jealous as Peter and the Apostles were already commanding more respect than they had ever received. The difference, however, was that the religious leaders demanded respect and reverence for themselves while the Apostles’ goal was to bring respect and reverence for God. <br /><br />The Jewish leaders did not like what they came to know about the church. They needed the honor which the people gave instead to the church and the Apostles. The Apostles were again arrested by the sect of Sadducees and again thrown in jail. The Apostles’ imprisonment did not last for long. The Apostles were supernaturally released from prison and were encouraged to continue witnessing to the people. The angel of the Lord gave them three commands: go, stand, and speak to the people in the temple. The Apostles filled with the Holy Spirit did as the angel commanded them; they went and preached in the temple to the people early in the morning. The temple at daybreak was a busy place. Many people stood at the temple to pray and worship at sunrise. When the people got there, the Apostles were already there. The Sanhedrin came together to discuss what to do with the Apostles and summoned them to be brought before the council. Not finding the Apostles in lockup, the council was informed of the Apostles where about, in the temple preaching. Peter and the Apostles where brought before the council quietly for fear of starting a riot. They feared the people but not God. The high priest was right (vs. 28). He had told them not to preach the good news. Yet the Apostles stated that they must obey God not men. The high priest did not want them to explain how they escaped from prison. He did not believe in angels anyway! The accusations by the Sanhedrin were a wonderful testimony to the effectiveness of the Apostles’ preaching. If the high priest believed the good news, then the blood of Jesus would cleanse him from his sins. God would forgive his guilt. If he did not believe, it is not the Apostles, but the Jewish leaders who would bring guilt upon themselves. They were rightly afraid that God will punish them for the death of Christ. <br /><br />Peter once again reminded them that they crucified Christ the Messiah and hanged him from a tree. But God the Father raised Him from the dead to be a Prince and Savior and to be exalted to His right hand, to bring repentance to Israel, and the forgiveness of their sins. The Apostles proclamation was grounded in the fact that they had witnessed the things they spoke of. They did not speak as individuals, but their witness was empowered by the Holy Spirit, who spoke through them. The Holy Spirit was for all who obeyed God. In verse 33, Luke used a word to tell us how angry the Jewish leaders were. Luke said that it was as though someone had cut them through with a saw. The Apostles had a wonderful message of salvation yet they, the leaders, had a mind set to kill them. <br /><br />The Sadducees could not just do what they liked. Gamaliel, a Pharisee and a teacher of the law spoke to the council without the Apostles being present. The council was not united and they did not want the Apostles to know this. In verses 36-37 Gamaliel used two examples of revolutionary movement that had amounted to nothing, so would this one. His reason is that (1) if this movement (CHRISTIANITY) was of a human origin it would be overthrown and come to nothing: (2) but if this was of God, then they would not be able to overthrow the movement, it would be acting against God himself. The Sanhedrin agreed with Gamaliel. To them it seemed important to agree with each other. They did not want the truth of the good news to divide them. Despite agreeing with Gamaliel, they had to get something out of all this. They had the Apostles beaten, believing that this might discourage them (How wrong they were). The Apostles left rejoicing. They were rejoicing because they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ. They were by no means discouraged for they continued their mission of preaching and teaching Christ, both publicly and in Christian homes. <br /><br /><strong>Questions/Answers: <br />Who was Gamaliel? </strong><br />Gamaliel was a prominent Jewish Rabbi, a Pharisees (teacher of the law). The Apostle Paul sat at his feet (anther term for being a student). <br /><br /><strong>What is the good news? </strong><br />The message and teaching of Jesus Christ<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305881972640561399.post-84085860550694222772008-10-27T22:52:00.008-04:002008-11-09T21:11:49.000-05:00Acts Chapter 4<div align="justify"><strong>The Sanhedrin Opposes Peter and John</strong><br /><br />The glorious success of the gospel at Pentecost and for sometime afterward could not last. The inherent hatred of the truth and righteousness on part of the power of the enemy was quickly manifested in the bitter opposition encountered by the Apostles. The first move against the church came suddenly. <span class="fullpost">In the gospel accounts we read how Jesus argued with the Pharisees who were Jews that were strict legalist concerning the Law of Moses. In Acts the Pharisees were friendlier to the Christians. It was another party, the Sadducees, who were now the enemy. What we know of this sect is that they are rich, rude, and they did not believe in the resurrection, which meant they hated the followers of Christ. <br /><br />Peter’s sermon was interrupted by the enemies of Christ, the Sadducees, who descended upon the Apostles with sufficient strength to stop their preaching and cast them into prison. The priests were from the tribe of Levi and were appointed by God to care for the spiritual needs of the people. They were in charge of the temple worship and sacrifices as well as being corrupt (MAL. 1:6-14; 2:1-9). The captain of the temple was in place to keep order in the temple and surrounding areas. The preaching and boldness of the Apostles was apparent, five thousand got saved. This jailing of the Apostles was illegal and no charges were placed against them as it was a highhanded abuse of authority. In light of this, they illegally held Jesus with no charges and put his trial over to the next day. This act on both occasions was not due to any concern for the holy law, but they simply needed time to figure out what they would do.<br /><br />As they did with Jesus, the leaders came together to question the Apostles, they were anxious to know by what name and power these miracles were done. Peter being filled with the promised Holy Spirit spoke with boldness (1:8; 2:14). Peter knew that the Holy Spirit would speak for him. He explained that the judges who were to judge them were now being judged. While trying to convict them, they will be convicted of crimes against the risen Messiah. Instead of being defensive, the Apostles went on the offensive. In verse 9, Peter asked whether he was wrong to do good to the lame man and heal him. This did not seem to be a court of law because there were no clear charges for Peter and John to answer. Peter instructed them to listen well to what he was about to charge them with. Here is the answer you seek. The deeds (miracles) were done in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Surely you remember Him: He is the Christ whom you crucified and God raised Him from the dead. <br /><br />Peter accused them of rejecting the cornerstone of which the house of Israel must and will be built. They rejecting the cornerstone was a fulfillment of prophecy (Ps. 118:22-23; Isa. 28:16; Luke 20:18). Jesus the Messiah is Israel’s only hope (Matt. 1:21; John 14:6; Rom. 11:26). The religious leaders came to recognize that the evidence before them could not be refuted. The evidence was standing right in front of them. The leaders argued with Jesus and did not win; they now argued with Jesus’ Apostles and did not win. There was something different about these men. Yes, they had been with Jesus. Not wanting to discuss any conversations before them, the Apostles were told to leave. They admitted that a miracle had taken place, yet they continued to deny the presence of the Holy Spirit. Instead of accepting the power of Christ, they threaten the Apostles. They couldn’t even mention the name of Christ (…no man in His name – Acts 4:17). The apostles would not be deterred in all things that they heard and witnessed. They had the backing of all the eye witnesses. The leaders’ fears intensified. Christ had taught the Apostles and Disciples, that they would be delivered into the hands of the council and condemned for His name sake. But when these persecutions begin, rejoice and be exceedingly glad, because of their future rewards (Matt. 5:11-12; Luke. 21:12; John 15:20; I Pet. 4:16). Peter quotes the prophecy of King David (Ps. 2:1-2) which found fulfillment in the action of those who joined together in killing the Messiah. Peter leaves no one out. First, there were the king of the earth, Herod; second, the ruler, Pontius Pilate; third, the nations, the gentile authority; and last but not least the nation of Israel. <br /><br />Throughout their ordeals the Apostles did not asked God to be spared of the persecution, but to grant them more boldness to preach the gospel. They prayed that God would continue to validate their ministry with signs and wonders. God reassured them by sending a visible sign (shaking of the place where they were) that His promise of miraculous power to the twelve would continue. A communal system was being established and was in compliance with Jesus’ earthly ministry (Matt.19:21). The believers were not only united spiritually (one in heart and mind), but also united materially (Acts 2:44-45). Their selling of their goods was voluntary and distributed by each person. They continued to preach with much boldness concerning the resurrection of Christ. The word Grace (vs.33) is one of the numerous times that the word grace occurs in Acts (11:23; 13:43: 14:3, 26; 15:11, 40; 18:27; 20:24, 32). <br /><br />Luke introduces Barnabas as a role model from among those who sold their property and laid it at the Apostles feet. This Barnabas will become a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul. <br /><br /><strong>Questions/answers: <br />1. What and who was the Sanhedrin?</strong> <br />The rulers, elders, scribes, and priests made up the Sanhedrin or Jewish “Judicial council”- the same council that condemned Jesus (Luke. 22:66). It had 70 members plus the current high priest, who presided. The Sadducees held a majority in this ruling group along with the Pharisees. <br /><br /><strong>2. Who was Barnabas?</strong> <br />Barnabas was a Levite from the island of Cyprus who later became a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul. His name means “Son of Encouragement” or “The Son of Consolation”.<br /></span><br /></div>In Christ, Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04449936088265074278noreply@blogger.com0