Paul’s missionary journey to Thessalonica, Berea and Athens (Acts 17) By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Paul’s missionary journey to Thessalonica, Berea, Athens (Acts 17)           4/22/2026

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music  

 

Scriptrues reading Acts 17:1-34 (NIV)

To Thessalonica

¹ When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “ This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ”  he said. ⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.

⁵ But the Jews were jealous; so they 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. ⁶ But when they did not find them, they dragged Hason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “ These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that thereis another king, one called Jesus.” ⁸When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. ⁹Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. 

To Berea

¹⁰ As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. ¹² Many of the Jew believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. ¹³ When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.

To Athens

¹⁴ The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea ¹⁵The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” Thy said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “ May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said : “Men of Athens ! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription : TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

²⁴ The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. ²⁵ And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man He made every nation of men, that they sould inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. ²⁷ God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. ²⁸ For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, “We are His offspring.” 

²⁹ Therefore, since wew are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone –an image made by man’s design and skill.

³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to respent.

³¹ For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” ³³At that, Paul left the Councel. ³⁴ A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

 

 Verse 9 The authorities made Jason put up a bond, forfeitable if there was further trouble.

Verse 15 The capital of Achaia, a province of the Roman Empire. It was the center of enlightenment in science, literature, and art for the ancient world. Through the apostle Paul’s visit to such a center, the gospel of the kingdom of God reached the people of the highest culture.

Verse 16  Paul’s human spirit (Zexh.21:1;Job 32:8;Pro.20:27), regenerated by the Spirit of God (John3:6), indwelt by the Lord the Spirit (2Tim 4:22;Rom.8:10-11), in which spirit he worshipped and served God (John 4:24; Rom.1:9). Such a spirit was provoked by the many idols in Athens. Even the highest culture did not prevent these people from worshipping idols. Within them, as within all mankind, was a God-worshipping spirit created by God for man to seek and worship Him. However, because of their blindness and ignorance, they took the wrong objects for their worship (v.23). Now the very true God, who created the universe and them, sent His apostle to announce the true object whom they should worship (vv.23-29).

Verse 18 The Epicurean philosophers were the followers of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BC), whose philosophy was materialism. They did not recognize the Creator and His providence over the world but sought sensuous pleasures, especially in eating and drinking. Some of Paul’s words to the Philippians (Phil.3:18 and the Corinthians (1Cor.15:32) referred to the Epicureans who was believed that happiness was the chief end of life.

The Stoic philosophers were members of a school of philosophy founded by Zeno (340-265 BC). They were pantheists who believed that everything was governed by fate and that all happenings were the result of the divine will, and therefore that man should calmly accept them, free from all passion, grief, or joy. They emphasized that the highest good is virtue and that virtue is the reward given to the soul. Some of the words in Paul’s Epictle to the Philippians referred to the Stoics (Phil 4:11). Stoic Poikile (Painted Porch) where he taught in Athens, emphasized the retional over the emotional. They were pantheistic. Their ethics were characterized by moral earnestness and a high sense of duty, advocating condust “accordin got nature.”

Verse 19 Areopagus. The venerable council that had charge of religious and educational matters in Athens. It met on the Hill of Ares W. of the Acropolis, the hill also being known as the Aeropagus Mars’ Hill (in Athens) the seat of the ancient and venerable Athenian Court, which judged the most solemn problems of religion.

Verse 22 The Greek word here means fearing a demon, a supernatural spirit; hence, given up to demon worship; very much revering the deities. The same word is used in noun form in 25:19.

Verse 24 The Apostle’s Word in vv 24-25 was a very strong inoculation to both the atheistic Epicureans who did not recognize the Creator and His providence over the world, and the pantheistic Stoics, who submitted themselves to the will of many gods concerning their fate.

Verse 26 Adam. Some ancient MSS read, one blood. Appointed seasons- The migrations to America in their times and with their boundaries are strong proof of this word and the first part of the succeeding verse.

Verse 27 because God is the omnipresent Spirit.

Verse 28 denoting that man’s life and existence and even his actions are in God. This does not mean that unbelievers have God’s life and live, exist, and act in God like the believers in Christ, who are born of God, possess His divine life and nature, and live. Exist, and act in His divine person.

Poets -Probably referring to Aratus (about 270BC) and Cleanthes (About 300 B.C), both of whom uttered these same words in their poems to Zeus (Jupiter), whom they considered the supreme God. In the writings of the two poets His refers to Zeus as the supreme God.

His race- Just as Adam was thought to be the son of God (Luke 3:38) Since God is the Father of them all (Mal.2:10) in a natural sense, not in the spiritual sense in which He is the Father of all the believers (Gal.4:6), who are regenerated by Him in their spirit( 1Pet.1:3;John3:5-6).

Verse 29 Greek. Theion, meaning that which is divine. It is not the same as theiotes in Rom.1:20, which denotes the characteristics of divinity, nor is it the same as theotes in Col.2:9, which denotes the Godhead, God Himself theion is a more vague and abstract word than theiotes and is not as definite as theotes, which is definite in denoting the Godhead, God Himself .

Verse 31 The Day when Christ will judge living men, the nations on the earth at His coming back, on the throne of His glory before the millennium (Matth 25:31-46). This probably does not include the day when He will judge dead men at the great white throne after the millennium (Rev.20:11-15) as in 10:42 2 Tim.4:1 and 1 Pet 4:5, because on the day mentioned here, He will judge the world, which should refer only to living men. This day of Christ’s judgment on earth will be brought in by His coming back. He was designated by God to execute this judgement, and God’s raising Him from the dead is strong proof of this. In their preaching to the Gentiles, both Peter in 10:42 and Paul here and in 24:25 stressed the coming judgment of God. Faith, assurance, guarantee. The resurrection of Christ is proof and assurance that He is coming back to judge all the inhabitants of the earth. This is guaranteed that we may have faith in it and that it may lead us to repent. (v.30).

 

Bibliography,

 King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible(NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 

 

 

 

 

Paul’s second missionary journey to Macedonia and Philippi (Acts 16) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Paul’s second missionary journey to Macedonia and Philippi (Acts 16)   4/21/2026

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Scriptures reading (Acts 16)

¹ He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek.² The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. ³ Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.⁴ As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

The call to Europe (Acts 16:6-10)

⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹ During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The work at Philippi (16:11-40)

          ¹¹ From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia, and we stayed there several days.

           ¹³ On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “Come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune –telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally, Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

¹⁹ When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar ²¹ by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved –you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.³⁴ The Jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God- he and his whole family.  

    

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” ³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. ³⁹They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. ⁴⁰After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went ot Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.

 

Verse 3 circumcised him. The Jerusalem council had declared that circumcision was not necessary for salvation or for acceptance into the Christian church (15:19), but because of Timothy’s part-Jewish background it seemed expedient in his case, in order to enlarge his local usefulness in witnessing, in the case of Gentile Titus, Paul insisted that he not be circumcised (Gal.2:3). This indicates that the strong influence of the Judaic background remained among the Jewish believers. It disturbed and frustrated the move of the Lord’s gospel.

Verse 6 Paul traveled in a northwesterly direction around Asia, to Troas and on to Greece. As in the evangelistic work of Philip (8:29,39), the move of the apostle Paul and his co-workers for the spread of the gospel was not according to their decision and preference or according to any schedule made by human council, but by the Holy Spirit according to God’s counsel. They intended to speak the word in Asia, but the Holy Spirit forbade them. Forbidding is a part of the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Verse 7 The Spirit of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the preceding verse are used interchangeably, revealing that the Spirit of Jesus is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a general title of the Spirit of God in the New Testament, the Spirit of Jesus is a particular expression concerning the Spirit of God and refers to the Spirit of the incarnated Savior who, as Jesus in His humanity, passed through human living and death on the cross. This indicates that in the Spirit of Jesus there is not only the divine element of God but also the human element of Jesus and the elements of His human living and His suffering of death as well. Such an all-inclusive Spirit was needed for the apostle’s preaching ministry, a ministry of suffering carried out among human beings and for human beings in the human life.

The Holy Spirit’s forbidding them to go to the left, to Asia (v.6). and the Spirit of Jesus’ not allowing them to go the right, to Bithynia, indicated a straightforward direction for the apostle and his co-workers. Thus, they went in a direct course to Macedonia through Mysia and Troas (v.8).

Verse 9 Not a dream or a trance. Macedonia is a province of the Roman Empire in southeastern Europe by the Aegean Sea between Thrace and Achaia.

Verse 10 we. Luke joined Paul and his group at Troas and went with them to Philippe, where he remained when the others left (v.40). Six or seven years later he rejoined Paul (20:5) and remained with him until the end of the narrative. Sought. We. Is used here for the first time to include the writer, Luke. This indicates that from Troas, Luke joined the apostle Paul in his ministry journey. Lit., sought. This was a major step in the Lord’s move for the spreading of His kingdom to another continent, Europe. It explains the intention of the Holy Spirit’s forbidding, the Spirit of Jesus’ not allowing, and the coming of the vision in the night. To carry out this particular leading in the Lord’s strategic move required the endeavoring of the apostle and his coworkers. This they did immediately. After seeing the vision from God, they needed to conclude, that is, to understand what it meant, by exercising the mind- a mind saturated and directed by the Spirit (Eph.4:23) according to the actual situation and environment.

Verse 11 Troas is a seaport on the Aegean Sea at the northwest corner of Asia Minor, opposite Macedonia. Samothrace is an island in the Aegean Sea between Troas and Philippe. Neapolis the seaport of Philippi.

Verse 12 Philippi. A Roman colony was like a piece of Rome transplanted abroad, so that those who held citizenship in a colony enjoyed the same rights they would have had if they had lived in Italy. Other colonies mentioned in Acts are Antioch in Pisidia, Lystra, Troas, Ptolemais, and Corinth. Roman Colony – A fortified outpost of the Roman Empire in a foreign county where the citizens had equal rights with those in the capital, Rome. Hence, Philippi was a strategic point for the spread of the gospel at its beginning in Europe.

Verse 13 outside the city gate to the river. Apparently, there was no synagogue in Philippi; it required at least ten men to organize one. Sabbath indicating how widespread Judaism and its influence were, even in Europe. Prayer – Man’s prayer to God affords Him an opportunity for His move among men on the Erath.

Verse 14 A dealer in purple cloth. Thyatira in Asia Minor was famous for its purple dye. The Lord here, who opened the heart of Lydia to give heed to the preaching of the gospel, must be the Spirit, who is the Lord Himself (2Cor.3:17).

Verse 15 Baptism immediately followed their believing, as the Lord commanded in Mark 16:16. Lydia, after believing and being baptized, entered into fellowship with the apostle and his coworkers the fellowship of the Body of Christ as evidence of her salvation. This is truly an expression of the fact that she had received grace. The first house that the Lord gained in Europe through His gospel and for His gospel. (v.40).

Verse 16 a spirit. The girl was demon-possessed and was being exploited by her masters.(v.19). used in reference to a prophesying demon, and also in reference to a fortuneteller. The art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by the aid of supernatural powers.  

Verse 20 throwing our city into an uproar. Judaism was not a prohibited religion (the cult of the emperor being the official religion), but propagating it was regarded as a menace. Paul and Silas were regarded as Jews, since, at this time, the Romans considered Christianity to be a Jewish sect.

Verse 24 Lit, timber; an instrument of torture with holes to hold the prisoner’s wrists, ankles, and neck. The same word is used in reference to the cross in 5:30; 10:39; Gal.3:13and 1 Pet2:24)

Verse 31 and your household. These words must be connected with “believer” as well as “be saved.” Each member of the household must believe in order to be saved. Indicating that the family of the believer is a complete unit for God’s salvation, like the family of Noah (Gen.7:1), the families partaking of the Passover (Exo.12:3-4), the family of the harlot Rahab (Josh.2:18-19), the family of Zaccheus (Luke 19:9), the family of Cornelius (11:14), the family of Lydia (v.15), the family of the jailer here, and the family of Crispus in 18:8.

Verse 33 Again baptism was practiced immediately after someone believed. This must have been done in the bathing pool at the place where they were, which, according to the word up in the next verse, must have been downstairs. This shows and testifies to us that the believers in the early days did not have any regulation or ritual; rather, they took appropriate measures in accordance with local conditions.

Verse 34 After believing and being baptized, the jailer did not care for the officials who were his superiors or for the criminals. He too came into fellowship with the apostles, the fellowship of the Body of Christ, as a token of his salvation.

Verse 35 The Roman lictors, those who held the rod to clear the way for the magistrates and to execute punishment on the criminals.

Verse 37 Roman citizens. Paul was born a Roman citizen (22:28), which gave him certain rights, including a public hearing. Flogging of any Roman citizen was prohibited by law, the rights of Paul and Silas, therefore, had already been violated.

 

 

 

Bibliography,

 

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible(NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 

  

The council at Jerusalem concerning circumcision (Acts 15) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 The council at Jerusalem concerning circumcision (Acts 15)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Scriptures reading Acts 15

 

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.” ² 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. ³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. ⁴When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

⁵ 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.

⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “ Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He made no distinction between us and them for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ 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? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³ When they finished, James spoke up. “Brother, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

¹⁶ “After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, ¹⁷ that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things. That have been known for ages.”

The decision

^{19 “} It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. ²¹ For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

²² Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (call Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings,

²⁴ We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵ So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul ²⁶ men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸ It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements. ²⁹You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

The letter delivered to Antioch

³⁰ The men were sent off and went down to Antioch where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³²Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. ³³After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. ³⁵But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

The Second Missionary Journey to Syria and Cilicia (15:36-18:22)

The personnel chosen the problem of Barnabas

³⁶ Sometime later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing. ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸But Paul did not thing it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus. ⁴⁰ But Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹He went through Syria and Cilicia. Strengthening the churches.

 

 

Verse 1 Unless you are circumcised…you cannot be saved. The problems raised by the presence of Gentiles in the church now came to a head. Peter had learned that no man should be called unclean –not even a Gentile (10:34), and the Jerusalem church had accepted the first Gentile converts on an equal basis with Jewish converts and without the necessity of being circumcised. However, the ultra-Judaistic party went on the offensive and insisted that Gentile converts be circumcised. A parallel question was also being raised: Should there be unrestricted social contact between Jewish and Gentile Christians? The Judaistic party separated themselves from those who did not follow the dietary laws and would not partake of the common meals. Chapter 15 is concerned with these two questions: Circumcision and foods (socializing). Had the division over these questions prevailed, the unity of the church would have been shattered from the start.

           With a strong purpose to exercise the Judaic influence on the Gentile believers. This is an annulling of the faith in God’s New Testament economy, and it is a real heresy. Hence, the “certain men” who taught the Christian brothers this heresy might have been those whom Paul in Gal.2:4 considered false brothers. In God’s New Testament economy, to be circumcised is to make Christ of no profit to the believers. To keep the custom of Moses, that is, to practice the outward ordinances of the law, is not only to nullify the grace of God and make Christ’s death of no effect (Gal.2:21) but also to bring the believers, whom Christ has set free, back to the slavery of law (Gal.5:1;2:4)

Verse 2 This was Paul and Barnabas’s contending for the faith (Jude 3) against one of the greatest heresies, that the truth of the gospel might remain with the believers (Gal.2:5). It was not because Jerusalem was the headquarters of God’s move, or because the church in Jerusalem was the head church controlling other churches. The Paul, Barnabas, and certain others went to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. It was because Jerusalem was the source from which the heretical teaching concerning circumcision came. In order to solve the problem and uproot the trouble, they needed to go to the source. Unlike the situation with the Roman Catholic Church, according to God’s New Testament economy there is no headquarters for God’s move on earth and no head church that controls other churches. The headquarters of God’s move in His New Testament economy is in the heavens (Rev.4:2-3; 5:1), and the One who rules over all the churches is Christ, the Head of the church (Col.1:18; Rev.2:1).

Verse 3 The going up to Jerusalem by Paul, Barnabas, and certain others was the move of the church, not the move of themselves as individuals. They did not act individualistically apart from the church, but corporately in and with the church. This was the move of the Body of Christ.

Verse 6 This was a unique conference held by the apostles of the universal church and the elders of the local church in Jerusalem. These two groups were the leading ones in the Lord’s New Testament move on earth. The conference had no chairman; the presiding One was the Spirit (v.28), the pneumatic Christ, the Head of the church (Col.1:18) and the Lord of all (10:36). Much discussion had taken place (v.7) indicates that everyone in the conference had the freedom to speak. The decision was made based on (1) the testimony shared by Peter (vv.7-11), (2) the facts related by Barnabas and Paul (v.12), and (3) the concluding word given by James (vv.13:21), who was the leading one among the apostles and elders in Jerusalem (12:17;21:18;Gal.1:19;2:9) because of the influence he exercised over the believers by his piety.

Verse 7 the Gentiles might hear from my lips. A reference to Peter’s ministry in the house of Cornelius (10:44).

Verse 9 Indicating that God does not care for outward legalistic ordinances, which cannot cleanse man’s inward being; He cares for the inward cleansing of man’s heart. This corresponds with the Lord’s emphasis in Mark 7:1-23. The cleansing of man’s hearts can be accomplished only by the Holy Spirit with the divine life, not by outward ordinances of dead letters.   

Verse 10 The yoke of the law, which was a bondage under slavery (Gal.5:1) to require people to keep the law of slavery not only enslaves people but also tests God. Even God could not and would not make man keep the law of dead letters.

Verse 11 Peter means that both Jew and Gentile will be saved through grace without the yoke of the law. This grace comprises the Lord’s person and His redemptive work (Rom.3:24). Peter and the Jewish believers were saved by this grace, not by keeping the law of Moses. As far as God’s law means nothing to either the Jews or the Gentiles.

Verse 15-17 The quotation is from the Septuagint (Greek) version of Amos 9:11-12. James specifies that the prophecy of Amos will be fulfilled after this, i.e., after the present worldwide witness. Then, after the return of Christ, the tent of David (in the millennial kingdom) will be established, and Jew and Gentile will know the Lord. James assured the council that God’s program for Israel had not been abandoned by the coming of Gentiles into the church.

Verse 19 we should not make it difficult. The clear verdict of James, as president of the council, was that Gentile converts need not be circumcised.

Verse 20 in order to promote peace between Jewish and Gentile believers, the Gentiles were asked to abstain from any practice abhorrent to Jewish Christians. The Jewish Christians would then socialize with them (1 Cor.8:13). Sexual immorality. It does not seem likely that the word means illicit sexual relations in this instance (through it does elsewhere), for this would be wrong for any Christian, Gentile or Jew. It evidently has the special meaning here of marriages contracted between too-near relatives, as forbidden in Lev.18.

Verse 21 This indicates that the concluding word given by James was still under the influence of the Mosaic law because of James’s heavy Judaic background (James 1:26; 2:10). The influence of this background remained, even at the time Paul paid his last visit to Jerusalem (21:20-26).

 Verse 39 Barnabas and Paul were men who had given up their lives for the name of the Lord (v.26), yet immediately after their victory in contending for the faith against the heresy concerning circumcision, there arose such a sharp contention between them concerning a relative of one of them that they separated from each other. The responsibility for the problem should rest with Barnabas, because after this incident he no longer appears in the divine record in Acts concerning the Lord’s move in God’s New Testament economy. The reason for his failure might have been his natural relationship with Mark, his cousin (Col.4:10), who left Barnabas and Paul in a negative way in their first ministry journey (13:13). Mark was later recovered to Paul’s ministry (2Tim.4:11; Philem.24), but Barnabas was not. Disputes that arise among the co-workers because of personal relationships are terrible! Remember this well!  They parted company. Here is an example of separation because of personality or practicality, not doctrine, and it seemed to be the only solution to the problem. God brought good out of it in that two missionary teams were sent out and Barnabas’s continued interest in John Mark rescued him from possible uselessness. (For separation on doctrinal grounds see Gal.1:8; 2 Thess. 3:14; 2 Tim.2:18;1 John2:18; 2John 10).

 Bibliography,

 

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible(NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 

Paul and Barnabas’s mission to Iconium, Lystra, Derbe of Lycaonia (Acts 14) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 Paul and Barnabas’s mission to Iconium, Lystra, Derbe of Lycaonia (Acts 14)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

Scriptures reading Acts 14

¹ At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jew and Gentiles believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. ³So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. ⁴The people of the city were divided, some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. ⁵ There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. ⁶ But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, ⁷ were they continued to preach the good news.

⁸In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. ⁹ He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed ¹⁰ and called out, “Stand up on your feet/” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

¹¹ When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ¹²Banabas they called Zeus and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. ¹³The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:15” Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. ¹⁶ In the past, he let all nations go their own way.¹⁷Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” ¹⁸ Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thing he was dead. ²⁰ But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

The Events on the return to Antioch

²¹ They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, ²² Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” They said. ²³Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. ²⁴ After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, ²⁵and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

   

²⁶ From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ²⁷On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

 

Verse 1 Lystra. About twenty miles from Iconium.

Verse 12 Zeus. The chief god of the Greek Pantheon. Hermes. The patron god of orators. In two Greek legends connected with Lystra (and familiar to Paul’s listeners) Zeus and Hermes had come down and had become life men (v.11).  Jupiter in Roman mythology. Mercury in Roman mythology.

Verse 19 They stoned Paul. After suffering the crushing blows of the victim was dragged outside the city and left to the dogs and beasts. It was a miracle that Paul could get up and leave the next day. Some think the vision mentioned in 2 Cor.12:1-5 occurred at this time, and it is also possible that he received the marks spoken of in Gal.6:17 during this stoning.

Verse 22 Man’s soul is composed of his mind, emotion, and will. To establish the souls of the disciples is to establish them (1) in their mind, that  they may know and understand the Lord and the things concerning Him (1Cor.2:16;Phil 3:10); (2) in their emotion that they may love the Lord and have a heart for the Lord’s interest (Mark 12:30;Rom 16:4 and (3) in their will that they may be strong to remain with the Lord and do the things that please the Lord (11:23; Col1:101 Thes. 4:1). Remain persevere and firm and not depart from the faith, into which they had entered.

Verse 23 all the church here in which elders were appointed by the apostles had been established within less than one year. Hence, the elders appointed in these churches could not have been fully mature. They must have been considered elders because they were comparatively the most mature among the believers. They were not voted in by their congregations but were appointed by the apostles according to their maturity of life in Christ. They were charged by the apostles to care for the leadership and shepherding in their churches. In every church equal in every city in Titus.

Verse 27 This was the end of Paul’s first ministry journey, which began in 13:4. For fellowship regarding God’s move in the spreading of His gospel, not for a report concerning their mission.

 

 

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986