Tag: acts

Immerse Day 9 Observations

More than 3500 people at  Scottsdale Bible Church are reading through the New Testament together over 8 weeks.

Text: Acts 19:21-28:31 (pp. 95-110)

  • Following Ephesus, the Holy Spirit led Paul to return to Macedonia and Achaia, and then compelled him to go to Rome. We see the narrative swelling toward its apex.
  • Timothy is now presented here as an assistant (along with Erastus). They were being sent ahead to Macedonia.
  • Trouble, though, was brewing back in Ephesus, where the movement of Christianity posed a serious threat to the economy of pagan worship (and the sales of idols).
  • Demetrius, an Ephesian silversmith, complained that the Gospel’s advance came at the expense of Artemis worship (and related commerce). The complaint was rooted in a sudden loss of prosperity, but couched in religious language.
    • This riled up the local community, and chaos ensued.
    • Eventually the mayor was able to settle them down, under concerns that the growing anarchy was putting them at risk with Rome.
    • understated points: false gods need humans to support and promote them in order to exist. In this, Artemis is a counterfeit god, and really just the mask of the more insidious false god of the love of money. People have the remarkable capacity to make ignoble things seem more noble. Doing this doesn’t make those ignoble things noble.
  • Paul left for Macedonia, then went on to Greece for three months. When a plot to kill him was discovered, he went back the way he had come, and eventually ended up in Troas, where they stayed for a few days.
    • On the eve of his departure, Paul was preaching an extended message, where a young man named Eutychus fell asleep and fell 3 stories out a window to his death.
      • Welcome to the Scripture that has served as a pun-rife warning against long-winded preaching ever since.
      • Paul went down and took him into his arms. He was alive.
      • They all went back upstairs, celebrated the Lord’s Supper, and ate together.
      • And Paul kept preaching until sunrise.
“Nothing slowed him down.”
– Eutychus (probably)
  • Paul pressed on toward Jerusalem, stopping in Ephesus to encourage them by saying:
    • the Gospel is the same for the Gentile and the Jew: salvation is available through Jesus.
    • Life offered suffering for the Gospel, but that the only value in life is to be found in obeying God’s will and doing the things God has established for you to do.
    • To the elders:
      • Guard yourself and God’s people. The church is God’s flock. They need guidance, provision, and protection.
      • There would be opposition, some of which may come from surprising internal sources (people looking to gain their own following, disregarding that the congregation is God’s, purchased by the blood of Jesus).
    • He closed with an exhortation for the people to work. Christians ought not be lazy or noncontributory to the community’s well-being. Be givers, not takers.
  • He then bid a fond farewell and proceeded to Jerusalem.
    • He stopped in Caesarea and visited Philip (the deacon-turned-evanglist), who was now ministering here, along with his four daughters.
obligatory Deacon photo, who had some of his own challenges contending with a devil.
  • Another prophet named Agabus, foretold that Paul would be seized by the Romans in Jerusalem, and handed over to Gentiles. This caused everyone else to worry, but Paul would not be dissuaded.
  • understated points: even godly people will sometimes see adversity as indicators of a need to stop moving forward. Expect adversity and go forward in faith. God wants to deliver you through adversity, not around it.
  • They finally arrived at Jerusalem, and were met by the church leaders there.
    • Paul recounted his experiences.
    • The leaders talked about the challenges they continued to have regarding Gentiles and expectations placed upon them.
    • They asked Paul to participate in the cleansing ritual so others would see he had not abandoned his Jewish heritage and identity, and that the expectations placed upon the Gentiles would remain has had been earlier stated (to honor the moral laws of abstaining from immorality, violence, and idolatry).
    • Paul did as requested.
    • Some Asiatic Jews later recognized Paul and formed a mob, accusing him with lies and unfounded assumptions.
      • They dragged him out of the Temple to stone him.
      • They only stopped when the Roman guard intervened.
      • The mob was more afraid of their earthly occupiers than of their divine sovereign.
      • The Romans arrested Paul. Then they tried to figure out charges.
this doesn’t add up
  • Paul made it clear he was a Roman (to the Romans who thought he was Egyptian), then he spoke in Aramaic to the Jews (their native language).
    • He gave his defense, and they fell silent until he said that God’s grace was being offered to the Gentiles, too.
    • At this, they called his message worthless and determined again to kill him.
      • Removing their coats would make it easier to throw stones.
      • Throwing dirt may by symbolic for their low regard for his message, or it may be what they threw at him because there were no rocks to be found there.
    • Continuing with judicial practices that kept Paul bound in shackles of irony, the commander ordered to have Paul whipped until he confessed to something. That’s when Paul, not rhetorically, asked if it was copacetic to be beating a Roman citizen without a trial?
you know, hypothetically
  • So, the soldiers stopped those plans.
  • The next day, Ananias the high priest and the Jewish high council arrived. Paul addressed them.
    • Ananias ordered Paul to be smacked in the face.
    • When lies and accusations and mob mentality all fail, the carnal mind resorts to inducing fear, violence, and intimidation.
    • Paul, in turn, turned his own strategy to turn the two schisms (the Pharisees and Saducees) against each other by highlighting that all he was doing was preaching that resurrection from the dead was legit.
    • This tactic worked, in that it caused some Pharisees to support him, but it also caused the room to grow increasingly volatile.
    • Roman soldiers extracted Paul.
    • That night, the Lord visited Paul and encouraged him with the revelation that his mission would continue all the way to Rome.
  • The conspiring Jewish leaders further developed their plot to kill Paul. Yet, Paul’s kin became aware of the plot and alerted the Roman commander, who increased their protection of Paul, and ordered that he be delivered to the Roman governor Felix for trial.
    • Felix agreed to hear the trial when Paul’s acccusers arrived.
    • Ananias and crew showed up five days later, along with a lawyer who tried to establish a case against Paul using lies, slander and hyperbole, supported by a liars’ choir singing a chorus of false testimony.
    • Paul took his turn and set the record straight.
    • Felix (who was familiar with Christianity) determined to delay his verdict.
      • In the next few days, Felix showed up to Paul, bringing his wife Drusilla, and Paul talked to the both of them about matters of faith.
      • What a picture of the sovereignty of God to bring the Gospel of peace to Roman leaders, drawing them to visit an imprisoned Jewish believer!
      • Felix had hoped that Paul would bribe him. This was common practice of that day. This commentary also gives us a peek into the mind of Felix, that even though he knew Paul’s testimony to be true, he was skeptical of spiritual matters (perhaps because so much of religion was corrupt, as were so many who represented faiths of different sorts). In fact, Felix kept calling on Paul to talk with him, giving Paul ample opportunity to make such a bribe.
      • The delay extended 2 years, because justice delayed kept Paul in prison, which pleased the Jewish authorities, which brought favor to Felix.
    • Yet, Felix was succeeded by Festus, and the Jewish leaders quickly approached him to revive their plot to kill Paul, trying to force Paul out into the open where he could be murdered.
      • Felix held a new trial, and floated the consideration of having Paul go back to Jerusalem to be tried (which was what the Jewish leaders wanted).
      • Paul forcefully declined, pressing his right to be tried by Caesar in Rome.
      • Felix was bound by the laws to honor Paul’s rights, so he agreed to Paul’s demand.
    • Soon after, King Agrippa (II, the son of Agrippa I who had ordered the Apostle James killed) arrived with his sister Bernice (with whom he was having an incestuous relationship). Festus talked with Agrippa about Paul, and Agrippa determined he wanted to hear from Paul, so they arranged the parties to convene.
      • This gathering took place the next day. Festus actually declared Paul’s innocence in this setting, in introducing Paul. Paul then spoke, recapping his testimony.
      • Festus exclaimed that Paul was crazy, which Paul rebutted, then appealed to Agrippa to concur with his theological conclusions.
        • This was savvy of Paul, because if Agrippa had agreed, he would have the highest Roman authority (present at that time) on his side (which was much more about Agrippa being self-declared in agreement with Paul’s teachings about Jesus).
        • Agrippa understood this, and wasn’t willing to identify as a Christian. Note, he didn’t disagree, either. He was determined to remain impartial and not personally identify with either side.
        • understated point: Paul was doggedly determined to share Jesus as the Way with everyone he could, regardless of heritage, title, rank, or position. He only cared about other people knowing Jesus the way he knew Jesus and relating with him the way he related with Jesus.
        • The leaders all agreed that Paul had done nothing deserving death or the treatment he had been receiving, and commented that they would have freed him if it weren’t for his demand to be tried in Rome in front of Caesar.
        • This brings to a close Paul’s third missionary journey, detailed here:
Paul’s third missionary journey, courtesy of conformstojesus.com
  • Paul (and some in his party) were set on a boat for Rome, along with other prisoners. Julius, the captain of the Regiment, showed kindness to Paul on the journey.
    • They ran into bad weather, and Julius put the prisoners on a different ship sailing to Rome.
    • They hit more bad weather. Paul foretold that proceeding into the weather would bring shipwreck, loss of cargo, and endangered lives. The sailors proceeded anyway.
    • The bad weather carried them out to sea. As winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began dumping cargo (✔).
    • The storm raged for days. The crew didn’t eat. They began to despair. Paul told them to be encouraged, because he had been shown that none would die from this adversity…but they would be shipwrecked.
    • On the 14th day of the storm(!), they thought they were approaching shore, but soon found themselves driven against the rocks. Paul advised them and kept them safe – , but they were shipwrecked (✔✔).
    • As they were approaching the shore from the shipwreck, officers wanted to kill all the prisoners, but the commander remembered Paul and kept him safe – all 276 lives were saved (✔✔✔).
  • They had landed at Malta, where the locals met the crew and party. At a campfire, the initially thought Paul was evil, but as he survived a venomous snakebite, they then considered him a god.
    • Paul prayed for and healed the sick dad of the Malta’s chief official. That attracted all the other sick, and Paul healed them all. When the time came for them to depart, they were supplied with all they needed.
  • Three months after the shipwreck, they went on to Rome.
Paul and Luke’s Bogus Adventure (courtesy of conformtojesus.com)

Upon arriving, they met other believers and Paul was permitted to have a private (but guarded) residence.

  • Three days later, Paul called an audience with the Roman Jewish leaders, and shared his reason for being there, to be tried by Caesar.
  • The Jewish leaders said they had not received a complaint about Paul, but they did want to hear more about his beliefs.
  • So Paul welcomed them into his lodging and began reasoning with them to illuminate them about Jesus. Some believed. Some did not.
  • When Paul had reached the full extent of being able to speak to the Jews, he explained that he was taking this same message to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.
  • Paul remained in Rome for 2 years at his own expense (not on the government dole). He was faithful in proclaiming Jesus.
  • And nobody tried to stop him.
  • (wikipedia’s account of Paul’s death are available here.)

Immerse Day 8 Observations

More than 3500 people at  Scottsdale Bible Church are reading through the New Testament together over 8 weeks.

Text: Acts 13:5 – 19:29 (pp. 82-94)

  • Saul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, bringing John Mark with them (from Jerusalem).
  • Back in Antioch, the two leaders were set apart and sent out by the Holy Spirit to a special work. This was the first missionary journey and John Mark was their assistant.
  • This first journey led them to Salamis on the island of Cyprus, where Saul preached in the synagogue there. They covered the island.
  • It strikes me (uniquely in my history) that I have read this New Testament many times, and never think twice about the synagogues existing all over these Mediterranean communities. I’m unfamiliar to their histories and ignorant of the advance of Judaism into this region prior to the New Testament.
I have some learning’ to do…
  • In the Cyprian town of Paphos, they met the governor name Sergius Paulus and a false prophet named Bar-Jesus (“son of Jesus” – he wasn’t). He is indicated as being a man who “attached himself to the governor” (who himself is described as “an intelligent man” who had called for the disciples to come to him expressly because he had wanted to hear their message) and attempted to distract the governor from listening to them. He is indicted (scripturally, that is) for trying to keep the governor from believing.
  • Saul, through the Holy Spirit, recognized the evil tactics being employed, and stuck the evil-doer with blindness. This made an immediate impact on the governor, who believed.
  • Here, Saul is indicated as also being known as Paul. It has been suggested that this is a “name change” reflective of a new identity as a follower of Jesus. This is unlikely; rather, just as Bar-Jesus also had a Greek name (Elymas), “Paul” is the Greek “common name” of “Saul.” Here is a good article on the topic. There is interesting conjecture if the prioritization of Paul over Saul from this point on in Luke’s Gospel reflects Paul’s primary ministry to the Gentiles, and Luke’s awareness of his letter’s reader, Theophilus, himself being a Gentile.
Saul? Paul!
  • Their next stop on this first journey was Pamphylia, where they landed in the port town of Perga. We read that John Mark returned to Jerusalem, but we don’t read more about this until a bit later. Paul and Barnabas proceeded inland to Antioch of Pisidia.
    • fun fact: the founder of this Antioch is Seulucid, who was a general under Alexander the Great. When Alexander died and his kingdom was divided amongst his generals, Seleucid found 16 Antiochs, all in honor of his father, Antiochus, who himself was a general under Philip II. Seleucid also named a son Antiochus.
    • Following their patterned practices, they went to the synagogue, and in the “open mic” time, Paul addressed the crowd, giving them a brief history lesson then pointing to King David’s descendant Jesus as the Messiah (“God’s promised savior of Israel!”)Paul addresses the crowd, and deliberately including “Sons of Abraham” and “God fearing Gentiles” as “Brothers,” (demonstrating again the inclusivity of the Gospel), telling them that, in the person of Jesus, the message of salvation has been sent. Paul then recounted the false charges, fraudulent trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, all of which were fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures.Paul then told the audience that this message was good news for them, that Jesus offered them the forgiveness of their sins, and that anyone who believed could be “made right in God’s sight,” and pointed out this was something that Moses could not do. Many people believed and begged them to stay. The following week, they returned to a much larger crowd, but some of the Jewish leaders present became jealous of the men because of the massive attraction these two had brought. Because of their jealousy, they slandered Paul and and argued against him. With their rejection, Paul explained how they were taking the message to the Gentiles.
      • Interestingly, Paul explains their rejection as a self-judgment of being unworthy of eternal life. This indicates that the Gospel is objectively available, but rejection is a self-determined rejection and self-incriminating judgment that God acknowledges, respects, and holds in account. He will not force salvation upon a person who has resolved to reject his grace.
    • The Gentiles were overjoyed at this invitation and many believed.
      • Interestingly, the Scriptures read, “all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.”
      • understated point: the question about free will/predestination is not an “or” question as much as it is an “and” question. This passage affirms both, and we are well-served to appreciate that both are involved in the matter of salvation (or the rejection of that salvation).
    • The Lord’s message spread through the region. The jealous religious leaders took the tactic of stirring up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and fomented a mob against Paul and Barnabas. What they couldn’t accomplish by reasonable discourse, they accomplished through violence.
    • Even so, the violence couldn’t deny the believers being filled with the Holy Spirit’s joy.
  • The same thing happened at Iconium, their next stop.
    • This pattern became typical. Crowds came. Many were saved, Jew and Gentile alike. Some Jewish leaders were incensed, and plotted and conspired to undermine the work. Paul and Barnabas persevered. They provided miracles. Response was divided. Mobs formed. Violence ensued. Paul and Barnabas escaped and moved on.
  • At the town of Lystra, they encountered a man who had never walked. Paul recognized his faith and healed him.
    • The people mistakenly interpreted this miracle as evidence that Paul and Barnabas were Hermes and Zeus, respectively (the Greek gods were worshipped there). Accordingly, the people brought them offerings of devotion.
    • Paul and Barnabas were quick to decry this attempted devotion, deliberately and overtly pointing people back to Jesus.
    • understated points: opportunities to rob God of his glory are everywhere. By nature, people are inclined to mistakenly attribute the work of God to lesser sources. Discipline and humility are necessary to direct accolades to the lone source worthy of all praise.
    • Some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium (they followed behind to challenge the advance of the Gospel?). They persuaded the crowds and stoned Paul, leaving him for dead.
    • understated point: people with faithless eyes and ears are fickle and easily swayed.
    • Paul wasn’t dead. He got up and returned to town.
Paul still had some work to do
  • The next day, Paul continued on to Derbe. #derbedays (this hash pun has an admittedly limited audience)
    • With only a summation of having success there, Paul and Barnabas have a 2.0 tour back through the prior communities they visited and did important work, strengthening believers by:
      • Encouraging them to persevere
      • Reminding them that suffering was part of the disciples experience
      • prayerfully appointing spiritual leaders (elders).
    • Concluding this, they continued their travels to Attalia and then returned to Antioch in Syria, having completed their appointed work.
  • They gave a report of all that had happened, staying in Antioch for an extended time.
  • While in Antioch, Judeans arrived, teaching that men weren’t true believers unless they submitted to being circumcised (as required by Old Testament law). Paul and Barnabas sharply protested this false teaching. To resolve the conflict, the church sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to hear from the Apostles on the matter.
    • Along the way, they saw Gentiles being converted in Phoenicia and Samaria. Paul and Barnabas were welcomed by the Apostles and elders, and despite the good report of lives being changed, the Pharisaic believers reiterated the call for new converts to be circumcised.After discussion, Peter declared that Gentiles need not be circumcised, because salvation was by grace of God alone through faith in Jesus alone. Paul and Barnabas shared more about how God was saving Gentiles.James then gave judgment that the Gentiles would be expected to abstain from eating meat dedicated to idols, sexual immorality, eating meat of strangled animals, and consuming blood. The statement that “these have been preached in the synagogues in every city on every Sabbath…” reflects moral prohibitions that exist to facilitate fellowship between Messianic Jews and Gentile believers – these are prohibitions against idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed (murder – strangling is violence, and “consuming blood” is probably better understood as “shedding blood”). The judgment to teach these moral prohibitions to the Gentiles is to say, in a sense, “in addition to salvation being a grace gift from God through faith in Jesus, we can agree that God wants us to flee idolatry, immorality, and violence.”Delegates from Jerusalem (Barsabbas and Silas) joined Paul and Barnabas in taking this message back to Antioch. They brought with them a letter from Jerusalem that:
      • affirmed them in the fellowship of authentic faith.distanced themselves from the Pharisaic believers who had infiltrated Antioch with bad teaching. Clarification on the issues in question.
    • The letter was well received. The Jerusalem delegates then preached and strengthened the faith.
    • understated point: hearing from other authoritative voices in the greater Kingdom of God can be encouraging and instructive.
Paul’s first missionary journey, with notes, courtesy of conforfingtojesus.com. click link for larger map
  • The Jerusalem delegates stayed for a bit and then returned home. Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch for some time, but…
  • After a while, Paul floated the idea of a reunion tour.
Paul, to Barnabas, probably.
  • Alas, like Eddie Van Halen having a sharp disagreement with David Lee Roth about whether or not Michael Anthony should play bass, Paul and Barnabas had a unresolvable conflict regarding whether or not to bring along John Mark on this journey (with Paul against and Barnabas for, respectively).
    • They separated over this disagreement.
    • understated point: sometimes disagreements exist within the Kingdom, and it doesn’t necessarily mean one is right and one is wrong.
    • Barnabas took John Mark and they sailed for Cyprus.
    • Paul teamed up with Silas and they traveled through Syria and Cilicia (arriving back at Derbe and Lystra).
      • It can’t be assumed that Barnabas was wrong or that his ministry apart from Paul was ineffective. Paul is the focus of this letter, and therefore attention remains with him in terms of the narrative. Tradition shares that Barnabas had a fruitful continuing ministry that concluded with his own martyrdom.
      • At Lystra, we meet a young man named Timothy (who will become increasingly prominent as the narrative continues). Timothy is the son of a Jewish believer (mom) and a Greek father (whose belief is not affirmed here). He was well thought of among believers. Paul wanted to bring him along to join in the work. So he had him circumcised.
wait…I thought we decided that wasn’t necessary?!?
  • The understanding of this decision regarding Timothy is found in the context. Having a Gentile birth father, Timothy would not have been considered a Jew among the Jews. So the circumcision addressed this. And if Timothy had not been circumcised, he would have been more closely identified with the Gentile believers than with the Jewish believers. There was also ministry strategy employed here, as well, since Paul’s practice was to appeal to the Jews first. And we later read that no partner in ministry was more present or participatory in Paul’s work than Timothy. This was indeed a sacrificial action that ended up being beneficial for long-term effectiveness. Finally, there is the consideration that Paul, serving as a spiritual father to Timothy, and himself never having “done away” with his own spiritual heritage, saw this as important for Timothy to have done as a Jewish believer (as compared to if he had been a Gentile convert which would have rendered the action unnecessary).
  • Regardless, as a result (not of the circumcision, but of Paul’s Spirit-led efforts and Silas’ and Timothy’s inclusion in it), the church was strengthened.
  • Paul and Silas continued on through the region, but were denied by the Holy Spirit northward passage into the region of Asia. They were similarly frustrated at Bithynia to the North, so they went South to Troas.
    • There, Paul had a vision that a Macedonian man in Northern Greece (south, relative to where their efforts and been denied) was calling for help to preach the good news there.
    • The next day, they sailed south and west and reached Philippi (a Macedonian Roman colony).
    • I’m repeatedly struck curious by the person-shift that takes place here from third-person to second-person. It is speculated that this may be an indirect self-revelation as the recording physician Luke as the famed “Macedonian man.” Hard to say, but suddenly for whatever reason, Luke definitely makes a shift from “they” language to “we” language.
hmmm…
  • At Macedonia, they met Lydia, who was known in the area for being a merchant of expensive purple cloth. She heard the message and believed, and she and her household were baptized. They opened their home to the missionary contingent.
  • Next they met a slave girl who had an ability to prophecy. She tagged along and kept vocalizing that the men were servants of God and could tell people how to be saved.
  • Interestingly, this girl exasperated Paul, and he commanded the possessing spirit to leave her. It did.
  • Paul’s action was bad for business for the girl’s enslavers. They maligned Paul and Silas and lied, saying they were teaching illegal customs.
    • Again, “mob rule” prevailed and the two were severely beaten with wooden rods and thrown into prison.
    • understated point: Jealous religious leaders hold no monopoly on violent, murderous mentality. Every person has the capacity to objectify and de-humanize another, apart from the Spirit of God and provoked by the right cunning tactic.
    • That night in prison, the earth quaked and brought down the prison, freeing the chains of every prisoner.
      • The jailer assumed the prisoners had escaped and was about to kill himself (yeesh…harsh overlords in this region)
      • Yet, Paul and Silas stopped him, and in doing so, showed the jailer unfamiliar compassion. As a result, the jailer believed.
      • note: it is worth noting the recurring theme here that “and his household,” because it could be incorrectly understood that a person’s belief is salvific for an entire household. As this Scripture makes clear, because the jailer believed, the Gospel was shared with the entire household and the entire household, in turn, believed as well.
      • The next morning, the city officials freed Paul and Silas, telling them to go in peace. They were hoping for a low-key disappearance.
      • Paul, though, demanded that they come issue the release themselves. To expedite this, Paul articulated his identity as a Roman citizen, which alarmed the local leaders.
      • The leaders acquiesced and then begged them to leave. Which they did, after a little more time encouraging Lydia’s household.
  • Travels next brought Paul and Silas to Thessalonica, where they went to the synagogue and began reasoning through the Scriptures with the locals. Believers there included Jewish people, God-fearing Gentile men and “quite a few prominent women.”
    • Big shock, local Jewish leaders were jealous. Formed a mob. Started a riot.
    • Took control of a man named Jason, who had shown the missionaries hospitality.
    • Accused the missionaries of causing trouble all over the world, disturbing the city, and being guilty of treason.
Stirring up accusations, hoping something sticks
  • The city was riled up, Jason was forced to post bond. The end. (kinda)
  • Paul and Silas went to nearby to Berea, where as they shared, they encountered open-minded people who searched the Scriptures to verify what was being taught.
  • As a result, many believed (over several days)
  • However, the contentious Thessalonians sent a contingent to stir up trouble. The believers sent Paul to the coast, leaving Silas and Timothy behind.
  • Paul went all the way to Athens, leaving instructions for his partners to rejoin him as soon as possible.
    • In Athens, Paul observed the pervasive multiculturalism, and addressed it by speaking both in the synagogue there (to the Jews), and in the public square (to the Gentiles). He debated Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.
    • Those in the audience described his teachings as strange and provocative. They wanted to understand more.
    • So, Paul contextualized the Gospel, using their frames of reference and understanding to connect their erroneous world view to a Jesus-conforming understanding.
    • Many believed as a result.
  • Paul proceded to Corinth, where he stayed and worked with Aquila and Priscilla. The Jews there opposed him, so he focused his efforts on reaching the Gentiles.
  • Paul stayed there, preaching for a year and a half.
  • I love that Jesus told Paul in a vision, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! For I am with you and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” I think that Jesus tells us the same thing now, and we need to heed his word and obey!
    • After this time, a new leader came into authority. The opposition brought new accusations against Paul to the governor. They lied that he was telling people worship God in ways that are illegal.
    • Interestingly, Gallio (the governor) wouldn’t hear the case because it was a religious, not civic, matter. As a result the crowd gave the synagogue leader a public beating.
Sosthenes’ plot, backfiring, 1st C. (colorized)
  • Paul stayed a bit longer, before departing for Cenchrea. Paul shaved his head, marking the end of a vow. Speculation is that it could be reflective of the Nazirite ceremony, perhaps giving thanks for the success of his Spirit-led travels and ministry advances. Regardless, the act is demonstrative of Paul’s ongoing fidelity to his Jewishness.
  • He proceeded back to Syria, bringing Priscilla and Aquila with him. They stopped at Ephesus, were his companions remained. He then went on to Caesarea, the Jerusalem, then returned to Antioch, for a time. Then he went back through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia. Paul was a man who obeyed the Spirit promptly and God faithfully kept him as a man in motion.
  • Here, we are introduced to Apollos, a believer originating from Alexandria, Egypt. He was a faithful preacher, but knew only about John’s baptism. Priscilla and Aquila heard his teaching in Ephesus, and Brough him up to speed. He was receptive to the Holy Spirit, and they commissioned him to continue in his good works.
  • Apollos’ experience is couched next to Paul’s similar experiences in Ephesus, where the distinction between the baptism of John and the baptism of the Holy Spirit if differentiated.
  • “Speaking in other tongues” is again referenced. There is no explicit reason to interpret this to mean “unknown” languages.
  • Paul preached in Ephesian synagogues for three months, and eventually met opposition. So Paul moved his efforts to the lecture hall. And he kept at it there for two years.
  • Commentary is offered here about Paul’s ability to perform “unusual” miracles. and then shares the anecdote of a local priest who tried to usurp the authority of Jesus bestowed to Paul. It didn’t end well for him, leaving him naked and afraid.
  • Making matters worse (for him) news of his failure went viral, but it only made the name of Jesus bigger (and more honored). Many who had been in dark pagan practices turned to Jesus.
  • Though the journey doesn’t officially close until tomorrow’s reading, the map below shows the totality of his second journey, with highlights, courtesy of conformtojesus.com (click link for larger map)

Immerse Day 7 Observations

More than 3500 people at  Scottsdale Bible Church are reading through the New Testament together over 8 weeks.

Text: Acts 6:1-13:5 (pp 70-82)

  • This reading opens with introducing us to Stephen, described as “full of God’s grace and power.” The miracles accomplished through him demonstrate both of these traits.
    • Men from the “Synagogue of Freed Men” began to debate Stephen. These were Greek Jewish men who had been slaves and were now free, or are descendants of people having this experience. Commentaries suggest that they were known for being more fanatical and regimented about their religious practices because of their exposure to other world views and religious systems, as compared to the norms of the indigenous Jewish believers.
    • In the context of debate, they “couldn’t stand” against Stephen’s insights and arguments. The Scripture is clear to point out that these Freedmen were really arguing (in futility) against the Spirit.
    • So, they employed lying as a tactic.
    • Interestingly, they accuse him of blaspheming not just God, but also Moses. This means that Moses was regarded as sacred, and they were interpreting anything that Stephen said that challenged their established views about him as blasphemous.
    • How tragic to be recorded in biblical history as “lying witnesses.”
    • These opponents made false statements about Stephen regarding Moses and Jesus. Ultimately, they lied about Jesus!
    • When pressed by the leaders, Stephen’s countenance reflected the glory of God and he eloquently responded.
      • He didn’t answer their question. He instead simply gave an oral recitation of Jewish history.
      • Using Abraham, Joseph, Moses and Joshua, and David as references, he made the case for Israel’s pattern of behavior of first rejecting (and even defying or opposing) God (and God’s prophets) before ultimately turning to him (and them).
        • Stephen showed them that their rejections had been faithfully judged by God, often at great consequence to the people of Israel.
        • He made it clear that God’s judgment against Israel for their sin was often to turn them over to their sin and to allow them to persevere in their rebellion.
        • He then issued a polemic that they not only killed the prophets who pointed to the Promised One, but that they also murdered the Messiah.
      • They responded, enraged. In this, I see God again turning them completely over to their sin, and even their subsequent conduct is their condemnable judgment against them.
      • Stephen saw the heavens open and Jesus receiving him.
      • His declaration inflamed them further. They took him out of the city, and began to stone him.
      • Stephen’s last recorded words were an intercession forgiving his murderers.
  • A little out of order here, but the murdering accusers laid their coats at the feet of “a young man named Saul.”
    • I wanted to read this “laying of coats” as some sort of picture of their putting this at his feet in terms of authority. But the commentaries don’t suggest it.
    • Rather, their “taking off their coats” demonstrates that they were stripping off their robes to be more murder-y.
    • This was mob rule, unsanctioned violence illegal by the Roman standards that governed the Jewish people of Jerusalem.
    • Laying it Saul’s feet merely introduces him to the reader. That he approved this mayhem tells us much about him (along with what is still to follow).
      • Saul was a witness to this crime, and was in complete agreement with it.
  • Stephen’s martyrdom was a catalyst to a wave of persecution that scattered all the believers out of Jerusalem (except the Apostles).
    • Saul was a key contributor of this onslaught of ethnic cleansing. His purpose was to destroy the church, literally dragging men and women out of their homes and imprisoning them.
  • As believers dispersed through the region, they brought with them the Gospel of Jesus. They didn’t abandon, conceal, or compartmentalize their faith in Jesus.
    • The deacon Philip is exemplified, preaching and providing miracles in Samaria. His good words and deeds brought people great joy.
    • A local, self-proclaimed “great” sorcerer named Simon was amazed at what he beheld in Philip. He became a believer and was baptized. He is a super-interesting personality, in whom it could be inferred that he followed Philip not because of true belief, but more so out of a charlatan’s awe over the unexplainable feats that he witnessed being performed by Philip.
    • It was a big deal for Samaritans to come to belief in Jesus because of their historic, generational opposition to Israel. So the Apostles sent Peter and John there, where they prayed for the new followers to receive the Holy Spirit.
      • There is much discussion about this baptism of the Holy Spirit among the Samaritans. Some attribute it as a “Samaritan Pentecost” reflective of a development of the Gospel being extended to a new audience. It does appear to be communal in expression, at the revelation of teaching of the Holy Spirit by Peter and John.
      • The laying on of hands should be seen as descriptive, rather than prescriptive (since we see the Holy Spirit bestowed upon belief without the laying on of hands elsewhere in Scripture.)
    • Simon the sorcerer saw this take place and offered to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit from Peter and John.
To suggest Peter reacted strongly would be an understatement
  • Peter told him his heart wasn’t right for making such an offer and directed him to repent of his wickedness.
    • Simon’s offer is indicative of the magicians’ practice of exchanging trick secrets for payment.
    • Peter diagnoses Simon’s offer as an expression not of awe, reverence, or devotion to God, but of bitter jealousy and being gripped by sin.
    • Simon asks for prayer for him, but we don’t get indication that he himself prayed. We don’t hear from him again in Scripture (and history’s accounts are not inclining toward an interpretation of repentance.
  • Attention returns to Philip, being instructed by an angel to leave the good work being accomplished in Samaria to a dirt road. Philip obeys.
    • On this route, he encounters a prominent Ethiopian eunuch, a treasurer in the court of Ethiopian queen Kandake.
      • He had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.
      • As Philip encountered him, the Ethiopian was reading out loud from the scroll of Isaiah.
      • Philip offered to help him, and the Ethiopian welcomes his assistance.
      • Using the Isaiah scripture as reference, Philip begins teaching him Jesus and sharing the Gospel with him.
        • This exchange confronted virtually every taboo of the day that would have existed as ample reason for the conversation never to happen:
          • racial, social, ethnic, economic, and what we might identify today as gender identity (or perhaps divergent sexual ethics).
          • understated point: yet, these two people saw in the other humanity and a divine appointment. That was enough (and bigger than any human-constructed barrier that otherwise would have prohibited their interaction).
          • The result of this conversation was belief! (reflected in the Ethiopian’s interest in baptism, and Philip’s inclination to proceed with it).
        • The baptism itself should be viewed as prescriptive, rather than merely descriptive.
          • It follows the patterns established elsewhere in Scripture, namely:
            • belief preceding baptism
            • going down into the water, coming up out of the water.
            • a mode of baptism representative of the meaning of the word baptism, that is, “to immerse.”
I suspect Philip’s baptism of the Ethiopian was less aggressive.
  • As the Ethiopian emerged from the water, Philip had been taken away by an angel to northern locations (where he continued to advance the Gospel). The Ethiopian himself returned to the queen, where he is largely credited with bringing Christianity to Northern Africa.
  • The narrative returns to Saul, who is reported to have an eagerness to kill the Lord’s followers (and uttering threats left and right)
  • He receives permission from the high priest in Jerusalem to take his pogrom to Damascus, where he could root out more Jesus followers to be imprisoned back in Jerusalem. He was given the permission and he embarked.
  • Along the way, he was struck by a bright light that knocked him off his feet, asking “why are you persecuting me?”
    • Paul asked who had confronted him.
    • The voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.”
    • Interestingly, in the next breath, Jesus gave him a command to follow. And he would.
    • understated point: Jesus is Lord, and his authority is objective reality.
    • Saul was escorted into the city by his companions (who heard but didn’t see Jesus).
    • Saul remained blinded for three days, and didn’t eat.
    • I’m assuming Saul had a lot of time to reflect and consider what transpired.
  • As Saul was waiting, Jesus brought a vision to a Damascus believer Ananias (not the same Ananias from earlier, you know the lying-and-now-dead one).
    • Jesus instructed Ananias to go to Saul and revealed he had been sent by Jesus, and to lay hands upon him and return sight to him.
    • Jesus revealed that Saul was his chosen instrument to take the Gospel to the Gentiles and that he would suffer for the name of Jesus.
    • Ananias obeyed, despite his fears over what he had heard about Saul.
    • Ananias brought sight back to Saul.
    • Saul was baptized, and for the first time in days, ate.
  • Saul remained in Damascus, and within a few days, began preaching Jesus in the synagogues. All who heard him:
whaaaa….
  • Amazement soon turned to murder plots, because they couldn’t refute Saul’s evidence that Jesus is Messiah.
  • Saul escaped the murder plot by being lowered out of the city in a basket by dark of night, where he then traveled to Jerusalem.
  • At first, the believers were afraid of him, but Barnabas vouched for him, and upon their respect and trust for him, allowed Saul into their company.
  • Saul stayed with the Apostles, and preached all over Jerusalem. He debated some Greek Jews, and guess what? Yep, they wanted to kill him.
  • At this news, the Apostles sent Saul to Tarsus, his home town.
meanwhile…
  • Peter healed a paralytic in Lydda, which led many to believe in Jesus.
  • Then, he went to Joppa, where he raised Dorcas/Tabitha from the dead. Again, many came to faith.
  • In Caesarea, God brought Peter together with Cornelius (and his family). Cornelius is explicitly described as a devout man, whose actions demonstrated his authentic faith (as compared to ineffectually trying to manufacture faith).
    • As Cornelius’ party was approaching Peter, Peter had a vision (repeated multiple times) that showed Peter that he could no longer call “unclean” the things God had made (and, accordingly, were clean). This was a new revelation for Peter and challenged his traditional appreciation of different things (namely food, but also people, places, circumstances, etc).
    • Peter went with Cornelius’ crew to his house in Caesarea, where the Apostle was received with generous hospitality.
    • This opportunity was Peter’s first opportunity to apply the vision God had given him to his ministry (Such meetings in the past were forbidden).
    • There, Peter preached the Gospel, explaining that God’s salvation in Jesus is available to all people, not just the Jews.
    • The Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius and his household. Now…we have seen God’s Holy Spirit gifted to Jew, Samaritan, and now Gentile. Cornelius and his household were baptized, to no objection. Peter remained in his home for days afterward.
  • When Peter returned, the Jewish believers criticized him for his ministry to the Gentiles. So he recapped for them the events. Their criticism quickly turned to praise.
  • Focus shifts to the broader advance of the Gospel. Other disciples shared with Gentiles, too. Barnabas went to Antioch, where he enjoyed great success. He went to Tarsus and brought Saul back with him to Antioch. They stayed there a year (and there the term “Christian” was coined).
    • It was also in Antioch where the Jerusalem drought was prophesied and it was determined to take up a collection for the Jerusalem congregation to meet the needs as a result of it.
  • In passing detail, readers are informed that Herod Agrippa ramped up his persecution, killing John’s brother James and imprisoning Peter. On the night before Peter’s trial, he was miraculously delivered from prison by angelic escort.
  • No small detail: Herod put to death the guards who weren’t able to subdue God’s angel guarding and guiding Peter.
  • Then, this reading closes with Herod receiving the praise of people of having godlike status, which he was proud to receive.
  • So God struck him with a disease, he was consumed by worms, and died.
  • But the word of God spread, and people get getting saved.

Immerse Day 6 Observations

More than 3500 people at  Scottsdale Bible Church are reading through the New Testament together over 8 weeks.

Text: Acts 1:1 – 7:1 (pp. 61-70)

Overview: Moving from part 1 of Luke’s letter to Theophilus to part 2, we transition from the life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus to (briefly) the post-resurrection activities of Jesus and the impartation of the Holy Spirit upon Christ’s followers (which is the birth of the Church).

Observations:

  • The book opens with Luke recapping for Theophilus the events that were recounted in the letter that we know as the Gospel of Luke.
  • understated point: Jesus walked among the population for 40 days after his resurrection, using many ways to prove that he was alive.
  • One time while eating with them (something a person who is alive does), Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem, because God would soon be sending them the Holy Spirit (as a gift…not a reward. This is a blessing of grace, not a payment for labor).
  • He told them they would be baptized by the Holy Spirt….literally, immersed in the Holy Spirit. This was not a symbolic or ritual, this was a new experience where they would be spiritually “quickened” through their impending, immersive relational existence within the ongoing presence of God’s Spirit.
  • The Apostles were still fixated on an earthly vision – they were looking to this resurrected Jesus to help them overthrow their Roman occupiers. They asked if the time had come for them to free Israel and “restore our Kingdom?”
  • Question – Did the disciples really appreciate Jesus’ resurrection? They witnessed his tortuous death. They had no doubt about it. They also were experiencing him first-hand resurrected. But they were still processing all these events in the scope of their cultural tensions, pressures and interests. To maintain or persist in this perspective, they had to disregard all the teachings Jesus had given…even his initial call that they would be “fishers of men,” not “overthrowers of governments.”
  • Jesus’ non-answer answer: Only God sets the dates and times, and they aren’t for you to know. Then…one of my favorite passages in Scripture…Jesus answers the question they aren’t asking, saying, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere.”
    • you will receive power – up to now, they’ve been walking in the shadow of Jesus’ power. They’ve been using the power he had delegated or given them. Now, though, they’d be experiencing a new source of power. This also highlights that, on their own, they’d be without power.
    • when the Holy Spirit comes upon you – Jesus returns their attention to what he had been talking about (our human nature regularly takes what God is directing us to and turns it to the things that interest us). Jesus is reiterating that the Holy Spirit will come upon them, and they will experience unprecedented power as a result.
    • and you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – the proper use of this power is not to throw out occupying governments, but to tell people everywhere about Jesus. Jesus’ agenda (Kingdom) is bigger than Israel (and certainly, Jerusalem, or Judea, or even Samaria…even to the ends of the earth).
  • After saying this, Jesus ascended to heaven. The disciples watched, amazed, until he disappeared.
well, there’s something that’s never happened before.
  • Two angels said to them that Jesus has been taken to heaven, but he will return the same way you saw him go.
  • The Apostles returned to Jerusalem and returned to the upper room where they had been meeting. Roll call (showing us that everyone except for Judas was still present).
    • Note that several women were present, including Mary, the mother of Jesus. She had been there from the beginning and her inclusion here is a testament to her faith in God and her belief in what God had revealed to her about her son.
    • Also present were Jesus brothers. First, don’t miss that Jesus had brothers. Mary had other kids with Joseph. So technically, half-brothers. But close kin nonetheless. Family. And this was family that formerly didn’t believe in (or follow) Jesus, but now were found in the community of believers.
  • Peter takes the initiative to replace Judas (noting that Judas’ death fulfilled prophecy), and that he needs to be replaced.
    • Criteria for replacing Judas are given: someone who had been there from the beginning, a witness to everything that had happened.
    • Two finalists – Matthias and Joseph (aka Barsabbas aka Justus; he had multiple known monikers/nicknames – Barsabbas means “son of the Sabbath, perhaps indicating his love for worship; “Justus” was a gentile nickname or equivalency of his Hebrew name).
    • They prayed. Then they cast lots. And Matthias was selected. The best I understand this is that in praying, they believed that either man would have been appropriate or fitting, and that whoever was indicated on the lot that was first chosen was determined by God, and reflective of his choosing.
    • Interestingly, little is mentioned of either of these men after this event.
  • Pentecost had arrived (50 days after the 2nd day of Passover). Coincides with the Jewish Festival of Weeks (Shavuot), which as a harvest festival commemorates the giving of the Torah.
    • All the believers were still meeting together in a single place.
    • Inference is, here, that they were continuing in the traditions of their faith
  • Suddenly, the Holy Spirit arrived, as a roaring wind from heaven, filling the house where they were (immersed, baptized, if you will).
    • What looked like flames or tongues of fire settled upon each of them.
    • Each of them was filled with Holy Spirit.
    • The first expression of the Holy Spirit’s filling was that they could speak in “other languages.”
  • “Devout Jews from every nation” were living in Jerusalem, and were drawn to witness the loud noise they had heard. They were bewildered to hear their own languages spoken by the believers.
    • the languages spoken were known languages. They were not indiscernible.
    • The foreign Jews were amazed that the Galileans were speaking in their native languages.
    • They attributed this feat to God, and asked each other what it could mean.
    • When skeptics tried to dismiss it all as public drunkenness among the followers of Jesus, Peter stepped up and spoke out.
      • It was only 9 AM, these people weren’t drunk.
      • This was a fulfillment of prophecy from Joel.
      • He issues the clarion call, “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!”
      • understated points: Peter did, in fact, receive the Holy Spirit’s power, as promised. The power of the Holy gives people their voice.
      • He points people specifically to Jesus, and shows God’s handiwork in the details of Jesus’ betrayal.
      • He unabashedly indicts all the Jewish people in their complicity in the Jesus’ murder and tells them that death cannot contain or impede Jesus (again connecting David’s prophecies to Jesus).
      • Peter preached Jesus resurrected and ascended, then testifies that it is God’s Holy Spirit poured out upon the believers as the crowd has seen and heard, thus articulating the reasonable conclusion that Jesus is both Lord and Messiah.
  • God empowered Peter’s message to have effect. It pierced hearts and they asked what to do in response.
    • Peter instructed them to repent and be baptized and to turn to Jesus.
      • This instruction illustrates that repentance isn’t just “turning away” from sin and self, it is also “turning to” Jesus alone.
    • Peter says if they do this, they, too, will receive the Holy Spirit.
    • Peter continued to preach, to great affect – about 3000 people responded to the message that day.
remember that time that Marvel stole from the Bible?
  • This massive, sudden growth of the community of faith is the birth of the Church.
    • These people are marked, set apart by their common belief in Jesus as Lord and Messiah, and their unity in the experience of being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
    • This community immediately began activities that drew them close together and set the template for the Kingdom of God going forward:
      • They devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching – They submitted themselves to the teachings of this revelatory spiritual experience, no longer content to subject themselves to the religion and empty traditions of their past generations.
      • They committed to fellowship (living in community with each other – they didn’t compartmentalize their faith to one small aspect of their life…their faith gave definition to every other aspect of life)
      • They met together and shared everything. They had a shared identity, and selflessness was a prevailing principle.
      • They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. These are principles that Jesus had taught while living, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, their attention was to sacrificially love and support one another rather than simply look to their own interests.
      • They worshipped together in the Temple. They didn’t abandon their faith….in fact, they continued in it, now with new, fulfilled meaning.
      • They met in their homes for the Lord’s Supper. They remembered the words, teaching, and promises of Jesus, and kept him at the forefront of their faith activities.
      • They shared their meals with great joy and generosity – Their attitude was defined by the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.
      • They praised God and enjoyed the goodwill of the people and each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. People flock to life, and God is actively in the business of rescuing people from death and transporting them into life (life that is experienced in the context of those who are spiritually alive in the Kingdom of God)!
  • On their way to the Temple for prayer, Peter and John were engaged by a paralytic who was begging for money.
    • Peter didn’t have money for him, but instead provided him with healing.
    • The man immediately was healed (from an infirmity that had hindered him since birth).
    • He jumped up, and praising God, entered the Temple with them.
      • For his entire life, he had been relegated to the outside of the Temple, and reduced to begging.
      • His first act of wellness was to enter the Temple to worship!
    • These events created a clamor, and Peter used it to preach Jesus.
    • He reminded them who Jesus was (and their role in putting him to death), and Jesus’ power to overcome that death
    • That same power was the applied to the infirmity of the man, and he was healed.
    • Then he issued a call to repentance, giving references to Samuel and Abraham.
    • Peter and John were confronted by the chief priests, the Temple guard captain and Sadducees for their message, and they were arrested and held overnight.
    • Total count of followers was more than 5000 men…the congregation was huge.
  • The Jewish religious leaders all met the next morning and confronted Peter and John and questioned their power/authority.
    • Peter…filled by the Holy Spirit…reminded them that they were being questioned for performing a miraculous work…a good work.
    • Then he proclaimed Jesus as the source of his good work.
    • He glorified Jesus as the only source for human salvation.
      • God’s Holy Spirit was giving focus and clarity to Peter in the articulation of the Gospel.
    • The response of the religious authorities was amazement.
      • These men were ordinary and without special training.
      • But they had been with Jesus.
      • And the evidence of the healed man was undeniable.
      • After a private conference, they called the disciples back in and forbade them to speak of the name of Jesus.
Peter, in reply to the edict
  • This was an easy call for the disciples, who had no fear in disobeying man in deference to obeying God.
    • They said, “We can’t stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
    • understated point: we should be of this same orientation, where we can’t stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.
  • Ultimately, despite further threats, they let them go because they couldn’t punish them further without starting a riot, due to the widespread positive report of the healing of a man who had been crippled for more than 40 years!
  • Peter and John returned to the other believers and reported on the events.
    • The believers’ response was to pray.
    • They rhavecalled prophecies of David, and saw them fulfilled in Jesus.
    • They asked God for boldness and power to continue to be faithful.
    • God’s answer to prayer was a fresh indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
    • understated points:
      • God often answers prayer with a fresh provision of himself.
      • These aren’t second anointing, but replenishment (of sorts).
      • it isn’t a matter of God’s spirit depleting in us, but more of a renewal of our awareness of and reliance upon his faithful indwelling spirit. (a lot to unpack here, to be sure)
  • The testimony recapitulates the selflessness, magnanimity, generosity, and unity prevalent within the Church community.
    • This is exemplified in the person Joseph (nicknamed Barnabas, meaning “son of encouragement”).
      • He was a Cyprian Levite. Atypically, he was a Levite who actually had land, which makes it even more provocative the he selflessly sold the land and gave the proceeds to the Apostles.
  • Barnabas’ practice is juxtaposed to that of Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who are indicted here for the crime of lying to the Holy Spirit. They, too, sold some property, but lied about the proceeds and wittheld some of the money. They also lied to the Apostles, but the indictment is for a crime against God.
    • Peter makes the point that the land was theirs to keep or sell…there had been no pressure for them to sell it. Likewise, they could have kept all the money for themselves. The crime was against God because they took the initiative to do these.things but misreport the result and withhold some of the blessing. Ultimately, stealing the money was a representation of the larger crime of attempted theft of God’s glory. Peter said, “you lied to God.”
    • Ananias immediately fell dead.
    • Three hours later, Sapphira was brought in, and (ignorant of her husband’s death), she perpetuated the lie, repeated the offense.
    • Again, Peter re-framed the offense as a conspiracy against the Holy Spirit, and she, too, fell dead.
    • As a result, great fear gripped the church and all who heard
      • this reminded me of an adage: “fear as a byproduct of faith is a tool fit for constructing a right framework of devotion, while fear as a byproduct of doubt is tool useful only in constructing idols.
  • The ministry flourished, miracles abounded, people were healed. Teaching continued. Salvations accumulated.
  • Even as people were freed from evil, the high priest his officials were filled with jealousy. They jailed the Apostles at night. An angel freed them before daybreak.
  • The Apostles obeyed the angel and proceeded to teach in the Temple the next morning, where they were re-arrested. They were not trying to hide from or even avoid the Jewish authorities. Their accusations:
    • You are teaching what we forbade you from teaching.
    • You are holding us responsible for his death.
  • The Apostles’ reply:
But did we obey God?
  • They affirmed they obeyed God rather than men.
  • Their testimony was true. Their assignment of guilt was accurate.
  • Their witness is affirmed by the Holy Spirit – who is given by God to those who obey him.
    • This incited the high priests…they were ready to kill the Apostles.
    • A respected leader amongst them Gameliel spoke, and told them
How ’bout we consider something less…murder-y?
  • Gameliel reminded them of earlier revolutionaries whose followings fizzled out, and advised to let this play out, too.
    • If it isn’t of God, the movement will fade.
    • If it is of God, though…watch out. Not only will it not fade, but you may find yourself fighting God!
    • They accepted this…but still had the apostles flogged.
    • The Apostles left the temple….PRAISING GOD…that God found them worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus. And they kept teaching every day.
    • While I’m inclined to think people are “soft” today, it could be that I feel this way because we don’t face this risk in my context.
  • This segment closes with an account that as the congregation rapidly grew, a complaint arose that the Greek-speaking widows were being discriminated against in deference to the Hebrew-speaking widows.
    • The Apostles, recognizing that this conflict (while important) was a distraction from their primary responsibility to teach the Word, convened and determined to appoint 7 respected, wise, Spirit-filled men to address this need and the emerging practical ministry challenges.
    • These men were the first deacons.
obligatory Deacon photo (portraying 1st century widow)
  • They were effective, for the final statement here is direct: The number of believers greatly grew in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
  • Understated points: God’s Word not only confronts and changes the irreligious, but it also impacts those who are familiar with faith. God convicts and saves whoever he wants. NOBODY is beyond the reach of his gracious message of love and relationship.