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STUDIES IN ACTS, Part 10

Published April 26, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Acts, Bereans, Paul, Second Missionary Journey

The Most Noble of All, Acts 17:10—15

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. (Acts 17:10a)

Jason found himself in a pickle. He had posted bail for Paul and Silas and got them out of jail in Thessalonica. Had Paul and Silas been found in Jason’s home, he would have forfeited the bail. So he did what he had to do: Jason and his friends sneaked Paul and Silas out of town and sent them in the direction of Berea.

So far, Paul’s second missionary journey was nothing like his first. Unlike the first trip, Paul’s second missionary journey began with an argument with his partner, Barnabas, which resulted Barnabas going his way and Paul going his. There was no supernatural leading here. Paul’s new team traveled literally hundreds of miles with no clear direction as to where they should go. And do you know what got them to set sail to their first port of call? A weird vision of a strange man from Macedonia, who, when they finally landed in Macedonia, was nowhere to be found! When Paul and his friends reached the first town of any population in the area, they couldn’t find a single synagogue anywhere to preach the Word from. Their early efforts produced no great revivals, unlike the first missionary journey did. And when the Spirit of God finally did move in Thessalonica, a girl was delivered from demonic possession, which resulted in Paul and Silas being tossed in the clink.

So Paul and Silas, in addition to being missionaries, were now jailbirds and bail-jumpers! This was a very inauspicious way to work on the mission field. It’s a good thing that our two missionaries did not let their circumstances dictate their level of faith! In spite of this awful start to the famous second missionary journey, our two intrepid missionaries did not grumble or complain, nor did they blame God or assume they had made some terrible mistake. Paul and Silas remind us of those two other warriors for Jehovah, Jonathan and his armor-bearer. Facing the mighty Philistine forces all by themselves, they were confronted with a choice: to fight or hide. Surely the exchange between the two must have gone down in history as one of the greatest statements of faith ever recorded:

Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” (1 Samuel 14:6, 7)

That’s what faith looks like sometimes: a definite maybe; a “you never know, we could be right and maybe God will come through and help us out.” Sometimes you can sit around praying for leading all day when the best for you to do is stand up and do something for the Lord. One thing is certain, if you heart is right and your motives are pure and your desire is to glorify God, just get up and do it! If you are wrong, the Lord will direct you and straighten you out. It’s easier to steer a moving ship than one that is still. Paul and Silas were moving, and whether or not it was clear to them at the time, they were definitely being led of the Lord.

The LORD makes firm the steps of those who delight in him. (Psalm 37:23)

1. On to Berea, verse 10b—12

On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

Instead of going to a major city, Paul and Silas travelled some forty miles to an out-of-the-way town called Berea. Paul is true to his calling; upon arriving at Berea, he sought out and found a synagogue from which to preach and the Gospel.

What a difference between the people of Berea and those of Thessalonica! Here is how Luke describes the two:

[T]hey rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. (the Jews is Thessalonica, 17:5)

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (The Berean Jews, 17:11)

After their terrible experiences in Thessalonica, Paul and Silas were blessed to run into people of honor and integrity. What set apart the noble Bereans from the people of Thessalonica was their approach to the Scriptures. The Bereans tested the truthfulness of Paul’s preaching against the standard of Scripture, whereas the Thessalonians judged Paul’s words by political and cultural standards. Whenever Christians study the Word objectively rather than subjectively and are not influenced by the notions of others or by the culture around them, they are Bereans. For Bereans, the Word of God stands by itself. It is the first and last Word; it is the foundation of their faith and conduct; it is completely relevant and entirely precious. How the Church of Jesus Christ needs faithful Bereans today.

Of these wonderful people, Dr. Luke makes two main points:

They were noble. Luke shows how the Bereans were noble-minded by comparing their behavior to that of the Thessalonians. As far as Luke was concerned, just being open to the Word and not dismissing it out of hand is being “noble-minded.” The Berean Jews, however, were already predisposed to receiving the truth of God’s Word because they valued it as part of their Jewish faith. When they heard the Gospel, something inside of them knew what Paul was saying was just as much God’s Word as was their precious Old Testament. The more Paul preached, the more the Bereans poured over their Scriptures. It’s not that they were questioning what Paul was saying; the preaching of the Word caused them to honestly analyze and compare the Apostle’s words with the Word. They were eager to learn. Their eagerness was revealed; their hearts were opened to the Gospel.
They had genuine faith. Not all the Thessalonians were bad. Like the Jews in Thessalonica, the Jews in Berea had an excellent relationship with Gentiles and especially Gentile converts to Judaism. Many God-fearing Gentiles in both cities came to faith in Christ and, particularly in Berea, Gentile women were prominent in the Church. Luke gives us the impression that by the time Paul and Silas left Berea, the church they started there was strong and flourishing. Did Paul ever revisit Berea? We have no record that he did. Perhaps he didn’t have to.

The result of all this eager, honest study of Scripture day by day was that the faithful Bereans discovered all that Paul preached was truth, and they did the natural thing when people discover the Gospel is true:

Many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. (verse 12)

Interestingly, the Greek word for “prominent” means “wealthy, influential.” Once again, we see that the early Church was not made up of only the poor and sick and social outcasts. The Gospel certainly attracts all people. Thank God for “wealthy” and “influential” Christians! Without them, the work of Christ would take on a whole different dimension.

2. Here comes trouble, verse 13

But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.

You can be sure that if you are a “producer” for the Kingdom of Heaven, you will face problems. In Berea, Paul’s problem took the form of those pesky Thessalonian Jews. Not content with causing problems for Paul in their city, these disreputable people took their beef with Paul to Berea.

Luke doesn’t say so, but we can assume that Paul and his team worked for, perhaps, a few months in Berea. The Greek word translated “agitating” indicates that the unbelieving Thessalonian Jews kept on causing problems among the population of Berea by misrepresenting the words and actions of the Christian missionaries until their goal had been achieved: the silencing of Paul.

Here we see what Jesus had promised years before:

Remember what I told you: ‘Servants are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.’ (John 15:20)

Jesus also gave this piece of advice to His followers:

When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. (Matthew 10:23a)

Some brave Bereans were about to step up and help Paul to do just that.

3. On the run. Again. verses 14, 15

Winning any battle is more than just the ability to fight. Sometimes in order to win a battle, one needs to know when to leave. Some 400 years before the days of Paul, in August of 338 B.C., the Athenian orator and statesman Demosthenes was an infantryman at Chaeronea, where a decisive battle took place between the Athenians and the Macedonians. The Macedonians were victorious, and 3,000 Athenians died. Demosthenes fled from the battlefield and was subsequently censured because of his desertion. To anyone who later called him a coward, Demosthenes would respond, “The man who runs away may fight again.” This is exactly what we see happening in Berea:

The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast… (verse 14a)

Sometimes you have to stay and fight, other times a strategic withdrawal is the only solution. In order to save his life, some Berean believers secreted Paul out of town and sent him on his way “to the coast.” Actually, they didn’t really. They just looked like they were taking Paul “to the coast,” but in reality they were heading to Athens. This was a long trip, over 200 miles! These brave and faithful Bereans were committed to Christ, the Word, and to Paul’s safety. Once again, Paul was forced to leave a fledgling congregation for his own good. We may well imagine how much Paul would have liked to remain in Berea, where his preaching and teaching were yielding such tremendous results. For Paul, God had other plans.

For some reason, the Thessalonian thugs had a hate-on for Paul, but not the other Christian missionaries:

…Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. (verse 14b)

Thank God for faithful co-workers in the ministry! Paul was fortunate to have two men, one very young man, in whom he could entrust his ministry. We aren’t told how long Silas and Timothy worked in Berea; Luke was never overly concerned with providing details about “minor characters” in the story. What we do know was that Paul knew he would need his comrades in Athens:

Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. (verse 15)

It appears that Timothy and Silas rejoined their friend Paul at Athens, and that he later sent Timothy back to Thessalonica:

So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we are destined for them. (1 Thessalonians 3:1—3)

That short paragraph is telling. The persecution that Paul had endured at the hands of those despicable unbelieving Thessalonians hadn’t diminished his love for the Christians he left behind in Thessalonica. The “we could stand it no longer” refers to his longing to see them again.

For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. (1 Thessalonians 2:18)

So while Paul never again went back to Berea, he had an ongoing special relationship with the Thessalonians. In some sense, both the churches of Corinth and Thessalonica took up a lot of Paul’s time and concern because to varying degrees, they were both troubled churches that needed demanded Paul’s attention.

In Athens, Paul quickly realized what a monumental task it was going to be, reaching the highly educated Athenians for Christ. Here again we see the ups and downs of the second missionary journey. From unwarranted persecution in Thessalonica to a fantastically successful stay in Berea to banging his head against a brick wall in Athens, working for the Lord is certainly never boring!

What do we learn from the incident with the Bereans?

In America, the Bible continues to be the highest selling book of all time, in any form. Electronic downloads of the Bible are now out-pacing downloads of any other book. And yet, the Bible has the dubious distinction of being the most neglected book of all time. Just owning a Bible or two proves nothing. If the desire to own the Book is not matched by the desire to know what’s in it, then don’t waste your money. Buy a tank of gas instead.

The Bible, as the Bereans knew full-well, is a book unlike any other book. It is powerful and it changes everything. During the reign of King Josiah of Judah, his high priest discovered the long-lost Book of the Law, which had been hidden in a dark corner of the Temple. Because this Book of the Law had been neglected and forgotten, the people of Judah fell into idol worship. However, once that precious Book of the Law was hauled out of its hiding place, dusted off, and read aloud, the course of Jewish history changed. Josiah read the Word to the people; the people saw the error of their ways and pledged obedience to the forgotten Covenant.

If you are a Christian and you are reading this, hopefully you are reading the Word daily, with your family, if you have one. Families that grow up around the Word of God are strong families. We should study the Word together, we should memorize it, and we should be obedient to it. God’s Word is as relevant today as the day it was written. In our churches, the Bible should be central, not only in our preaching and teaching, but in our worship as well.

Why is reading the Bible so important? It is because when we read the Word of God, we are communing with God; He hears us, we hear Him, and He honors our devotion to that Word. The Word tells us how we should live, how we should think, and what we should do in any given circumstance. If God’s will for you is a mystery, the problem is with you. You need to take your Bible off the shelf, crack it open, and start reading it. God will speak to you. Put Him to the test in this and be amazed.

God’s Word changes everything.

A plaque at modern-day Berea, Veria, courtesy of Dan and Cindy Bratton, missionaries with YWAM

(c) 2011 WitzEnd

FORCEFULLY ADVANCING: The Church in Acts, Part 6

Published October 9, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Acts, Agrippa, Festus, Paul

Paul, Festus, Agrippa

Testifying About Christ, Acts 26:1—32

The events of Acts 26 really begin at Acts 25:23, where Paul is called to defend his faith before King Agrippa. In all, Luke the physician-historian has recorded five such defenses in Acts, with this one being the longest and most carefully constructed. Winn has observed,

This is the last major speech in Acts, and Luke intends it to be the climax. He carefully paints the scene.

In Luke’s account, Paul is painted as the one who is the center of attention, assuming that position with a kind of quiet dignity. Here we see Paul in his element: preaching to a captive audience. Festus had dragged Paul before King Agrippa, but Paul was in charge, doing what he did best.

Despite the fact that he knew he was in God’s will, and despite the fact that God was accomplishing things through the current ministry of Paul in Caesarea, Paul remained a prisoner for almost two years in this city which headquartered the Roman government which oversaw Judea.

A mere handful of days after Festus became governor of Caesarea, the miserable Jewish officials in Jerusalem appealed to him to send Paul to them to stand yet another trial. However, these despicable Jewish leaders had in mind to ambush Paul along the way and kill him; a most effective way to silence a man they perceived as a troublemaker and a threat to their religion. Festus instead invited these men to come to him and accuse Paul in his presence. This they did, trotting out the same tired old charges without a single witness or any evidence that Paul was guilty of any kind of crime. The new governor, anxious to keep the peace by pleasing the Jews, tried to convince Paul to go back to Jerusalem with his accusers, but Paul would have none of it.

As a Roman citizen, Paul claimed his rights and demanded to stand trial before Caesar. This would accomplish two things. First, he had already been a prisoner in Caesarea for two years, and standing before Caesar would allow for a final decision concerning his case. Second, it would get Paul to Rome, which was where he wanted to be in the first place. To his demand, Festus said this—

“You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” (25:12)

Within days, while waiting to be sent to Rome, Paul found himself standing before King Agrippa and his wife, who had come to welcome Festus as the new governor. Agrippa was curious about Paul, and Paul took advantage of his curiosity to testify, not about himself and his innocence so much, but about God.

1. The scene, 25:23—27

Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. (verses 24, 25)

Festus was a weenie to be sure. Not only had he exaggerated the accusations against Paul, but he could have set Paul free himself, instead, he is seen pawning Paul off to somebody else. Festus had nothing to charge Paul with, and he was hoping Agrippa, after questioning the man, could come up with some charge worthy of his being shipped to Rome.

When Agrippa and Bernice walked into the hall, Luke says this—

Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp… (verse 23)

The Greek word is phantasia, which means “show, showy appearance, display.” The contrast between the prisoner and the potentate is skillfully brought out by Luke in a series of contrasts:

Agrippa came, Paul was brought;
Agrippa entered with great pomp, Paul entered in chains;
Agrippa was accompanied by Bernice, Paul stood alone.

But the contrasts had another side:

Agrippa was a slave to sin, Paul was a free man in Christ;
Agrippa was accompanied by a perverse and wicked woman, Paul was escorted by his unseen God.

Luke himself, in casting Paul as the main character is this drama, carries the contrasts even further, giving only summary statements from and about Agrippa, while yielding center stage to the apostle.

2. Life before conversion, 26:1—11

Paul was not intimidated either by his chains or by the fact that he was standing before the regally robed leader of both the Romans and the Jews! Here was his golden opportunity to share his faith, and despite his manacles, he motioned with his hand and began testifying.

(a) Nothing to hide, vv. 1—5

I beg you to listen to me patiently. (verse 3b)

In a way, this was the kind of situation Paul must have longed for. After two long and bleak years in prison, he finally had a chance to speak to somebody in authority; Agrippa not only had authority, but he was also an expert in all things Jewish, so he would have listened eagerly to every work Paul spoke.

Paul began fervently but respectfully, expressing his appreciation for the opportunity of speaking. Never have we seen Paul as polite as we do here! His choice of Greek words also shows that Paul was a highly educated individual.

The apostle began by say that he had absolutely nothing to hide; his life was an open book to the Jews. He was a Pharisee and there was not a soul alive who could accuse him on trampling on the law. We may have thought it strange (or at least extreme) that Paul insisted on the circumcision of Timothy for example, and of his own continued, though voluntary, devotion to the Jewish faith, but here we see his great foresightedness. He could in good conscience, stand in confidence knowing that he had done nothing against his Jewish heritage.

(b) Once a persecutor, vv. 6—11

I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. (verses 6a, 9b)

Paul insisted that he was being persecuted for proclaiming the very hope that the Jews continued to hold on to: the coming of the Messiah. God had given Abraham and the fathers of the Jewish faith this great promise and both he and the Israel still clung to the possibility of its fulfillment. Furthermore, the Jews also clung to the hope of resurrection when the Messiah appears.

Against that backdrop of a common faith, Paul adds this—

Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? (verse 8)

A remarkable double-whammy: Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, and He rose from the dead! The Jews had been so busy looking for the fulfillment of the Promise, they missed it entirely. And so they hated those who believed it and persecuted them; among those who hated and persecuted Christians the most was none other than Paul.

3. An encounter with Christ, 26:12—18

Here is another version of how Paul found Christ, and it differs slightly from the account he gave to the Jews in Jerusalem (chapter 22). Given the two different circumstances and two different audiences, it makes sense that Paul would tailor his own story to fit them both. In all, Paul recounted his conversion story three times in Acts, showing how important it was.

(a) Christ reveals himself, vv 12—15

While Paul was doing his best to stamp out Christianity, the meeting that changed his life happened. When the risen Christ confronted Paul and his traveling companion on the road to Damascus, He spoke to Paul in Hebrews—

Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. (verse 14b)

The phrase “kick against the goads” was well-known proverb in the Mediterranean world and Agrippa would have been familiar with it. What it means involves three points: Saul was kicking against the goads of—

A decent human conscience, that must have told him that his cruel treatment of Christians couldn’t be right;
The godly lives of the Christian community, which must have impressed him;
The face of Stephen and his prayer of forgiveness; that memory must have haunted Saul relentlessly.

Paul always looked back to this singular experience as the great turning point in his life and the source of his authority to speak the Word of God.

(b) Christ commissions Paul, vv. 16—18

When Christ commissioned Paul, He spoke to the new apostle as He spoke to the prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah and Jeremiah:

He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. (Ezekiel 2:1, 3)

You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 1:7—8)

I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:6—7)

Paul’s mission was definitely a prophetic one that was to continue the commission originally given to the prophets and to Jesus Christ. Christians today are similarly commissioned to carry on this ministry.

After his calling, Jesus warned Paul that he would face difficult times, especially opposition from both Jews and Gentiles, as was happening at this very moment. Paul was standing before a Gentile king, in front of Jewish accusers. These words of Christ must have been the reason for Paul’s amazing courage—

I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. (verse 17a)

3. Obedience to the call, 26:19—29

(a) Following the vision, vv. 19—23

Verse 19 is one the most powerful declarations obedience in all the Bible—

I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.

In spite of the dangers Paul knew were coming, he never wavered in his obedience to God in carrying out the commission given him by Christ, and now it was on account of His obedience to God that he was being accused for no reason by Jews who were opposed to his preaching. In trying to muzzle Paul, the Jews were, in reality, opposing God. Verse 21 must have stung the Jews severely—

That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.

Paul is basically accusing the Jews of opposing the very the very things they claimed to believe in! So prejudiced against the Gentiles, they were blinded to the fact that the message of Paul was genuine and not so far removed from their own.

No matter how bad things had gotten for Paul, his present predicament notwithstanding, God stood by Paul, both protecting him and enabling him to boldly proclaim the Gospel. The word translated “help” in verse 22 comes from a Greek word meaning “aid” or “assistance given by an ally.” God was Paul’s Ally in his ministry. With God on his side, Paul could “stand,” or “continue” in his work, even while standing before Agrippa!

And what was Paul saying to Agrippa? Verses 23 and 24 declare in the simplest terms his message to Agrippa and the assembled Jews—

“I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

Paul’s teachings were nothing new; there were based squarely on the Word of God; the exact same Word of God the Jews preached. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all preachers today did what Paul did?

(b) A reprimand and a challenge, verses 23—29

To Festus, a Roman, such talk about sufferings and resurrections seemed like nonsense. Thinking Paul’s statements were offensive to Agrippa, he shouted out loud, bringing Paul’s very sanity into question. He thought that Paul had driven himself mad studying such things. One commentator observed—

Paul has been talking to Agrippa as one Jew to another, and naturally the Roman Festus thought that anyone who had [Messianic] expectations in mind must be mad.

The fact is, many educated people think like Festus; talk of the Second Coming of Christ and of the resurrection make little sense. However, to both Christians and Jews alike, this kind of eschatological preaching is central to their faith.

Paul remained respectful as he answered Festus, insisting he was far from mad and that, unlike Festus, Agrippa was very familiar with these teachings. These verses show clearly that, even though shackled and restrained, Paul was in control and dominating the proceedings. Then he did something unthinkable: he challenged Agrippa!

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do. (verse 27)

What a question! The king could not deny that he was at least very familiar with “the prophets.” Certainly the king was at least somewhat familiar with Christian teachings since there were not “done in a dark corner.” As far as Paul was concerned, if a person gave mental assent to “the prophets,” that could inevitably lead him to a firm belief in Christ. So the prisoner now becomes the inquisitor and asks the challenging question.

This question posed a real dilemma for the king. If he gives a negative answer, he will offend the Jews; if he answers positively, he loses face if Paul asks him to believe the Gospel. Before the king can respond, Paul answers for him: I know you do.

Variations abound of Agrippa’s response to Paul, probably due to variants in the Greek text. Here is a sampling of what Agrippa may have said—

You almost persuade me to become a Christian – NKJV

You with a few words are trying to persuade me to become a Christian – MLB

In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian – NASB

Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to become a Christian – NIV

In a short time you think you can make me a Christian – RSV

What was Agrippa trying to tell Paul? Even before meeting Paul in person, Agrippa held no animus toward the apostle. In fact, some scholars have noted that Agrippa was “kindly disposed” to Paul. It is unlikely, then, that Agrippa is trying to ridicule or make fun of Paul. He is simply being evasive because he knows that no matter how he answers, Paul will keep on probing. Not wanting to lose his influence over the Jews and not wanting to be identified as a Christian, he simply ignores the question and considers the matter closed. He had no desire to keep going because he considered Paul guilt of nothing. Lenski comments:

Agrippa had felt Paul’s touch upon his heart, and from this strange and unexpected power he withdrew. It was his hour of grace, and when he left the room, he left salvation behind him.

Everyone agreed that Paul was innocent of any crime, and verse 32 is Agrippa’s verdict—

“This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

With one short sentence, Paul was completely vindicated and Festus was found guilty! The spineless Festus refused to release an innocent whom he knew was innocent, and now everybody knew what kind of man he was.

Conclusion

Paul took advantage of an unusual opportunity to witness for Christ. Our opportunities to share Christ come to us daily, and we are not imprisoned as Paul was. Do we make the most of every opportunity to testify about our relationship about Christ?

The events of Acts 26 happened roughly 20 years after Paul’s conversion. Yet he was still empowered by that one experience. He was still excited about the Gospel and about how it changes lives. Hopefully our faith has not grown cold. Hopefully we are as much in love with Christ today as we were when we first found Him.

(c) 2009 WitzEnd

FORCEFULLY ADVANCING: The Church in Acts, Part 2

Published September 11, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Acts 15, Early Church, Paul, Silas

414050

For Everyone, No Strings

Acts 15

As we approach Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey has ended. Thanks to the work of these two great missionaries, Christian churches were now flourishing all over Galatia. In the face of opposition from people and the elements, the church of Jesus Christ was forging ahead into new territory thanks to this dynamic duo of Christ’s disciples. You would think that the mother church back in Jerusalem would be thrilled to see this happening. Yet the opposite was true: all these Gentile converts in Galatia caused a controversy in Jerusalem. Many of the converts in Jerusalem were Jews, and some were Pharisees who believed that Gentiles needed to convert to Judaism before they could become Christians. In other words, to them, salvation included faith in Christ and observance of the Mosaic Law. Today such thinking seems ridiculous, but in the very early years of the church, this controversy could have torn it apart.

The convening of the first church council occurred sometime around 49 AD, and although since then there have been many, many church councils that decided things like the inspiration of Scripture, the nature of God, and other doctrinal issues, the Jerusalem Council was one of the most important events for the early Church. It was of vital importance to answer this question: “Are Gentile Christians required to keep the Jewish Law? The fate of the Church depended on a correct answer, for if the answer was “Yes,” then Christianity would have forever been viewed as just another sect of Judaism; if the answer was “No,” then the Church would be able to advance it’s Great Commission, free from any encumbrance.

1. Troublemakers cause trouble, 15:1—12

(a) The problem, verse 1

Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

This is the crux of the issue and the reason behind the Jerusalem Council. Of course, the question really had nothing to do with circumcision but rather what was involved with salvation. The troublemakers were identified merely as “some men.” They were Jewish Christians, probably Pharisees, who went to Antioch with no apostolic authority to impose their own style of Christianity on the believers there.

While these men clearly had a grasp on the teachings of Jesus, they clung to their old religion. What they did, in addition to adding to the Word of God, was to dismantle what Paul and Barnabas had achieved in the Gentile world. They had preached the Gospel faithfully and all of a sudden for some unknown men to march into a church and begin to contradict the Word must have been confusing, given the fact that believers did not possess a written Bible yet!

(b) The delegation, verses 2—5

This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question….Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.” (verses 2, 5)

The phrase “sharp dispute” is probably Luke’s polite way of describing Paul and Barnabas’ attitude to these men and their destructive teaching! In fact, to be demanding that Gentile believers adhere to and fulfill the Law of Moses in order to be saved showed that they while they believed Christ to be the Messiah, they viewed the Law from a Jewish, not a Christian viewpoint. Really, these Judaizers were practicing a form of racial discrimination within the Church.

The Antiochean believers showed great wisdom by appointing the apostles to go to Jerusalem to seek advice about this. Decades before Paul would write his “Pastoral Epistles,” the leaders or overseers of this church were practicing Paul’s brand of pastoral theology—

[Qualification of elders]…not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (1 Timothy 3:3)

And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. (2 Timothy 2:24)

Jerusalem was the center of the early Church; those who had lived and worked with Jesus personally were there and they had ultimate authority. Jerusalem would remain the headquarters of the Christian church until 70 AD, when the base of power and operation shifted from the east (Jerusalem) to the west (Rome). One always either “came down from” or “went up to” Jerusalem.

Luke does not tell us who the “other believers” were who made up the Antiochean delegation. In Galatians 2:1, we have a clue, though, as to the identity of one of them—

Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.

Since Luke never mentions Titus’ name in Acts, some scholars have thought Titus was Luke’s brother, and out of modesty the physician-historian-author refrains from mentioning him by name. As they traveled “up to Jerusalem,” the group continued to the work of the Lord by testifying everywhere what God had done. The result: This news made all the brothers very glad. Obviously the only people who had a problem with the work of Paul and Barnabas were the Judaizers.

(c) The debate, verses 6—12

A group of Christians had accused other Christians of adding something to the Gospel, and so the elders and apostles came together to discuss this divisive issue. The “discussion” was likely hot and furious and Peter was the first to rise up and address it. Considering the subject matter, it was obvious Peter should be the one to talk about it. We cannot be sure how it had been since Peter’s experience in Caesarea, but it could have been over a decade since his experiences with Cornelius and his family.

Still, Peter was not the central figure of the Jerusalem church at this time; James had assumed a much larger role in leadership, but Peter’s word carried some weight among the Jewish converts. Peter’s argument was that the conversion of Cornelius (though he doesn’t name him by name) had been a precedent established by God of His decision to reach out to the Gentiles. Because of this, Paul and Barnabas’ approach was exactly according to God’s will. In fact, in regards to the Judaizers teaching, Peter makes the amazing statement—

Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? (verse 10)

That sounds a lot like something Paul would write, but it was Peter recognizing that God was doing a radical thing. Furthermore, he reaches a conclusion that seems obvious to us but it was new to them; all people are the same before God, their Creator.

2. Wise counsel, swift resolution, verses 13—21

(a) Prophecy fulfilled, verses 13—18

James, our Lord’s brother, presided over the Jerusalem Council was the next to speak. Down through church history, James was known as “James the Just” because of his piety and because of the fact that, though a follower of Jesus Christ, he carefully observed the Law. Naturally, the Judaizers thought they could depend on him to support their cause. What they found was that James, far from having a narrow view of things, was broadminded enough to realize that what Peter said was true; God does accept repentant man for who they are, and in fact, He always has.

He quotes from the book of Amos, applying the text to the conversion and acceptance of the Gentile Cornelius, affirming to all the Gospel includes all—

“In that day I will restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name,” declares the LORD, who will do these things. (Amos 9:11—12)

As James interpreted the passage, the first part refers to the death and resurrection of Jesus and verse 16 of Acts 15 relates Christ’s death to the phrases “David’s fallen tent” and “it’s ruins.” His resurrection is illustrated in the phrases “I will rebuild” and “I will restore.”

Clearly in James’ mind, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the singular event that changed the direction of humanity; Christ was lifted up to draw all people unto Himself—

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up. (John 3:14)

But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:32)

The “all men” included Gentiles, which James indicated was part of God’s plan from then very beginning, verse 18.

(b) Agreement, verses 19—21

Despite James’ devotion to the Jewish Law, he did not side with the Judaizers. Verse 19 literally reads: “Therefore I, for my part, judge…” James’ words carried weight and authority in the early Church. His decision was wise and simple: the Gentile believers were to be free from keeping the Jewish Law. In his decision, James uses a very rare verb translated “not make it difficult” which means literally, “stop annoying.” The false teachers were pestering and bothering genuine Christians with their ideas.

Charles Erdman writes that James’s decision included three key points:

Liberty, verse 19
Purity, verse 20
Co-operation between Jews and Gentiles, verse 21

It is interesting that James said, “We should write to them…” That is exactly what Paul did.

3. Affirming the Gospel, verses 22—35

Curiously, Luke does not describe the Council’s reaction to James’ proposals, but given the context and the collection of Paul’s letters, it seems clear that they agreed with and supported his ideas.

(a) Letter of reconciliation, verses 22—29

In the letter sent to Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, some new men are mentioned by name; Silas would become Paul’s partner in his next missionary journey. Of this letter, some 200 years later Clement of Alexandria remarked that is was “the Catholic epistle of all the Apostles” and that is was conveyed by the faithful hands of Paul himself.” What we read in these verses is most likely an exact, verbatim copy made by Luke, incorporated in his history.

This phrase is significant—

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…(verse 28)

This shows us two important aspects of church leadership. First, there must be co-operation between God and man in the decision-making process. Even though the Council was made up of human leaders, the true Head of the Council was Jesus Christ and He guided the men by His Holy Spirit. Second, these human leaders set aside their own ambitions and agendas and spoke with one voice of solidarity: it seemed good to US. They were able speak in unity because they all paid attention to the Holy Spirit.

God sees all people as the same in Christ Jesus; and these men exemplified this desired unity be acting in unity.

(b) The wonder of unity, verses 30—35

The entire congregation at Antioch, and maybe many of the outlying assemblies, gathered together to hear the letter read. One can only imagine the scene of joy as the people heard confirmation of what they already knew, yet began to doubt because of the meddling of false teachers. They must have also been relieved to know that they did not need to learn a whole new set of rules to live by.

There is freedom in the Gospel. There is encouragement in the Gospel. The Gospel is never a burden to anyone. But the Law, and the rules of man, bring only confusion and condemnation.

The two new men, Judas and Silas, were preachers who jumped in to encourage the believers in Antioch. Obviously, Paul and Silas worked well together, and some time later the two men would work even closer together.

It’s amazing how the Lord uses circumstances to lead people in and out of our lives to accomplish His eternal purposes.

Conclusion

There are many lessons to be learned here. From the importance to discerning and obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit to discerning and overcoming our prejudices; may we all learn to see other people as God sees us.

(c) 2009 WitzEnd

The Worst Demands the Best

Published July 18, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: conversion, God's love, Grace, Paul, witness

1 Timothy 1:15—17

Without a doubt, 1 Timothy 1:15 is one of the most significant verses in the New Testament. It offers tangible proof that Jesus Christ did indeed come into the world to save sinners. We often refer to Paul as the “greatest apostle” or the “great missionary” or the “great teacher,” but we forget that Paul came into this world as none of those things. Paul came into this world as Saul, who grew up to become a hater and persecutor of all things and people having anything to do with Jesus Christ.

We also often talk about Christ as the Son of God who came to teach us, to show us how to live; to change our lives, but this verse declares succinctly that—

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…

Whatever else Jesus did; all the healings and the teachings, were purely secondary to this stated purpose. Jesus came to save sinners. And, at least according to Paul, he was the unqualified worst of the lot.

—of whom I am the worst.

In this verse, Paul opens up like he seldom did in his letters. First he makes a statement that applies to all mankind, then he makes a personal application of that profound Biblical truth; what a marvelous way to share you faith!

1. The Word: trustworthy, verse 15a

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance…

Of course, the “trustworthy saying” is “Christ came into the world to save sinners.” The Greek phrase behind the English “trustworthy saying” is pistos ho logos, meaning literally “faithful the word,” and there are five such trustworthy sayings mentioned in the Pastorals (1 Timothy 1:15; 3:1; 4:8; 2 Timothy 2:11—13; Titus 3:4—8).

This first famous and “trustworthy saying” is simple and great, like the Rock of Gibraltar, it is the unshakable foundation upon which our faith rests. This simple statement, passed from believer to believer had, in less than four decades, so entrenched itself in the hearts, minds and consciousness of Christians that by the time of this letter it had become the simple confession of faith in the very early Church. Imagine, without the help of televangelists and popular Christian writers and teachers flooding the airwaves, somehow this simple, “trustworthy saying” had permeated the whole Church. And why not? It was and is the faithful Word of God. Somehow, without the aid of the printing press, or the Old and New Testaments for that matter, this “Word of God” was enough to save. Here we are, 2,000 years on, awash in Bibles of every conceivable translation, more lost than ever! It may be the highest selling book of all time, but it is surely least read book ever written.

The Word declares exactly what Jesus Christ did—

…[He] came into the world to save sinners…

This refers, not to the Incarnation specifically, but to something else. The juxtaposition of the words “world” and “sinners” reveals that in this instance, the word “world” is really an ethical concept. That is, here was the sinless and perfect and eternal Son of God, pure and Holy, living in the presence of God the Father, voluntarily leaving the world He knew to enter a world to which He did not belong: the world of sin. His entrance into this world of darkness was for the express purpose of saving sinners. Jesus Christ, then, was fully justified in leaving Heaven and purely motivated in coming into our world. That, then, is part of the trustworthy saying you should know so well; this is the good news—the Gospel that saves, and it is reliable and rock solid.

2. The proof, verse 15b

…of whom I am the worst.

When one makes extraordinary claims, the listener often doubts, and so Paul offers proof of what he just wrote. The very fact that he was saved and a changed man proved the reliability or trustworthiness of the Word he just wrote. Paul felt that he was the absolute “worst” (literally, the “first” or “chief”) of all sinners. He thought that in the procession of sinners, he was at the head of the line. Why did he feel this way about himself? Did he consider himself worse than a demon-possessed man? Was he worse than a child abuser or serial killer? What Paul was getting at was simply this: he had been persecuting the Church vigorously (Acts 22:4, 5 shows how vigorously) and had his vicious plans succeeded—had he not met Christ on the Damascus Road—the Church would have died in its infancy. To him, to his reckoning, this was the worst of all sins making him the greatest of all sinners.

In the order of the Greek, the emphasis on himself in verse 15, switching to Christ’s work in verse 16; in other words, Paul is using himself as a way to contrast the greatness of what Christ did. We are reminded of the moving words of Charles Wesley:

Depth of mercy! Can there be

Mercy still reserved for me?

Can my God his wrath forebear?

Me, the chief of sinners spare?

Indeed, what Paul wrote about himself each one of us could write about ourselves. For in comparison to greatness of Jesus Christ, we are nothing.

3. The reason for Paul’s salvation, verse 16

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

This is the purpose of God’s amazing grace. Paul would become a living, breathing illustration of what God can do to change a human life. Even salvation is all about God, not about us. This follows what Paul wrote to the Galatians—

But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles… (Galatians 1:15—16a)

We don’t often think about that as a reason for our salvation: to show the glory of God to others. Christians are deluded into thinking that their faith is a private thing; something between them and God. Nothing could be further from the truth! Our faith is what should define us. Nothing could be more eloquent of the goodness, kindness, and the grace of God than your changed life; it speaks louder than any word you say. At least it should. Hopefully our lives testify to the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. If not, we need to revisit our confessions of Christ!

4. Doxology, verse 17

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Scottish poet and hymn writer, Elizabeth Clephane, known as “the Reforming Mom,” wrote these beautiful words—

And from my smitten heart with tears,

Two wonders I confess,

The wonders of His glorious love

And my own worthlessness.

These “two wonders” are what moved Paul to write verse 17. Considering his great sinfulness, Paul realized how great God’s grace must have been. In a sense, our view of God is determined by the view we hold of ourselves. Paul could write verse 17 because he wrote verses 15 and 16; he saw the utter depravity of himself and knew that his rescue demanded a great God.

In these few verses Paul writes of two things in his conversion: first, how such a great and glorious God could have compassion on him while he was the foremost sinner, and second, the purpose of God in Paul’s salvation, that he should become a kind of pattern of grace to all believers. Paul, as a Pharisee, was in ignorance and unbelief, rebelling against a God he did not know, all the while thinking he was actually serving that God! His ignorance, however, was no excuse for his sinful condition.

Like the good shepherd, the old lady, and the father of the parables of Luke 15, God sought Paul, the lost one, to bring him home where he belonged. Paul, in his sin, may have “kicked against the goad” time and again, but God’s grace was greater than his sin, God’s patience more perfect than Paul’s persistent rebellion. Guilty as Paul may have been, as hostile as Paul may have been to the Kingdom of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, his sin did not come close to touching God. It did not dissuade God from His purpose: saving Paul, and revealing Himself in Paul, so that Paul could do His will. God was pleased to show in Paul a pattern of perfect grace and sovereignty to all Jews, who were as rebellious as Paul was, and to all people everywhere and for all time, for all who live without Christ are enemies of God whether they know it or now, and are in desperate need of saving.

The chief, the most active, the most chronic of sinners made the most powerful witness that the grace of God abounded over sin and that the work of Christ was enough to change Paul’s life.

The reality is we are all as bad as Paul, but that God’s amazing grace and boundless love can reach down from Heaven into our hearts and change us in an instant. We can become walking illustrations of the power and sovereignty of God.

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STUDIES IN ACTS, Part 10

(c) 2011 WitzEnd

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FORCEFULLY ADVANCING: The Church in Acts, Part 2

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The Worst Demands the Best

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