Acts Chapter 20
Read all of Acts Chapter 20.
Paul's journey continues, as he goes back to Macedonia. This is the farthest reach of his third missionary journey. He spends his time going from city to city, visiting the places that he has planted churches, encouraging the leaders there. While we could look at this as a victory lap or a reminiscent visit, it really was more of a farewell tour. Paul is feeling a growing sense of urgency.
After 3 months in Greece, the plots against his life are getting to be too much. Don't forget that a few chapters ago, the Jews had been dragging him before the Proconsul. Now it is clear to Paul that it is time for him to head back to Jerusalem, and to make this one last "lap" to encourage the others.
We see an interesting story of Eutychus thrown into Luke's testimony, starting with verse 7. Eutychus, we see, is a young boy who falls asleep during Paul's teaching and falls from the third story window to his death. From this we learn a few things. #1 - It is a good thing that our class sits on couches and does not sit on window ledges. If it did, we may have a few less students... #2 - Paul can go a long time when he gets excited and has a lot to say (I am sure he was standing and pacing...). #3 Paul is still very much filled with the Holy Spirit. In this moment, God uses Paul to heal Eutychus and bring him back to life. Thus, we have seen Peter and Paul raise people from the dead, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If anyone doubted Paul's claim to apostleship (and they should not have), it is over now.
Paul is in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, preferably by Pentecost. Pentecost...where this great story began... The Spirit has been guiding him back to Jerusalem and warning him that suffering is coming.
He calls for the leaders of the Church in Ephesus to come meet him in a nearby port. There he begins his final council... 24However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Wow. He is ready now to do anything, ready to die for his mission. Instead of his prayers being "God save me," they have become "God let me finish" or "let me see the end of the race." Do you see the change in him? Can you see a time where you have prayed to God, "Just let me tell one more person of You?"
Paul now knows that his race is ending soon and he has a level of desperation to reach all those he can. No matter what is to come, he is still running. Paul talks in Gal 2 about this race he has been running. Later, in 2 Timothy 4, we can hear him say, " 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." For Paul, he has known that he has been in a marathon and now is entering the final miles. Although there is pain and suffering, he is still running and running gladly towards the finish line.
He charges the Ephesian leaders to be strong and to be good shepherds of the flock that the Lord has given them. He warns that they must be on guard because people will come to lead away their sheep. Even from within their ranks, wolves will rise to lead them astray. The Holy Spirit is speaking directly to them, through Paul. Will they hear him in time? For that answer, I suggest you read Revelation 2...
Acts 20:32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. " This is an amazing verse, don't fly over it! We discussed in class what the word "sanctified" means. What is your definition? Think about it for a moment... It means to be made holy. Another way to look at it is to be made clean, spotless, as if you had never been stained. Why is this important to Paul? And to us?
You must gain an understanding of grace and sanctification. Louie Giglio defines grace as God at work. Pretty good short description. We discussed "Amazing Grace" in class, written by a true wretch of a man, a slave trader captain known for his brutality in an already brutal profession. If there was a man beyond God's saving, John Newton was that man. But God gave his unwarranted, undeserved gift of grace: forgiveness & love to him...and to us. You see, John did not deserve it. He could not do anything to remove his stains, his sin, his unholiness. But God said "Come home, child" and He wrapped his arms around him. And on the way to that hug, the blood of the Lamb of God cleansed him and made him holy, able to be in the presence of God. Revelation 7:14, talks of the robes of the saints being "washed white in the blood." What an amazing picture...beyond human description. Jesus was that ultimate sacrifice for the sanctification of the saints...so they can one day walk with God...just like God always intended. Not just now but forever with Him. Not as gods, that is a blasphemous teaching, but as ones chosen by and whom chose God.
From the beginning, God asked for a sacrifice, to bring the hearts of his people to him. It was never about the animal. He knew that someday, it would be His Son on that alter, on that cross. He knew that people would make it all about how they could sanctify themselves...and lose sight of the source of their holiness. Dear Reader, all God has ever wanted was a relationship. When God created all other beings and things (see Genesis 1), He said "it was good"...because He made them that way. He created man and he did not say "they are good." He said instead, "let us make man in our likeness." God is not saying "Boy, did I create a lousy man" or "I made a mistake here." What He is saying is "This is the one I will give a choice to...this one will be the one I have a relationship with..." This is the one I will sanctify...and MAKE GOOD!
Can we truly ever understand all the reasons and whys of God? No. But it will continually lead us closer and deeper to Him. We should not just throw up our hands and write it off as unexplainable...because when we seek Him, He is there waiting with His arms open wide, ready to reveal more. You see, the neat thing about an infinite God is that we can never stop learning about Him...and isn't that what a really good friendship is all about???
May God bless you as you seek Him!
D
Monday, August 24, 2009
Act's 19 - Second half
Acts 19 (Second Half)
Read Acts 19:23-41
Paul and his gang of rabble-rousers (OK, maybe it is a little loose to label them as such) have caused another great disturbance in Ephesus. Ephesus was known for it's temple and worship of Artemis (also known as Diana). Her temple in Ephesus was one of the "7 wonders" of the ancient world. This was an amazing temple, drawing many from all around.
With this massive temple, the worship of Artemis had become big business. Paul and his fellow followers of the Way had become a big problem to this business. You see, when Paul led others to Christ, they did not come back to the temple...they did not come back and buy new statues...or new offerings to Artemis. When they found the Truth, they abandoned all of that. So when Demetrius calls together his fellow artisans and business people, he points out how Paul is leading people astray...AWAY from them! And worse, he is discrediting the temple!!! And, to take it one step further, if Paul has his way, he will rob the goddess of her DIVINE MAJESTY... Wow, powerful stuff. Powerful accusation. You see this was not just a business threat but a threat to the goddess herself! "We must protect her!!!," Demetrius says.
HMMMM... Don't know about your god but my God does not need me to protect Him. I cannot do anything to rob him of His majesty!!! He's go that covered. If He can create all we see (and all that we do not see) I do not have to protect Him. Not to say that we are not to take a stand with God. But it is with Him, not for Him. It is telling that the argument is phrased the way it is. I cannot minimize or send Yahweh into obscurity, even when I mess up or bring dishonor to the name "Christian". I may hurt myself, my church, my own reputation...but not God. I cannot remove His honor and glory.
Look at the many historical religions of the world. The Greek and Roman Gods are pretty much gone as "gods." The worship of Baal? Gone. The Babylonian and Phoenician subjects of worship? Gone, too. Only one God did not have a start and end date. That is the one true God, Yahweh, the I AM. Some people seem to believe that Christianity started 2000 years ago...not true. It started in the Beginning... The God of Abraham is our God too. Don't ever forget that. Christianity is not a passing fad, doomed to be cast off into the pages of a history book. It can be traced and documented as far back as any history can go. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus was born...not a religion but a continuation of a story long foretold. The prophets spoke of it hundred's of years before. The archetypes showed lesser reflections of Him to point the way. And then He came, not a "new thing" but to continue the love story of God with His people.
Back to the story, Paul companions are grabbed to answer to this riot and these accusations. Paul would like to appear to the crowd, to calm the crowd I'm sure, but he is not allowed to do it. As a matter of fact, friends begin to send him letters begging him not to do it. They seem to know better than Paul that he tends to cause riots, not quell them! So, for once, Paul is quiet and on the sidelines of the disturbance.
The City Clerk is the one to quiet the crowd and he listens to their call. He is not a clerk as we think of one in the modern world. He is not a powerless bureaucrat, pushing paper. He is powerful figure, the one who leads the general assembly and reports to Rome. He is the one who will likely answer to Rome for the riot. Needless to say, he is quick to point out that Rome will not like the riot. The Romans had one response for riots: send in the troops! Easy way to end up dead. Both the trade guilds and the Clerk were likely to be dead at the end of that...
So in the end, things wrap up rather quickly. The clerk calls on them to press their charges in a way that will be acceptable to Rome and to the local society. Since many of them were just caught up in the moment and in the group, they see the light quickly. Isn't it human nature to do things as a group that we would never do as an individual...sad but true.
In one dramatic turn of events, God has called an end to Paul's three years in Ephesus. His work here was done, he had laid a good foundation and was now pretty much unwelcome in the city. That door was closed...but Paul still had more race ahead...
May God bless your reading of the Word...
D
Read Acts 19:23-41
Paul and his gang of rabble-rousers (OK, maybe it is a little loose to label them as such) have caused another great disturbance in Ephesus. Ephesus was known for it's temple and worship of Artemis (also known as Diana). Her temple in Ephesus was one of the "7 wonders" of the ancient world. This was an amazing temple, drawing many from all around.
With this massive temple, the worship of Artemis had become big business. Paul and his fellow followers of the Way had become a big problem to this business. You see, when Paul led others to Christ, they did not come back to the temple...they did not come back and buy new statues...or new offerings to Artemis. When they found the Truth, they abandoned all of that. So when Demetrius calls together his fellow artisans and business people, he points out how Paul is leading people astray...AWAY from them! And worse, he is discrediting the temple!!! And, to take it one step further, if Paul has his way, he will rob the goddess of her DIVINE MAJESTY... Wow, powerful stuff. Powerful accusation. You see this was not just a business threat but a threat to the goddess herself! "We must protect her!!!," Demetrius says.
HMMMM... Don't know about your god but my God does not need me to protect Him. I cannot do anything to rob him of His majesty!!! He's go that covered. If He can create all we see (and all that we do not see) I do not have to protect Him. Not to say that we are not to take a stand with God. But it is with Him, not for Him. It is telling that the argument is phrased the way it is. I cannot minimize or send Yahweh into obscurity, even when I mess up or bring dishonor to the name "Christian". I may hurt myself, my church, my own reputation...but not God. I cannot remove His honor and glory.
Look at the many historical religions of the world. The Greek and Roman Gods are pretty much gone as "gods." The worship of Baal? Gone. The Babylonian and Phoenician subjects of worship? Gone, too. Only one God did not have a start and end date. That is the one true God, Yahweh, the I AM. Some people seem to believe that Christianity started 2000 years ago...not true. It started in the Beginning... The God of Abraham is our God too. Don't ever forget that. Christianity is not a passing fad, doomed to be cast off into the pages of a history book. It can be traced and documented as far back as any history can go. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus was born...not a religion but a continuation of a story long foretold. The prophets spoke of it hundred's of years before. The archetypes showed lesser reflections of Him to point the way. And then He came, not a "new thing" but to continue the love story of God with His people.
Back to the story, Paul companions are grabbed to answer to this riot and these accusations. Paul would like to appear to the crowd, to calm the crowd I'm sure, but he is not allowed to do it. As a matter of fact, friends begin to send him letters begging him not to do it. They seem to know better than Paul that he tends to cause riots, not quell them! So, for once, Paul is quiet and on the sidelines of the disturbance.
The City Clerk is the one to quiet the crowd and he listens to their call. He is not a clerk as we think of one in the modern world. He is not a powerless bureaucrat, pushing paper. He is powerful figure, the one who leads the general assembly and reports to Rome. He is the one who will likely answer to Rome for the riot. Needless to say, he is quick to point out that Rome will not like the riot. The Romans had one response for riots: send in the troops! Easy way to end up dead. Both the trade guilds and the Clerk were likely to be dead at the end of that...
So in the end, things wrap up rather quickly. The clerk calls on them to press their charges in a way that will be acceptable to Rome and to the local society. Since many of them were just caught up in the moment and in the group, they see the light quickly. Isn't it human nature to do things as a group that we would never do as an individual...sad but true.
In one dramatic turn of events, God has called an end to Paul's three years in Ephesus. His work here was done, he had laid a good foundation and was now pretty much unwelcome in the city. That door was closed...but Paul still had more race ahead...
May God bless your reading of the Word...
D
Friday, August 14, 2009
Acts 19 - First Half
Read Acts 18:24-28 and Acts 19:1-22
As we read this section of Acts, class, we see Paul is making the turn and heading back East. He has taken Priscilla and Aquila with him and leaves them in Ephesus. This is an important detail…God is about to make a major move again, for Apollos comes into the scene!
Apollos is a man who knows the “baptism of John” but not of the Holy Spirit. What does this mean? The baptism of John was what? “Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near.” John’s baptism was all about preparing, really preparing for the coming Messiah. His was to turn from your sin and be cleansed, so that when you see the Messiah, you will be ready. It is similar to the acts of handwashing that that occurred in the Temple, preparing to be in the Presence. It was a first step towards Christ but not the whole way. Obviously, Apollos was doing a great work on his own power…but now it was God’s turn.
Aquila and Priscilla take him aside and explain Jesus to him. He sees the light of fulfillment of God’s prophesies and is filled with the Spirit. He is born again in this new baptism and empowered in a new way!
What we do not see here is how successful Apollos becomes…his status as a teacher grows to be as large as Paul. If you turn to 1Corintians 1:12-13, you see the following, “11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[a]"; still another, "I follow Christ." 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into[b] the name of Paul?” This is an interesting passage. It shows that Apollos had grown in stature equal to an Apostle and that the early church in Corinth was rabbinical in their style. They were identifying themselves by what rabbi they followed, rather than the God they followed. Paul had no purpose for this! Christ died for you, not Paul, not Peter and not Apollos. Christ alone!
The neat thing about this is how we see God moving. God puts Priscilla and Aquila in the perfect spot to disciple Apollos. It is not always enough to have a big God moment to grow in your relationship with Christ. It can (and usually does) take someone who comes alongside you and mentors and guides you in the faith. What we see is how the message of the Messiah’s salvation is growing, person by person, teacher by teacher to the ends of the earth…
Meanwhile, Ch. 19 brings us back to Paul, where he finds a similar situation. He finds in Ephesus more disciples that have not heard the whole story. Again, we see the need for people to walk with someone who can guide their faith journey. Again, we see Christ’s fulfillment of the scriptures being explained, accepted and them being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Immediately, we see a mini-Pentecost with these 12 men… There is that 12 number again. 12 tribes, 12 Apostles, 12 lamp stands…coincidence? I think not. God is sending a message, still calling out to His tribes.
Verse 11 shows how the Holy Spirit is indwelling in Paul and how God is using him in a Christ-like way. This is God at work, Paul is just the tool. What a blessing it must have been for him to see this, not of his power but of God’s power.
After this we get into a very interesting part of this chapter. It seems that these Jewish sorcerers were traveling the land “driving out demons.” One can only imagine these people as a group of charlatans, charging people to drive out their “demons”, then heading off to the next town. This is not a Jewish practice of the Old Testament. This was something new and not of God’s calling.
The seven sons of Sceva (hmmmm, there is that 7 again) were doing this, with the new twist. Since Paul’s fame was undoubtedly growing due to the healings that God was working through him, they decided to latch onto this “new” power. Paul was telling all that it was the power of Jesus, the name of Jesus in which salvation was possible, so it seemed logical to cast out these demons with His name. Only, when they ran across a real demon, they got more than they bargained for.
The demon answers them…”Jesus I know,” it says. It knows, fears and has to respect the authority of Jesus. No choice. He is their Lord, too. All powerful and ruler of all! When they see Him, they have to recognize Him. See the response he gets in verses such as Mark 1:34. It goes on, “and I know about Paul.” Probably Paul had been on the radar screens for a long time and many attacks were made but Paul had the Lord for protection and strength. “But who are you?” Oops… Back up and run away because what the demon is really saying is “I don’t know whose you are.” Without the Spirit, they have no protection from the demon…RUN!
He gave them such a beating that they ran from the house naked and bleeding…moral of the story: don’t play in what you don’t know. Occult practices (Ouiji boards, Tarot, séances, even horoscopes), much less actual seeking of demons is not something to be trifled with. It is not a game (despite what Milton Bradley says) or harmless. Stay away from it. It opens doors that are not easily closed. God does not say to seek these out any where in the Bible. If you find it somewhere, show it to me. He says to seek Him, not them. He grants the Apostles the ability to cast out demons but does not tell them to go out and root them out!!!
Jesus tells the story of what it is like to do spiritual battle with out THE Spirit on your side in Matthew 12: 43-45. 43"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." Even if you get a demon cast out of you (putting your house in order for the moment), unless the Holy Spirit comes, unless you have Jesus in your heart filling you up, you are open again. You need Jesus…we all do! To come live in us and through us. Also, realize that if you have the Holy Spirit in you, you cannot get possessed by a demon. No way both can live in one body. You can be influenced by a demon but possessed, no way. We don’t talk much in today’s age about this spiritual warfare but don’t assume it does not exist…
My last note on this is to remember that He who is in our hearts, if stronger than anyone or anything. PERIOD. Never forget that. He rules. If you don’t know Him, you need to find Him. This is a rough, fallen world we live in. But He is a BIG God.
May God bless you,
D
As we read this section of Acts, class, we see Paul is making the turn and heading back East. He has taken Priscilla and Aquila with him and leaves them in Ephesus. This is an important detail…God is about to make a major move again, for Apollos comes into the scene!
Apollos is a man who knows the “baptism of John” but not of the Holy Spirit. What does this mean? The baptism of John was what? “Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near.” John’s baptism was all about preparing, really preparing for the coming Messiah. His was to turn from your sin and be cleansed, so that when you see the Messiah, you will be ready. It is similar to the acts of handwashing that that occurred in the Temple, preparing to be in the Presence. It was a first step towards Christ but not the whole way. Obviously, Apollos was doing a great work on his own power…but now it was God’s turn.
Aquila and Priscilla take him aside and explain Jesus to him. He sees the light of fulfillment of God’s prophesies and is filled with the Spirit. He is born again in this new baptism and empowered in a new way!
What we do not see here is how successful Apollos becomes…his status as a teacher grows to be as large as Paul. If you turn to 1Corintians 1:12-13, you see the following, “11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[a]"; still another, "I follow Christ." 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into[b] the name of Paul?” This is an interesting passage. It shows that Apollos had grown in stature equal to an Apostle and that the early church in Corinth was rabbinical in their style. They were identifying themselves by what rabbi they followed, rather than the God they followed. Paul had no purpose for this! Christ died for you, not Paul, not Peter and not Apollos. Christ alone!
The neat thing about this is how we see God moving. God puts Priscilla and Aquila in the perfect spot to disciple Apollos. It is not always enough to have a big God moment to grow in your relationship with Christ. It can (and usually does) take someone who comes alongside you and mentors and guides you in the faith. What we see is how the message of the Messiah’s salvation is growing, person by person, teacher by teacher to the ends of the earth…
Meanwhile, Ch. 19 brings us back to Paul, where he finds a similar situation. He finds in Ephesus more disciples that have not heard the whole story. Again, we see the need for people to walk with someone who can guide their faith journey. Again, we see Christ’s fulfillment of the scriptures being explained, accepted and them being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Immediately, we see a mini-Pentecost with these 12 men… There is that 12 number again. 12 tribes, 12 Apostles, 12 lamp stands…coincidence? I think not. God is sending a message, still calling out to His tribes.
Verse 11 shows how the Holy Spirit is indwelling in Paul and how God is using him in a Christ-like way. This is God at work, Paul is just the tool. What a blessing it must have been for him to see this, not of his power but of God’s power.
After this we get into a very interesting part of this chapter. It seems that these Jewish sorcerers were traveling the land “driving out demons.” One can only imagine these people as a group of charlatans, charging people to drive out their “demons”, then heading off to the next town. This is not a Jewish practice of the Old Testament. This was something new and not of God’s calling.
The seven sons of Sceva (hmmmm, there is that 7 again) were doing this, with the new twist. Since Paul’s fame was undoubtedly growing due to the healings that God was working through him, they decided to latch onto this “new” power. Paul was telling all that it was the power of Jesus, the name of Jesus in which salvation was possible, so it seemed logical to cast out these demons with His name. Only, when they ran across a real demon, they got more than they bargained for.
The demon answers them…”Jesus I know,” it says. It knows, fears and has to respect the authority of Jesus. No choice. He is their Lord, too. All powerful and ruler of all! When they see Him, they have to recognize Him. See the response he gets in verses such as Mark 1:34. It goes on, “and I know about Paul.” Probably Paul had been on the radar screens for a long time and many attacks were made but Paul had the Lord for protection and strength. “But who are you?” Oops… Back up and run away because what the demon is really saying is “I don’t know whose you are.” Without the Spirit, they have no protection from the demon…RUN!
He gave them such a beating that they ran from the house naked and bleeding…moral of the story: don’t play in what you don’t know. Occult practices (Ouiji boards, Tarot, séances, even horoscopes), much less actual seeking of demons is not something to be trifled with. It is not a game (despite what Milton Bradley says) or harmless. Stay away from it. It opens doors that are not easily closed. God does not say to seek these out any where in the Bible. If you find it somewhere, show it to me. He says to seek Him, not them. He grants the Apostles the ability to cast out demons but does not tell them to go out and root them out!!!
Jesus tells the story of what it is like to do spiritual battle with out THE Spirit on your side in Matthew 12: 43-45. 43"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." Even if you get a demon cast out of you (putting your house in order for the moment), unless the Holy Spirit comes, unless you have Jesus in your heart filling you up, you are open again. You need Jesus…we all do! To come live in us and through us. Also, realize that if you have the Holy Spirit in you, you cannot get possessed by a demon. No way both can live in one body. You can be influenced by a demon but possessed, no way. We don’t talk much in today’s age about this spiritual warfare but don’t assume it does not exist…
My last note on this is to remember that He who is in our hearts, if stronger than anyone or anything. PERIOD. Never forget that. He rules. If you don’t know Him, you need to find Him. This is a rough, fallen world we live in. But He is a BIG God.
May God bless you,
D
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Acts Chapter 18
Acts 18
Please read Chapter 18 of Acts…
Welcome back, Class, to Paul’s journeys. As we join Paul, he is heading out of Athens and off to Corinth… Why Corinth? Well, Corinth was a major crossroads city in its day. By the time Paul was there, it had surpassed Athens on a commercial and political front. Corinth sits on two harbors and was a crossroads for trade and travelers, both land and sea.
The town was dominated by a large temple dedicated to Aphrodite. Being the goddess of love, the temple was served by temple prostitutes. Historians of the time recorded as many as 1000 of them, so this was strongly pagan town and a town where Paul would not find a natural home. But Paul does…he gets to meet Aquila and Priscilla. These two were kicked out of Rome by Claudius. All Jews were being booted from Rome due to the squabbling that was going on amongst them…that fight was over a certain “Chrestus” character (according to the historian, Suetonius)…hmm, wonder who that could be… Obviously, the fight over Christ, the one that Paul was constantly initiating in other areas had spread to Rome.
Being Tentmakers by trade, it is natural for Paul to join them. Paul has lived by supporting himself all the while in his travels. In 2 Thessalonians Chapter 3, Paul says “6In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."” ‘Nuff said… Could he have lived off the locals…sure…but part of being a Christian is in how we live ALL our lives and the examples we set…
We get back to Aquila and Priscilla and their story. This is one of the only times we see his name listed first. It is obvious with these two, she has a major role in their ministry. God is using them both in mighty ways. When Silas and Timothy come, Paul goes into full time ministry mode, since they are there to support it.
Paul goes back into the synagogue and testifies to the Truth…finally Paul is done with this part of his mission. When he hits rejection and distain, he shakes his robe out. Remember Class, this is an era of demonstrative means of communication. When a Jew of this era is distraught, he will rip his robe in a public display. Paul shakes his robe, as Jesus told his apostles to do in Matthew 10:15-16. It was symbolic of shaking all the dirt and sin of an area, all trace of them, off you. It was done symbolically by the Pharisees of the day to the Gentiles. He takes it one step further: He says “your blood be on your own heads”…ouch. This is an echo of the Hebrew response at Christ’s trial, “Let his blood be on us and our children.” This is a tough thing… You see, the Hebrew system of sacrifice required blood for the cleansing. This goes back to the beginning of the faith, and even back to the Garden. God had established this system to give innocent blood to clean the guilty. Hard to understand for us “modern” people… why the sacrifice. Christ was to be the ultimate sacrifice, the only blood truly capable of removing our sin, allowing us to stand with and in front of a righteous God. The picture in Revelation of the saints that “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” is a big one to imagine. Only Jesus’ blood can make us as white as snow. The tribe of Israel they were not open to the message of Christ, they were to be “in their blood” since no sacrifice could make them clean again…that system was over. Not that god would abandon them completely, but the Temple’s days were numbered. It had served it’s purpose (even had been sprinkled in Jesus’ blood on the day of His trial) and now its days were numbered. It is destroyed in 70AD…and has not been rebuilt again…but I am getting ahead in history…
Back in Acts, we see Paul getting encouragement, both from God directly (how cool is that) and in the success of his work. Even the ruler of the Synagogue is converted! He still faced yet another trial but God cleared that one up, as Galio (a wise judge in that day and age) through it out of court immediately. God did not want Paul to see trial…yet. And when the case gets thrown out, the Jews BEAT UP THEIR LEADER AND LAWYER…any wonder why the Romans kicked them out of Rome?
Paul prepares to leave Corinth and more on to Syria, but before he goes, he does an unusual thing…He shaves his head. This is likely to signify the end of a Nazarite vow. See Numbers 6 for more details on this vow. Suffice to say, this vow was a serious thing and signified a special dedication to the Lord. No wine or grape of any kind could be eaten and no shaving or cutting of hair at all. If this dedication took place, He vowed to use them in a mighty way. Does this idea sound familiar? Any Biblical Character fit the bill? Look up Sampson in your concordance and review the story. It was the dedication to God that made this vow powerful, not the man making it…His power, not theirs…
Why did Paul make this vow? When did he do it? We do not know…but maybe, just maybe, it was Paul’s dedication to establishing a strong church in this important but very ungodly of towns. The one we know more about because of the Book of Corinthians…
I will stop here, as we touched on Priscilla, Aquila and Apollo’s time together but we will go into more detail in the next class and blog…
May we all understand His sacrifice a bit deeper and have it show in our lives this week. Read Ch. 19 to prepare!
God bless!
D
Please read Chapter 18 of Acts…
Welcome back, Class, to Paul’s journeys. As we join Paul, he is heading out of Athens and off to Corinth… Why Corinth? Well, Corinth was a major crossroads city in its day. By the time Paul was there, it had surpassed Athens on a commercial and political front. Corinth sits on two harbors and was a crossroads for trade and travelers, both land and sea.
The town was dominated by a large temple dedicated to Aphrodite. Being the goddess of love, the temple was served by temple prostitutes. Historians of the time recorded as many as 1000 of them, so this was strongly pagan town and a town where Paul would not find a natural home. But Paul does…he gets to meet Aquila and Priscilla. These two were kicked out of Rome by Claudius. All Jews were being booted from Rome due to the squabbling that was going on amongst them…that fight was over a certain “Chrestus” character (according to the historian, Suetonius)…hmm, wonder who that could be… Obviously, the fight over Christ, the one that Paul was constantly initiating in other areas had spread to Rome.
Being Tentmakers by trade, it is natural for Paul to join them. Paul has lived by supporting himself all the while in his travels. In 2 Thessalonians Chapter 3, Paul says “6In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."” ‘Nuff said… Could he have lived off the locals…sure…but part of being a Christian is in how we live ALL our lives and the examples we set…
We get back to Aquila and Priscilla and their story. This is one of the only times we see his name listed first. It is obvious with these two, she has a major role in their ministry. God is using them both in mighty ways. When Silas and Timothy come, Paul goes into full time ministry mode, since they are there to support it.
Paul goes back into the synagogue and testifies to the Truth…finally Paul is done with this part of his mission. When he hits rejection and distain, he shakes his robe out. Remember Class, this is an era of demonstrative means of communication. When a Jew of this era is distraught, he will rip his robe in a public display. Paul shakes his robe, as Jesus told his apostles to do in Matthew 10:15-16. It was symbolic of shaking all the dirt and sin of an area, all trace of them, off you. It was done symbolically by the Pharisees of the day to the Gentiles. He takes it one step further: He says “your blood be on your own heads”…ouch. This is an echo of the Hebrew response at Christ’s trial, “Let his blood be on us and our children.” This is a tough thing… You see, the Hebrew system of sacrifice required blood for the cleansing. This goes back to the beginning of the faith, and even back to the Garden. God had established this system to give innocent blood to clean the guilty. Hard to understand for us “modern” people… why the sacrifice. Christ was to be the ultimate sacrifice, the only blood truly capable of removing our sin, allowing us to stand with and in front of a righteous God. The picture in Revelation of the saints that “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” is a big one to imagine. Only Jesus’ blood can make us as white as snow. The tribe of Israel they were not open to the message of Christ, they were to be “in their blood” since no sacrifice could make them clean again…that system was over. Not that god would abandon them completely, but the Temple’s days were numbered. It had served it’s purpose (even had been sprinkled in Jesus’ blood on the day of His trial) and now its days were numbered. It is destroyed in 70AD…and has not been rebuilt again…but I am getting ahead in history…
Back in Acts, we see Paul getting encouragement, both from God directly (how cool is that) and in the success of his work. Even the ruler of the Synagogue is converted! He still faced yet another trial but God cleared that one up, as Galio (a wise judge in that day and age) through it out of court immediately. God did not want Paul to see trial…yet. And when the case gets thrown out, the Jews BEAT UP THEIR LEADER AND LAWYER…any wonder why the Romans kicked them out of Rome?
Paul prepares to leave Corinth and more on to Syria, but before he goes, he does an unusual thing…He shaves his head. This is likely to signify the end of a Nazarite vow. See Numbers 6 for more details on this vow. Suffice to say, this vow was a serious thing and signified a special dedication to the Lord. No wine or grape of any kind could be eaten and no shaving or cutting of hair at all. If this dedication took place, He vowed to use them in a mighty way. Does this idea sound familiar? Any Biblical Character fit the bill? Look up Sampson in your concordance and review the story. It was the dedication to God that made this vow powerful, not the man making it…His power, not theirs…
Why did Paul make this vow? When did he do it? We do not know…but maybe, just maybe, it was Paul’s dedication to establishing a strong church in this important but very ungodly of towns. The one we know more about because of the Book of Corinthians…
I will stop here, as we touched on Priscilla, Aquila and Apollo’s time together but we will go into more detail in the next class and blog…
May we all understand His sacrifice a bit deeper and have it show in our lives this week. Read Ch. 19 to prepare!
God bless!
D
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