Paul Arrives in Jerusalem - Acts 21

¹⁵ After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.

¹⁷ When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. ¹⁸ The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹ Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰ When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. ²¹ They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. ²² What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, ²³ so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. ²⁴ Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. ²⁵ As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”

²⁶ The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

The whole effort from Paul based on the recommendations of the Jerusalem church is based on lies being told by others.  This whole effort is a political move to try to offset or minimize damage to the perception of Paul.  When Jesus returned to Jerusalem He made no such effort.  He was Himself and content in what He had done, what He had said, and in Whose will He was in. 

I probably do not understand this effort fully, but to me this is a mistake.  Paul should have just been Paul and depended upon God for his protection.  This seems to be an effort in deception.  Other than living, working, and preaching with Gentiles, I’m not sure Paul has lived outside of obedience to the law, and the part about Gentiles is somewhat debatable.  However, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 about winning people by being like them and not against what they know.  So maybe in this effort, Paul is being as a Jew so that he might win the Jews.

External appearances do not define internal beliefs.  Paul might go through rituals and acts, but in his heart he knows that Jesus is the Son of the Living God.  He will be opposed by those who do not believe this.  People, often unknowingly, see through the exterior physical and know what's in someone's heart.  When Jesus is there, people are often repelled or attracted and they may not know why unless they have Jesus in their heart also. 

Paul Marches To Jerusalem - Acts 21

21 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ² We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. ³ After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴ We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. ⁶ After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

They had to push themselves away from the Ephesians.  It was a difficult goodbye.

How can the disciples in Tyre urge Paul not to go to Jerusalem “through the Spirit”?  Yet, isn’t Paul going to Jerusalem by following the Spirit?  I think there is some question here as to whether Paul is indeed following the Spirit or if the Spirit is with Paul wherever he goes. 

They have another beautiful goodbye as all of them and their families come to the beach to see him off and kneel and pray together.

⁷ We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. ⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Paul has had three missionary journeys and they have taken at near to a decade.  This is sort of like a victory tour or march for them as they return home.

Philip, one of the Seven, is one of the ones chosen in the first church to feed the poor (Acts 6:5).  His daughters have the gift of prophesy.  Since there was no New Testament, this is an important gift to the early disciples.

The Corinthians, Ephesians, those at Tyre, these at Caesarea, and the accompanying disciples with Paul, one being Luke, all are urging Paul not to go.  This prophet tells what the Holy Spirit has shown him.  Paul already knows this and has stated it back in chapter 20.  He knows what awaits him.

This is an extraordinary event.  Is Paul so tied to the Spirit that he knows what he must do?  And is everyone else so tied to the Spirit that they are being shown what is to happen, but they personally do not want anything to happen to Paul?  Or is the Spirit showing them he shouldn’t go?  The Spirit is not confusion.  The Bible tells us that the evil one is the author of confusion.  The Spirit would have them all in agreement.  Yet, this story seems to lead us to wonder if they all agreed.  In the end they all accepted that Paul could not be dissuaded from going to Jerusalem.  It is obvious that they loved Paul dearly.

There is debate among theologians on this topic.  Some believe Paul was following the Spirit, others believe Paul was outside the Spirit.  I personally find it hard to believe that a guy who is so consumed with teaching that he teaches all night long up until there is no more time to teach and who is able to raise a boy from the dead is outside of the Spirit of God. 

Another point that might be made is that In Acts 9:15-16, Ananias is told by God that Paul is His chosen vessel to bear His name to the Gentiles and to kings.  So far, Paul hasn’t witnessed to kings. 

Paul Leaves Ephesus - Acts 20

³⁶ When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. ³⁷ They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. ³⁸ What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

These elders and the church are heart-broken now having heard from the father of their church that they will never see him again.  Paul was such a force of God walking so diligently and purposefully in the Spirit that it would be very difficult to realize he would not return.  Often the knowledge that he might return keeps a group together and faithful, but learning that he wouldn’t return means other leaders have to take over.  Who could replace Paul?  This would be a difficult transition time for the church and it seems that Paul knew it.

Paul’s farewell speech is a beautiful message and it is obvious that he deeply cared for the Ephesian church.  Paul is incredibly sincere and I imagine somewhat heart-broken himself at having to tell them he was leaving and wouldn’t return.  You don’t just live and work alongside people for three years in the intimate settings of Christian ministry without being strongly connected with them. 

This current time in church history is significant.  Many churches today are experiencing the foundational members of the church dying.  The hand-off to the next generation isn’t happening very smoothly as had happened between the previous generation hand-off.  What these elders hold most dear and value greatly, mostly traditional by description, aren’t held in high regard by the new generation.  Like the Ephesian church which would hope to cling to all they had been taught by Paul, I hope the new generation will hold onto the steadfast faiths of the previous generation regardless of the style of worship.

Paul says Goodbye to Ephesus - Acts 20

¹³ We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. ¹⁶ Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

Luke describes their daily travels and remarks that Paul is hurrying the trip in order to make it back to Jerusalem.  However, Paul purposely does not travel by Ephesus without saying goodbye.  His greatest success as a missionary has been in Ephesus.

¹⁷ From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.¹⁹ I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. ²⁰ You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Paul’s farewell to the Ephesians starts with the important things first.  1) He came as a humble servant and preached to them with great compassion for them.  He didn’t hold anything back even when he was being persecuted.  He preached the good news of the gospel to everyone.  He gave them the full Word of God. 

²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

2)  He is following the Holy Spirit and he has been shown that severe hardships are waiting for him.  In an earlier trip, God had provided a roadblock that kept Paul from traveling in a certain direction.  That is not the case here.  God has shown him what will happen and it is severe.  Yet Paul faithfully follows.  Even so, his life means nothing to him, he will gladly give it up for the purpose of Jesus.  His purpose from God is this: “Testify to the good news of God’s grace.”  Hardships or no hardships, at home or abroad, to brethren Jews or Gentiles, his task is to testify salvation through Jesus and he intends to finish.

²⁵ “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. ²⁷ For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

3)  He has foreseen that he will not be in Ephesus again.  God is leading him to another place.

4)  He is “innocent of their blood”.  He is not responsible for any of them not knowing or not receiving salvation.  He has poured himself out with great compassion and effort always preaching and teaching at every opportunity for their benefit.  They are now responsible for their walk with God. 

²⁸ Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. ²⁹ I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. ³⁰ Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. ³¹ So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

5)  Paul is speaking to the elders or most learned disciples in the church.  As such, they are to be as shepherds to the rest of the church and guide them to God and His will which they have been taught.  They are to be ready because there are those immediately ready to tear apart the body of believers.

³² “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴ You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. ³⁵ In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

6)  Paul leaves them with God’s Word as their inheritance and he dedicates them to God.  He doesn’t leaven them money or things of the world, but the things of God which can encourage them and heal them.

7)  He did not receive from them earthly goods for his preaching services.  He provided as a laborer for his daily living while preaching and teaching as an example of how to help the weak. 

A Boy is Raised from the Dead & EQ - Acts 20

⁷ On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.

The church that follows Jesus meets on the first day of the week.  Why?  Shouldn’t this be on the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week?  It is because that is the day that Jesus rose from the dead.  The church has moved from the Jewish tradition of meeting on the Sabbath like the Jews to meeting on the first day in recognition of being aligned with Jesus the Savior.  The old creation was seventh day was important, but under the new creation, the first day is important.   On the Sabbath day, Jesus was dead, but on the first day He was alive!  The church meets on the first day because they are joined with Christ.

However, it must be noted that nowhere in Scripture is a particular day of worship required.  In fact, I believe Scripture leads us to be intent to worship every day.

Paul speaks until midnight.  How many complaints do you think he got from those attending?  Paul, knowing he wouldn’t return, is probably much like a parent trying to put every bit of wisdom and instruction possible into their minds that he can for their protection and well-being.

 ⁹ Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” ¹¹ Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹² The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

Here is a good lesson on why we should not fall asleep in church.  Paul is speaking “on and on” and a young man falls out of the window to the ground.  God raises him from the dead through Paul.  Just as Peter had raised Dorcas, Paul raises Eutychus from the dead.  Then Paul goes back up and preaches until daylight.  He speaks up until the time that he must leave.  How does someone teach half the night, raise someone from the dead, then continue to teach until daybreak. 

In many of today’s churches, we’re amazed if someone raises their hands or shows any kind of emotional response within the hour of assigned worship time.  Holy hellfire if the preacher preaches 5 minutes too long.  What a stark change from this first church. The rising trend today is EQ – Emotional Intelligence.  I think the churches could learn a lot by increasing their EQ to visibly show their love for preaching and teaching. 

Missionary Training - Acts 20

20 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. ² He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, ³ where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. ⁴ He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ⁵ These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. ⁶ But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Paul continues on westward, back to Athens and Corinth.  He had only previously been in Athens for a short while.  He is constantly having to alter his plans because of Jews who plot against him.  He is also traveling with a seven or eight companions, each from churches that have been planted on previous missionary trips.  These are fellow missionaries now who have come from those church plants.  Luke is also traveling with him at this time.  Paul is visiting all the churches that he can that he has helped plant since he will not be coming back.

This is a training time for the people traveling with him.  Just as Jesus had discipled the twelve, Paul is discipling these men.  Counting Luke who travels closely with Paul, there are seven of them in the group.  They are learning how to be a missionary to other communities as Paul is, how to teach the message and how to encourage the churches.  I’m also sure they are learning how to exist in faith daily in the face of confrontation and opposition. 

Today the church does, in my opinion, a terrible job at preparing their congregations at how to live daily in faith.  It is difficult to point to an area of the church daily operations and see how faith works.  If someone asked me to show them faith, what could I point to at the church that they could observe and see faith?  How does the church demonstrate what living daily in faith actually looks like and how does it provide support channels to assist in that daily living?  Too many churches want people’s help to support their programs and their work, but offer little to support the actual daily, sometimes hourly, needs of the work of an individual member – which might be just as an important calling as that of the church’s programs.

Riot in Ephesus - Mobs and Free Speech - Acts 19

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

²⁸ When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. ³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.³¹ Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

As the Jewish priests often did, these silversmiths create a riot based on their ability to make money.  When the message of Jesus gets into people’s pocketbooks, it creates division.  People who do not believe are often tolerate of Christians and the gospel message until it affects their security.  Believing in Jesus is a decision of security.  When someone believes, truly believes, their security is in Jesus and His work in the death on the cross and His resurrection.  Their security is knowing that He has borne all of their sins upon Himself and He alone did this work and it is finished!  He holds their keys to heaven and eternal security.  For the non-believer, their security is whatever they can do now on earth in this physical life.  So they greatly oppose and fight anyone or thing that affects their effort to provide their own security.

The whole basis of this riot is that their “trade will lose its good name”.  If the idol of Artemis is removed then everyone who comes to Ephesus for the idol artifacts made from silver will not buy them.  Their livelihood depended upon people’s worship to Artemis.  Artemis is the image of Diana.  It is not the Diana of the Greeks, but a multi-breasted oriental type Diana that is not a graceful image.  This temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  It was the largest Greek temple ever built.

³² The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.³³ The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. ³⁴ But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. ³⁷ You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. ³⁸ If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. ³⁹ If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.”⁴¹ After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Notice that the mob does not grant Alexander free speech.  They refuse to allow him to speak.  This is what mob rule does.  It crushes freedom.  Also notice that a mob catches within it many people who don’t know why they are there.  But, once they are in it, it is hard to get out of it.  Back in WWII, there were many Germans that had no interest in being at war and certainly not in slaughtering Jews.  But once they had gotten caught up into the “mob” of the Nazis, there was no way out apart from dying.  They had lost their ability to free speech and freedom as much as those who actually actively opposed the Germans. 

Finally, a city clerk is allowed to speak.  The city clerk is not named, but he is a strong voice of reason.  He settles them down so they can realize what they are doing.  The laws of the ordered society are able to rule.  This is a testimony of an ordered society, something that America is losing with the political attacks on police officers and biased judges that try to make laws from the bench.  There is a sect of the public that seek to demonstrate and even riot over anything they deem to be unfair.  My hope is that America will stay an ordered society and the laws will prevail. 

The People in Ephesus Confess - Acts 19

¹⁷ When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. ¹⁸ Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. ¹⁹ A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. ²⁰ In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

The people are fearful that an evil spirit declared that he knew Jesus and about Paul and beat these Jewish sons of the priest nearly to death.  This invalidated any opposition to Paul’s preaching.  Suddenly there is a “realness” to the name of God and the Lord Jesus whom Paul preached.  People are confessing and repenting.  This instance of repentance from sorcery is selected to show the commitment.  A drachma was equivalent to a single day’s wage, so this would be equivalent to 50,000 day wages.  To compare to today, if you made $100/day, then this is equal to $5 million dollars.  Other texts indicate 50,000 pieces of silver.  That would be around $12,000 today.  While we may not know the exact equivalent in today’s dollars, it’s a lot of money, yet the people are “seized with fear” over the power of Jesus and “selling out” for the gospel.

What would need to happen today for people to realize that Jesus was real?  What would invalidate all the opposition to God?  Usually we consider severe weather or some natural disaster is necessary.  What if an evil spirit within someone was caught on video?  Maybe the supernatural healing of someone?  I can say with surety that I really do not know.

²¹ After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” ²² He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.

Paul is going to go back towards Corinth and has a desire to go to Rome.  We see Timothy again and get the idea that Timothy and Erastus have been with him as he has stayed in Ephesus.

Evil Spirit - Acts 19

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

Why would a Jewish chief priest’s sons be trying to cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus, whom they did not believe?  They obviously wanted the prestige of the power but didn’t want to yield their position to Jesus.  Paul is a miracle producing message of Jesus, so they try to emulate him but without believing.  This does not work.  I wonder how many people will try this after they die.  They will invoke the name of Jesus to be saved to heaven but they have never believed and accepted Jesus as the Son of God and His sacrifice for salvation.  We should be sure today that we are depending solely upon Jesus for salvation from our sins and nothing else.  It is Jesus or nothing.

The evil spirit talks to these men.  He says he knows Jesus and about Paul.  Isn’t it interesting how the evil spirits all know Jesus?  Yet they still oppose Him.  Doesn’t it seem like they would lay down their destruction and seek Him?  I believe that this is further proof of the finality of death to an eternal future.  The choice we make now is an eternal choice.  If we choose not to believe in Jesus, there is a place that is separated from God, a place of fire and brimstone and gnashing of teeth; it is hell.  If we choose to believe in Jesus, there is a place with a heavenly choir where everyone praises the living Lord and His Son Jesus and they live in communion with their God and God with His children.  This decision is real and it has consequences.

What surprises me about the evil spirits and demons written about in the Bible is they all know Jesus, Who He is, and they all obey His command.  They do not fight against His Word.  Yet, somehow, they are absolutely against His will.  There is this element inside of every human.  There is something deep inside that wants our will and not anyone else’s or God’s.  We are never closer to hell than when we are living completely in our will.  If someone is following God's commands but living in their will, that person is an evil spirit.  This is the description for the Jewish high council in Jerusalem and in this story, the sons of the Jewish chief priest. 

The Power of the Spirit in Paul - Acts 19

⁸ Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. ⁹ But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

From his experiences at Corinth, Paul is very willing to leave the synagogues and find new places to preach and teach.  This is the new dimension of his ministry.  There is a sense where Paul has crossed over the need to be in the synagogues at all.  At first, he was zealous for all of his kinsmen, fellow Jews, to be saved and he would preach fervently to them to the point of their violence against him.  He would preach first to the Jews then to the Gentiles.  But now, when the Jews get “obstinate” and purposely oppose him, he is quick to move out of their location and preach to the Gentiles primarily and do it in a non-Jewish location. 

He preached for two years.  “All the Jews and Greeks … heard the Word of the Lord.”  This is an incredible statement.  Paul was very effective at getting the message of the gospel out in Ephesus.  The church at Colossae was most likely formed at this time from his time in Ephesus.

¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

Paul is obviously full of the Holy Spirit during this time.  God is with Him in a powerful and great way.  Like Peter, Paul is experiencing miracles being done through him by Jesus that only Jesus had previously performed.  This is further proof of how every one in the area had heard the gospel message.  Paul was such a light as the messenger for Jesus that the news spread and people heard.

When have you heard of someone's sweaty handkerchiefs and aprons being used to heal people?  Paul was a tent maker and they didn't have air conditioning at that time.  People so believed in him as the messenger of God that they believed if they could touch a garment of his they would be healed, and they were healed.  Towards the end of the movie, "Hacksaw Ridge", the captain tells Desmond Doss, "Most of the men don't believe the same way you do, but they believe so much in how much you believe."  In other words, they might not believe in the God he believes in, but they believe in how much he believed in God and they needed him to pray for them and be with them.  This is an incredible testimony.  This is the essence of the healing in these rags of Paul's.  The people so believe in Paul's belief in God that if they can only touch something of his, then Paul's God will heal them.  They have faith in Paul's God because of Paul's intense unwavering faith.

Where are the people today who are full of the Holy Spirit?  People who are so full that they stand out even when they aren’t trying to do so.  Where is the Mother Teresa or Billy Graham of our time?  Those people who are so full of the Spirit that even a society that opposes Jesus gives them respect and honor.  When will we see such persons and who will they be?  

A better question is this: Where are the people who have intense and unwavering faith?  So much faith that even those who don't believe in God, believe in the person who believes in God in this manner - with their whole heart and fullness of their character.  Where are these people?  Why aren't I that person?  Why aren't you that person?

The Holy Spirit in Ephesus - Acts 19

19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

Paul goes back to Ephesus where he had only made a brief stop before.  It is here that Apollos had spoken boldly and so well regarding Jesus, but only knew the baptism of John.  When Paul gets here he speaks directly regarding the Holy Spirit.  There is no mention of Aquila and Priscilla here.  It sounds as though Paul randomly walks around looking for and finding some disciples.  Then he teaches them about Jesus and they are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

The Christians in America do way too little regarding the critical importance of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit is God’s presence in our life once someone is saved through faith.  Having an intellectual knowledge of God, the stories of the Bible, the concept of repentance and the church will keep you just as lost as someone who has no knowledge of God.  It is crucial to be willing to submit your will to God and ask Him to come into your heart.  Without the presence of the Spirit, it is impossible to know where or what good actually is, to discern if what a person is saying comes from a pure heart even before their words come out, to silently see someone and know that they also have the Spirit within them, to pray earnestly and know without a doubt that God hears and acts on that prayer, and to be comforted in your doubt when no one is around.

God’s presence through the Holy Spirit in our life can do anything God can do and He is our most intimate relationship.  Believing in Jesus as the Son of the only one true Living God as the compensation for all of our sins is incomplete without the rushing of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. 

Apollos - Acts 18

²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.²⁸ For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Where had Apollos learned the Scriptures so well?  The text doesn’t say except to say he is from Alexandria.  Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in North Africa.  It was home to a great university and possibly a great library although there is some debate on the size and destruction of that library.  We can reason that he was able to learn from these and was very intelligent and was able to quote accurately and discern the Scriptures better than the Jews in the synagogues.  Apollos must have been brilliant and have had a zeal for knowing and teaching the Scriptures with accuracy.  He spoke about Jesus “accurately” while not knowing salvation through Jesus.  This is incredible for us to conceive.  It is possible to know Jesus from the Old Testament Scriptures “accurately” according to this passage.  Yet so many people dismiss these texts today!  The Bible is a complete document and all of it is worthy of our study so that we might see Jesus, and God, more clearly.

Paul’s tentmaking friends, Priscilla and Aquila guide Apollos to salvation and baptism through Jesus and they send him with their letters to the churches in the Achaia area.  This would be Corinth, where they had lived for several years with Paul.  Christians are supporting Christians and encouraging one another whenever they can.  This is the church in a fallen world that opposes it.  The church should look this way today as well.  Unfortunately, today's church is very divided over too many aspects and are having a very difficult keeping the main thing the main focus.  And that main thing is the gospel message: God and Jesus are very real and salvation from sin is only found in Jesus.

The Returning Missionary - Acts 18

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

I’m not sure what vow Paul would have taken that would have caused him to cut his hair or why he took a vow.  It is interesting that this is in the descriptions of Paul’s missionary journey.  It certainly adds to the humanness of Paul.

Paul’s new friends, Aquila and Priscilla stay in Ephesus.  I assume Silas and Timothy have stayed in Corinth.  No description as to their whereabouts are provided.  Paul finally makes it back to Jerusalem and Antioch.  Corinth has become the furthest westward location for Paul on this trip.  He stayed there at least 1 ½ years, probably closer to 2 years. 

²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Paul goes and visits all the churches in the area.  This is the beginning of his 3^rd missionary journey. Through his preaching and descriptions of his travels and the salvation to some Jews and many Gentiles the churches are encouraged (“strengthened”).  (I’m assuming this is what he talked about.)

I remember when there were people who would travel church-to-church.  That was their ministry.  They would sing to the church and/or preach.  They were evangelist but not in a modern built-up event kind of way.  I remember that they would come and work at the church for a week or two, doing anything the church needed done whether it was painting, yardwork, or cleaning toilets.  They would provide special songs and an encouraging message.  Then they would travel to the next church. 

I sense that Paul is traveling church-to-church and encouraging the believers with the news of his missionary journeys and how God has been with Him and is reaching the world.

As I work with foreign missionaries, they do this same type of thing to their home congregations and the churches that send them.  They take a time to come back from the field and describe what has been ongoing in that work.  Unfortunately, too many churches act only as bankers and want to know what their “investment” has prospered in terms of numbers.  Too few churches take the missionaries in and provide a sincere effort to care for the missionaries and their families first, then discuss how they can help the missionary in the work. 

God Delivers on His Promise - Acts 18

¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

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

Here we go again.  The Jews who don't accept what Paul is preaching and teaching want to have him beaten and imprisoned or even killed.  I continue to see how prevalent this is to today's attacks on Christianity.  They attack all things Christian, but give allowance and religious "freedom" to other religions, some who refused to condemn the attacks on this country that killed thousands of Americans!  It is mind-boggling and cannot be explained outside of the context of Jesus.  Those who oppose the gospel will reject, condemn, and fight against that message of God's love, even if they don't really understand why.  The only real war in the world is a spiritual war between God and all who hate God.

Paul didn’t have to speak to his own defense.  God promised that no one would lay a hand on him (v10) and here God has Gallio of a mind that this is a Jewish problem and does not concern Roman laws.  Gallio makes a decision that separates church and state.  He expresses that their religion is separate from the Roman laws.  Gallio rebukes them and does not give them any credit for their arguments and Paul is unhurt and free.  God is not slack concerning His promises to His children.  

What promise from God are you holding onto today?  You can rest assured that God does not move and it is impossible for Him not to honor His promise.  

Paul Reject the Jews and Focuses on the Gentiles - Acts 18

18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

After what?  After Paul had been in Athens a while and had these discussions with the philosophers regarding Jesus.  By all descriptions, Corinth was a sin city.  It was the location of the temple dedicated to Aphrodite (Venus) where there were a thousand vestal virgins.  But these where really prostitutes and sex was the religion honoring Aphrodite.  There were two large theatres there for entertainment.  It was a popular place in the Roman Empire.

Lest we look down upon the Corinthians at their worship to Aphrodite, it would be an easy argument to prove that sex is a leading religion in not just America but the developed world.  One study that interviewed freshmen college students found that 100% of them had viewed pornography.  All of the people interviewed had seen pornography by age 18.  This is startling.  Consider a few more alarming statistics:

1. Porn sites receive more regular traffic than Netflix, Amazon, & Twitter combined each month. 
2. 35% of all internet downloads are porn-related.  That is over 1/3 of all activity on the internet! 
3. In 2018 alone, more than 5,517,000,000 hours of porn were consumed on the world’s largest porn site.  This means, at any hour of any day during 2018, 629,794 were watching porn (on average). 
4. The world’s largest free porn site also received over 33,500,000,000 site visits during 2018 alone.  This means, for every second of every day in 2018, 1,062 people visited a porn site (on average).  Over 1,000 people, every second!

In a recent conversation with a middle school guidance counselor, she was very candid about the alarming discussions she has with students almost daily.  The girls, in particular, learn about sex from watching porn.  The absence of parental discussions and taught morality with accountability is crippling the world.  A significant portion of the world worships sex and we as a sinful people are no better than the Corinthians.

There was a lot of Greek military history in this area.  This is where the Greco-Persian wars ended.  In the 2^nd invasion by King Xerxes, the Persian navy is defeated nearby.  Following that, the Persians retreat and and suffer a great defeat the following year.

 ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Paul is working to provide for himself while he teaches and preaches.  He is still separated from Silas and Timothy since the Jews in Thessalonica run him out of town to Berea and then away from there also (ch 17).  He has found some refugee Jews who were escaping from Rome.  Even so, Paul spends every Sabbath teaching (“reasoning”) with the Jews and Greeks about Jesus. 

⁵ When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. ⁸ Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

Paul dedicated himself to preach exclusively to the Jews once Silas and Timothy arrive, yet the Jews reject the message.  Paul’s patience runs out with the Jews and he is frustrated to the point of making a vow to only speak to the Gentiles from that point forward in Corinth.  While we may think it is unreasonable for him to get angry with these people and remove himself from teaching them further, God did this as well and Isaiah records how the message will be given to the Gentiles because his people reject it.  Jesus reinforces this as He tells the parable of how the kingdom of heaven is like a wedding feast and the honored guests all have refuse to attend (Matthew 22), so they ask everyone, no matter who they are or what they have done, to come.  Paul has finally realized that extending this gospel message to the Gentiles as a priority is important.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

God assures Paul that no one will harm him.  When Paul is at his “wits end” with the Jews, the Lord steps in and reassures him with a promise of protection.  The Lord met him where he needed to be met when he needed assurance.  God has “many people” in this city and he needs Paul to preach and teach them about Jesus.  Paul will enter a new dimension of ministry that has less primary focus on reaching Jews than Gentiles.

Teaching in Athens - Acts 17

²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

Paul begins in a genius manner.  He commends them for their religious ways.  He has observed them closely, then he notices something that makes no sense and shows it to them.  They worship everything, even an unknown god.  They actually have an alter to a god they do not know.  So, he is going to tell them who God is.  I wonder if Paul is discussing the foolishness of being so religious that you worship everything, even a god you don't know.  Or was he intent to say that this god that you know is a god but don't know his name, is the actual only God and I'm going to tell you more about Him.

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

²⁹ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. ³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Paul starts at the beginning and gives what I would call the 10,000 foot view.  It’s an overview of who God is and how man fits into this picture.  Missionaries in many foreign places begin their ministries this way.  They start at the beginning and teach from Genesis.  They show how from the beginning there has been a need for a Savoir.  It might be months before they ever declare Jesus to the people as our Savoir. 

³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”³³ At that, Paul left the Council. ³⁴ Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Paul is interesting enough to cause a second meeting with some.  And some believe.  Anytime any of us teach or serve following the Spirit of God, people are going to have to make a choice.  Believe or not believe.  Some are repulsed and mock you and leave.  Others want to hear more, and some believe.  It was the same then as it is now.  We just have to be willing to teach, serve, and preach when we can to who we can.

A City Full of Idols - Acts 17

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

While this text is speaking of Athens, it could easily be said of America today.  We are a country full of idols: standard of living, social status, political party, your 'cause', being happy above all else, and the least of which is the mobile phone.

I am reminded of the story in Matthew 9:36, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  Jesus had compassion on the crowds because they were lost.  Similarly, Paul is distressed by what he sees, lost people. 

When was the last time you were distressed over seeing the people around you in society following idols?  

Are you too busy following your own to notice?  

We should be heartbroken that people so willingly give away their best life to follow worthless things.

 ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him.

Remember that Paul is in Athens.  This is the home of their modern day philosophy.

Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

For the sake of knowledge, these philosophers want to know what this new line of thinking is that Paul has brought.  I like this footnote regarding how they “did nothing”.  This reminds me of those who just want the latest fashion and who know every event that happens the second it happens.  They are so tied into society and social life that this is what they primarily do every day all day. 

Many employers have a difficult time with this new generation because they consistently spend time on their phones doing this social stuff instead of working.  The constant interruptions to thought make them bad employees, not to mention that they are getting paid for not working.  They are stealing from their employer, but sincerely do not recognize this when confronted.  Most will give up that job rather than change their habits.  It's incredible to see.  They give up what could be promising and fruitful careers because they will not give up "worshiping" on their social media.

Discerning the Truth - Berea Church - Acts 17

¹⁰ As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. ¹² As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

For the first time, a Jewish church digs into the actual Scriptures to see if what Paul says is true.  I find it amazing that this sentence isn’t repeated every time we are told that Paul preaches at a synagogue.  But this is the only one.  They wanted to know if it was true or not.  Because of their study, many of the Jews believe, not just a few as usually happened and a multitude of Gentiles believe. 

This is a great example for us today.  We should be knowledgeable of God’s Word so we can discern truth from non-truth.  Satan mis-quoted Scripture even to Jesus, if we do not know what God has said to us how are we prepared for the untruths that sound so nearly to the truth?  We must be continually learning and willing to study to examine what we are told by society and even our own church leaders.

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

Sounds a lot like Lystra on their first missionary journey.  The Jews in one town going to another town to stir them up and run them out of the area.  Here we see that they are really against Paul, seeing him as their primary threat, and not pursuing Silas and Timothy with the same zeal.  They obviously feared Paul and his ability to overcome them in study of Scriptures (knowledge) and preaching (enthusiasm).

I also wonder if God didn’t do this intentionally.  Maybe God wanted Paul in Athens by himself.

Thessalonica & Christian Persecution - Acts 17

17 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

Thessalonica was previously named Therma because there were some warm springs there.  It had been renamed for Alexander the Great’s sister.  It is located on a major Roman road named Via Egnatia.  Thessalonica is also a port city as several rivers flow by it to the sea. 

 ² As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,³ explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

Paul is there about a month.  He preaches the gospel and as all new testament sermons have been, he preaches the Resurrection of Jesus.  All of the messages proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God, He died for sins, and He was resurrected.  They discuss the resurrection in every message, this is more than we do today. 

Some of the Jews, a larger number of Greeks (Gentiles), and a lot of prominent women believe.  Paul is an effective preacher and teacher.

⁵ But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. ⁶ But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” ⁸ When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. ⁹ Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

The Jewish leaders get jealous.  This is a common theme at many different Jewish churches.  They get jealous when a fellow Jew who is knowledgeable and a good speaker and convincing overwhelms their people and their customs.  Then they seek people outside of the Jewish community to help them run them out of town using the pagan laws to do it.  They sought Jesus and brought Him before Pilate because He claimed He was a king and Caesar was king, so they argued to the Romans that the Romans should do something about that.  This is the same argument from Jews in Thessalonica.  They are using Roman laws to get what they want and they are willing to cause an uproar in the community over it knowing the Romans will want to settle them down and get back to peace.

Sounds very familiar to today’s societal efforts.  Those who disagree with the religious views of Christians work diligently to cause an uproar and use laws or have laws interpreted to make the Christians do what they want them to do and not what they are convicted to not do.  There is no respect for the religious conviction of a Christian to those who do not believe, only direct opposition.  Christians have become the least free people in America, the supposedly land of the free built by immigrants who were trying to escape their home lands for religious freedom.  Christians are actively being policed in speech, action, and business. 

Sir, What Must I Do To Be Saved? - Acts 16

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

Paul and Silas have been beaten and/or flogged.  Their backs have many stripes on them.  I doubt they got medical attention following that before they were put into prison.  Yet they are praying and singing hymns, they are worshipping God! 

I heard a testimony recently and the person spoke of many difficult life events following the impact of her dying husband and Hurricane Michael that had all happened in the last two years.  Yet in that testimony I was struck by how often she praised God and declared that He had never left them but was there with them through it all. 

Paul and Silas are worshipping in difficult circumstances.  But because of this, a man gets saved.  The prison guard knew he would bear the responsibility of all the prisoners having escaped.  Remember that Herod had everyone who was guarding Peter killed for his escape.  When you are putting the sword to your chest and about to die, you start to think about eternity.

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

I imagine that the jailer had heard some of the prayers and some of the singing.  Now, his life is spared because Paul and Silas have not escaped, but have remained.  He wants to have what they’ve got.  If only men and women would humble themselves and ask what this jailor asked!  This would be a different country, there would be different families, different priorities, different morals.

What a reward it must have been to Paul and Silas to see God’s salvation after they had been beaten and are jailed.  Their suffering is not in vain.  God creates beauty in disgusting places.  God brings life in the midst of pain and suffering, even in death. 

³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. ³⁴ The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

The jailer takes them to his house and washes their wounds.  They all believe in Jesus and are saved.  They learn the gospel message and are filled with joy.  Just a paragraph earlier, Paul and Silas are being beaten and thrown in jail, now a family is saved and filled with joy.  These are two completely different scenes.  The only difference is what happened in the middle.  Paul and Silas sitting in a prison praying and singing hymns.  They worshipped God and God changed the circumstances. 

We should be aware that worship to God is important.  It can change not just our own life, but the lives of people around us.  Here, a whole family is changed for all eternity because God honored their worship.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

Paul was essentially a lawyer.  He had been so well trained in the Jewish law and then how to function within the Roman law that he was very likely much more educated on how to maneuver inside these than any typical person.  The magistrates likely realized that what they had done was illegal.  Romans had a legal society and courts.  They had been charged and beaten outside of that system. 

Paul wants a public recognition of their innocence.  He likely does this to protect the new believers in Philippi who would not be recognizing the Roman gods and some of their customs any longer.

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. ³⁹ They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

Paul gets his affirmation.  The city leaders are “alarmed”.  I feel like Luke is using minimal language to express their concern here.  They can be sent to jail themselves for sending a Roman citizen through punishment with no legal cause.  They realize that they are in jeopardy if Paul and Silas choose to undertake a legal effort.  So they request for them to leave.  While they were politically motivated to have them beaten and jailed to keep peace in the town, now they are politically motivated to separate themselves from the event all together.