Milo

COMMITTED TO GOD
Acts 19–20

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance” (Acts 20:32).

Saying good-bye is made easier by knowing that God will be with our loved ones.

Background
Ephesus. The city of Ephesus had been a major commercial city as well as the Asian center of the religious cult of Artemis (Diana). Over the centuries area forests were denuded, and the Ephesus harbor gradually filled with silt. In Paul’s day, the economy of Ephesus depended to a great extent on the massive temple of Artemis, which was considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. Paul’s ministry was so effective that tradesmen who depended on the sale of religious medals saw their business fall off dramatically. The result was intense hostility toward Paul and his message.

Overview
In Ephesus Paul told disciples of John the Baptist about Christ (19:1–7). His two-year ministry there was supported by miracles (vv. 8–16). It yielded so many converts (vv. 17–22) it threatened the temple-based trade of the Ephesian silversmiths, who rioted (vv. 23–41). Paul revisited his Macedonian churches (20:1–6). In Troas Eutychus died and was restored to life (vv. 7–11). Paul stopped near Ephesus, and bade that church’s elders a last good-bye (vv. 12–38).

Understanding the Text
“John’s baptism” Acts 19:1–7. Even decades after the death of Jesus there were Jews in the Roman Empire who knew of John the Baptist and accepted his message, who had not heard of Jesus. There were no mass media: information came by word of mouth. The dozen Jews that Paul met when he arrived in Ephesus had been baptized by John years before, probably when on a pilgrimage to one of the great religious feasts in Jerusalem. Their commitment was real, however, and when they heard of Jesus they believed the Gospel.
This is the third “unusual” case in Acts of receiving the Holy Spirit. Here as in Samaria it was by laying on of hands. And here, as at the house of Cornelius, the Spirit’s coming was marked by speaking in tongues. Why here? Perhaps for the same reason that Paul’s ministry in Ephesus was marked by a number of “unusual” miracles. Ephesus was a center of evil supernatural activity. God through Paul was about to display true supernaturalism.
Every now and then the unusual does mark our Christian experience. But we’re not to expect supernatural signs every day. If they happened every day, they would not be unusual. And soon we would be living by sight, not by faith.

“The lecture hall of Tyrannus” Acts 19:8–10. Most commentators believe that Tyrannus rented his lecture hall to itinerant teachers for public lectures. Paul’s daily lectures and discussions there reached “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia” (v. 10).
Paul always found a way to reach people. We can too. As a new convert, I started a noon Bible study on my Navy base. Two civilian workers came, but none of my Navy friends. So I began putting a Bible “verse for the day” on the bulletin board by the office coffeepot. If we look around, God will always show us some way to share our faith.

“God did extraordinary miracles through Paul” Acts 19:11–20. The practice of magic was common in the first century, and especially in the cult center of Ephesus. The goal of magic was to manipulate supposed supernatural powers to protect oneself, or gain an advantage over another person. It is significant that the “extraordinary” miracles of Paul were performed there rather than, say, in Athens.
God often chooses to meet human beings where they are. In intellectual Athens, Paul gave a philosophical defense of the faith. In Ephesus, where the practice of magic and superstition ruled, miracles were performed. On whatever ground Satan chooses to do battle, his defeat is certain.

“Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest” Acts 19:13–16. In the practice of ancient magic, knowing “names” was critical, for one who knew the name of a supernatural being was thought able to access his power.
For this reason Jewish magicians were thought of highly. Jewish priests especially were reputed to know the secret name of the most powerful God of all. This reputation stemmed in part from the Jew’s reverence for the personal name of God, Yahweh, which was never spoken aloud by a pious Jew.
Apparently the family of Sceva, a Jewish priest, made a good living in Ephesus by the practice of magic. When Paul came along, and began to heal and cast out demons in the name of Jesus, the family decided to go with the more powerful “name.”
It didn’t work. Uttering the name of Jesus is no key to supernatural power. The key is having a personal relationship with Jesus, and being available to Him. We do not use Jesus’ name. He uses us to accomplish His purposes.

“They calculated the value of the scrolls” Acts 19:17–22. In Ephesus the impact of the Jesus movement was demonstrated by burning books on magic worth 50,000 days’ labor! How do you tell if a conversion is real? One good way is to check the bottom line. People who cleanse their lives of what is evil, even when it costs them money, are likely to have a faith that’s real.

“After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem” Acts 19:21–22. Paul’s great passion was to preach the Gospel where it had never been heard. With evidence that a strong church was now established in Ephesus, Paul was ready to move on. Most of us have a tendency to settle down with success and enjoy it. Paul was always looking for new challenges.
I know some older Christians who share Paul’s outlook. “Retirement” for them has meant more time for ministry. One retired carpenter takes regular trips to mission fields to help with building. One grandma has more time to spend with the retarded folks she ministers to. The best way to keep young is to keep active serving God and others.

“The temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited” Acts 19:23–34. The “great goddess Artemis” deserved to be discredited. This was not the Diana of Greek mythology, but a multibreasted “earth mother” goddess of the East. Her moral and spiritual qualities were reflected in the practice of magic that flourished in Ephesus.
Then as now the practice of magic was a desperate attempt to control supernatural forces. We live in a world over which we have little control, and are subject to seemingly impersonal forces. The present fascination with satanism in our culture reminds us that when materialism fails to satisfy, and there is a religious vacuum, people quickly fall prey to evil.
In Ephesus the coming of the Gospel so reversed this situation that not only were books on magic being burned, but a serious threat existed to worship at the temple of Artemis.
The Gospel and the Gospel alone is able to discredit evil and reverse the trends now seen in our society.

“They have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess” Acts 19:35–41. A city official silenced the rioters and sent them home. His review of the situation was fascinating, for it gave an insight into effective evangelism. The Christians did not speak against Artemis, but for Jesus.
The Christian has a positive message to share. But it will only be communicated if all Christians become involved.
A survey of 2,000 members of the United Church of Christ, from more than 200 congregations, revealed that members of that 1.6-million-member church are extremely uncomfortable when it comes to talking about their faith. Other mainline churches, concerned about a membership plunge that has continued since the 1960s, are now trying to emphasize evangelism.
It’s easy to accuse liberal churches of failing to have a faith worth talking about. But this would miss the point. Every Christian, and there are many in every Christian tradition, is to witness.
Perhaps it would help if we all realized as the Ephesian Christians apparently did that witness is simply a positive presentation of Jesus, not an attack on others’ beliefs. As people turn to Christ, not only magic but modern temples to false religions will automatically be discredited.

“Because he intended to leave the next day, he kept on talking until midnight” Acts 20:7–11. It’s not the raising of Eutychus that fascinates me in this paragraph. It’s Paul, talking first till midnight, then taking a break and going on till daylight.
I remember when I was dating in my Navy days in New York. I’d take my girlfriend out, then sit in the car in front of her home and talk for hours. Finally she’d go in and I’d drive back to my base, many times almost falling asleep on the way. Why keep talking till you’re ready to fall asleep? Love. Somehow you can’t tear yourself away, even for a brief parting.
I think that’s what was happening here. Paul was leaving folks he loved. Yes, he had things he wanted to say. But what kept him talking till dawn, and what kept the people there to hear him, was love.

DEVOTIONAL
Fond Farewells
(Acts 20:13–37)
The scene is touching. When Paul said good-bye to the elders of Ephesus he knew they would never again meet in this life. Luke, watching, said, “They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him” (v. 37). It was a sad, but a fond farewell. Somehow in just two brief years an unbreakable bond had been forged between Paul and these converts.
Perhaps it seems strange to us, because we live in such an impersonal society. Few of us, saying farewell to friends made during a two-year stay anywhere, would be seen off with such emotion. Yet if we look closely at Paul’s farewell remarks, we can see what made these people so fond of him. And we learn how to become close to others ourselves. How?
Paul let people know how he lived (v. 18). In our society we tend to keep people at arm’s length. Paul opened up his life, and invited people to see and know the real him. Thus he said, “You know” several times as he reviewed his way of life in Ephesus. Being willing to share ourselves is a key to building intimacy.
Paul served the Lord with humility (v. 19). What gave Paul such integrity was that he maintained a close relationship with the Lord. An intimate walk with God gives our lives an authenticity which enables others to trust us.
Paul didn’t hesitate to be helpful (vv. 20–21). This meant speaking up about Jesus as well as giving other assistance. If you and I really care about another person, we will offer any help we can in a spirit of love. And we will be loved in return.
Paul was an example of Christian values (vv. 33–35). Paul chose to earn his own living rather than be supported by the gifts of those he taught. While Paul had a right to such support, he chose to live as an example of Christian values in action.
These qualities combined to create a bond of deep love and affection between Paul and the Ephesians. And these same qualities can create bonds of affection between us and others today.
Let’s not complain how difficult it is to make friends in our impersonal society. Let’s invite others into our lives, serve the Lord with humility, never hestitate to be helpful, and live our Christian values.

Personal Application
Be a Christian friend, and you will make friends.

Quotable
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”—Dale Carnegie

ON TO EUROPE
Acts 16

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ’Come over to Macedonia and help us’ ” (Acts 16:9).

The course of history in many a region has been changed by the coming of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Background
Mission to Europe. Paul’s second missionary journey penetrated Europe and many major cities of the Roman Empire. Many of his New Testament letters were later directed to the European churches of Thessalonica, Rome, Corinth, and Philippi. The foundation Paul laid led to the later Christianization of the Empire, and shaped the history of the West.

Overview
Timothy (16:1–5) and Luke (v. 11) joined Paul’s missionary team and sailed for Europe (vv. 6–12). Paul’s first convert in Europe was a woman named Lydia (vv. 13–15). He was later arrested, beaten, and thrown into prison (vv. 16–24). This led to the salvation of the Philippian jailer before Paul was released and left the area (vv. 25–40).

The Roman Empire in the First Century

Understanding the Text
“Timothy . . . whose mother was a Jewess and a believer” Acts 16:1–5. The few details given here tell us much about young Timothy and his city. The Jewish community must have been small and weak there, for Timothy’s mother was allowed to marry a Gentile. Its weakness or laxness—is further emphasized by the fact that Timothy had not been circumcised. Any child of a Jewish mother was considered a Jew, and a strong Jewish community would have insisted on his circumcision. These few details enhance what Paul said in a later letter to Timothy: Timothy was taught the Scriptures by his grandmother and mother “from infancy” (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15). It really is difficult for those who have to bring up children in a home where only one spouse is a believer. But Timothy serves as a beacon of hope. Despite difficulties, the sincere faith of his believing mother was shared effectively with her son.
We will have to work “from infancy” at sharing our faith. But God can and will work in the children of divided homes.

“Paul . . . circumcised [Timothy] because of the Jews who lived in that area” Acts 16:3. Paul’s decision to have Timothy circumcised was not, as some have thought, a compromise with his convictions. First-century Jewish believers did not abandon their heritage when they became Christians, but continued in it. As Timothy was known in the area as a Jew, it was appropriate for him to express his faith in Christ through his Jewishness. Paul had no quarrel with this. Paul’s quarrel was with those who tried to identify their way of life as “the” Christian way, and to impose it on others.
Today messianic, or “completed,” Jews often form synagogue/churches, and worship Jesus in the traditional forms of Judaism. Not the form, but the faith, counts.

“The Holy Spirit. . . . the Spirit of Jesus. . . . God” Acts 16:6–10. If you are ever challenged to prove that the early church really believed Jesus is God, here’s a good passage to turn to. Luke wasn’t teaching the doctrine. But in the most natural and unconscious way Luke used these names in the same paragraph, and so expressed the early church’s trinitarian faith.

“We went outside the city gate to the river” Acts 16:11–15. It took 10 adult Jewish men for a minyam, the quorum needed to establish a synagogue. In cities where this was lacking, Jewish worship took place out under the open sky, often by a river’s edge. When Paul found the local Jewish “place of prayer” he reached Europe’s first convert: a woman named Lydia.
From this beginning the Lord developed one of the strongest churches in Europe, and one dearly loved by the apostle.

“These men are servants of the Most High God” Acts 16:17–18. The persistent shouting of the demon-possessed slave girl drew attention away from the message of the apostles to herself. Finally Paul, in the name of Jesus Christ, commanded the demon to leave.
The situation reminds me of the instant celebrity that the church sometimes creates of murderers and movie stars. After a sudden conversion, the famous individual appears on Sunday TV, to give a testimony that draws more attention to him or her than to Jesus. And all too often the convert’s “faith” dissipates as soon as the appearances cease.
The credibility of a witness is as important when speaking up for Jesus as in speaking up in a court of law. Let’s give new converts time to mature before pushing them forward, no matter how famous they may be.

“These men are Jews” Acts 16:19–21. When Paul cast a demon out of a slave girl who had earned money for her owners by fortune-telling, the owners were furious. Their subsequent attack on Paul reflects an anti-Semitism which was already deeply rooted in first-century society. That accusation was enough to cause an uproar, which the two missionaries were then blamed for starting! Add the charge that they were preaching a religion illegal for “us Romans” to practice, and we sense the strong racial antagonism the slave girl’s owners consciously appealed to in order to get back at Paul.
Today a similar kind of hostility toward Christians is found in news stories, and in media portrayals of believers and pastors. Those who speak out of Christian conviction are often labeled pejoratively as “fundamentalists,” in an attempt to have their views rejected before they are even heard. It’s wrong to victimize anyone by an appeal to prejudice rather than to the facts.

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:23–34 After being beaten Paul and Silas were put in prison, only to be released from their chains by an earthquake. The jailer must have been somewhat familiar with Paul’s message, probably through the persistent shouting of the slave girl before her demon was exorcised. But now his terror at finding his prison doors open, and his narrow escape from suicide, created a readiness for salvation.
Let’s recognize the earthquakes God brings into our lives as His gracious gifts, intended to turn our thoughts toward Him.

“You and your household” Acts 16:31. In New Testament times the “house” or “household” of a person extended beyond spouse and children. Slaves, clients, and close friends were all part of one’s household. We need to understand Paul’s promise of salvation to “you and your household” not as blanket assurance that one’s children will someday be saved, but as assurance that they, like us, can find salvation through faith in the Lord.

“Let them come themselves and escort us out” Acts 16:35–40. Roman citizens were under the protection of the Empire wherever they traveled. Even in a semi-independent colony like Philippi, no Roman citizen could legally be treated as Paul and Barnabas had been.
Paul was always quick to assert his rights, and not just for personal reasons. Those rights of citizenship were guarantees that he could not be stopped from preaching simply because some mob disliked what he was saying.
We Christians need to affirm our rights for the same reason. In demanding our rights we maintain the freedom of all to share the Gospel of Jesus without fear.

DEVOTIONAL
Relying on the Spirit
(Acts 16:1–10)
When the great missionary pioneer and founder of the China Inland Mission, Hudson Taylor, came to Canada for a speaking tour, the first person he stayed with was excited. At last he was going to meet a true giant of the faith! He was also curious. How would this Spirit-led believer go about planning his itinerary?
The next afternoon he was shocked when Taylor asked for railroad timetables, and simply sat down at the kitchen table to work out his schedule. Where was the prayer and fasting the host had expected? Hudson was surprised. God had already provided Canada’s railroads and the timetables. What more was there to ask?
Paul’s approach to missions was similar. He had a strategy he used to select key cities, and to minister when he reached them. Like Hudson Taylor, Paul went about ministry in a practical way. But the lives of both men show that they also remained sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, ready to change plans or direction at the Spirit’s call, and relied on the Spirit fully.
We don’t need to be mystical to rely on the Holy Spirit. We can rely on Him while using what God has provided for us—from timetables to our ability to plan and develop strategy. But relying on the Spirit also means remaining totally open to God, ready to change any plan when He says, “No,” or “Go.”

Personal Application
Mind and heart must cooperate as we rely on the Spirit to lead.

Quotable
“When we rely on organization, we get what organization can do. When we rely upon education, we get what education can do. When we rely on eloquence, we get what eloquence can do. But when we rely on the Holy Spirit, we get what God can do.”—A.C. Dixon

JERUSALEM COUNCIL
Acts 15

“Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the Apostles and elders about this question” (Acts 15:2).

Differences must be faced and resolved.

Overview
A doctrinal dispute over whether Gentile believers must adopt Judaism (15:1) brought representatives of the Antioch church to Jerusalem (vv. 2–5). A council of leaders determined that Old Testament Law was not binding on Gentile Christians (vv. 6–19), but asked them to be sensitive to Jewish convictions (vv. 20–21). The Antioch delegation returned with a freeing letter from the Apostles (vv. 22–35). But a personal dispute between Paul and Barnabas could not be resolved, and the two separated (vv. 36–41).

Understanding the Text
“Unless you are circumcised . . . you cannot be saved” Acts 15:1. The earliest Jewish Christians lived as Jews, committed to the the Old Testament Law. As Gentile churches were established outside Judea, a critical question arose. Did these Gentiles have to abandon their own culture and adopt Jewish customs to enjoy the salvation offered by Israel’s God?
The Old Testament frequently predicted that Gentiles would be saved. But most such references linked their salvation to Israel’s resurgence under the Messiah. But now Gentiles were coming directly to God, apart from Jewish faith and practice! This many believing Jews did not understand—or appreciate! And so some Jews began to travel and teach that to really be saved, a person must convert to Judaism as well as to Christ.
Today we call this ethnocentrism: the idea that one’s own customs and practices are right, and others’ are wrong. It crops up in missions as it did in Antioch so long ago. Many a church service has been set in Africa or Asia for 11 A.M., in spite of local customs, just because the missionary’s home church meets then. And many a hymn tune has been transferred from West to East, despite the fact that Eastern musical traditions are completely different from our own.
You and I too need to watch out for ethnocentrism. Let’s not assume that folks who are different from us are either wrong or inferior. Faith in Christ and love for Jesus can be expressed in a variety of ways besides our own.

“To go up to Jerusalem to see the Apostles and elders” Acts 15:2–5. The attempt to impose Judaism challenged the validity of Gentile conversion, and questioned the nature of the Gospel itself. Was the Good News really that God forgives the sins of anyone who believes in Jesus or not?
To say, “You can be saved if you believe AND are circumcised AND keep Moses’ Law” is not the Gospel Peter preached to Cornelius, or that Paul preached on his travels.
We need to be just as clear today that salvation is through our faith in Jesus Christ, with no ANDs at all. As the old hymn says, “Jesus paid it all.” The new life of love and obedience that we adopt after salvation is a consequence, not a condition of salvation.
How freeing it is to realize that our salvation rests on what Jesus has done, not on what we must do. Like the early church, we need to be on guard against any teaching that would rob Christ of His preeminence, or faith of its centrality in Christian experience.

“God . . . showed that He accepted them” Acts 15:6–11. It was not easy for pious Christian Jews, dedicated to their traditional customs and still worshiping at the temple, to face this issue. But Peter had a compelling argument. God showed that He accepted Gentiles as well as Jews when He purified the house of Cornelius by faith and gave them the Holy Spirit. God thus “made no distinction between us and them.” It was clear that all are saved “through the grace of God.” Keeping Jewish Law was not at issue.
Let’s keep the focus on grace today too. Salvation is by grace through faith, with no other condition. To insist that others conform to purely cultural standards to be welcomed into full fellowship is wrong.
The issue isn’t as abstract as it may seem. Some of us resist fellowship with folks who raise their hands when praying, while others can’t relate to those whose worship is liturgical. How irrelevant these things are! Let’s affirm each other’s freedom to differ, without a hint of criticism, knowing that the God who has accepted us in Christ also accepts our worship as an act of love.

“The words of the prophets are in agreement” Acts 15:12–19. Paul and Barnabas joined Peter in arguing from evangelistic experience that God accepted Gentiles “as is,” without requiring them to adopt Judaism first (v. 12). James, the brother of Jesus, highly respected for his piety, showed that what Peter and Paul reported was in harmony with Old Testament Scripture. After all, Amos spoke of “all the Gentiles who bear My name.” Clearly Gentiles as Gentiles were expected to bear God’s name in the Messianic Age, which had now come in the person of Jesus.
Evidence from Christian experience is important. But we must always check to see that our experience is in harmony with the Word of God. When experience is confirmed by Scripture, we can act confidently, as did the Jerusalem church.
The council’s decision was that Gentiles are not subject to the Law God gave to Israel, nor must they live like Jews to be acceptable to God.

“We should write to them, telling them to abstain” Acts 15:20–21. The three issues raised here have been much debated. Why these three? And what is their significance? If “from sexual immorality” is understood as referring to marriages between persons whose union is prohibited in the Old Testament, it seems that the Jerusalem Council asked Gentile converts to be sensitive to their Jewish brethren’s convictions.
We certainly need to be sensitive to others today. Later Paul would write to the Romans and to the Corinthians, and encourage them not to misuse their freedom, but to avoid giving unnecessary offense to those whose convictions might differ from their own.
As the letter the council sent to Antioch and beyond said, “You will do well to avoid [such] things” (v. 29).

“They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas” Acts 15:22–29. It was customary in Judaism to send two sages with any official communication from the Sanhedrin to Jewish communities abroad. The early church adopted this wise custom, and sent two prophets along with the letter that explained the Council’s decision.
The letter brought relief. The two messengers, who “said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers,” communicated love. The personal touch is vital in our own relationships with others as well.

“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit” Acts 15:28. The Jerusalem Council seemed so sure that they had the mind of the Spirit. How did they know?
First, they had gathered the leaders together, being careful to communicate the process to the “whole church” (vv. 4, 22). Different viewpoints were openly expressed (v. 5). They went through a process of “much discussion” (v. 7). They tried to discern God’s will by recognizing what God had taught them through His past working among them (vv. 8, 12). They compared this with Scripture (v. 15). And they reached a consensus, expressed by James (v. 19). The achievement of a consensus after working through this careful process was the Spirit’s stamp of approval.
Churches would do well to adopt the same approach to problem-solving. Our goal is the same as that of the first church Council: not to make the best decision we can, but to discern what God’s will is.

DEVOTIONAL
Differences That Divide
(Acts 15:36–41)
I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed it. The doctrinal differences we seem to be able to handle. It’s those interpersonal conflicts that really divide.
When I was a teen we visited one of my dad’s friends, a retired man who had a cottage on a lake. On the way home Dad remarked that when his friend was a child, he’d been to a church supper and asked for a piece of a cake he’d seen earlier in the kitchen. The lady at the counter said the cake was gone. But a few minutes later, he’d seen her, sitting in the kitchen, eating a piece of that very cake. Dad’s friend never went to church again!
It wasn’t doctrine that turned him off. It was a woman’s lie about a piece of cake.
The early church was able to work out the doctrinal conflict between Hebrew Christians who felt strongly that Gentile believers should be circumcised and those who felt strongly they should not. But when Barnabas wanted to take John Mark, his nephew, along on another missionary venture—oh, no. Paul just wouldn’t have it. Mark had left them in the lurch on the first missionary trip (13:13), and Paul had no sympathy with quitters.
Luke said that “they had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company” (15:39). Barnabas took Mark and went off one way. Paul took Silas and headed off a different direction.
Doctrinal disputes they could handle. A personal conflict? No way. If I can’t have my piece of cake, I’ll quit, and go on home. So there!
Actually, there is a way to deal with interpersonal conflicts. Jesus spoke of remembering that we human beings are all like sheep, sure to go astray. We have to be brought home lovingly and with rejoicing (Matt. 18). Paul himself would one day write, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3–4).
Interpersonal differences don’t have to divide Christians. But the separation of Paul and Barnabas reminds us how vulnerable we all are. Disputes will certainly divide. Unless we are sensitive, and humble as well.

Personal Application
It’s often more important to be loving than to be right.

Quotable
“I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above the other, and that the taller we grew in Christian character the easier we could reach them. I now find that God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath the other. It is not a question of growing taller, but of stooping down, to get His best gifts.”—F.B. Meyer

THE MISSION BEGINS
Acts 13–14

” ’Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2–3).

God still has a worldwide vision that He wants us to share.

Background
Missionary strategy. Paul is credited with developing the church’s missionary strategy. He went to cities which were communication, transportation, and market centers. He went first to the Jewish synagogue, where he reached not only his own people but also the Gentiles who were attracted to Jewish faith and morality.
Paul’s missionary team instructed the first converts as thoroughly as time permitted, and went on to the next city. The congregations they established served as the core for evangelizing the surrounding area as well as their own city (cf. 1 Thes. 1:4–8).
Later Paul might return to give further instruction and to confirm the local church’s choice of elders. Paul also sent letters and representatives, like Timothy and Titus, to answer questions and help the congregation deal with any problems that developed.
The itinerant strategy of Paul placed great responsibility on each local church for its own life. And it showed the apostle’s utter confidence in the Holy Spirit’s ability to guide and sustain God’s people. Modern missions has much to learn from Christianity’s first great missionary, the Apostle Paul.

Overview
Barnabas and Paul were commissioned to spread the Gospel (13:1–3). Their first stop was in Cyprus (vv. 4–12). In Pisidian Antioch, success in reaching Gentiles created jealousy and opposition from the Jews (vv. 13–52). Conflict continued as they ministered in Iconium (14:1–7), Lystra, and Derbe (vv. 8–20) before they turned toward Antioch and home (vv. 21–28).

Understanding the Text
“Set apart for Me” Acts 13:1–3. Many have wondered how a person can tell if he or she is “called” to the ministry. We find a few hints here.
First, Saul and Barnabas were already deeply involved in ministry when set apart by God. It would be foolish to think that going to seminary could make a “minister” out of a person who has shown no inclination to serve and witness before his or her training. Second, the “call” was not given just to Saul and to Barnabas; it was sensed by all the leaders of the Antioch church. The congregation of which a person is a part should be able to confirm that person’s call.
If you’ve ever wondered if God is calling you to full-time ministry, the experience of Paul and Barnabas is suggestive. If you are active in ministry now, and affirmed by your church, your sense of calling may be confirmed.

“The procounsul . . . sent for Barnabas and Saul” Acts 13:4–12. The invitation to preach before Sergius Paulus was official, motivated by the proconsul’s responsibility to govern Cyprus and its mixed population of Gentiles and Jews. Rumors of the apostles’ preaching, and very likely charges against them, would have quickly come to his attention. The proconsul, being “an intelligent man,” would investigate carefully before taking any action.
The hostility of Bar-Jesus, whose alternate name Elymas means “sorcerer” or “magician,” led to a confrontation. The outcome stunned Sergius Paulus, and led to his conversion.
Opposition to the Gospel often has an unexpected effect. God often uses it to open doors of opportunity. So don’t be overly disturbed by opposition, and be alert for how God intends to use it for His own ends.

“Saul, who was also called Paul” Acts 13:9. The change of name here is significant. Saul was the apostle’s Hebrew name. Paul is Greek, and the name by which the apostle went while ministering in the Gentile world. The shift of names alerts us to the fact that from now on, Paul’s ministry will be largely to the non-Jewish population of the Roman Empire.
Later Paul wrote in one of his letters, “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews,” and “to those not having the Law I became like one not having the Law” (1 Cor. 9:20–21).
Paul did not compromise. Rather he looked for ways to identify with those he wanted to reach.
When I joined the Navy I found that at first I was shunned by other sailors. I finally discovered they thought I was stuck up because I used big words. I’d never realized it: I was brought up in a home where the way I spoke was normal. To fit in and have any chance of reaching my Navy buddies, I had to learn to speak as they did (though without the cuss words).
Later I worked in a state hospital, and taught a nightly Bible study. Each evening I thought about what to say, and how to make it as simple as possible. I found it paid big dividends. Many of the men told me, “If you ever get a church, let me know. You’re the first preacher I ever heard I could understand.”
Even little things in Scripture, like the shift here of a name, speak volumes to us. If you want to reach people, search out points of similarity, and try to be like them. Never emphasize your differences from those you hope to influence.

“On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue” Acts 13:13–15. Paul’s habit of going first to the synagogue was rooted in conviction as well as strategy. It was good strategy because Jewish visitors were often invited to speak when they came to synagogue services. But Paul’s habit also expressed a deep love for his people. Though his life had been threatened several times by his co-religionists, Paul held that the Gospel’s salvation power is “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16).
Every Christian should recognize the great debt we owe to God’s chosen people. We can begin to repay that debt only as Paul did as he carried the Gospel into the synagogue.

“Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me” Acts 13:16–43. Luke now included a summary of the kind of sermon Paul preached in the synagogues. He began, as was typical, with a review of Hebrew history. This culminated with David, from whose descendants the Messiah would come. Paul then went on to show that Jesus fulfilled those promises. Christ’s resurrection not only fits the Scripture, but those Scriptures He fulfills show Him to be the Holy One, the Son of God. Through Him God offers to all the forgiveness of sins.
Like the other sermons recorded in Acts, this one focuses attention directly on the person of Jesus Christ, and on Christ’s offer of the forgiveness of sins.
Whatever you or I may do to identify with others, we do not change the Gospel message. That message alone can bring salvation and new life to all.

“They were filled with jealousy” Acts 13:44–52. The message of a salvation offered freely to all spread quickly, and the next Sabbath “almost the whole city” gathered to hear the two missionaries speak.
The “jealousy” of the Jews was not simply over numbers. It was a jealousy for their faith. Paul’s message of salvation had, in effect, set aside the Law, and meant that a Gentile could relate to Israel’s God without approaching Him through Judaism.
Paul bluntly told the now hostile Jewish population, “We now turn to the Gentiles.” A great many people in Antioch were converted before official persecution drove the missionaries from the area.
This is the first hint of the great challenge about to face early Christianity—and modern Christians. What is the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, between Law and grace? Is Moses’ Law binding on the believer in Christ? Or is the “new” faith the radical departure from Judaism that Paul seemed to suggest.
The question is important to you and me because we need to live in intimate fellowship with the Lord. Unless we are clear on the distinctions between the age of Law and of grace, this is a difficult task indeed (see Romans, Galatians).

“The people of the city were divided” Acts 14:1–6. Don’t expect everyone to be open to the Gospel. Acts reminds us that the message of Christ divides people, even as it unites believers. If you are effective in sharing the Gospel, you can expect opposition as well as enthusiastic response.

“The gods have come down to us in human form” Acts 14:8–20. Don’t be surprised when some who acclaim you one moment are ready to stone you the next. The people of Lystra were ready to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. When the two failed to meet the crowd’s expectations, the mob was easily persuaded to stone Paul.
Popularity is fleeting, a gossamer fabric that disappoints all who pursue it.

“They gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them” Acts 14:21–28. Some share what God has done through them to glorify themselves. Others to glorify God.

DEVOTIONAL
Truth or Fantasy?
(Acts 14:8–28‘)
A hundred years before the visit of Paul and Barnabas to Lystra, Ovid recounted an ancient legend native to that area. Zeus and Hermes once wandered that hill country in the guise of mortals. Though they asked at a thousand homes, no one would take them in. Finally a poor couple offered them lodging in their straw shack. As a reward the shack was transformed into a temple of marble and gold, and the couple became ever-living trees at its door. And the thousand inhospitable homes were destroyed.
It’s likely that this legend stimulated the wild excitement at Lystra when Barnabas and Paul healed a cripple there. The gods Zeus and Hermes had returned! The enthusiastic populace was determined to do them honor.
When the crowd found out that Paul and Barnabas were messengers of the one true God, and not gods themselves, they became hostile, and were easily moved to stone Paul.
They had been so delighted with fiction that they resented hearing the truth.
What’s even more fascinating is that archeologists have unearthed inscriptions near Lystra that date from the third centuryA.D, showing that Zeus and Hermes were still being worshiped there. Fiction’s grip is strong.
Every now and then I speak with someone who has his or her own ideas about what God is like. “God isn’t like that!” such a person is likely to say if punishment for sin, or the death of Christ for sinners, happens to come up. Such folks are a little like the men and women of Lystra. They have their own ideas about God. And they don’t want to change them, thank you. To such folks it makes no difference if what you say is true. For fiction’s grip is strong.

Personal Application
The truth is good news, whether people accept it or not.

Quotable
“With God a thing is never too good to be true; it is too good not to be true.”—Oswald Chambers