🙏🏽 Dear Heavenly Father – we humble ourselves as we listen to Your Word. Let us see Your truth about Your early church. Teach us what it means to a part of Your body, The Church, so that we may always honor You, bring You glory, and allow You to work through us to bring others along to Your Kingdom. We ask this is the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
The Council at Jerusalem
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. 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.
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.”
Points to Ponder: Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the yeast (or leaven) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:6,12] The power and influence yielded by the Pharisees and the Sadducees would not submit easily. Here we see the early Church dealing with outside influences seeking to divide the Church. (Click here for more info on Sadducees and Pharisees.) These converted Jews believed in Jesus; they wanted this born-again new life… as long as they could hold onto their old life as well. This way of thinking undermines the gospel message of God’s grace. It is difficult sometimes to separate the fact that Christianity does not align itself with the ‘religions’ of this world. All worldly religions place their hope of salvation in something or someone other than Jesus… keeping rules, being good, adhering to sacred practices, etc. Many acknowledge Jesus, but insist on other requirements that we must fulfill in order to be saved. This is the false teaching of: ‘Jesus-Plus’. As if God’s Grace was not enough… these men tried to teach new believers that they must believe in Jesus AND … be circumcised…AND… follow the law of Moses.
This is tricky folks. It happened in the early Church; it continues to happen today.
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.”
Points to Ponder: Here in one paragraph we see a possible explanation of Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 16:19 when Jesus announced that Peter would be given the keys of the kingdom of heaven… Notice that it was Peter who first preached to the Jews the Gospel message at Pentecost (Acts 2:14- 41) then later (Acts 10:34-45) at Cornelius’ house, it was Peter also who witnesses the Holy Spirit acknowledge the Gentiles. There were only two groups of people according to God… but in His new kingdom, there is no favoritism… Peter opened the doors to the kingdom for both groups. (But also notice in Acts 10:25-26, Peter wants NO recognition for himself, he knows he is only serving God… his earthly life has been exchanged for kingdom service.)
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. [Amos 9:11,12]
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.”
Points to Ponder: This council recognizes that the Gentiles must we welcomed into the Church but not overwhelmed. It is the Church body that must be firm, but gentle, in teaching and encouraging new believers. And there is no longer any division among the men and women who seek God in His Church.
It is interesting that James reminds the council that the law of Moses… the Old Testament is still being read in the synagogues. i.e. we’d do well to be reminded that The Bible, Old Testament and New Testament, is still being read in the churches we attend. New believers need a Bible and an invitation to find a Bible-teaching resource.
There are a few interesting restrictions that James lists that are relevant to the Gentiles of that day… food that has a superstitious link to idols, sexual immorality, meat of strangled animals, and blood. I don’t even want to think about what passed for a ‘good time’ in those surrounding Gentile cultures! But I believe James here is looking back to the covenant that God made with Noah regarding the forbidding the consumption of eating blood. (Genesis 9:4, this teaches us that life is sacred Leviticus 17:11)
The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. [34] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
Points to Ponder: As someone who struggles with being gentle, I love the word-choices in this letter. First, notice that even though Paul and Barnabas left Antioch on their own to get a resolution to the false teaching, the church in Jerusalem knows that the full weight of the letter will garner more obedience if men from Jerusalem accompany Paul and Barnabas with a written response.
Notice also that the questions from Antioch were regarding circumcision and Moses’ law. James doesn’t even mention those things… he does acknowledge that they were troubled, but then lists only four things to avoid and not in threatening language but gentle language… You will do well to avoid these things! I, for one, am not offended by these restrictions.
Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Points to Ponder: ☹ This part always makes me sad. Division among the closest of friends… within the church, is brutal. These events are never a surprise to God and He works ALL THINGS together for the good of those that love Him. (Romans 8:28) And… as we keep reading, we remember that Mark will hook up with Peter and write a Gospel from his perspective… Paul will travel with so many people… Silas… then Timothy… then Luke, who will also write a Gospel. (Spoiler Alert: Paul and Mark do make amends by the end of the story. 2 Timothy 4:11 😊)
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Points to Ponder: Paul knew that circumcision would not make Timothy ‘more saved’. But it would allow Timothy to enter the synagogues with Paul since he always offered the Gospel to the Jews first.
Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Points to Ponder: Watch the pronouns in this paragraph and remember that Luke is the author. He had been writing as an observer up until this point, when in v10 he acknowledges that he is part of the group. (i.e. the vision of the man of Macedonia was not Luke.)
FUN FACT: It has been estimated that over Paul’s 3 missionary journeys he planted 34 churches and walked 10,000 miles… that 22,393,000 steps.
Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi
11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Points to Ponder: On the Sabbath, Paul and his crew expected to find people praying. Here we see the conversion of a wealthy woman merchant. She responds with a lovely gesture of hospitality to these new friends… no longer strangers. Fascinating – would that happen today? Notice that Paul spoke to more than one person here… but The Lord opened the heart of Lydia.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
Points to Ponder: Paul really steps out of his lane here. The slave girl is the property of someone else who makes money taking advantage of her. Paul invokes the name of Jesus to command the spirit to leave her. Even the spirit knows the truth of how men are saved for eternity.
19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Points to Ponder: Having lost their easy source of income, the slave owners are pissed and are ready to unleash all the legal means of punishment on Paul and Silas. The crowds join in… mob mentality at its finest. Paul and Silas are beaten and imprisoned.
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!”
Points to Ponder: Paul tells us to be thankful always, regardless of the circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Here we see him doing just that. HE KNOWS… God is omniscient. God knows what they are going through. And here we see God’s response with a miraculous freeing of the prisoners. They don’t run though – they stay to face the next opportunity presented to them.
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?”
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.
Points to Ponder: Now another family is saved – out of unfortunate circumstances. Neither Paul nor the jailer would know what comes next, but they are thankful and full of joy for the moment.
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.”
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.
Points to Ponder: Paul made it clear that the behavior of the magistrates was unjust. He required them to humble themselves to acknowledge that. He made a little stink… not a big one… but seeds were planted by this behavior.
Summary: These chapters seem to fly so quickly while Luke stops along their missionary journey to give us tidbits of what happened along the way. They are messages of encouragement for all of us. Being a Christian and following Jesus to invite others to His Kingdom for eternity is not always welcomed in this world. We will run into trouble. People may not like us. There could be physical harm or imprisonment, but whatever happens, we walk continually with joy and thanksgiving because we have been saved for eternity.
🙏🏼 Heavenly Father – We thank You for the Good News of our salvation made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Let us always remember what Jesus went through, so that we would not have to – death. Let us also remember that not all people would believe Jesus, we can hardly expect them all to believe us. Let us do it anyway – always sowing seeds of salvation. Amen.
Another great study. The Jesus plus ➕ is a great phrase worth remembering.