Acts Chapter 27

Paul’s Voyage to Rome

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. It was scheduled to sail north and west, making stops at ports along the coasts of Proconsular Asia, the western province of Asia Minor.

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.

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.
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Questions/Answers
1- What is a Euroclydon?
A fierce tempestuous wind often experienced by navigators especially in the spring in the Eastern Mediterranean sometimes of a hurricane or typhoon force.

2- Does the city Phenice have another name?
Yes in the King James Version it is also known as Phoenix


Note: God provided for the non-swimmers, too, fulfilling his promise of verses 22-24.

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Acts Chapter 26

Paul’s Defense Before Agrippa/Festus

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Questions/Answers?
Who were the ten lost tribes of Israel?

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).

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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 21

Paul Continues to Jerusalem

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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.

Question/Answers?

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?

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; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

2. In verses 10 and11 the Prophet Agabus acted out his prophesy. Are there other instances of other Prophets acting out their Prophecies?

Yes. See Scriptures: Isaiah 20:3-6; Jeremiah 13:1-12; 27:1-7; Ezekiel 4:1-8; chapter 12.

3. Who was this Egyptian mentioned in verse 38?

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.

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Acts Chapter 20

Paul’s Missionary Journey

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. 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).


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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Question/Answers?
Who were the seven men that accompanied Paul on his missionary journey?

The seven men are as follow:
1- Sopater of Berea: 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.

2- Aristarchus of Thessalonica: 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).

3- Secundus: An early Christian who lived in Thessalonica (Acts 20:4). He was among the seven men that accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey.

4- Gaius: 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.

5- Timothy: 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).

6- Tychicus: 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).

7- Trophimus: 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).

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Acts Chapter 19

Paul’s Missionary Work in Ephesus

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). 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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Questions/Answers
In verse 23 what does the term “about that way” implies?
“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.

What does the word assembly means?
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.

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Acts Chapter 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas/Philippian Jailer Converted

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Questions/Answers:
1. What does the word “divination” mean?
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.

2. What did the Apostles means by the phrase “and thy house”?
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.

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Acts Chapter 15

The Jerusalem Council/Circumcision Question Answered

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. 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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Questions/Answers:
1. Who were the men in verse 1 that came down from Judea with this new teaching?
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.

2. What was the importance of circumcision?
Circumcision was a covenant God made with Abraham that set the nation of Israel apart from the Gentile nations (Gen. 17:10-14).

3. Who is Simeon in vs. 14?
Simeon is another name for the Apostle Peter (Matt. 16:17).

4. Who is Silas?
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).

5. Who was Judas (surnamed Barsabas)?
Judas was a disciple in the Jerusalem church.

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Acts Chapter 14

The Gospel Message to a New City

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. 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.

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.

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.

Questions/Answers:
1. What does the word “rent” means?
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.

2. Who were Jupiter and Mercurius?
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.

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