Milo

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

SEPTEMBER 18

Reading 261

PAUL’S CONVERSION Acts 9

“This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15).Salvation first: service second.

Overview

Saul set off to stamp out Christianity in Damascus (9:1–2) but was converted on the way (vv. 3–19). His bold preaching of Christ aroused deadly hostility in Damascus (vv. 20–25). Back in Jerusalem, his fearless witness again endangered him, and Saul was sent home to Tarsus (vv. 26–31). Meanwhile Peter, in Joppa, raised a beloved widow from the dead (vv. 32–43).

Understanding the Text“

Breathing out murderous threats” Acts 9:1–2.

The Sanhedrin had the right to discipline any Jew living in the Empire. Letters from that body gave Saul legal authority to arrest Christian Jews in Damascus. But why was Paul so adamantly opposed to the Christians? He undoubtedly saw faith in Jesus as a corruption and perversion of the Scriptures, and very possibly saw himself as a worthy successor of such ancient heroes as Moses or Phinehas, who killed immoral Israelites at Baal of Peor (Num. 25:1–15). There is no question that zealous first-century Jews viewed hatred of the wicked as a mark of righteousness. Saul’s absolute certainty serves to alert us to a common danger. It is always possible to apply Scripture wrongly. The Word is reliable, but we human beings have a tendency to proof text our actions. And the verse or principle we refer to may not apply to our situation! God has given us His Holy Spirit to guide our application of Scripture. We must remain sensitive to His leading, or risk running enthusiastically in the wrong direction, as Saul surely did! “And heard a voice say” Acts 9:3–9. This is the first of three accounts of Saul’s conversion that are found in the Book of Acts (cf. Acts 22; 26). Why three accounts? In part because the later two are reports of how Paul told his conversion story when speaking to different audiences. But mostly because Saul’s conversion was the most significant event in his life. You and I hardly have conversion stories to match Saul’s for drama. But ours do match his for significance! The most important event in any human being’s life is coming to know Jesus Christ as personal Saviour. (See DEVOTIONAL.) “I have heard many reports about this man” Acts 9:10–19. We know little about Ananias of Damascus. What we do know is admirable. He was “a disciple” (a term which in Acts almost always is used with the sense of “a Christian”). Ananias responded immediately to God’s instructions and went to see Saul, despite Saul’s reputation. And he accepted Saul as “Brother Saul.” Sometimes despite Christ’s call to us to be witnesses, we hesitate to approach people about whom we’ve “heard reports.” Often the reports aren’t true. More often than not when I’ve gotten to know people that others criticized or gossiped about, I’ve found the reports totally wrong. But at times the reports we hear are true, as in the case of Saul. Even then, there’s an unknown factor. God may have been working in their lives, as He worked in Saul’s. We should never let what people say about another person keep us from reaching out to him or her with God’s Good News. “He got up and was baptized” Acts 9:18. Even before Paul ate—and he had fasted the three days he remained blind—he was baptized. The act was a public confession of his faith in Jesus, and of his solidarity with the Christians of Damascus. Too many Christians seem intent on keeping their allegiance to Christ a secret in the workplace. Not that believers should carry red-covered Bibles, pass out tracts, and buttonhole colleagues for a three-minute sermon every day. But in every relationship there are times when it is natural and necessary to affirm our relationship with Jesus. A Christian really has to work at being a secret believer. He or she must consciously choose not to speak of his faith many times. We need to let Paul be our example here. One of his first acts as a believer was to publicly identify himself with Christ and with other Christians. If we’re to serve God and other people effectively, we need to be publicly identified with Jesus too. “At once he began to preach” Acts 9:20–25. Paul had been a committed and zealous persecutor of the church. The same dynamic qualities were now dedicated to promoting the faith he had once tried to destroy. The text says that Saul “grew more and more powerful.” As he preached Jesus as the Son of God and the Old Testament’s promised Messiah, he grew in his understanding of Scripture and his ability to communicate. There’s an important principle here. No one can wait until he is “powerful” to begin witnessing or preaching. We grow in the doing, not in the waiting. If you want to develop in any area of your Christian life—be it in prayer, Bible study, witnessing, teaching, whatever—start. “They were all afraid of him” Acts 9:26–27. Barnabas is undoubtedly one of the most attractive figures in Scripture. In Acts 4 we saw him sensitive to the needy, and willing to sell his property to meet others’ needs. Here in Acts 9 we see him sensitive to Saul’s loneliness, and willing to risk possible betrayal to the authorities by contacting him. Some Christians care about others. And then, some Christians care about others. Members of the first group have honest emotions of concern or pity. Those in the second group are willing to do something to meet others’ needs. Barnabas belonged to this second group. What group do you and I belong to? Those who care, or those who care?“They tried to kill him” Acts 9:28–31. This is the second time in just a few verses that folks with whom Saul debated about Jesus were ready to kill him (cf. vv. 23–25). Somehow I get the impression that the fiery young Pharisee, so eager to attack error in the church, hadn’t changed a great deal! I may be wrong, but I suspect that Saul wasn’t at all worried about being diplomatic in his approach to evangelism. “Attack!” was Paul’s watchword. And holy zeal made that attack even more enthusiastic. Note that the brothers “took him” down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. At that point brother Saul was just stirring up trouble for the church, not winning converts! With Saul gone, “the church . . . enjoyed a time of peace” and “it grew in numbers” (v. 31). Much later Saul, by then Paul and a veteran of decades of ministry, wrote, “The Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will give them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:24–25). That kind of wisdom comes to most of us later in life. “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha” Acts 9:32–43. The story of Dorcas is fascinating for two reasons. First, this is the only case in which a miracle worker was sent for after a person had died (vv. 37–38). Even Jesus was sent for while dying persons still breathed. Apparently the Christians at Joppa had such a firm faith that they expected God to bring Dorcas back from the dead. Second, note the reason for the church’s desire for Dorcas’ resuscitation. She “was always doing good and helping the poor” (v. 36). This is perhaps even more important. Let’s commit ourselves to being the kind of persons whose loss would be felt deeply, because we too are “always doing good.”

DEVOTIONAL

The Mark of Saul(Acts 9:1–19)

Every true Christian must bear the mark of Saul. I don’t mean that you or I have to have an exceptional conversion experience. Or even that we have to put a date and time to the moment we came to know Christ. I do mean that there are some things in the account of Saul’s conversion that really are normative for Christians. Even though the story is found in Acts. You know the story. Saul was stunned by the flash of light and the voice from heaven, which he recognized as a sign of divine revelation. But he was even more stunned to hear a voice say, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” With those words everything Saul had believed with such fierce conviction, everything he had staked his life and being on, was shown to be utterly false. Most people drift through life, with few strong religious convictions. Conversion seems a welcome or delightful thing. Some, as Saul, experience conversion as a total redirection of belief and life. Yet there are certain things that are common to every Christian conversion. For each of us, becoming a Christian means (1) acknowledging the error of old beliefs and abandoning them, (2) revising our opinion of Jesus to acknowledge Him as Saviour and Lord, (3) gradually realizing that life must take on a new direction, with service given priority. In Saul, these changes were instant and dramatic. In others the changes may take place more gradually, and certainly less dramatically. But Christian conversion must bear these marks. Many assume that they “believe” in God or in Jesus. But if the three indelible marks of conversion are lacking, that “belief” is superficial and not true Christian faith.

Personal Application

How does your life display the mark of Saul?

Quotable

“The mark of a saint is not perfection, but consecration. A saint is not a man without faults, but a man who has given himself without reserve to God.”—Brooke Foss Westcott

SEPTEMBER 17

Reading 260

BEYOND JUDEA Acts 8

“A great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the Apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1).The church that prospers under persecution crumbles when comfortable.

Overview

Intense persecution scattered Christians through Judea and Samaria (8:1–3). Samaritans (vv. 4–7) and even a magician named Simon (vv. 9–13) were converted by Philip’s preaching. Apostles came from Jerusalem to investigate, and gave the Holy Spirit in a way that established their authority and the unity of the church (vv. 14–17). Simon was rebuked for trying to buy spiritual power (vv. 18–25). An angel directed Philip to leave the revival to lead a lone individual to Christ (vv. 26–40).

Understanding the Text

“On that day a great persecution broke out” Acts 8:1–2.

The Apostles had been told that God’s purpose was to plant the Gospel first in Jerusalem, then “in all Judea and Samaria” and then to the “ends of the earth” (1:8). For a long time, however, the church remained a Jerusalem phenomenon. The thousands of converts came from that city—and stayed there. Why leave such a loving community of believers, such outstanding leaders? We all have a tendency to “settle down” here on earth. As strange as it seems, God’s blessings can sap our spiritual vitality. It took an outburst of persecution to scatter the Jerusalem believers—and the Gospel message—across Judea and Samaria. Let’s not “settle down” too comfortably in this world. God has work for each of us to do. “Saul began to destroy the church” Acts 8:3. We know Saul better as Paul the Apostle. But that story comes later. Now Saul, with authority from the Sanhedrin, zealously went about trying to stamp out the Christian movement. After his conversion Paul had a key role in God’s great plan for evangelizing the world. But even now, before his conversion, Paul played a key role in that same plan! It was Paul’s active persecution that scattered believers—and thus spread the Gospel. God is great enough that even His most active enemies actually promote His cause. “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there” Acts 8:4–7. Philip was one of seven “deacons” chosen to distribute food to the needy (6:1–7). Here we see him preaching and performing miracles in Samaria. Another “meals on wheels” driver had been promoted in God’s army! What’s really significant, however, is that Philip preached in Samaria. The Samaritan religion was a perverted form of Judaism, and Samaritans were viewed with hostility and contempt by the Jews. Philip, however, viewed them as human beings for whom Christ died, and preached Christ to them. How we classify people determines to a large extent how we relate to them. We Christians are not to classify others by racial or socioeconomic group, or even by such categories as drug addict, homosexual, or convict. We are to look at other believers as brothers and sisters in the Lord. And we are to look at every non-Christian as a candidate for salvation—as a person God loves, and for whom Christ died. “Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” Acts 8:14–17. Every now and then we need to be reminded that Acts is a book of history, not of doctrine. Some of the things that are reported there are not normative. That is, they are not patterns for all Christians to follow everywhere. This is one of those incidents. God did not give the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans until two apostles came down from Jerusalem. Then the Spirit was given when and only when John and Peter laid hands on the new believers. Remembering the ancient hostility and religious rivalry between the Jews and Samaritans, we can see why this was necessary. The church of Christ is one, and the ministry of the Apostles was foundational to its teaching and unity. Only such an obvious sign of unity and authority could keep the Samaritans from developing a separate church in the critical early Christian decades as they had developed a separate form of Judaism. So don’t build your doctrine of the Holy Spirit and His coming on the experiences reported in Acts. Look for the unusual reasons for God’s unusual actions. “Simon . . . offered them money” Acts 8:9–13, 18–25. Simon was one of those folks who made a good living promoting his or her supposed supernatural powers. Like the modern stage magician, Simon knew some mighty good tricks, and had deceived “high and low” into honoring him as “the Great Power.” And then Simon got converted. But he brought some of his old attitudes into his new life. Peter’s rebuke is blunt and to the point. It is also directed to you and me. Like Simon we bring too many of our old attitudes and values with us when we become Christians. And we have to get rid of them, for they have no place in people who belong to Jesus. “On his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch” Acts 8:26–35. Usually “eunuch” indicates a male who has been castrated. It was quite common in ancient times for rulers to castrate young boys and train them for administrative duties. The theory was that with no family to consider they would be more faithful to the ruler they served. In time “eunuch” was used in some societies as a title for certain officials, whether they had been castrated or not. So we can’t be sure if this high Ethiopian official was a true eunuch or not. It’s tempting to think that he was, just because Old Testament Law forbade such persons to participate in temple worship. How exciting it must have been for the Ethiopian as Philip taught him to realize that in Christ, God would welcome even him. Everyone is welcome in Christ. Whatever one’s background, whatever he has done or not done, there is room for him or her. The Good News for every outcast is, come on in! “How can I . . . unless someone explains it to me?” Acts 8:31–40 Most people do not really comprehend what they read. That’s frustrating for those of us whose ministry is writing. But it’s exciting for everyone else. I communicate by computer. But you have the opportunity to explain to friends or neighbors or folks you meet on the plane, face-to-face, the wonderful message that led to the joyful conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. I’ve been told (by publishers) that authors are (or were, before TV evangelists came along) the “superstars” of Christianity. Having received little adulation, I’m not at all convinced. But I am convinced that the most effective and most exciting ministry there is is the simple one-on-one explaining of the Gospel to someone who wants to understand what he’s read or heard. Why not ask God to send you to someone like the Ethiopian eunuch today?

DEVOTIONAL

Go South(Acts 8:26–40)

I’ve learned over the years that God has a habit of asking us to change directions suddenly. The night of my seminary graduation, I had the privilege of speaking for the “future pastors.” Three days later I was on a plane to interview for a position as an editor at a Christian publisher. Several years later I spoke at a church that was looking for a pastor. I was expecting a call. Two weeks later I was an assistant professor at Wheaton College Graduate School. I finally got my Ph.D. and tenure, and looked forward to a lifelong career in teaching. A few months later I moved to Phoenix, with no job, to launch a writing ministry. It seemed that every time I was set on my direction in life, God interrupted, and said, “Go another way.” That’s surely what happened to Philip. But Philip’s change of direction was even more stunning. He was right in the middle of a great revival: hundreds of people were being saved. And God said to him, “Go south to the road—the desert road.” What? Leave the city and the big tent meeting, where conversions were coming by the dozen. Go where? The desert! Philip knew better than to question. He went out by the road, and there he met an Ethiopian official that he led to Christ. Undoubtedly that official then carried the Gospel back to his distant homeland. I suppose that a Government Accounting Office official would argue that going south wasn’t cost effective. I mean, stay where you can get the most for your money. Don’t reserve all that time for just one person when it could be used to reach hundreds. But it’s kind of nice to remember that God isn’t a GAO accountant. To Him, the individual is still as important as the crowd. So the next time God says, “Go south,” to you, don’t hesitate. It may not make much sense to you. But whatever God tells us to do makes a lot of sense to Him.

Personal Application

Be sensitive to God’s change of direction.

Quotable

(Morning prayer): “Good morning, God, I love You! What are You up to today? I want to be a part of it.”—Norman Grubb