This week's ongoing Bible teaching will be part 1 of Acts chapter 21

This week's ongoing Biblical study on the Progressive Christian Blog with Author & Web Minister Paul J. Bern will be part 1 of Acts chapter 21; accompanied by the apostle Luke, the apostle Paul begins his journey to Jerusalem -- https://www.pcmatl.org/weekly-bible-study #destinycalls

 

Ongoing Bible study this week will be part 3 of Acts chapter 20

This week's ongoing Biblical study on the progressive Christian Blog with Author & Web Minister Paul J. Bern will be part 3 of Acts chapter 20; the apostle Paul bids his longtime companions a tearful farewell -- https://www.pcmatl.org/weekly-bible-study #realteaching #realtruth #realdedication

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

 

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 Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 19

The Name of the Lord Becomes Well Known in Asia

[Acts chapter 19, verses 13-22]

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Last week when we completed part one of Acts 19, the apostle Paul had amassed an enormous amount of healing power through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He was actively accessing this implanted power – power that he did not possess himself, but which had been imparted by his baptism with the Holy Spirit of the risen Lord Christ Jesus. Untold scores had been healed of various diseases or medical conditions, possibly even thousands. All this was occurring in the city of Ephesus, in what is now western Turkey. It was to the church there that the Book of Ephesians in the New Testament was written. There were also some other disciples who were driving demons out of victims of demonic possession, and that is where we will begin this week's lesson. So let's all start off together at verse 13.

“13) Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, 'In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.' 14) Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15) One day the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?' 16) Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” (Acts 19, verses 13-16)

Demonic possession is very real, and it is not something that can be trifled around with. The 1970's movie, “The Exorcist” barely scratched the surface when it comes to something as serious as demonic possession. These 7 sons of Sceva, as the apostle Luke relates, evidently thought they could drive out demons by a human combination of determination, focus and faith. While all three are certainly worthy of consideration as it applies to our topic, there is one missing ingredient that is vitally important to ministry – the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Remember last week's study when Paul asked in verse 2 of chapter 19 if the brothers at Ephesus had received Holy Spirit baptism? They had no knowledge of the Holy Spirit, meaning they also had no understanding of Christ's resurrection. When asked whose baptism they had, they replied, “John's”, meaning John the Baptist. John the Baptist, you will recall from our study of Luke's gospel, had been executed decades previously by King Herod. No one knows the exact date of his execution, but it was probably in the years 28-29 AD (Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-27; Luke 9:9) after Herod the Tetrarch imprisoned John the Baptist in 27 AD (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14) at the behest of Herodias his brother's wife whom he took as his mistress. (Matthew 14:3-5; Mark 6:17-20)

It is likely that, like the believers Paul found at Ephesus, the 7 sons of Sceva had John's water baptism but not that of the Holy Spirit. Why is this significant? Because no one can drive out demons except by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Things that are solid cannot drive out spiritual things any more than one can mix oil and water. In that instance, neither can drive out the other, nor can they be mixed together. In the same way, it is not possible for someone without the baptism of the Holy Spirit to drive out demons, let alone be effective at it (see John's gospel chapter 3 for the meaning of Holy Spirit baptism). So, when Sceva's sons tried to drive the demon out of their 'customer' in verse 16, “.... the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” That's what you get for playing around with real demons, like Sceva's sons were doing. You'll be lucky to survive such an encounter as that, and that's no joke either. And now let's move on to part 2 of this week's ongoing lesson.

“17) All the people in Ephesus – Jews and Greeks – learned about this and were filled with fear and gave great honor to the Lord Jesus. 18) Many of the believers began to confess openly and tell all the evil things they had done. 19) Some of them who had used magic brought their magic books and burned them before everyone. Those books were worth about fifty thousand silver coins. 20) So in a powerful way the word of the Lord kept spreading and growing. 21) After these things, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, planning to go through the countries of Macedonia and southern Greece and then on to Jerusalem. He said, 'After I have been to Jerusalem, I must also visit Rome.' 22) Paul sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, ahead to Macedonia, but he himself stayed in Asia for a while.” (Acts 19, verses 17-22)

So the incident with the 7 sons of Sceva caused a sensation throughout that part of the world. People everywhere, “.... were filled with fear and gave great honor to the Lord Jesus. Many of the believers began to confess openly and tell all the evil things they had done.” Confession, as you just read, is an integral part of practicing Christianity. In fact, Christianity in the absence of confession and repentance is really not Christian at all. The Bible tells us to confess our sins, errors, imperfections and faults, first to God and then to each other. Openness with one another is a requirement of Christianity, and keeping our relationships honest and open is vital to living Christianity as a lifestyle rather than merely as a set of beliefs. Moreover, nobody can fool God. They would only be kidding themselves.

“19) Some of them who had used magic brought their magic books and burned them before everyone. Those books were worth about fifty thousand silver coins. 20) So in a powerful way the word of the Lord kept spreading and growing.” This occurrence in verse 19, where fifty thousand silver coins would equal roughly $750,000 in today's money (assuming one ounce of silver per coin), is what I would call an example of true repentance. Any time you have a group of people willing to throw away what could have amounted to their life's savings for their newfound belief in a blessed Savior and Redeemer, I'd call that genuine faith and repentance any day of the year.

Following all these things, Paul stayed in various places in the province of Asia (not the continent), vowing to visit Jerusalem and his old enemies there before working his way towards Rome. “He said, 'After I have been to Jerusalem, I must also visit Rome.' Paul sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, ahead to Macedonia, but he himself stayed in Asia for a while.” Now Macedonia is fairly close to where the country is situated today, although their borders do not correspond exactly. The province of Asia, as it was known back then, comprises the western half of modern Turkey, and that is where Paul remained as he preached, taught and planted churches. He had no itinerary, no schedule, and no paycheck, and yet he was in his element because he was doing what God had called him to do, and he did so with fervor and purpose. He was living his life to the fullest, which is precisely what we all need to be doing, if we're not doing so already. Never worrying about money, where he would spend that night, what he would have to eat, or whether his sandals would wear out, Paul was called to be an apostle because Paul was a man who knew how to get his priorities straight.

Few people are like the apostle Paul. So few know how to get their priorities straight. They don't know what truly matters in life. Their lives are filled with social media skimming, TV show and movie streaming, video games, virtual reality, and pornography. All some people want to do is have fun all the time. Unfortunately, life simply doesn't work like that, nor was it ever designed to. So for this week, your assignment is to find out what really matters to you the most. If it's any of the above things, or if it's an addiction, you're on the wrong track. But please don't get mad at me for writing this. I'm just a guy who really cares and who really wants to help. But, if you are already doing these things, then keep up the good work. And next week we'll move on to part 3 of Acts 19.

This week's ongoing Bible study will move on to Acts 19 part 1

The Apostle Paul In Ephesus

[Acts chapter 19, verses 1-12]

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This week, in our chronological studies of the writings of the apostle Luke, we will be moving on to part 1 of Acts chapter 19, where we find the apostle Paul has made his way from where he was in Corinth up into the interior of what would be southeastern Asia Minor today, hundreds of miles northeast of Rome or northwest of Jerusalem. He traveled up through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, in what would be roughly northwestern Turkey today. And so today as we begin this week's in-depth analysis, we find Paul has eventually arrived in Ephesus, a city on the western coast of what is modern Turkey, and that's where we'll start, beginning at verse one.

“1) While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2) and asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' 3) So Paul asked, 'Then what baptism did you receive?' 'John’s baptism,' they replied. 4) Paul said, 'John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.' 5) On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6) When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7) There were about twelve men in all.” (Acts 19, verses 1-7)

So here we have the apostle Paul having just arrived in Ephesus, where he found some disciples, or other Christian believers of mixed Jewish and Gentile heritage. Notice that by now, Paul had made good on his vow to leave Judaism and take the Gospel to the Gentile nations, as we read in part one of chapter 18 from two weeks ago. As a result, he had traveled in a large semi-circle throughout the interior of what would be western and west-central Turkey today. At his farthest point in this second missionary journey, Paul was within about 150 miles of the northern coast, near the Black Sea. Now that he has arrived back at the coast again, he resolves to strengthen the church that had been planted there, evidently by a disciple of John the Baptist decades before.

As you can see, the ministry of John the Baptist was far more significant and had a far greater reach than what is being taught in churches today, particularly here in North America. That's why he said in Luke chapter 7, “I must decrease so that He may increase.” (see Luke 7, verses 18-35, which we studied a while back, for the full story on John the Baptist) Today's “prosperity gospel” says that we all must increase, and by as wide a margin as possible. To put it bluntly, this is raw hogwash. But Luke's narrative continues, “....and (Paul) asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' So Paul asked, 'Then what baptism did you receive?' 'John’s baptism,' they replied.”

The reason these people had embraced John's baptism is because they had seen a need within themselves to lead better lives and to be a lot more caring towards others. To sum it up, they had repented of their old ways and embraced new ways of thinking and of living by emulating the teachings of Jesus Christ. If everybody did this, the world would truly be a much better place. But the only baptism they had ever heard of had been that of John the Baptist. In today's terminology, they had incomplete information. So then Paul says to them, “....John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.' 5) On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6) When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them....” Notice that the only way Holy Spirit baptism can be administered is by the laying on of hands, just like the only way water baptism can be administered is by water immersion. Pouring a few drops of water across a baby's forehead is not real baptism, folks, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but it's the truth. And now let's move on to part 2 of this week's study.

“8) Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9) But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10) This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 11) God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12) so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” (Acts 19, verses 8-12)

So here in verse 8, we see that Paul has had a change of heart, and is once again back in a synagogue, where he and his fathers before him had been educated and raised. It can be a difficult thing to have to renounce one's religion, but this was, once again, what Paul – a lifelong Jew – found himself forced to do. So Paul and those with him move to a lecture hall, which was presumably either paid for out of church proceeds, or the space was given to Paul by Christian sympathizers and true believers. And, they stayed there for two full years, six months longer than Paul had stayed in Corinth. Notice too, God was unable to work any miracles through Paul until he stepped away from the synagogue completely. Once that was completed, the miracles worked by God through his willing servant Paul flowed like water out of a fire hydrant.

“....even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” This did not happen because Paul had special powers just because he was an apostle, as some church denominations erroneously teach. All these miraculous healings took place because Paul, like John the Baptist before him, caused himself to “decrease so that He may increase'. He voluntarily relinquished all ownership of the healing of those who were healed so that he could be used by God to be God's healer, like a conduit for God's tremendous power, which is unimaginably vast and deep. So Paul stayed at Ephesus and built the church there. Next week when we return for part two, we will see where all this leads, and how some who purported to emulate Paul's healing powers would up getting badly beaten for their trouble. So everyone please be sure and return next week for part 2. Shalom!

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 Biblical study will be part 3 of Acts chapter 17

The Apostle Paul Concludes His Remarks at Athens

[Acts chapter 17, verses 24-34]

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Last week when we closed out part 2 of this 3 part series on Acts 17, Paul had been sent ahead of Silas and Timothy to Athens to begin organizing a church there. Upon his arrival, Paul was dismayed to find a city with a god for everything you can think of. He even found a statue with the inscription, “To an unknown god”, as it is written: “....as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship – and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” (Acts 17: 23) Beginning in verse 24, the starting point for this week's lesson, the apostle Paul lays it out for them all, but he leaves his message up to his audience as to its interpretation.

“24) The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25) And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26) From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27) God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28) ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29) Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17, verses 24-30)

The God who made the heavens and the earth – the One true God – doesn't live in temples. The same is still just as true today as it was back then. Go into any brick-and-mortar church and what do we see? Mainly brick and mortar, a bunch of church seats or pews, and a smattering of musical instruments and pro audio equipment. God is nowhere to be found. All one has to do is sit through one of their quickie 45-minute Sunday services, and it's plain to see that the Spirit of the Lord is conspicuously absent. All that there is are the minds and hearts of men and women, erroneously supposing that their very presence in that building counts towards their redemption in Christ. Yet Paul hit the nail on the head when he wrote concerning this: “... he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth....” Do you get it now? God doesn't need us to come to churches, he wants us to come to Him!

“27) God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28) ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.....'” God doesn't 'need' us like in the human sense, but he does want us to be near to him. When I tell people God loves them more than any of us could possibly imagine, I'm not trying to 'game' anybody, nor do I feel a need to deceive people in order to convince them of God's authenticity. God simply loves us as his one-of-a-kind creations. Each of us is one out of 7 billion. Each of us are just that special, yet a disturbing number of people refuse to believe it. Sometimes all I can do is shake my head and pray for them.

“29) Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone — an image made by human design and skill. 30) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” We are God's offspring – literally his adopted kids, whom he has made in his image and likeness (see Genesis 1: 27-28). God is a divine being made of Spirit, of a nature that is indiscernible to the bulk of humanity. He cannot be imitated, even by the finest artisans of the purest silver or of 24 karat gold. I mean, if we as God's creations can't so much as hold a candle to God, then how much less mere precious metals? At least they can be mined to replace that which has been refined and resold, but human lives are irreplaceable. Now you know why God loves each of us so much. Each of us is his own custom model, one in 7 billion, like a trophy-winning custom car or van at a rod and custom auto show – but one that walks and talks.

What this also means is that God is not like structures of stone, as Paul pointed out in verse 29. Obviously this would include brick-and-mortar churches, which is why I have never joined any Christian denominations and never will. I don't have a brick and mortar church myself. This online ministry, which was inspired by God, remains 100% online, and I have never drawn a salary from any of my work. Although I never pass around a collection plate, anyone who wants to may donate from this link.

Our relationship with God doesn't depend on whether one attends church or not – although it remains beneficial to do so – nor does it depend on how much money we give. What does matter is whether or not we know Him personally, often spending our days in a silent but ongoing conversation with our Lord and Savior. I do this all the time. What about you? Have you been doing any or all of these things? If not, don't you think it's time to get that relationship started? Repent of your old ways, all of you, and find a good place to make a fresh start with your Creator. And now let's conclude this week's study, starting from verse 31.

“31) 'For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.' 32) When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, 'We want to hear you again on this subject.' 33) At that, Paul left the Council. 34) Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.” As we can all clearly see right here, some believed Paul's words of preaching and persuasion while others scoffed at the very notion of a man risen from the dead, even if he were God's Son. In 2,000 years, nothing has changed except for the fact that some place their faith in Christ while others do not. They think they stand alone, needing no one to help them. I wonder how many thousands of people in California were like that before the fires of this past season took everything they had, including their very lives? Don't be like them. Place your faith in Jesus and he will make you able to stand up to all the bitter disappointments life has to offer. And next week we'll move on to chapter 18 of the Book of Acts.

This week's ongoing Bible teaching will move on to part two of Acts chapter 17

Paul Leaves Berea for Athens,

Leaving Silas and Timothy Behind

[Acts chapter 17, verses 13-23]

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Last week as we finished part one of Acts chapter 17, Paul, Silas and Timothy had traveled from Thessalonica to Berea to escape persecution from the Jews at the Temple at Thessalonica. But their efforts were not in vain. In point of fact they gained immortality, as Paul's first and second letters to the Thessalonians in our New Testament testify today. This week as we move on to part 2 of Acts 17, Paul and Silas' tormentors – like modern-day trolls – have discovered through their informants that Paul and Silas are now preaching and teaching the Word in Berea, a small city about 45 miles to the west of Thessalonica. It is at this point that we will begin this week's lesson, starting at verse 13.

“13) But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14) The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15) Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.” (Acts 17, verses 13-15)

Notice that even though Silas and Timothy were with him, Paul was the only one the Jewish leaders from Thessalonica were interested in. Let's recall how Paul was converted back in chapter nine – how he was a former member of the same Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, that had handed Christ over to Pilate to be crucified. Now that Paul had been totally converted, he was devoting the rest of his life to spreading the Good News of Christ, and to disavowing his former compatriots from the Sanhedrin. But what infuriated the Jewish religious leadership the most was Paul's charging them all with complicity in the murder of the very Man who was their Savior and Redeemer. It was for this very reason that the Sanhedrin wanted to crucify Paul just like they had Jesus Christ.

“.... when the Jews…. learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14) The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast...” Like the believers at Jerusalem who spirited Paul out of there in Acts chapter 9 in order to spare his life, Paul found that very thing happening again as he was spirited out of Berea to lay low in Athens for awhile. Being a Christian preacher back in those days was a very hazardous calling. In some parts of the world, it still is. “.... Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.” So Paul, after being escorted to the coast for his own safety, grabs the next ship to Athens, with his passage presumably paid by the church since Paul worked without a salary. At this point we can comfortably move on to part 2 of this week's study, beginning at verse 16.

“16) While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17) So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18) A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, 'What is this babbler trying to say?' Others remarked, 'He seems to be advocating foreign gods.' They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19) Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, 'May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20) You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.' 21) (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)' 22) Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23) For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship – and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.'”

The sights that the apostle Paul saw in Athens reminded him of the first commandment of the traditional Ten: “1) And God spoke all these words: 2) 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3) You shall have no other gods before me. 4) You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.'” (Exodus 20, verses 1-4) So now you know why Paul was so, frankly, offended by what he saw in Athens, where there were all these different statues everywhere, these monuments to gods that existed only in the imaginations of the people. “17) So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18) A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, 'What is this babbler trying to say?' Others remarked, 'He seems to be advocating foreign gods.' They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.” Acts 17: 17-18)

The first century Greeks were similar in some ways to modern India. They had a god for just about anything you can think of, from money to sex to political power, plus a lot of things we normally consider to be carnal, such as gods of masculinity and femininity, and so on. But Paul was a Jewish man raised on the 10 commandments, and he correctly believed in them, particularly the first one, which I quoted above. Paul saw an opportunity to introduce them to the one true God, whose only Son had saved them from all their sins, and he immediately took the opportunity when asked. “'May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.'” There are times in life when we receive instruction that, while correct at the time it was taught, is ultimately replaced through the advancement of knowledge and human progress. This was one of those times. All their lives these Greeks had been taught that there were a multitude of gods for as many different things, but they were about to find out otherwise.

“'People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god.... and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.'” In the very next verses Paul begins to teach them – word upon word, thought upon thought, precept upon precept as he leads the Greeks to their risen Savior. The apostle Paul, who could have shown his displeasure at the Greeks' flagrant idolatry as a means of trying to convict them of their wrongdoing, showed much mercy and forgiveness toward these Greeks for their idolatry – not to be tolerant towards it, but rather to show them the mercy, loving-kindness and compassion for all of humanity. So, how well did this resonate with the crowd who had by now gathered around Paul? Come on back next week as we examine part 3 of Acts 17, and you will see. But most of all, you may find yourselves being able to identify with some of those in Paul's audience during those days. In so doing, I hope to lead even more of my readers to their risen Lord and Savior, who does not live in churches, but inside the hearts of men and women the world over.

This week's continuing Bible study will be moving on to part 1 of Acts 17

Paul and Silas' Missionary Journey Continues

[Acts chapter 17, verses 1-12]

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Last week when we concluded Acts 16, Paul and Silas had just left Philippi, where they had been imprisoned for the previous 24 hours, and where they had been beaten with whips. But for Paul and Silas, it was worth it all considering how many people had been led to the Lord there. Moreover, the people of Philippi were so deeply moved and inspired by the 2 apostles' resolute courage that they founded a church there. It is this very church to which Paul later wrote his letter to them, which ultimately was turned into the Book of Philippians, one of the most inspiring reads in all the New Testament. Having completed the first portion of their journey, they traveled east to Thessalonica, and then still further to Berea in the area around the border between Greece and Turkey today. And so as we begin part one of this week's in-depth study of Acts 17, we find Paul and Silas heading to Thessalonica.

“1) When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2) As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3) explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. 'This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,' he said. 4) Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. 5) But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6) But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: 'These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7) and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus. 8) When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9) Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.” (Acts 17, verses 1-9)

Into the synagogue at Thessalonica went Paul and Silas to preach the Word. Evidently, they were well received, otherwise they would not have been invited a total of three times. They were also quite effective in their testimony and their instruction, as we see in verses 3 and 4: “....explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. 'This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,' he said. 4) Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.” So here we have the apostle Paul, sometimes called “the 13^th apostle” in some theological circles today, telling it like it truly is to those in attendance at the synagogue at Thessalonica. Jesus is the risen Lord and Savior, Paul told them, making him Messiah, and the entire Hebrew nation had missed it, not realizing who Christ was. Also, notice once again that there were at least as many non-Jews in attendance in the synagogue as there were Jews.

“5) But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6) But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials....” Things were much the same back then as they are today – those in positions of power and authority will inevitably abuse their authority every chance they get. So it was with the synagogue leadership there in Thessalonica, who organized a mob for the sole express purpose of forcibly removing Paul and Silas from Jason's house, presumably to take them outside the city gates and to kill them both. But the Lord was with them, I am sure, because they both knew to stay elsewhere that night. There is no way that Paul's and Silas' absence from Jason's house was a mere coincidence. This, everyone, is just one example of multitudes regarding what great lengths God will go to in order to protect preachers of and believers in his Word.

“They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus. 8) When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9) Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.” This, ladies and gentlemen, is how change is thwarted by the status quo. This is how resistance to change for the better is stopped in its tracks – unless, of course, the change is ordained by God. In this case, it most certainly was. Jason and the other believers with him were made to post bond like criminals, because Christianity was still criminalized at that time, and it continued to be for about 250 more years. The posting of bail by Jason and company brings us to part 2 of this week's lesson: “10) As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11) Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12) As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” (Acts 17, verses 10-12)

After nightfall that same day, Paul and Silas were quietly escorted out of town by a few of the brothers, escaping any further persecution there. They traveled further to the east to Berea, a city in Macedonia that is actually in northern Greece today. Arriving in the synagogue there, Paul began to preach the Word with great effect, “....for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12) As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” Notice, as I have pointed out before, that the Gospel of Christ is freely and equally available to Jew and Gentile or to men and women, and all at once. That is true Christianity as it was meant to be taught, and to be lived as a lifestyle. Human equality, my dear readers, is Scriptural.

The people of Berea did more than merely express belief in the risen Redeemer, they embraced him as the Son of God. This embrace means maintaining a personal relationship with the risen Lord, a one-on-one relationship, like a marriage. This concept of a personal relationship between Jesus and his followers could never be allowed by the Jews at Thessolonica – or in any other synagogue – because it would have made their own functions at the Temple obsolete. In other words, they all would have been out of a job. This is the main difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament: In the old one, God is far away and aloof. He cannot be looked at directly or touched in any way, but in the New Testament, God has come in the form of his Son, and has dwelt among us. The apostles all saw him and touched his wounds, and He remains with us in Spirit and in Truth. Next week when we move on to part 2, we'll see what happens next in Berea as the Pharisees in Thessalonica are informed of the location of Paul and Silas. See you then....