Settling Church Conflict - Acts 15

¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³ When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.¹⁵ The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

¹⁶ “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, ¹⁷ that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’— ¹⁸ things known from long ago.

They hear of the signs and wonders that God miraculously did through Barnabas and Paul in their reaching out to the Gentiles.  This adds much significance to the importance that God is putting on sharing the Message with them and upon their belief. 

The tradition of the church is that this James is the brother of Jesus.  However, he could have been James, son of Alphaeus, which was one of the twelve.  Either way, he is the one who speaks up and is heard as making the judgment on this matter.  He is the leader of the church in Jerusalem. 

He quotes Amos 9:11-12.  He uses this to back his statement that God is calling out a people for His name from the Gentiles.  God is calling out from every tribe and nation, every color, every language, every climate, every race, a people - a body of Christ - who will bear His name. 

¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. ²¹ For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

The points of their considerations are:

1.   Do not make it difficult for those who turn to God.  They are not to be put under the Mosaic system.  This is something that we should all remember to apply today; do not make it hard for people to believe in God or show up to church.  We should do our best to welcome anyone who is willing to hear the Word of God.

2.   Write to them to encourage them not to worship idols and and from eating strangled animals and blood.  

There is some courtesy involved with the meat offered from idol worship.  In that day, it was not uncommon for people to take their best animals and offer them to a pagan god, they would offer the spiritual animal and that god would supposedly eat the spiritual animal.  This allowed for them to sell their best animal at the marketplace.  It was of no conscious to a Gentile to buy their meat at this marketplace, but for a Jew it was unthinkable.  So, if a Christian Gentile had a Christian Jew over for dinner, should the Christian Jew have to be rude and not eat the offering of his fellow brother or sister in Christ?  This isn’t about the law, it’s about not being offensive to a fellow believer.

The same is true for the strangled animals (violent death) and the blood.  These would also be very offensive to their Jewish brothers and sisters.  Blood, for a Jew living by the Mosaic law, represented life given by God.  It also represents a ransom payment as a sacrifice for sins.  Therefore, it was sacred and not to be consumed. (Gen 9:3-6; Lev 17:10-14, 16:16)

When Jesus shed His blood, He willingly gave up His life and paid the ransom payment for all of our sins.  This is why there is much said about the blood.  It had sincere meanings and is written about in the Old Testament as a part of relation with God to His giving of life and forgiving of sin.

3.   Don’t participate in sexual immoralities.  The society at that time was very pagan and the morality the Jews were familiar with regarding adultery, fornication, etc. may not have been regularly practiced by Gentiles.

If they had been to synagogues or had started going, they would have heard the teachings of the law of Moses.  How would this apply to new Christians who were not Jews?  Here is an abbreviated list to help.

Seems like they would have written to them and outlined the ten commandments indicating how following these would help them lead a Godly life if they had no other instruction.  Anyway, this is the start of the Christian church centers sending letters to the small and remote missionary churches.  It is also the first corporate church resolution where the church is scattered.  The church as a whole is still working as a body of believers.  

They observed where God was working through the testimonies of Paul and Barnabas then sought how to not impede God in that work.  Too many churches make decisions upon what they have always done or want to do and not upon where God is actively working.  This should be an example for church decisions today.

Salvation is the Work of God - Acts 15

³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

As they travel, they stop at churches along the way and tell them of their missionary journey.  Everyone they tell is happy that Gentiles are being saved and believing.  There does not appear to be any grief with the churches over Gentiles being saved.  This is a real accomplishment.  However, there is disagreement over how they are to live.  The problem is they do not have the letters that Paul and Peter and Mark and Luke would write for guidance.  They do not have the Bible as we know it.  Imagine being told about Jesus and believing in Him, but then having no guidance on what to do now, except pray and be taught by someone who followed Him and could remember His lessons whenever they happened to come around.  There was no study to show yourself approved at this time.  What were they to study?  How many could even read?  It was all prayer and the Spirit.

 

⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”

The Pharisee believers wanted to add something to the gospel.  “Friend, whenever you add something to the gospel, you no longer have the gospel but you have a religion” (J. Vernon McGee).  Jesus said clearly, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes unto the Father except by Me” (Jn 14:6).  God does not tell us we have to be good people and go to church or go through some kind of rituals to be saved.  He directly asks us, “What are you going to do with My Son who died for your sins?”  Your answer to that question determines your eternal destiny.  

⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Peter, the one God had to do miracles through visions to get to the Gentiles, speaks up on behalf of the Gentiles.  It is a demonstrable sign of how God can change our character and teach us how to accept people society has taught us to avoid.  This is a miracle that has been performed by God in Peter’s heart.  Peter continues to follow God closely.

Peter also calls out the obvious that no Jew wants to hear.  They’ve had the law for a thousand years and none of them can live up to it.  They have always failed.  It is a yoke that burdens them and they are unable to carry it correctly.  Jesus spoke to this directly.  He is recorded in Matthew 11:28-30 as saying, “²⁸ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Jesus was aware of their inability as men to live to the law and telling them to follow Him as He would remove that burden of the requirements of the law from them.  Jesus carried the burden and yoke for all of us.  We do not fail and fall upon the harsh judgment of the law but upon a caring Lord who will give us rest from that burden if we’ll believe in Him as the Son of the living God.

Lastly, Peter declares the gospel message.  “It is through the grace of our Lord that we are saved.”  There is no other way and no actions we can take make our salvation any more or less.  We are saved by faith in Jesus and it is His work alone that saves us.

Council at Jerusalem - Acts 15

15 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

This is the first church theological dispute.  Up until now, there had been no disputes as the church was in the Spirit.  Notice the absence of this language which has been so prevalent in this book of Acts until now.  Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch, which could be considered the center of the Christian church at this time having replaced the first one in Jerusalem after the persecution and fleeing of the disciples to Judea and Samaria. 

What is the disagreement?  The disagreement is that those who become believers must be circumcised and live according to the law of Moses.  Otherwise, they can’t be saved.  Many of the church in Jerusalem are Pharisees and they do not intend to give up living according to the Mosaic law.  But they error in believing that it is necessary for salvation.  This is a return to a society of salvation by works which they all knew and had lived within their whole lives.  The issue is law versus grace.  Paul will write clearly about this in his letters, but he hasn’t written those letters yet.  But the Antioch church sends Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to teach them what they’ve seen, which is gentiles believing and receiving the Holy Spirit.  Neither of which had anything to do with being circumcised or living according to the law of Moses.

Paul and Barnabas were brought into “sharp dispute and debate” over this.  In other words, Paul and Barnabas were very against this living per the law.  Paul, as Saul, knew that system perfectly and had lived by the law perfectly and had not been saved, but had been saved only through confrontation with Jesus.  Both had witnessed Gentiles being saved only through Jesus.  So, they were strongly opposed to this position of salvation through works and living by the law.

In fact, Paul will write to the Galatians concerning this very matter with strong language.  He begins chapter 3 this way, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.  I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?  Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (v 1-3).  As we can tell from this, Paul and Barnabas were probably very spirited in their opposition in this debate in the church.

It’s important to note that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a debate.  This is a known fact.  Today, many people would start there and debate that Jesus didn’t live or was just a man.  Certainly, He didn’t die for our sins they would contest, if you could get someone to understand their own sin since our society tells everyone that everything is okay.  Too many people had witnessed the life, death, and resurrected Jesus.  Paul writes that over 500 people had seen Him as resurrected! 

This debate is over what the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus meant.  What did it do for you?  Was it adequate or did you need to go through some kind of ritual or something else to be saved?  Must you go through the law?

Again, Paul writes about this extensively in the letter to the Galatians.  In Galatians 2:15-16 he says, “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles ¹⁶ know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”  He says our only justification is our faith in Jesus Christ.  It is found nowhere else and in nothing else. 

Is your faith only in Jesus?  Or are you counting on your being a good and nice person and the "good" things you do to give you some credit in heaven?  If you aren't solely depending upon the work of Jesus through His life, resurrection, and ascension then you have a misplaced faith.  It is Jesus or nothing.

Miracle Healing & Stoning - The Missionary Ministry - Acts 14

⁸ In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. ⁹ He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed ¹⁰ and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

¹¹ When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”¹² Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

For us today, just the idea of being used by God to heal someone is overwhelming.  Certainly an expectation is that people who witness this would praise God!  Yet, they do not.   How frustrating this has to be!  Paul and Barnabas preach Jesus and they walk in the Spirit, but when they heal someone, it’s a problem when it should be a celebration.  Then the people do not honor and glorify the Lord, but instead they assign idol worship to the missionaries as though they are gods.  This is a horrible insult to Paul and Barnabas. I also believe it scares them to death because they know that God is a jealous God and they had been taught since birth to never blasphemy.

Many people either believe or don’t believe in Jesus because of another Christian.  We need to be sure that we are always pointing people to Jesus, not people.  Men and women will fail and when they do, unfortunately someone who is relying on them as an example for their faith will lose heart.  Everyone must look to Jesus for their salvation and depend only upon Him.  When another Christian fails, it should be a time for prayer and hopefully repentance and reconciliation if that Christian chooses it (not all do).  Our faith, nor anyone else’s, should be based on the actions of other people.  Society is really bad at this.  They too quickly point to pastors who have sinned and declare that Christianity has no merit.  The merit is in the follow through, but no one sticks around long enough to see that.  The merit of Christian fellowship is in the repentance of the sinner, the forgiveness of the Savoir, and the recovery with the saints.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: ¹⁵ “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. ¹⁶ In the past, he let all nations go their own way. ¹⁷ Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” ¹⁸ Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. ²⁰ But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

They plead with the people to not consider them as gods but that there is only one living God whom they serve, yet the people won’t accept it.  Then those who ran them out of the other cities come there and incite a riot to kill them.  They are such fickle people.  One day they are declaring them to be gods and the next they are seeking to kill them.  Paul is actually stoned, but lives.  Paul, who had oversaw the stoning which resulted in the death of Stephen, is now stoned for preaching the same message that Stephen preached.  Paul is reaping what he had sowed.  Another miracle happens.  If Paul wasn’t dead and came back to life, he would at the least have been injured severely from the stoning.  However, he gets up and goes into the city.  That’s a miracle. 

What an incredible series of events.  People can look to their left and see a man who was lame from birth miraculously physically healed.  Yet, in their right hand they hold a stone to throw at the man who was used to heal him.  How can that be?  It is an example of mob rule and how people will follow a mob and do things they would not do if they could gather their thoughts for a moment and act rationally.  Then, once someone has committed a brash act, it is very difficult for them to back away from it and out of it.  It becomes a snare that traps a person.  It's a slippery slope.

Again, Paul and Barnabas flee to another city.

Paul has just been stoned for preaching Jesus as the Son of the living God.  Yet, he gets up and goes to another city to ... preach Jesus as the Son of the living God.  He is not deterred.  He will suffer much more also for the sake of Jesus, just as Jesus has already shown to him.  

How much have you suffered for Jesus?  A popular phrase is to ask, "What has serving Jesus cost you?"  What have you quit doing for Jesus because the world resisted the Message of the Gospel?  Are you willing to get back up and go to another city?  Have you quit serving God?  

Rise up dear Christian!  God is not dead!  You are still needed today!  Onward Christian soldier!

Will You Speak Boldly? - Acts 14

14 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

This should sound familiar.  This just happened in Pisidian Antioch.  They go to the Jews first at the synagogue.  Some Jews and Gentiles believe.  Then the Jews who don’t oppose them.  Here “a great number” believe.

 ³ So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.

Just like at Pisidian Antioch, they speak boldly for the Lord whenever they are persecuted.  They do not apologize or back away from preaching and teaching the gospel.  Here it is said that they are also able to do signs and wonders.  The Spirit is with them in a powerful way.

 ⁴ The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. ⁵ There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. ⁶ But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country,⁷ where they continued to preach the gospel.

Paul and Barnabas have to leave to avoid getting stoned.  This is not a trip that would get the hashtag “#blessed” by the typical Christian.  The city is divided over the gospel.  Jesus said this would happen.  In Matthew 10:21-23, He is quoted as saying, “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by everyone because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another.”  This is what is happening to Paul and Barnabas and in the city.  So, they flee to another city.

I don't claim to be a prophet or to know the future, but I can certainly see similar problems for Christians on America's horizon.  A certain wing of society which has garnered a lot of support is actively working to make Christian principles and the Word declared "hate" speech.  To a Christian, this is hard to comprehend since the Word of God is God doing everything He can do to demonstrate love for man and guide him into the best life possible.  But for these others, they seethe that any authority would tell them something different than they want to do, their teeth gnash, and they set their hearts in hate against those who love God and who obey His Word.  The remarkable aspect is that the country has accepted it and not stood boldly against it.  It is the news narrative now and people seem to blindly follow and are unwilling to stand.

If this continues, Christians will be mistreated just as they were in this time.  In fact, it is already happening in many places across America.   Jesus says that because of His Word, brother will betray brother, father his child, children against parents - I have seen this firsthand already.  Today's Christian must learn to be bold, as Paul and Barnabas are here, and stand on God's Word regardless of who opposes them.  They will find that even weak self declared Christians will turn on them and hate them.  It will be a trying and difficult time for those who actively work to obey God and seek to follow Him closely.

Do You Consider Yourself Worthy of Eternal Life? - Acts 13

In chapter 13, verses 16 through 41, Paul delivers a gospel message to the Jews and attending Gentiles in the synagogue.  It mirrors Stephen's message to the Sanhedrin.  It is so overwhelming that the following happens:

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. ⁴³ When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.

The Jewish church leaders hate not being the focus of the attraction of the church, just as their brothers in Jerusalem.  So, they oppose them and their message.  They didn’t mind this original message, but now that the whole city is there to hear it and it is going to affect their daily lives and their control of the church, they don’t like it anymore.  This will happen over and over with the Jewish leaders and even with some Gentile leaders.  Anytime the gospel message that Paul brings to their city causes a disruption in their standard of living, they reject them, cause a city uproar and run them out of town, often after beating them.

People are the same today.  People like the idea of Jesus loving them and dying for them and having their eternal security.  They don’t like learning the other things Jesus said and His words describing obedience.  This means they will have to change their life and possibly not do the things they want to do or live the way they want to live - change their standard of living.  It is incredibly hard for people to take themselves off the throne of their life.

This message of Jesus as the Messiah and the redemption of sins having fulfilled the law of Moses was hard for the Jews to accept and it would affect their life significantly if they believed it, as it should.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Paul and Barnabas are not intimidated when they are rejected by the Jews.  In fact, they answer them boldly.  This means they are not intimidated by the rejection.  It’s as if their mindset is like someone offering a glass of water to parched people who have traveled through the desert.  They bring them clean good water.  However, their blood brothers reject it because it is in the wrong glass.  “We want the water, but it’s in the wrong glass.  You should have known to bring it in the other glass.”  “I’m sorry, but this is the only glass with water.  Whoever is thirsty has to drink from this glass.”  Rather than leave and get the right glass, they offer it to anyone who is also thirsty and those drink heartily from it. 

Notice the condemnation in their reply.  You who reject this message “do not consider yourself worthy of eternal life”.  This is a decision you are making about your eternal life and you do not believe you should have it.  There is never, never any doubt about the reality of the Message.  They do not back up on the message.  They don’t apologize for it.  They do not doubt it or 2^nd guess it.  They state it boldly as the truth.  This is the Message.  If you reject it, you don’t believe you’re worth eternal life. 

This is a message for Jews and Gentiles and Paul was clear about that from the beginning.  He said “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles” (v. 26) when he started.  Some of the Gentiles believe and accept Jesus as their Savior.

⁴⁹ The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. ⁵¹ So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

The Jews run them out of the city.  Anytime people start believing the message, the evil ones seeks to make the message stop or be quiet.  Undoubtedly, they are being watched as they leave town.  Paul and Barnabas leave, shake the dust from their feet as Jesus had taught the disciples when He sent them out, and as a warning to the Jews regarding the rejection of God.  However, the disciples, those who received the gospel and believe in Jesus are filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.  We should pray earnestly for joy and for the Holy Spirit. 

Called to be Sent - Acts 13

 ¹ Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

The first missionary trip was established by God.  He selected the missionaries.  Today it should not be any different.  God should select the missionaries and the church should support them.  I am always alarmed by churches that do not know any missionaries.  A church body should place a high emphasis on those who have been called by God and who have responded willingly to give up their whole lives to follow where He leads.  There should be a relationship between a church body and those missionaries.  The missionaries should be honored and supported.  Yet, many churches do not know the name of a single missionary.  Giving to a global fund, while helpful, simply does not cause a church to be responsible providing in personal support.  A church body should have "skin in the game".

God has selected all of us for a particular work.  Not everyone is called to be a missionary.  We should support each other in that work that each is called to do.  We as the church should be in constant prayer for one another that God would have His favor upon us and we can then support each other to do that work.  Notice that God said to other men in the church that He wanted to send Barnabas and Saul to do work He had called them to do.  This seems to be too rare today.  I can't remember the last time fellow church members were worshiping and fasting and were given directions by God concerning another person's ministry and how they were to help them.  My observation is people are always trying to discern their God given purpose; they are not actively seeking how God would use them to support another's ministry.  

The church is fasting and worshiping.  Do churches do this today?  The Word of the Lord came directly to them and the church obeyed immediately.  Again, do churches do this today?  A more likely scenario is someone would take it to a committee and the church influencers would cause this not to happen because they would want Barnabas and Saul to stay there as pastors.  (Too many people with influence in today's church follow what they want, not what God wants.)

⁴ The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. ⁵ When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

Cyprus is the home of Barnabas.  They go to his home island to be a witness for Jesus, to teach who He was and give the gospel message.  He will return to Cyprus on his 2nd missionary journey as well.  

Herod Dies - Acts 12

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. ²⁰ He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.

²¹ On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. ²² They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” ²³ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴ But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Caesarea is where the Romans like to reside.  They don’t like Jerusalem.  Representatives from Tyre and Sidon are there to make peace since they depend upon the Romans for their food.  Remember that there is a famine in the land. 

Let’s put this into perspective.  They despise the Romans who are ruling over them.  However, they are depending upon their structure of society for food.  Jesus said He is bread of life.  The Christian church is helping one another for food.  They are under persecution.  I would imagine that the local community transacts with them last. 

While Herod is giving a speech in his royal attire the people who depend upon him for their food praise him as a god.  Herod takes credit as though he was more than his fellow man.  He accepts s the praise of others to tell him he is a god and believes all is well because of him.  But God is not amused and immediately strikes him down. 

God will not share His glory with anyone.  God says in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is my name!  I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”

Is there any entity that you depend upon for life?  Do you praise it or do you praise God for providing it?  There is a difference.  Had the people here praised God for allowing Herod to deal with them, Herod might would have lived longer.  Whenever we don't give God the glory and depend exclusively upon Him, we can be sure we are no longer living in faith, but in fear.

Something new is stated here.  It’s not the church of God that spreads and flourishes but the Word of God.  The gospel message is being spread and it is flourishing!

Is the Word of God flourishing in your church? In your home? In your life?

Peter's Miraculous Escape - Acts 12

12 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. ² He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. ³ When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

⁶ The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. ⁷ Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

⁸ Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. ⁹ Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

¹¹ Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

¹² When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. ¹³ Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

¹⁵ “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

¹⁶ But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. ¹⁷ Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

¹⁸ In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

King Herod is now searching for and arresting the leaders of the church so he can persecute them and execute them.  Up until now it has been the religious leaders in Jerusalem, now it is the government.  This King Herod is the grandson of the King Herod that tried to kill Jesus as a child (Agrippa I).  This persecution of the Christians is met with approval by the Jewish leaders which makes Herod more popular. 

Festival of Unleavened Bread – Seven-day festival after Passover.  It involves removing yeast from the home for seven days.  Bread is to made without it.  When the Hebrews were leaving Egypt, they were told by God to take everything and go, don’t even let the bread rise.  Just bake it and go.  Yeast less bread is called Matzo.  Then God told them to commemorate this event by removing the yeast from the home for seven days.  (The yeast represents sin.  Once yeast has entered bread, it is impossible for man to get it out.  Therefore, the yeast has to be removed before it enters the bread.  Like sin in our lives, it is impossible to get sin out of our life by ourselves.  The bread we make has sin in it, but the Bread of Life, Jesus, is perfect and without sin.  The feast reminds Christians that we can’t get the sin out and only God through Jesus can remove sin.)

Paul wrote concerning this: Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? ⁷ Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸ Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. – 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Sixteen soldiers are guarding Peter.  That’s a lot of soldiers for one person.  Especially one that hasn’t killed anyone and isn’t violent.  There are guards at the entrance to his prison and he is personally bound to two guards.  This is a very tight security for this one person.

Verse 5 is the best verse in this passage.  “Peter was kept in prison, BUT the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”  That’s a big sentence.  What does earnest prayer look like?  There are many things that happen to many of our members, BUT do we earnestly pray for them?  What victories do we have as a church?  Where is the victory wall where we share how God answered prayers for the encouragement of one another? 

Why did God miraculously save Peter but allow James to be martyred?  It is God’s sovereign will.  He is in control of life and death, we are not.  If God were to ask me, I am sure I would have different views of who should stay alive and who should be killed; of who should be healed and who should not be healed; of who should be allowed to have children and who should be barren.  But He doesn’t ask me because I would get it wrong.  Only God knows what is best for the world as a whole and what leads to the proper end of His design.  However, we are encouraged to pray for the earnest prayers of His children are a perfume to God and He has changed things over compassion for His own.  

Peter is in prison and will certainly be killed, and as bad as that is it does not compare to this, the church is earnest praying to God for him.  The church praying to God for Peter overcame Peter’s jail sentence because God intervened.  We must become praying people who earnestly pray for one another.

Peter gets to experience an angel and have a miraculous escape.  His hands either pass through the shackles or the shackles just pop open.  It’s a miracle escape and they just walk out right in front of the guards.  No one wakes up.  It is truly a miracle.  Why does the angel tell Peter to get dressed?  Because he thinks it’s a dream.  He would have just walked out with the angel.  He is safely out before he realizes what has happened.  Peter was really blessed with the ability to sleep in any circumstance.  To be able to sleep between two men in a prison fully aware that you’ll be killed tomorrow.  He had a comforting faith that kept his mind at peace.  It’s such a miracle that the people praying for him don’t believe it is actually him at the door.  They are earnestly praying for him and then he shows up and everyone is surprised.  They don’t believe it is him.  In fact, they think it is his spirit (angel) and he is already dead.  Why?  Why do we not pray expecting a miracle?  Why do we not pray trusting God with our prayer?

The term “no small commotion” is a dramatic understatement to say that there was a massive investigation among the guards and search for Peter.  Herod has all the guards executed.  Wow.  That’s a violent response to a miraculous escape.  He does this to show that Peter has escaped because of human error, not because of some divine miracle. 

What are you praying for today?  Are you afraid to expect it to be answered in a miraculous manner by the living God?  

They are Christians - Acts 11

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. ²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Barnabas went there and became their pastor.  What a wonderful thing it is if we could all be called good, full of the Spirit and faith.  He was leading this church in growth.  Antioch has become the second center of the early church and many people believe it takes over as the main center of the early church.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

Maybe Barnabas needed an associate pastor and he knew just where to find one.  Or maybe he was being lead to go get Saul.  As an encouraging person who had stood by Saul in Jerusalem, maybe he was wondering what he was doing and why he wasn’t teaching.  Whatever the reason, Barnabas goes and finds him and puts him to work.

The term Christian means Christ follower.  There in Antioch, someone coins the phrase and it has stuck.  It should be a description of every believer.  It should be the why behind our actions.  I once asked a guy professing to be a Christian who was pushing for a divorce if Jesus was leading him to do that; I asked another caught up in pornography is Jesus was leading him in that; I asked another who had become an alcoholic if Jesus was leading him to drink.  In each case, they had stopped following Christ and were following their own wants or desires.  We are to be a people who follows Christ.  When we get distracted, we should be willing to be confronted, seek repentance and start following again.  The world should so see Jesus the Christ directing our actions that they would call us Christ followers even if that term was not being used today.

²⁷ During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) ²⁹ The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. ³⁰ This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

There is evidence of this famine in history.  The worst of this famine was felt in Jerusalem.  The church in Antioch helps the church in Jerusalem with support.  We are very familiar with this type of help having hurricanes and such in our region.  I’m excited to say the church to this day reaches out to help one another in such times.  It is a testimony of the church as it follows the example presented here in the early church.

The Message to the Gentiles - Acts 10

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. ³⁶ You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. ³⁷ You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

³⁹ “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, ⁴⁰ but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.⁴¹ He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Peter says in the beginning here that he has figured out the vision he had been given and his purpose for being there.  God does not show favoritism but accepts those who fear Him and serve Him.  For Peter to say that, he has overcome everything he has been taught, aside from his time with Jesus, and is willing to continue to follow the Spirit above the world.  This is the essence of growing in the Spirit.  Following wherever He leads and re-learning priorities.  We must abandon the traditions of the world and the teaching of the world regarding who is important and what is valuable.  Peter has learned that all people are important and God values them enough to pass His message to them.

But consider the thought that God does not show favoritism.  Do we really believe that?  This tells us that God considers every single person as equally deserving of a chance to know Jesus and be saved.  Every single one.  The Pope, Billy Graham, Mary the mother of Jesus, Peter himself, Paul, Stephen, David, my mother, my brother, my sons, my wife, myself - all equal?  Yes.  Without God, all people are lost and God does not favor any particular person.  He might call them and have a great work for Him to do through them once they choose Him, but if any decide not to choose Him or answer that call, then God will call another. Everyone gets the same choice and no one is favored when they must personally decide if Jesus is real and if He is the Gift of God that came, died, and was resurrected.

A few aspects of his message:

1. We are witnesses.  Are you a witness for what Jesus has done in your life?  Do you have a testimony of God in your life?  
2. Jesus was resurrected.  There isn’t a single gospel message in Acts that omits this fact. This has been foretold.  
3. The prophets all testify about Him.  This is a plan of God for people. 
4. Everyone who believes receives forgiveness through Jesus.  This is the Good News to all people.

It’s a simple message format that we can replicate.  Jesus physically lived.  He died.  He has risen.  Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. …  That’s it. 

The Holy Spirit came to Cornelius and all who heard the message.  All of his family and close friends all receive the Spirit.  Peter and the other believers are astonished that God has poured Himself into these Gentiles.  But, Peter is quick to acknowledge that they should not stand in the way of their baptism. 

This conversion is about a man following God very closely and overcoming traditions and teachings to pass along the gospel to people he had been told his whole life not to associate with.  It is also about God ‘s clear intention to reach out to everyone who will believe that He is the only God and Jesus is the Way.  The Message is for all people of all time in all places. 

Because of the great barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles, this is going to be really hard for the Jews to accept.  They are not going to believe the Message is for the Gentiles even though Jesus told them that it was.  

Do you believe that the Message is for everyone?  What about the homeless person?  What about the person who is against you at work?  What about the bi-, tri-, pan-, or who knows what else sexually confused person?  What about the person in prison?  Is the Good News of Christ for them too?  If any part of you has doubt, then you need to pray earnestly for God to clean your heart and mind so you can follow Him correctly.

Following God to places we Don't Want to Go - Acts 10

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. ²⁴ The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

It’s hard not to like Peter’s reaction to this man of influence, this centurion, who falls on his knees.  In fact, I get the impression he is quick to lift him up.  What a great humble response for someone God is using mightily to heal and even raise people from the dead! 

Why do you think some believers went along with Peter?  Was he scared and asked them?  Or were they curious at the simultaneous leading of the Spirit of Peter to go and wanted to help or watch God work a new miracle?  Maybe it was just encouragement and prayers for Peter.

Cornelius had such a respect for the way he had been asked to send for Peter and hear his message that he has his whole family with him and his close friends.  Whatever message this is, it must be a significant one and he so loves all of them that he wants them all to hear it.  Do we love our families and close friends that much?

²⁷ While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. ²⁸ He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. ²⁹ So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

³⁰ Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³² Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

Peter’s first words must have been insulting to those in the home.  He is basically saying, “I’m only here because God told me to come.  I’m not supposed to associate with you people.  You are unclean and impure.”  I think most people would consider that offensive.  Cornelius’s servants and maybe his wife had certainly cleaned the home and prepared it for Peter’s arrival and the first thing he says is you people are dirty.   

Was it against the Jewish law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile?  No.  There is no written law.  It was the religious custom however, not to do so.  The understanding was that all Gentiles were idol worshippers and would corrupt a Jew.  Therefore, have nothing to do with them and do not lend yourself to corruption.  Gentiles were considered 2^nd class citizens of the world to Jews.  They are unholy.  One prominent teacher at that time said of gentiles, “The best of gentiles kill it, the best of snakes cut its head, the most pious of women is prone to sorcery.”  This extreme position could have been because of the strong persecution of the Romans over them during this time.  However, it is important for all who reads this to understand how much Peter is having to overcome of what he has been taught since youth and his habits and experience have led him to know.  Yet, God is leading him to the house of a Gentile and HE FOLLOWS GOD EVEN THOUGH HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD IS DOING.  In fact, he probably disagrees with it.

Peter had been asked by Jesus, “Do you love Me?”  Peter had answered, “Lord, You know I do”.  Jesus had responded with the instruction, “Feed My sheep.”  Peter did not know and would not have conceived that the sheep extended beyond the people of Abraham.

We must thank God for His message that is for everyone.  Otherwise, we would be outcast today.  And we must be thankful for those who overcame all they understood to follow God and tell whoever would listen about the gift of Jesus and God's plan of salvation.  May we be willing to follow in their footsteps.