Acts Chapter 25

Paul Appears Before Festus

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Acts Chapter 24

Paul Appears Before Felix

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: (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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

Questions/Answers?

Who was Drusilla, the wife of Felix

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.

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Acts Chapter 23

Paul Appears Before The Sanhedrin

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Questions/Answers
Who was Felix?

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).

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Acts Chapter 22

Paul Addresses the Crowd

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: (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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Questions/Answers
Why was Paul baptized?

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). 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.

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Acts Chapter 13

Saul and Barnabas Are Commissioned by God

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Questions/Answers
What does it means “to shake the dust off your feet”?
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.

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Acts Chapter 5

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Questions/Answers:
Who was Gamaliel?
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).

What is the good news?
The message and teaching of Jesus Christ

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Acts Chapter 4

The Sanhedrin Opposes Peter and John

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Questions/answers:
1. What and who was the Sanhedrin?
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.

2. Who was Barnabas?
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”.

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