Biblical studies this week with Author Rev. Paul J. Bern....

This week's ongoing Biblical teaching on the Progressive Christian Blog with Author & Web Minister Paul J. Bern will be part 2 of Acts chapter 20; Part one of Paul's farewell at Miletus to the elders from Ephesus -- https://www.pcmatl.org/weekly-bible-study #progressiveChristian #realfaith

 

To tithe or not to tithe: That is the question

This week on the Progressive Christian Blog with Author & Web Minister Paul J. Bern; to tithe or not to tithe: that is the question -- https://zurl.co/O6Xn #tithing #theRealBible #ProgressiveChristian

(Please note: This weekly blog will be redirected to my website starting today, going forward. At the end, for those who feel led by the Spirit to contribute, please click the 'donate' button in the lower right corner of the web-page. Thanks very much!)

This week's ongoing BIble study will be part 4 of Acts chapter 19

The Apostle Paul Evades the Angry Mob at Ephesus, or,

How Spiritual Warfare Can Break Out at Any Moment

[Acts chapter 19, verses 32-41]

by Minister Paul J. Bern

Last week when we left off at verse 31 of Acts chapter 19, we found the apostle Paul being restrained by his Christian brothers from going out and trying to reason with a crowd of tens of thousands, having been persuaded to attempt no such thing lest he be crushed or otherwise killed by this angry mob that had formed. At this point, Paul had been in Ephesus for some time, having founded and built a church there that was growing each week. But there were no pro audio systems available to Paul, or anyone else for 19 more centuries. Paul had absolutely no chance of telling the crowd what he wanted to say, which simply was, “Jesus is Lord over all.” Yet he wanted to try anyway, and that's where we will begin part four of Acts chapter 19.

“32) The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33) The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34) But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' 35) The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: 'Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36) Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.'” (Acts 19, verses 32-36)

OK, now let's think back to how all this started. A silversmith named Demetrius made statues and other religious relics for their god Artemis. He, together with many other craftsmen, were evidently earning a very comfortable living from the crafting and sale of these idols. In other words, their religion was also a profitable enterprise, not unlike some churches today, especially the ones that demand 10% of the incomes of its members. So, these guys are doing just great, and along comes Paul preaching Jesus Christ crucified, died and resurrected, and he's converting people to Christianity left and right. Christianity has become a threat to their livelihoods. And, since they have the majority of the people there worshiping these idols, everyone has been offended by Christianity. Paul and the disciples with him were finding themselves in the middle of a virtual hornet's nest.

It was a mob scene that would rival any riot we could think of today. “Most of the people did not even know why they were there.” In some ways that scene was similar to that of the Arab-Jew clashes in modern Israel today. And, in the end, that's all this was – antisemitism, as it is written, “33) The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34) But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!'” Alexander, you see, was from the synagogue there in Ephesus, the same people who were so abusive towards Paul when he presented the gospel to them that he left and went to the lecture hall at Tyrannus instead, and where he had been based ever since. To those in the crowd, the Jews worship of the Lord Almighty was just as much an offense to them.

Finally, after all the hubbub quieted down to a manageable level, and after Alexander had been shouted down from the podium, it was the city clerk who finally got the crowd to do some listening instead of all their shouting about nothing. “...Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.'” I don't know what the city clerk meant by his reference to the image of Artemis, “who fell from heaven”. That would have to have been either a meteorite or something like that, such as a chunk of ice, which is rare but it does occur. I find it a strange notion that an entire city would worship some darned space boulder, so there's really no way to know for certain what the city clerk was referring to.

What the city clerk did say was that their faith in this idol they were worshiping was beyond questioning, and so they should never, he said, have gotten so worked up about it in the first place. The Christianity that Paul and those with him were preaching and teaching about was being viewed as a passing fad by the city clerk, whereas Artemis, or so they reasoned, would be there forever. As we all now know, it was and is very much the other way around. Artemis is a relic from ancient history that would be completely forgotten if it weren't for Acts chapter 19. The name of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, lives on for all eternity. Having said that, let's move on to part 2 of this week's study.

“37) 'You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38) If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39) If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40) As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.' 41) After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.”

OK, let's all go back to our studies of chapter 18 from several weeks ago. Remember how Paul had been previously seized by the Temple authorities in Corinth? Gallio, the proconsul who served as the local magistrate there, had dismissed the charges against Paul straight out of hand (see verses 14-17) because the proceedings had been called for a religious dispute instead of issues of legality. Here at the conclusion of chapter 19, we find a similar occurrence in the verses above. The city clerk, whose name is not mentioned in this case, was clearly unhappy with what was happening, especially with all the noise and confusion. He rebukes them all, being the sole legal authority present: “38) If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39) If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.”

The city clerk's address to the crowd left no doubt as to who was in charge. I would call this an example of leadership in action. Take your demonstrations before the authorities, he ordered the crowd, and keep them out of the streets so people can go back to work. “As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” Right here is the underlying crux of the matter as far as the Ephesian populace was concerned, and especially for that city clerk. The place in which they were living was a part of the Roman Empire as it existed back then. So the city clerk was admonishing the crowd by telling them there would be hell to pay if the Romans ever found out what had occurred. And he was absolutely right.

Next week, as we move on to chapter 20 in this ongoing series of Biblical studies, Paul remained in Ephesus for only a short while longer, having realized that his days were numbered there. His very presence for the previous 2 years, together with the evangelizing activities of the church he had founded, were the spark that kindled the riot that had just occurred there. The time had come for Paul to move on, and he had by this time begun to quietly acknowledge that to himself, and soon after to the others with who he had worked for the last 2 years. So everyone be sure and return next week for another installment of this series on the writings of the apostle Luke, part 1 of chapter 20. I look forward to seeing you all then!

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 3 of Acts chapter 19

The Lucrative Business of Fake gods

Acts chapter 19, verses 23-31

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Last week when we finished part 2 of Acts chapter 19, the apostle Paul was performing many miraculous healings after his arrival in Ephesus, which we also discussed the previous week in part 1. After traveling all through the province of Asia, which took may months of arduous walking since Paul had no transportation, he arrived at Ephesus and made it his home for the next 2 years. This week as we begin part 3 of this 4-part series on Acts chapter 19, the effects of Paul's long stay in Ephesus are beginning to be felt far beyond their base at the lecture hall of Tyrannus (see verse 9). As a result, the leaders of other pagan religions there in Ephesus began to feel that Paul is encroaching on their 'territory'.

As time goes on, the growth of Christianity (called “The Way” back then, see verse 9) is spiking to the point that the other religious leaders feel threatened by the activities of Paul, and indirectly the other Twelve as well. But for now we will continue to focus on Paul's missionary journeys, with this being his second of three, not counting his journey to Rome, which was his last and which cost him his life. Concern is running so deep among those whose businesses were associated with all these various pagan religions that an emergency meeting has been called by a man who we would call the foreman, or maybe “lead craftsman”, for those who were associated with this pagan industry. So let's take up where we left off last week, beginning at verse 23.

“23) About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24) A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25) He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: 'You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26) And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 27) There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.'”

Here again in verse 23, we have an example of the early Church being called “The Way”. I wish that it were still so, since the name makes a lot more sense than all the various denominational names, which are like grains of sand on a beach. But Jesus Christ is The Way, the Truth and The Life, as John's gospel relates it to us, and that's where that name came from. So we have this individual Demetrius who makes silver shrines for their pagan god Artemis, and you can be sure he was charging a premium price for each and every one of those idols. He says in verse 25 and 26, “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26) And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.” To these people, Paul's activities had become intolerable in much the same way as the activities of Christ Jesus had infuriated the Jews in Jerusalem more than a decade earlier.

The apostle Paul, it seems, had “led astray large numbers of people” (according to Demetrius) by convincing them that “gods made by human hands are no gods at all”. How dare he do such a thing! After all, if their pagan gods were as fake as Paul said, then why were their businesses so successful? After all, they reasoned, we can judge things by the fruit that they bear. Since their idol-making enterprises were doing so well, that counts as 'bearing good fruit'. This, of course, was what I would now call defective reasoning, but never mind all that for the moment. Those who had been worshiping false gods, or none at all, found themselves being introduced to the real God, whose only Son died for us all. Some believed Paul and some did not, and those who didn't opposed Paul vigorously.

“27) There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” Today we have a goddess that is worshiped throughout the Western world, in all the capitalist countries, and that goddess is material prosperity and the things it can buy, including the world's largest military to protect it all. The driver of all this prosperity is the stock market, which is funded by banks. The banks, in turn, run on credit, which runs on confidence which keeps the whole thing going. But if everyone loses confidence (in their ability to repay each other), then the whole thing comes unraveled and falls apart. That's what happened during the 2008 crash on Wall Street that started the Great Recession.

So Demetrius and his cronies were afraid that Paul and The Way were going to destroy 'confidence' (the misplaced faith of their customers) in their businesses and cause them all to crash, sort of like what happened in 2008, except with religious overtones. And they were all livid with Paul and his helpers to such an extent that a mob scene and a riot unfolded, as we will see in part 2 of today's lesson. “28) When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' 29) Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. 30) Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31) Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.” (Acts 19, verses 28-31)

Understand that when the text says, “The whole city was in an uproar”, Ephesus at that time had a population of about 225,000 men, women and children. So it's easy to see that this crown easily numbered into the tens of thousands, possibly in excess of 100,000 people! Paul didn't stand a chance of being heard over all the noise and confusion, and yet evidently he wanted to try anyway. But as you can see, any attempt to do so would have cost him his life, and it wasn't Paul's time to depart this earth just yet. God had lots more work for Paul to do. That's why he was stopped by his associates and helpers from doing so. They were simply doing God's will. So how does the riot finally end? What will become of Paul and his helpers? To find out, you'll all have to come back next week for the conclusion of Acts chapter 19.

This week's ongoing Biblical study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 18

Paul Escapes Prosecution Again

[Acts chapter 18, verses 14-28]

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Last week as we left off at verse 13, the apostle Paul had once again found himself dragged before a judge by Jewish temple authorities, this time in Corinth. He was accused of, to quote verse 13, “persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.” This was followed, as I wrote last week, by the Jewish ruling council's presentation of their case for prosecution against Paul. As we start part 2 of our analysis of Acts 18 today, it is Paul's turn to speak in his own defense as was customary. Our own court system here in the US is modeled after that of the Roman Empire, which is why it is so riddled with problems. But before Paul gets a chance to defend himself, the Proconsul Gallio has a few words of his own, and that's where we'll begin part 2 of Acts chapter 18, starting at verse 14.

“14) Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, 'If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15) But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law – settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.' 16) So he drove them off. 17) Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.” (Acts 18, verses 14-17)

Do you see here how the Lord took a man who could have sentenced Paul to whatever, and turned him into an ally who viewed Paul as a hapless victim of the Jews? Gallio could have had Paul flogged, but he ordered him released instead. Chalk up another victory for the Spirit of the risen Lord! But there is much more here in between the lines of Luke's account of Paul at Corinth. Gallio, the proconsul and head authority of that region, was fully aware of Christianity's existence, and he knew who Jesus was and how he had been killed. He was also well aware of who had been responsible for his 'demise', and likely was not a believer. Gallio was, however, clearly a man who made it his business to know as much as he could learn about current events, as well as the people he worked with and dealt with on a daily basis. To sum it up, Gallio was a shrewd politician and ruthless governor who had no time for religious people and their beliefs.

That, based on what I'm reading in my Bible from which I'm taking this text, is why Gallio acted as he did. It's also why he said to the Jews who were Paul's accusers, “'....since it involves questions about words and names and your own law – settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.' So he drove them off.” Gallio was aware of the circumstances surrounding the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, and how they had handed Christ over to the Romans to be crucified. Gallio had made up his mind that he was going to refuse to do for the Jews at Corinth what Pontius Pilate had done for the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Once the Jews saw that their plan to have Paul killed had failed – let's face it, that's what they really wanted – they turned on their leader, as verse 17 recounts: “Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul....” Imagine a group of people beating up an elderly man, and you get an idea of the depravity of the Jews there at Corinth, as well as in Jerusalem. Now let's move on to part 2 of this week's study.

“18) Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19) They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20) When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21) But as he left, he promised, 'I will come back if it is God’s will.' Then he set sail from Ephesus.” Paul's specific reason for deciding to leave Corinth when he did is not shared in Luke's account, but evidently he felt like he had spent enough time there. So he left that church he had planted to go and plant others, and he started at Ephesus, together with the couple who helped him found that church. By this time they were old friends and long-time co-workers, and I'm sure they relished the opportunity to plant another church, and that's exactly what they did.

Once the church was on firm footing there, Paul left Priscilla and Aquila behind to be elders and overseers there, and so he went back to Antioch and Caesaria to visit the churches he had planted there as we see in verses 22-23. “When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.” If you have a map of Paul's missionary journeys, or if you can display it on your screen, you will see that Paul sailed across the Aegean Sea from Corinth in Greece to Antioch in Syria, a combined distance of 390 miles, if we include Paul's stop-over in Cenchreae. This could have taken up to several weeks back in those days. It was out of this 2^nd missionary journey of Paul's that the Book of Galatians and several others were ultimately written.

“24) Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25) He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26) He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. 27) When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28) For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.” (Acts 18, verses 24-28)

Into the picture comes Apollos, an Jewish Egyptian who had embraced Christ as Messiah and Lord. That, in and of itself, bears testimony to the power of the risen Savior. The Jews had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years, and yet nearly 2,000 years afterwards they were not only back in Egypt and prospering, they were converting to Christianity. Apollos was evidently a man who sought the heart of God, and he had found it in the risen Lord Christ Jesus. And, he was a very astute individual, as it is written in verse 24: “He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25) He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.” Apollos only had part of the picture when it came to his faith, but he made up for it with his zeal.

But it is evident that the meeting of Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla was not a coincidence. God meant for it to occur, as Luke recounted, “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him.” Two things are noteworthy here. First, Apollos received the correction of Aquila and Priscilla with the greatest of enthusiasm. This is the hallmark of every good Christian – that first and foremost we need to be teachable individuals, willing to listen to sound instruction. But, that instruction also needs to be delivered in a loving and inspirational way so that people are drawn in rather than driven away. This is exactly what Aquila and Priscilla did. Otherwise, why did Apollos respond to their correction so readily?

The best part of all this from the standpoint of the greater Church is that Apollos put his newly expanded and enriched knowledge about his faith right to work, as it says in verse 28: “For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.” Time after time Apollos proved that Jesus was the risen Lord, to the complete consternation of the Jewish 'religious leaders' of that time period. Every time he and Paul, together with the other 12 apostles, preached the message of the risen Savior, the Jews, together with their Roman benefactors, were reminded once again of the horrible mistake they had made by putting Jesus to death. Yet it was still necessary to do so, so that he could rise from the dead on the morning of the third day. So that concludes our lesson for this week. Next week we'll move on to part 1 of Acts chapter 19. See you then!

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 1 of Acts chapter 18

Paul Is Joined By Silas and Timothy in Corinth

[Acts chapter 18, verses 1-13]

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Last week when we left off in our chronological study of the writings of the apostle Luke, we completed the remainder of Acts chapter 17, where the apostle Paul had just finished evangelizing many of the Jews and Greeks in the Synagogue in Athens. His message that Sabbath morning had been none other than their souls being saved by the shed blood of Christ, who was slain and yet lives! He had made some remarks about one of the idols in the Aereopagus, which had the inscription, “To an unknown god”. That “unknown god”, Paul argued, was none other than the risen Christ, and he then used the Bible – our Old Testament, since that was the entire Bible at the time – to prove his point and so persuade as many as he could to place their faith in Christ alone. Some believed him, but others “sneered” at him, as I wrote last week.

This week as we begin part one of chapter 18, we discover the apostle Paul has left Athens for Corinth, a Grecian town roughly 100 Km west of Athens. It is at this point that Paul begins the process of founding a church in that city. So let's begin at verse one of Acts 18. (1) “After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2) There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3) and because he was a tent maker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4) Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 18, verses 1-4)

Although the apostle Luke did not specify Paul's reasons why he left Athens for Corinth, it may have been because of the significant amount of resistance from the native Greeks, particularly those whose livelihoods were tied to the idol-making industry that flourished at that time. Although Christian churches exist in Greece today, they are primarily of the Greek Orthodox faith, which is an entirely separate branch of Christendom. So Paul arrived in Corinth, and soon after befriends Aquila and his wife, and he gets an opportunity to earn some extra money as a worker in their tent making 'enterprise'.

Contrast the difference between the way Paul approached his ministry back then, and the way certain TV evangelists do today. In point of fact, they all want – even demand – 10% of your income, but Paul simply went to work when he needed money. But, he also honored the Sabbath by spending his single day off each week trying his best to persuade the local Jewish and Greek Corinthians that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The apostle Paul never asked any of them for a single dollar. Imagine Creflo Dollar working as a dishwasher, or Pat Robertson scrubbing toilets, and you get a good idea of what I mean....

“5) When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6) But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7) Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8) Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.” (Acts 18, verses 5-8)

You will recall from 2 weeks ago when Timothy and Silas had stayed at Berea to finish planting the church that they had founded together there with Paul. So evidently Timothy and Silas had traveled from Berea to Athens and, discovering that Paul had moved on to Corinth, caught up with him there. It was evidently at that point that Paul ceased his tent-making employment with Aquila and began once again to devote his full time occupation to that of itinerant preacher, especially since his 2 co-workers had arrived. When Luke wrote these words, he did not specify how much time had elapsed from the time of Silas and Timothy's arrival to the time of Paul's leaving the synagogue in protest, as he did in verse 6.

And so it is at this time in the history of the early Church that a major turning point occurs. Paul leaves the synagogue in disgust, vowing never to return, and he made good on that vow for the rest of his life, especially in Berea and Corinth. Without actually planning to do so, Paul left the synagogue and went to the first house he sees. Paul is so filled with frustration at this point that he begins going door to door, and I find Paul's passion and zeal very noteworthy here. Most other preachers, if faced with such a situation where they were compelled to leave as Paul was, might well throw up their hands and quit. Seriously, they would simply walk away thinking to themselves, “I've had just about enough of this”. But not the apostle Paul. He was so overwhelmed with determination he started knocking on doors!

And so Paul moved on “....to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.” Paul's fortunes changed immediately upon his stepping away from the synagogues and taking his message straight to the people. The very first door he knocked on was opened to him by Titius Justus, just as
Jesus taught in Matthew 7, verses 7-8: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

It's also a lesson on the early history of populism as told through the Bible. Not populism in the strictly political sense, but more in the way the Gospel was originally spread during the times of the early Church (see earlier lessons on Acts 4: 32-37). They are not exactly alike, but there are similarities, such as the fact that they are both powered from the bottom up. One way to visualize this is to imagine a lateral peer-to-peer management and government that replaces the current top-down structure. But before I drift off-topic, let's quickly finish up this week's study, beginning at verse 9.

“9) One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: 'Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10) For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.' 11) So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. 12) While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13) 'This man,' they charged, 'is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.'”

So now we are at the point where the early Church, at least from Paul's point of view, has moved on from the synagogues to private homes. As my long-time readers know, the churches in Paul's letters were all located in private homes, especially when they were first planted. This was done to follow the teachings of Christ (see Matt. 10, verses 11-15). And now that Silas and Timothy were with him, Paul gained the time and resources he needed to preach, teach and evangelize the Good News of Jesus Christ. It was at approximately this point in his ministry there at Corinth that Paul got the message of great encouragement that is documented in verses 9 and 10. I can only imagine my own joy at receiving a message like that audibly from the Lord, but I get plenty of Spiritual encouragement from him already, and it serves me very well for the most part. If I ever get anything more than that, such as a vision like Paul's, I will consider it to be a bonus.

And yet upon getting that encouragement through the vision he received, it was soon after that Paul found himself dragged before Junius Gallio, the Roman proconsul of Achaia (the apostle Paul was at Corinth circa A.D. 53) under the emperor Claudius. So this guy Gallio was our modern equivalent of a governor. The accusations leveled against him must have sounded very familiar to Paul by now: “'This man,' they charged, 'is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law'”. And so the Jews and their allies, not to mention their financial backers, are all seated on one side of the aisle, and Paul – with Silas, Timothy, and Titius Justus likely close by – and a few others are seated on the other. Like our modern-day court system in at least some ways, the prosecution comes prepared to present their case to Proconsul Gallio. What did they say and how did they say it? More importantly, what does Paul say in response? To find out, come on back next week for part 2 of Acts chapter 18. Enjoy the rest of your day!

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 16

Locked Up for the Gospel Again

[Acts chapter 16, verses 16-28]

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When we left off last week at verse 15, Paul and Silas had been invited to stay – and were staying by the time this week's study takes place – at the house of Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth and a business owner. This was just after her conversion at Philippi, having been baptized by Paul and Silas in the river at the place where they had met. This week we will move on starting at verse 16, where Paul and Silas run into trouble on the way to that same place of prayer where they had met Lydia before.

“16) Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17) She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.' 18) She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her. 19) When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20) They brought them before the magistrates and said, 'These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21) by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.' 22) The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23) After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24) When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”

First of all, let's just set aside for the moment all religious pretense and theology. The Bible is clearly telling us two things about predicting the future and those claiming to possess the ability to do so. First, we can't and we were never meant to, at least not in our natural state. Second, those who can, as we are about to find out, are demon-possessed people – literally – because otherwise that individual would have no such ability. Paul and Silas ignored her for a long time even though she followed them wherever they went. But even Paul and Silas had their breaking point. “Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.” And so Paul rebuked the evil spirit that had seized control of the young slave girl and drove it out with only the spoken words, “Come out of her!”. Only the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of the risen Christ has that kind of instant and formidable power.

Driving out that evil spirit had unintended consequences for Paul and Silas, as we find out in the very next verse. “19) When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20) They brought them before the magistrates and said, 'These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21) by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.'” These men were furious because Paul and Silas had ruined their cash cow, and it is evident that the young woman was nothing more than a cash cow to her captors. We would call her a victim of human trafficking victim today. If they were standing before the throne of God at Judgment Day, I suspect the slave girl would be allowed to enter heaven, but her captors wouldn't be so fortunate.

“After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.” This just goes to show you that being a Christian can get you singled out by the authorities in a hurry, especially if what you're teaching and preaching goes against the status quo. Being a Christian – and by that I mean living your faith as opposed to merely professing idle belief – is no cakewalk, and anyone who implies otherwise is trying to mislead you into joining their congregation so they can milk you for money. Stay away from those churches, they are filled with vultures in human form. But to get back to our lesson, one byproduct of serving Christ is that whenever we drive demons out, their demon friends are sure to come around looking to stir up trouble – with ourselves. And so Paul and Silas found themselves getting “severely flogged” before being put into a maximum security cell. And so now let's move on to part two of this week's study, beginning at verse 25.

“25) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26) Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27) The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28) But Paul shouted, 'Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!'” (Acts 16, verses 25-28)

As we can see there in verse 25, it didn't matter where Paul and Silas went – they either preached and taught the Word of God and the Way of salvation, or they were in a mode of prayer and praise, full time 24x7. There was no other way to get the Word of God out to the people, since there was no mass media as we know today. The other prisoners, wrote the apostle Luke, sat up and listened to them, having never heard such prayers being spoken or such prayers being uttered as those of Paul and Silas. I wonder how many of them gave their hearts to the Lord, either while still in jail or after being released? Someday we will all know for sure, as we meet one another in heaven.

But then came a violent earthquake, and the prison doors were flung open, undoubtedly at the direction of the Lord Almighty. Next, “The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.” The jailer, who would have faced the death penalty because he failed his mission, thought it fitting to end his own life on his terms, rather than face a Roman court. The world was a very harsh place back then, and the death penalty was handed down by the Roman Empire with alarming regularity. Joining the Roman legions back then was like joining the Mafia – you served until death, and if one's death was a bit premature, well, that's too bad because that's life. Those Romans were not nice people to work for.

But Paul, knowing all this, prevented the jailer from doing so in verse 28. “But Paul shouted, 'Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!'” In true Christ-like fashion, Paul showed compassion for his captors, even though he and Silas had been beaten severely just hours before. How did the jailer react when he realized Paul and Silas had saved his life? To get the answer to this probing question, you'll have to come back next week for part three of Acts chapter 16. See you then!

This week's BIble study will move on to part 1 of Acts chapter 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

[Acts chapter 16, verses 1-15]

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This week, in our ongoing study of the chronology of the writings of the apostle Luke, we'll be moving on to Acts chapter 16. When we concluded Acts 15 last week, Paul and Barnabas had split into two teams after having a considerable disagreement about whether the apostle Mark should come with them. But this breakup over what amounted to a personnel issue was exactly what God had planned, since the two men who had been working together for several previous years were now split up into two teams. Barnabas took Mark, who was rejoining the apostles after a hiatus of undetermined length, and sailed for Cyprus. Paul took Silas and “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches”. So today, as we begin part one of Acts 16, Paul and Silas have departed Antioch and are in the process of moving from town to town – which is where we will begin at verse one.

“1) Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2) The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3) Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. 6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8) So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9) During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10) After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16, verses 1-10)

So Paul and Silas go back to where he and Barnabas had been before, to the churches they had planted together in Derbe and Lystra. The apostle Paul wanted to introduce Silas to these churches as his new coworker, as well as to further build these churches up in the strength and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was at Lystra, where Timothy lived, that he was introduced to Paul and Silas, and who ultimately had 2 books in the New Testament named after him. But then in verse 3, we encounter something a bit unexpected – as a condition to entering the ministry and being co-workers with Paul and Silas, Paul has him circumcised. The Bible's reason is clearly stated: “Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”

I'm sure you remember from last week's study that this very topic was debated at length at the Council at Jerusalem, and that the decision had been handed down that Jewish believers in Jesus should not compel, not was it necessary to require, new Gentile converts to Christianity to be circumcised. And yet, the first thing Paul did with Timothy was to have him circumcised! The apostle Paul was an orthodox Jew, and a former member of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, so Jewish customs meant a great deal to him. Granted, all those who knew Timothy knew his father was Gentile and his mother Jewish. Paul did not have Timothy circumcised to honor his mother, he did so in the name of 'peaceful coexistence' between Jews and Greeks there at Lystra, and as a Jewish man. As I wrote in last week's study, Paul was one of those people who were set in their ways, even if it meant going against the grain of the new faith in which he believed so strongly and taught so fervently. For that reason, I think he also circumcised Timothy as a condition of being his co-worker. Remember, this was the same man who said gay people can't be saved, who said that the apostle Mark should be banned from the ministry, and who said women should not be allowed to preach or teach, but should “remain silent”.

“4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” With this being done, the old requirement of male circumcision was done away with for good – except for certain churches that insist on continuing with this apostasy to this day. We went over that in part 2 of Acts 15. This decision strengthened the faith of the believers immeasurably, because the burden of of Old Law had been lifted for good. At last they were free to practice their faiths without feeling like they had Moses and the prophets constantly looking over their shoulders.

“6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” The geographic locations Luke was referring to here make up the area around the Black Sea, in what would be the southwestern Russian provinces today. After around the eight century, this area became predominantly Muslim, and it remains so to this day. And so they ended up going to Macedonia. And now let's move on to part 2 of this week's study, beginning at verse eleven.

“11) From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12) From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15) When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.”

Troas, Samothrace and Neapolis were 3 towns within a couple days walk from each other. All these towns were on or near the Mediterranean coast, in the northeast corner of that body of water, where modern-day Turkey shares a border with Macedonia. From there they went on to Philippi, the capital, where they founded the church whose name would inspire the Book of Philippians. “13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”

The reason they had to go outside the city gate to pray is because there was evidently no synagogue where they could go. Or at least, not there in Philippi. So they went down to the river to pray, and presumably to bathe, although the Bible leaves out little details like that. So they encountered a group of women there, who were presumably getting their daily washing done, and they convert Lydia to the faith. So moved by the experience is Lydia that she insists on giving Paul and Silas lodging for the duration of their stay. “When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.” And so Paul and Silas stayed there at Lydia's house for the duration of their stay there. And next week, when we move on to part 2 of Acts 16, we'll see what happens next, as Paul and Silas find themselves in the same bad situation that Peter had found himself in Acts chapter 12 – in jail for the sake of the Gospel. See you next week!

This week's Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 12

Peter Rejoins the Believers as King Herod Dies

[Acts chapter 12, verses 13-25]

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Last week when we concluded the first half of Acts chapter 12, the apostle Peter had just been miraculously set free from prison by what the Bible calls an “angel”. Personally, I do believe angels exist, and I think everyone has a guardian angel. There are skeptics and scoffers, I know, but I don't let that bother me. I can recall a time back in 1980 when I was hit head-on by a drunk driver who was southbound in the northbound lanes of I-65 just north of Nashville, Tennessee. I didn't break a single bone, and I'm certain to this day that my guardian angel's intervention is why I survived that awful accident. Similarly, Peter's guardian angel, or some other agent of the Lord, is what spared him from the execution that awaited him the following day. This week as we start the second half of chapter 12, Peter has just realized that his escape from prison is not just a dream as he first thought. So he has gone to the house of Mary, the mother of the apostle Mark, the same man who wrote the Gospel of Mark. Numerous individuals were inside, praying earnestly to the Lord on Peter's behalf. When Peter arrives, he starts knocking on the door, and that's where we will begin starting at verse 13. 

 

“13) Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14) When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 15) “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16) But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17) Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place. 18) In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19) After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.” (Acts 12, verses 13-19)

In another time and place, what happened in the first 3 verses could have been comical. When Peter shows up at the door and identifies himself to Rhoda, the servant girl, she breaks into her 'happy dance'! “When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” So there they are at their serious all night prayer vigil for the apostle Peter, praying their hearts out that Peter's life might somehow be spared. Peter then becomes the embodiment of the answer to their prayers, even while they were praying, and yet they don't believe it. They wouldn't even get up to answer the door. They were too busy praying. People still made these kinds of mistakes, these errors in perception, all the time.

“But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” There was the answer to their prayers, standing in front of them! You know, God really can answer prayers in dramatic fashion just like he did with the saints in Jerusalem, where all this took place. He wants to do these same kinds of things in the lives of anybody and everyone who will simply place their faith in God and then – and here's the hard part – step aside and let God take control. Only those who are willing to humble themselves in such a way will be considered worthy of eternal life. “Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.” As you can see, the apostle Peter knew when to get the heck out of town!

Peter's guards in the prison where he was being held all found themselves executed at the hands of king Herod, as we saw in verse 19. Innocent people being executed for crimes they are falsely accused of has been occurring ever since government was first established, which was at least 5,000 years ago with the Sumerians, and probably a lot further back than that. Clearly the most egregious example of the abuse of authority would be the crucifixion of Christ. In modern times we have The Innocence Project, a nonprofit dedicated to pursuing wrongful convictions and freeing the innocent. Stories of their accomplishments pop up on the evening news from time to time, one of the few worthwhile things the mainstream media does with their time and resources. It's nice to know that, here on earth as it is in heaven, we have angels in human form who have dedicated themselves to this noble and noteworthy task. I hope there will be more good people who will devote their time to freeing the innocent as well. And now let's move on to part 2 of today's lesson, starting at verse 19.

“19) After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20) He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply. 21) On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22) They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23) Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. 24) But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. 25) When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.” (Acts 12, verses 19-25)

Clearly, Herod got what he had coming to him. First he had had the prison guards executed for failing to stop an angel of the Lord – an impossibility. Then he goes to Caesaria to have an audience – similar to a town hall meeting today – with some people he had been “quarreling with”. That is, Herod's troops were decimating their people through aggressive law enforcement campaigns, not unlike what the police do today. They were killing innocent civilians, and now the people of Tyre and Sidon risked having their food supply cut off if they didn't come to the bargaining table with the king and his team of support staff, presumably to be extorted for payment. “.... they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace....” So there you have it, the peace talks are now being convened, and Herod delivers his message to the people. Evidently his message was not at all conciliatory, and so his entourage and the audience roared their approval by declaring jointly that Herod was a god, that he was divinity in the flesh. As you can see, Herod had quite a cult following!

“They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died....” As you just read, there is only one true God, only one King of the universe, only one heavenly Father. When Herod's followers declared him to be a god, his silent approval became his death warrant, and God struck him down right in front of everyone. Let this be a lesson for us all on Who is in charge. Herod was a hated despot, an evil and vicious dictator who regularly amused himself by abusing his authority. The blood of many was on his hands, and he couldn't have cared less. So when he was struck down by the Lord in full view of all the people, everyone immediately knew who the real, authentic God was, and who is! The fact the Herod was “eaten by worms” tells us he never even got a proper burial. They simply threw his body down a ravine somewhere outside of town, where he was left to decompose in the hot Middle Eastern sun. Such is the ultimate fate of tyrants.

“But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.” So after all has been said and done, Barnabas and Saul finished their mission in Antioch, and left to meet up with the apostle Mark while Peter departed in the opposite direction in order to elude those who sought to execute him. Meanwhile, the early Church continued to grow by leaps and bounds as it was being turbocharged by the Holy Spirit! And so everyone had departed from there by this time, since Peter had escaped from that location. But the apostle Peter's ordeal, combined with his miraculous escape, made the early Church grow all the more. And next week when we return, we'll be moving on to chapter 13. Take good care, everyone....