Sermons

New Series - Topical Studies

Tips for Sermon Listening

Click for Audio; right click on sermon you wish to listen to.
Select "Open Link in New Tab" to Listen.
Back up one page from Audio Selections page to read Sermon Script & Study Guide here as you listen.

We're going to try something new today.
I've included the actual Sermon Script.
So you can read and listen!
Hope it gives you a greater learning experience of God's Word.

The Legacy Standard Bible

Beginning on Sunday, December 8, 2024, our Pastor began using the LSB version of the Bible in all of his teaching and preaching. This is the newly updated version of the NASB, which he has been using for a number of years. Here is some information on the LSB for those who would like to learn more. It also explains why Pastor Alan is now using this version of the English Bible.

The Legacy Standard Bible has been produced with the conviction that the words of Scripture as originally penned in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek are the eternal Word of God. The Holy Scriptures speak with authority to each generation, giving wisdom that leads to salvation, that people may serve Christ to the glory of God. Because it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), every word of it is inspired, every word is true, and every word must be conveyed to every nation, tribe, people, and tongue (Rev. 7:9), so that every word can be taught and obeyed (Josh. 23:14; Mt. 28:20; Jn. 17:17).

THE FOURFOLD AIM OF THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION

1. These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

2. They shall be grammatically correct.

3. They shall be understandable.

4. They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.

PREFACE TO THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

In the history of the English Bible translations, the King James Version is the most well-known. This time-honored version of 1611, itself a revision of the Bishops’ Bible of 1568, became the basis for the English Revised Version, which appeared in 1881 (New Testament) and 1885 (Old Testament). Its American counterpart, a product of both British and American scholarship, was published in 1901. Recognizing the values of the American Standard Version, The Lockman Foundation felt an urgency to preserve the ASV while incorporating recent discoveries of Hebrew and Greek textual sources and rendering it into more current English. This resulted in the New American Standard Bible, a translation based upon the time-honored principles of translation of the ASV and KJV, along with other linguistic tools and biblical scholarship.

The Legacy Standard Bible reflects another iteration of such preservation and refinement. Worked on by a core translation team in conjunction with pastors and educators from different countries, it is designed to honor, maintain, and advance the tradition represented by the NASB.

PRINCIPLES OF TRANSLATION

Key Principles: The Legacy Standard Bible has worked to uphold the style and translational choices of the NASB as much as possible. Even more, it has endeavored to follow through on the NASB’s stated intent to be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. While the interpreter, teacher, and pastor have the goal of understanding what the text means, the translator is to provide them with what the text says. Consistently, the goal of this translation is to be a window into the original text. Within that goal, this revision has focused upon accuracy and consistency. It has checked that words and grammar have been carried over properly. It also established rules for the consistent translation of terms within their various nuances. This allows the reader to more easily reconstruct what the original texts said. It also helps the reader more easily trace the flow of argument within a text, identify when the same word is used in another passage, and make connections between texts.

There are limits to the application of this philosophy. In this edition, a word might not be translated consistently in order to maintain a highly familiar rendering of a text or to preserve a wordplay in the text that advances the inspired author’s message. Moreover, because Scripture is a literary masterpiece, some linguistic features could not be transferred to this translation, not even by a note. Nevertheless, ensuring that the original languages are precisely rendered paves the way for careful readers to discover these insights for themselves.

In this way, the LSB upholds the philosophy that a translation does not replace pastors or teachers but rather depends upon faithful believers and the church to study and live out what has been written (Acts 8:30-31). Translation is a tool for the church and must be done in that context so that each word of Scripture may be taught and lived.

Modern English Usage: The attempt has been made to render the grammar and terminology in contemporary English. When word-for-word literalness was determined unacceptable to the modern reader; a change was made in the direction of a more current English idiom. In the instances where this has been done, the more literal rendering has been indicated in the notes. There are a few exceptions to this procedure. Of note, while an effort has been made to incorporate conjunctions as much as possible, the conjunction “and” is occasionally not translated at the beginning of sentences because of differences in style between ancient and modern writing. Punctuation is a relatively modern invention, and ancient writers often linked most of their sentences with “and” or other connectives.

Alternate Readings: In addition to the more literal renderings, notations have been made to include readings of variant manuscripts, explanatory equivalents of the text, and alternate translations that may bring out a play on words difficult to maintain in the text. These notations have been used specifically to assist the reader in comprehending the terms used by the original author.

THE COMMITMENTS OF THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy preserved – to uphold the work and tradition that is found in translations from the KJV, ASV, to NASB.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy performed – to advance the commitments of past translations by bringing forth features of the original text relative to accuracy and consistency.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy passed on – to equip generations to study Scripture and continue the philosophy of being a window.
~ The Lockman Foundation

For additional information we recommend you contact The Lockman Foundation -- https://www.lockman.org/legacy-standard-bible-lsb/

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part Two)

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Click For Audio

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part Two)

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY
(Part Two)

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for this opportunity to again consider truth from Your Word. Thank You for creating us to enjoy fellowship with You. We are grateful to You for all the blessings of life, and especially for forgiveness of sins, for justification, for membership in Your forever family and the body of Christ. Thank You for our great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us, and advocates for us when we sin. Thank You for the blessed hope we have as believers. We praise You for providing the Bible which is a light unto our feet, a lamp unto our path, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Thank You, Lord, for giving us every opportunity, every privilege, and every incentive to please You with our lives and serve You faithfully. We ask that our thoughts may constantly be directed by the Holy Spirit and that we may always cleave to You. May our study today contribute to this end, I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction: Last Sunday we began learning about Paul’s second missionary journey. When we left Paul and Silas they were fastened in stocks in a jail in Philippi. Their crime? Paul, by the power of Christ, had cast a demon out of a young slave woman who was forced to tell peoples’ futures. Her angry owners, who could no longer financially benefit from her “gift,” lied to the city’s magistrates, saying that Paul and Silas were riling people up and sowing discord within the city.

The magistrates, whose job it was to maintain peace in their jurisdictions, believed the lies the men told about Paul and Silas, and without a formal inquiry or trial, turned them over to the jailer. He was given the task of keeping them doubly secure, so he put their legs in stocks, which we learned wasn’t just a security measure, it was also a painful torture.

I. SONGS AT MIDNIGHT (Acts 16:23-34)

Let’s pick up the narrative in Acts 16 …

[READ Acts 16:23-34]

22 And the crowd joined together to attack them, and the chief magistrates, tearing their garments off of them, proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted them with many wounds, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely, 24 who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 And suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the jailhouse were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 And when the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his household. 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with his whole household, because he had believed in God.

Did you happen to notice anyone missing from those who were thrown into jail? Yes, Luke and Timothy were not imprisoned. We’re not told why. Perhaps because they were Gentiles and not Jews (although Timothy was half Jewish). Another possibility is that they were not the main preachers presenting the gospel but were assisting Paul and Silas in less pressing matters so they would be free to concentrate on evangelism.

Acts 16:25
25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Verse 25 indicates how Paul and Silas were responding to their circumstances. They were praying and singing praises to God. Notice they were singing hymns to God, not hymns about God. Paul and Silas were not angry with God over their arrest and imprisonment.

Phil. 2:14-16
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 so that you will be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to boast because I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

The preachers’ singing must have been pretty good since all the prisoners in the jail were listening quietly to their spiritual songs – although they were a captive audience! Perhaps they found the music and message soothing to them in their dire situation.

Acts 16:26
26 And suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the jailhouse were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

I want to point out that the mention of the midnight hour (v. 25) refers to the timing of this earthquake, not the beginning of their praying and singing. It seems that they had been praying and singing, up until midnight when the earthquake hit. We’re told the earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, opening all the doors and even unfastening the bonds of the prisoners.

Acts 16:27
27 And when the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

I wonder if the jailer had been listening to the prayers and singing? Maybe he had earlier, but by the time of the earthquake he was fast asleep. Abruptly awakened by the roar of the earthquake, he jumped out of bed to find the doors of the jail were opened and supposed that all his prisoners had escaped. If a Roman soldier or jailer allowed a prisoner to escape (no matter what the reason), he was put to death for his negligence. Instead of waiting to face humiliation and a painful execution, the jailer was about to take his own life.

Acts 16:28
28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”

The jailer didn’t have time to carry out his suicide. He heard Paul calling out to him to let him know that all the prisoners were still there. This was indeed a miracle! Paul and Silas saved the jailer’s life by remaining in the jail after the earthquake had freed them, and by some miraculous means God had also kept the rest of the prisoners there.

Acts 16:29-30
29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

After entering what remained of his prison with a light, the jailer found that Paul’s information was true – all prisoners were present and accounted for. The jailer fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. If he fell at their feet, obviously they must have been standing and were free from the stocks in which he had bound them. Overwhelmed by all that had transpired in the last half hour or so, the jailer asked Paul and Silas what he had to do to be saved.

Acts 16:31-32
31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his household.

In verse 31, Paul explains to the jailer that if he will believe in the Lord Jesus, he will be saved as well as his household. Does this mean all the jailer’s household would be saved if he believed? No, but each person in his household could be saved if they believed in Jesus. Was “believe in the Lord Jesus” the only thing the jailer and his household heard from Paul and Silas? No, Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord” (v. 32) to the jailer and his family. We should understand this to mean that they explained the gospel message to them more fully than only telling them to believe in Jesus.

Remembering that we should use Scripture to interpret Scripture, what does it mean to “believe in Jesus”? We see similar phrases in many places, and we must look at all of them together to understand what is meant here, especially since we don’t know what else Paul spoke about on this occasion. Based on texts like John 3, Mark 1:15, Romans 10:9-11, and others, to “believe” is to acknowledge who Jesus is and what He has done for sinners, and to place one’s trust in Jesus for salvation. It cannot mean just a simple acknowledgement of His existence or just a knowledge of the facts of His life, because many people knew Jesus was a real person (and still do today) but did not acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior. You will recall that James said even the demons know there is a God (Jas. 2:19).

Acts 16:33-34
33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with his whole household, because he had believed in God.

In verse 33, we learn that the jailer and those in his household accepted the gospel and believed in Jesus, then they were baptized. After being baptized the jailer rejoiced, having believed in God, and ministered to Paul and Silas. Now that the jailer was saved, his response in verse 34 was similar to Lydia’s after her salvation. He took Paul and Silas into his home and cared for them, providing them with food and treating their wounds. We see that both Lydia and the jailer responded to the gospel by believing in Christ, and the heart transformation worked by the Holy Spirit was immediately evident in their actions toward others. We do not know what became of the other prisoners because the text skips that detail, focusing on the jailer and his family.

II. THE MAGISTRATES’ MISTAKE (Acts 16:35-40)

Remember the magistrates from last week’s sermon who hastily condemned Paul and Silas without a proper investigation, had them beaten and thrown into prison? Boy, did they make a huge blunder!

[READ Acts 16:35-40]

35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “Having beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, they have thrown us into prison. And now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” 38 And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept requesting them to leave the city. 40 And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and left.

Acts 16:35-36
35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace.”

Perhaps the earthquake shook some sense into the Philippian magistrates. They must have been having some second thoughts about their part in the illegal proceedings the day before. By quietly releasing Paul and Silas, they probably hoped to forestall any repercussions for their actions. Verse 36 seems to imply that one of the conditions of being released from their incarceration was that they would immediately leave town; but if that was their intention, the magistrates were in for a shock.

Acts 16:37-38a
37 But Paul said to them, “Having beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, they have thrown us into prison. And now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” 38 And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates.

The crime committed by the magistrates in beating and imprisoning Roman citizens without due process of law was a serious one. The well-established Valerian and Porcian laws exempting Romans from degrading forms of punishment had been in force for centuries. No documentation was required. The simple statement, “I am a Roman citizen,” took all proceedings against a prisoner out of the hands of local authorities. If you’re wondering why Paul and Silas didn’t make their citizenship known the day before while they were being punished, the answer is no doubt they had tried. The magistrates simply refused to listen. Maybe a day later, they remembered these protests and that led them to release Paul and Silas so early in the morning the next day. There is also the possibility that the policemen in charge of the beating didn’t communicate the preachers’ protests to the magistrates.

Paul’s refusal to leave the jail without being personally escorted out by the magistrates was genius. I’m sure it vividly established the legality of their ministry in the minds of the populace; at least it was a source of infinite encouragement to the brethren. Moreover, the magistrates’ condition that they should immediately leave town was also negated. Although Paul’s likely intention was to depart from Philippi soon, by demanding an apology from the magistrates he avoided any appearance of being thrown out of the city.

Acts 16:38b-39
38b They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept requesting them to leave the city.

They were afraid … This was natural, because there were plenty of instances where even high Roman officials lost their positions and suffered drastic penalties for violating the traditional laws regarding Roman citizens.

They appealed to them … In context, having to personally release Paul and Silas was humiliating to the magistrates. Their consent to do so proves their concern over the violations they had committed. The facts here, with the words “when they heard they were Romans,” strongly suggest that Paul and Silas’ protests at the time of punishment were not relayed to the magistrates.

They requested them to leave the city … This wording shows that the apostles were not ordered, but asked, to leave the city, a request Paul and Silas honored, yet without doing so hastily.

Acts 16:40
40 And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and left.

Before Paul and Silas left Philippi they encouraged the Philippian believers. Luke, the author of Acts, writes, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and left. There is a little difference of opinion about why the believers were gathered in the house of Lydia. Some think they were there praying that God would release Paul and Silas from jail, similar to how the believers in Jerusalem had prayed in the house of Mary for Peter during his imprisonment (Acts 12:12). Others think that a gathering of the brethren was called together in the house of Lydia one last time to say goodbye to Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Personally, I believe that at its recent inception, the Philippian church was actually meeting in Lydia’s home, so it is probable that both of the last two points are true.

Remember, the assembly of believers in Philippi was very small at this point. Luke doesn’t tell us of any who believed in Jesus other than Lydia, the jailer, and their households. Maybe some of the other women from the riverside prayer meeting had believed too (Acts 16:13). In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he names two women, Euodia and Syntyche, who belonged to the Philippian church, whom he encourages to make peace with one another (Phil. 4:2-3).

I wonder if the jailer and the believers in his household were also invited to this gathering of believers at Lydia’s home. Though the church in Philippi started out small, we know from future events that occurred that its congregation would grow to become Paul’s most faithful and generous supporters (Phil. 4:15).

It is obvious from verse 40 that Paul, Silas, and Timothy had a final conversation with the new Philippian believers to give them hope, perseverance, and assurance of God’s love for them. Paul would come back to Philippi years later during his third missionary journey. It was probably in this very meeting that he promised the Philippians he’d write to them and return some day (Phil. 1:1, Acts 20:6).

Because Luke’s written account of these events changes from first person pronouns to third person pronouns. It is believed that he stayed behind in Philippi, working to establish the fledgling church there. He rejoins Paul about 6 years later when Paul returns to Philippi. In Acts 20:5-6, Luke begins using first person pronouns again.

III. ARRESTS IN THESSALONICA (Acts 17:1-10a)

Leaving Philippi behind, Paul and his companions traveled along the Egnatian Way in southwesterly direction through Macedonia spreading the gospel as they went. However, their target destination was Thessalonica.

[READ Acts 17:1]

1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

First, let’s take a moment to reference our map so we can get a visual perspective of their journey.

The first stopover was Amphipolis. It was about 30 miles from Philippi. The second stopover was in Apollonia, 30 miles beyond Amphipolis. The narrative indicates that the missionaries stopped only for the night in these cities. Forty miles beyond Apollonia was Thessalonica, the capital city of Macedonia with a population of about 200,000, in Paul’s day! Thessalonica was a major port city and an important commercial center. You will recall there was no Jewish synagogue in Philippi, but there was in Thessalonica – and Paul made it his first stop upon arriving.

[READ Acts 17:2-10a]
2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and setting before them that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is that Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
5 But the Jews, becoming jealous, taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, set the city in an uproar. And attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the assembly. 6 And when they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; 7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
8 And they disturbed the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And when they had received the bond from Jason and the others, they released them. 10a And the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea,

Acts 17:2-3
2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and setting before them that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is that Christ.”

As we’ve seen before, whenever there was a Jewish synagogue in a city, Paul began his ministry there. The three Sabbaths were just the length of his initial public ministry. The actual amount of time spent in Thessalonica would have been longer, perhaps as long as 3 or 4 months when we take into account organizing the new church.

During his three weeks teaching in the synagogue, Paul preached Jesus crucified and risen again to those in attendance. There are several notable aspects to Paul’s presentation of Jesus. First, he reasoned with them from the Scriptures. The Greek word translated “reasoned” is the root for our English word dialogue. This means there was an exchange of questions and answers. He dialogued with them from the Scriptures.

Secondly, he explained the Scriptures. This word literally means “opening.” Paul opened up the Scriptures revealing them with clarity and simplicity.

Thirdly, Paul set before them the evidence of why Jesus had to suffer and rise again from the dead. It’s the idea of presenting persuasive evidence to his listeners.

In all of this, Paul emphasized who Jesus is, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is that Christ,” and what He had done for them through His death and resurrection.

Acts 17:4
4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

Among Paul’s listeners there was a positive response from many of them. Most of these – actually, a great multitude of them – were God-fearing Greeks (most of these would have been Jewish proselytes), along with many prominent Jewish women. By all accounts, Paul and Silas’ ministry here was an overwhelming success with many accepting Jesus as their Savior.

Acts 17:5-6
5 But the Jews, becoming jealous, taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, set the city in an uproar. And attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the assembly. 6 And when they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;

Did any of you experience a little déjà vu as I read this verse? Doesn’t it sound exactly like what happened on the first missionary journey in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra? Here Paul is once again opposed by a mob incited by envious Jews.

We don’t know exactly how much time had passed since Paul and Silas began their ministry in Thessalonica, it is reasonable to think a month or two had passed and Paul had already established a church in the city. It seems Jason was one of the Jews who became a Christian when Paul was preaching in the synagogue (many Jewish men during the dispersion, had taken the name Jason). Perhaps he became one of the first local leaders in the new Thessalonian church. At any rate, it seems that his home had become a center for the church’s activity. When the wicked men from the marketplace (who had no doubt been hired by the synagogue leaders to stir up a commotion) didn’t find Paul and Silas at Jason’s home, they attacked Jason himself, and some of the brethren who were with him.

When accusing these Christians before the rulers of the city, the evil men from the marketplace gave an unintended compliment to the effectiveness of God’s work through Paul and Silas. To complain that the Christians were these who have turned the world upside-down have come here too was to say, “these men have radically impacted our world and nothing seems the same.”

Would to God, people would say such things about the effectiveness of Christians today! Jesus did not come only to be our teacher, but to turn our world upside-down! Jesus gave a great example of this upside-down thinking when He spoke about the rich man who had amassed great wealth, and all he could think about was building bigger barns to store all his wealth. Some might make this man a civic leader or recognize him as a prominent man; but Jesus turned it all upside down and called the man a fool, because he had done nothing to make his life matter for the kingdom of God’s sake (Lk. 12:16-21).

Actually, if you really think about it, God was working through Paul and Silas to turn the world right side-up again. But when you yourself are upside-down, the other direction appears to be upside-down!

Acts 17:7-8
7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And they disturbed the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.

Verse 7 reveals a very serious accusation made by the hired false witnesses from the marketplace. The charge of undermining the laws of Caesar and proclaiming there is another king was serious enough that it troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. This was because their accusation raised the fear that their city might become known for stirring up opposition against Caesar and Rome. However, their fears were unfounded. Even though the gospel has some definite political implications, it actually makes Christians better citizens than before, and our prayers for officials and government are more helpful than most people imagine.

Yet even this unfounded accusation of political revolution had a compliment hidden inside of it. Even the rabble-rousers understood that Christians teach Jesus is a King, and that He has the right to rule over His people. This is a message that seems lost to many churchgoers today.

Acts 17:9-10a
9 And when they had received the bond from Jason and the others, they released them. 10a And the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea,

Verse 9 informs us that the city officials made Jason pay a security bond for his own release and those who were arrested with him before they would release these believers from custody. This bond was basically to guarantee that the Christians would not be involved in any future riots.

In general, Roman officials really didn’t care what people believed. But when the public order was disrupted by riots, they swiftly came down on them with an iron hand. If word reached Rome that things had gotten out of hand, it wouldn’t be long until the emperor dispatched his legions to restore order, and no one wanted that. So, Jason had to post the bond even though he didn’t start the riot.

Verse 10 lets us know what happened next. As soon as Jason and the other brothers were set free, they immediately sent Paul and Silas away under cover of darkness to Berea. Paul and Silas left Thessalonica quickly, not wanting to bring anymore persecution on the Christians there.

Paul wasn’t in Thessalonica very long – probably only a few months. No doubt the apostle wished he could have taught them more. He decided to teach them more in a written letter. First Thessalonians was his first letter written to this congregation.

Once again, we’ve run out of time and will have to continue our study of the second missionary journey next week.

IV. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD

In the verses we’ve looked at today from Acts 16 and especially 17, the charges brought against Paul and his fellow missionaries contain some irony. On the one hand, the charges that they were disturbing the peace and promoting disloyalty to the emperor are false, just as the charges the Sanhedrin brought against Jesus were false (Lk. 23:2). The movement of Jesus’ followers is not about political ambition or plotting to overthrow Caesar. Those who brought the charges, who incited mobs to attack Paul and his companions, were actually the ones who were disturbing the peace.

Yet, at the same time, there is truth to the charge that the proclamation of the gospel threatens to “turn the world upside down.” Loyalty to Jesus the Messiah renders all other loyalties — to family, nation, empire, or religious hierarchy — secondary. The reign of Jesus, the Messiah King, absolutely threatens to overturn the status quo (Lk. 1:46-55; 6:20-26). The mission of Jesus and His followers to “bring good news to the poor and to proclaim release to the captives” (Lk. 4:18, Isa. 61:1-2) jeopardizes all oppressors, including Caesar.

Beloved, are we as Jesus’ followers still “turning the world upside down” today? Where do you see this happening? What is happening in and through our congregation that would cause an old apostle like Paul to overflow with thanksgiving? Or have we become so comfortable with the status quo that no one perceives us to be any kind of threat whatsoever? In what ways is God calling us to risk our own comfort and security to proclaim and live out His gospel, even in the face of resistance?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we bow before You now convicted of our lack of a burden for lost souls and zeal to proclaim the gospel. May the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with evangelistic fire and fervor to proclaim the gift of Your salvation which is available to all who will only believe on Christ. Help us carry the lessons we’ve learned today into our daily lives and ministries, reflecting in everything we do the character of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 478: “Soldiers of Christ Arise” (3 vs.), then # 313: “Lord, Lay Some Soul Upon My Heart”

Benediction: Beloved, may you be strong and courageous. May you not be afraid or discouraged because of the obstacles, issues, or spiritual battles confronting you, for there is a greater power with you than with any force opposing you. The Lord your God is with you to help you and to fight your battles. May you gain confidence from this truth. Amen. (2 Chr. 32:7-8).

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY ~ Part 2 -Study Guide

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY ~ Part 2

Answers (Lesson 164, Part 2) - March 30, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

I. SONGS AT MIDNIGHT (Acts 16:23-34)

Acts 16:23-34
Verse 25 indicates how Paul and Silas were responding to their circumstances. They were praying and singing praises to God. Notice they were singing hymns to God, not hymns about God. Paul and Silas were not angry with God over their arrest and imprisonment.

Philippians 2:14-16
The preachers’ singing must have been pretty good since all the prisoners in the jail were listening quietly to their spiritual songs – although they were a captive audience! Perhaps they found the music and message soothing to them in their dire situation.

Acts 16:26’s mention of the midnight hour refers to the timing of this earthquake, not the beginning of their praying and singing. It seems that they had been praying and singing, up until midnight when the earthquake hit. We’re told the earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, opening all the doors and even unfastening the bonds of the prisoners.

In verse 27, we see the jailer’s startling response. I wonder if the jailer had been listening to the prayers and singing? Maybe he had earlier, but by the time of the earthquake he was fast asleep. Abruptly awakened by the roar of the earthquake, he jumped out of bed to find the doors of the jail were opened and supposed that all his prisoners had escaped. If a Roman soldier or jailer allowed a prisoner to escape (no matter what the reason), he was put to death for his negligence. Instead of waiting to face humiliation and a painful execution, the jailer was about to take his own life.

In verse 28, we learn that the jailer didn’t have time to carry out his suicide. He heard Paul calling out to him to let him know that all the prisoners were still there. This was indeed a miracle! Paul and Silas saved the jailer’s life by remaining in the jail after the earthquake had freed them, and by some miraculous means God had also kept the rest of the prisoners there.

Verses 29-30, tells us that the jailer entered what remained of the prison with a light and found that Paul’s information was true – all the prisoners were present and accounted for. The jailer fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. If he fell at their feet, obviously they must have been standing and were free from the stocks in which he had bound them.

Overwhelmed by all that had transpired in the last half hour or so, the jailer asked Paul and Silas what he had to do to be saved.

His question clearly indicates that he knew what message Paul and Silas were preaching. He must have known he was condemned in order to ask what he needed to do to be saved from that condemnation. He may have heard them preaching in the marketplace, or he may have heard the charges leveled against them at their sentencing, or when they were delivered to him. There is also the possibility that Paul and Silas may have preached to him from their jail cell, but the jailer must have heard the gospel from them to know he needed to seek after salvation.
In verse 31, Paul explains to the jailer that if he will believe in the Lord Jesus, he will be saved as well as his household. Does this mean all the jailer’s household would be saved if only he believed? No, but each person in his household could be saved if they believed in Jesus. Was “believe in the Lord Jesus” the only thing the jailer and his household heard from Paul and Silas? No, we see in verse 32 that Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord” to the jailer and his family. We should understand this to mean that they explained the gospel message to them more fully than only telling them to believe in Jesus.

In verses 33, we learn that the jailer and those in his household accepted the gospel and believed in Jesus, then they were baptized. After being baptized the jailer rejoiced, having believed in God, and ministered to Paul and Silas. Now that the jailer was saved his response in verse 34, was similar to Lydia’s after her salvation. He took Paul and Silas into his home and cared for them, providing them with food and treating their wounds. We see that both Lydia and the jailer responded to the gospel by believing in Christ, and the heart transformation worked by the Holy Spirit was immediately evident in their actions toward others. We do not know what became of the other prisoners because the text skips that detail, focusing on the jailer and his family.

II. THE MAGISTRATES’ MISTAKE (Acts 16:35-40)

Remember the magistrates from last week’s sermon who hastily condemned Paul and Silas without a proper investigation, had them beaten and thrown into prison? Boy, did they make a huge blunder!

Acts 16:11-12

The crime committed by the magistrates in beating and imprisoning Roman citizens without due process of law was a serious one. The well-established Valerian and Porcian laws exempting Romans from degrading forms of punishment had been in force for centuries. No documentation was required. The simple statement, “I am a Roman citizen,” took all proceedings against a prisoner out of the hands of local authorities. If you’re wondering why Paul and Silas didn’t make their citizenship known the day before while they were being punished, the answer is no doubt they had tried. The magistrates simply refused to listen. Maybe a day later, they remembered these protests and that led to the release of Paul and Silas so early in the morning the next day. There is also the possibility that the policemen in charge of the beating didn’t communicate the preachers’ protests to the magistrates.

Paul’s refusal to leave the jail without being personally escorted out by the magistrates was genius. I sure it vividly established the legality of their ministry in the minds of the populace; at least it was a source of infinite encouragement to the brethren. Moreover, the magistrates’ condition that they should immediately leave town was also negated. Although Paul’s likely intention was to depart from Philippi soon, by demanding an apology from the magistrates he avoided any appearance of being thrown out of the city.

In verses 38b and 39, we witness the fear of the magistrates. They were afraid … This was natural, because there were plenty of instances where even high Roman officials lost their positions and suffered drastic penalties for violating the traditional laws regarding Roman citizens. They appealed to them … In context, having to personally release Paul and Silas was humiliating to the magistrates. Their consent to do so proves their concern over the violations they had committed. The facts here, with the words “when they heard they were Romans,” strongly suggest that Paul and Silas’ protests at the time of punishment were not relayed to the magistrates. They requested them to leave the city … This wording shows that the apostles were not ordered, but asked, to leave the city, a request Paul and Silas honored, yet without doing so hastily.

According to verse 40, Paul and Silas make one stop before leaving Philippi – they visited Lydia’s home. Luke, the author of Acts, writes, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and left. There is a little difference of opinion about why the believers were gathered in the house of Lydia. Some think they were there praying that God would release Paul and Silas from jail, similar to how the believers in Jerusalem had prayed in the house of Mary for Peter during his imprisonment (Acts 12:12). Others think that a gathering of the brethren was called together in the house of Lydia one last time to say goodbye to Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Personally, I believe that at its recent inception, the Philippian church was actually meeting in Lydia’s home, so it is probable that both of the last two are true. In this very meeting, he probably promised the Philippians that he’d write to them and return some day (Phil. 1:1, Acts 20:6).

III. ARRESTS IN THESSALONICA (Acts 17:1-10a)

Acts 17:1-10a

Leaving Philippi behind, Paul and his companions travel along the Egnatian Way in southwesterly direction through Macedonia spreading the gospel as they went. However, their target destination was Thessalonica.

Secondly, he explained the Scriptures. This word literally means “opening.” Paul opened up the Scriptures revealing them with clarity and simplicity.

Thirdly, Paul set before them the evidence of why Jesus had to suffer and rise again from the dead. It’s the idea of presenting persuasive evidence to his listeners.

In verse 4, we learn that among Paul’s listeners there was a positive response from many of them. Most of these – actually, a great multitude of them – were God-fearing Greeks (most of these would have been Jewish proselytes), along with many prominent Jewish women. By all accounts, Paul and Silas’ ministry here was an overwhelming success with many accepting Jesus as their Savior.

Next, let’s consider verses 5-6. Did any of you experience a little déjà vu as I read this verse? Doesn’t it sound exactly like what happened on the first missionary journey in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra? Here Paul is once again opposed by a mob incited by envious Jews.
We don’t know exactly how much time had passed since Paul and Silas began their ministry in Thessalonica, it is reasonable to think a month or two had passed and Paul had already established a church in the city. It seems Jason was one of the Jews who became a Christian when Paul was preaching in the synagogue (many Jewish men during the dispersion, had taken the name Jason). Perhaps he became one of the first local leaders in the new Thessalonian church. At any rate, it seems that his home had become a center for the church’s activity. When the wicked men from the marketplace (who had no doubt been hired by the synagogue leaders to stir up a commotion) didn’t find Paul and Silas at Jason’s home, they attacked Jason himself, and some of the brethren who were with him.

Once again, we’ve run out of time and will have to continue our study of the second missionary journey next week.

IV. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD
In the verses we’ve looked at today from Acts 16 and especially 17, the charges brought against Paul and his fellow missionaries contain some irony. On the one hand, the charges that they were disturbing the peace and promoting disloyalty to the emperor are false, just as the charges the Sanhedrin brought against Jesus were false (Lk. 23:2). The movement of Jesus’ followers is not about political ambition or plotting to overthrow Caesar. Those who brought the charges, who incited mobs to attack Paul and his companions, were actually the ones who were disturbing the peace.

• Are we still “turning the world upside down” for Christ today?

• Have we come so comfortable with the status quo that no one perceives us to be a threat of any kind?

• In what ways is God calling us to risk our own comfort and security to proclaim and live out His gospel, even in the face of resistance?

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part One)

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Click For Audio

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part One)

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY
(Part One)

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Our Sovereign Lord, as we open Your Word today, we seek the unveiling of Your divine wisdom. Open our minds to grasp the profound truths hidden in Your Word and empower us to apply them to our lives. We ask for Your wisdom, Lord, that we may walk in all Your ways and glorify Your name. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Introduction: A little over a month ago, we traced Paul’s first missionary journey as he and Barnabas spread the gospel throughout Cyprus and the regions of Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia. Although they were chased out of several towns and constantly harassed by the Jews and others who rejected Christ, they persevered and doubled back to strengthen the fledgling churches by appointing elders in each town and praying with them, encouraging them to continue following the Lord they had believed in for salvation.

After returning to the church at Antioch in Syria around the year AD 50, Paul and Barnabas shared all that had happened with them and how the Gentiles had received the gospel along with the Jews.

Unfortunately, this stirred up a controversy. They couldn’t agree whether the Gentile believers should be circumcised and follow the customs of Moses, or not. When they couldn’t reach an agreement, they sent representatives from each camp to Jerusalem to seek wisdom from the elders and apostles there.

After no small debate, the Jerusalem elders and apostles concluded that the Gentiles should not be made to be circumcised and follow the customs of Moses, but they should avoid sexual immorality, eating what had been strangled or offered to idols, and consuming blood. Paul and Barnabas took this answer back to Antioch and continued to serve there for many days.

Paul wished to return to the churches that were planted on his first missionary journey to see how they were growing in Christ. He also wanted to spend some time at each one to encourage them. In today’s study, we will begin following Paul on his second missionary journey.

I. VISITING THE ESTABLISHED CHURCHES (Acts 15:40 – 16:10)

The second missionary journey occurred sometime between AD 50-53. On this trip, Paul and his companions traveled around 3,000 miles, by land and sea, over a period of about three years. They visited many of the cities where they had previously started churches, then went into new areas to preach the gospel and plant churches. A whole lot transpires very quickly in this second missionary endeavor. Let’s pick up the narrative in Acts 15:40.

[READ Acts 15:40 – 16:10]
40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

16:1 Now Paul also arrived at Derbe and at Lystra. And behold, a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brothers who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to keep. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were abounding in number daily.

6 And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the gospel to them.

Acts 15:40
40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

Let’s begin with Paul’s companions on this journey. Paul was accompanied by Silas, whom we first met in Jerusalem. He was a leader among the brethren in Jerusalem (15:22) and a prophet (15:32), who was one of the delegates that delivered the doctrinal decision from the council of the Jerusalem church to the church in Antioch. You may recall that Silas extended his stay in Antioch to preach and teach there. Also, we know that Luke, the author of Acts, was present. We will find this out as we read further into chapter 16, where Luke uses “we” to describe the actions of the group in 16:10, and “us” in 16:15.

Also in 15:40, we learn that Paul and Silas were commended by the brothers of the Antioch church. And with the church’s blessing, they departed on this mission trip.

Acts 15:41
41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

First, they visited sister churches in Syria and Cilicia (as they headed north toward Galatia) strengthening and encouraging the believers. It may have been on this first leg of their journey that Paul wrote his epistle to the Galatians to combat the false doctrine of salvation by circumcision. Evidently, this heresy was prevalent everywhere they went, and they quickly shared the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone, attested to by the elders and apostles at the Jerusalem council.

Acts 16:1a
1a Now Paul also arrived at Derbe and at Lystra.

The first cities named on Paul’s itinerary were Derbe and Lystra (16:1). Of course, we remember that these were two of the cities in Galatia Paul visited on his first missionary trip. He had preached the gospel and established churches in both of these cities. In verse 2, which we will look at in a moment, “the brothers at Lystra and Iconium” are mentioned. This informs us that the churches Paul established there were still carrying on their work, since “the brothers” refers to other Christians.

Acts 16:1b-3a
And behold, a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brothers who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him,

Acts 16:3b
3b … and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Wait a minute. What? Did I read that correctly? Did Paul change his doctrinal view? Was he now preaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation? What’s going on here? No, Paul had not switched sides. Notice the phrase “because of the Jews who were in those parts,” we ran into this when we were studying the first missionary journey. Remember, Paul’s pattern of ministry when he went to a new place was to preach to the Jews at the synagogue first. They would not have been allowed into the synagogue if a member of their “Jewish” group was uncircumcised.

Acts 16:4-5
4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to keep. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were abounding in number daily.

Which cities are being referred to in verse 4? The cities in the regions of Lycaonia and Pisidia (both of which were in the province of Galatia), where Paul had visited previously, especially Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch.

Verse 4 also lets us know what Paul’s evangelistic team did in these cities. They delivered the decrees from the Jerusalem council (15:23-29), strengthening the churches in each city. It would also seem that there was more preaching going on since verse 5 informs us that the number of people in the churches was growing daily.

Acts 16:6-8
6 And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

Does anything strike you as odd in this passage? After preaching in Phrygia and Galatia, Paul’s group was forbidden to preach in Asia by the Holy Spirit! What? They were also instructed by the Spirit of God not to preach in Bithynia either, so they made their way down to Troas.

Paul was not allowed to fulfill his intention to minister in Asia Minor (Turkey) and to such cities as Ephesus, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Colosse, Sardis, Pergamos, and Thyatira. Nor were they allowed by the Spirit to go into the Roman province of Bithynia. This is a clear example of what is meant by our modern expression “providentially hindered.” Paul was sensitive enough to the Spirit of God that he could tell the difference between no and yes when it came to discerning God’s will – and he was obedient enough to respond to both. Since their travel into these regions was halted, they really had no new places to go except for Troas, a seaport on the Aegean Sea.

Of course, we want to know why the Holy Spirit wouldn’t allow them to go into Asia. Suffice it to say, He had His reasons. Perhaps the timing wasn’t right, or maybe He would send other missionaries to this region. We could speculate all day – but instead let me ask: Who are we to question the sovereignty of God? Accept it, and let’s move on like Paul and his companions did.

Acts 16:9-10
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the gospel to them.

While in Troas, Paul received a vision of a man from Macedonia calling to him to come and help them. This was the second of 6 visions given to Paul. Understanding the vision as the Lord’s directive, Paul responds by leading his team to Macedonia.

II. THE GOSPEL GOES TO EUROPE (Acts 16:11-12)

[READ Act. 16:11-12]
11 So setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days.

Let’s reference our map again, to orient ourselves to this leg of of Paul’s journey.

Paul’s missions team sailed from Troas to the island of Samothrace, an island in the Aegean Sea about halfway between Asia Minor and the Greek mainland. They stayed there overnight to avoid the hazards associated with sailing in the dark.

From Samothrace they sailed to Neapolis, the port city for Philippi. From there they made the ten-mile overland journey to the city of Philippi.

III. THE FIRST EUROPEAN CONVERT (Acts 16:13-15)

Philippi was a Roman colony, taking its name in 356 BC from Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Philippi was a favored city of Rome, and its citizens were exempt from provincial Roman taxes. Since Paul seemed to prefer to establish ministry bases in key regional cities, it’s no surprise that he picked Philippi (Phil. 1:1).

[READ Act. 16:13-15]
13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and sitting down, we began speaking to the women who had assembled. 14 And a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening, whose heart the Lord opened to pay attention to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

A few days after the missionaries arrived in Philippi, was the Sabbath. Since no synagogue is mentioned, there probably wasn’t one. With the absence of a synagogue, there must have been only a small Jewish community. There was a requirement that there had to be 10 men to form a local synagogue. So there must have been fewer men than that; you will also notice that only women are mentioned as meeting to pray.

Somehow Paul learned of this prayer meeting and they went out of the city and down to the Gangites River which flowed near Philippi. The Via Egnatia (a major Roman road) passed through the city and crossed this river. The tiny Jewish community met by the riverside on the Sabbath to pray. Paul spoke to the women who gathered there. This seems to be a very condensed explanation of what happened based on the rest of the passage.

Derived from the context of this passage and the general theme of Paul’s teaching to other Jewish communities, he must have preached the gospel of Jesus as the Messiah from the OT.

In verse 14, we’re introduced to a woman named Lydia. We’re informed she was a seller of purple goods (fabrics and dyes associated with royalty and the nobility) from Thyatira (in Asia Minor), a city especially noted for its trade guilds, including the guild of dyers. Lydia seems to have represented this industry in Philippi. While most purple dye of the first century was extracted from shellfish (i.e., Phoenicia), the dye used at Thyatira was a vegetable dye that came from the madder root, which grew in abundance in the region. Fade out. We also learn that Lydia worshiped God, so we can conclude that she had some Jewish background, though she may not have been Jewish by birth.

Lydia paid close attention to Paul’s message, and the Lord opened her heart to accept Christ as her Savior. Her conversion expresses God’s role in salvation. He opens hearts to respond. This is similar to the idea of taking out a heart of stone and putting in a heart of flesh proclaimed by the OT prophets (Ezek. 36:26-27; Jer. 31:33-34). The Holy Spirit is the member of the Godhead who is actively involved in this change of heart affirmed in John 16:8-11. Lydia’s conversion also reinforces the truth that salvation is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:3-6).

Evidently, all of Lydia’s household were saved that eventful day, and were baptized. “Her household” would have included children and slaves. Some argue that this is limited to only those who actively believed in the gospel, while others suggest that everyone under her authority was baptized whether they actively believed or not.

Lydia then urged the missionaries to stay at her home while they were in Philippi. Which they did, having judged her to be faithful to the Lord.

IV. SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Acts 16:16-18)

[READ Acts 16:16-18]
16 Now it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a servant-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 And she continued doing this for many days. But being greatly annoyed, Paul turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to leave her!” And it left at that very moment.

After Lydia’s salvation, Paul and his companions stayed with her, receiving her hospitality to sustain their ministry. As they moved about the city and engaged with people, a certain girl followed them around proclaiming, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” She didn’t do this on her own, but by the power of a demonic spirit who also worked through her to earn money for her masters by fortune-telling. In short, Paul was annoyed by this, casting out the demon in the name of Jesus Christ.

16 Now it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a servant-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.

In verse 16, the phrase “a spirit of divination” in the Greek was literally “a python spirit.” This expression comes from Greek mythology; Python was a snake that guarded the oracle at Delphi who predicted peoples’ futures. So essentially, this girl was a medium in contact with demons who could supposedly predict the future.

17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”

“The Most High God” is the English translation of the Hebrew El Elyon, one of the personal names of God. This title is used about 50 times in Scripture for the God of Israel. It literally means “the Absolutely Sovereign God.”

V. PAUL & SILAS IMPRISONED (Acts 16:19-24)

As you can imagine, this girl’s masters were angry at losing their means of making money, so they convinced the authorities to throw Paul and Silas into jail. Let’s investigate their charges.

[READ Acts 16:19-24]

19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit had left, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.” 22 And the crowd joined together to attack them, and the chief magistrates, tearing their garments off of them, proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted them with many wounds, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely, 24 who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Acts 16:19-21
19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit had left, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

Roman colonies like Philippi were intended to be models of peace – disruptions were not tolerated. The charge of troubling a city was sure to gain the attention of public officials. Notice the phrase “throwing our city into confusion being Jews” in verse 20. Anti-Semitism was alive even then. Emperor Claudius issued an order around this time expelling the Jews from Rome. This may explain why they apprehended only Paul and Silas, since Luke was a Gentile and Timothy a half-Gentile.

In verse 21, we find the additional charge that Paul and Silas were “proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.” Technically, this was true. Roman citizens were not to engage in any foreign religion that had not been sanctioned by the state. But it was a false charge that they were creating chaos.

Acts 16:22-24
22 And the crowd joined together to attack them, and the chief magistrates, tearing their garments off of them, proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted them with many wounds, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely, 24 who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Every Roman colony had magistrates (v. 22). These men served as judges. In this case, they did not uphold Roman justice: they didn’t investigate the charges, conduct a proper hearing, or give Paul and Silas the chance to defend themselves.

The beating Paul and Silas received was an illegal punishment in their case since they had not been convicted of any crime. The officers under the command of the magistrates administered the beating with rods tied together into a bundle. Paul received the same punishment on two other occasions (2 Cor. 11:25). By beating Paul and Silas, who were Roman citizens, the city officials were themselves breaking the law.

Having been commanded to keep Paul and Silas securely, the jailer put them in the inner part of the prison and took further security measures by fastening their legs in the stocks (v. 24). Stocks were more than a security measure; they were an additional form of punishment: a square log split in two with holes drilled for the prisoner’s ankles. A prisoner might be left with his ankles fastened in this position for days, seated and unable to move his legs at all or even sleep. This was beyond restraint – it was torture.

Unfortunately, we have ran out of time this morning. What will happen to Paul and Silas? Will they get out of jail? Will they ever be able to preach the gospel again? Come back next Sunday to find out!

VI. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD
Paul and Silas had been preaching in Philippi for a while, and in a matter of hours they found themselves taken from the comforts of Lydia’s home to a public beating and then thrown into the dark belly of a prison with their feet in stocks.

Despite demonic attacks and human persecutions, Paul and Silas faithfully proclaimed the gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike and trained up Timothy and others as they went so that the gospel could continue to move forward with the next generation.
They were fulfilling the command of Jesus to go and make disciples, and God was using their efforts to bring salvation and new life in Christ to His people in the far reaches of the region. Let’s all pray that we will be faithful to do the same so that God may be glorified through us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your kindness to people in sending Jesus to die for us. Please give us hearts that offer You praise and thanksgiving even when we’re going through times of difficulty. Thank You for opening the hearts of sinners, like Lydia, to Your amazing grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 307: “Send the Light” (4 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may you live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. Amen. (Col. 1:10).

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY ~ Part 1 - Study Guide

PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY ~ Part 1

Answers (Lesson 164, Part 1) - March 23, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: Paul wished to return to the churches that were planted on his first missionary journey to see how they were growing in Christ. He also wanted to spend some time at each one to encourage them. In today’s study, we will begin following Paul on his second missionary journey.

I. VISITING THE ESTABLISHED CHURCHES (Acts 15:40 – 16:10)

The second missionary journey occurred sometime between AD 50-53. On this trip, Paul and his companions traveled about 3,000 miles, by land and sea, over a period of about three years. They visited many of the cities where they had previously started churches, then went into new areas to preach the gospel and plant churches. A whole lot transpires very quickly in this second missionary endeavor. Let’s pick up the narrative in Acts 15:40.

Acts 15:40 – 16:10

Also in 15:40, we learn that Paul and Silas were commended by the brothers of the Antioch church. And with the church’s blessing, they departed on this mission trip.

In Lystra, Paul met a young man named Timothy. According to verse 1, Timothy’s father was Greek and his mother was Jewish. Second Timothy 1:3-7 describes how Timothy’s mother and grandmother had trained him in the Scriptures and that he had a genuine faith in Christ. The 2 Timothy 1 passage also mentions Paul laying hands on Timothy, which probably occurred as he was set apart as a missionary here in Acts (16:3). Timothy was well-spoken of by the other members of the Lystrian church. Paul was so impressed by this young man that he invited Timothy to join his team on their journey.
Acts 16:3b
Wait a minute. What? Did Paul change his doctrinal view? Was he now preaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation? What’s going on here? No, Paul had not switched sides or beliefs. Notice the phrase “because of the Jews who were in those parts,” we ran into this when we were studying the first missionary journey. Remember, Paul’s pattern of ministry when he went to a new place was to preach to the Jews at the synagogue first. They would not have been allowed into the synagogue if a member of their “Jewish” group was uncircumcised.

Does anything strike you as odd in verses 6-8? After preaching in Phrygia and Galatia, Paul’s group was forbidden to preach in Asia by the Holy Spirit! What? They were also instructed by the Spirit of God not to preach in Bithynia either, so they made their way down to Troas.

According to verses 9-10, while they were in Troas, Paul received a vision of a man from Macedonia calling to him to come and help them. This was the second of 6 visions given to Paul. Understanding the vision as the Lord’s directive, Paul responds by leading his team to Macedonia.

II. THE GOSPEL GOES TO EUROPE (Acts 16:11-12)

Acts 16:11-12

From Samothrace they sailed to Neapolis, the port city for Philippi. From there they made the ten-mile overland journey to the city of Philippi.

III. FIRST EUROPEAN CONVERT (Acts 16:13-15)

Acts 16:13-15

Derived from the context of this passage and the general theme of Paul’s teaching to other Jewish communities, he must have preached the gospel of Jesus as the Messiah from the OT.

In verse 14, we’re introduced to a woman named Lydia. We’re informed she was a seller of purple goods (fabrics and dyes associated with royalty and the nobility) from Thyatira (in Asia Minor), a city especially noted for its trade guilds, including the guild of dyers. Lydia seems to have represented this industry in Philippi. While most purple dye of the first century was extracted from shellfish (i.e., Phoenicia), the dye used at Thyatira was a vegetable dye that came from the madder root, which grew in abundance in the region. We also learn that Lydia worshiped God, so we can conclude that she had some Jewish background, though she may not have been Jewish by birth.

Lydia then urged the missionaries to stay at her home while they were in Philippi. Which they did, having judged her to be faithful to the Lord.

IV. SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Acts 16:16-18)

Acts 16:16-18

V. PAUL & SILAS IMPRISONED (Acts 16:19-24)

As you can imagine, this girl’s masters were angry at losing their means of making money, so they convinced the authorities to throw Paul and Silas into jail. Let’s investigate their charges.

Acts 16:19-24

Emperor Claudius issued an order around this time expelling the Jews from Rome. This may explain why they apprehended only Paul and Silas, since Luke was a Gentile and Timothy a half-Gentile.

We will pick up here next Sunday.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD
Paul and Silas had been preaching in Philippi for a while, and in a matter of hours they found themselves taken from the comforts of Lydia’s home to a public beating and then thrown into the dark belly of a prison with their feet in stocks.

• Despite demonic attacks and human persecutions, Paul and Silas faithfully proclaimed the gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike.

• They trained up Timothy and others as they went so the gospel could move forward with the next generation.

• They fulfilled the command of Jesus to go and make disciples and God blessed their ministry.

Let’s all pray that we will be faithful to do the same so that God may be glorified through us.

THE NEW TESTAMENT EPISTLES

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Click For Audio

THE NEW TESTAMENT EPISTLES

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Gracious Lord, as we gather in faith, we lift our hearts in petition to You. Grant us the faith to believe, the humility to receive, and the obedience to live out Your word in our daily lives. Strengthen our faith, Lord, and help us trust in Your promises. May this time of worship deepen our relationship with You. I ask these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction: In our recent studies we have seen that as the church spread, so did the opportunity for misunderstandings and false teaching. The apostles recognized the need to disciple others to lead local communities of believers, to correct false teachings, and to instruct the new believers across the empire. Some apostles, like Paul, were sent to various cities to strengthen the new converts in that area. Another way that new churches were discipled was through epistles.

It is important to know the type of literature we are looking at so we can interpret it properly. In the Gospels and Acts, we have examined historical narratives and interpreted the content accordingly. When studying an epistle we must understand the literary form to be able to rightly handle the truths in it. Further, we typically divide the 21 epistles into categories like pastoral epistles, general epistles, and a few other categories to help us understand their intent.

We have already spent some time looking at James’ epistle and Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches, and as we move forward, we will look specifically at some of the truths laid out in the epistles that guide how we live as Christians. My goal this morning is to give you an overview of the epistles, so we’re going to look at some representative parts of these letters to understand the reasons why they were written, along with some of their other characteristics.

I. THE PURPOSE OF EPISTLES (selected verses)

Most of the epistles were written to churches in specific cities (e.g., Philippi) or regions (e.g., Galatia), but some were written to individuals such as Timothy and Philemon. Peter’s epistles are addressed generally to all Christians who were dispersed.

[READ Col. 4:16]
16 And when this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.

As in this case with the letter to the church at Colosse, when a letter arrived it was to be read to the whole church, then shared with other churches in the region.

We also need to consider who wrote the epistles. We can usually find the answer to this question near the beginning of the first chapter of the epistle, or sometimes, near its end. The epistles we attribute to Paul often mention other church leaders in the introduction as also sending greetings to the church (i.e., Timothy & Silvanus). In several cases, there was a secretary (also called an amanuensis), like Tertius, who wrote the letters for Paul. The closing of 2 Thessalonians indicates that Paul just signed the letter as a seal rather than writing the whole thing. First Peter 5:12 indicates that Silvanus wrote for Peter.

Next, let’s look at several examples where the purpose of the epistle is stated.

[READ 1 Cor. 5:11]
11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler -- not even to eat with such a one.

This is a specific command to avoid interacting with Christians involved in sinful activities.

[READ Heb. 13:22]
22 But I urge you, brothers, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.

In this instance, we see a call to heed the exhortations given in the letter.

[READ 1 Pet. 5:12]
12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother as I regard him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and bearing witness that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!

This letter was written to exhort and to testify of the true grace of God.

[READ 1 Jn. 2:26]
26 These things I have written to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

This is a warning against being deceived by false teachers.

[READ 1 Jn. 5:13]
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

This is an encouragement for the readers.

[READ Jude 1:3]
3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

This is an exhortation for the readers to contend for the faith.

Next, let’s turn to 2 Timothy 3. In the passage we’re going to read, I want you to be on the lookout for the four general categories we can apply to the teaching of the epistles.

[READ 2 Tim. 3:16-17]
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So, the four general categories for which Scripture, including the epistles, is profitable include

(1) teaching ~ instruction in what is true, especially from the Bible,

(2) reproof ~ or rebuke, is to identify sin in thought or deed,

(3) correction ~ pointing out the right behavior and thinking, and

(4) training in righteousness ~ describing how to act and think in righteous ways that are pleasing to God.

Now that we have a big-picture view, let’s look at some examples of how Paul used his epistles to continue to build the churches he wrote to.

II. EXHORTING THE EPHESIANS (Eph. 1:1-14, 4:17-24)

Our intent in this study is to examine how Paul sought to build up the church in this letter. We are going to use the four-part framework we identified in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. We obviously cannot examine the entire letter this morning, so we’re going to look at two passages that serve as examples.

[READ Eph. 1:1-14]
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, 5 by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight, 9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him 10 for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him. 11 In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation -- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Eph. 1:1a
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

Notice that Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.

Eph. 1:1b-2
1b … To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul addresses the recipients of this epistle as saints who are faithful to Jesus. Did Paul know the Ephesians? Yes. About five years before writing this letter, he had spent over two years there on his third missionary journey as described in Acts 19. Paul offered them grace and peace that comes from God the Father and Jesus the Lord.

Looking at verses 3-14 in your own Bible, would you say this section is about teaching, reproof, correction, or training in righteousness? This section is relating truths about God and what He has done, so it is a teaching section. The repeated idea is what has been done by God for the believer in Christ.

Eph. 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, 5 by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

The pronouns “our,” “us” and “we” in verses 3 through 5, point back to the saints, including Paul, whose Father is God and whose Lord is Jesus Christ. In short, the reference is to the Christians in Ephesus. Now, if these things were true for the saints in Ephesus, are they true for Christians today? Since these are general truths about what God has done, we can understand them to be the same for every believer of all the ages.

So, what things have been given to Christians “in Christ” (also note that “in,” “before” and “to” Him are used throughout the passage). Let’s take them verse by verse, shall we?

Eph. 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

Eph. 1:4
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love,

Eph. 1:5-6
5 by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Eph. 1:7
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace

Eph. 1:8-9
8 which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight, 9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him

Eph. 1:10
10 for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him.

Eph. 1:11-12
11 In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

Eph. 1:13
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation -- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Eph. 1:14
14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

By the way, did you notice how the Trinity is identified throughout this passage? The Father is mentioned as the Father of Jesus. Jesus is mentioned as the One who secured our benefits through His death. And the Holy Spirit is mentioned as the One who seals our redemption and guarantees our inheritance in heaven.

Now, let’s move on to our second passage in Ephesians 4.

[READ Eph. 4:17-24]
17 Therefore this I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their mind, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. 19 And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way -- 21 if indeed you heard Him and were taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 to lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Which of the four categories we saw in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 do we find represented in this passage? Well, it doesn’t only present truths, so it is not primarily teaching. There is reproof directed toward the sinful thoughts and actions of unbelievers. There is correction in the “put off” statement, telling us what to avoid. There is instruction in righteousness as we are told what to “put on” to act and think in a way that is consistent with our union in Christ.

Eph. 4:17-18
17 Therefore this I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their mind, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart.

The word walk is commonly used in the NT for a manner of life. We often speak of our “Christian walk” describing our day-to-day activities as a Christian.

What comparison is Paul making with the phrase as the Gentiles also walk? Let me remind you, the Ephesians were Gentiles. However, the Ephesian Christians were instructed not to act like the other, non-believing Gentiles. Now, let’s take a look at the distinctions Paul makes between Gentile Christians and unbelieving Gentiles.

Eph. 4:17b-20
17 … as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their mind, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. 19 And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way --

The differentiation is made in verse 20 – “you did not learn Christ in this way.” In other words, Paul is saying, “don’t do the things unbelievers do.”

Eph. 4:21
21 if indeed you heard Him and were taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

In verse 21, Paul points to Jesus as the source of truth. This statement reflects Jesus’ own claim to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life in John 14:6.

Eph. 4:22-24
22 to lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Paul gives the Ephesian believers a prescription for no longer acting like the unbelieving Gentiles around them. He uses the metaphor of putting off and putting on certain things, much as you would put off old, dirty clothes and put on new, clean ones.

The old self is corrupt through deceitful desires, and the new self is created by God to be righteous and holy. These are two opposite ways of thinking.

Using these two passages from Ephesians as samples of the entire epistle, let’s consider how Paul was building up the Ephesian church in his letter. He opens the epistle with a reminder of the doctrines he had surely taught them during his years in Ephesus, then moved on to give them correctives and training in righteousness. In the first three chapters, he reminded them of all that God had done for them in Christ and by the power of the Spirit; in the last three chapters, he called them to think and act in a way that is consistent with those truths. He reminded them that they were set apart as saints and were to live in a way that reflects that new position they have as children of God rather than children of the devil.

The first three chapters of Ephesians are doctrinal in nature, and the final three chapters are generally practical in nature. While not every one of Paul’s epistles is as neatly divided as Ephesians, what we’ve observed today is the general pattern in his writings. It becomes evident as he offers encouragement and truth to his readers and then moves on to correcting errors and offering instructions in righteous living.

In Ephesians 1:3-14, Paul brings to the minds of the Ephesians many of the attributes of God. He is eternal (before the foundation of the world), holy (that we should be holy as He is holy); infinite (every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places); love (in love He predestined us, see 2:4-5); sovereign (according to the purpose of His will); omniscient (making known the mystery of His will), omnipotent (who works all things); just (redemption through Christ’s blood); faithful (sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance); merciful (forgiveness of sins); wise (in all wisdom and insight); and gracious (to the praise of His glorious grace).

There can be no doubt that Paul wanted to build up the saints of the church in Ephesus by reminding them of all the wonderful things that God had done for them. In just these few short verses (3-14, which are all one sentence in the original Greek), the glories of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are put on display in an amazing way.

Knowing all these truths about God would have been a great motivator. God is faithful to bring about all these promises and to empower the saints to live as they should. Eph. 4:1. In fact, the “therefore” in the first verse of chapter 4 could be thought of as the motivation for holy living. Paul was saying in essence, “Look at all these magnificent truths about God, look at what He’s done for you and in you, and who you are in Him! In light of these truths, live a life that is glorifying to the One who gave you a new life.” As Paul was seeking to build up the church, he didn’t just tell them to work harder – he reminded them of glorious truths and directed them to walk according to them and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

(4:29). He exhorted them to imitate God and walk in love as Christ loved them (5:1-2). As saints, they should have nothing to do with filthiness, foolish talking, and crude joking, but rather they should be giving thanks (5:3-4). They were once in darkness, but now in the light of the Lord, they had the impulse and power to walk as children of light in a way which is acceptable to the Lord (5:8-10). Paul told them all of these things to build them up and encourage them as they lived as the church among their Gentile neighbors.

From the very first words of Ephesians, Paul details the many spiritual blessings of every Christian. In fact, as we’ve seen in the few passages we’ve looked at today, the entire epistle records one blessing after another and the incredible difference those blessings can make in our service, confidence, and fellowship with other believers.

We are not just chosen by God; in His grace, we are adopted, accepted, redeemed, sealed, and secured in Christ. We did not come begging to God; God came after us and made us His own. And now we can know beyond all doubt that we are His. From eternity past to eternity future, we are in Christ.

But there is even more to be thankful for. Through Jesus we have peace; we enjoy membership in a living, impact-making organism – the body of Christ; we have gifts with which to serve that body; and we are empowered to walk in unity, love, light, and wisdom, and to stand against the enemy. In other words, through Him we have absolutely everything we need to accomplish the work God has prepared for each of us and be secure in our standing with Him. It’s time we started living like it! Amen?

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD

There is so much more we could learn about the epistles and their relationship to the Gospels and Acts, but our goal today was to help us see that the epistles were written to specific audiences for particular purposes. To understand the epistles and how to apply them to our lives today, is very helpful to know. Without some of this background, we might read the epistle to the Galatians and think Paul was a little too harsh with those poor people. But understanding the influence of false teachers and the verdict of the Jerusalem council (Acts 15) help us understand what Paul means by those of “the circumcision party”; and why it was so important to confront those who were perverting the gospel.

Despite whom they were written to or who wrote them (for instance we don’t know who wrote Hebrews), the epistles are part of the Bible that God has given us to look to as the source of truth for our lives. While there are some cultural differences that we must work through and certain passages that may not apply to us individually, these letters were meant to offer instruction and encouragement to the early church, and they continue to do that for us over 2,000 years later. With the psalmist, we can affirm to God that “the sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever” (Ps. 119:160).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You, yet marvel, that You use earthen vessels to communicate Your truth. We ask You for the wisdom we need to offer encouragement and exhortation to one another in this church family, as well as other believers we encounter. Thank You for providing practical truth for us to follow in the epistles of the Bible. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Invitation Slides: “Every Promise of Your Word” (4 vs.) (Hymns of Grace, # 363)

Benediction: Beloved, may you be blameless and innocent children of God, without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you will shine as a light in the world, as you hold fast the Word of Life. Amen. (Phil. 2:15-16).

THE NEW TESTAMENT EPISTLES - Study Guide

THE NEW TESTAMENT EPISTLES
Answers (Lesson 163) - March 16, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: As we look at an epistle, we must understand the literary form to be able to rightly handle the truths in it. We typically divide the 21 epistles into categories like pastoral epistles, general epistles, and a few other categories to help us understand their intent.

Today, we’re going to get an overview of the epistles by looking at some of their representative parts, and look at why they were written.

I. THE PURPOSE OF THE EPISTLES (selected verses)

Colossians 4:16

When a letter was received, it was read to the whole church, then shared with other churches in the region.

Who authored the epistle can usually be found near the beginning of the first chapter, or occasionally near its end.

In several cases there was a secretary who wrote the letter on behalf of the apostle, and under their direction.

Next, let’s look at several examples where the purpose of the epistle is stated.

1 Corinthians 5:11

This is a specific command to avoid interacting with Christians involved in sinful activities.

Hebrews 13:22

In this instance, we see a call to heed the exhortations given in the letter.

1 Peter 5:12

This letter was written to exhort and to testify of the true grace of God.

1 John 2:26
This is a warning against being deceived by false teachers.
1 John 5:13
This is an encouragement for the readers.
Jude 1:3
This is an exhortation for the readers to contend for the faith.
Next, let’s turn to 2 Timothy 3. In the passage we’re going to read, I want you to be on the lookout for the four general categories we can apply to the teaching of the epistles.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
The four general categories for which Scripture, including the epistles, is profitable include

(1) teaching ~ instruction in what is true, especially from the Bible,

(2) reproof ~ or rebuke, is to identify sin in thought or deed,

(3) correction ~ pointing out the right behavior and thinking, and

(4) training in righteousness ~ describing how to act and think in righteous ways that are pleasing to God.

Now that we have a big-picture view, let’s look at some examples of how Paul used his epistles to continue to build the churches he wrote to.

II. EXHORTING THE EPHESIANS (Eph. 1:1-14, 4:17-24)

Ephesians 1:1-14

In verse 1, notice that Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.

In the remainder of verse 1 and verse 2, Paul addresses the recipients of this epistle as saints who are faithful to Jesus. Did Paul know the Ephesians? Yes. About five years before writing this letter, he had spent over two years there on his third missionary journey as described in Acts 19. Paul offered them grace and peace that comes from God the Father and Jesus the Lord.

Looking at verses 3-14, would you say this section is about teaching, reproof, correction, or training in righteousness? This section is relating truths about God and what He has done, so it is a teaching section. The repeated idea is what has been done by God for the believer in Christ.

The pronouns “our;” “us” and “we” in verses 3 through 5, point back to the saints, including Paul, whose Father is God and whose Lord is Jesus Christ. In short, the reference is to the Christians in Ephesus. Now, if these things were true for the saints in Ephesus, are they true for Christians today? Since these are general truths about what God has done, we can understand them to be the same for every believer of all the ages.

So, what things have been given to Christians “in Christ” (also note that “in,” “before” and “to” Him are used throughout the passage). Let’s take them verse by verse, shall we?

OUR BLESSINGS IN CHRIST

Eph. 1:3 Every spiritual blessing in heaven.
Eph. 1:4 Chosen in eternity past to be holy & blameless.
Eph. 1:5-6 Predestined to adoption into God’s family by the grace of Christ.
Eph. 1:7 Redemption & forgiveness of our sins.
Eph. 1:8-9 Understanding and discerning the will of God.
Eph. 1:10 All the blessings of heaven & earth.
Eph. 1:11-12 A spiritual inheritance.
Eph. 1:13 Sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Eph. 1:14 A pledge of our inheritance.

Notice how the Trinity is identified throughout this passage: the Father is mentioned as the Father of Jesus. Jesus is mentioned as the One who secured our benefits through His death. And the Holy Spirit is mentioned as the One who seals our redemption and guarantees our inheritance in heaven.

Now, let’s move on to our second passage in Ephesians 4.

Ephesians 4:17-24

The word walk, in verse 17, is commonly used in the NT for a manner of life. We often speak of our “Christian walk” describing our day-to-day activities as a Christian.

The differentiation is made in verse 20 – “you did not learn Christ in this way.” In other words, Paul is saying, “don’t do the things unbelievers do.”

In verse 21, Paul points to Jesus as the source of truth. This statement reflects Jesus’ own claim to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life in John 14:6.

Then, in verses 22-23, Paul gives the Ephesian believers a prescription for no longer acting like the unbelieving Gentiles around them. He uses the metaphor of putting off and putting on certain things, much as you would put off old, dirty clothes and put on new, clean ones. The old self is corrupt through deceitful desires, and the new self is created by God to be righteous and holy. These are two opposite ways of thinking.

The first three chapters of Ephesians are doctrinal in nature, and the final three chapters are generally practical in nature. While not every one of Paul’s epistles is as neatly divided as Ephesians, this general pattern in his writings is evident as he offers encouragement and truth to his readers and then moves on to correcting errors and offering instructions in righteous living.

Knowing all these truths about God would have been a great motivator. God is faithful to bring about all these promises and to empower the saints to live as they should.

Ephesians 4:1

The “therefore” in the first verse of chapter 4 could be thought of as the motivation for holy living. Paul was saying in essence, “Look at all these magnificent truths about God, look at what He’s done for you and in you, and who you are in Him! In light of these truths, live a life that is glorifying to the One who gave you a new life.” As Paul was seeking to build up the church, he didn’t just tell them to work harder – he reminded them of glorious truths and directed them to walk according to them and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul didn’t simply give them vague ideas, but very practical things to avoid and things to do in their place. He told them to put aside lying and instead be honest and truthful toward one another (4:25). He instructed them to speak words that edify (build up) rather than those that are filled with corruption (4:29). He exhorted them to imitate God and walk in love as Christ loved them (5:1-2). As saints, they should have nothing to do with filthiness, foolish talking, and crude joking, but rather they should be giving thanks (5:3-4). They were once in darkness, but now in the light of the Lord, they had the impulse and power to walk as children of light in a way which is acceptable to the Lord (5:8-10). Paul told them all of these things to build them up and encourage them as they lived as the church among their Gentile neighbors.

Notice in verse 13, that Paul is reemphasizing the freedom to which believers in Christ have been called. The phrase opportunity for the flesh comes from a word used to describe a base of operations for an attack on the enemy. Paul’s imagery is vivid: we should never use our freedom as a beachhead or springboard to indulge the flesh and be lured into sin. Instead, our Savior frees us to serve one another in love. We are saved to serve!

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD

There is so much more we could learn about the epistles and their relationship to the Gospels and Acts, but our goal today was to help us see that the epistles were written to specific audiences for particular purposes. To understand the epistles and how to apply them to our lives today, it is very helpful to know these things. Without some of this background, we might read the epistle to the Galatians and think Paul was a little too harsh with those poor people. But understanding the influence of false teachers and the verdict of the Jerusalem council (Acts 15) helps us understand what Paul means by those of “the circumcision party”; and why it was so important to confront those who were perverting the gospel.

GALLOPING THROUGH GALATIANS

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Click For Auidio

GALLOPING THROUGH GALATIANS

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Lord of all wisdom, as we embark on this study of Your Word, we pray for Your guidance and spiritual insight. Open our eyes to the deeper meanings and applications of the verses we read today. May the Scriptures come alive with relevance in our lives, and may we grow in faith and understanding through Your revelation; for it is in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Introduction: Not long after the ruling of the Jerusalem Council had been delivered to Antioch, Paul discovered that the churches in Galatia were being deceived by false teaching. His concern was so great that he wrote to them.

[READ Gal. 3:1]

1 O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

Paul called them to return to the truth of the REAL gospel.

Next Sunday we’ll talk more about the purpose of the biblical epistles, but as we examine how this epistle relates to the decision of the Jerusalem council, it will be helpful to understand the basic purpose and flow of the letter.

I. OVERVIEW OF THE EPISTLE (Gal. 1:1-2, 6-7; and other verses)

This is why I’ve titled today’s message “Galloping Through Galatians,” because I’m going to attempt to summarize the entire letter this morning.

[READ Gal. 1:1-2, 6-7]

1 Paul, an apostle -- not sent from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead -- 2 and all the brothers who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, 7 which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

We learn in verse 1 that Paul is the author of this epistle, while verse 2 informs us that his audience is Galatian believers.

You will recall that Galatia was a region northwest of Syria. In his first missionary journey, Paul visited several Galatian churches, including Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. Interestingly, of his 13 scriptural epistles, this is the only time Paul addresses a letter to a region rather than a specific church.

Gal. 1:6-7
6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, 7 which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
According to these verses, Paul’s chief concern in writing to the Galatians was to inform them they were being led astray by a “different gospel.”

Gal. 1:7-9
7 … which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is proclaiming to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed!

In verses 7-9, Paul emphasizes that there is only one gospel and anyone teaching something different is accursed.

Gal. 1:11-12
11 For I make known to you, brothers, that the gospel which I am proclaiming as good news is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Apparently, these false teachers were claiming to have an authority higher than Paul’s, persuading the Galatians that their gospel was more complete than Paul’s. Thus, Paul spends much of the early part of this letter defending his apostleship and the gospel which had been delivered to him directly by God (also see 2:8). In Galatians 2:6-7, Paul speaks of his visit to the Jerusalem council, demonstrating that he came with the authority of the Jerusalem apostles, but it was not by their authority that he proclaimed the gospel; they added nothing to him but recognized that he had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised.

After establishing his authority, Paul went on to declare that justification comes through faith in Christ, not by works of the law (Gal. 2:16, 2:21, 3:2, 3:10-12).

In chapter 3:19, 23-24, Paul explains that the law had been given as a guardian, not to give life but to imprison everything under sin until faith had come. In other words, the law was given to demonstrate the futility of seeking justification by works and to point us instead to the promise to come (i.e., Jesus). He warned that those who subject themselves to any part of the law are obligated to keep the whole law (Gal. 5:3); and those who are under the law are under a curse until they are redeemed by Christ (Gal. 3:10-14).

Then in 4:4-5, 5:1, and 5:13, Paul contrasts the law with the freedom that is found in Christ. Jesus, through His sacrifice, has set us free from the law. Having been set free in Christ, we are not to submit again to the yoke of slavery, or use our freedom in Christ to gratify the flesh, but rather serve one another through love (Gal. 5:13).

In Galatians 5:16-24, Paul concludes with some practical advice: walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) not according to the flesh, then he gives specific examples of fleshly works contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit.

Finally, in 6:1-3, he exhorts the Galatians to restore brothers and sisters caught in transgressions and to bear one another’s burdens; but warns them to refrain from thinking too highly of self.

The letter to the Galatians may be the first of Paul’s scriptural epistles. We can’t be sure whether he wrote this letter from Antioch before beginning his second missionary journey or from one of the other cities of Syria or Cilicia, when he and Silas first set out on their journey.

We do know, however, that Paul’s second missions trip led him back through Galatia and he delivered the news from the Jerusalem council as he went. Either way, Paul had preached to them a gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. But the Judaizers had snuck in with the message of circumcision, perverting the gospel into a works-based salvation.

II. POINTING OUT SPECIFICS (Gal. 2:15-21, 5:1-6, 5:13-26)

Now that we have an idea of what Paul was trying to communicate to the Galatians, let’s zoom in on the ideas of justification and freedom.

[READ Gal. 2:15-21]

15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. 17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 18 For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Gal. 2:15
15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;

Here Paul contrasts the Jews with the Gentile sinners. He distinguishes between those who observed OT laws (Jews by nature) and those who did not (sinners from among the Gentiles). Gentiles were sinners by nature because they had no revealed divine written law to guide them toward salvation or living righteously. However, since observing OT laws cannot justify a person; the Gentile believers should not be required to keep the OT laws but should be taught to obey Jesus’ teachings instead (Acts 15).

Gal. 2:16
16 … Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Since it is only by faith in Jesus Christ that we are justified, the Jew has no benefit over the Gentile. And just in case you haven’t caught onto this fact yet, three times in this verse Paul declares that salvation is only through faith in Christ and not by the law. His first declaration is general, “a man is not justified;” the second is personal, “we may be justified”; and the third is universal, “no flesh will be justified.” Chuck Swindoll writes: “The most dangerous heresy on earth is the emphasis on what we do for God instead of what God does for us.”

The Greek word for justified describes a judge who declares an accused person not guilty and therefore innocent before the law. As it is used in Scripture, it refers to God’s declaring a sinner not guilty and fully righteous before Him by imputing to him the divine righteousness of Christ and imputing the man’s sin to His sinless Savior for punishment.

Keeping the law is a totally unacceptable means of salvation because the root of sinfulness is in the depravity of man’s heart, not his actions. Remember, the law served only as a mirror to reveal sin; it was not a cure for it.

Gal. 2:17
17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!

Critics who have not experienced grace often attack it as a license for sin. Paul was horrified that anyone might think faith in Christ somehow encouraged people to sin, so much so that he used the strongest Greek negative to express it – μη γενοιτω (see Rom. 6:1, 2; 1 Jn. 3:8). It is not only a person’s standing before God that changes when he or she is declared righteous; he or she is radically changed! As new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Christians no longer think or act as they did prior to salvation. God gives the Christian a new desire for holiness.

Gal. 2:18
18 For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

What in this verse is referring to the OT law and the false system of salvation through legalism (works). You see, the law can only bring us to the threshold of the gospel of grace; it cannot get us through the door. The law administers death, but in Christ we find life. The law commands us, saying, “Do! Try! Behave!” Where the gospel comforts us declaring, “Done! Trust! Believe!” The law shows us that we cannot solve the problem of sin; but the gospel of Christ provides the solution!

Gal. 2:19
19 For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.

I died to the Law … When a person is convicted of a capital crime and is executed, the law has no further claim on them. So it is, with the Christian who has died in Christ (who paid the penalty for his sins in full) and rises to new life in Him – justice has been satisfied, and the person is forever free from any further penalty.

Gal. 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

I have been crucified with Christ -- This is a familiar text that most people know as a reference to dying to self and living to Christ. While this is an accurate interpretation of the verse, it misses the surrounding context of the futility of the law. It is being crucified with Christ that sets us free from the bondage of the law, free to live in Christ.

No longer I who live, but Christ lives in me – the believer’s old self is dead (Eph. 4:32), having been crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:3-5). The believer’s new self has the privilege of the indwelling Christ empowering him and living through him.

Gave Himself up for me – this is the most defining demonstration of Christ’s love for the believer through His sacrificial death on the cross.

Gal. 2:21
21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Christ died needlessly – Those who insist they can earn salvation by their own efforts undermine the very foundation of Christianity and the purpose for Christ’s death. If righteousness comes through keeping the law, then Jesus died for no reason.

While Paul’s thesis goes on to discuss much more about the law and its purpose, we’re going to skip ahead from this portion on justification and connect it to freedom in Christ.

[READ Gal. 5:1-6]
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace!  5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are eagerly waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

Gal. 5:1
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

This is an odd construction and sounds somewhat redundant. But Paul was emphasizing the fact that Christ has set us free from the bondage of the law and sin.

Stand firm – means to stay where you are; don’t turn around or back up.

Subject again – perhaps better translated as “to be burdened by” or “to be oppressed by” because of its connection to the yoke in the next phrase.

Yoke of slavery – as you know, a yoke refers to the instrument used to control a domesticated animal. The Jews thought of the “yoke of the law” as a good thing, the essence of true religion. When the Galatians trusted Christ, they were freed from the law’s yoke of bondage and could accept Christ’s invitation to rest in Him (Mt. 11:29-30). It seems our default position is to try to work our way to salvation, expecting to be rewarded for being good and doing good. But no matter how many laws we keep, we will still fall short of the righteousness God demands (Rom. 3:23; Jas. 2:10). By contrast, Christ’s message is that salvation is a gift – by grace alone (Eph. 2:8-9). We are saved by grace through faith, and we live the Christian life the same way.

So, if Christ has set us free from the bondage of the law and of sin, He did not set us free so that we would turn again to enslave ourselves. He set us free so we might be free. Because of this, as believers we are to stand firm, not submitting again to a yoke of slavery, because submitting willing to that yoke nullifies the grace of God and undermines the reason why Jesus set us free.

Now let’s look at the specific issue Paul points to as returning to bondage.

Gal. 5:2
2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.

How does this verse relate to the decision made by the Jerusalem council? The requirement of circumcision was the issue that warranted the Jerusalem Council. They concluded that circumcision was not necessary for salvation and should not be required of the Gentile converts. Apparently, there were still Judaizers teaching that circumcision was necessary. We need to understand that Paul did not object to circumcision itself, but the notion that it had some spiritual benefit or merit with God and was a prerequisite or necessary component of salvation. Circumcision had meaning in OT Israel when it was a physical symbol of a cleansed heart and served as a reminder of God’s promise of the covenant of salvation that was to come.

Christ will be of no benefit to you – the atoning sacrifice of Christ cannot benefit anyone who trusts in the law and ceremony for salvation. F.F. Bruce writes, “Christ will provide unlimited help to those who place their undivided trust in Him, but no help at all to those who bypass His saving work.”

Gal. 5:3
3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.

God’s standard is perfect righteousness, therefore keeping only one part of the law falls short of His standard.

Gal. 5:4
4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace!
The Greek word for severed means “to be separated,” or “to be estranged.” The word for fallen means “to lose one’s grasp on something.” When we fall from grace, we do not lose our salvation; however, we do close the door to Christian growth and God’s blessing, becoming estranged from Him.

Gal. 5:5
5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are eagerly waiting for the hope of righteousness.

By faith … the hope of righteousness – Christians already possess the imputed righteousness of Christ, but they still await the completed and perfected righteousness that is yet to come at our glorification (Rom. 8:18, 21).

Gal. 5:6
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

Circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything – nothing done or not done in the flesh, even religious ceremony, makes any difference in one’s relationship to God. What is external is immaterial and worthless, unless it reflects genuine internal righteousness (Rom. 2:25-29).

Faith working through love – saving faith proves its genuine character by works of love. The person who lives by faith is internally motivated by love for God and Christ (Mt. 22:37-40), which supernaturally springs forth from their life in reverent worship, genuine obedience, and self-sacrificing love for others.

The legalistic rule of circumcision was not the only danger to the doctrine of justification by faith. Let’s read Galatians 5:13-26 to see Paul’s rebuke of another issue.

[READ Gal. 5:13-26]

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you do not do the things that you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become those with vain glory, challenging one another, envying one another.

Gal. 5:13
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Notice that Paul is reemphasizing the freedom to which believers in Christ have been called. The phrase opportunity for the flesh comes from a word used to describe a base of operations for an attack on the enemy. Paul’s imagery is vivid: we should never use our freedom as a beachhead or springboard to indulge the flesh and be lured into sin. Instead, our Savior frees us to serve one another in love. We are saved to serve!

Gal. 5:14
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Wait a minute! What?! Wasn’t Paul just saying we were free from the law? Hmmm. Paul had been teaching that we were freed from the bondage of the law. He taught that justification comes through faith; righteousness cannot be earned through keeping the law. However, the doctrine of grace does not mean that there is no law to keep. Under the freedom of Christ, the law can be fulfilled in one command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This command was given by Jesus Himself (Jn. 13:34). In other words, we are to use our freedom from the law like Jesus did.

Gal. 5:15
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

The progression of the words here is significant: bite … devour … consumed. Instead of living in loving unity, the Galatian churches were moving from dissension to destruction. Left unchecked, selfish controversies and petty disagreements divide a church and harm its testimony.

Gal. 5:16-18
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you do not do the things that you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

Paul suggests the Galatians refrain from abusing their freedom, and walk by the Spirit, which would keep them from gratifying the desires of the flesh. The flesh and the Spirit are opposed to one another.

Gal. 5:19-21
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The deeds of the flesh fall into three categories: (1) sensual sins (5:19); (2) spiritual sins (5:20a); and (3) social sins (5:20b-21). These wicked deeds are clearly seen – evident to the eye and performed out in the open. Notice that most of the works of the flesh are social sins. It is in our personal relationships that the flesh most often appears. By adding the phrase those who practice such things, Paul wants his readers to understand that this is merely a short catalogue of common sins, not an exhaustive list. Paul does not say that anyone who has ever done any of these things will be excluded from heaven. Rather, those who have a habit of sin are excluded from the kingdom of God because they were never really included – they were never truly saved (1 Cor. 6:9; Eph. 5:5; Rev. 22:14-15).

Paul then contrasts this list with the fruits of the Spirit in verses 22-23 (which we will be looking at in Wednesday’s study).

Gal. 5: 24
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Do you see the connection between verses 5:24 and 2:20? In verse 20, Paul speaks of being crucified with Christ, and here in verse 24 he claims that whoever belongs to Jesus has crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD
Today, we’ve seen that the Galatians were dealing with the same issue that led to the meeting of the Jerusalem Council. Some of the Jews were teaching that the Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved. It seems that these false teachers had also been undermining Paul’s authority and the truthfulness of the gospel he preached. This led Paul to strongly defend his apostleship and the validity of the gospel he preached – the ONLY gospel.

However, legalism wasn’t the only danger of a false doctrine of justification. Justification by the law nullifies the grace of God, but so does Hedonism (living for the desires of the flesh). The doctrine of justification by faith leads neither to legalism nor fleshly indulgence.
A proper understanding of grace and biblical justification leads to walking in true freedom as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your holy and perfect Word. We desperately need and want the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom in discerning the truth and recognizing error. And again, we thank You for setting us free from the bondage of the law. Lord, help us to always walk in the Spirit bearing His fruit. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 350: “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” (4 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may we all live and walk in the Spirit. By His strength and guidance, may we never become proud and conceited, hurtfully challenging one another, or envying one another. But rather let us encourage and exhort one another. Amen. (Gal. 5:25-26).

GALLOPING THROUGH GALATIANS - Study Guide

GALLOPING THROUGH GALATIANS
Answers (Lesson 162) - March 9, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB
Introduction: Not long after the ruling of the Jerusalem Council had been delivered to Antioch, Paul discovered that the churches in Galatia were being deceived by false teaching. His concern was so great that he wrote to them.

Galatians 3:1

Paul called them to return to the truth of the gospel. Now let’s look at the basic purpose and flow of Galatians.

I. OVERVIEW OF THE EPISTLE (Gal. 1:1-2, 6-7; and other verses)

I’m going to attempt to summarize the entire letter this morning.

Galatians 1:1-2, 6-7

We learn in verse 1 that Paul is the author of this epistle, while verse 2 informs us that his audience is Galatian believers.

Galatia was a region northwest of Syria. In his first missionary journey, Paul visited several Galatian churches, including Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. Interestingly, of his 13 scriptural epistles, this is the only time Paul addresses a letter to a region rather than a specific church.

According to these verses 6-7, Paul’s chief concern in writing to the Galatians was to inform them they were being led astray by a “different gospel.”

Galatians 1:7-9

Here, Paul emphasizes that there is only one gospel and anyone teaching something different is accursed.

Galatians 1:11-12

Gal. 2:6-7 ~ further defense of Paul’s apostleship
Gal. 2:16, 21, 3:2, 10-12 ~ justification thru faith in Christ, not by works of the law
Gal. 3:19, 23-24 ~ purpose & problem of the law
Gal. 4:4-5, 5:1, 13 ~ contrast of the law and freedom in Christ
Gal. 5:16-24 ~ works of the flesh & fruit of the Spirit
Gal. 6:1-3 ~ forgive, restore, & bear one anothers’ burdens

Galatians may be the first of Paul’s scriptural epistles. We can’t be sure whether he wrote this letter from Antioch before beginning his second missionary journey or from one of the other cities of Syria or Cilicia, when he and Silas first set out on their journey.

We know Paul’s second missions trip led him back through Galatia and he delivered the news from the Jerusalem council as he went. Either way, Paul had preached to them a gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. But the Judaizers had snuck in with the message of circumcision, perverting the gospel into a works-based salvation.

II. POINTING OUT SPECIFICS (Gal. 2:15-21, 5:1-6, 5:13-26)

Now that we have an idea of what Paul was trying to communicate to the Galatians, let’s zoom in on the ideas of justification and freedom.

Galatians 2:15-21

In verse 15, Paul contrasts the Jews with the Gentile sinners. He distinguishes between those who observed OT laws (Jews by nature) and those who did not (sinners from among the Gentiles). Gentiles were sinners by nature because they had no revealed divine written law to guide them toward salvation or living righteously. However, since observing OT laws cannot justify a person; the Gentile believers should not be required to keep the OT laws but should be taught to obey Jesus’ teachings instead (Acts 15).

In verse 16, he explains since it is only by faith in Jesus Christ that we are justified, the Jew has no benefit over the Gentile. And just in case you haven’t caught onto this fact yet, three times in this verse Paul declares that salvation is only through faith in Christ and not by the law. His first declaration is general, “a man is not justified;” the second is personal, “we may be justified”; and the third is universal, “no flesh will be justified.” Chuck Swindoll writes: “The most dangerous heresy on earth is the emphasis on what we do for God instead of what God does for us.”

The Greek word for justified describes a judge who declares an accused person not guilty and therefore innocent before the law. As it is used in Scripture, it refers to God’s declaring a sinner not guilty and fully righteous before Him by imputing to him the divine righteousness of Christ as imputing the man’s sin to His sinless Savior for punishment.

Critics who have not experienced grace often attack it as a license for sin. In verse 17, Paul was horrified that some might think faith in Christ somehow encouraged people to sin, so much so that he used the strongest Greek negative to express it – μη γενοιτω (see Rom. 6:1, 2; 1 Jn. 3:8). It is not only a person’s standing before God that changes when he or she is declared righteous; he or she is radically changed! As new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Christians no longer think or act as they did prior to salvation. God gives the Christian a new desire for holiness.

What, in verse 18, is referring to the OT law and the false system of salvation through legalism (works). You see, the law can only bring us to the threshold of the gospel of grace; it cannot get us through the door. The law administers death, but in Christ we find life. The law commands us, saying, “Do! Try! Behave!” Where the gospel comforts us declaring, “Done! Trust! Believe!” The law shows us that we cannot solve the problem of sin; but the gospel of Christ provides the solution!

In verse 19, Paul says, I died to the law …. When a person is convicted of a capital crime and is executed, the law has no further claim on them. So it is, with the Christian who has died in Christ (who paid the penalty for his sins in full) and rises to new life in Him – justice has been satisfied, and the person is forever free from any further penalty.

There are several important phrases we need to consider in verse 20.

Gave Himself up for me – this is the most defining demonstration of Christ’s love for the believer through His sacrificial death on the cross.

Paul concludes this portion of his argument in verse 21, when he says that Christ died needlessly – Those who insist they can earn salvation by their own efforts undermine the very foundation of Christianity and purpose for Christ’s death. If righteousness comes through keeping the law, then Jesus died for no reason.

While Paul’s thesis goes on to discuss much more about the law and its purpose, we’re going to skip ahead from this portion on justification and connect it to freedom in Christ.

Galatians 5:1-6

Verse 1 has an odd construction and sounds somewhat redundant. But Paul was emphasizing the fact that Christ has set us free from the bondage of the law and sin.

Stand firm – means to stay where you are; don’t turn around or back up.
Subject again – perhaps better translated as “to be burdened by” or “to be oppressed by” because of its connection to the yoke in the next phrase.

Now let’s look at the specific issue Paul points to as returning to bondage.

How does Galatians 5:2 relate to the decision made by the Jerusalem council? The requirement of circumcision was the issue that warranted the Jerusalem Council. They concluded that circumcision was not necessary for salvation and should not be required of the Gentile converts. Apparently, there were still Judaizers teaching that circumcision was necessary. We need to understand that Paul did not object to circumcision itself, but the notion that it had some spiritual benefit or merit with God and was a prerequisite or necessary component of salvation. Circumcision had meaning in OT Israel when it was a physical symbol of a cleansed heart and served as a reminder of God’s promise of the covenant of salvation that was to come.

Verse 3 points out that God’s standard is perfect righteousness, therefore keeping only one part of the law falls short of His standard.

In verse 4, the Greek word for severed means “to be separated,” or “to be estranged.” The word for fallen means “to lose one’s grasp on something.” When we fall from grace, we do not lose our salvation; however, we do close the door to Christian growth and God’s blessing, becoming estranged from Him.

In verse 5, note the words by faith … the hope of righteousness – Christians already possess the imputed righteousness of Christ, but they still await the completed and perfected righteousness that is yet to come at our glorification (Rom. 8:18, 21).

According to verse 7, circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything – nothing done or not done in the flesh, even religious ceremony, makes any difference in one’s relationship to God. What is external is immaterial and worthless, unless it reflects genuine internal righteousness (Rom. 2:25-29).
Faith working through love – saving faith proves its genuine character by works of love. The person who lives by faith is internally motivated by love for God and Christ (Mt. 22:37-40), which supernaturally springs forth from their life in reverent worship, genuine obedience, and self-sacrificing love for others.

The legalistic rule of circumcision was not the only danger to the doctrine of justification by faith. Let’s read Galatians 5:13-26 to see Paul’s rebuke of another issue.

Galatians 5:13-26

Norice in verse 13, that Paul is reemphasizing the freedom to which believers in Christ have been called. The phrase opportunity for the flesh comes from a word used to describe a base of operations for an attack on the enemy. Paul’s imagery is vivid: we should never use our freedom as a beachhead or springboard to indulge the flesh and be lured into sin. Instead, our Savior frees us to serve one another in love. We are saved to serve!

In verse 15, the progression of the words is significant: bite … devour … consumed. Instead of living in loving unity, the Galatian churches were moving from dissension to destruction. Left unchecked, selfish controversies and petty disagreements divide a church and harm its testimony.

In verses 16-18, Paul suggests the Galatians refrain from abusing their freedom, and walk by the Spirit, which would keep them from gratifying the desires of the flesh. The flesh and the Spirit are opposed to one another.

The deeds of the flesh listed in verses 19-21, fall into three categories: (1) sensual sins (5:19); (2) spiritual sins (5:20a); and (3) social sins (5:20b-21). These wicked deeds are clearly seen – evident to the eye and performed out in the open. Notice that most of the works of the flesh are social sins. It is in our personal relationships that the flesh most often appears. By adding the phrase those who practice such things, Paul wants his readers to understand that this is merely a short catalogue of common sins, not an exhaustive list. Paul does not say that anyone who has ever done any of these things will be excluded from heaven. Rather, those who have a habit of sin are excluded from the kingdom of God because they were never really included – they were never truly saved (1 Cor. 6:9; Eph. 5:5; Rev. 22:14-15).

Paul then contrasts this list with the fruits of the Spirit in verses 22-23 (which we will be looking at on Wednesday).

Finally, do you see the connection between verses 5:24 and 2:20? In verse 20, Paul speaks of being crucified with Christ, and here in verse 24 he claims that whoever belongs to Jesus has crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD
Today, we’ve seen that the Galatians were dealing with the same issue that led to the meeting of the Jerusalem Council. Some of the Jews were teaching that the Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved. It seems that these false teachers had also been undermining Paul’s authority and the truthfulness of the gospel he preached. This led Paul to strongly defend his apostleship and the validity of the gospel he preached – the ONLY gospel.

However, legalism wasn’t the only danger of a false doctrine of justification. Justification by the law nullifies the grace of God, but so does Hedonism (living for the desires of the flesh). The doctrine of justification by faith leads neither to legalism nor fleshly indulgence. A proper understanding of grace and biblical justification leads to walking in true freedom as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

Communion

Text: Selected Scriptures (NASB)

Prayer: Jesus, Lord! We come together today to partake in Communion. We ask that you bless our Remembrance and give us deeper understanding of the sacrifice you made for all of mankind.
We Praise you and Thank You Saviour, Son of God, Amen

Introduction: Today after we partake of Communion we will look
at The Lord’s Supper and the Passover Meal as they relate in Scriptures.

Luke 22:14-20

14 When the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.

What is Communion?
It was designed:
1. To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in remembrance of me."
2. To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service.
3. To be a badge of the Christian profession.
4. To indicate and to promote the communion of believers with Christ.
5. To represent the mutual communion of believers with each other.
The elements used to represent Christ's body and blood are bread and wine. The kind of bread, whether leavened or unleavened, is not specified. Christ used unleavened bread simply because it was at that moment on the paschal table. Wine, and no other liquid, is to be used ( Matthew 26:26-29 ). Believers "feed" on Christ's body and blood, (1) not with the mouth in any manner, but (2) by the soul alone, and (3) by faith, which is the mouth or hand of the soul. This they do (4) by the power of the Holy Ghost. This "feeding" on Christ, however, takes place not in the Lord's Supper alone, but whenever faith in him is exercised.

Luke 22:19-20
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.

The Lord’s Supper

The Passover meal, described by Farrar:

1. Each drank a cup of wine, "the cup of consecration," followed by a blessing.
2. Hands were washed, a table carried in, on which were bitter herbs, unleavened bread, the paschal lamb, dates and vinegar.
3. The father dipped a morsel of unleavened bread and bitter herbs, about the size of an olive (the sop), in the vinegar, giving it to each in turn.
4. A second cup of wine was poured, and the passover story was rehearsed.
5. The first part of a special song, the Hallel, was sung.
6. Grace was said and a benediction pronounced, after which the food, as in (3), was further distributed to all.
7. The paschal lamb was eaten and a third cup of wine was had.
8. After another thanksgiving, a fourth cup, the cup of "joy," was drunk.
9. The rest of the Hallel was sung.

What Is Hallel?

Hallel (הַלֵּל) is Hebrew for “praise,” and it refers to a collection of Psalms (chapters 113-118) that praise G d for taking our ancestors out of Egyptian bondage. Known as Hallel HaMitzri ("Egyptian Hallel"), it is said as part of the morning service on Jewish holidays and Rosh Chodesh (the new moon), and on Passover eve.
The Psalms are typically sung or chanted joyously, and the final verses (beginning from Psalms 118:21) are repeated twice. Over the years, the Psalms of Hallel have been set to tunes, many of which have become favorites at Jewish celebrations and gatherings.

This was the beginning of the institution of the Lord's Supper, the same being after the last meal they had just shared was concluded, placing it after (8) and before (9) in the above pattern.
Here the eternal commandment of remembering the Saviour was uttered. The vast difference in Judaism and Christianity is in this very thing. Under the Law of Moses, there was a "remembrance" made of sin upon every solemn occasion of worship, even upon the day of Atonement; but in Christianity, there is no more a remembrance of sin, but of the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.

Which is poured out for you … What a glimpse of the power and Godhead of Jesus is in this. In a few short hours, he would be arrested, and on the morrow he would be crucified; but here, he calmly announced that his blood was to be poured out for the sins of men, setting up a memorial of it unto all generations.

Themes and Life Lessons

In this story, the character of Judas represents a society in rebellion against God, but the Lord’s handling of Judas magnifies God’s grace and compassion for that society. All along Jesus knew Judas would betray him, yet he gave him countless opportunities to turn and repent. As long as we are alive, it's not too late to come to God for forgiveness and cleansing.
The Lord’s Supper marked the beginning of Jesus' preparation of the disciples for future life in the Kingdom of God. He would soon depart from this world. At the table, they began to argue about which of them was to be considered the greatest in that kingdom. Jesus taught them that true humility and greatness come from being a servant to all.
Believers must be careful not to underestimate their own potential for betrayal. Immediately following the Last Supper Story, Jesus predicted Peter's denial.

Historical Context

Passover commemorated Israel’s hurried escape from bondage in Egypt. Its name derives from the fact that no yeast was used for cooking the meal. The people had to escape so quickly that they did not have time to let their bread rise. So, the first Passover meal included unleavened bread.
In the book of Exodus, the blood of the Passover lamb was painted on the Israelite's door frames, causing the plague of the firstborn to pass over their houses, sparing the firstborn sons from death. At the Last Supper Jesus revealed that he was about to become the Passover Lamb of God.
By offering the cup of his own blood, Jesus shocked his disciples: "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:28, ESV).
The disciples had only known of animal blood being offered in sacrifice for sin. This concept of Jesus' blood introduced a whole new understanding.
No longer would the blood of animals cover sin, but the blood of their Messiah. The blood of animals sealed the old covenant between God and his people. The blood of Jesus would seal the new covenant. It would open the door to spiritual freedom. His followers would exchange slavery for sin and death for eternal life in God's Kingdom.
Typically, wine is served four times during the Passover meal. According to Jewish tradition, the four cups represent four expressions of redemption. The first cup is called the cup of sanctification; the second is the cup of judgment; the third is the cup of redemption; the fourth is the cup of the kingdom.
The Last Supper became known as the Lord’s Supper

Prayer

Thank You Heavenly Father for giving us new insight into your plan of Love for us. May we show that kind of Love to all we meet. In Jesus Holy Name we Pray, Amen

Invitation: Hymn # 473 Victory In Jesus

Benediction: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. (Jer. 29:11-13)

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL (Part 2)

Selected Scriptures (LSB)

Click For Audio

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL (Part 2)

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL
(Part 2)

Text: Selected Scriptures (LSB)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we gather for today’s Bible study, we humbly seek Your guidance. Open our hearts and minds to the wisdom and truth within Your Word. Let Your Holy Spirit illuminate the scriptures and grant us understanding. Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, so lead us on this journey of studying and learning. Lord, guide us in our quest for spiritual knowledge. I pray these things in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Introduction: On Sunday, we were looking at an early doctrinal disagreement between some of the Jewish believers and the Gentile Christians. Let’s pick up the narrative where we left off in Acts 15.

I. THE DOCTRINAL DECISION (Acts 15:22-35)

After much discussion, the apostles and church leaders, considering the evidence before them, arrived at the conclusion (with the Holy Spirit’s help) that justification comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by works, and circumcision was not necessary for salvation.

[READ Acts 15:22-35]

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them -- Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers -- to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, 23 and they sent this letter by them,

“The apostles and the brothers who are elders, to the brothers in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

24 Since we have heard that some of us, to whom we gave no instruction, have gone out and disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, 25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they themselves will report the same things by word of mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And both Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a lengthy message. 33 And after they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brothers in peace to those who had sent them. 34 [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] 35 But Paul and Barnabas spent a long time in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord. Acts 15:22-23a

The apostles and elders in Jerusalem decided to write a letter to send back to Antioch. The whole church agreed that they should communicate the results of the council in this way. They also sent a delegation of two of the leading men in the Jerusalem church named Judas and Silas to deliver the letter. Why didn’t they just send the letter back by Paul and Barnabas? Since Paul and Barnabas were the ones who brought the dispute to church in Jerusalem and the outcome was as they had hoped it would be, any of the Judaizers (those who taught circumcision was necessary for salvation) in Antioch could claim that the letter was false. By sending Judas and Silas, they couldn’t make this claim, because these men would testify to its authenticity.

Sending these men from Jerusalem served an additional purpose. Judas and Silas were prophets (Acts 15:32), and they encouraged and strengthened the church in Antioch. So, they validated the testimony of Paul and Barnabas, delivered the letter from the assembly in Jerusalem, and discipled the church in Antioch. Acts 15:23b

23b “The apostles and the brothers who are elders, to the brothers in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

The last part of verse 23 of course, is the salutation or greeting of the letter. We see that it was from the brothers, both apostles and elders at Jerusalem to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Notice this letter was written specifically to these churches where Jews and Gentiles worshiped together where there was the potential for tension and conflict between them. It was not addressed to every Gentile congregation, just those mentioned in the letter. Although it was the church at Antioch which sought the answer to this problem, the conclusion affected new believers throughout the areas mentioned. It is likely that this letter was circulated among the Gentile believers after it had been read in Antioch. Acts 15:24-27

24 Since (1) we have heard that some of us, to whom we gave no instruction, have gone out and disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, (2) 25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (3) 27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they themselves will report the same things by word of mouth.

First the letter explains that the troubling commands had not come from the apostles.

Second, they validated Paul and Barnabas’ ministry, recognizing their service to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Third, they introduced Judas and Silas as witnesses to the truthfulness of the letter and the conclusion of the assembly of church leaders. Acts 15:28-29

Verse 28 tells us that although the apostles and elders are writing of their decision, they pointed to the Holy Spirit as their authority. Pierson writes, “They boldly treat the Holy Spirit as one of their number – a fellow-counselor, who unites with them in the announcement of a joint conclusion; as though He, the Spirit of God, had sat with them in their deliberations.” Clearly, the apostles and elders did not come to this conclusion on their own but as they were guided by the Spirit of God. Acts 15:28-29

In verse 29, the letter lays out four restrictions for the Gentile believers to abide by (which we already covered in verse 20), the main reason being -- that they not offend the Jewish believers or cause them to stumble. This is basically a weaker/stronger brother situation which Paul deals with in Romans 14:1-23. I do want to comment on the last restriction in the list – sexual immorality -- to give you some context. While this directive forbids all sexual sins in general, it is particularly aimed at the orgies associated with the worship of pagan deities, which was the background most all of the Gentiles had come from prior to their salvation. Acts 15:30-34

30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And both Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a lengthy message. 33 And after they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brothers in peace to those who had sent them. 34 [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] Acts 15:35

35 But Paul and Barnabas spent a long time in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.

This verse describes the continued ministry of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch following the Jerusalem Council. They returned to Antioch to teach and proclaim the message of the Lord. The phrase “with many others also” implies that the task of preaching was not just limited to these two apostles but involved a larger group of believers. The verse reflects the ongoing evangelistic and discipleship efforts taking place in the early church, with a focus on the dissemination of the gospel and teaching new converts. The environment in Antioch was multiethnic and diverse, which made it fertile ground for discussions of how Jewish and Gentile believers could live out their faith together.

Theologically, this verse illustrates several key concepts.

First, it emphasizes the importance of teaching as a follow-up to evangelism, showing that the early church placed a significant focus on the doctrinal and spiritual growth of its members.

Second, the phrase “the word of the Lord” is used to denote the gospel message, indicating a divine authority behind what Paul and Barnabas were teaching.

Lastly, the involvement of “many others” suggests a multi-faceted approach to ministry, hinting at the collective nature of the church’s witness and leadership.

Practically, Acts 15:35 serves as a model for the modern church. It highlights the necessity of continuous Christian education and the encouragement of believers to mature in their faith. It also provides an example of servant leadership, where prominent figures such as Paul and Barnabas shared responsibilities with others in the community. Additionally, the verse demonstrates the value of unity and teamwork in achieving common goals within a spiritual context.

II. THE DISAGREEMENT OVER JOHN MARK (Acts 15:36-41)

You will recall from our study a few weeks ago that on the first missionary journey Barnabas and Paul had taken young John Mark along with them. But when they arrived in Perga, for some reason we’re not informed of in the Scriptures, John Mark left Barnabas and Paul and returned home. Whatever the reason was, it didn’t sit well with Paul, but he and Barnabas remained focused on their missionary work in Galatia, returned home to Antioch, and attended the Jerusalem Council where their testimony provided evidence that God’s salvation was for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. After this, they returned to the church in Antioch where both were involved in the preaching and teaching ministry of the church for a good while, until …
[READ Acts 15:36-41]

36 Now after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 And Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
39 And there was such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. 40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Acts 15:36

36 Now after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

37 And Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there was such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

Though he agreed they should go, Barnabas was determined to take John Mark with them again. However, Paul insisted that they shouldn’t take John Mark along, for he had left them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the missionary outreach in Galatia perhaps for less than honorable reasons. This is probably what made Paul not trust him for future endeavors. The contention became so sharp between them that they parted from one another. Luke doesn’t give us any clues as to who was right and who was wrong in the dispute between Paul and Barnabas, but it is never good when personal disputes flare up among those serving in the ministry.

Wherever there is sharp contention, someone is wrong, and usually there is wrong on both sides. There could be no way that both Paul and Barnabas were each walking in the Spirit on this issue.

Earlier in this chapter, as we studied on Sunday, there was no small dissention (Acts 15:2) and much dispute (Acts 15:7) over the requirements for salvation. This was an important doctrinal issue that had to be settled, but in this case the sharp contention seems less important and more personal.

So, Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus (his original homeland) to visit the churches there. Acts 15:40-41

40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Silas (also known as Silvanus, see 2 Cor. 1:19, 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1; 1 Pet. 5:12), was perfectly suited to be Paul’s companion, since he was a prophet and could proclaim and teach the Word. Being a Jew gave him access to the synagogues. Because he was a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37), he enjoyed the same benefits and protection as Paul. His status as a respected leader in the Jerusalem fellowship helped to reinforce Paul’s teaching that Gentile salvation was by grace alone through faith alone. Acts 15:40-41

According to verse 41, Paul and Silas first visited congregations in Syria and Cilicia.  Map. It is likely that Paul had founded these churches before his association with the Antioch church. The circumcision question had been raised here also, so Paul and Silas were able to share the decision of the Jerusalem council with them and clear up the matter.

III. APPLICATION

It is important that we understand doctrines correctly so that we are not led astray by false teachers. There are many subtle dangers in a less than clear understanding of doctrines. Additionally, misunderstanding a doctrine can lead to other issues, both doctrinally and practically.

Unlike the church at Antioch, we have the divinely inspired words of the New Testament to help us discern truth from error. We can first go to the Word of God to find and communicate truth. However, the church at Antioch had the words of Paul, and they still sent him to Jerusalem. In this we see the wisdom of discernment. Especially if we are not confident in our interpretations, it may be wise to seek out leaders of the faith who can help us discern the truth.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, in these days of uncertainty, we seek Your light to guide our path. Grant us hope for the journey ahead, filling our hearts with courage and faith. May we trust in Your divine plan, embracing each step with grace. Strengthen our spirits, Lord, as we navigate the challenges before us, and remind us that with You, all things are possible. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Invitation Hymn # 277: “The Church’s One Foundation” (4 vs.)

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL – Part 2 - Study Guide

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL – Part 2

Answers (Lesson 161) - February 23, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

I. THE DOCTRINAL DECISION (Acts 15:22-35)

Acts 15:22-35

First the letter explains that the troubling commands had not come from the apostles. Second, they validated Paul and Barnabas’ ministry, recognizing their service to the Lord Jesus Christ. Third, they introduced Judas and Silas as witnesses to the truthfulness of the letter and the conclusion of the assembly of church leaders.

In verse 29, the letter lays out four restrictions for the Gentile believers to abide by (which we already covered in verse 20), the main reason being -- that they not offend the Jewish believers or cause them to stumble. This is basically a weaker/stronger brother situation which Paul deals with in Romans 14:1-23. I do want to comment on the last one in the list – sexual immorality -- to give you some context. While this directive forbids all sexual sins in general, it is particularly aimed at the orgies associated with the worship of pagan deities, which was the background most all of the Gentiles had come from before their salvation.

Theologically, this verse illustrates several key concepts. First, it emphasizes the importance of teaching as a follow-up to evangelism, showing that the early church placed a significant focus on the doctrinal and spiritual growth of its members. Second, the phrase “the word of the Lord” is used to denote the gospel message, indicating a divine authority behind what Paul and Barnabas were teaching. Lastly, the involvement of “many others” suggests a multi-faceted approach to ministry, hinting at the collective nature of the church’s witness and leadership.

II. THE DISAGREEMENT OVER JOHN MARK (Acts 15:36-41)

Paul suggests that he and Barnabas return to all the cities where they planted churches on the first missionary trip. Paul specialized in pioneer evangelism, preaching in places where there was no Christian community. Yet, he also understood the importance of strengthening and encouraging those who were already Christians. That was the initial motivation for this second missionary venture. You might say Paul had the heart of both an obstetrician (bringing people into the body of Christ) and a pediatrician (growing people up in the body of Christ). Wanting to return and visit the churches shows Paul had a real pastor’s heart. He was not content to merely plant churches without seeing them carefully nurtured and growing in the faith.
Though he agreed they should go, Barnabas was determined to take John Mark with them again. However, Paul insisted that they shouldn’t take John Mark along, for he had left them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the missionary outreach in Galatia perhaps for less than honorable reasons. This is probably what made Paul not trust him for future endeavors. The contention became so sharp between them that they parted from one another. Luke doesn’t give us any clues as to who was right and who was wrong in the dispute between Paul and Barnabas, but it is never good when personal disputes flare up among those serving in the ministry.

Wherever there is sharp contention, someone is wrong, and usually there is wrong on both sides. There could be no way that both Paul and Barnabas were each walking in the Spirit on this issue.

So, Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus (his original homeland) to visit the churches there.

According to verse 41, Paul and Silas first visited congregations in Syria and Cilicia. It is likely that Paul had founded the churches before his association with the Antioch church. The circumcision question had been raised here also, so Paul and Silas were able to share the decision of the Jerusalem council with them and clear up the matter.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD
It is important that we understand doctrines correctly so that we are not led astray by false teachers. There are many subtle dangers in a less than clear understanding of doctrines. Additionally, misunderstanding a doctrine can lead to other issues, both doctrinally and practically.

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Click For Audio

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come before You with open hearts and minds, ready to receive the message You have ordained for us from Your holy Word. I ask that Your Word might penetrate deep into our souls. May we be receptive to Your guidance and transformed by Your truth. Father, thank You for the privilege to come together as a community of believers to hear Your Word together; for it is in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Introduction: For the past couple of weeks, we’ve looked at Paul’s first missionary journey. He and Barnabas were sent out by the church in Antioch to go proclaim the gospel to people in Cyprus, Pamphylia, and Galatia. Some of the cities they ministered in were Salamis, Paphos, Perga, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and Attalia.
Despite the persecution Paul and Barnabas faced, their journey was a success. Many people came to believe in Jesus Christ, disciples were strengthened, and elders were appointed in every church. They not only took the gospel to these cities, but they also helped them establish churches and begin to grow in their faith. Today, we will pick up as Paul and Barnabas return home to Antioch of Syria after their first missionary outreach.

I. MISSIONARY REPORT TO ANTIOCH (Acts 14:24-28)

Let’s start with Acts 14:24-28. Though we read this passage last time, it will help us keep the proper context in mind.

[READ Acts 14:24-28]

24 And when they passed through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 And from there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent not a little time with the disciples.

Of course, Antioch was the city where Paul and Barnabas had begun their journey. It was the church at Antioch that had sent them out as missionaries. When they returned from this first missionary journey, they gathered the church together and shared with them all that God had done during the journey and how many had come to faith in Jesus Christ. Specifically, they told how God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. This was significant because the Jews thought God sent salvation only for His chosen nation Israel. But Jesus came to offer forgiveness to any who would call on His name for salvation. Previously, we saw how God taught Peter that salvation was for the Gentiles as well as the Jews (see Acts 10). Now that we’ve established the context, let’s continue into chapter 15.

II. THE APOSTLES & ELDERS GATHER (Acts 15:1-21; Amos 9:11-12)

It didn’t take long for the enemy of our souls to start twisting and adulterating the truth of the gospel, leading people away from the gift of salvation Jesus purchased for us with His own blood.

[READ Acts 15:1-21]

1 Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had not a little dissension and debate with them, the brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. 3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”

6 Both the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

12 And all the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

13 Now after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

16 ‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return,
AND I WILL REBUILD THE FALLEN BOOTH OF DAVID,
AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS,
AND I WILL RESTORE IT,
17 SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD,
AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’
18 SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.

19 Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations, Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Acts 15:1

1 Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

While Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch, some Jewish believers from Judea came to the church teaching that the Gentiles could not be saved unless they were circumcised. They pointed to the law of Moses as the authority behind their teaching. In the OT, circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant with Israel -- the sign that they were His people.

While these Jewish men were wrong to think that circumcision was required for salvation, we must remember that at this time there was very little written explaining how believers were to live under the new covenant. In fact, James’ epistle may have been the only book of the NT written so far. It’s easy for us to point to Ephesians 2:8-9 or Romans 10:13 and say that these teachers from Jerusalem were wrong. But, first century believers didn’t have the advantage of turning to these passages since they hadn’t been written yet. Nor had the Gospels been written yet, either. So, this wasn’t an unreasonable conclusion for them to reach, as they followed the pattern of the OT and the reason behind circumcision. Acts 15:2

2 And when Paul and Barnabas had not a little dissension and debate with them, the brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

In verse 2, we learn that Paul and Barnabas intensely disagreed with these men from Jerusalem and challenged their teaching. Acts 15:2

The church at Antioch decided to handle this dispute by sending Paul, Barnabas, and some others to take the question to the apostles and elders of the Jerusalem church. In Jerusalem, they could ask the ones who had actually lived with Jesus and learned directly from Him, as well as the fact that these men held authority as Jesus’ chosen apostles.

Take note that Barnabas and Paul’s words as apostles did not end the debate in Antioch. The reason for this may have been that the church hadn’t yet recognized them as having apostolic authority. Remember, according to one of our earlier lessons in Acts, and Paul’s testimony in Galatians, he had only briefly met Peter and James in Jerusalem before having to abruptly leave the city when a plot by the Jewish leaders to kill Paul became known to the believers in Jerusalem. Since that time, Paul had worked with other believers in Syria and Cilicia (Antioch was in Syria and Tarsus was in Cilicia). Acts 15:3

3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brothers.

As they traveled to Jerusalem, they shared with all the believers they met along the way, everything God was doing among the Gentiles. This news greatly encouraged the believers. The teachers from Jerusalem Paul and Barnabas had challenged, were possibly traveling with them back to Jerusalem. Perhaps some of them had a change in their beliefs as they heard these testimonies, although it is not stated for certain. Acts 15:4

4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

The delegation from Antioch was well received in Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas were given the opportunity to share details about their recent missionary journey, and all that God had done among the Gentiles, which included many salvations and the establishment of churches in the cities they visited. It’s interesting to compare the difference in responses to their testimony in Jerusalem, as opposed to the reaction of the believers in Phoenicia and Samaria, who were filled with joy. We are not told that the apostles in Jerusalem rejoiced, though surely many did. However, the converted Pharisees took exception to this news. Acts 15:5

5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”

This group (later referred to as the Judaizers) argued that it was necessary for these supposed Gentile converts to be circumcised and to keep all the rituals and traditions of the Law of Moses. Acts 15:6

6 Both the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.

This was certainly a very serious matter which was immediately taken up by the church’s leadership of apostles and elders. It is unclear whether those of the Pharisees’ party were elders or just believers who were making a case. It may be that Paul and Barnabas were there to state the case of the Gentiles, while the party of the Pharisees were relating the case for the Jewish law; the apostles and elders would rule on the matter establishing doctrinal precedence. We know that Peter, James, Paul, and Barnabas were present. It is also likely that the men chosen as messengers later in verse 22 (Judas & Silas) were also present for the discussion. Acts 15:7a

7a And after there had been much debate …

Theirs’ was not an easy decision to make. Certainly, the apostles and elders wanted God’s will to prevail. Although the actual discussion is not detailed in the biblical account, Luke does record that there was much debate. Acts 15:7b-9

7b …Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Finally, Peter stands to address the assembly. He reminded them of the time God sent him to Cornelius, the Roman centurion. You will remember that on this occasion all of Cornelius’ family and friends who were gathered to hear Peter’s message were saved, baptized, and filled with the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10).

You will also recall that at that time the Jewish believers were amazed that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles, just as He was on the Jewish believers. Acts 15:10

10 Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

So, what does Peter mean by the “yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear”? Circumcision was the outward sign of the old covenant of the law. If circumcision is required by law for salvation, then a person is obligated to keep the whole law (see Gal. 5:3). The law of Moses was the burden given to the OT Jews -- the very burden that was so impossible for them to keep – yet pointed out their need for the Savior Messiah. Acts 15:11

11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

Peter made the point that we are saved through the grace of Jesus. God sent Peter to the Gentiles, saved them, gave them the Holy Spirit, and required nothing more of them. Therefore, becoming followers of Christ should not require anything further of the Gentiles; certainly not placing them under the same yoke that no one except Jesus has been able to carry out in perfect obedience. Acts 15:12

12 And all the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

The assembly responded to Peter’s words by keeping silent. Then, Paul and Barnabas related to the council all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. Recounting these miracles provided undeniable evidence to the discussion. As we’ve seen on many other occasions, God gave the apostles the power to do signs and wonders to endorse their work. In this way, God proved that He was working through them. If He was doing such signs among the Gentiles, clearly it was His desire for the gospel to be delivered to them. Also, by validating Paul and Barnabas’ ministry, God was authenticating the message, which did not include instructions for circumcision. Acts 15:13-21

James, the brother of Jesus, concluded the discussion. He was a pillar of the church in Jerusalem, probably the leading elder or pastor, from what we can gather from extra-biblical histories of the time. Acts 15:13-14

In verse 14, James refers to Simeon. This is a variant spelling of Simon, Peter’s Jewish name. Even Peter used this spelling to refer to himself in 2 Pet. 1:1. Acts 15:16-18

James affirms what had already been said by quoting Amos 9:11-12. You should see a notation of this either in the marginal cross-references or footnotes of your Bible.
Amos 9, the Millennial Kingdom

In the first part of Amos 9, the prophet sees a vision of judgment falling upon the northern kingdom of Israel. Hope is found in verse 9, for only the chaff was to be punished; but the Lord’s remnant was to be preserved to inherit the blessings spoken of in the following verses.

The booth of David in Amos 9:11 is a reference to the dynasty of David which God will “raise up” and “rebuild” on earth for Christ to rule from in His millennial kingdom (see Zech 14:9-11). In the NT, the apostles used this passage (as James does) to illustrate that the Gentiles were a part of God’s redemption. Acts 15:16-18

James quotes Amos’ prophecy of the millennial kingdom to prove that the salvation of the Gentiles was not contrary to God’s plan for Israel. In fact, in the millennial kingdom, God’s messengers will announce salvation to the Gentiles (Zech. 8:20-23), with the phrase “ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME” in verse 17. James’ point being that Amos makes no mention of Gentiles becoming Jewish proselytes. If Gentiles can be saved without becoming Jews in the kingdom, there is no need for Gentiles to become proselytes in the present age. Acts 15:19-21

James concludes that the Gentiles should not be troubled with the burden of keeping the law, because keeping the law and observing rituals were not requirements for salvation. The believers who came from a background as Pharisees, were to cease and desist from annoying the Gentiles with these things. However, James and the other leaders did not want the Gentiles to revel in their freedom in Christ, to the point it would cause the Jewish believers to follow that same liberty and violate their consciences. Acts 15:19-21. So, the council concludes that the Gentiles should be taught to abstain from their pagan, idolatrous practices that were violations of the law of Moses, so as not to offend the Jews. This list included abstaining from: things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, eating anything which had been strangled, or consuming blood. Keep in mind, these four prohibitions were not to put the Gentiles under the Jewish law but to promote fellowship and harmony as two very different cultures came together into one spiritual body – the Church.

After much debate, the apostles and elders agreed that salvation comes by grace through faith, not through obedience to the law or Jewish customs. The Gentiles were saved if they repented and confessed Jesus as Lord. They received the Holy Spirit. They were brothers in the faith, having no distinction between them. Because justification comes through faith, not the law.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD

The dispute at Antioch was a serious one. This was no debate over the color of the carpet; this was a question of soteriology, or the doctrine of salvation. The Judaizers (also referred to as those of the circumcision party and those of the party of the Pharisees) were teaching that circumcision was required for salvation. Paul and Barnabas knew this was a problem. This false teaching undermined the grace of God and cheapened the sacrifice of Jesus.

In order to settle the dispute, the church at Antioch decided to appeal to the authority of the apostles. At this time, the New Testament had not been written. Without the fullness of Scripture to look to, the church took the matter to the apostles – the ones who had walked with Jesus, witnessed His resurrection, and been chosen by God as leaders of the church. Led by the Holy Spirit, the apostles concluded that justification comes through faith, not works, making circumcision unnecessary for salvation.

This account establishes the doctrine of justification by faith, but there are several other principles we can glean. We know Paul to be an apostle of Jesus, and yet, here we see the humility of one who is willing to meet with others to work things out together. We also see an example of unity and peace within the body of Christ. Paul and Barnabas could have pressed the issue in Antioch, but the dispute could easily have turned violent or divisive. Paul and Barnabas weren’t interested in winning the argument; they were interested in the well-being of all converts, Greek or Jew. By taking the question to the elders in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas turned a dispute into an opportunity for correction and growth. Not only were the Gentiles freed from the expectation of circumcision, but also the Jews learned that God makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Acts 15:9).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Your perfect Word which conveys to us Your truth. May the Holy Spirit as He molds and makes us in Christlikeness help us grow in wisdom and in discerning the truth. And, Father, we also want to thank You for setting us free from the bondage of the law by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 579: “Jesus Loves Me” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; for great is His faithfulness. Amen. (Lam. 3:22-23).

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL - Study Guide

Answers (Lesson 161) - February 6, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: Today, we will pick up as Paul and Barnabas return home to Antioch of Syria after their first missionary outreach.

I. MISSIONARY REPORT TO ANTIOCH (Acts 14:24-28)

Iconium was a cultural melting pot of native Phrygians, Greeks, Jews, and Roman colonists. It was located 80 miles SE of Pisidian Antioch.

Acts 14:24-28

Antioch was the city where Paul and Barnabas had begun their journey. It was the church at Antioch that had sent them out as missionaries. When they returned from this first missionary journey, they gathered the church together and shared with them all that God had done during the journey and how many had come to faith in Jesus Christ. Specifically, they told how God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. This was significant because the Jews thought God sent salvation only for His chosen nation Israel. But Jesus came to offer forgiveness to any who would call on His name for salvation. Previously, we saw how God taught Peter that salvation was for the Gentiles as well as the Jews (see Acts 10). Now that we’ve established the context, let’s continue into chapter 15.

II. THE APOSTLES & ELDERS GATHER (Acts 15:1-21)

It didn’t take long for the enemy of our souls to start twisting and adulterating the truth of the gospel, leading people away from the gift of salvation Jesus purchased for us with His own blood.

Acts 15:1-21

In verse 2, we learn that Paul and Barnabas intensely disagreed with these men from Jerusalem and challenged their teaching.

Verse 3 gives us a snapshot of Paul and Barnabas’ journey to Jerusalem. As they traveled, they shared with all the believers they met along the way, everything God was doing among the Gentiles. This news greatly encouraged the believers. The teachers from Jerusalem Paul and Barnabas had challenged, were possibly traveling with them back to Jerusalem. Perhaps some of them had a change in their beliefs as they heard these testimonies, although it is not stated for certain.

Verse 4 describes their arrival in Jerusalem. The delegation from Antioch was well received. Paul and Barnabas were given the opportunity to share details about their recent missionary journey, and all that God had done among the Gentiles, which included many salvations and the establishment of churches in the cities they visited. It’s interesting to compare the difference in responses to their testimony in Jerusalem, as opposed to the reaction of the believers in Phoenicia and Samaria, who were filled with joy. We are not told that the apostles in Jerusalem rejoiced, though surely many did. However, the converted Pharisees took exception to this news. This group (later referred to as the Judaizers) argued that it was necessary for these supposed Gentile converts to be circumcised and to keep all the rituals and traditions of the Law of Moses.

This was a very serious matter, which was immediately taken up by the church’s leadership of apostles and elders (v. 6). It is unclear whether those of the Pharisees’ party were elders or just believers who were making a case. It may be that Paul and Barnabas were there to state the case of the Gentiles, while the party of the Pharisees were relating the case for the Jewish law; the apostles and elders would rule on the matter establishing doctrinal precedence. We know that Peter, James, Paul, and Barnabas were present. It is also likely that the men chosen as messengers later in verse 22 (Judas & Silas) were also present for the discussion.

According to verse 7-9, Peter stands to address the assembly. He reminded them of the time God sent him to Cornelius, the Roman centurion. You will remember that on this occasion all of Cornelius’ family and friends who were gathered to hear Peter’s message were saved, baptized, and filled with the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10). You will also recall that at that time the Jewish believers were amazed that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles, just as He was on the Jewish believers.

In verse 10, what does Peter mean by the “yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear”? Circumcision was the outward sign of the old covenant of the law. If circumcision is required by law for salvation, then a person is obligated to keep the whole law (see Gal. 5:3). The law of Moses was the burden given to the OT Jews -- the very burden that was so impossible for them to keep – yet pointed out their need for the Savior Messiah.

In verse 11 Peter points out that we are saved through the grace of Jesus. God sent Peter to the Gentiles, saved them, gave them the Holy Spirit, and required nothing more of them. Therefore, becoming followers of Christ should not require anything further of the Gentiles; certainly not placing them under the same yoke that no one except Jesus has been able to carry out in perfect obedience.

As attested to by verse 12, the assembly responded to Peter’s words by keeping silent. Then, Paul and Barnabas related to the council all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. Recounting these miracles provided undeniable evidence to the discussion. As we’ve seen on many other occasions, God gave the apostles the power to do signs and wonders to endorse their work. In this way, God proved that He was working through them. If He was doing such signs among the Gentiles, clearly it was His desire for the gospel to be delivered to them. Also, by validating Paul and Barnabas’ ministry, God was authenticating the message, which did not include instructions for circumcision.

In verses 13-14, we learn it was James, the brother of Jesus, concluded the discussion. He was a pillar of the church in Jerusalem, probably the leading elder or pastor, from what we can gather from extra-biblical histories of the time. Also in verse 14, James refers to Simeon. This is a variant spelling of Simon, Peter’s Jewish name. Even Peter used this spelling to refer to himself in 2 Peter 1:1.

James affirms what had already been said by quoting Amos 9:11-12. In the first part of Amos 9, the prophet sees a vision of judgment falling upon the northern kingdom of Israel. Hope is found in verse 9, for only the chaff was to be punished; but the Lord’s remnant was to be preserved to inherit the blessings spoken of in the following verses.

Amos 9:11-15 speaks of the future restoration of Israel as a whole (including Judah). These millennial blessings await the final faithful remnant, when Messiah personally reigns over all the nations from Jerusalem, seated upon the throne of David. The Jews will never again be expelled from their divinely inherited land. The booth of David (9:11) is a reference to the dynasty of David which God will “raise up” and “rebuild” on earth for Christ to rule from in His millennial kingdom (see Zech 14:9-11). In the NT, the apostles used this passage (as James does) to illustrate that the Gentiles were a part of God’s redemption.

Going back to Acts 15:16-18, James quotes Amos’ prophecy of the millennial kingdom to prove that the salvation of the Gentiles was not contrary to God’s plan for Israel. In fact, in the millennial kingdom, God’s messengers will announce salvation to the Gentiles (Zech. 8:20-23), with the phrase “ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME” in verse 17. James’ point being that Amos makes no mention of Gentiles becoming Jewish proselytes. If Gentiles can be saved without becoming Jews in the kingdom, there is no need for Gentiles to become proselytes in the present age.

James concludes (vv. 19-21) that the Gentiles should not be troubled with the burden of keeping the law, because keeping the law and observing rituals were not requirements for salvation. The believers who came from a background as Pharisees, were to cease and desist from annoying the Gentiles with these things. However, James and the other leaders did not want the Gentiles to revel in their freedom in Christ, to the point it would cause the Jewish believers to follow that same liberty and violate their consciences.

The council concludes that the Gentiles should be taught to abstain from their pagan, idolatrous practices that were violations of the law of Moses, so as not to offend the Jews. This list included abstaining from: things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, eating anything which had been strangled, or consuming blood. Keep in mind, these four prohibitions were not to put the Gentiles under the Jewish law but to promote fellowship and harmony as two very different cultures came together into one spiritual body – the Church.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD
The dispute at Antioch was a serious one. This was no debate over the color of the carpet; this was a question of soteriology, or the doctrine of salvation. The Judaizers (also referred to as those of the circumcision party and those of the party of the Pharisees) were teaching that circumcision was required for salvation. Paul and Barnabas knew this was a problem. This false teaching undermined the grace of God and cheapened the sacrifice of Jesus.

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part 3)

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Click For Audio

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part 3)

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY
(Part 3)

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come before You now, asking for hearts that cling to Your Word with unwavering faithfulness.
May Your blessed Holy Spirit guide our thoughts, actions, and decisions, illuminating our path with truth and wisdom. Help us to treasure the teachings of Your Word and live them out daily, reflecting Your love and grace to those around us. Strengthen our resolve to remain steadfast in our commitment to Your divine message and the truth of the gospel. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Introduction: Last Sunday, we began looking at the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. It occurred sometime between AD 46-50. Paul and his companions traveled between 1,300 and 1,500 miles by land and by sea, over a period of about two years. They boldly preached the gospel of the risen Christ and made many disciples.

This past week we’ve seen each of the stops Paul and Barnabas made along their route. Now that we have a big-picture view of the First Missionary Journey, we’re going to complete our study today as we pick up where we left off at the end of their ministry in Antioch of Pisidia on Wednesday. This morning’s text is found in Acts 14. We’re going to focus on three of the stops on the missionary’s itinerary to see how Paul and Barnabas were used to spread the gospel.

I. ILL-TREATED IN ICONIUM (Acts 14:1-7)

Iconium was a cultural melting pot of native Phrygians, Greeks, Jews, and Roman colonists. It was located 80 miles SE of Pisidian Antioch.

[READ Acts 14:1-7]

1 Now it happened that in Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. 2 But the unbelieving Jews instigated and embittered the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. 3 Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done through their hands. 4 But the multitude of the city was divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 5 And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers to mistreat and to stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region; 7 and there they continued to proclaim the gospel. Acts 14:1-3

The “they” in verse 1 is of course referring to Paul and Barnabas, which we learn in Acts 13:50. The first place they went when they arrived in Iconium was the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke to both Jews and Greeks. Acts 14:1-3. This resulted in a great number of Jews and Greeks believing the message the missionaries brought to them. Although the message is not recorded, we can be sure it was a presentation of the gospel. It may have been similar to the message proclaimed in Antioch where Paul proclaimed the gospel using many Old Testament texts (see Acts 13:16-41). Acts 14:1-3

Not everyone responded positively to the preaching of the gospel. Some of the Jews rejected the message. Their response to the gospel and to so many people accepting Christ was to stir up the Gentiles and poison their minds against Paul and Barnabas. However, this opposition did nothing to stop them from teaching the people the truth about salvation in Christ and spreading the gospel. Acts 14:1-3

We don’t know exactly how long Paul and Barnabas were in Iconium. It was likely for many months based on other clues and similar language in Acts. But we’re informed that they continued to preach the gospel boldly. Acts 14:1-3. God bore witness to the truth of their words by granting signs and wonders through the hands of Paul and Barnabas. While these signs and wonders aren’t specifically identified here, we can assume from the context of the book of Acts that these were healings and casting out of demons (we must always interpret Scripture with Scripture and in context – seen Acts 4:30 and 5:12 for examples). The purpose of these miracles was to authenticate the message being preached and the grace of God in the message. Acts 14:4-7

The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the unbelieving Jews, and some sided with Paul and Barnabas. You will notice they are described as apostles in verse 4. In its simplest definition, an apostle is someone who is sent to proclaim a message under someone else’s authority. We don’t typically think of Barnabas as an apostle in the strictest sense of its meaning (having seen the risen Christ and being personally commissioned by Him), but both of these men were sent out by the church at Antioch to proclaim the gospel under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Acts 14:4-7

Eventually, the leaders of the Jewish and Gentile opposition threatened violence against Paul and Barnabas, so they chose to leave. The word used to describe their departure is “fled.” It implies they left quickly in fear for their lives.

Paul and Barnabas, as well as those who were traveling with them as support personnel, fled to the region of Lycaonia and the cities of Lystra and then Derbe.  Acts 14:4-7. According to verse 7, they also preached the gospel in these cities.

Throughout the book of Acts we see a pattern to Paul’s missionary outreach.
First, he would preach the gospel in the synagogue of the city, where some would believe and accept Christ. Then he would teach the gospel to the Gentiles who came to hear him speak, and some of them would believe and accept Christ. Next, opposition would arise, stirring up conflict throughout the city, and  finally the apostle left usually under threat.

As we think about this passage, we can see a clear example of how God uses people to accomplish His plans. . The Holy Spirit had called Paul and Barnabas to go to these places and proclaim the glories of Jesus Christ. They were sent out as messengers from the God who created and sustains the universe – they had His authority to proclaim the message. And to authenticate the message, God was pleased to do signs and wonders through them. The Holy Spirit was at work in the hearts of the hearers to convict them of sin and call them to repentance and faith in Jesus. As they heard the message, Acts 13:48 says, “… as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”

God sent these men, filled with the Holy Spirit, to interact with various people in various cultures. Although this may seem foolish to us, it was the way God chose to carry out the delivery of the gospel message. God is pleased, in His infinite wisdom, to use people to preach His gospel.

Despite the negative response of some, the gospel was received with joy by many Jews and Greeks in Iconium. God used the words spoken by Paul and Barnabas and the miracles performed through them to draw many to Himself. We have a good model to follow in these two men who preached the gospel boldly to all people.

Let’s move on to learn what took place in the next city.

II. LEFT FOR DEAD IN LYSTRA (Acts 14:8-23)

Lycaonia was a district in the Roman province of Galatia. Lystra was about 18 miles from Iconium, and was the home of Lois, Eunice, and Timothy (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5).

[READ Acts 14:8-20]

8 And at Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man listened to Paul as he spoke, who, when he fixed his gaze on him and saw that he had faith to be saved from being lame, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” 12 And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and was wanting to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, proclaiming the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 And saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning over the crowds and stoning Paul, they were dragging him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 But while the disciples stood around him, he rose up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.

Paul and Barnabas were not hiding out from the enemies of the Way, whom they had encountered in Antioch and Iconium. As soon as they arrived in Lystra, they began preaching the gospel. But the setting of their ministry here was very different from the previous places they had been. Evidently, there was no synagogue here, so Paul was possibly preaching in a public forum of some kind, but most likely in the marketplace or town square. The fact that there was no synagogue here, is a testament to just how pagan this city was – hence the idolatrous reception Paul and Barnabas received in this town. Acts 14:8-10

We’re told that the man Paul healed was lame from birth, completely crippled and unable to walk. But the cripple was listening to Paul preach. Acts 14:8-10. Watching him, Paul saw the man had the faith to be healed. How did Paul know this? He may have noticed a change in the man’s countenance that indicated the change happening in his heart. Obviously, we cannot “see” faith, but we can see the effects of faith producing a change in a person. Acts 14:8-10. Evidently, without even touching the man, Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” Immediately, the man sprang up and began walking. We know that God was ultimately responsible for healing this man, but He performed this miracle through Paul. Acts 14:11-13

11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” 12 And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and was wanting to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

The people who witnessed this miracle were amazed! They believed their gods had come down to earth. They thought that Paul was Hermes and Barnabas was Zeus. At first, the apostles didn’t understand what was happening as the people were speaking in their Lycaonian language. Next thing they knew, the priest of Zeus entered with his entourage and began preparations to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. Acts 14:14-15

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, proclaiming the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

Once they realized what was happening, Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes (a sign of deep remorse) and tried to persuade the people they were just men, not gods. Acts 14:15-17

15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, proclaiming the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”

The main points of Paul’s message are:

(1) he and Barnabas were only men just like the people of Lystra,

(2) his hearers should turn away from worshiping their useless idols,

(3) they should worship the Creator God instead, and

(4) God gives a witness of Himself in creation.

* Why do you suppose Paul talked about the common benefits of God rather than quoting O.T. passages as he did in the synagogue at Iconium? He knew that these people did not have a background in the Old Testament truths, so he used the experience of God’s common blessings to all mankind as a connecting point.
Acts 14:15-17

Paul distinguished God from all the gods these people worshiped by referring to God as the Creator of everything and the sustainer of all life on earth. This sermon sounds a whole lot like Paul’s message in Romans 1:18-20.

[READ Rom. 1:18-20]

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

People who have not heard about Christ will not be judged for rejecting Him. But the charges against them for rejecting the revelation given them through their conscience and creation will stand (Ps. 19:1-6). Anyone can freely reject God despite the testimony of creation and conscience, and apart from the work of the Spirit regenerating their hearts, many do. God puts in everyone’s heart an inner witness to a source of right and wrong, a greater power to whom they are accountable. God also reveals Himself in creation. No one can miss the evidence of God’s creative sovereignty (Ps. 8; 19:1; Isa. 40:21-22, 26).

Going back to Acts 14, Acts 14:18

18 And saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

Paul’s explanation did not immediately persuade the Lystrans, who still wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas.
Acts 14:19

19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning over the crowds and stoning Paul, they were dragging him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

Then, the enemies of the gospel – those Jews who had withstood Paul and Barnabas in Antioch and Iconium – appeared on the scene. There was probably some transition between the two scenes found in verses 1 and 19 of Acts 14 that Luke didn’t record for us. They were following Paul and Barnabas, stirring up the native peoples against them, trying to frustrate the work of God in Lystra. Exactly how they were doing this, we’re not told, but they persuaded the crowds to stone Paul to death. Do you see how fickle these people were? They went from thinking Paul was Hermes, the spokesman of the gods they worshiped, to trying to kill him on the word of these Jews, who were unknown to them and from another place. Then after stoning Paul, and believing him to be dead, they dragged him out of the city.
Acts 14:20a

20a But while the disciples stood around him, he rose up and entered the city.

But Paul wasn’t dead, he was just unconscious. As the disciples stood around him, Paul came to, got up, and went back into the city. These disciples were probably a combination of the brothers who accompanied Paul and Barnabas in their travels, as well as some new disciples from Lystra who had believed the gospel and accepted Christ. No doubt Paul had gone back into the city to physically recover from the shock of the stoning. I wonder what those superstitious pagans thought when Paul walked back into the city, let alone the rabble-rousing Jews?! Obviously, God was responsible for preserving Paul’s life, another great miracle the people of Lystra got to see.

Think for a minute about what Paul and Barnabas faced for the sake of sharing the gospel in these last three instances. They had been run out Antioch and Iconium, and in Lystra they tried to kill Paul. Yet they persevered in sharing the message they had been sent to proclaim.

III. DELIVERING THE GOSPEL TO DERBE (Acts 14:20b-21a)

Derbe was located about 40 miles SE of Lystra.

[READ Acts 14:20b-21a]

20b The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. 21a And after they had proclaimed the gospel to that city and had made many disciples ….

Not much is described about the missionaries’ time in Derbe, except many people were saved. Obviously, this is the most important measure of their spiritual success in this campaign. The absence of any mention of opposition, hopefully means they didn’t encounter any and that all the people of Derbe gladly received the gospel message.

IV. CHARTERING THE CHURCHES (Acts 14:21b-23)

[READ Acts 14:21b-23]

21 … they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.” 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

The apostles’ prayers and fasting did more than just model Christian disciplines. This was the way to commit the new disciples to the Lord for His safekeeping and blessing and to establish permanent church leadership for each congregation.

V. ACCOUNTING IN ANTIOCH (Acts 14:24-28)

[READ Acts 14:24-26]

The first time Paul and Barnabas had passed through Perga, there was nothing recorded about them preaching there at that time. However, on this return trip they did share the gospel in Perga. This could have been due to the incident of John Mark leaving and returning home when they were in Perga the first time. Perhaps the drama associated with this unfortunate event, quenched the Spirit at that time, and they had to wait until the return trip to share the gospel. Acts 14:24-26

Instead of them sailing from Perga, they traveled the 12 miles to the port of Attalia. This may have been due to the fact that most of the ships coming and going in Attalia were larger and faster. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, Perga was a river port city on the Cestrus River, and only smaller boats could navigate it. Attalia’s port, on the other hand, was the half-way point on the grain-shipping route from Alexandria to Rome. From here, Paul and his friends would have had no difficulty in securing passage on one of the empty Roman grain ships heading back along the northern Mediterranean coast to Egypt via Selucia in Syria, the closest port to Antioch.

[READ Acts 14:27-28]

27 And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent not a little time with the disciples.

Actually, Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch for about a year in preparation for what God would have them do next. And thus ends the first official missionary journey.

VI. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD
We’ve seen that as Paul preached in these cities, he would first speak in the synagogues to the Jews, telling them that God had fulfilled the promise of a Savior made to their Fathers. Unfortunately, many of these Jews did not believe. As Paul preached and the word of God was gladly received by many, the Jews became envious. They contradicted, blasphemed, and openly opposed the things Paul was teaching. Their own unbelief was judging them to be unworthy of eternal life. This response led Paul to turn his attention toward the Gentiles and preach to them.

We’ve also learned that when Paul was preaching in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch (Wed. Study) he used many OT passages and directly quoted them. When he was trying to pacify the masses in Lystra, he more loosely talked about God’s attributes and common blessings upon all people. His approach teaches us how to use Scripture in different circumstances. While we should never hold back from proclaiming the truths of God’s Word, it is not necessary to quote verbatim from a passage. While we can communicate the truth of a passage without quoting it, there is certainly a benefit in memorizing scriptures and proclaiming them to the lost. Paul used direct quotes when his audience knew the context of the OT and made the connections in those passages to Jesus. The people of Lystra didn’t know this context, so Paul used another point of contact to engage them.

We’ve seen that God mercifully spared Paul’s life, and he continued his journey from Lystra to Derbe, where he preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Paul and Barnabas’ first journey was nearing its end.  But they couldn’t think of ending it without going back to see those they had preached to – who had believed on the name of Jesus Christ. They longed to see how they were getting along. Although it surely meant more danger for them, they went back to these cities where they had led many to Christ so that they might strengthen and encourage the converts in the truths of the gospel and establish churches with pastors in each one.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for bringing us together this morning. As we come to the close of our time in Your Word, may Your spirit of unity and fellowship remain with us. Help us to love one another as You have loved us. Let our actions reflect Your grace and mercy to all we meet this week. May we share the gospel with power. Please guide our steps and keep us safe until we meet again, and may our lives be a testimony of Your goodness in every way. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 467: “Anywhere with Jesus” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, with every project you undertake in the service of God's house and in obedience to the law and the commands, may you seek God wholeheartedly. As a result, you will be very successful in fulfilling His purposes for you. Amen. (2 Chr. 31:21).

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY ~ Part 3 - Study Guide

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY ~ Part 3

Answers (Lesson 160-C) - February 9, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB
Introduction: Today, we’re going to complete our study of the First Missionary Journey from Acts 14.

I. ILL-TREATED IN ICONIUM (Acts 14:1-7)

Iconium was a cultural melting pot of native Phrygians, Greeks, Jews, and Roman colonists. It was located 80 miles SE of Pisidian Antioch.

Acts 14:1-7

The “they” in verse 1 is of course referring to Paul and Barnabas, which we learn in Acts 13:50. The first place they went when they arrived in Iconium was the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke to both Jews and Greeks. This resulted in a great number of Jews and Greeks believing the message the missionaries brought to them. Although the message is not recorded, we can be sure it was a presentation of the gospel. It may have been similar to the message proclaimed in Antioch where Paul proclaimed the gospel using many Old Testament texts (see Acts 13:16-41).

We don’t know exactly how long Paul and Barnabas were in Iconium. It was likely for many months based on other clues and similar language in Acts. But we’re informed that they continued to preach the gospel boldly. God bore witness to the truth of their words by granting signs and wonders through the hands of Paul and Barnabas. While these signs and wonders aren’t specifically identified here, we can assume from the context of the book of Acts that these were healings and casting out of demons (we must always interpret Scripture with Scripture and in context – seen Acts 4:30 and 5:12 for examples). The purpose of these miracles was to authenticate the message being preached and the grace of God in the message.

Paul and Barnabas, as well as those who were traveling with them as support personnel, fled to the region of Lycaonia and the cities of Lystra and then Derbe. According to verse 7, they also preached the gospel in these cities.

Throughout the book of Acts we see a pattern to Paul’s missionary outreach. First, he would preach the gospel in the synagogue of the city, where some would believe and accept Christ. Then he would teach the gospel to the Gentiles who came to hear him speak, and some of them would believe and accept Christ. Next, opposition would arise, stirring up conflict throughout the city, and finally the apostle left usually under threat.

As we think about this passage, we can see a clear example of how God uses people to accomplish His plans. The Holy Spirit had called Paul and Barnabas to go to these places and proclaim the glories of Jesus Christ. They were sent out as messengers from the God who created and sustains the universe – they had His authority to proclaim the message. And to authenticate the message, God was pleased to do signs and wonders through them. The Holy Spirit was at work in the hearts of the hearers to convict them of sin and call them to repentance and faith in Jesus. As they heard the message, Acts 13:48 says, “… as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”

II. LEFT FOR DEAD IN LYSTRA (Acts 14:8-23)

Lycaonia was a district in the Roman province of Galatia. Lystra was about 18 miles from Iconium, and was the home of Lois, Eunice, and Timothy (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5).

Acts 14:8-23

Verse 9 explains that Paul watched this man as he preached. According to verse 8, Paul and Barnabas encountered a man born lame. He was completely crippled and unable to walk. But this man was listening to Paul preach. Paul saw the man had the faith to be healed. How did Paul know this? He may have noticed a change in the man’s countenance that indicated the change happening in his heart. Obviously, we cannot “see” faith, but we can see the effects of faith producing a change in a person. Then in verse 10, evidently without even touching the man, Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” Immediately, the man sprang up and began walking. We know that God was ultimately responsible for healing this man, but He performed this miracle through Paul.

Verses 11-13 tell us that the people who witnessed this miracle were amazed! They believed their gods had come down to earth. They thought that Paul was Hermes and Barnabas was Zeus. At first, the apostles didn’t understand what was happening as the people were speaking in their Lycaonian language. Next thing they knew, the priest of Zeus entered with his entourage and began preparations to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas.

As attested to in verses 14-15, once they realized what was happening, Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes (a sign of deep remorse) and tried to persuade the people they were just men, not gods.

In verses 15-17, we find a summary of Paul’s sermon. The main points are: (1) he and Barnabas were only men just like the people of Lystra, (2) his hearers should turn away from worshiping their useless idols, (3) they should worship the Creator God instead, and (4) God gives a witness of Himself in creation.

It's interesting that Paul talked about the common benefits of God rather than quoting Old Testament passages as he did in the synagogue at Iconium. This is because Paul knew that these people did not have a background in the Old Testament truths, so he used the experience of God’s common blessings to all mankind as a connecting point.

Paul also distinguished God (Yahweh) from all the gods these people worshiped by referring to God as the Creator of everything and the sustainer of all life on earth. This sermon sounds a whole lot like Paul’s message in Romans 1:18-20.

Romans 1:18-20

Going back to Acts 14, we learn in verse 8 that Paul’s explanation did not immediately persuade the Lystrans, who still wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas.

Then in verse 19, the enemies of the gospel – those Jews who had withstood Paul and Barnabas in Antioch and Iconium – appeared on the scene. There was probably some transition between the two scenes found in verses 1 and 19 of Acts 14 that Luke didn’t record for us. They were following Paul and Barnabas, stirring up the people against them, trying to frustrate the work of God in Lystra. Exactly how they were doing this, we’re not told, but they persuaded the crowds to stone Paul to death. Do you see how fickle these people were? They went from thinking Paul was Hermes, the spokesman of the gods they worshiped, to trying to kill him on the word of these Jews, who were unknown to them and from another place. Then after stoning Paul, and believing him to be dead, they dragged him out of the city.

According to verse 20a, Paul wasn’t dead, he was just unconscious. As the disciples stood around him, Paul came to, got up, and went back into the city. These disciples were probably a combination of the brothers who accompanied Paul and Barnabas in their travels, as well as some new disciples from Lystra who had believed the gospel and accepted Christ. No doubt Paul had gone back into the city to physically recover from the shock of the stoning. Obviously, God was responsible for preserving Paul’s life, another great miracle the people of Lystra got to see.

III. DELIVERING THE GOSPEL TO DERBE (Acts 14:20b-21a)

Derbe was located about 40 miles SE of Lystra.

Acts 14:20b-21a

IV. CHARTERING THE CHURCHES (Acts 14:21b-23)

Acts 13:6-12

Acts 14:21b-23

Rather than leaving all these new converts to try to figure out the Christian life by themselves, Paul and Barnabas returned to the very cities where their lives had been in danger, fearlessly preaching the gospel and teaching others to obey it. The apostles’ prayers and fasting did more than just model Christian disciplines. This was the way to commit the new disciples to the Lord for His safekeeping and blessing and to establish permanent church leadership for each congregation.

V. ACCOUNTING IN ANTIOCH (Acts 14:24-28)

Acts 14:24-26

The first time Paul and Barnabas had passed through Perga, there was nothing recorded about them preaching there at that time. However, on this return trip they did share the gospel in Perga, this time they did. Instead of sailing from home from Perga, they traveled to the port of Attalia. From here, Paul and his friends secured passage on a Roman grain ship heading back to Egypt via Selucia in Syria, the closest port to Antioch.

Acts 14:27-28

Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch for about a year preparing for God’s next mission for them. Thus ends the first official missionary journey.

VI. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD
Paul used a specific strategy in preaching from city to city. First, he would go to the synagogues and share the gospel with them. When he was no longer welcome in the synagogue, he would preach to the Gentiles.
When he was preaching to the Jews, Paul directly quoted many OT passages because they were familiar with the context of the OT, and he would connect those passages to Jesus and how He fulfilled them.
When speaking to the Gentiles, as in Lystra, Paul spoke of God’s attributes, His role as Creator, and His common blessings on all people. This teaches us how to use Scripture in different situations.
We’ve also seen how God mercifully spared Paul’s life on more than one occasion.
Paul & Barnabas went back through the cities they had preached in strengthening and encouraging the converts and establishing the churches by appointing leadership.

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part 1)

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Click For Audio

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part 1)

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY
(Part 1)

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I humbly seek Your guidance as I share Your Word this morning. May this sermon touch the hearts of those who hear it, igniting a flame of faith and love within them. May Your Word bring hope and transformation today. Let me speak with clarity and compassion, so that all may feel Your presence and grace. I pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Introduction:

Last week we looked at the earliest of the Bibli-cal epistles. James wrote to Jews who had been scattered through persecution. He gave them much practical advice re-garding Christian living.

Today, we will be heading back to the book of Acts as we con-tinue to understand how God used various people and situations to spread the gospel and grow His church in the Mediterranean world. The main person we will be looking at is Saul. We’ve al-ready seen how he was involved in persecuting the church until his encounter with Jesus. At some point after his conversion from a blasphemous persecutor of Jesus, Saul the Jew began to be known as Paul the Christian, adopting the Roman form of his name (likely because his missionary journeys took him all over the Roman empire).

As the Christians were spreading out from Jerusalem as a result of the persecution there, many people came to know Jesus as Savior. Luke recorded the details of the journeys that Paul and his companions took in an effort to spread the gospel. We’ll be looking at each of these journeys and how various people re-sponded to the message of the gospel – both Jews and Gentiles. Paul’s first missionary journey began around the same time that James wrote his letter.

Today, we’re going to pick up the narrative in Acts 12. We’re going to move at a quick pace through the beginning stops in this first missionary journey with the goal of getting the big pic-ture of the entire journey today and Wednesday. Then next Sun-day, were going to zoom in on two of the cities he visited in Acts 14. This morning I want you to pay close attention to the actions of Paul and Barnabas at each stop, as well as the re-sponses of the people in each place, both positive and negative.

Keep in mind that we haven’t heard anything from Paul since he left Jerusalem and went to Tarsus in Acts 9. Saul’s con-version happened in about AD 35, and his first missionary jour-ney happened approximately 12 years later based on clues about the timing of his early life as a Christian that he describes in Galatians 1:15-2:2. (The 14 years he mentions in Gala-tians 2:1 is likely the time period from his first visit to Jerusa-lem to the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15).

I. APPOINTED IN ANTIOCH (Acts 12:25 – 13:3)

Let’s take a moment to look at the commissioning of Barnabas and Saul to spread the gospel to the Gentile nations and their appointment as the first official missionaries of the church.

[READ Acts 12:25 – 13:3]

12:25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.
13:1 Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Anti-och of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood com-panion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. 2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3 So after more fasting and pray-er, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.

Chapter 13 marks a turning point in Acts. The first 12 chapters focus on Peter; the remaining chapters revolve around Paul. With Peter, the emphasis is the Jewish church in Jerusalem and Judea; with Paul, the focus is the spread of the Gentile church throughout the Roman world, which began at the church in An-tioch of Syria.

Of the five men Luke mentions, four were Hellenists (Jews born outside the Holy Land who spoke Greek): Barnabas was from Cyprus (Acts 4:36), Simeon was from Africa (he was a black man from Niger located SW from Libya), Lucius was a Cyrenian (Cy-rene located in Libya), and Saul was from Tarsus (in Cilicia). Only Manaen was from Israel, and he was a childhood friend of Herod Antipas.

By laying hands on them, the three other leaders were identify-ing with Barnabas and Saul’s mission. The text says, “they sent them on their way,” but literally, the wording is “they released them.” This means they selflessly broke their emotional ties to them and freed them to do God’s will. Paul and Barnabas be-came the first two missionaries commissioned by the Christian church under the direction of the Holy Spirit. John Mark also accompanied them on this journey.

II. SETTING SAIL FROM SELEUCIA (Acts 13:4)

[READ Acts 13:4]

4 So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.

This city served as the port for Antioch, some 16 miles away at the mouth of the Orontes River. It was from here that the mis-sionaries sailed to Cyprus.

III. SHARING IN THE SYNAGOGUES OF SALAMIS (Acts 13:4-5)
[READ Acts 13:4-5]

4 So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. 5 There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean. Salamis was the port city and commercial center on the eastern side of the island. Saul and Barnabas began preaching and teaching in the Jewish synagogues as soon as possible. As a Jewish scholar, Saul was permitted to speak to those who knew the Scriptures – a perfect way to begin a ministry in a new area. This became Paul’s established custom whenever he arrived in a new city. He had an open door as a Jew, to speak and introduce the gospel.

Also, if he preached to the Gentiles first, the Jews would never have listened to him.

IV. PREACHING IN PAPHOS (Acts 13:6-12)
[READ Acts 13:6-12]

6 Afterward they traveled from town to town across the en-tire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Ely-mas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barna-bas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.

9 Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. 10 Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? 11 Watch now, for the Lord has laid His hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.

12 When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

It was here that Barnabas and Saul encountered a Jew, who was a magician, named Bar-Jesus. He was also known as Elymas (his Greek name, which means the “enlightened one”). He used his knowledge for evil as we will see in a moment.

7 He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God.

Sergius Paulus was the Roman proconsul who served as the provincial governor. It was not uncommon for the governor of a district to send for visitors. It was the proconsul’s job to stay on top of all the latest “news” in his area.

8 But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), in-terfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.

Elymas recognized the Word of God as a threat to his own “ministry” of deception and false power. He did not want the governor to be converted to Christ because he would lose his position within the city’s power structure.

9 Saul, also known as Paul ….

It is worth noting that 13:9 is where Saul is called Paul from this point forward in Scripture. We’ve already talked about Saul being his Hebrew name and Paul being his Greek/Roman name. But there could be another reason for his name change. Saul, his birth name, had become infamous (or out of grace) because of his early persecution of the church. But the new birth made Paul a new man, attested to by the meaning of the name Paul which is: “small” or “humble.”

9 Saul … was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. 10 Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? 11 Watch now, for the Lord has laid His hand of pun-ishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around beg-ging for someone to take his hand and lead him.

Paul’s verbal rebuke of the sorcerer is one of the most dramatic denunciations of demonic power in Scripture. Instead of calling the sorcerer by his Hebrew name, Bar-Jesus, (“Son of Jesus”), Paul called him son of the devil. This play on words described him accurately as the enemy of righteousness – an opponent of everything Barnabas and Paul represented.

Besides calling out Elymas for who he was, Paul, by the power of the Holy Spirit, caused him to go temporarily blind, a fitting picture of his spiritual blindness. The supposedly all-powerful sorcerer was reduced to being led around by the hand.

[READ 2 Cor. 4:4]

4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Satan blinds people to God’s truth through the world system he has created. Without a godly influence, man left to himself will follow that system, which panders to the depravity of unbeliev-ers and deepens their moral darkness. This is what had hap-pened to Elymas.

12 When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse tells us there was also a positive spiritual result that took place in Paphos. Sergius Paulus was saved after hearing the teaching of the gospel and seeing the miracle that blinded Elymas.

V. MAKING PORT IN PERGA (Acts 13:13)
[READ Acts 13:13]

13 Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.

Perga was a major city in the Roman province of Pamphylia, in Asia Minor. It was located about 200 miles north across the Mediterranean from Cyprus.

13b … There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.

Whatever reason John Mark gave for leaving, Paul didn’t ac-cept it. While his desertion did not hamper the mission, it did later create some dissension between Paul and Barnabas (see 15:36-40), yet in time their relationship would be healed (see Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11).

VI. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD

Down through the centuries, people have risked many things for the sake of spreading the gospel, and we can thank God for the record of the faithfulness of Paul and Barnabas. God used these two men to expand the kingdom of God and the number of those who will be worshiping around the throne of God in eternity.

We can also see the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in em-boldening Paul and Barnabas as He sent them on their mission from the church in Antioch to preach the gospel. They were never alone as they traveled, for the Holy Spirit was with them and in them to guide them as they spoke, to work miracles, to fill them with joy, and to bring conviction of sin and regenerate the hearts of those who believed.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, first we want to praise You for Your wisdom in using weak and broken vessels like us to spread the good news of Your life-changing gospel. We pray that the Holy Spirit will empower us with boldness to proclaim the message of salvation to those You bring across our paths. Thank You for sending forth Your ambassadors to proclaim the amazing truth about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name, I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 444: “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may you be strong and courageous as you set out to accomplish the work God has called you to do. May you not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God … your God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all your work for His service is finished. Amen. (1 Chr. 28:20).

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY ~ Part 1 - Study Guide

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY ~ Part 1

Answers (Lesson 160-A) - February 2, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB
Introduction: Today, we’re going to pick up the narrative in Acts 12. We’re going to move at a quick pace through the beginning stops in this first missionary journey with the goal of getting the big picture of the entire journey today and Wednesday. Then next Sunday, were going to zoom in on two of the cities he visited in Acts 14.

Pay close attention to the actions of Paul and Barnabas at each stop, as well as the responses of the people in each place, both positive and negative.

We haven’t heard anything from Paul since he left Jerusalem and went to Tarsus in Acts 9. Saul’s conversion happened in about AD 35, and his first missionary journey happened approximately 12 years later based on clues about the timing of his early life as a Christian that he describes in Galatians 1:15-2:2.

(The 14 years mentioned in Galatians 2:1 is likely the time period from his first visit to Jerusalem to the Jerusalem council of Acts 15).

I. APPOINTED IN ANTIOCH (Acts 12:25 – 13:3)

Let’s take a moment to look at the commissioning of Barnabas and Saul to spread the gospel to the Gentile nations and their appointment as the first official missionaries of the church.

Acts 12:25 – 13:3

Of the five men Luke mentions, four were Hellenists (Jews born outside the Holy Land who spoke Greek): Barnabas was from Cyprus (Acts 4:36), Simeon was from Africa (he was a black man from Niger located SW from Libya), Lucius was a Cyrenian (Cyrene located in Libya), and Saul was from Tarsus (in Cilicia). Only Manaen was from Israel, and he was a childhood friend of Herod Antipas.

By laying hands on them, the three other leaders were identifying with Barnabas and Saul’s mission. The text says, “they sent them on their way,” but literally, the wording is “they released them.” This means they selflessly broke their emotional ties to them and freed them to do God’s will. Paul and Barnabas became the first two missionaries commissioned by the Christian church under the direction of the Holy Spirit. John Mark also accompanied them on this journey.

II. SETTING SAIL FROM SELEUCIA (Acts 13:4)

Acts 13:4

This city served as the port for Antioch, some 16 miles away at the mouth of the Orontes River. It was from here that the missionaries sailed to Cyprus.

III. SHARING IN THE SYNAGOGUES OF SALAMIS (Acts 13:4-5)

Acts 13:4-5

IV. PREACHING IN PAPHOS (Acts 13:6-12)

Acts 13:6-12

Paphos was located on the western end of the island and was the capital of Cyprus. It was also the seat of the Roman government there. Sadly, it also was a great center for the worship of Aphrodite (Venus), and thus a hotbed for all kinds of immorality.
According to verse 6, Barnabas and Saul encountered a Jew, who was a magician, named Bar-Jesus. He was also known as Elymas (his Greek name, which means the “enlightened one”). He used his knowledge for evil as we will see in a moment.

Sergius Paulus (v. 7) was the Roman proconsul who served as the provincial governor. It was not uncommon for the governor of a district to send for visitors. It was the proconsul’s job to stay on top of all the latest “news” in his area.

In verse 8 we learn that Elymas tried to keep the governor from listening to Barnabas and Saul. No doubt he recognized the Word of God as a threat to his own “ministry” of deception and false power. He did not want the governor to be converted to Christ because he would lose his position within the city’s power structure.

From verses 9-11, Paul confronts Elymas. His verbal rebuke of the sorcerer is one of the most dramatic denunciations of demonic power in Scripture. Instead of calling the sorcerer by his Hebrew name, Bar-Jesus, (“Son of Jesus”), Paul called him son of the devil. This play on words described him accurately as the enemy of righteousness – an opponent of everything Barnabas and Paul represented.

2 Corinthians 4:4

Satan blinds people to God’s truth through the world system he has created. Without a godly influence, man left to himself will follow that system, which panders to the depravity of unbelievers and deepens their moral darkness. This is what had happened to Elymas.

However, verse 12 tells us that there was also a positive spiritual result that took place in Paphos. Sergius Paulus was saved after hearing the teaching of the gospel and seeing the miracle that blinded Elymas.

V. MAKING PORT IN PERGA (Acts 13:13)

Acts 13:13

Perga was a major city in the Roman province of Pamphylia, in Asia Minor. It was located about 200 miles north across the Mediterranean from Cyprus.

In the last part of verse 13 we informed that 13b … There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.

Whatever reason John Mark gave for leaving, Paul didn’t accept it. While his desertion did not hamper the remainder of this mission, it did later create some dissension between Paul and Barnabas (see 15:36-40), yet in time their relationship would be healed (see Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11).

VI. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD
Down through the centuries, people have risked many things for the sake of spreading the gospel, and we can thank God for the record of the faithfulness of Paul and Barnabas.

* God used these two men to expand the kingdom of God and the number of those who will be worshiping around the throne of God in eternity.

* Paul and Barnabas were never alone as they traveled, for the Holy Spirit was with them and in them to guide them as they spoke, to work miracles, to fill them with joy, and to bring conviction of sin and regenerate the hearts to those who believed.