Milo

SEPTEMBER 23

Reading 266

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

SEPTEMBER 22

Reading 265

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

SEPTEMBER 21

Reading 264

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

SEPTEMBER 20

Reading 263

GOD INTERVENES Acts 12

“Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches” (Acts 12:11).God is involved with His people everywhere.

Overview

The Apostle James was executed by Herod Agrippa (12:1–2) and Peter was imprisoned, awaiting trial (vv. 3–5). An angel released Peter (vv. 6–11), who was welcomed by stunned Christians hardly able to believe their prayers had been answered (vv. 12–19). God struck Herod down (vv. 20–23) and the Judean church continued to grow (v. 24). Luke now returned to Paul, to begin the story of his mission to the Gentiles (v. 25).

Understanding the Text

“King Herod . . . had James, the brother of John, put to death” Acts 12:1–2. The king named here is Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great. Agrippa worked actively to win the loyalty of his Jewish subjects, and even resisted the mad Emperor Caligula’s plan to put an idolatrous statue of himself in the Jerusalem temple. The Mishna, which includes rabbinical writings of this period, speaks favorably of Agrippa, and reports one incident in which the people shouted enthusiastically, “Our brother art thou!” When Herod realized that persecution of Christians would enhance his popularity, he executed James the brother of John and arrested Peter. Agrippa intended to try and execute Peter just after the Passover, when that act would have maximum impact on the great crowds of Jewish pilgrims gathered for the festival. The character of Herod Agrippa’s actions remind us of how easy it is to fall into the trap of using others for our own ends. Herod made the mistake of all such “users.” He neglected to consider the possibility that God might intervene. Peter was given double the normal guards and kept in chains in an inner prison cell. Acts 12:3–11 tells the story of his miraculous release. The divine intervention reminds us that God kept on working actively in the original Jewish church, even though the rest of Acts will emphasize missionary expansion. “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord . . . rescued me” Acts 12:11. Peter never doubted that the Lord could rescue him. But there was a question as to whether the Lord would rescue him. After all, James, the brother of John, was an apostle too, and he had been executed by Herod Agrippa. You and I live with a similar tension between faith and uncertainty. We know that the Lord can deliver us from whatever danger we face. But we never know “without a doubt” that the Lord will deliver us. It’s important to remember that God loved both James and Peter. Both were important to Him. Yet one was permitted to die, and the other miraculously released from prison. Whether you and I have the role of James or of Peter in this life, let’s rest assured that we are loved by God, and important to Him. Today both James and Peter are at home with the Lord, rejoicing in His presence. It is this, not the brevity or length of life on earth, that counts. “Peter knocked at the outer entrance” Acts 12:12–19. The story is so delightful. We can see it now, Peter pounding on the door. The flustered and “overjoyed” Rhoda, running first to the door, then back into the house, so excited she doesn’t know what to do. And the folks inside, praying earnestly for Peter, all unaware that God has already answered their prayers (see DEVOTIONAL). Answered prayer has a tendency to excite any Christian. We go to prayer sensing the terrible pressure of our need, and when the answer comes, and the pressure’s relieved, we’re buoyed up with joy. One of the best ways to hold on to that joy is to keep a prayer record. All it takes is a simple notebook. You jot down what you pray for on one page, and on the facing page, you leave space to record God’s answers. As the list of answered prayers grows, read them over. You’ll feel the same joy and excitement that filled the group meeting that night in Mary’s house to pray so successfully for Peter’s release. “What could have happened to Peter?” Acts 12:18–19 Even Herod should have known better than some modern critics who, eager to rid the Scripture of the supernatural, suggest that some early Christian drugged the guards and bribed the jailer to let Peter go. In Roman times, a jailer who let a prisoner escape was subject to whatever punishment the escapee would have suffered. So Herod did nothing unusual when he marched the guards off and had them executed (v. 19). What is amazing is the question everyone asked: “What could have happened to Peter?” Chained to his guards, locked inside a cell guarded by yet more sentries, inside a prison barred by a locked iron door, it should have been clear that Peter had not just picked his locks and hidden in some broom closet. The inescapable conclusion was that something supernatural had occurred. God had intervened, or Peter would not have been gone. Herod apparently didn’t even consider the supernatural option. He was as much a materialist as modern folks, who can look at a sunset, or examine some complexity of nature, and say, “Isn’t evolution wonderful.” Even today the evidence of God’s intervention is everywhere. But only the eyes of faith seem able to see. “He was eaten by worms and died” Acts 12:21–24. Both Luke and the first-century Jewish historian Josephus report Herod’s death inA.D 44, shortly after the release of Peter. Josephus tells us Agrippa died “exhausted after five straight days by the pain in his abdomen.” Luke, the physician, describes symptoms that suggest an infection of intestinal roundworms. These grow up to 15 inches long, and when bunched can obstruct the intestine. The infested person experiences intense pain, and often vomits up worms before he dies. Strikingly, both Luke and Josephus attribute Agrippa’s death to the king’s impiety, and see it as a judgment of God. God had intervened to remove a ruler who had proved to be a persecutor of His people, and a danger to His church. With Herod gone, “the word of God continued to increase and spread” (v. 24). “They returned from Jerusalem” Acts 12:25. Luke now left the Judean scene, and his report of Peter’s ministry, to focus on Paul. Verse 25 is a transition statement that effectively shifts our attention to the coming mission to the whole world. While Luke would say little more of events in the Jewish homeland, his vivid portrayal of Peter’s release and the death of Agrippa reminds us of a vital truth. We may not be aware of what is happening in Judea. But God is there, active, still intervening on behalf of His own. What a comfort this is for us, as our children grow up and move away. We’re not there to watch out for them. But God is. He is actively, lovingly caring for His own everywhere. We can trust our own to His care.

DEVOTIONAL

Believe It or Not (Acts 12:1–19)

God must have a sense of humor. You and I can’t read the account of Peter’s release from prison, and the furor at the house of Mary in Jerusalem, without seeing how funny it all was. There’s Peter, pounding on the door, while inside the house a whole group of despondent Christians is praying desperately for his safety. And when the servant girl runs in the room, shouting that she’s heard Peter’s voice outside, nobody believes her. “You’re out of your mind,” they tell her. Peter was in prison, about to be executed. If the girl really heard his voice, “It must be his angel [ghost].” If you ever thought that getting an answer to prayer depends on firmly believing the answer will come, well, this story ought to raise a few doubts. The gathered church certainly hoped that God would save Peter. But believe it? Why, they didn’t even believe it when the prayer was answered! I suspect that God must have been chuckling over the scene with something like delight. “Surprise!” you can almost hear Him shout. And as the gathered Christians realized Peter really was free, and jumped for joy, the Lord may well have laughed an infectious, happy laugh, right out loud. Oh, yes. God can answer prayer, even when our faith is weak and doubts are strong. So when you pray don’t worry if you’re not totally positive about what God will do. Just remember the folks in Acts 12, who told a servant girl, “You’re out of your mind,” when she reported that Peter stood at the door. Just pray. And expect to be surprised.

Personal Application

Answers to prayer depend on our great God, not on our jumbo faith.

Quotable

“I never prayed earnestly for anything but it came sooner or later, and oftentimes in the way I least imagined. But it came.”—Adoniram Judson

SEPTEMBER 19

Reading 262

BREAKING THE BARRIER Acts 10–11

“You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean” (Acts 10:28).Social barriers to fellowship between Christians must be broken down.

Overview

An angel told a devout Roman centurion to send for Peter (10:1–8). God prepared Peter with an unusual vision (vv. 9–23), and he readily traveled to Cornelius’ home (vv. 24–29). As Peter revealed God’s promise of forgiveness (vv. 30–45) the Spirit fell on the Gentiles and they spoke in tongues (vv. 46–48). Back in Jerusalem Peter related what God had done, and the church realized Christ is for Gentiles as well as Jews (11:1–18). When a strong Gentile church developed in Antioch (vv. 19–24), Barnabas sought Saul in Tarsus to join him in leadership (vv. 25–30).

Understanding the Text

“He and all his family were devout” Acts 10:1–8.

Cornelius is also described as “God-fearing.” In the first century this served as a technical term for those who admired Israel’s religion, and worshiped Israel’s God, but had not converted to Judaism. We can’t be sure that “God-fearing” is used in this technical sense here. But certainly Cornelius did worship God as well as he was able, showing his devotion in regular prayer and by giving generously to those in need. God’s stamp of approval is given in the angel’s words: Cornelius’ prayers and acts had “come up as a remembrance before God” (v. 4). We can be sure that God will reveal Himself and the way of salvation to any person like Cornelius, who honestly seeks to know and to serve the Lord. “Bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter” Acts 10:5. If Paul was the “apostle to the Gentiles,” why was Peter chosen to open the door of Gentile conversion? In part to show that the church is one: there could be no schism between a “Gentile” and “Jewish” church. The leading Jewish apostle was selected to preach the first Gospel message to Gentiles. There’s probably another reason. First-century Jews looked down on Gentiles and carefully separated themselves from them. Just entering a Gentile home made a person ritually unclean, and it was unthinkable to eat a meal with a Gentile. Only testimony by a leader of Peter’s standing would possibly be accepted by the Jewish believers. The barriers between Jew and Gentile were just too great. But soon, through Peter’s ministry in the house of Cornelius, those barriers would begin to go down. “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” Acts 10:9–23. Peter could not be called a “strict” Jew. We remember all too well how he and the other disciples were criticized by the Pharisees, to assume he was a strict legalist (cf. Matt. 12:1–2). But like all Jews, Peter had a deep-seated awareness of Israel’s call as God’s people. He was firmly committed to the basic symbols of his people’s separation to God. That’s why the command, “Kill and eat,” was so traumatic for him. Peter realized that the voice in the vision was from heaven, and thus was God’s. Yet the voice commanded him to eat animals which the Law of Moses identified as “unclean,” and thus a violation of the principle of separation. God’s word to Peter was clear. Peter was not to call “unclean” what God had made clean. God, who established Israel’s dietary laws, had the right to change them, or any other element of the ancient faith! Peter must change his outlook in order to be in step with God. Sometimes we find ourselves in a similar situation. We meet someone with different convictions than our own, and feel terribly uncomfortable. Yet we discover he or she is a committed Christian! Something in our outlook must change, for our concept of separation has come in conflict with Scripture’s teaching that all believers are brothers and sisters. If God calls them clean in Christ, how can we separate ourselves from them? Peter was about to learn a lesson each of us must learn. We can keep our convictions about what is right and what is wrong for us to do. But we cannot let our convictions become a barrier to fellowship with believing brothers and sisters with whom we differ. (See DEVOTIONAL.) “God has shown me I should not call any man impure or unclean” Acts 10:23–29. Peter openly acknowledged the divine correction. A few days before he would never have entered the house of Cornelius. But the vision showed him that “clean” and “unclean” were terms that should not apply to persons. You and I can hold convictions about what actions are right or wrong. But we can never let our convictions spill over to shape our attitudes toward fellow Christians. The other day I dropped a can of Diet Pepsi. When it hit, a tiny hole was opened in its side, and it spun round and round on the floor, with Pepsi spurting from the hole and staining the whole kitchen. I found drops on the cupboards, chairs, refrigerator, walls—even in the dining room. My wife had just one word for me: Clean. Sometimes convictions are like that Pepsi—they spurt out and stain everyone around us, convincing us that others are unclean. And we impulsively grab for our rags, intent on cleaning them up! Convictions, like Pepsi, are to be kept in the can except when in use. They’re ours, and we should live by them. But we can’t let them spurt out and taint our attitude toward other Christians whose convictions may differ. “Peter was still speaking these words” Acts 10:39–48. Use of the Greek rhemata rather than the familiar logos here suggests that it was the specific words concerning forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ name to which these Gentiles responded. We can believe many things “about” God and still come short of salvation. That comes as we trust God’s promise of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. “The circumcised believers . . . were astonished” Acts 10:44–11:18. Peter had been accompanied by six Jewish Christians. Later their testimony that the Holy Spirit had indeed been given to Gentiles was crucial in convincing the Jerusalem church that Christ reached out to all. Again we see special circumstances for an unusual event. The Gentiles gave evidence of the Spirit’s presence by speaking in tongues. Later Peter related this to the Pentecost experience. As Gentiles had been given the same gift that was given the Jewish believers, they had obviously been accepted by God. So “who was I to think that I could oppose God?” (11:17) When there was a need to convince a skeptical Jewish church that God intended to welcome Gentile converts, a special sign was given. We don’t need to be convinced—or shouldn’t need to be. We know from Scripture that all who profess Christ as Saviour, whatever their previous background, belong to Him. And belong with us. “A great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” Acts 11:19–24. It was one thing to accept Gentile converts into a predominantly Jewish church. But now in Antioch, a major city of the Empire, a predominantly Gentile church was established! Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to find out what was happening. He was an excellent choice, for he was “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” He may have been one of the few Jewish Christian leaders sensitive enough to sense what God was about, and able to resist the temptation to impose a Jewish lifestyle on these Gentile converts. What Barnabas did do is again a model for us to follow. He simply “encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (v. 23). God doesn’t need or want cookie-cutter Christians, all stamped out on the model you and I provide. He wants Christians who are true to Him with all their hearts. If we help others be true to Him, they will reject sin. And they will be responsive to God, who is better able to shape their convictions and their lifestyle than we are. “The disciples . . . decided to provide help” Acts 11:25–30. When a severe famine was predicted and came, Judea was especially hard hit. The Gentile church in Antioch, led now by Saul as well as Barnabas and its own elders, sent aid. Again we see a principle at work. When barriers are let down, and Christian brothers and sisters released to work out their own way of expressing their commitment to the Lord, love and caring also flow. As an expression of that love the Gentile church of Antioch sent its gift to their Jewish brethren by Barnabas and Saul. Love others and give them freedom in Christ. That kind of love will surely be returned.

DEVOTIONAL

Broken Barriers(Acts 11:1–18)

Thirty years ago I’d have bristled a bit, put up my defenses, and wondered if he was converted. But then, 30 years ago I erected all sorts of barriers to protect myself from having to consider that folks whose convictions and beliefs differed from mine might be Christians. My list of convictions included such things as no smoking, drinking, or going to movies. And my list of essential beliefs ruled out Catholics and a goodly number of Protestants too. I couldn’t help smiling about this last weekend, as I stood just off the dance floor with Bob Dyksra. The band was blaring as he sipped his cocktail, and shouted just a bit to be heard. We were back in Michigan for my wife’s niece’s wedding, and Bob, a cousin, had come up from Indianapolis. We’d stayed in his home one weekend a few years before, and discovered that he was an active member in a large Catholic parish, heavily involved in small group Bible study. Among his more unusual claims to fame, Bob is one of the few persons, if not the only one, who’s read all the articles in my 720-page Expository Dictionary of Bible Words (Zondervan, 1985). Last weekend, though, Bob was telling me about a family he met in the Orlando airport. The dad was 64, wheeling a 42-year-old son in a wheelchair. The son had been stricken with a disease that gave him no control at all over his body, but left his mind sharp and unimpaired. Mom and Dad had cared for him for years, but as their lives were drawing to a close, they knew that they had to find someplace for their son to be cared for. They were going to Indianapolis, where Bob’s parish sponsored just such a facility. Bob looked at his watch as he told me the story. It was nearly 10 P.M., and he and his wife had to leave to drive back home from Grand Rapids. It seems he’d told the mom and dad that whenever they came to Indianapolis to visit their son, they could stay at his home. So he had to get back that night, to pick them up early next morning at the airport and take them out to see their boy. Bob took one last swig of his drink, smiled, and left for the long drive home. And I felt a little bit like the Jerusalem church must have, when it praised the Lord that God had “even granted the Gentiles repentance unto life.” This ol’ Diet-Pepsi-drinking-Protestant is so glad the barriers are going down, and that I can feel comfortable calling a modern “Gentile” who loves Jesus, prays regularly, and gives generously to those in need, “Brother.” And love him in the Lord.

Personal Application

Keep your convictions. But don’t let them keep you from others.

Quotable

“To pass judgment on another is to usurp shamelessly a prerogative of God, and to condemn is to ruin one’s soul.”—John Climacus