WHEN THE CHURCH WAS YOUNG An Exposition of Acts

by Ray C. Stedman

ACTS 1-12 BIRTH OF THE BODY

The Scripture quotations in this publication are from the

Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, and 1971
by the Division of Christian Education, National Council of
the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and used by permission.

WHEN THE CHURCH WAS YOUNG

Copyright (c) 1989 by Ray C. Stedman
Published by Discovery Foundation
Cover Design by Ernest J. Wester

Library of Congress Catalog Numbers:

Birth of the Body 74-82549
Growth of the Body 76-47845
Triumph of the Body 79-92270

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used in any

form without the written permission of the Publishers, except
for brief excerpts in reviews.

Printed in the United States of America.

Dedication

To the elders of
Peninsula Bible Church,
faithful co-laborers in Christ.

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 "You shall receive a crown of glory."

Contents

1 Out of the Shadows

(Acts 1:1-14)
2 The Birthday
(Acts 1:15-2:4)
3 Beyond Tongues
(Acts 2:5-21)
4 Confrontation
(Acts 2:22-37)
5 The Essential Ingredients
(Acts 2:37-47)
6 The Healing Hand of Jesus
(Acts 3:1-10)
7 The Only Solution
(Acts 3:11-26)
8 The Threat of the Resurrection
(Acts 4:1-12)
9 When Obedience is Wrong
(Acts 4:13-31)
10 Great Power, Great Grace, Great Fear
(Acts 4:32-5:11)
11 Times of Peril
(Acts 5:12-42)
12 Seven Choice Men
(Acts 6:1-8)
13 The Issue is Jesus
(Acts 6:8-8:1)
14 God Has the Edge
(Acts 8:1-24)
15 Have Spirit, Will Travel
(Acts 8:25-40)
16 Beloved Enemy
(Acts 9:1-19)
17 The Yoke of Christ
(Acts 9:19-31)
18 Three Faces of Death
(Acts 9:32-10:23)
19 Peter and Cornelius
(Acts 10:23-11:18)
20 Recognition of a Church
(Acts 11:19-30)
21 Let Us Pray
(Acts 12:1-25)

Introduction
Dr. E.M. Blaiklock, longtime Professor of Classics at the University of New Zealand, has said, "Of all the centuries, the
twentieth is most like the first?" Despite the obvious technological differences (which are certainly superficial), the truth
of Dr. Blaiklock's statement can be demonstrated in several ways, including the position of the church in the world today.
Twentieth-century Christians confront a thoroughly secularized and pagan world, just as the first-century Christians did.
Persecution of Christians in the twentieth century is far more widespread and at least as violent as it ever was in the first

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century. The seeds of restless discontent have been widely sown among the nations in our day, and people everywhere
are crying out for relief from the sense of emptiness and despair which a widespread materialism has produced.

The major difference between the two centuries is that the virile, growing church of today must contend not only with a
secularized society, but also with a secularized church - a vast and torpid body which moves only slowly toward restored
vitality. Nevertheless, vitality is returning! In spontaneous upthrusts which are breaking out in many places, the Holy
Spirit is restoring the church to the original pattern given in the Scriptures, thereby reviving its pristine power and
impact. The changes that have taken place in the church worldwide during the past 15 years is phenomenal. The
Congress for World Evangelization that was held in Lausanne, Switzerland reflected many of these changes.

At a time like this nothing could be more helpful to the church than to review again the record of the early church's rise
and growth. The same principles which produced explosive growth then will do so today. The same pattern of leadership
which prevailed then must prevail again in the twentieth century. The same remarkable power which accounted for the
church's success then can and must be found today, for Christ's promise has never changed: "I will build my church, and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

These studies on the Book of Acts have been sent forth with the explicit intention of showing how the church of Acts is
designed to be normative Christianity. Certain signs and symbols which were present in Acts (and have been made far
too much of today) are not as present in the twentieth-century church to the same degree. But that is as it should be, for
the roof of a building does not duplicate exactly the foundation, though it is part of the same building and may use much
of the same material. While the Great Architect has proceeded with the construction of His building exactly according to
the blueprints which He made available at the beginning, a great many well-meaning friends have sought to help the
project by building rooms and lean-tos of their own, all made with shoddy junk materials. Ultimately these side
structures will all be torn down as so much scaffolding, and the true building will be revealed just as the Architect
planned it.

Through the dust and haze of construction it may help to see the emerging building more clearly if we study the
blueprints carefully. To this end these studies are presented. They were originally a series of messages on the Book of Acts
which were preached the attentive congregation of the Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California. I am indebted
particularly to Mrs. Jean McAllister for their present re-edited form, and to Mr. Paul Winslow for his untiring efforts in
bringing them to publication.

Ray C. Stedman

Chapter One
Out of the Shadows
Acts 1:1-14
The Book of Acts unveils one of the most exciting dramas of the Bible. Though the full name of the Book of Acts is The
Acts of the Apostles, only Peter, James, John, and Paul appear prominently as apostles. Through the centuries, Christians
have shortened this title to simply The Acts. This is an appropriate name, for Acts is truly a book of action, showing God
at work through the living body of Christ, the church.

One of the nicer things said about today's nominal church is that it is irrelevant. Many people look upon the church as
nothing but a collection of colorless religious creeps who come to church to sit with black stares on their faces. The
liflessness of today's church may well have stimulated the famous remark by Nietzsche, the pagan philosopher: "If you
want me to believe in your Redeemer, you'll have to look a lot more redeemed!"

Some people think of the church as a group of religious bureaucrats who are forever issuing pronouncements to which no
one pays any attention. Others think of it as a group of plastic hypocrites trying to play waterboy to the game of life;
whenever real issues need to be faced, the church stands off to one side and says "Me too." Some people view the church
as a group of "good time Charlies" who never entertain a serious thought, never think deeply about life, and never care
enough about other people to bother getting their hands dirty.

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In all honesty we must admit that there is much justification for these charges. But they are true only because the church
so easily forgets what it really is. When it operates the way it was intended to, the church is the most important body of
people of any era--far above and beyond any other human entity. The church is actually the secret government of earth.
As Paul the Apostle says, it is "the pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15), that is, the source and support of all
realistic knowledge of life. This is what the church is supposed to be in its day-to-day life on earth.

A Building and a Body

In our study of the Book of Acts we are privileged eye-witnesses of the birth and growth of this amazing phenomenon,
which is still present in the twentieth century. In Paul's Letter to the Ephesians he employs two symbols for the church--
two major figures that help us to understand what the church is really like. At the end of the first chapter Paul says that
the church is a body. He speaks of "his [Christ's] body, the fulness of him who fills all in all" (Eph. 1:23). So the church is a
living organism; it is part of the life of Jesus Christ present on this earth. At the close of the second chapter the Apostle
says the church is like a building, "members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets," which grows into a holy temple designed by the Spirit for the habitation of God (Eph. 2:19-22). So in one sense
the church is like a building and in another it is like a body. Yet certain things are common to both these ideas. For one
thing, both a building and a body are inhabited by a person. The central thing about the church, therefore, is its
relationship to a Person. This personal relationship is what we shall see developing in the Book of Acts.

There is intense conflict throughout the Book, but the conflict is met by ringing confidence. Acts is a record of power in
the midst of persecution, of life and health pouring from a living Christ into a sick society through the channel of obscure
men and women very much like you and me. The Book of Acts fills the gap between the Gospels and the Book of
Romans, making it possible for us to fully understand the New Testament. At the end of the Gospels we find a handful of
Jews gathered in Jerusalem talking about a kingdom that is to come to Israel. In the Book of Romans we find an apostle
who is not even mentioned in the Gospels and who was not even one of the twelve; he writes to a band of Christians in
the capital city of Rome, talking about his plans to travel to the ends of the earth. The Book of Acts tells us how it
happened and why this change occurred.

The key to the Book is found in the introduction, where the essential strategy by which Jesus Christ proposes to change
the world is revealed--a strategy which is the secret of the revolutionary character of the church when it is operating as it
was intended to operate. This strategy is given to us in the first two verses of Acts:

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was
taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen (Acts 1:1,2).

The writer here is Dr. Luke, that beloved physician who accompanied Paul on his journeys. We do not know how Luke
became a Christian, though it was probably through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Luke was Paul's companion
through danger, hardship, trial, and endless difficulty up and down the length and breadth of the Roman Empire. He
wrote two books of the New Testament-the Gospel According to Luke and the Book of Acts. Acts is written to a young
man named Theophilus, and that is all we know about him. His name indicates that Theophilus was probably a young
Greek, perhaps a new convert to Christianity whom Luke met somewhere and to whom he is explaining what
Christianity is all about.

It may seem strange that Theophilus is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture, but anyone with a name like
Theophilus might well tend to remain hidden most of the time! I had friend whose middle initial was "T", and once at a
party a friend of his announced that he had discovered what the "T" stood for: Theophilus, because when the doctor first
saw this baby he said, "That's the awful-est baby I ever saw!" The name actually means "loved of God," indicating that this
young man was probably a Christian. We are indebted to Theophilus for sharing his letters with us, for otherwise we
would not have the Gospel of Luke or the Book of Acts.

Dressed in Flesh

In is first statement Luke says, "In the first book I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach..." The Gospel of
John says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Jesus as a man came to begin something--"to do and
to teach"--and record of that beginning is in the Gospels. But Luke clearly implies that this second Book is the
continuation of what Jesus began to do. In a very real sense Acts is not the acts of Christians but the continuing acts of

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Jesus. It is an account of what Jesus continues to do and to teach. In the Gospels He did it in His own physical body, but in
the Book of Acts he is doing it through the bodies of men and women who are indwelt by His life. Whether in the Gospels
or in Acts, incarnation is the secret strategy by which God changes the world.

Whenever God wants to get a message across to men He does not merely send someone to announce it; his final way of
driving it home is to dress the message in flesh and blood. God takes a life and aims it in a certain direction, and then by
the manifestation of His own life through the blood and flesh of a human being He makes clear what He has to say. That
is the strategy of the Book of Acts. It is the record of incarnation--of men and women possessed by Jesus Christ and
manifesting His life every day. Anytime you find a Christianity that is not doing this, it is a false Christianity. No matter
how much the pseudo-Christianity may adapt the garb and language of true Christianity, if it is not the activity of human
beings possessed and indwelt by the life of Jesus Christ, it is not authentic Christianity. The life of the indwelling Christ is
the true power of the church, as we see in the Book of Acts.

For this reason the Book of Acts is an unfinished book, for it still being written. Acts closes abruptly, with an account of
Paul living in a rented house in Rome. It almost sounds as if you could turn the next page and begin another new
adventure! The Book of Acts is Volume 1, and we today are writing Volume 20. Ours may well be the last volume in the
series. I hope that it is! In this introduction to Acts we learn the historic basis on which the strategy of incarnation rests
and the elements that make up the continuous program by which it operates. The first these historic elements is the
resurrection of Jesus:

To them [the apostles] he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty
days and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from
Jerusalem...(Acts 1:3,4).

I have already deliberately stopped here to show how Luke stresses the great and central fact of Christian faith: Jesus is
alive. That incomparable fact is what thrusts Christianity ten thousand miles ahead of its nearest competitor in the field of
religion. There is nothing like it Jesus is alive, risen from the dead!

A certain man today who calls himself the Messiah has been announcing that he is the fulfillment of the predictions of the
return of the Messiah to earth. He is causing quite a stir among people who are easily influenced by this type of fraud.
Whenever I hear of someone like this, my first question is, "Has he risen from the dead?" I'm not interested in a Messiah
who hasn't risen from the dead!

By Convincing Proofs

But Jesus Christ has truly risen from the dead: "He presented himself alive after his passion by many (convincing) proofs."
The word Greek word for "proof" here is a word that included the idea of being convincing--"infallible," as the King James
Version puts it. Luke gives us three categories of proofs that Jesus Christ is alive, though not in as much detail as in other
parts of Scripture. These evidences are important, for from the very day of Christ's resurrection certain enemies of
Christianity have claimed that the appearances of Jesus were really nothing but hallucinations in the minds of Christ's
followers.

"But let me show you," Luke says, "the three categories of proof that he has risen." The first one: he appeared to them for a
period of forty days. From this word for "appear" we get our word ophthalmia which means literally "the eyeball." In the
modern vernacular, these disciples "eyeballed" Jesus For forty days! They saw Him again and again, not merely once, and
each time He looked exactly the same. It's hard for a hallucination to accomplish this! Then too, Christ spoke to them:
"speaking of the kingdom of God." "We even remember His subject matter," Luke says; "He talked about the kingdom of
God." "We saw Him and hear Him--two experiences of our senses that confirmed to us that this was no fantasy, no
hallucination." Finally, the ultimate proof was that "He ate with us." (The word "staying" in verse 4 has a marginal
reference which gives "eating" as the actual Greek word used.) Those who were with Jesus saw Him eat. They actually
saw the food disappear. It must be terribly hard to get a hallucination to eat! So Luke says, "This is proof; He ate with us,
so we know he is alive."

This marvelous fact of the resurrection of Jesus is the bedrock upon which all Christian faith ultimately rests. Anytime
you are troubled with doubts or are under attack for your faith, come right back to this fundamental fact. The Apostle
Paul holds it up for us and says, in effect, to the enemies of Christianity, "Look, if you want to destroy our faith, then

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disprove this fact. It all rests on this. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile" (1 Cor. 15:17). Throughout the
centuries many attempts have been made to disprove the resurrection of Jesus, but none has ever been successful. In fact,
in the attempts may skeptics themselves have become convinced by the evidence and have become Christians. The
resurrection is fact number one upon which the strategy of incarnation rests.

The second historic fact is referred to here as "the promise of the Father":

And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the
Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit." So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord will you at this time restore
the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by
his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:4-8).

This passage contains the fourfold characteristic of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. What Jesus said to these eleven
disciples (Judas by now having left them) was literally, "Stick around Jerusalem." That is the Greek expression. "Stick
around! Don't go outside the city until the promise of the Father has come upon you." Why? "Because you'll make a mess
of it if you try witnessing without this. This is an essential. You can't be an effective Christian if you aren't operating in
the power of the Holy Spirit." Every attempt ever made to advance the cause of Christianity which does not arise from
this source of power only destroys the message God wants to convey. "Just wait," Jesus says, "for in a few days you will
receive the promise of the Father."

The Blessing of Abraham

What did Jesus mean by "the promise of the Father"? First, he indicates that the coming of the Holy Spirit would not be a
ritual, but a reality. John, he said, baptized with water. That is a ritual, a shadow, a picture. But the reality will be the
actual Spirit Himself coming to live in you. The promise made to Abraham two thousand years ago will be fulfilled in
you. God said to Abraham, "I will bless you, and make your name great...And in you all the families of the earth will be
blessed" (Gen. 12:2,3 margin). We are not told in Genesis exactly what that blessing is, but in Paul's Letter to the Galatians
he tells us very explicitly what the blessing was:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed be everyone
who hangs on a tree"--that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might
receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Gal. 3:13,14).

There we learn that God promised Abraham the Spirit and, through him, to give the blessing (that same Spirit) to
everyone who believes, even to the Gentile world. Now does this mean that no one ever received the Holy Spirit until the
Day of Pentecost, even though the promise was given to Abraham two thousand years before? Well, no Gentile did,
unless he had fist become a part of Israel. There is no record of any Gentile believers ever receiving the Holy Spirit until
the Day of Pentecost, unless that Gentile first became a Jew.

Pictures of the Spirit

But in the Old Testament there are several accounts of Israelites who were filled with the Spirit. Abraham himself was so
filled, because God had promised "I will bless you," and that blessing Paul says, is the promise of the Spirit. But not only
Abraham, but also Moses and Joshua and David and may of the kings of Judah were filled with that same Spirit. And
certainly all the prophets were Spirit-filled, for Peter tells us that when these prophets predicted the sufferings of Christ
and the glory that would follow, they were speaking by means of the Spirit of Christ which was "within them" (1 Pet.
1:11). They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke out of that indwelling.

Yet these Old Testament believers came to a realization and experience of the Spirit-filled life only means of a long,
drawn-out process of learning, by means of shadows. They were not given this experience first, as we are, to learn its
effects later, but they were taught first by means of pictures, shadows, types, and symbols. The Old Testament is full of
these. Aaron's rod that budded, which was kept in the Ark of the Covenant, and the candlestick in the Tabernacle were
both pictures of the Holy Spirit illuminating the mind and heart. The widow's cruse of oil which never became empty was
a picture of the flowing of the oil of the Spirit in a human life (1 Kgs. 17:8-16). The two olive trees of Zechariah which

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dripped oil from their branches into the bowls of the golden lampstand are also a picture of the Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:1-14).
Ezekiel's river that came pouring out from under the throne of God, growing deeper as it went, is a wonderful picture of
the flow and power of the Spirit-filled life (Ezek. 47:1-12). These men of old gradually understood through these symbols
what it meant to be filled with the Spirit, and then they experienced this filling by faith.

The last of these symbols or shadows was the baptism of John the Baptist. Jesus said that John was the last of the
prophets. We are told of John the Baptist that he was "filled with the Holy Spirit... from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:15).
He experienced this filling in his own life, but he had to teach it by shadows. As he baptized people in water he thereby
taught them that the One who was coming would immediately place them into the body of Christ, making them part of
His life. Jesus referred to John the Baptist as the greatest man born of women because he was filled with the Spirit from
his mother's womb (Matt. 11:11). But now, Jesus says, there will be no more shadows; now there will be immediate
reality. Everyone will begin his Christian life on this level.

Jesus had said to these eleven men earlier, "The Spirit of truth...dwells with you, and he shall be in you" (John 14:17). As
we have seen, this does not mean that no one in the Old Testament was filled with the Holy Spirit; it only means that
these men were not yet so filled. Their filling of the Spirit was delayed until it would be available to both Jews and
Gentiles. Although they were Jews, they were to be part of a body of both Jews and Gentiles which would be formed by
the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit is given to a believer the moment he puts his faith in Jesus. There is no
special sign, feeling, or emotional indication of this indwelling. It occurs, as Jesus said it would, when anyone believes in
Him. It is the means by which the risen life of Jesus becomes available to us continuously and constantly. All that Jesus is,
is made available through all that I am. That is why it is important that the Holy Spirit should come--so that through the
Spirit Jesus' life is made available to each of us who trusts in Him.

Quiet Power

Jesus points out that this indwelling is not a ritual but reality, not a program but power. The eleven disciples said to Jesus,
"Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" They were thinking in terms of timetables, schedules, and
programs. And the church throughout its history has often made this same mistake. But the Lord Jesus said, "That is not
for you to know. Times, schedules, and programming are all in the Father's authority. Your task is to be the manifestation
of power; the Father will put it all together."

Now what kind of power is Jesus talking about? This is a most wonderful thing! It is resurrection power. It is the power of
a risen Lord--there is no way to overthrow it, no way to stop it. Every obstacle thrown in its path is only turned into an
opportunity to advance. You can find many demonstrations of this power in the Gospels and in church history. Every
attempt to resist the working of the Holy Spirit simply opens the door wider, for this is Christ's resurrection power at
work.

It is a glorious kind of power, for it does not need any props or outside help, and it does not borrow anything from the
world. It doesn't even need a cup of coffee to get started in the morning! Furthermore, this power works best in a
cemetery. It operates most visibly where everything is dull and lifeless. Anyone operating on resurrection power can
come in and change the whole scene. Resurrection power changes lives from within rather than from without. It does not
start on the outside, with the environment, or the circumstances, or the external situation; it starts within and works
outward. It does not separate or divide; it harmonizes, heals, draws people together, and breaks down walls
of hostility that have been standing sometimes for centuries. It batters these all down and brings people together in
harmony. This totally different kind of power is what you receive when you receive the Holy Spirit.

Eyes on the Lord

Jesus also says that this power will result not in propaganda but in witnessing. Christians are not to be like salesmen
going out to peddle a product, nor are they to be recruiters trying to get people to join a religious club. By doing this the
church has become false and has lost its power. In contrast, Christ's power has a personal note about it. Jesus says, "You
will talk about Me because you will have experienced Me. You will talk about what I have done for you." The mark of a
carnal church is that it loves to talk about itself. These early Christians never witnessed about the church at all; they
witnessed about the Lord--what He could do, how He would work, what a fantastic person He was, how amazing His
power was, and what He could do in human hearts. The twentieth

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-century church too often has its eyes focused on itself. But the early church had its eyes focused on its Lord, and for this
reason it was an effective witness for Him.

Finally, this promise of the Father will not be restricted at all, but it will be universal. It will begin in Jerusalem and
Samaria and go to the uttermost parts of the earth. It will include all places and all times, and it will make no distinction
between classes, races, or sexes.

In Christ there is no East or West,

In Him no South no North
But one great fellowship of love,
Throughout the whole wide earth.

An Assured Return

The third historic element which Luke stresses, which runs like a thread throughout the rest of the Book of Acts, is the
hope of Christ's return:

And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And
while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of
Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in
the same way as you saw him go into heaven" (Acts 1:9-1l).

What an amazing experience this was! As the disciples were standing on the Mount of Olives they saw Jesus suddenly
ascend into a cloud, and they never saw Him again. He just disappeared. The cloud received Him out of their sight. Now
Jesus had told them this would happen, and that it was necessary. "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not
go away the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7). It is by means of the Spirit that
Jesus makes His life available to each of us so intimately and personally.

Jesus did not go to some distant planet in space. I think of wrong to think of heaven as if it were several billion light-years
away. Instead, Jesus simply stepped into a different dimension of existence--the spiritual kingdom which surrounds us on
every side, invisibly. He is not far away, and neither is the throne of God and the greatness of his power. But that invisible
life imparted to us by the Holy Spirit, who came as a result of Christ's leaving this earth. Because Jesus went, I can have all
of Him, and so can you.

Now the angels tell us that Christ's return is certain. "This same Jesus," they say, "will come back again." He will come in
exactly the same way as they saw Him go. Just as He stepped into invisibility, He will step back again into visibility.
Suddenly He will be back. And when He comes, says other Scripture, He will remove the curse from nature. Men are
looking today for a solution to the ecological crisis that confronts us. How shall we solve these problems?

Well, we shall not. They will get much worse, and the crisis will get so bad that human life will actually be unable to exist
any longer on the earth. Jesus said so. He said that the tribulation of those days would be so intense, so terrible, that no
flesh would be saved except for the intervention of God. But when Jesus comes again He will remove the curse from
nature, and nature will bloom and blossom once again. God will draw back the curtains on the exciting creation He has
been working on behind the scenes throughout these twenty centuries--a new humanity. A new kind of man will
suddenly be revealed. That is what Paul calls "the revealing of the sons of God" (Rom. 8:19). All the world is
looking forward to this event. The hope of Christ's return is part and parcel of the mystery of incarnation, the grand
strategy that God employs.

The Final Link

As the disciples turned away from the Mount of Olives, we read of the last element:

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey
away; and when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and
James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the

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 Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers (Acts 1:12-14).

What did they do we they were waiting? Why, the only thing left to them--they prayed! Here were these men deprived of
the physical presence of Jesus. The Spirit had not yet been given, so they did not have His indwelling life, but they were
still not cut off from God. They were linked to Him by the marvelous communication of prayer. They gave themselves to
prayer, waiting for the full revelation of what God had in mind to give them. Prayer is always an essential part of the life
of the people of God. It is part of the strategy by which the incarnate Christ touches and changes the world.

Here in this introduction we have all the elements that make up the Book of Acts: a risen Lord whose life is made
available through the coming of the Spirit, and who will come again in power and great glory, but with whom we are
always in instant communication by means of the miracle of prayer. These elements are what enable any group of
Christians to have an impact upon and to exercise a vital revolutionary force upon the age in which they live. May God
grant that this will become our own experience in day-to-day living!

Chapter Two
The Birthday
Acts 1:15-2:4

As we consider the last part of Acts I and the first four verses of Chapter 2, it will be helpful to remember the two figures
of the church in this section--a building and a body. In the last part of Chapter 1 the foundation is laid for the building,
and in the first part of Chapter 2 the body is born. The scene
is set for us in these verses:

In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty),
and said, "Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David,
concerning Judas, who was guide to those who arrested Jesus" (Acts 1:15,16).

For years I believed that these 120 believers met in the upper room, and that the Holy Spirit came upon them there. But
notice that there is a break here. Although the previous paragraph does mention the upper room, (since it is part of the
introduction, which ends at verse 14), it is only at verse 15 that Dr. Luke really begins to tell his story. If you link verse 15
with the last verse of the Gospel of Luke, you can see clearly where Luke takes up his narrative again. In the Gospel, Luke
tells us that the disciples came back from the Mount of Olives after the ascension of Jesus and continued meeting in the
courts of the temple. And that is where the Pentecostal event occurred; 120 people formed much too large a group to meet
in an upper room.

A Foundation of Twelve

Peter's immediate concern is that a replacement be found for Judas in the apostolic band. Judas had fallen from his place
as an apostle by his betrayal of the Lord Jesus, and Peter now feels impelled by the Spirit to replace Judas. We have
already seen from Paul's Letter to the Ephesians that the church is like a building, "built upon the foundation of the
apostles... " (Eph.19). It is therefore not surprising that the first thing we read about in the Book of Acts is the completing
of the band of the apostles.

In the Book of Revelation John sees the city of God coming down from heaven--a beautiful picture of this magnificent
church (Rev. 21:10). There is a wall around it with twelve gates, each bearing the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Clearly Israel is linked to this new city. The wall also has twelve foundations, each named for one of the apostles of the
Lamb. So there must also be twelve apostles. Some people think the Apostle Paul should be counted among these twelve,
although Paul actually apostle, he was not one of the twelve. Peter makes clear that Scriptures had predicted that there
would be a replacement of Judas, and he quotes two of the Psalms to prove this. In verse 20 he says:

For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it" (Psa.
69:25); and "His office let another take" (Psa. 109:8).

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During the ten-day period after Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples poured over the Old Testament to see what was
predicted for these days. In the Scriptures they discovered that there must be a replacement for Judas.

The Last Payment

We are also given a glimpse, in a parenthetical verse, of the tragic end of Judas. We learn how he forfeited his apostolic
position:

For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry. (Now this man bought a field with the
reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it
became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Akeldama, that is,
Field of Blood) (Acts 1:17-19).

Here is a concise and encapsulated summary of all that happened to Judas in his last moments. When it says that he
bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, it does not mean that he took the thirty pieces of silver for which he
betrayed the Lord and went out and bought a field. We know from the Gospels that he took those thirty pieces of silver
and threw them at the feet of the high priest, refusing to have anything to do with them. Then in what way was this
Scripture fulfilled? If we put together all the references to Judas in the Gospels we learn what happened.

We are told that Judas was the treasurer of the disciples. He was so appointed by Jesus Himself. John tells us in his Gospel
that Judas carried the common treasury, and also that he was a thief, and that he kept stealing money out of this common
treasury (John 12:6). What for? Well, evidently Judas had accepted the current Jewish idea that when the Messiah would
come he would overthrow the Roman government and establish a kingdom of power and authority, with the nation of
Israel at the head. Judas was feathering his nest in anticipation of this event. He had already picked a plot of ground on
which he wanted to build a lovely home, and he was buying it little by little with the money which he stole from the bag.
Whether he was making payments on the land or simply saving the money in order to give a cash payment at the end, we
are not told. But it is likely that this is what he was doing.

As Judas realized that Jesus was approaching a crisis, he found he lacked thirty pieces of silver in order to purchase the
land. So he made arrangements with the high priest to betray the Lord for those thirty pieces. But when he did the deed
and led the soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane and kissed Jesus to betray him, his eyes were apparently opened to the
terrible implications of what he had done, and, wrenched with remorse and agony of conscience, he took the money back
to the high priests and threw it at their feet with the words, "I have sinned in betraying innocent blood" (Matt. 27:4). Then
Judas went out and hanged himself. Hanging there, on the very ground that he had hoped to buy for his home, his body
bloated and swelled till the rope broke and he fell headlong, as this Scripture says, and his bowels gushed out.

Then the high priests took the thirty pieces of silver and finished paying for the property. They bought it from a potter,
finished paying for the property. They bought it from a potter, thus fulfilling Zechariah's prediction that this money for
which Jesus would be betrayed (Zechariah had actually predicted that it would be thirty pieces of silver) would be given
to the potter. Yet because this property was the scene of the suicide of Judas--a place marked by the blood of a guilty man-
-the high priests called it "the Field of Blood." To this day you can visit the field in Jerusalem.

Judas had to be replaced, then, in order that the church be built upon the apostles. The qualifications necessary to that
replacement are given:

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us--one of these men must become
with us a witness to his resurrection (Acts 1:21,22).

There were only two qualifications. The man who was chosen must have been with the apostles from the baptism of John,
and he must have accompanied Jesus all through His ministry. (Remember that there were many more than twelve
disciples who went around with Jesus. He chose twelve of them in order to be in a special relationship to Himself, but
there were others who also accompanied Him. It was out of this larger band that a replacement would be chosen.) Not
only must the replacement apostle have seen all that Jesus did, but he also must have witnessed the Lord's appearances
after the resurrection. He had to give witness to the authenticity of the resurrection.

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Why such stringent requirements? Well, they underscore what the New Testament is forever telling us-that our faith is
not based upon myths or legends; it is based on facts and events which men have seen, felt, heard, and been involved in.
This is not a "holy history," as certain theologians like to call it, a kind of pseudo-history which takes place only in the
realm of ideas. No, these things actually happened, and our faith rests upon the fact that they really occurred. For this
reason the apostle chosen must be able to give witness that these things were actually true.

The Lord's Decision

The process of choosing happened in an interesting place and in an interesting way:

And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and
said, "Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two thou hast chosen to take the place in
this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them,
and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles (Acts 1:23-26).

Evidently there were only two men out of that band of 120 who met all the qualifications for apostleship. Only two had
been with Jesus the whole time and had also seen Him after the resurrection. So Justus and Matthias were put forward.
The others had to decide between the two of them, and they did it in the Old Testament way: they cast lots for them. This
was very much akin to what we do in flipping a coin. They may have literally used a coin, casting for
heads or tails. It came up heads, and Matthias won.

Now don't misunderstand this method. It wasn't done in a casino atmosphere; it was a dignified performance. This
method was used only when men were otherwise equally qualified. It indicates a recognition that God controls even the
smallest things. That's why the Book of Proverbs says, "The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the
Lord" (Prov. 16:33). After the lot fell on Matthias he was numbered with the eleven, thereby becoming the new twelfth
apostle. A subtle change occurs from here on in Acts. Up to this point the apostles are called "the eleven," but from here
on they are again called "the twelve," showing that Matthias was accepted among them as a genuine apostle.

The Task of the Twelve

With the choosing of Matthias the ground was laid for the church to be built. The foundation was now poured; all the
apostles were there. These mighty apostles were men who could witness to the historic foundation of Christianity.

The apostles were sent forth with a threefold task.

First, they were to be pioneers, going out where the name of Jesus had never been named and planting churches there.
Every one of the apostles fulfilled this task. Church history tells us that Thomas went to India, Peter and Paul went to
Europe, and others went to North Africa.

Second, the apostles were to be proclaimers, uttering what God had revealed. Remember that Jesus had said to His
disciples, "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). He never said these "many
things" in the days of His flesh; they were revealed only after the Holy Spirit came and taught these men the truths of
God. That is why these apostles spoke with authority. When they spoke they did not speak as mere men, but, as Paul
says, "When you received the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God" (1 Thes. 2:13). The apostles were
proclaimers.

Finally, the apostles were patterns. They were intended to be examples of how the Spirit of God operates through men,
penetrating a community and moving to change people and transform them. The apostles were to be examples of what a
Christian ought to be. They did not live far above us; they were on the same level as we are. We are to live as the apostles
lived in every way. It is in this way that these men formed the foundation of the church.

A Body is Born

As we turn to Acts 2 we find that the figure has changed. Now The church is no longer called a building, but a body. In
this exciting chapter we read the account of the birth of the corporate body of Jesus Christ. Here's how the story begins:

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 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven
like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them
tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:14).

This passage has been subjected to much examination, and also to much abuse and distortion. We need to look at it very
carefully. Three things in this passage call for our special attention. In the next chapter we will pursue the study of the
subject of tongues, but right now we want to describe three other important points of the passage.

Two Loaves Into One

First, the day on which this event occurred was the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost is a Greek word which means "fifty," and
the day was called that because it occurred fifty days after the Passover feast. Pentecost refers to a Jewish feast which is
described in the Old Testament under the title The Feast of Weeks. Seven weeks (49 days) were to be numbered from
Passover, and on the fiftieth day the Jewish people were to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, also called the Feast of the Wave
Loaves. This feast came at the end of the wheat harvest in Palestine, and they were to take this new wheat, the first-fruits
of the harvest, and make two loaves of it.

Now these two loaves were symbols of the two bodies from which the church was to be formed--the Jews and the
Gentiles. Jesus said He came first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, the Jews. But He also said, "I have other sheep,
that are not of this fold; I must bring them also So there shall be one flock..." (John 10:16). He was referring to the Gentiles.
Here, on the Day of Pentecost, God brought the Jews and Gentiles together and baptized them into one new body, the
church.

These loaves of the Old Testament were to be baked with leaven. Leaven is yeast, and is a symbol of sin. The wave-loaf
offering is the only one in the Old Testament that ever had leaven included in it. Why? Because it was God's wonderful
way of telling us that the church is not made up of perfect people. It is made up of saints, but they are sinful saints. It is
made up of believers who are in the process of becoming what God wants them, changing them into the image of Christ.
For this reason the loaves were baked with leaven.

Members of One Another

In this beautiful loaf symbolism lies the heart of the church. On the Day of Pentecost, right in line with this Old Testament
pattern, the Holy Spirit came upon God's people. And what did He do? He took 120 people who were gathered together
in one place, and made one body out of them. Here were 120 isolated individuals who had been living their lives quite
separately, held together only by a mutual interest in Jesus Christ. But now they are baptized by the Spirit into one body.
That is the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that when the Holy Spirit would come they would be baptized by the Spirit. The
baptism of the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with any outward demonstration. It is not necessarily associated with
tongues, or fire, or wind. These were the incidentals. The essential was the making of a body, one body. This was truly the
birthday of the church.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, shepherds and wise men came to see Him, and there were angels and a star.
But all these things happened only once. They never occurred in conjunction again. Likewise the wind, the fire, and the
tongues occur together only once in Scripture. It is foolish to always be craving these incidentals when the Holy Spirit acts
today. These are connected only with the beginning of the body. The only time in Scripture that we ever find the phrase
"baptized with the Spirit" after this event in Acts is in First Corinthians. There the Apostle Paul says, "For by one Spirit we
were all baptized into one body" (1 Cor. 12:13). That is the true baptism of the Holy Spirit--"they all became one." And
from then on they were part of the life of Jesus Christ and members of one another. What would happen to one would
affect the others from then on. They could not be separated, they could not live their lives in isolation any longer; they
were truly one body.

Certain symbols were associated with this event. There was the sound of the rush of a mighty wind; there was the
appearance of tongues of fire dancing on the head of each individual; and there was the strange phenomenon of
languages spoken by men who had never learned them--in other words, "tongues." What was the meaning of these
symbols? They were the key to the purpose of the body. This was God's pictorial way of telling us what this new body
would be like and what it would do. The first symbol was wind:

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 Suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting (Acts 2:2).

Wind is the symbol of invisible power. Remember that Jesus said to Nicodemus that the Spirit is like the wind, which
blows wherever it desires, and no one can tell where it comes from or where it will go (John 3:8). It is sovereign, mighty,
powerful, irresistible, invincible. But it is also invisible; you can't see the wind. And this is to be a characteristic of the
church. It is to be a band of men and women bound together by the life of Jesus Christ, who will accomplish great things
through them when they operate in the invisible power of the Spirit. As with the wind, you cannot put your finger on
their source of power, but it moves mightily to change and transform lives. The second symbol was fire. Fire is used in
two ways in the Old Testament. It is a purifier, burning up dross, garbage, and waste; and it is a symbol for enthusiasm,
passion, purpose, and inner hunger. Jeremiah said, "There is in my heart a burning fire" (Jer. 20:9). These two symbols
indicate that there is to be within the church a yearning hunger for God which will purify the lives of those who are
affected by it.

I have been challenged by the story of D. L. Moody walking down a street in New York City and thinking about a
sentence he had heard: The world has yet to see what God can do with a man who is wholly yielded to him. There came
into Moody's heart a great hunger, and he cried out, "O God, make me that man!" He was so filled with a sense of the
overwhelming love of God that he had to go to a friend's house nearby and ask for the use of a room. For an hour or more
he was caught up by this passion that had entered his heart when he became converted and which broke out from time to
time with tremendous power to cleanse the evils of his life, moving him toward a unifying purpose, a relentless drive to a
single goal.

That is what Luke is talking about here. When John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would come and baptize with the
Holy Spirit and with fire, he meant that there would be an unexplainable passion about the church. Every Christian has
felt it. We sing of it this way:

O Love that wilt not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

Proclamation

The third symbol was the use of tongues. Certainly this was not gibberish; these were known languages spoken in that
very region as well as in other places of the earth. Those who were there understood the words. The tongues were
therefore edifying proclamations; they were intelligent utterances. These men were praising God in languages; the men in
the audience heard the apostles telling forth the mighty works of God.

Now this is the purpose of the filling of the Spirit. It is always to enable us to speak with boldness, clarity, sincerity, and
earnestness, telling forth the mighty works of God in languages that are known. There is a miracle here, no question about
it, but the important point is that these men and women were seized by the Holy Spirit and filled with utterance, with
proclamation. Several times in the Book of Acts it says that the disciples were filled that the Holy Spirit. But on those
occasions they did not speak in their own language. And they were filled that they might speak: "Filled with the Holy
Spirit, they spoke..." That is what the filling of the Spirit is for--that Christians might speak with boldness, clarity, and
unction--but not always in tongues.

This is what the church should be like today. It should be filled with power, passion, and proclamation. It is exciting to
see the Lord reviving His church today. All over this country and around the world there are such manifestations
breaking out again. They are not spectacular, miraculous demonstrations, but
outbreaks of resistless power, like a mighty wind blowing no man knows where, leading out into new ventures, new
methods, new approaches, filling men with a passion and hunger for God and a reality which consumes the dross, the
garbage, and the waste of our lives--a wind which impels men to speak to others about the glorious reality of a God who

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lives within, who is mighty and adequate in all that He does. That is the true church, the body of Christ. What an exciting
thing to be a member of this living body!

Chapter Three
Beyond Tongues
Acts 2:5-21

In the phenomenon of Pentecost we see the beginning of the church of Jesus Christ, the body of Christ--in other words,
the birthday of the church. Now, in the rest of Acts Chapter 2, we learn the background of the amazing sermon which the
Apostle Peter preached on that occasion--a mighty sermon that brought three thousand people to Christ.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the
multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we
hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea
and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and
visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the
mighty works of God." And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But
others, mocking, said, "They are filled with new wine" (Acts 2:5.13).

Luke very carefully describes the onlookers to this amazing miracle of tongues. The tongues were intended for this certain
group of people, who are described in a single phrase:

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven (Acts 2:5).

The holy time between Passover and Pentecost drew thousands of Jewish pilgrims from all over the earth to Jerusalem.
Josephus, the Jewish historian of this time, tells us that the city of Jerusalem (which normally had a population of 50,000)
would often be swollen in numbers to well over a million. It was to this multitude that the miracle of Pentecost was
directed.

God summoned the throngs with the sound of a mighty rushing wind. "At this sound the multitude came together" (Acts
2:6). The "sound" does not refer to the sound of tongues (that would hardly be loud enough to attract the attention of the
whole city and countryside!) but to the mighty rush of wind that attracted people from all over the city. It is the same
word that occurs in verse 2: "And suddenly a sound came from heaven..." God, as it were, turned on a siren to bring the
people together!

No Interpreters Needed

When the people heard this great sound they came rushing together into the temple, but when they arrived they were still
more bewildered, "because each one heard them speaking in his own language." They heard the strange sound of certain
men and women, evidently peasants from Galilee, who were speaking in over sixteen different languages. It was quite
evident that these people were not educated. And that this was long before the days of the art of linguistics, so it was very
difficult to learn a foreign language. You had to live in a country in order to learn its language. Yet these untrained men
and women were speaking in languages which were foreign to them.

Notice that no special supernatural activity was required to understand the languages. These pilgrims were amazed that
they could hear these utterance in their own native tongues. Luke even names the localities and therefore the different
languages that were being spoken. Beginning with the East, he lists a group of dialects east of Jerusalem spoken by
Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia. Then he moves north, including Judea (where they were),
Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia--Roman provinces of Asia Minor, as we know it today. Then he
moves south to Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, in northern Africa, then west to Rome and Crete, and
then south again to Arabia.

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Although the apostles were speaking in different languages, they were all saying the same things. They were declaring,
literally, the "magnificences of God." They were praising God. They were not preaching the gospel; they were speaking of
how great God is, worshiping and praising God. That was the phenomenon that arrested the attention of this great
multitude as they came pressing into the temple courts.

Curiosity and Ridicule

In Luke's record of the crowd's reaction, there are two words he uses for astonishment: "amazed" and "bewildered." Twice
he indicates that they were amazed. The literal translation from Greek is "to push out of their senses." Or, in the modern
phrase, it blew their minds." Linked with that, Luke says, they were bewildered. The word is really one which means they
were hit hard, stunned; they were staggered by this amazing thing, especially since they easily recognized the languages
they heard.

Then we have two more words that indicate puzzlement. They "wondered," and they were "perplexed." Those are
suggestive words. "Wondered" means they sought for a solution. "What is behind all this? Why is this happening?" The
second word, "perplexed," means literally "thoughts running through their minds." Two more expressions that are
recorded of this crowd are especially interesting. When the human mind is confronted with a startling new thing it reacts
in one of two ways, as in this case. First, some people began to inquire, representing the group of open minds that are
always ready to investigate further before coming to a conclusion. But the other group immediately dismissed the
phenomenon with the infantile reaction of mockery and ridicule. They looked at the disciples and said, "They're drunk!
That explains it. They've been getting into the new wine!"

Explaining Reality

All this sets the stage for Peter's explanation, and in the next few verses we have a wonderful message delivered by the
Apostle on this occasion:

But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in
Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it
is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:14-16).

Notice how alert Peter was. Led by the Holy Spirit, he immediately began to speak. And he spoke so effectively that he
never got a chance to give an altar call (a wonderful thing to have happen!) because he stated the truth in the power of the
Spirit. That was Peter's message-a simple explanation of reality. The preaching of the gospel is an explanation of what
things are really like. Peter seized this occasion to make clear what lay behind the supernatural events of the Day of
Pentecost. His message contained three parts-an explanation of the phenomenon of tongues, a declaration of Jesus of
Nazareth, and an application to the crowd. Right now let's discuss Peter's explanation of the phenomenon of tongues.

First of all, what Peter said to the crowd when he stood up was not quite what we read in the Revised Standard Version--
"For these men are not drunk, as you suppose." What the Greek literally says is, "He stood up and said to them, 'Not as
you suppose are these men drunk.'" In other words, they are drunk, but not from new wine; rather, it is what Joel said
would happen--the Spirit of God has come upon them. It is true that to be controlled by the Holy Spirit does affect a
person somewhat like alcohol does. Paul implies this in Ephesians: "Do not get drunk with wine...but be filled with the
Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). But Peter says, "No, it is only nine o'clock in the morning. Everyone knows that hardly anyone drinks
before eleven o'clock, so it can't be that they're drunk with new wine; they're drunk with the Holy Spirit!"

In the Last Days

And then he quotes this amazing passage from the prophet Joel:

And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on
my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will
show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke; the sun shall
be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. And
it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:17-21).

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Peter's explanation is very simple. Since this is exactly what Joel declared would happen, it is therefore neither
unexpected nor unexplained. The key to this passage from Joel is the phrase "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." If
you read the prophecy as it occurs in the second chapter of Joel, you will find that in the words preceding this passage the
prophet had predicted that the Lord would visit His people. He would come to them and live in their midst. Then, as the
prophet puts it, "afterward" (after this visitation) "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." A distinction is made between
the visitation of God to Israel and the pouring out of the Spirit upon all peoples everywhere--Gentiles as well as Jews. The
emphasis of this section is that now the good news about Jesus Christ is to go out to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews.

Now Peter announces that the time has come when God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh, Jews and Gentiles alike--
not only all people everywhere, but all kinds of people: "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young
men shall see visions" (Acts 2:17). Note the emphasis upon youth. God is saying that in this age of the Spirit, leadership,
effectiveness, and power will not be limited to gray hairs; young men and women will also speak and lead, will also
prophesy and see visions. Even upon servants, obscure people, and insignificant people will God pour out His Spirit, and
they too will prophesy.

What Peter did not say is as important as what he did say. He did not say, "Thus is fulfilled what was said by the prophet
Joel." From other Scriptures we learn that Joel's prophecy has yet to be fulfilled in its ultimate meaning. God will again
visit His people at the second return of Jesus Christ. Then, after His return, the Spirit will once more be poured out. When
Peter quotes this passage he changes the word "afterward" to the phrase "in the last days." Peter adapts Joel's prediction to
the present age of the Spirit, which begins, he says, with the pouring out of the Spirit of God.

It is also important to notice that in this quotation of Joel there is no mention at all of tongues; instead, Joel refers to
another gift of the Spirit, the gift of prophecy. Prophecy is the ability to declare or tell forth the Word of God in power.
Young men and old, servants and obscure people will all be equipped by the Spirit to tell forth the Word of God with
power. That will be the mark of the age, Joel says. The emphasis is not upon tongues at all--not even upon gifts--but upon
the Spirit who gives the gifts.

The last section of the prophecy was not fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. According to the prophecy of Jesus Himself,
this is yet for the future (Matt. 24:29). The day is coming when God will show signs on earth and in the heaven above:
blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and
manifest day (Acts 2:20).

Thus Peter gives us the great parenthesis which marks the age of the Spirit in which we live. It began on Pentecost, and it
will end after the Great Tribulation, but through it all runs one great unbroken thread:

And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21).

It is an age of faith, an age of belief. When men believe what God has said and call upon the name of the Lord, asking
Jesus to be Lord of their life, they are filled with the Spirit. There need be no manifestation, no outward signs. It will be
just as Jesus Himself said:

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If anyone thirst, let him come to me and
drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water'" (John
7:37,38).

John immediately adds,

Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believe in him were to receive... (John 7:39).

From the Day of Pentecost on, the Spirit is given to everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the reason for
the manifestations on the Day of Pentecost.

Is It the Same Gift?

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Now the question comes, what about today's manifestation of tongues? Today many people are saying, "We are
experiencing a second Pentecost. There is a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is the 'latter rain' that was predicted by
Joel to follow the 'early rain' of Pentecost." But no one seems to have noticed that Joel says that the latter rain will occur
only after the second return of Jesus Christ--not before. Well, then, what about this modern experience of "speaking in
tongues"? How should we evaluate it?

The great question that needs to be answered is whether or not the modern phenomenon is the same gift as that recorded
in the Bible. We are exhorted by John to "test the spirits, to see whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). The only way we can
know for sure is to understand exactly what the marks of the Biblical gift are and then to compare these with what we see
today.

Whenever the true gift of tongues is manifested it will always be characterized in four ways. The Holy Spirit always
moves in line with the Word of God. First, as we have clearly seen, the Biblical gift of tongues always consists of known
languages, spoken somewhere on earth. They may be unknown to the immediate audience hearing them (as in the
fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians), but they are spoken somewhere.

Second, Biblical tongues are addressed to God as praise and worship. The early Christians did not preach the gospel in
tongues; they praised and worshiped God in these strange languages. Paul confirms this with these words: "For one who
speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God" (1 Cor. 14:2).

The third mark of true Biblical tongues is very clear in this Pentecostal incident. The gift of tongues is intended to be
manifested publicly--never privately. Again Paul confirms this when he says, "To each is given the manifestation of the
Spirit for the common good" (1 Cor. 12:7). The gifts are not for private blessing; they are for the common good. In First
Corinthians 14 Paul insists that if tongues are nevertheless exercised in the church, they must be interpreted, lest they be
of no value whatsoever. Tongues were never intended for the benefit of the speaker, but for the edifying of the hearers.
The miracle at Pentecost occurred for the benefit of the thousands of Jews who had gathered at Jerusalem from the four
corners of the earth.

This leads to the last mark of Biblical tongues, which is also clearly evident at Pentecost and which is definitely referred to
by Paul in First Corinthians 14. The Biblical gift of tongues is a sign to unbelievers, and not to believers. Paul quotes an
old Testament prophet, the prophet Isaiah, who predicted that one day God would send to Israel men who spoke in
strange tongues (Isa. 28:11,12). "And," says Isaiah, "when you hear these you will know that the hour has struck when
God will send His message out to all peoples everywhere." The tongues of Pentecost were therefore a sign to unbelievers
that the gospel was now going out to the whole Gentile world. Wherever you find tongues occurring in the New
Testament you always find unbelievers present, because tongues were a sign to them rather than to the believers.

The Need for Warning

That is what the Biblical gift of tongues was like. In my judgment, the present-day manifestation is definitely not the same
thing, since it doesn't meet the Biblical standard at all. Furthermore, we need to recognize that the utterance of strange
syllables is a very common thing in other religions, occurring frequently in Hinduism and several African cults. Long
before Plato and the early Greek philosophers discussed the phenomenon of speaking in strange syllables under religious
ecstasy. But in my opinion this has nothing to do with the Biblical gift of languages; it is something else. At best, it is a
psychological response, fulfilling an overpowering desire to have something that will mark a person as unusually favored
in God's sight. This is almost always the explanation behind the hunger of those who seek this gift.

The false gift often appears in connection with a genuine moving of the Holy Spirit, and sometimes it is hard to separate
the true from the false. This false gift is often a seed planted by the enemy in the midst of a genuine moving of the Spirit,
and much of the blessing that comes from the genuine awakening is unthinkingly attributed to tongues. But it is clear to
me that the results of yielding to this false gift of tongues is frequently spiritual derailment. Many who have begun well,
who have begun to walk in the Spirit, are derailed--shunted into a dead-end street which never goes anywhere. It
ultimately results in divisiveness, in separation of Christian from Christian, as well as in prolonged barrenness in the
spiritual life. That is why there is need for a warning: the true gift of God will always be in line with the Biblical picture.

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We need to take special heed to Peter's final word in this section, that in this age of the Spirit all that the Spirit of God has
for us is given to whomever calls on the name of the Lord. As Paul says in the opening words of his Letter to the
Ephesians, "Blessed be the God and Father...who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places" (Eph. 1:3). And Peter adds, "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Pet.
1:3). We need nothing further, no new provision or supply; we only need to claim by faith what is already ours in Christ
Jesus.

Chapter Four
Confrontation
Acts 2:22-37

Peter said that the age of the Spirit would begin with proclamation and end with tribulation. We are two thousand years
away from the beginning of that age, and therefore two thousand years closer to the end. In fact, it may well be that the
end has already begun. Twenty-five years ago, many people would not have believed that the Book of Revelation could
be literally fulfilled, exactly as written. But the Apostle Peter said that throughout this whole age the good news would be
that whoever would call upon the name of the Lord would be saved; they would be free from everything that keeps them
from being the kind of men and women they were intended to be. Salvation is a restoration to what God intended when
he made man in the first place. And the way they will he saved, Peter says, is to call upon the name of the Lord.

But having said that, he is ready to spring a bomb on these people. The Lord upon whom men must call, Peter now
announces, is none other than the Prophet who was crucified fifty days ago right here in the city of Jerusalem: Jesus of
Nazareth. This stunning announcement fell upon the ears of these people with fantastic power. Peter set before them a
threefold argument that began with the humanity of Jesus and ended with a clear proclamation of His deity. Peter moved
with such precision and such irrefutable proofs that, when he arrived at his conclusion, three thousand people arrived
with him.

The first movement is the foundation of facts:

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders
and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know--this Jesus, delivered up according to
the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised
him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it (Acts 2:22-24).

These are the great events in history upon which our Christian faith rests: the life and the death and the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus Christ. These are historical events which would have been recorded in any daily newspaper of the time. If
these events did not occur, Christianity is nothing but a hoax--a bad joke. It is upon the historicity of these events that our
faith must rest. If they had not occurred, who would know better than Peter's audience? These people had been in
Jerusalem throughout the time that these events took place. They had been in the city when it was so stirred with the
arrest and trial and death of Jesus. Of all people in the world, Peter's listeners would have been best able to contradict the
Apostle if any of these events were legend or myth. But the Apostle simply sets forth these facts as conclusive evidence
and indisputable proofs to support the claims of the Christian faith.

The Standard Man

Each of these events is designed to teach mankind some important truth. The first is the pattern of normal humanity
which Jesus set before us. He was a man, says Peter; he was not a specter or a phantom, nor was He a superman. He was
a normal man, authenticated and approved by God as a standard of humanity. When you see Jesus you see what God
intended man to be.

God's method of authentication was by "mighty works and wonders and signs," the miracles of Jesus. These amazing
miracles of changing water to wine, of stilling the winds and the waves, of multiplying the loaves and fishes, of healing
the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead are simply manifestations of man's intended control over nature. These
signs were not done by Jesus because He was God. They were done by a man who was yielded to the indwelling power

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and life of God within. And by means of that power Jesus did these great miracles. That is the normal pattern of
humanity, the means by which the life of God the Father was made available to the Man Jesus.

Jesus was indeed God--there is no question about that--but that was not the secret of His ministry. The secret of Jesus'
ministry was that He was a Man through whom God worked. God wants to communicate to us through the life of Jesus
in the Gospels, to tell us to act and think and react as Jesus did, for He is the pattern of normal humanity.

Putting Evil to Death

The second step in Peter's argument is to focus on the death of Jesus, in which is revealed the purpose of God in history:

This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the
hands of lawless men (Acts 2:23).

The death of Jesus was accomplished, Peter said, by you Jews at the hands of Roman Gentiles, who were lawless in regard
to the observance of God's law. Although you did this, Peter continued, your murder nevertheless fulfilled the
determinate program and plan of God. The Cross was no accident in the life of Jesus--it was an essential event,
programmed by God the Father from the beginning of time. Peter indicates here that the only way God could deal with
the problem of human evil--the basic problem--was by the death of Jesus. It had to happen, and God arranged it. He is the
standard man. He pleased God because He was what God wanted men to be. There is no way to deal with this evil within
us except by death.

We are all capable of putting on a respectable front. But within us all lurks an evil, reactionary nature which responds
with all the ugly things that afflict us today. We are all capable of such evil. Even at moments when we want to do good
we find this evil nature coming out. This is what God is aiming at destroying.

A young man came to see me, a man whom I had not seen for a number of years. He told me about his life, how he had
gotten into difficulties and spent a few years in prison. Now he was really sorry for some of the things he had done, and
he realized he was miserable and had made a fool of himself, and he wanted to straighten out his life. We talked about
what it would take to correct his life, and about the need of a restoration to the love and fellowship of the Lord Jesus.
Then we prayed together. Yet that very night this young man went to the place where he worked, cleaned out the till, and
took off with $200 of his father's money. The possibilities of evil are in all of us. God says that the only way this sinful
nature can be broken is by the death of Jesus; there is no other way out.

When Peter speaks about the definite plan and foreknowledge involved of God, he is not saying that the men and women
who were involved in the death of Jesus were robots, automatons who could not help themselves; that though they had to
put Jesus to death they could hardly be blamed, since they were operating according to the predetermined program of
God. What was determined was that, once having made a choice to reject God, they no longer had a choice as to how that
rejection would be manifested. It must manifest itself in some deliberate action and attitude against Jesus Christ.

Not One Challenge

Now Peter moves to the third point--the resurrection:

But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it (Acts
2:24).

The resurrection power of God, a power which man cannot duplicate, is revealed here. The ability to bring life out of
death, to correct a situation that is hopeless, to change a person's hardened heart--that is resurrection power. A high
school boy was telling me how baffled his father was by his son's conversion. He couldn't understand it; it fit no
psychological pattern that he knew of. He couldn't explain why his son was suddenly so different. And because he
couldn't explain it, it angered him and he fought it all the way. People who come into contact with the resurrection power
of God frequently react this way.

Mankind is always dreaming of finding a way to beat death. One of the more ghastly propositions today is to put yourself
in a condition of deep-freeze if you have an incurable disease, until science has found a cure, maybe fifty or a hundred

19
years from now. Then doctors will thaw you out, and you will get a chance to go on living. What a miserable thing! What
a far cry from resurrection life! This is not what happened to Jesus Christ when He rose from the dead in all the fulness
and vitality of His person.

The strange and remarkable thing about Peter's sermon is that not a single voice was lifted in protest. To me one of the
greatest proofs of the resurrection of Jesus is that Peter could stand up in the city where these events had taken place a
little more than a month before and tell these people that Jesus had risen from the dead, with not a single person
challenging him. They knew that the authorities could not produce the body of Jesus, though they would have given a
king's ransom to be able to do so. The people had heard all the wild rumors of Jesus appearing alive to His own disciples,
and now they stand in mute and stricken silence as the Apostle drives home with powerful strokes the sword of the
Spirit, convicting them of the truth of his claim.

Pointing Toward Jesus

The second major movement in Peter's address was to reveal the background of the resurrection prediction. Behind the
actual events of the resurrection lay a pattern of prediction which tremendously enhanced the power of the Apostle's
argument. He quotes now from David:

For David says concerning him, "I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be
shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For thou wilt
not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life;
thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence" (Acts 2:25-28).

The point that Peter is making here by quoting from the sixteenth Psalm is not merely that David had predicted that Jesus
would rise from the dead, but also that David had declared that the resurrection was absolutely essential in view of the
life that Jesus had lived. Peter's whole argument hangs on this "therefore" in verse 26. Before that, David foresaw Jesus as
saying, "I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken." His would be a life lived
continually in dependence on the power and authority of the Father. "Therefore [because I will rest in trust upon God] my
heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will rest in hope. "For," he goes on, "you will not abandon my
soul to Hades, and you will not let my body rot in the grave. Instead, you will make known to me the ways of life, and in
your presence will be fullness of gladness and joy."

That prediction of David indicates that the kind of life which Jesus lived guaranteed that death would have no power
over Him. In the Words of Major Ian Thomas, "He had to be what He was in order to do what He did." And then Major
Thomas continues, "He had to do what He did in order that we might have what He is. And we must have what He is in
order to be what He was." That is Christianity.

The second point that Peter makes here is that David was not talking about himself:

Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with
us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set
one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not
abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses
(Acts 2:29-32).

Skeptics say that these predictive psalms, such as Psalms 16 and 22, reflect only some personal experience that the
psalmist was going through, and that it is wrong to read them as pointing forward to Jesus Christ. But notice how Peter
denies that argument. He says, "In the sixteenth Psalm David is talking about a man whose body does not rot in the grave.
Now that couldn't be David, because David died and was buried. And if you don't believe it, there's his tomb."

Peter's third point in his sermon is that death had no effect whatever upon Jesus Christ. Some Christians accept the theory
that when Jesus died His soul went to hell, where He preached to the spirits that were in hades and led some of them
captive up to heaven. But Jesus did not go to hades; He did not go to hell. As He said when He died, "Father, into thy
hands I commit my spirit"(Luke 23:46). The argument of the Apostle was, then, that death had no power over Him--none
at all. It could touch neither His soul nor His body.

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Evidence of Lordship

In the last movement of Peter's sermon we see the demonstration of the results:

"Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy
Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself
says, 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet.' Let all the house of
Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now
when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall
we do?" (Acts 2:33-37).

Once again the Apostle turned his whole audience into witnesses of his claim. He says, "You're just now seeing the proof
of what David had predicted would happen." And then he quotes Psalm 110, in which God says to David's Lord, "Sit at
my right hand until I make you ruler over all, till I make your enemies your footstool." And Peter says that this has now
happened--that the tongues of fire, the sound of the mighty wind, and the utterance of the strange languages were proof
that Jesus of Nazareth is Lord and Christ.

"Lord" means Ruler of all things, King over all men, the One who holds the key to life and death, heaven and hell. There is
no authority or power that exists that does not take its direction and its limitation from Him. "Christ" means Messiah.
"Jesus" is His name; "Christ" is His title. Christ means Messiah, the Promised One, the Deliverer, the only hope that
mankind has ever had.

Suddenly all of this made fantastic sense to the multitude. The full force of Peter's arguments thudded home, and they
realized that they were in a very precarious position. This One whom Peter had proved by indisputable evidence to be
Lord was the very person they had crucified fifty days before. They were cut to the to the heart, and they cried out,
"Brethren, what shall we do?"

It is here that Christianity rests its case. Jesus Christ is Lord whether men know it or not. The very forces that control their
lives are dependent upon Him. The declaration of Peter on this day was that Jesus is the inevitable Man. There is no way
you can avoid Him. He is Lord over all things, and sooner or later you have to deal with Jesus Christ, whether you like it
or not; you have no option.

Chapter Five
The Essential Ingredients
Acts 2:37-47

The response to Peter's message on the Day of Pentecost was similar to the remarkable awakening that recently swept
across our country, especially on college campuses. It is an awakening in which the wife of a college president gets up in
chapel and confesses her antagonism toward both the school and the town, confessing that she had not enjoyed her years
there and had held it against the whole college community. As she confesses, she tells of God's dealing with her and of
the warm love and acceptance He has now given her toward both the town and the school. At the end of her testimony, it
is like the Day of Pentecost. People swarm to the altar, cut to the heart because of what they have heard.

That is exactly what happened two thousand years ago, confirming that we are living in the same age of the Spirit that
was begun on the Day of Pentecost. Continuing in Acts 2, we read:

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what
shall we do?" (Acts 2:37).

To be cut to the heart is to be deeply convicted, to have a sense of personal involvement in what has been said and an
awareness of the tremendous impact of revealed truth. These people had had their eyes opened. They began to realize
that behind all the normal events of everyday life was the power of God. And now they understood that the Man they
had nailed to a cross some fifty days earlier was the very God of power Himself.

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In fear and perhaps despair the crowd cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" This is the work of the Spirit of
God, making men aware of the Lordship of Jesus. Jesus is Lord. By Him all things consist and are held together. When we
understand that Jesus is the inescapable One, there comes this deep sense of conviction, of being cut to the heart.

Change Your Mind

Peter responds by providing a crystal-clear explanation of how to become a Christian:

And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all
that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him." And he testified with many other words and
exhorted them, saying, "Save your selves from this crooked generation" (Acts 2:38-40).

There are two things you need to do, Peter says, and then there is one thing God will do. First you need to repent--a word
which is greatly misunderstood. Feeling sorry and crying may go along with repentance, but such emotions do not
necessarily mean that you have repented. To repent (Greek mantanoia) means to change your mind. You have been
thinking that everything was all right with you--but now you must think again. You have been thinking that Jesus may
have been a great teacher, or a great prophet, but that He is not the Son of God--but now you must think again. Peter is
saying, "Get in tune with reality, line up with things the way they really are!"

A New Beginning

The second thing to do is to be baptized. Baptism does not make you magically clean, but it is the outward and symbolic
declaration of the change of mind that you have experienced inside. Baptism is an open identification with Jesus Christ. It
is a cutting off from the old way of thinking, a beginning of a new life. Among these Jews baptism was a very clearly
understood process. When a Gentile became a Jew, his body was washed all over, and that was a symbol that he was
beginning a new life, starting all over again. That is what baptism basically means.

But perhaps you are saying, "Wait a minute. Peter says, 'Be baptized in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of sins.'" It is
often taught that when you are baptized your sins are forgiven. But the Greek construction here can also be translated,
"Be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins." A little later in Acts the Apostle Peter
says to another crowd of people in the house of Cornelius, "Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins
through his name" (Acts 10:43). Baptism is not the important thing here. It is repentance and belief in His name that
obtains remission of sins. It is changing your mind about Jesus Christ that enables God to wipe out all your guilt and all
the sins of your past.

When that happens, Peter says, you will receive the Holy Spirit. That is, God the third Person will come and live inside
you. And His work will be to make Jesus Christ visible, real, and close to you--to impart His life to your own. Notice that
Peter did not promise these people the gift of tongues, flames of fire, or a sound of rushing wind. The Holy Spirit came
with these phenomena as symbols of what the whole age of the Spirit would be like, but they are not promised to every
individual. The Spirit of God comes into the human heart without any demonstration or sign at all, on the basis of
changed minds. And on this basis these people received the promise of the Father.

God's Choice, Our Choice

The Apostle goes on to say that this promise is available to everyone:

For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to
him (Acts 2:39).

Notice that the promise is to those whom God calls. That remarkable statement indicates that we do not really find God;
He finds us. If you have a hunger to know God, and you think it started with you, you are mistaken. It started with God.
God the Father is working within you, drawing you, calling you. Yet, as Peter goes on, he links this truth with a decision
of the will:

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 And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation"
(Acts 2:40).

Peter's entire message is not recorded here, but we have this summary: "Save yourselves from this crooked generation."
He is saying that you have to do something. The call of God alone is not enough. You have to make a decision to become
identified with Jesus Christ. And the minute you do that, God gives you the gift of the Holy Spirit.

To Experience Life

We see the immediate results of that decision at Pentecost in these verses:

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousands souls. And
they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts
2:41,42).

In this brief paragraph we have the four fundamentals of Christian growth. If you have received Jesus Christ into your
heart, the whole of Christian life lies ahead for you to experience. First, be baptized, as these people were. Imagine the
effect on the city of Jerusalem when these three thousand people openly identified themselves with the despised
Nazarene. No wonder a great awakening broke out in Jerusalem! The second fundamental of the Christian life is teaching:
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching." These mighty apostles were commissioned by the Lord Jesus, by the
power of the Holy Spirit, to tell us the truth about life. The only hope we have of working out our problems is to begin to
understand the apostles' teaching. And this teaching was the Word of God, the Scriptures.

Next, these new followers of Christ devoted themselves to fellowship, which means holding all things in common,
sharing together. Here are three thousand people, many of whom had come from other parts of the world into Jerusalem
for that occasion, and who did not know each other. But now that they are one in Christ, they begin to love each other, to
share their burdens and needs with one another, and to pray together. There was a wonderful sense of community, of
common-ness, of belonging to each other. That is the intended life for the body of Christ. God has designed that His life
should be manifest through a body. And if the body is not operating, then the power of the life of God is not manifest.

Forgiving One Another

The Apostle Paul says, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God." And then he lists the things that grieve the Spirit!

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to
one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Eph. 4:31,32).

If this is not happening, the Spirit of God is grieved. And when He is grieved, He does not act. There is no life. The church
becomes dull and sterile, manifesting only a lifeless ritual. Fellowship is not an option for Christians; it is an essential.
That is why when the Holy Spirit of God begins to move in any congregation or assembly of Christians He first begins to
heal the brokenness of human relationships, getting people to admit to each other their malice, their anger, their
frustration, and their grudges--and to forgive one another. That is when life begins to flow once again through the body of
the Lord Jesus Christ.

The fourth element in a vital Christian experience is worship. The new Christians in Acts broke bread and prayed
together. In the breaking of bread Luke is undoubtedly referring not merely to their meals; he is talking about their
sharing together in that symbolic testimony to the basis of Christian life, the life and death of the Lord Jesus--in other
words, communion. In the breaking of bread and praying together we are related to God; we speak to God and are
identified with Him.

Fear and Favor

In the last paragraph of Acts 2 we have a beautiful picture of the practical effects of Christianity upon the world all
around, upon the church within, and even toward God Himself:

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 And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all who believed
were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all,
as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of
food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their
number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:46,47).

The first effect, fear, was upon the surrounding world. Why this fear? Well, suddenly everyone who was in that city at
this time saw that God was working through these people. The supernatural was very visible, and it baffled them. A
power that was more than human was obviously at work, a power that was manifest in wonders and signs--in miracles.
Today many people feel that we have to recapture this wonderful age and reproduce these marvelous miracles and signs.
But this is where God always begins when He meets with men. Because unregenerate men are by large confined to a
world of visible things, believing only what they can see, God in His condescending grace begins at that level. But the
things which He does in the realm of the spiritual are actually far greater than those which He does in the realm of the
physical. As His church grows, God moves from the physical level into the deepest level of humanity. It is in the spirit of
man, rough God's transforming grace, that the mightiest manifestation of His power is found.

The second effect of the Spirit's work is within the church:

And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and
distributed them to all, as any had need (Acts 2:44,45).

This passage is not a blueprint for a new government or a new economic system. These believers simply established a
common fund, from which the needy among them were helped. To do it, some of them sold some property and gave up
some of the things they owned to the fund. And that is Christianity in action--to be always concerned about the needy.
The last result of the Spirit's work is the glory that a practical Christianity brings to God:

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad
and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by
day those who were being saved (Acts 2:43-47).

Here God is obviously at work, being glorified in the midst of His people and being worshipped and praised by them.
Christianity lived in this way by the body resulted in a continuous response on the part of the people around them. This is
also what we are seeing today, as the Holy Spirit continues to make the Father known to all, Jew and Gentile alike. The
same vitality that was evident among the new believers in those days is being seen again today--the vitality that comes
only from a life lived in the strength of the Spirit of God.

Chapter Six
The Healing Hand of Jesus
Acts 3:1-10

We have no complete record of all the wonders and signs that were done through the apostles in the opening period of
the new church, but we do have this story of the lame man who was healed at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. Luke
evidently selected this healing out of a number of miracles that occurred in order to teach us something very significant.
For this reason we should give it our careful attention.

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth
was being carried, whom they laid daily at that gate of the temple which is called Beautiful to ask alms of those who
entered the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. And Peter directed his gaze
at him, with John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from
them. But Peter said, I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
walk." And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made
strong. And leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising
God (Acts 3:1-8).

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As Peter and John went up to the temple according to their custom, they found a lame man there. It is interesting to note
that Peter and John were still going to the temple in order to meet with the other believers. Evidently they still gathered in
the temple court where Jesus used to teach, and they were meeting there for prayer and study, for fellowship and the
breaking of bread. They had not yet forsaken the temple.

Later, in the Book of Hebrews, these early Christians were exhorted to leave the temple, since the temple was no longer
the significant meeting place of God with man. The temple in Jerusalem was just a building, and already these Christians
were learning that God had designed a living temple, and that the temple of stone was merely a symbol of the real
temple--the human body--where God intended to meet man. "You are God's temple," Paul wrote, "and God wants to meet
you inside of you, where you live, down at the deepest part." But here in Acts there is no immediate breaking off from the
symbolic temple. God is patient and understanding with His people, and He knows that we learn slowly.

As Peter and John were going up to the temple it was the ninth hour, or three o'clock in the afternoon. This was the usual
time of prayer for the Jews, but it also had special significance to the Christians. It was at three o'clock in the afternoon
that Jesus had died on the Cross; it was at that hour that He had cried in aloud voice, "It is finished," bowing His head and
delivering up His spirit.

On their way into the temple the two apostles met this man who had been lame from birth. It has always been a puzzle to
me why this man had not been healed by Jesus. He had apparently been brought to the temple regularly for a long, long
time, and Jesus must certainly have seen him as he passed into the temple. But He never healed him. I think this indicates
that God has His time for great events, and that until that time things sometimes go on pretty much as usual. At any rate,
this lame man was waiting at the gate of the temple. The striking thing about this story is that when he asked alms of
Peter, Peter stopped and said to him, "Look at us." This is right in line with the method of Jesus. He never just walked up
to someone and healed him without first directing his attention to Himself. Like Peter and John here, Jesus always
captured the attention of the individual that He wanted to heal, directing him to focus his gaze upon the Savior.

Why Look?

The reason for Peter's command was to arouse a sense of expectation, to quicken the lame man's faith. This man expected
to receive something (probably money) from Peter and John. His faith was quickened by the command of Peter, "Look at
us." There are people who go to church for years, yet whose lives show no evidence that God is at work. This is largely
because they have never paid attention to Christ's command, Look at me. This is why Jesus always said to the people of
His day, He who has ears, let him hear.

The minute Peter had the lame man's attention, he did two things that were most interesting. First, he admitted that he
was bankrupt. "Silver and gold have I none," he said. "I know that's what you are looking for, but I can't help you there."
And then he demonstrated his amazing adequacy in the spiritual realm. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk. And in
that electric moment, as this man was looking at Peter and John and heard these words--at the mention of the name of
Jesus-strength came flowing into his ankles, and Peter, sensing it, took him by the right hand and lifted him up. The man
stood up and began to shout and leap around, trying out this new-found strength in his legs which he had never known,
because he had been lame from birth. No wonder it had such an amazing effect upon the people:

And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat for alms at the
Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him (Acts
3:9,10).

The people were immediately convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God was at work. They heard and saw this
healing, and they noted that it was done in the name of Jesus, that name which signifies all that Jesus Christ is.

No Magic

To other people, everything that you are to them is evoked by your name. Whatever they see in you is what your name
means to them. When you sign your name on a check, that check is good up to the value of what you have in the bank. It
releases that amount to the person to whom the check is addressed. The name of Jesus here was not a magic formula that
Peter used to produce a miracle. Rather, Peter was saying, "This is the power on whom I am depending. I'm not reckoning
on silver and gold. In fact, that is not really what you need." Undoubtedly this beggar did have a material need--food and

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clothing and other things--but that is not what Peter offered him, because he did not have it. He offered him instead the
authority and power and resources of the name of Jesus. All that Jesus was, was working through Peter at that time.

The Ground for Witness

That is exactly what the church is called to do; we are to declare our bankruptcy in the realm of the material. The church is
not called to meet the material needs of the world. Now of course it is not wrong to give money. The parable of the good
Samaritan keeps us in balance here. But the basic call of the church is to release the life of God, to declare the power of
God, and to make available to men in the name of Jesus the things that only God can do. That is what these people saw,
and they were convinced that God was at work. This is the basic pattern for witness. If you want to be an effective witness
for Jesus you don't just learn a set of facts about Christianity and go out and peddle these as though you were selling
magazines and needed so many subscriptions to the Christian faith. Witness always follows this pattern: first God works.
God does something. God changes a life--something that only God can do. Man cannot do it at all. And then man explains
what God did. The person to whom it happened says what happened to him. That is what witness is. As a result of this
cycle God works again, and another ground of witness--and an explanation--is given. This has been the pattern of witness
down through the ages of Christianity.

Effective witness does not begin with an explanation. The normal pattern is to let God do something, and then as people
see what God has done they ask you what happened. That is why Peter says, "Always be prepared to make a defense to
anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence" (1 Pet. 3:15). That is
what witnessing is.

Let's look more closely now at the event--and the subject--of healing. On the basis of this remarkable miracle in the Book
of Acts many people say, "This is what ought to be occurring in the church all the time. People ought to be healed like this
every day. Someone should walk up to them and say, 'In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise and walk.'" Some people say
that it is actually wrong for a Christian to be sick, that Jesus died not only for our sins but also for our sicknesses, and that
"with his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5). They claim that Christians who rely on doctors or medicines are revealing a
terrible lack of faith, for God has provided physical healing just as much as He has provided redemption.

The idea that Jesus bore our sicknesses by His stripes (in that He was beaten for us) is a very popular concept, and it is the
basis for the activity of many faith healers, who tell people that God expects them to be well, and that it is only their lack
of faith that keeps them from being well. In these meetings people are exhorted to come up and let someone pray for
them so that they may be healed immediately. Is this what this account suggests to us?

Signs of an Apostle

To answer this question, we need to look at the two classes of Scripture passages which deal with the subject of healing.
By doing so we will find the two purposes for healing set forth in Scripture. First, certain passages clearly indicate that
healing miracles were intended to be authentications of the message of the gospel, and that the healers were really
genuine messengers of God. God spoke through them. A passage which is often used as evidence of this purpose in
healing is found in Mark, in which Jesus is meeting with His disciples after the resurrection. He tells them,

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but
he who does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:15,16).

And then He says,

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands
on the sick, and they will recover (Mark 16:17,18).

Many movements have been based on the idea that this is the prerogative of every believer. But we need to notice in this
passage from Mark's highly condensed account that Jesus first said to all of His disciples, "Go and preach the gospel to
every creature," and then He added, "He [singular] who believes the gospel and is baptized will be saved; but he
[singular] who does not believe will be condemned." Then Jesus changed back to the plural: "And these signs will
accompany those who believe." By this He meant those disciples to whom He was talking, those whom He had just

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rebuked for their unbelief. Jesus had just finished scolding them because they would not believe that He was risen from
the dead, so He added, "And these signs will accompany those [among you] who believe." Believe what? Believe in
Christ's resurrection--that Jesus was really alive and that they had seen Him. Then Mark says this about the disciples:

And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the
signs that attended it (Mark 16:20).

These are what Paul calls "the signs of an apostle"--"signs wonders and mighty works" (2 Cor. 12:12). So this promise was
given to the disciples simply as an authentication of their initial ministry. It is not to be claimed by anyone and everyone
who believes the gospel. This temporary authentication is confirmed by the writer to the Hebrews, who says that the Lord
first preached the gospel:

And it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various
miracles...(Heb. 2:3,4).

There is another group of Scripture passages that indicates that God by His grace does heal in any age and at any time,
though only according to His divine purpose. God is a gracious Father, and certain verses suggest that we have every
right to ask Him to heal us physically, and that He will often choose to do so. In James we are told that if anyone is sick he
is to call the elders together and let them pray. God will hear the prayer of faith and raise the sick. It also says, "Confess
your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (Jas. 5:16). But God does not categorically
promise to heal. In numerous cases in Scripture God definitely chose not to heal, even among those who were strong in
faith. When Paul wrote to the Philippians he referred to his dear friend and theirs, Epaphroditus. They had heard that he
had been sick, and Paul said,

Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have
sorrow upon sorrow (Phil. 2:27).

Here is a clear instance when the Apostle himself, mighty man of God that he was, could not heal a sick friend. But God
nevertheless spared Epaphroditus and restored him.

Inner Miracles

Someone has well said that every miracle is a parable. It is designed not only to demonstrate the power of God--a power
that can literally heal instantaneously and completely--but it is also designed to illustrate people's need in symbolic form,
and what happens in their inner life. What happens to your body is not nearly as important as what happens inside you.
Moment by moment your body is getting older and grayer and stiffer and more difficult to maneuver and manipulate.
But what is happening inside? That is the important thing. Paul says, "The outward man perishes, but the inward man is
being renewed day by day." These outward miracles are pictures of what happens in the inward life; inside you can be
crippled, blinded, or oppressed. All of these physical afflictions have spiritual counterparts.

This miracle occurred at the beginning of the age as a parable, to teach us what the age is like. This lame man is a picture
of the world, lying at the door of God, asking for help. Here is a sick, lame, crippled society, unable to be the kind of men
and women God wants them to be, and looking in vain to the church, to the door of God, for help. They do not know
what to ask for; neither did the lame man. They ask largely for material help. But what is needed is what Peter and John
gave--not silver and gold, but the name of Jesus, the power of a new life, the impartation of a new strength that results in
a lame man becoming whole.

When I was at a theological seminary in Denver I met a boy who told me that he was the ping-pong champion of
Colorado. He lived for ping-pong. He thought it was tremendous. Ping-pong was his whole life. But after he became
champion he said it all turned to dust and ashes in his mouth. He discovered that man is made for bigger things than
ping-pong. He found Jesus Christ, and in finding Him he was made whole, and ping-pong meant nothing to him
anymore. This incident may sound humorous, but that is the lesson of this miracle. God is offering to heal men and
women and make them whole, mature, and grown up-not only physically, but also spiritually. As the healing hand of
Jesus Christ is laid again and again on our hearts and our lives we are being made whole, as God intended men and
women to be. This is the great message which we need to declare today: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up
and walk, and be what God wants you to be.

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Chapter Seven
The Only Solution
Acts 3:11-26
As Peter took the lame beggar by the hand and lifted him up, the man's ankles and bones received strength and he began
to leap and shout and walk around the temple courts, praising God. Now Luke continues the account with a report of
what immediately followed this amazing incident:

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's, astounded.
And when Peter saw it he addressed the people, "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at
us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?" (Acts 3:11,12).

Picture the scene in your imagination. This healed cripple, in his unbounded joy, is holding on to Peter and John with
both arms. They try to get away, but he won't let them go. In the Greek it means that he clung to them with great strength.
The people around, seeing this commotion, rush over to Solomon's porch in the temple and recognize the man who had
formerly sat begging at the Beautiful Gate. Then they stare in silent astonishment at what they see. Peter, looking at their
faces, notices their astonishment--the fact that they were stunned by what had happened. He also senses a developing
reverence for himself and John--a misguided hero worship. This told him that these people, like many today, really did
not believe in a God who could act in history.

Even though they had previously seen Jesus perform many miracles like this one, they were absolutely astonished at this
healing. Peter also noticed that the people were ready to substitute a false explanation. They started attributing the
healing to some kind of magical power on the part of Peter and John. This provides the background for Peter's address, in
which he explains what happened.

The key to this message is in his opening words, "Men of Israel." There is a very definite Hebraic cast to what Peter says
now, because he recognizes that the people to whom he is speaking are all Israelites. In his opening question the word
you should be underscored: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this?,?" "You should know better. You ought to know
that God is this kind of God. He has acted many times in your history in this way." I don't think we can fully understand
this passage unless we see that Peter has the background of these people well in mind, and that he understands that they
know the scriptures and ought to have anticipated something like this.

Begin with the Facts

The message that Peter gives falls very easily into three divisions, and in each of these divisions Peter says a most startling
thing. In the first section he presents a series of facts which could hardly fail to arouse the people's guilt. Psychologists tell
us today that the worst thing you can do in trying to help someone is to arouse a sense of guilt--that if you make someone
feel guilty you shut the door to any real help to him. But in this message Peter moves without hesitation to a recital of
facts that arouses the guilt of these people:

The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you
delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and
Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from
the dead. To this we are witnesses (Acts 3:13-15).

Christianity always rests upon facts, and facts are what Peter puts before these people--real events in which these very
listeners had been deeply and inextricably involved. Notice the contrast which Peter draws between the acts of God and
the acts of men. He says that God, the God of your fathers, the God whom you have worshipped--this God glorified His
servant Jesus, but you delivered Him up to be crucified. And furthermore, the man to whom you delivered Him, Pilate,
was a pagan, a Gentile ruler who did not have the background of theology and the understanding of God's activity that
you have, and yet he was convinced of Christ's innocence and tried to release Him. But you--you denied Him. And third,
the One you denied was the Holy and Righteous One. These are terms which these Hebrews would have under stood,

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because they are Old Testament names applied to Messiah; they are names that recognize His deity--that the One who
was coming would be God Himself.

And, says Peter, you not only denied the Holy and Righteous One when He came, but you also asked for a murderer,
Barabbas, to be granted to you. In other words, you denied the Giver of life and asked instead that a taker of life be
delivered up to you. Furthermore, Peter continues, you killed the Author of life--a word that is better translated the
Pioneer of life, the first One who had life. This refers to Jesus as the first human being ever to be resurrected--not just
restored to physical life but raised to a higher level. Though you killed Him, Peter says, God answered you by raising
Him from the dead.

All these facts, Peter continues, were attested to by witnesses: "We are witnesses of this." This is another striking
confirmation that the Christian faith is not a religion of dreamy ideas or sentimental hopes, but that it rests on facts that
can be attested to by witnesses, as in a court of law. The people who were listening to Peter could not deny that these
things had happened, and as a result (as on the Day of Pentecost) they were cut to the heart by the conviction of their
guilt. To me the joy of Christianity is the way in which God's Word of truth cuts right through all the illusion, fantasy,
and dream worlds that we build around ourselves--right through to reality. The conventional idea that Jesus and His
apostles were misty-eyed dreamers who went around talking about beautiful worlds and idyllic ideas is exploded when
you start reading the Scriptures. There you discover that it is Jesus and His apostles who are the hard-Dosed realists, the
ones who are always injecting hard truths into a world ruled by illusion.

The Forces of Guilt

Why did peter start right out by making these people feel such a terrible load of guilt? Psychologists rightly tell us that
guilt is a destructive force in human lives. We cannot live with guilt. Yet the fundamental characteristic of fallen man is
that he feels guilty. There is not a person in the world who does not experience guilt. And the disturbing, unhappy feeling
of guilt quickly produces other emotions, like fear. Remember when you were little and you did things that displeased
your parents, and then you felt guilty? Your immediate reaction was to hide, because you were afraid. Fear is an
unpleasant companion to live with. It motivates a person to run and hide, to escape in some form, or
else it makes him hostile, resentful, and bitter. Fear that leads to escape soon becomes despair; life soon loses all its color
and meaning. Fear that moves to hostility--a feeling of resentment or bitterness--eventually results in violence. And
violence destroys the humanity of an individual.

So why would Peter want to awaken this negative force of guilt in the hearts of his hearers? The answer is that before the
guilt and fear which is awakened by these words can lead to either escape or hostility, Peter moves to his next point--
God's answer to the problem of human guilt. Peter beautifully describe a faith which lays hold of the grace of God:

And his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong whom you see and know; and the faith which is
through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all (Acts 3:16).

Here is a lame man who is part of this guilty nation. Although he was handicapped and incapacitated in himself, he was
also part of the nation which had rejected its Messiah and had cried out "Crucify him! Crucify him!" when Pilate had
wanted to let Jesus go. The lame man was just as guilty as anyone else in the crowd, yet here he stands in perfect health,
restored whole by God's power. The basis of his acceptance before God, says Peter, the only thing that made God do this
wonderful thing in his life, was simply his faith in the name of Jesus. In this restoration of physical health God
demonstrated how He reacts to human guilt. He reacts in love and grace, on the basis of faith in the name of Jesus. "Don't
look at us," says Peter; "We didn't do it. When we spoke the name of Jesus, this man believed in the power and authority
of that name. And immediately the strength that his limbs lacked came flowing into his body."

Out of Ignorance

With exhibit "A" standing right before the eyes of his hearers, Peter now goes on to declare to them what the result can be
in their own lives:

And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth
of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins
may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the

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 Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the
mouth of his holy prophets from of old (Acts 3:17-21).

Here Peter declares that God's answer to man's condemnation of His Son and rejection of the Lord of life is a forgiveness
and restoration which take into account man's ignorant blindness. God sees what you did, says Peter, not as the deliberate
act of a perverted and twisted will trying to strike back against God, but as the blundering act of an ignorant mind that
doesn't realize what it is doing.

In these words there is perhaps an echo in Peter's memory of the words which Peter heard Jesus Himself speak on the
Cross when he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Here, and perhaps nowhere else as
clearly, we see how God sees man. He sees him as ignorant, blind, and stupid, blundering along in his darkness, not
knowing what he is doing. In trying to run our world today it is becoming very clear that we don't know what we are
doing. So often people say, "Oh, I had no idea what I was doing! I was just trying to do the right thing, but I've just loused
everything up!" And that is exactly what God expects of us, what He has been trying to tell us all along. It is only pride
that makes him boast about all his achievements while ignoring his weakness and folly. Not only in matters of politics
and economics is this true, but it is especially evident in the realm of ecology, where we have poisoned our lakes and
loaded our air so heavily with pollutants that we cannot see the mountains a few miles away.

Refreshment and Restoration

Peter then goes on to announce what God's purpose is. "Repent therefore, and turn again, unto the blotting out of your
sins, and two great things will happen: times of refreshing will come from the face of the Father, and He will ultimately
send Jesus Christ to you to restore all the things which were spoken of by the prophets." Peter, looking forward through
the whole age, says, "Here are the principles by which God is going to operate: wherever there is a turning back to Him,
there will be an immediate dealing with the problem of guilt. God blots out sins."

For some reason there is nothing harder for people to do than to believe God. Countless Christians are still trying to work
out some standing or merit before God, to do something to make themselves acceptable to Him. But Peter says that God
arouses guilt only because He has the solution to it, the blotting out of sins in the name of Jesus.

When that happens, Peter says, there will come times of refreshing--periods in human history which will be characterized
by relative peace, prosperity, order, and joy. After the spiritual awakening through the Wesleys, England was saved from
the disaster of revolution which the French had just gone through. The country was turned around and, although there
were still many problems, England experienced joy and contentment. The Protestant reformation in Germany, under
Martin Luther, was also such a time.

Furthermore, says Peter, it will result ultimately in the return of Jesus Christ. This confirms what I had long suspected
from the Scriptures: that when Jesus Christ returns He will not come back at a low ebb of faith, but rather at the height of
an awakening, when God's people have returned to Him and there is a release of the fullness of the power of the Spirit.
The world around will be barren and disconsolate, but there will be a time of life and vitality on the part of the people of
God.

The Personal Question

Now Peter closes with this appeal to act:

Moses said, "The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren, as he raised me up. You shall listen to
him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to the prophet shall be destroyed
from the people." And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also
proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers, saying
to Abraham, "And in your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed." God, having raised up his servant,
sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness (Acts 3 :22.26).

Paul tells us that historically the gospel was to go first to the Jew and then to the Gentile, and that is the program which is
followed in the Book of Acts. Soon God will turn to the Gentile world, for in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile. But
now Peter argues, "Look, you are Jews. You know the prophets; you have been reading them. And your own Scriptures

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urge you to believe in Jesus." Then Peter drives home the point with a personal emphasis: "God has sent Him to you, to
turn you from our wickedness." Perhaps Peter learned his Old Testament application to the Christian life during those 40
days after the resurrection, when Jesus opened the disciples' minds to understand the scriptures: "Beginning with Moses
and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). Peter is
saying, "Each man of you has to settle this for himself. Will you allow God to turn you from your wickedness? Will you
begin at the place where God begins, right at your own heart, with your own problem of guilt, with your own lack of
acceptance before God? Will you deal with that before Jesus Christ, and will you in the name of Jesus believe that God
loves you and receives you and makes you His own, and that you are privileged to live as His child, His son, right now?"
That is all that Peter can do; the rest is up to those who hear. Will they respond? It is their choice.

Chapter Eight
The Threat of the Resurrection
Acts 4:1-12

As Peter and John stood on the steps of the temple, speaking with mighty power to the assembled crowd, there was a
sudden, violent interruption:

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon
them, annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And
they arrested them and put them in custody until the morrow, for it was already evening. But many of those who
heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to about five thousand (Acts 4:14).

There was a tremendous popular response to Peter's message that day--We are told that five thousand men believed
(women and children weren't counted in those days!). But suddenly there was this display of authoritative, iron-fisted
power as the temple guards elbowed their way through the crowd, surrounded Peter and John, arrested them, dragged
them off, and put them in jail until the next day.

The most remarkable thing about this arrest is the reason. These apostles were not proclaiming the overthrow of the
Roman government. If they had been, we might have expected such a reaction from the authorities. Nor were they
protesting against some of the social evils of the day. Peter raised not a word of protest against the widespread practice of
slavery throughout the empire, even though half the people in the Roman Empire were slaves. Nor did he say anything
about the burdens of excessive taxation which the Romans had towered on these people. No, the message which the
authorities regarded as too radical to tolerate was the simple proclamation of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead.
For this message Peter and John were thrown into jail before they could even finish their speech. Yet because of this
proclamation five thousand men in that great crowd in Jerusalem became believers in Jesus Christ.

Cause for Alarm

Do you think this kind of arrest could take place today? Would today's authorities oppose a message like this? Well, the
clear answer of current history is that they would, and they do. There are several large governments on earth today that
are so fearful of the message of Jesus that they use every weapon at their command to keep this radical message from
penetrating to their people. Even in our own country this message is sometimes opposed. In a recent awakening in our
high schools scores of students came to know Jesus Christ. Yet that awakening, that power that turned these kids from
drugs and futility, has aroused suspicion in many people. Many people would gladly suppress and stifle this whole affair.

What were the elements of Peter's proclamation that were so disturbing to the authorities? What offensive thing did these
apostles say when they proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead? First, of course, they proclaimed the great and
exciting fact that Jesus Christ Himself had risen from the dead only seven weeks before the event of Pentecost took place,
and that they, along with over a hundred other disciples, were witnesses to this fact. So powerful was their testimony that
not a single voice was raised to challenge it. Instead, five thousand people became convinced of its truth, just as three
thousand people had been convinced a few days earlier, on the Day of Pentecost.

The disciples also preached that Jesus had extended the promise of the resurrection to others as well; He had said, "I am
the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). Jesus also said, "Because
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I live, you shall live also." Out of the open tomb of Jesus has arisen a radiant, flaming hope that has gripped and held the
hearts of millions of believers in the face of persecution and death. Even in the midst of the bleak helplessness of watching
a loved one die, faith in the resurrection of the dead in Jesus can bring peace--yes, even joy--to an anguished heart.

Death Is Death

But if this is all that the apostles had had to say, they would not have created quite the stir that they did. This crowd was
made up mostly of Jews, and they knew already from the Old Testament Scriptures that there was hope beyond the
grave. It was the third dramatic element that Peter proclaimed on this day that made all the difference in the world. He
undoubtedly explained to these people that physical death is strangely linked with the death that is at work in our inner
lives right now, that death is all one thing. We experience that inner death a thousand ways, sometimes as loneliness,
sometimes as bitterness, sometimes as emptiness and despair, sometimes as depression of spirit. Sometimes it is boredom,
sometimes hate; sometimes it is malice and resentment and violence. Whatever it may be, it is not what God intended for
man; it is an enemy that haunts him every moment.

The glorious proclamation of the truth as it is in Jesus is that Jesus Christ did something about this form of death as well;
He overcame it by His resurrection. As a result restlessness is replaced by peace, guilt by acceptance, lust by love, and
weakness by power. There is joy for mourning, beauty for ashes, hope for despair, and courage for cowardice. So
desperate were these people, so tired of emptiness and of sin, that five thousand hearts leaped to believe and turn to
Christ, to begin a new life in Him. Wouldn't you think that the authorities would be pleased, that the rulers of the city
would be happy that men and women were finding the answer to their lifelong search? Why, then, were they annoyed
with this event? Well, it's clear that they sensed a threat; they felt it in their bones. They stopped the whole show until
they could put their finger on just what it was that bothered them, as we read in this next section:

On the morrow their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest
and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in
the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a
cripple, by what means this man has been healed, be it own to you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing
before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must
be saved" (Acts 4:5-12).

You can see how seriously the authorities took all this by Luke's careful listing of those who were present. There was
Annas who was the honorary high priest, the father of Caiaphas. Then there was Caiaphas, who was the official high
priest, and with them were gathered two of his brothers, John and Alexander. We know from secular history that this
family of the high priest constituted a ruling class in Jerusalem, controlling the vast wealth of the temple and certain
profitable monopolies connected with the sacrifice. Here was the class that was in power and authority, with great
political and economical vested interests throughout the city. They were greatly disturbed, for they sensed a threat to
their power. They were so disturbed, in fact, that without realizing what they were doing they gave Peter an open door
for testimony.

Send Up the Cornerstone!

The authorities said to Peter, "Tell us, by what power or what name have you done this thing?" This was just what Peter
was waiting for. With delight he tells them, "By the name of the man whom you crucified, whom God raised from the
dead." What a contrast Peter presents with the disciple who cringed before a maid in the high priest's courtyard a few
weeks earlier! On that occasion Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times before the cock crowed. But what a difference
now. The bold Apostle is filled with the Holy Spirit as the life of Jesus is being imparted to him. With the boldness of a
lion Peter says,

By the name Of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is
standing before you well (Acts 4:10).

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The former lame man was right there with the authorities, standing as undeniable evidence of the power and authority of
the name of Jesus Christ. Then, to further drive the point home, Peter quotes from Psalm 118:22:

This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner (Acts 4:11).

What Peter and the Psalm are referring to is the occasion of the building of Solomon's temple. The Bible tells us that when
Solomon built his temple on the place where the Dome of the Rock now stands in Jerusalem, there was no sound of
hammer or saws and no pounding of any kind. The temple was erected in silence. The rocks that formed the temple were
taken from a quarry underneath where the temple stands. If you go to Jerusalem, you can go down to what they call
Solomon's quarries and see that it is solid rock. And from that rock the temple was built. It was built to such exacting
blueprint dimensions that each rock was shaped perfectly before it ever left the quarry, so that when it reached the temple
it could be put in place without any hammering or pounding of any kind.

According to Jewish tradition, during the building of the temple a great rock was quarried and shaped by the master
mason, but when the builders received it they could find no place to put it. It didn't seem to match any of the blueprints
they were working from, so they placed it to one side. After awhile, because the rock seemed to be in the way, someone
pushed it over the edge of a bank and it rolled down into the Kidron Valley and was lost in the bushes. But when the time
came to hoist the cornerstone, the great square rock that held everything else in place, no one could seem to find it. The
masons sent word that the cornerstone had already been delivered some time earlier, so the site builders looked around
some more for it, but still no one could seem to find it. Then someone remembered the huge "extra" rock that had been
pushed over the edge. Down they went to the valley, where they found it lying in the bushes. With great effort the
builders returned the rejected stone to the temple site and hoisted it into place, where it fit perfectly as the cornerstone of
the temple.

That's what Peter meant when he quoted this Psalm. God had planned that Jesus of Nazareth would be the cornerstone of
His government on earth, the Rock upon which all human government would rest and from which it would take all its
authority. But the builders of the various nations rejected the cornerstone. So Peter thundered the accusation, "You
rejected Him when He came! You had the chance to build a government of Jerusalem on the Rock which God ordained,
but you rejected the Rock by crucifying God's Son! But God nevertheless raised Him from the dead and made Him the
Head of the corner." Then Peter added these amazing words:

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must
be saved (Acts 4:12).

This is a startling declaration. It says that no one but Jesus can qualify as the cornerstone. There is only One Person who is
adequately equipped to be the foundation of all human government, the basis of all human authority.

Truth with Power

Christians are often accused of being bigoted and intolerant of other faiths. In one sense this accusation is perfectly true.
We are intolerant of other faiths in the final analysis. But this doesn't mean that Christians don't recognize certain truths
in other religions. Some great religious leaders have uttered certain fine moral teachings and helpful precepts. But there is
one thing they have never done: though they can tell us what is right to do, they can never enable us to actually do it.
That is the crucial difference between Jesus of Nazareth and any other name that can be named in this world. That is why
we can never consent to putting any other name on an equal with Jesus of Nazareth. No other person has solved the
problem of death. No other person has broken through this ghastly terror that hangs over the human race except Jesus of
Nazareth.

Most of us don't need someone to tell us what to do; we already know what we should be doing. As Mark Twain said, "I
don't need anyone to tell me what to do. I'm not doing half of what I know to do, now." What we need is someone who
will make us want to do what we ought to do--to give us a new heart, a new outlook, a new ability, a new capacity, a new
life. That is what Jesus of Nazareth does again and again--and that is political heresy. Whenever this miracle takes place it
threatens all oppression and tyranny wherever it may prevail in the world.

The life of Jesus Christ is never against government as such, but it is against oppressive government. His life is the
foundation of Christian liberties everywhere. There has never been a force more powerful to assure liberation of men and

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women from oppression than the dramatic power of Christ's resurrection. That is why this event is hated by the
totalitarian forces of our day, whoever they may be. But the glorious fact is that this event is hated by the totalitarian
forces of our day, whoever they may be. But the glorious fact that this event is what God is going to build His kingdom
on, Christ has become the Head of the corner. Behind the scenes of tyranny and heartbreak and tears and anguish all
around us God is working out His purposes. He is building a new humanity, inviting men and women everywhere to
share in the risen life of Jesus Christ, and to experience now the glory of a life of peace and joy and rest.

Chapter Nine
When Obedience is Wrong
Acts 4:13-31

The leaders of the powerful ruling class of Jerusalem, confronted with the unassailable fact of a lame man healed, were
also being confronted with a far more uncomfortable fact--that Jesus of Nazareth, whom they thought they were rid of,
was somehow still alive. Their uneasiness and uncertainty was obvious:

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they
wondered; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But, seeing the man that had been healed standing
beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the
council, they conferred with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been
performed through them is manifest to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it" (Acts 4:13-16).

This is a remarkable picture of perversity of human hearts. Surely these men--high priests and rulers of the city--would
have prided themselves on being logical, reasonable, consistent men who acted on the basis of facts. We always think of
ourselves this way. But this account makes very clear that they were utterly self-deceived. Although they thought they
were acting from a rational position, they were actually operating contrary to reason.

Luke points out that these men first noted an unexpected boldness in Peter and John, a note of authority in their voice, a
certain poise that these rulers were not used to seeing in uneducated men. They had expected to find this kind of
authority only in educated men, but they could see from the dress of the apostles that these were untrained, common
men. In the language of the New English Bible, the apostles were "untrained laymen," and these Jewish rulers were at a
loss to understand this. How could uneducated, common men have such poise and confidence? The conclusion they came
to is most remarkable: these men must have been with Jesus!

These Jewish rulers had had difficulty with Jesus; nothing they had said or done to Him ever seemed to trouble Him.
Now here were men who were reflecting the same spirit. The high priest and the rest of the rulers had apparently become
aware of the fact that anyone who had anything to do with Jesus for very long began to act differently, showing an
obvious confidence, an air of boldness and quiet authority. So these Jewish rulers were forced to conclude that these men
had been with Jesus. The second thing they noticed was the continuous evidence of the man made whole. It was evident
that no crime had been committed; it is no crime to heal a sick man! A good deed had been done, and they could hardly
deny it. They were therefore at a loss to know what to do with these men, what charge they could level against them.

An Illegal Act

The third point Luke records is that the rulers admitted to themselves (after the apostles had been sent out) that the
nature of this act of healing was a sign.

Surely these men--high priests and rulers of the city--would have this act of healing was a sign. These men were
acquainted with the meaning and value of signs. They were the rulers of a nation which had a unique relationship to God,
a relationship which, throughout the course of Israel's history, had been characterized by the giving of signs. God had
frequently manifested His presence in an unmistakable manner and confirmed His message by accompanying signs. Now
the reasonable, logical, sensible reaction to this kind of evidence would be to acknowledge that the sign came from God
and to support these men in their cause. But notice their conclusion:

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 "But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this
name." So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:17,18).

That was exactly contrary to the evidence they had received!

But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you
must judge; for we cannot, but speak of what we have seen and heard." And when they had further threatened them,
they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for all men praised God for what had
happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old (Acts 4:19-22).

The inconsistency of these rulers led to what was basically an illegal act. They were the representatives of God to the
nation of Israel, and as such they were ostensibly committed to doing the will and purpose of God. Yet here, in spite of
the evidence they had received of what God wanted done, they directly opposed the will and word of God and forbade
these apostles to speak in the name of Jesus. The disciples very wisely and courteously declined to obey this command.
They pointed out that they had no choice; they could not but "speak the things they had seen and heard." The message
they declared was so challenging, so transforming in its implications--both to the nation and to the world--that they could
not be silent and still be true to their relationship with God. They therefore respectfully declined to obey what these rulers
commanded. The priests could only bluster and threaten the apostles because they feared the people, for the apostles had
the support of the populace.

Whom to Obey?

At this Point the whole question of civil disobedience comes into view. Here is a clear case of it. These apostles were
forbidden by the properly constituted authorities (the establishment, we would call them), to preach in the name of Jesus.
The apostles told the rulers to their faces that they would not obey their order. This incident has been used many times
since then, and especially in our own day, to justify such activities as racial strife, draft evasion, violent demonstration,
boycotts, strikes, and so forth. We cannot read this account without the question being raised, and quite properly: Is it
right for a Christian to disobey a law because of a conscientious scruple? It is clear from this account that there are times
when it is necessary and right to disobey properly constituted authority. The establishment can be wrong as well as right.

But it is also important to notice from this account that civil disobedience occurs here only because the conscience of these
men rested directly on a clear and unmistakable precept of God which contravened the human law. The issue is so clear
here that Peter actually calls on the rulers to be the judges as to what the apostles should do. He says, "Whether it is right
in the sight of to listen to you rather than to, you must judge." You are religious men, he implies; you know which is the
higher authority. Which should we obey, God or you? God or man? The matter was so clear that the only thing the
authorities could say was, "Obey God rather than us." Yet instead they threatened and blustered, hoping to maintain
control by the threat of force. They feared the people, who were convinced that this was indeed a remarkable sign from
God.

Here, then, are the Biblical grounds for civil disobedience. The Scriptures state very clearly that governments are given by
God. The Apostle Paul says that governing authorities are the servants of God (Rom. 13:1-7). It is important to note that
when Paul wrote these words the supreme governing authority was none other than Nero--a wicked, vile, godless man,
one of the worst emperors the Romans ever had. Yet Paul could write that the governing authorities were the servants of
God, and that those who resist them are resisting what God has ordained. Paul acknowledges that governments have
certain powers, derived not from the people but from God: the power to tax, the power to keep law and order, and the
power to punish evildoing, even to the point of death. We must conclude, then, that the human conscience operating
alone, unsupported by a word of revelation from God, does not supply the basis for disobeying the law. The law of man,
even bad law, is superior to conscience unless that conscience rests upon a direct precept of God.

Conscience is not intended to tell us right from wrong. Conscience can be wrong as well as right. In fact, apart from the
help of revealed truth, our conscience would only lead us all astray. Let me share a quotation from H. C. Trumbull, a very
clear-thinking writer:

Conscience is not given to a man to instruct him in the right, but to prompt him to choose the right instead of the
wrong when he is instructed as to what is right. It tells a man that he ought to do right, but does not tell him what is
right. And if a man made up his mind that a certain wrong course is the right one, the more he follows his

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 conscience the more helpless he is as a wrongdoer. One pretty far gone in an evil way when he serves the devil
consciously.

It is only when there is a clear-cut case of conflict between the word and will of God and the word and will of man (as in
this case) that conscience is superior to law.

Everything's Under Control

Notice where the apostles go for redress and support:

When they were released they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to
them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who didst make
the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who by the mouth of our father David, thy servant,
didst say by the Holy Spirit, 'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth
set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'---for truly
in this city there were gathered together against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever thy hand and thy plan had predestined to
take place" (Acts 4:23-28).

These apostles did not go out to organize a revolutionary committee to overthrow the Sanhedrin. They did not even try to
arouse a popular march or demonstration, even though the people were behind them. The apostles did not rely for even
one minute upon political or popular pressure. Instead, they cast themselves wholly upon the sovereign power of God at
work in history.

The apostles found encouragement in two things. First, they trusted in the sovereignty of God--His overruling control of
human events. The very first word of their prayer, "Sovereign Lord," in Greek is the word from which we get our word
"despot." "O Mighty Despot (Tyrant, Ruler over men), who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea and
everything in them." God holds the world in the palm of His hand and is intimately involved in every human event, and
in that truth the apostles found great consolation. They openly recognized that God had even predicted the very
opposition they faced. They had clearly been doing what Christians ought to do under pressure: they had gone to the
Scriptures. There they had found these words:

Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and
the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed (Acts 4:25,26).

When they read this in the second Psalm they said to themselves, "There, that's exactly what has happened. Herod and
Pontius Pilate, with the others, the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, have set themselves against the Lord Jesus. We saw
it happen right in this very city. It's exactly what God said would happen." They found great encouragement in the fact
that this event was not beyond divine control, that the opposition they were facing was anticipated. d has power to
overrule in any situation, so the apostles didn't try to arouse a popular uprising, which would only create violence;
instead, they relied on the God who works in strange and unusual ways to change human events without violence.

To Carry Out His Plan

The apostles were also encouraged by what we might call the mystery of history. You can see it in the last sentence here:
"Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel [were gathered together] to do whatever thy hand
and thy plan had predestined to take place" (Acts 4:27,28). In other words, the God of history uses His very enemies to
accomplish His purposes! God works through the free will of man. These people had opposed the plan of God. They had
tried to thwart God's purposes. They had tried to derail His program. But God operates in such a marvelous way that He
was able to use even this opposition to accomplish His will. That is the story of the Cross and of the resurrection of Jesus.

The principle that these Christians reckoned upon is the most powerful force known to man--a power which the church
frequently ignores to its peril. A powerfully poetic expression of the overruling power of God is found in the New English
Bible's rendition of Job 12:10-25:

In God's hand are the souls of all that live, the spirits of all humankind...

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 Wisdom and might are his; with him are firmness and understanding.
If he pulls down, there is no rebuilding; if he imprisons, there is no release.
If he holds up the waters, there is drought; if he lets them go, they should turn the land upside down.
Strength and success belong to him; deceived and deceiver are his to use.
He makes counselors behave like idiots and drives judges mad.
He looses the bonds imposed by kings and removes the girdle of office from her waist.
He makes priests behave like idiots and overthrows men long in office.
Those who are trusted he strikes dumb; he takes away the judgment of old men.
He heaps scorn on princes and abates the arrogance of nobles.
He leads peoples astray and destroys them: he lays them low, and there they lie.
He takes away their wisdom from the rulers of the nations and leaves them pandering in a pathless wilderness.
They grope in the darkness without light and are left to wander like a drunkard.

The overruling power of God is the true strength of the church.

As the weapon of faith--prayer it is tremendous in its possibilities.

Shakedown

Resting upon this power, these disciples now make their request:

And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, while thou
stretchest out thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of thy holy servant Jesus
(Acts 4:29,30).

What they are saying in essence is, "Do it again. Here we are in trouble and our lives are in danger; do it again!" They are
asking for more.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31).

In answer to this prayer by the apostles God first shook the place in which they were praying. This was God's symbolic
answer to the disciples' prayer. He was saying to them, in a figurative way, that He would shake Jerusalem and the world
by the message these disciples were proclaiming. Less than 40 years after this
event the city of Jerusalem was surrounded by Roman armies and the authority of the priests was broken in the city.
ultimately the entire nation of Israel was shaken and its people dispersed throughout the nations of the world. For almost
twenty centuries Jewish government was not permitted to come into power again.
The principles of Christianity then penetrated and permeated all strata of Roman society, changing and transforming
them completely.

Many young people today are troubled by power structures, by the establishments. They see the evils in them, and that
they are not doing what they were set up to do. But it is clear from this account that there is a mighty force at work in
society, a force upon which you can rely to enable you to do what these disciples did--to proclaim a message which is the
most powerful revolutionary proclamation the world has ever seen; to speak the Word of God with boldness in the filling
of the Holy Spirit. To do this is to shake society to its very core.

The factor which produces peace, order, prosperity, blessing, and happiness in a land is not the form of government
which exists. The U.S. Constitution will not ultimately protect us or preserve justice. What will preserve justice?
Righteousness! A people who are dedicated to the will and purpose of God and who recognize the life of God in their
midst. That is what preserves a land: that is the only thing that ever has or ever will. The lack of righteousness has been
the prime reason for the overturn of one civilization after another. Arnold Toynbee has counted some 26 great
civilizations that have come and gone. They failed because they were not built upon righteousness.

The effect of the message of Jesus and the resurrection is to bring new life pouring from a living Christ into dying and
dead people and institutions, changing them, awakening them, arousing them again to righteousness, to living in
accordance with reality. The only hope of our own nation is the proclamation of this message in every possible way in the

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fulness of the power of the Holy Spirit. God has made provision that we might do as these disciples did. Being filled with
the Holy Spirit, let us speak the word with all boldness and produce a profoundly unsettling effect upon all the structures
of society.

Chapter Ten
Great Power, Great Grace, Great Fear
Acts 4:32-5:11
One of the most exciting events of our exciting times is the overwhelming evidence that the Spirit of God is moving to
heal a sluggish and diseased church. No one can really comprehend the death and darkness that prevails in the church in
many places today unless they contrast it with the vitality and excitement of the normal Christian life. In the fourth
chapter of Acts we find a beautiful glimpse of life in the early church. After the dramatic events of the Day of Pentecost,
the healing of the lame man, and the great response of the multitudes in Jerusalem, the church faced life in a world of
darkness, despair, and death--and it met that death with an outflowing of the life of Jesus Christ. Genuine Christianity is
described for us in this way:

Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he
possessed was his own, but they had everything in common (Acts 4:32).

Unfortunately, a counterfeit Christianity came along very soon in this early church, and evidences of it can be seen
throughout the Book of Acts. Wherever the true church has gone, counterfeit Christianity has kept close company with it.
Counterfeit Christianity can be recognized externally as a kind of religious club and who are where people who are
mostly of the same social level bound together by a mutual interest in some religious project or program meet to advance
that particular cause. In distinct contrast, true Christianity consists of individuals who share the same divine life, who are
made up of all ages, backgrounds, classes, and levels of society, and who understand that they are brothers and sisters in
one family. Out of that background of mutual love and fellowship they manifest the life of Jesus Christ.

Belonging to Each Other

That is what we have in this verse. The last word is the key: "...they had everything in common." They were of one heart.
At the very deepest level of their lives they belonged to each other, and that is only possible by means of the Holy Spirit.
They recognized that they belonged to each other, that they were of the same family and had a great deal in common.

Not only were they of one heart, compelled by the Holy Spirit to share the life of Jesus together, but they were also of one
soul. Most of us read the words "they were of one heart and soul" as though it were simply a double way of saying a
single thing. But the soul is different from the heart, or the spirit. The soul is the conscious part of life, and it consists of
the mind and emotions and will. Whatever is going on in your thoughts right now is an activity of your soul. Your mind
is engaged, your emotions are feeling certain things, and your will is making choices; that is the soul, the realm of
experience.

When Luke says that these early Christians were united in both spirit and soul he means not only that they shared the life
of Jesus as a fact of their existence, but also that they experienced it. That is what made the difference. Christians
everywhere in the world are already united. Unity exists as a fact; it is the uniting of the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
But these early Christians were united not only in heart (spirit) but also in soul; they emotionally enjoyed their unity. It
was part of their daily life.

In many churches today there is unity, a oneness of spirit, but there is no experience of it in the soul. It is quite possible to
come to church and sit together in the pews, united in a physical presence with other Christians, or to sing the same
hymns and listen to the same message and relate to God individually, but to have no sense of body life, no sense of
belonging to one another. This is what our younger generation is desperately trying to tell us. "There is no soul in your
services," they say to the church at large; "There is no sense of oneness. You may belong to God, but you don't belong to
each other." In the early church the believers' sense of belonging to one another manifested itself in a new attitude toward
the material aspect of life. "No one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own"--that is, exclusively his.
This is not Communism, for it is not a forced distribution of goods. It is not an attempt to make everyone give up their
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material things and redistribute them to others. No, it is a changed attitude, one which says, "Nothing I possess is for my
exclusive use, but everything I possess is God's, and therefore it is
available to anyone who needs it."

Making Life Visible

This is what the church ought to be like, and when it operates like this there will always be results. Luke summarizes
them for us:

And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:33).

Power in witness occurs whenever body life is present. God has designed that His church should operate as a body, and
we can understand His design as we observe the proper functioning of the physical bodies in which we live. Our life, the
life of our spirit--our personality, if you like--can only be made manifest to others through the body. It takes the body to
make the life visible. This is also true of the church. If the church of Jesus Christ is not functioning as a body, then the life
that is in it (which is the life of Jesus) can never be seen.

Notice that although the power was focused in a few men, it took the whole body of Christians (over five thousand by
now), to make the power possible. The twelve apostles gave the witness, but the church was participating in their
ministry and making their power possible.

Furthermore, Luke says, "Great grace was upon them all." What is grace? It is one of those terms we Christians use freely,
yet with only a vague idea of what it means. But grace means something specific. It is a word that describes the
enrichment of life that results from the love and power of God. Somebody has defined grace in the form of an acrostic:

God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense

The Law of Love

God's grace appeared in the early church in two ways. First, it produced sharing of wealth to meet needs, the bearing of
one another's burdens. Paul puts it this way: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). The
law of Christ is the basic expression of Christian living, the law of love. "A new commandment," Jesus said, "I give to you,
that you love one another, even as I have loved you" (John 13:34). To love means to know someone. You cannot love
someone you do not know. Until you know a person you cannot love him; you can only love your image of him.

Much of the frustration in Christian homes between parents and children arises because parents have an image of what
they want their children to be, and that is what they love. Unless their children measure up to that particular image, they
do not love them. If a child goes wrong, does not measure up to the standard, then the love ceases, because it is not
directed toward the child as he is, but only to the image of what he ought to be. It is so important to understand this. Our
Lord said that love is fundamental to Christian expression. It is the means by which men will know that we are believers,
that God is true, and that Jesus is a Savior. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one
another" (John 13:35). The mark of Christian success is not activity or even morality, though these are an important part of
Christian expression. But the primary and fundamental expression of Christian living is not that you stop doing wrong
things; it is that you love one another, that you bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. This is where
the Christians of the early church began, and grace began to enrich their lives:

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and
brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made to each as any had
need (Acts 4:34,35).

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In Philippians, Paul says concerning the Lord Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with
God a thing to be grasped" [that, is, not a thing to be held onto, clutched, or clung to], "but emptied himself" [renounced
his rights, stopped clinging to his prerogatives], "taking the form of a servant" (Phil. 2:6,7). That was the first step in
relieving the need of a desperate world. Jesus did not regard His equality with God as something to be held onto. And the
first step which we ourselves must take to rectify the desperate condition of society around us is to stop clinging to things.
Are you clinging to anything? To a certain material standard of living, to status, to personal ambition, or to something
else? you will never be able to enter into and enjoy the life that flows in richness and fullness through the body of Christ
until you let go. The man who clings is hanging on with clenched fists. But our Lord is pictured in almost every portrait
with hands open, ready to give abundantly to those in need.

Son-of-a-Gift

The second form of grace--essential to body life--is the exercise of gifts.

Thus Joseph, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), a native of Cyprus,
sold a field which belonged to him, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet (Acts 4:36,37).

In the body of Christ in Jerusalem there was a distribution of gifts by the Holy Spirit. These gifts (called "graces" in
Ephesians 4) are described in First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. The various gifts had been given by the Spirit to fulfill
the ministry of the body in that particular place.

Among the early Christians was a man named Joseph. If I had used only his given name you would not have recognized,
but if I mention his nickname, you will know him immediately--Barnabas. He was the Barnabas of the open heart and the
acceptant spirit, the Barnabas who encouraged young John Mark when he was humiliated and crushed by his failure in
that first missionary visit of Paul's. Mark would probably have dropped out of Christian activity altogether if Barnabas
had not found him and encouraged him, and then taken him on another trip to set him on his feet. This was the Barnabas
who vouched for Saul after his conversion, after the new convert had come up to Jerusalem from Damascus. The other
apostles were afraid of him, for Saul was the man who had been persecuting and killing the church.

Barnabas had the gift of exhortation, of comfort, of encouragement--a wonderful gift--which he used so diligently that
everyone began to call him by his gift, the Son of Encouragement. That is true grace--through the exercise of gifts to sense
and supply the needs of the body.

Cutting Off the Life

Beginning at Acts 5 we turn a corner. Now start looking away from the character and nature of body life and instead start
confronting the perils and dangers attached to it:

But a man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept
back some of the proceeds and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has
Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained
unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How is it that you have
contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell
down and died. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried
him out and buried him (Acts 5:1-6).

What is this account telling us? Here a man and his wife are earnestly wanting to have a part in what is going on, a piece
of the action. They sold some property, just as Barnabas did, but they bring only part of the money to lay at the apostles'
feet. Is there anything wrong with this? Not a thing. When Ananias comes to Peter the Apostle says to him, in effect,
"Ananias, this land was yours to sell or to keep. You had the right to dispose of your property as you saw fit. And after it
was sold you had every right to say what the money was to be used for." Well, then, what is wrong? Peter, exercising his
gift of discernment, says to Ananias, "You have lied. it wasn't wrong for you to withhold some of the money, but then to
act as though you had given it all--that is what is wrong. You lied, you pretended. You're a sham, a phony." When that
penetrating analysis hit the ears of Ananias, he dropped dead at Peter's feet.

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His wife, we are told, had also been part of this press: "by his wife's knowledge" this deception had been enacted. The rest
of the story follows:

After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter sad to her, "Tell
me whether you sold the land for so much." And she said, "Yes, for so much." But Peter said to her, "How is it that
you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Hark, the feet of those that have buried your husband are
at the door, and they will carry you out." Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came
in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the
whole church, and upon all who heard of these things (Acts 5:7-l1).

There were three "greats" in the early church: great power, great grace, and great fear. Why did this terrible tragedy
occur? Why was the Holy Spirit so severe? Is this what He always does with His church? No, it doesn't happen physically
now, but this is a picture by which God teaches us a sharp and penetrating lesson. Just as the healing of the lame man
pictures what the Lord Jesus does in the inner life of a person who knows and follows Him, so this judgment of God
pictures what happens in a person's life when he indulges in pretense. The moment we pretend to be something we're
not, we are immediately cut off from the flow of the life of Christ. This doesn't mean that we are no longer a Christian, but
it means that instead of being part of a living, vital movement, we become dead and unresponsive cells in the body.
Paralysis sets in throughout the area over which we have influence.

This story of Ananias and Sapphira underscores for us the result of our own hypocrisy. The minute they pretended to be
something they were not-death! When we are with other Christians we often put on a mask of adequacy, but inside we
are inadequate, and we know it. We are struggling with problems in our homes, but we don't want to tell anyone about
them. We can't get along with our children, but we'll never admit it to anyone. Our pride keeps us from sharing what is
going on between husbands and wives, and between parents and children. Somebody asks us how things are going.
"Great, great! Fine!" "How's everything at home?" "Oh, wonderful! We're having a wonderful time!" The minute we say
that, and it's not true, we die. Death sets in. And soon that death pervades the whole church. This kind of dishonesty is a
primary characteristic of the church today.

To break through this death, to begin to share realistically with one another, the way is always the same: repent and
believe. Acknowledge that you have been doing it wrong, and then understand that God has already given you, in Jesus
Christ, all that it takes to do what you should. Then start opening up and sharing your burdens. You will start in a rather
small way, perhaps, and it will be difficult at first. But it is the sharing of lives that makes power and grace to flow
through the body.

We are concerned about the world around us with its desperate sickness. The life of the church is not to be merely a
religious hobby to which we give some time and attention when it suits us; the body life of the church is the very focus of
the work of God to help change the structure and pattern of life all around us, to release salt into society and light into the
darkness of the world. It must begin and increase by the understanding and experience of body life.

Chapter Eleven
Times of Peril
Acts 5:12-42
A helpful key in understanding God's teaching is to see that the visible, physical events recorded in Scripture illustrate
invisible spiritual situations and forces. The visible event is occurring because of the unseen spiritual situation. This is
what we must understand if we are going to face life and understand it properly. The Bible consistently stresses that you
can never explain what happens in this world on the basis of an evaluation and assessment of visible things. You must
look behind the visible to the invisible.

We come now to a series of events which center around the confrontation between the apostles and the Sanhedrin. In this
section four factors are highlighted that will always be present whenever the church is operating in times of peril. If we
are aware of the peril and stress of our own day, we can see that these four things are essential to our own lives. First,
there is a clear demonstration of the power of God:

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 Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together
in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. And more than ever
believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the
streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The
people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits,
and they were all healed (Acts 5:12-16).

This sounds like the days of Jesus all over again, doesn't it? Here is a tremendous display of physical healing power at the
hands of the apostles, resulting in multitudes of believers being added to the church. No one knows how many, but it
may have been ten thousand or more in this city with a normal population of about forty or fifty thousand. Here is an
obvious evidence of the power of God at work.

Striking Powers

But many people today are troubled by this account. They say, "What's wrong with the church today? Why don't we have
signs and wonders and mighty events like these taking place in our own day?" Many faith healers, in trying to reproduce
these and wonders, succeed only in a temporary restoration, due to a psychological effect in the afflicted. Nevertheless,
many people feel that the church is not living in power unless these physical miracles are present.

But notice some things that Luke carefully points out to us. First, he says, these healings were not done by the believers in
general, but by the hands of the apostles. These men, gathered together in Solomon's Porch, were obviously anointed by
God with unusual and striking powers--powers for which the apostles had prayed after being released by the Jewish
rulers (Acts 4:29,30). They had asked God to work through them with signs and wonders, and that is exactly what He did.
As we have noted earlier, these were the signs that identified the apostles. They were never intended for the church at
large. They were intended to confirm the ministry of these mighty apostles, who laid the foundation of the church in the
giving of the Scriptures. Not only were they to manifest the power of God in physical ways, but this physical
manifestation was to be a symbol of the spiritual power which God would release among the people.

What Greater Works?

It is always a mistake to put great emphasis on a physical miracle. Although miracles attract attention, they also tend to
confuse people, so that ultimately the observers miss the point of what God is saying. That is why the Lord Jesus
consistently said to the men and women whom He healed in the days of His flesh, "Now don't tell anybody about it." He
didn't send the healed people out to broadcast the story; He said instead, "Go home and say nothing to anyone." Jesus did
not want the confusing effect of physical miracles to thwart His spiritual ministry.

That is exactly what happened here in Acts. We read that when the apostles began to heal the sick, cast out demons,
and relieve those who were distressed, the multitudes "carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and
pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them" (Acts 5:15).

This is a manifestation of the superstition that immediately begins to develop when physical miracles occur. There is
nothing here to suggest that the apostles encouraged this kind of thing at all. Nor does it say that Peter's shadow did heal
them.

Jesus had said, "He who believes in me will also do the works that I do" (John 14:12). Those words were spoken to the
apostles, and here they are, doing the same works that Jesus did, the same miracles of healing. "And," said Jesus, "greater
works than these will he do." Greater works than physical healing? What greater works? Why, spiritual healings. God
wants most of all to heal the hurt in man's spirit. That is where the problem really lies. Every person ever healed by the
Lord Jesus or by the disciples in the days of the early church eventually died. But when God heals the spirit, it is an
eternal event.

The physical power displayed here is a symbol and guarantee of the spiritual power available to the church at all times. I
don't mean that God has stopped all physical healing; He has not. But the deepest need of man is spiritual healing, not
physical. And the power of God to heal spiritually is still present and available to us. And when this spiritual healing
happens, multitudes will be added to the church.

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Not Bound

The second significant factor in this account follows immediately:

But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy,
they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison
doors and brought them out and said, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this
Life." And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught (Acts 5:17-21).

Then follows one of the classic examples of double take in all of history:

Now the high priest came and those who were with him and called together the council and all the senate of Israel,
and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, and
they returned and reported, "We found the prison securely locked and the sentries standing at the doors, but when
we opened it we found no one inside." Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words,
they were much perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them,
"The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people." Then the captain with the
officers went and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people (Acts 5:21-
26).

What lesson is God trying to teach us here? Why, that there is a liberty in the Spirit which nothing that man can do will
ever touch. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor. 3:17). It is no problem for God to get a man out of
jail. He doesn't even have to go through a bail bondsman--He simply sends an angel! He can even send an earthquake, as
He did for Paul and Silas at Philippi.

But it is also clear from events later on in Acts and in church history that God does not always intend to get His people
physically out of prison. The point of the story is--as Paul beautifully put it in another place--that the Word of God is not
bound. The resurrection power of a living God cannot be held by prison walls, gates, bars, and chains. You cannot hinder
the preaching and teaching of the Word of God with prisons.

Behind the Opposition

As we go, the third factor emerges:

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying,
"We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you
intend to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than
men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right
hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things,
and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this they were enraged
and wanted to kill them (Acts 5:27-33).

This last statement sounds familiar, doesn't it? Peter and the other and the other apostles simply told these men the truth.
They stood before them and very quietly said, "Look. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed." That is a
clear statement of fact. "God has exalted Him at Ws right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and
forgiveness of sins." This is another statement of fact. "And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit."
With that simple statement of clear, plain truth, these rulers became violent and set out to kill the apostles.

This reaction shows clearly the fallen nature of man. Man is in the grip of forces beyond his knowledge and ken, evil
forces which are implacably opposed to the will, purpose, and love of God. Whenever truth is uttered it enrages men like
this. They oppose it with the only weapon they can think of--physical violence. Wherever the gospel goes, it not only
invites and redeems some people, but it also enrages others. But beyond this immediate opposition of men is the
opposition of certain malevolent beings; as Paul says, "We are not contending against flesh and blood" (since it is not men
who are ultimately the problem),"...but against principalities against the powers against the spiritual hosts of wickedness
in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). This is where the opposition and hostility ultimately coming from.

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That is why it is so useless to attempt physical resistance burn and destroy those who are the puppets of evil forces? They
against these kinds of forces. What good does it do to kill and will only raise up other men and use them in their place.
What advantage is gained by wiping out at the polls groups of people who are opposed to something that God wants
done? The evil forces will only raise up other men and women to do it all over again. What God wants to get across to His
people is that they will never do any real good until they attack the spiritual forces. God has placed in our hands the
spiritual equipment to do so. The next verses of the passage illustrate this:

But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and
ordered the men to be put outside for a we. And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you do with these
men. For before these days Theudas arose, giving himself out to be somebody, and a number of men, about four
hundred, joined him; but he was slain and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him
Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him; he also perished, and
all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone;
for if this plan or this undertaking is of men, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.
You might even be found opposing God!" So they took his advice...(Acts 5:34-40).

Here the apostles are confronted with the same group that had just murdered their Lord, threatened by the same hostility
that had accomplished the death of Jesus. Their lives are at stake. Why didn't these rulers kill them? Surely the apostles
could not have predicted how God would deliver them. They had no way of knowing that there was seated on that very
council a man with a calmer frame of mind, who would listen to reason and lay a quieting hand upon these tumultuous
passions. But God knew. And God knew how to use that man and when to have him speak. Although these were men
controlled by evil forces, they were also subject to the overriding sovereignty of the Holy Spirit.

Worthy to Suffer

The account closes with one additional event:

So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in
the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted
worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and
preaching Jesus as the Christ (Acts 5:40-42).

I love that; "They did not cease." In fact, they counted themselves fortunate to suffer dishonor for Jesus' name. When we
were called to be a Christian we were called to suffer. As Paul said in his Letter to the Philippians, "It has been granted to
you that...you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" (Phil. 1:29). Suffering is an integral part of the
Christian experience. "Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something
strange were happening to you" (1 Pet. 4:12). You go through heartaches, disappointments, and ostracism, all for the sake
of "the Name." Don't think this is strange. It is the privilege to which we are called.

What else can we expect if we stand for the truth in a world run by illusion? When a normal person lives in a world full of
oddballs they think he is odd. But that is the suffering to which the Christian is called. Like these disciples, we ought to
thank God for it and rejoice in it. Jesus said that, didn't He?

Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were
before you (Matt. 5:11).

Chapter Twelve
Seven Choice Men
Acts 6:1-8

In the parable of the wheat and the tares the Lord Jesus said that He, the Son of Man, would begin by sowing the field of
the kingdom. But shortly after this certain signs of evil, put there by the Devil would appear. The Devil would sow weeds
that would spring up right in the middle of the wheat.
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In the Book of Acts we see the historical fulfillment of Jesus' prediction. First we see the wheat springing up in the midst
of the world--men and women filled with the Spirit of God and equipped by the Spirit with gifts of ministry. In trust and
dependence on the life of God in them they have tremendous impact on the city of Jerusalem. Then, in the deceit
practiced by Ananias and Sapphira, there is the first indication of evil sown by the Devil. Although their dishonesty
brings death into the church, it is met by the honesty and judgment of the Spirit of God.

Attack from Within

The second evidence of the weeds of the Devil's sowing is found in Acts 6, in this story of dissension--an attempt on the
enemy's part to divide the church by envy and misunderstanding:

Now in these days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews
because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution (Acts 6:1).

In the early church in Jerusalem there were two kind' of Jews who had become Christians by faith in Jesus Christ. Some
had been born and raised in provinces away from Palestine, so they had not learned Hebrew, spoke Greek. Then there
were those who were raised in Jerusalem and spoke Aramaic, a form of Hebrew. So the early church was divided,
interestingly enough, by the language barrier between Greek and Hebrew. Every day a distribution was made to the
widows who were in need. A common fund was provided out of which money was taken every day to meet the needs of
the widows among the group because they had no other means of support. Some inequity arose (whether deliberate or
not is hard to tell, but it was very likely not deliberate), and it became the cause of the fit the dissension in the church.

The Hellenists expressed their dissatisfaction by murmuring and murmuring is always deadly. These Greek-speaking
Christians did not complain to those in authority, those responsible; they simply complained among themselves, thus
spreading discontent throughout the whole body of Christians. When you complain about a problem to people who are
not in a position to do much about it, that is murmuring. Murmuring brought about the judgment of God upon the
children of Israel in the Old Testament days. Murmuring is always the mark of a querulous discontented, unhappy spirit.

According to the Gift

Somehow the apostles heard of the murmuring--rumors travel fast--and when they heard they acted:

And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said,

"It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from
among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we
will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:24).

It almost looks as though the apostles were saying, "We're too good to serve tables. After all, we're apostles. Let's pick out
seven flunkies who can do that, while we devote ourselves to the tremendously spiritual work of prayer and preaching
the Word." But that would be to completely misread this passage. Remember that these apostles had been in the upper
room with the Lord Jesus. They had seen him divest Himself of his garments, gird Himself with a towel, take a basin of
water, and wash their dirty feet. They had heard His words, "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant" (Matt.
23:11). So the apostles were not in any sense downgrading the ministry of serving tables. They made this decision simply
on the basis of a difference in spiritual gifts. Here is a very clear example of how the early church assigned duties on the
basis of the distribution of gifts by the Holy Spirit.

The glory of this church was that they were conscious of the superintendency of the Holy Spirit, aware that the Lord Jesus
Himself, by means of the Spirit, was the Head of the church. He was apportioning gifts, giving certain ministries to
various individuals and sending them out with His own orders. All through the Book of Acts you can see a tremendous
display of the directing power of the Holy Spirit.

The apostles understood then, according to their gift, that they were to lay the foundation of the church, for it was given
to the apostles to lay foundations. That foundation is the Scriptures. It is on the Scriptures that the church rests. Whenever

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the church has rested on the foundation laid by the apostles, the truth as it is in Jesus, the church has always had strength,
power, and grace.

Therefore, it was most necessary that the apostles give themselves to the ministry of apostleship, which involved "prayer
and the ministry of the word." As they met together in prayer they learned and understood the mind of God. The Spirit of
God reminded them of what the Lord Jesus had taught them, and they in turn imparted this to the church. At that time
the scriptures as we have them had not yet been written. Yet all the truths contained in our New Testament were being
uttered by the apostles as they went about teaching the people.

But they recognized that other men and women in this vast congregation also had gifts--gifts which would qualify them
to do this kind of work. So the apostles said, in effect, "We are simply sticking with the gifts that were given to us, and we
want you to find among yourselves those who have other gifts." So they charged the congregation to elect from among
themselves seven men who had the gifts appropriate to the problem.

Specifications

There were several qualifications which the congregation was to look for. First, the people chosen were to be men, not
women. And second, they were to be believers. The church never has any reason to go to the world for help in carrying
on the life of the body. The Holy Spirit has adequately equipped the body of Christ to do all that it needs to do. This may
appear obvious, but in the matter of fund-raising, at least, many churches make the mistake of relying upon secular
organizations which is a denial of the life of the body.

The third qualification was that they were to be "men of good reputation" men of good character who could be trusted,
who had already won the confidence of others. Fourth, they were to be spiritual men. Now what does this mean? The
word "spiritual" is one of the most misunderstood in the whole Bible. Is a spiritual person one who goes around mouthing
pious sayings, using every situation to quote a verse of Scripture? Is this a truly spiritual person? No, according to the
New Testament a spiritual person is a normal person, a person as God intended people to be.

Spirituality is dependence on the activity of God, a recognition that God is with you and that He intends to work through
you, and that you expect Him to do it. The opposite of spirituality is carnality. A carnal Christian is one who counts on
something within himself. He may be ready to give up his sleep, his wealth, and his girl friend to serve God, but if he is
not resting on Christ he is still carnal. These men had to be spiritual men.

Fifth, they had to have the gift of wisdom. They were to be "full of the Spirit and of wisdom," to be able to apply
Scriptural knowledge to a practical situation. That is what these men were to do. They had a problem. There was an
inequity of distribution caused perhaps by neglect, or by a lack of concern, or by some technical problem that made the
distribution difficult. Whatever the reason, it required the application of truth, so men were needed who knew how to
take truth and apply it to a specific situation.

These men were to be chosen on this basis. The apostles gave the church this charge, and the church carried it out:

And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,
and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they
set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them (Acts 6:5,6).

There is something wonderful here. Every one of these names is Greek, which means that the men chosen were probably
all from among the complaining party, the Greek-speaking Jews. When the far larger group of Hebrew-speaking
Christians were asked to choose men, they chose them from the very group that was issuing the complaint. And that
ended the dissension. They entrusted these men with the responsibility of resolving the problem within their own ranks,
thus indicating their trust of them and of their ability to solve this problem in the Lord.

Sharing the Ministry

Evidently these men were elected by the congregation and were then called before the apostles, who laid their hands
upon them, thus identifying themselves with their ministries. In the Old Testament, whenever a Hebrew brought an

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animal to be sacrificed he first laid his hands upon it, by which he said, "This animal and I are identified. My sins are laid
upon him and his blood shed for me is as though my own blood were being shed."

In the New Testament this was carried on into the body of Christ as an act of identification. These apostles were saying,
"These seven men whom you have chosen, who have the gifts and the qualifications we outlined, are part of our ministry
as apostles, and we are part of theirs. We belong in the body together, and in the body every gift is important." Paul
writes,

For the body does not consist of one member, but of many...The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you,"
nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you" (1 Cor. 12:14,21).

The members are interdependent one upon another. If we do not understand and recognize that every member of the
body has been given a gift, and unless each member begins to exercise his gift, the body will suffer. As Paul says, "If one
member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together" (1 Cor. 12:26). What the apostles are
seeking to demonstrate is the identification of the members of the body with one another. Those with leadership gifts are
equal, they say, with those who serve tables. Each gift is absolutely essential to the operation of the body.

A situation that recently developed in a nearby church illustrates this principle well. A sizable number of converts were
joining the church, all from one particular geographical area. The church elders became curious and found that one of
their members was a milkman in the area. He was witnessing widely to people during the course of his work and was
winning them to Christ, because he had the gift of an evangelist and he loved the Lord. He did not realize that he had any
ties to the rest of the body, but he was witnessing and reaching others and winning them to Christ.

One day a number of the church leaders called him in and said, "Look; we've been watching you and we see that you
have the gift of an evangelist. We want to show you that you're not alone, but that we're all one body with you. We want
to identify with you." So they had a little service and asked the man to kneel, and they all came and laid their hands on
him and prayed for him and thus expressed this great truth: we are members one of another. This man was tremendously
touched. Tears rolled down his face as he stood and thanked them for their identification with him in the body of Christ

Evidence of Life

The healing of the dissention in the church and the flowing of body life yield four immediate results. First,

And the word of God increased...(Acts 6:7a).

This phrase is used several times in Scripture, and every time it means that the Word was more widely proclaimed.
Obviously the apostles now had more time to speak, to utter the words of God, the mind of the Spirit. Second, as a direct
result of this ministry,

The number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem (Acts 6:7b).

All we need to do is to get the truth out to people. The Bible speaks the truth; it reveals the way things really are. We are
living in a world ruled by illusion and fantasy, where people are confused, disturbed, and upset. In minds that are
groping for reality the truths hits with wonderful impact. There is an immediate awareness, as there was in Jesus' day on
earth, that what is being said is true. Disciples multiply because men and women are drawn to the truth; they want to
know what is right and what is real. And the third result:

A great many of the priests were obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7c)

This is wonderful. The priests were men who were active all day long in religious ritual; they had to kill the animals that
were offered as sacrifices on the alters of the temple. They were religious people performing ritualistic observances. But
now, as the truth about Jesus was set before them, something was happening. They were discovering that Jesus was the
key to their ritual, that all these sacrifices pointed to Him. Finally,

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8).

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Stephen became the first martyr. The next chapter is devoted completely to the message he preached the longest sermon
in the Book of Acts. At the close of it the enraged hearers stoned Stephen to death because of his testimony to the truth.
And in chapter 8 we read of Philip, another one of these seven men, who Neither Philip nor Stephen did signs and
wonders until after also did great signs and wonders.

Neither Philip nor Stephen did signs and wonders until after the laying on of hands by the apostles which indicates that
in some sense the ministry of these deacons (and later of the elders of the church) was an apostolic ministry. They did
these great signs and wonders as a result of having been identified with the work of the apostles.

The second thing to be noted is that these signs were to confirm the introduction of new things in the church. When the
apostles first began to proclaim the gospel of the resurrected Lord it was confirmed to the people by signs and wonders.
As the apostles now extended their ministry to include others with gifts within the church, this too was confirmed with
signs and wonders.

The Word of God makes clear that these mighty miracles were particularly slanted toward the Jewish mind, that they
were given specifically for the purpose of confirming something which was being introduced for the first time. The
miracles did not continue in the church, and they do not continue to this day. This doesn't mean that God is unable to do
miracles. He can and does do them. But they are no longer in the nature of physical signs and wonders. These were
reserved for the initial experiences of the early Christians as they introduced God's truth to the world.

Chapter Thirteen
The Issue is Jests
Acts 6:8-8:1

We come now to the story of Stephen, one of the seven men who had been chosen by the congregation of the early church
to be apostolic helpers:

And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who
belonged to the synagogue of Freedmen (as they were called), and of the Cyrenians, and the Alexandrians, and of
those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the
Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous
words against Moses and God." And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon
him and seized him and brought him before the council, and set up false witness, who said, "This man never ceases
to speak words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will
destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us." And, gazing at him, all who sat in the
council saw his face was like that of an angel (Acts 6:8-15).

Stephen you remember, was one of those Greek-speaking Jews called Hellenists, having been born in another country and
speaking Greek instead of Hebrew or Aramaic. In the city of Jerusalem were a number of synagogues that had been
formed by Greek-speaking Jews from various parts of the world. To these synagogues Stephen evidently went and
preached in Greek, giving testimony to his faith in Jesus Christ. Five of these synagogues are mentioned in this passage.
One was the Synagogue of the Freedmen, founded by Jews who had been slaves in the Roman Empire and had later been
set free. Then there were two groups from Africa: the synagogues of the Cyrenians and of the Alexandrians. There were
also two groups from what we presently call Turkey: Cilicia and Asia, two of the Roman providences of that day.

It is interesting to note that the capital of Cilicia was Tarsus, and undoubtedly a young man named Saul was among those
who disputed with Stephen when he came to the Cilician synagogue preaching Jesus Christ. Saul was among those men
of whom it is said here, "But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which [Stephen] spoke." This
brilliant young Jew, Saul of Tarsus, was later to become the Apostle Paul. But now he arose and disputed, yet he could
not answer Stephen. That must have been a blow to his pride, since Saul prided himself as an authority on the Scriptures;
after all, he sat at the feet of the great teacher, Gamaliel!

When these men could not answer Stephen they set out to charge him officially before the court, and to find false
witnesses to testify that he had blasphemed Moses and God.(It is interesting that they put Moses first, making him more
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important than God!) Then they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they seized Stephen in order to
bring him before the council.

Charge and Countercharge

So here is Stephen, standing before the same Sanhedrin that had condemned the Lord Jesus to death and had just
experienced some difficulty with Peter and John and the other apostles. By the time Stephen came before the council the
official charges had been narrowed down to two very specific offenses: that he was threatening things against the temple
("This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will
destroy this place") and against the law ("and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us"). Stephen had
probably said something very similar to what was alleged here, but he had not meant it to be taken that way. So it was
impossible for him to answer with a simple yes or no when the high priest read him the official charges and asked, "Are
these things so? How do you plead: guilty or not guilty?" Stephen had to explain what he meant. He had said something
about Jesus' coming, and that the worship of the temple was changed. He had said that the customs which Moses had
given would be altered.

Therefore, in Stephen's brilliant defense of what he believed--really a review of the history of the people of Israel--he
answers the two charges against him and he brings a charge of his own against the people. They had charged him with
saying that Moses' teachings were to be changed (blasphemy!). Stephen answers by saying,

This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, "God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren, as he raised me
up" (Acts 7:37).

Moses himself had said that things were going to be changed, that God was going to raise up another Prophet who, like
himself, would speak to the people and give a whole new set of provisions for life from God. Then he answers the charge
concerning the temple in a brief section toward the close of his message:

Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it,
according to the pattern that he had seen. Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the
nations which God thrust out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, who found favor in the sight of
God and asked leave to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the
Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says, "Heaven is my throne, and earth my
footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make
all these things?" (Acts 7:44-50).

God Himself, through the prophet Isaiah, had predicted that the temple would not always be an adequate place to
worship God. In fact, no building will ever be. God is bigger than buildings. God is the one who made all things, who
makes the material from which a building is made, and who makes the men who put that building together. God has not
intended that He should be worshiped in a building made with hands. Isaiah said that, not Stephen. And so he
successfully answers this charge.

Then Stephen levels a charge against his hearers. He says, in effect, that far from following the great men of faith whom
they professed to admire and revere, they were actually identifying themselves with the godless and idolatrous forces
that had consistently opposed these men, and had even put them to death on many occasions. To illustrate his point, he
selects from the course of Israel's history three outstanding heroes of faith and indicates the contrast between them and
his listeners.

Pointed Contrasts

Notice how this mighty preacher of the early church developed his thesis. He begins with Abraham, the first of the three
figures:

And the high priest said, "Is this so?" And Stephen said, "Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared
to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran, and said to him, 'Depart from your
land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you.' Then he departed from the land of the
Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you

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 are now living; yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him in
possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child. And God spoke to this effect, that his posterity
would be aliens in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and ill-treat them four hundred years. 'But I
will judge the nation which they serve,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.'
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on
the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs" (Acts 7:1-8).

Stephen is saying that Abraham was a man of lifelong faith, a man who dared to change his life pattern in obedience to
God. He left his father's house and went out into a land he had never seen before, and although he never owned a foot of
ground there, he nevertheless believed that God would do what He had said. Although Abraham had no child, he
believed that God would give him descendants. Stephen is drawing a very pointed, unspoken contrast here. "Abraham
your father," Stephen said, "was a man of faith who dared to make changes out of obedience to God."

The next man from their past is Joseph:

And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, and rescued him out of all his
afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and
over all his household. Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan and great affliction, and our
fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first
time. And at the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to
Pharaoh. And Joseph sent and called to him Jacob his father and all kindred, seventy-five souls; and Jacob went
down into Egypt. And he died, himself and our fathers, and they were carded back to Shechem and laid in the tomb
that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem (Acts 7:9-16).

Joseph was a man of integrity and truth who believed God. God took him through deep waters and dark places, but
eventually He exalted and honored him and fulfilled His word to him in everything He promised. Because Joseph obeyed
God, God fulfilled every letter of His word to him. Therefore Joseph presents another contrast with Stephen's accusers,
who refuse to obey God simply because it will mean some changes in their lives.

Failure and Faith

Stephen spends most of his time on Moses, the third man of faith, whom he was charged with blaspheming. He first
outlines the early part of Moses life:

But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in
Egypt till there arose over Egypt another king who had not known Joseph. He dealt craftily with our race and forced
our fathers to expose their infants, that they might not be kept alive. At this time Moses was born, and was beautiful
before God. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house; and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's
daughter adopted him and brought him up as her, own son. And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the
Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his
brethren, the sons of Israel. And, seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged
him by striking the Egyptian. He supposed that his brethren understood that God was giving them deliverance by
his hand, but they did not understand. And on the following day he appeared all to them as they were quarreling
and would have reconciled them, saying, "Men, you are brethren, why do you wrong each other?" But the man who
was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to
kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?" At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian,
where he became the father of two sons (Acts 7:17-29).

You may ask, "Why did Stephen tell these stories to people who knew them by heart?" Because he wanted to remind them
of something. They had said to him, the great leader, the infallible authority." But Stephen was saying, "Have you
forgotten that Moses was a failure during the first 80 years of his life? Have you forgotten that when Moses acted on the
basis of the human knowledge and resources he possessed he fell flat on his face, and that when he tried to deliver his
people, instead of becoming a missionary to them (as he thought God had appointed him), he became a murderer and
had to flee? Instead of being a deliverer he became a refugee. Moses was a failure when he did not act by faith." Then
Stephen moves to the second stage:

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 Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a
bush. When Moses saw it he wondered at the sight; and as he drew near to look, the voice of the Lord came, "I am
the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob." And Moses trembled and did not dare to
look. And the Lord said to him, "Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy
ground. I have surely seen the ill-treatment of my people that are in Egypt and heard their groaning, and I have
come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt." This Moses whom they refused, saying, "Who
made you a ruler and a judge?" God sent as both ruler and deliverer by the hand of the angel that appeared to him in
the bush (Acts 7:30-35).

Catch the argument now. "You want to follow Moses," he says. "Well, Moses failed when he walked by the sight of his
own eyes and in the wisdom of his own mind. But when God appeared and empowered him and taught him the proper
source of strength and authority, he was sent back to be a ruler and deliverer." Stephen is stressing this essential fact: the
only Person worth following is God! When people act in faith toward God they have all the power of an omnipotent God
behind them. But when they refuse to obey God they fall flat on their faces!

Then comes the third stage, by which Stephen drives home his point with a vengeance:

He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt and the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty
years. This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, "God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren, as he
raised me up." This is he who in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai,
and with our fathers; and he received living oracles to give us. Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside,
and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, "Make for us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who
led us out from the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him." And they made a calf in those days, and
offered a sacrifice to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their hands. But God turned and gave them over to
worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: "Did you offer to me slain beasts and
sacrifices, forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? And you took up the tent of Moloch, and the star of the
god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship; and I will remove you from Babylon" (Acts 7:36-43).

Stephen says that the people refused to obey Moses and so began that whole system of idolatrous worship which led God
at last, centuries later, to disperse them into the country of Babylon for 70 years of captivity. As they turned from Moses
and disobeyed him they fell into evil, idolatrous practices which were so wicked that God had to judge them. And,
Stephen's point is, Moses himself had said that it would happen again: "God will raise up for you a Prophet like me, and
Him you must hear." That Prophet would be Jesus, the very one Stephen's hearers are now rejecting. They are following
exactly the course of their fathers.

The Two-Edged Sword

Here is Stephen's conclusion:

You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit...(Acts 7:51).

These Jews would understand these terms. "Stiff-necked"--proud, stubborn, unwilling to bow their heads at all.
"Uncircumcised in heart"--the foreskin of their heart had never been removed; there had been no exposure of their life to
the grace and glory of God. They were defiled, yet they refused to repent.

As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who
announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who
received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it (Acts 7:51-53).

What forthright truth this is! It was terribly hard to bear. These rulers of the Jews became so enraged that we read in the
next verse,

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him (Acts 7:54).

They gnashed their teeth. This is the effect the truth has. Truth never allows you to remain neutral, never leaves a middle
ground; it always drives you to either one side or the other. As Jesus said repeatedly of His own ministry, "I have not

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come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34); "He who does not gather with me scatters" (Luke 11:23). Those who are
against Him are causing divisions, fomenting factions, creating schisms, and scattering.

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of
God; and prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened,
and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55,56).

These are almost the identical words which Jesus Himself had used before this same group just a few weeks earlier. He
had said, "You will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mark
14:62). When they heard Stephen say this they knew the issue was Jesus not Stephen.

Faithful Unto Death

What do you do with Jesus of Nazareth? Stephen's hearers were condemned by their own Scriptures. There was not a
word they could say against Stephen. They either had to crown Jesus or crucify Him again. They either had to kiss His
feet or kill His servant. They chose to kill His servant.

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. Then they cast him out of
the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as
they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And he knelt down and cried with a loud
voice, "Lord do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting
to his death (Acts 7:57-8:1)

What a vivid picture! Stephen's eyes are opened right in the presence of the council to see the Lord Jesus standing at the
right hand of the Father. It is my conviction that every believer who dies sees this event, that when a believer steps out of
time into eternity the next event waiting for him is the coming of the Lord Jesus for His own. Here Stephen sees Jesus
waiting to step out and receive Him in a few moments, when he will be taken out of the city and stoned to death. Stephen
sees the sight that greets the eyes of all those who fall asleep in Jesus. And he prays to Him words that echo those of Jesus
Himself on the Cross. Jesus had Stephen says, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell
asleep.

Twice this account we read about young Saul of Tarsus. All the people who killed Stephen brought their garments to Saul
for safe keeping while they were doing the stoning. Saul had voted against Stephen in the council, and now he was
consenting to his death. But the idea which the Holy Spirit wants us to grasp from this account is this: the blood of the
martyrs is the seed of the church. When the church suffers in this way it always grows immensely.

Out of the blood of Stephen there was brought to the church the heart and soul of the mighty Apostle to the Gentiles, the
Apostle Paul. Paul never forgot this scene. It was etched in his mind and memory so deeply that when Jesus stopped him
on his way to Damascus and said, "Saul, Saul...it hurts you to kick against the goads," it was doubtless this memory of
Stephen that He was referring to. It was like a goad digging at young Saul's conscience, preparing his heart for that
moment of conversion.

The Book of Acts is an unfinished book. In this day and age there may be some Christians who will be called, like
Stephen, to lay down their lives for Jesus' sake. The opposition is sharpening and the hostility is emerging, more vicious,
more furious, more enraged on every side. We may face in our own day a tremendous outpouring of the hostility of
depraved hearts against the message of Jesus Christ and a persecution of its bearers. May God grant that, like Stephen, we
will be faithful unto death.

Chapter Fourteen
God Has the Edge
Acts 8:1-24
Remember Jesus' words to His disciples just before He was taken out of their sight: "You shall be my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). So far in this account the gospel has been
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restricted to the city of Jerusalem, where the apostles and the entire body of believers were remaining. As we move into
the next section of Acts we will see how God thrusts His people out into the world beyond Jerusalem--into Judea and
Samaria.

The last period in the history of the early church closed with the story of Stephen's death at the hands of an enraged
Sanhedrin, who could not tolerate the truth which he spoke. The men who stoned Stephen laid their garments at the feet
of Saul of Tarsus. By this the Holy Spirit indicates to us that out of the death of Stephen came ultimately the preaching of
the Apostle Paul. The Sanhedrin silenced a voice that was upsetting a city, but without realizing it they were awakening a
new voice that would upset an empire. That is the way God works. God continually uses opposition to advance His
cause. Read what happened after Stephen's death:

And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout
the region of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over
him. But Saul laid waste the church, and, entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and
committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to a
city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ (Acts 8:1-5).

Notice that the paragraph begins with persecution and ends with proclamation. The persecution that arose over Stephen
pressed these early Christians out of Jerusalem, squirting them into Judea and Samaria, where they began to preach the
Word--all according to the program of God. This young man, Saul of Tarsus, was part of God's plan even before he
became a Christian. Picture young Saul as he tries to stamp out this "heresy" with all the energy of his flesh--entering
house after house, dragging off men and women, and committing them to prison. In the rage of a tortured conscience
Saul tried through zealous activity to cover up his anxiety, emptiness, and hurt.

Yet God used Saul's rage to accomplish two things: He forced the church out of Jerusalem, and He made the early church
depend on the gifts which the Spirit distributed to everyone, instead of simply on the apostles' gifts. Luke is careful to tell
us that those who were scattered abroad were ordinary, plain-vanilla Christians who nevertheless had gifts of the Spirit.
But they would never have discovered their gifts if God had not used this pressure to place them in circumstances where
they had to develop the gifts of evangelism, witnessing, helps, wisdom, knowledge, teaching, and prophecy--all gifts
which the Spirit had made available to them.

The Real Thing

The first mark of the way God works in resurrection power is that persecution leads to a wider proclamation of the truth.
Let's pickup the account in Samaria:

And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs
which he did. For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who
were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city (Acts 8:6-8).

Here is the ministry of Philip, a layman. Yet it is a ministry of power, the power of the Holy Spirit. The result was a
marvelous demonstration of what Christianity is like. In this brief paragraph there are three marks that always
accompany a genuine ministry of the spirit. The first is the ring of truth. Notice that it says, "The multitudes with one
accord gave heed to what was said by Philip" (verse 6). When a great crowd of people listens intently, it is because they
are struck by a note of reality. This was the way Jesus taught. He didn't teach the way the scribes and Pharisees did with
quotations from other authorities, but He spoke with words that hit people as the truth and convicted them deep inside.
As Philip talked this way people also stopped and listened.

The second mark is the accompaniment of power:

For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralyzed
or lame were healed (Acts 8:7).

The power that delivers was manifest in Samaria as soon as Philip preached there. These miracles--the freeing from
demonic spirits, the healings--were evidences of the power of God manifested on a visible and physical level, to help the

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people understand that God would also free them in the spirit. They were a demonstration of God's power to heal, both
physically and spiritually. Wherever the gospel goes, it gives liberty.

And the third mark is joy:

So there was much joy in that city (Acts 8:8).

Our American cities are for the most part seething pools of human misery. Millions of people are living in squalor and
poverty, in filth and degradation. Within them there is loneliness, emptiness and depression of spirit. What can set them
free? What can fill them with joy? The glory of the gospel is that wherever it goes, even though it may not immediately
change people's outward circumstances, it does fill people with joy. And soon the circumstance begins to change as well.

Counterfeit Christianity

But notice the contrast in the next paragraph:

But there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the nation of
Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all gave heed to him, from the least to the greatest,
saying, "This man is that power of God which is called Great." And they gave heed to him, because for a long time he
had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of
God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and
after being baptized he continued with Philip. And, seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed (Acts
8:9-13).

In this section the Holy Spirit deliberately contrasts the marks of authentic Christianity with those of a false and
counterfeit faith. This is the third occasion in the Book of Acts of the sprouting of the Devil's seed. The first was the
hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira, the second was the dissension which arose among the disciples when they quarreled
over the distribution of goods to the widows, and the third is this manifestation of religious falseness through Simon the
magician.

Notice the characteristics of this false religiosity. The primary feature by which this kind of religious falseness can be
recognized is given to us right away:

There was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the nation of Samaria,
saying that he himself was somebody great (Acts 8:9).

All false faith involves the inflation of an individual, usually by self-aggrandizement. But genuine Christianity makes
little of the individual. "For what we preach is not ourselves," says the Apostle Paul, "but Jesus Christ as Lord, with
ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake" (2 Cor. 4:5). But here in Acts we have a man who exalted himself.

A popular faith healer I once listened to started out well: he took his text from Scripture, he began to develop it well, and I
began to think I had been wrong about this man--until he came to the conclusion! Rather than giving an invitation to the
thousands who were present to come to know Jesus Christ, this is what he said: "If you want to know God, then have
faith in my prayers." The whole direction of his message was toward himself and his prayer.

False Christianity always attempts to interject a mediator between a believer and his God. But, "there is one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). There is none other. Counterfeit Christianity tries to insert
someone who has an "in" with God, someone who has a special channel to God that other people don't have. When you
hear that sort of thing you know that you are hearing the same kind of false Christianity that appeared here in the Book of
Acts.

The second mark of false Christianity is a wide following, a widespread delusion:

They all gave heed to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is that power of God which is called
Great" (Acts 8:10).

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These people thought God was so removed, so distant, that He would never appear Himself, but would only send His
"power," as though the "power of God" were a different personality from God Himself! The whole city believed this
delusion, from the least to the greatest. Similarly, the leaders of false cults today point to the numbers that follow them
and say, "Look at all the people who believe in us. Fifty million Frenchmen can't be wrong!" But one of the chief
characteristics of a false faith is that it can mislead the masses. These false leaders always have great followings.

The third mark is that of a counterfeit power:

And they gave heed to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic (Acts 8:11).

In Scripture the term "magic" does not refer to sleight-of-hand tricks done before an audience. It applies instead to the
occult practices of people who have somehow established a relationship with demonic powers and are being used by
these powers to accomplish apparently wholesome miracles which cannot at first be distinguished from the real thing.
But they never last. That is the mark of theft falseness--diseases will reappear, symptoms will return, the miracle will fade.

When Moses appeared in Pharaoh's court and threw his staff down, it became a serpent. When he picked it up again, it
became a staff. Immediately the magicians of Pharaoh's court threw their staffs down, and these also became serpents,
apparently equaling the power of Moses. But then God told Moses to throw his staff down again. This time it became a
serpent which ate up the other serpents! God always has an edge.

We are seeing the return of the occult in our own day. Thirty years ago people would have laughed if you had suggested
that intelligent, educated people would believe in witches and warlocks, astrology and horoscopes. But now these beliefs
are here, and we are going to see much more of them in the days to come. If you believe only what you see, you will be
swept right along with what appear to be genuine miracles. But they are false and temporary, done by a counterfeit
power.

The Devil Joins the Church

Here is the fourth mark of false Christianity:

Even Simon himself believed, and, after being baptized, he continued on with Philip. And, seeing signs and great
miracles performed, he was amazed (Acts 8:13).

The Devil must have been the first one who ever said, "If you can't lick 'em, join 'em." That is exactly what Simon did. If
this were the only statement about Simon in the Scriptures, we would have to conclude that he had become a Christian,
because the language used to describe him is the same as that used for genuine believers. "Simon himself believed and
was baptized." He took upon himself the symbol of identification with Jesus Christ, thus openly joining this company
who said they belonged to Jesus. But the rest of the account makes it clear that thus man was a fraud. He said the right
words and did the right things, and he was baptized. Yet he was unchanged; his heart was unregenerate.

As the account continues we see how God the Holy Spirit, working power through His people, can expose this kind of
fraud:

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and
John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of
them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they
received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles'
hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give me also this power, that any one on whom I lay my hands may receive
the Holy Spirit." But Peter said to him, "Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of
God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent
therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven
you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." And Simon answered, "Pray for me to
the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me"(Acts 8: l4-24).

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Here again is the genuine manifestation of authentic Christianity--the coming of the Holy Spirit. But it says of these
believers in Samaria that the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on them. Well, then, what had happened? They had believed
and had been baptized, so what had happened? Can a person become a Christian without the Holy Split?

Into One Body

We must be very careful in reading these verses to notice exactly what these Samaritan believers had and what they did
not have. They did have power. The Holy Spirit was in their midst in power, setting them free from the illnesses and
depressions that had been besetting them. And they had joy--the kind of joy that can never be produced except by the
Holy Spirit. Power is an outward sign, while joy is inward. Both outwardly and inwardly these Samaritan believers were
demonstrating the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They were regenerate. They had been baptized in water as a
testimony to that very regeneration which had occurred within their hearts and which manifested itself in the joy that was
there. So we would make a great mistake if we said that the Holy Spirit was not yet in Samaria. He was, but what the
account specifically says is that the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon them. The Holy Spirit does a great variety of
different things, and this account makes clear that these believers had not yet received a certain manifestation of the
Spirit. What was this manifestation?

These Christians had not yet been baptized by the Spirit into one body. They were still separate, individual, regenerated
Christians--just as the apostles themselves had been before the Day of Pentecost. On that day they were baptized into a
body and made members of one another. They became members of one body in Jesus Christ at the same time that they
received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What the Christians in Samaria had not yet received, then, was this baptism into one
body and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

When Peter and John came to Samaria, they first prayed for the church and then laid hands on them. At this point the
Samaritan believers received the baptism of the Spirit, making them one body in Jesus Christ. They also received the gifts
of the Spirit, among which may well have been the gift of tongues, so that Simon and others might recognize that the
Holy Spirit had been given to them.

Let's be very clear about this point. If someone says, "You have to have the gift of tongues in order to have the Holy
Spirit," I reply that later on, at Antioch of Pisidia, new groups of disciples were filled with the Spirit without any mention
of tongues (Acts 13:52). "Well, then, you must have the apostolic ministry!" No, in the very next chapter Paul has hands
laid on him by Ananias, a man who is not an apostle, and he receives the Holy Spirit. "Oh, then it must be by the laying
on of hands!" Well, in Acts 10, although Peter the Apostle is at the house of Cornelius, the Holy Spirit is given to the
hearers before he can lay his hands on them (Acts 10:44).

It is apparent from these divergent accounts that the Spirit of God is sovereign, doing things in different ways because
that is His sovereign right. If He had come upon these Samaritan disciples when they first believed in Jesus, there could
easily have developed a church of the Samaritans which was separate from the church of the Jews. The Jews and the
Samaritans had no dealings with each other, so if the Spirit of God had come upon this church when Philip first preached
there, two separate churches might well have emerged. So through these apostles who came down from Jerusalem the
Spirit of God was saying, "There are not two bodies, but only one. There is one church, and the Samaritans belong to it
equally with the Jews."

No Repentance

Now we come to the exposure of Simon's false ministry.

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them
money, saying, "Give me also this power, that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit" (Acts
8:18,19).

How little Simon understood of the grace, majesty, and might of God! Through the centuries Simon's very name has been
attached to the sin of trying to buy religious power with money. This sin is called "simony" because of this man. Notice
how bluntly Peter exposes Simon's sin:

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 But Peter said to him, "Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with
money!" (Acts 8:20).

In a literal translation of the Greek Peter actually says, "To hell with you and your money!" It was a terrible thing that this
man had suggested--that God's power could be bought with money, as though God were but a mechanism, subject to
man's whim and caprice. Then Peter points out the problem to Simon:

You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God (Acts 8:21).

Peter sees that Simon's heart is full of bitterness and is enslaved by iniquity. He had never really been set free! So Peter
continues,

Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be
forgiven you (Acts 8:22).

God reads hearts and does not need to listen to words. But this man was so far from repentance when he replied:

And Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord that nothing of what you have said may come upon me" (Acts 8:24).

In other words, Simon refused to take personal action; he wished only to escape the penalty. There is no hint here that he
actually repented of his insult against God's grace. It is no wonder that this man ultimately became one of the earliest and
greatest opponents of the gospel. In the apocryphal books you can read that Simon Mingus hindered the gospel
everywhere it went and continued to be the exponent of the Devil's lie. God's grace is able to overpower evil, but as Jesus
said, "Woe to him by whom temptations come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he
were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin" (Luke 17:1,2).

Chapter Fifteen
Have Spirit, Will Travel
Acts 8:25-40
Three symbols present at the beginning of the church were to characterize the ministry of the Holy Spirit throughout the
age of the church. These three were the mighty rushing wind, the tongues as of fire, and the proclamation of the truth in
various languages (the gift of tongues). The mighty rushing wind represents the Spirit in His sovereignty, and this aspect
of the Spirit's work is especially prominent in this part of Acts. Jesus had said, "The wind blows where it wills, and you
hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the
Spirit" (John 3:8). The wind is an apt symbol of the sovereign direction of the Holy Spirit. This account is a very beautiful
picture of this sovereignty. The account opens as Peter and John are on their way back from Samaria to Jerusalem:

Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to
many villages of the Samaritans (Acts 8:25).

Three words here indicate the normal, usual activity of Christians. Peter and John came down to Samaria and first of all
testified they shared what they had experienced, what God had done with them through Jesus Christ. Then they spoke
the word of the Lord--they prophesied--by proclaiming truth. Finally, as Peter and John returned to Jerusalem they
evangelized--they preached the gospel. These three things--prophesying, testifying, and evangelizing-make up the
normal activities of Christians. Peter and John came down to Samaria and first of all testified--they shared what they had
experienced, what God had done with them through Jesus Christ. Then they spoke the word of the Lord--they
prophesied--by proclaiming truth. Finally, as Peter and John returned to Jerusalem they evangelized--the preached the
gospel. Theses three things--prophesying, testifying, and evangelizing--make up the normal activities of Christian
witness. The apostles then proceeded in an orderly way back to Jerusalem, doing the ordinary, expected things-
empowered, of course, by the Holy Spirit.

Freedom to Interfere

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But in the next verse we have an unusual, extraordinary, unpredictable activity of the Spirit of God:

But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to
Gaza." This is a desert road. And he rose and went (Acts 8:26,27).

The ministry of angels, according to the Bible, goes on all the time. They are "ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the
sake of those who are to obtain salvation" (Heb. 1:14). All of us, all the time, are being touched and affected by the
ministry of angels, but we usually do not see them.

So here is an unexpected agency through which the Holy Spirit works. An angel appears to Philip and gives him an
unexplained command to go south on the road to Gaza. He could not have picked an emptier stretch of road. There are
no cities or villages en route, but notice the beautiful way in which Philip obeys the angel's command. He just goes. He
leaves the awakening that is going on in Samaria, with its demands for training and teaching, and goes down the desert
road.

The point I wish to make is that the experience of Peter and John, as well as that of Philip, are both records of Spirit-filled
activity. Peter and John were obeying the Holy Spirit when they testified, prophesied, and evangelized. But Philip was
also obeying the Holy Spirit when he was sent by an angel to a desert place. Some people say that you are being led of the
Holy Spirit only when you are doing unusual things under unusual circumstances. But this is obviously untrue. The Holy
Spirit often leads in the ordinary and the usual, and He can be very effective in this way. Yet we must also leave room for
the unpredictable character of God--the sovereign, vital, fresh ministry of the Holy spirit which moves in ways that
nobody can anticipate. We need to give Him the freedom to interfere in our programs.

In the story of Elijah, God showed the prophet that He did not intend to work through the power of the wind, the
earthquake, or the fire, as Elijah wanted Him to do. God said instead, "No, I'm going to work through the still, small voice
of an awakened conscience. That is what will change the whole land." We must be prepared in our Christian life for this
sovereign activity of the Spirit of God which can use both usual and unusual circumstances in our lives.

The Man and the Moment

The rest of the chapter is a wonderful story of the Holy Spirit's adequacy to handle Philip's adventure, and to prepare it
all in advance. It begins with a prepared man:

And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, in
charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading
the prophet Isaiah (Acts 8:27, 28).

The eunuch was a prepared man. He had great responsibilities as the secretary of the treasury of Ethiopia. He had great
influence throughout all of Ethiopia and Egypt, for he worked with the queen.(Candace was the title given to all the
queens of Ethiopia.) He was obviously a searching man. He had come to Jerusalem to worship at the temple, even though
he was definitely not a Jew. You cannot read this account without detecting a note of disillusionment. The eunuch is
going home, but he is evidently not satisfied. Having bought a copy of the Book of Isaiah, he is reading this scroll aloud as
he rides along in his chariot. This is Philip's perfect moment, prepared by the Holy Spirit:

And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the
prophet, and asked, "Do you understand what you are doing?" And he said, "How can I, unless some one guides
me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was
this: "As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In his
humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken up from the earth." And
the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself, or about someone else?"
(Acts 8:29-34).

This whole situation is a tremendous manifestation of the preparation and timing of the Holy Spirit. As Philip is walking
along the road, a chariot comes over the hill. At the precise moment when the man in the chariot passes the evangelist he
happens to be reading aloud from Isaiah 53, the great passage that predicts the coming of the Messiah, the suffering
Savior. What exquisite timing!

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Notice how the Spirit is guiding the conversation. Philip says to him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And
the man replies, "How can I, unless some one guides me?" This answer indicates the eunuch's awareness that it takes
God's full provision to make Scripture clear through teachers that He raises up. Charles Spurgeon, the great English
preacher, used to say, "I never could understand why some men set such great value on what the Holy Spirit says to
them, and so little value on what He says to anyone else." Some people seem to think that only what God says to them
counts--as though He were not speaking to anyone else. But God has provided both the Scriptures and teachers. It takes
both to enter into the full knowledge of truth.

Beginning with this Scripture

So the eunuch invites Philip to come up and sit with him. He was at the right passage but was puzzled by it, as many
have been puzzled since. For this is the passage that deals with the sufferings of Jesus. Most of the Old Testament
passages depict the Messiah as coming in triumph and power and glory , riding over the enemies of Israel as the great
King, the One who would restore peace to the earth, who would break in pieces all the weapons of war and cause the
people to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

But these pictures of a suffering Savior have always been a puzzle to some readers, especially the Jews. And they puzzled
the eunuch also. "Why does the prophet say that the Messiah has to die? Or is he speaking of the Messiah at all? Is he
perhaps speaking of himself?" Philip, who knew the Scriptures, was ready with the answer:

Then Philip opened his mouth, and, beginning with this scripture, he told him the goods news of Jesus. And as they
went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What is to prevent my being
baptized? And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch,
and he baptized him (Acts 8:35-38).

Philip began with the Scripture that the eunuch was reading, and he undoubtedly pointed out some of the predictions in
this passage:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that
made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to
his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:5,6).

What a marvelous place from which to preach the gospel! What good news that the coming of Jesus Christ has solved the
problem of man's guilt! How this man must have rejoiced to hear the stow of Jesus, and of how this passage was fulfilled
in Him.

But evidently Philip went on from there, obeying the Great Commission:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matt. 28; 19,20).

Philip must have told the eunuch what baptism means, how it is a symbol of the life that has been received from Jesus
Christ, and that by being baptized an individual is saying, "I have asked Jesus to enter my life and to be my Lord. I have
received a new life in Him." So when they came to a place where there was some water at the side of the road (again at the
precise timing of the Holy Spirit), the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What hinders me from being baptized?" So they
went down and Philip baptized him.

Caught Up in Joy

The closing passage is full of wonderful things:

And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more,
and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus, and, passing on, he preached the gospel to all the
towns till he came to Caesarea (Acts 8:39,40).

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This sounds like a miracle, doesn't it? It sounds as if Philip suddenly disappeared, and the eunuch, looking around with
amazement, couldn't find him, so he finally went on his way. Although it can be read this way, I think that Philip and the
eunuch came up from the water, the two were so carried away
with the excitement and tremendous joy of the moment that they did not realize they had gone their separate ways. As
the eunuch came up from the water he was so overwhelmed with the joy of finding Jesus that he didn't even notice that
Philip failed to get back into the chariot with him. He went on his way rejoicing, and it was some time before he thought
of Philip again.

Philip, on the other hand, was so caught up with what God had done, with this glorious gem of an experience that God
had given him, that he didn't realize for awhile that the eunuch had driven off and left him there. He was so lost in his
thoughts as he cam to himself. When he did, found himself in Azotus, on the coast road. There he began to preach
systematically in the towns all the way up the coast to Caesarea.

Hasn't this happened to you? It has to me. I've gotten to thinking about some dramatic work of God's as I have been
driving along in my car, and suddenly I've found myself in an entirely different town than the one for which I had set out.

This is the adventure of the Spirit-filled life. Yet when Philip got to Azotus he didn't wait for another dramatic leading
like this. He began where he was and started preaching right up the coast until he came to Caesarea. The Spirit-filled life
will have much that is routine, much that is usual, much that is ordinary, but that "ordinary" is all touched with the flame
of heaven. And there will also be these wonderful moments when out-of-the-ordinary, amazing things will suddenly
begin to develop, and you become aware that you are being carried along into events which dovetail together in a way
that only a divine hand could have planned. It is then that you realize that God is at work in an amazing way. This is the
truly normal Christian life.

Chapter Sixteen
Beloved Enemy
Acts 9:1-19

During the time that the gospel was being systematically preached throughout every village of Samaria and Judea by
outstanding leaders such as Philip and others, the Lord was also doing something else. He was preparing the human
instrument by which the gospel would move into the third stage, even today unfinished, of reaching the uttermost parts
of the earth. We now come to the conversion of the Apostle Paul.

Young Saul of Tarsus, the enemy, the persecutor, the relentless pursuer of Christians, is now to be arrested by Jesus Christ
and conscripted to bear the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. No story tows more beautifully the relentless,
loving pursuit of God than the story of Saul. Here, in the opening words of Acts 9, we find a man pursued:

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him
for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might
bring them bound to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1,2).

Notice three interesting things in this passage. First, Saul was breathing threats and murder. In the King James Version it
says that he was "breathing out seats and slaughter," but the literal Greek says that he was "breathing in threats and
murder," for this was the very atmosphere and climate in which Saul lived and breathed. Later, in his appearance before
King Agrippa, Saul himself tells the king how he had felt at this time:

I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in
Jerusalem; I not only shut up many of the saints in prison, by authority from the chief priests, but when they were
put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them
blaspheme; and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities (Acts 26:9-11).

Obviously Saul was a man motivated, a man empowered by guilt. He never forgot the death of Stephen. To quiet his
conscience he engaged in this terrible pursuit of the church.

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The name given to the Christians in this passage is most interesting. They are referred to as "belonging to the Way."
Names like this are invariably given by opponents. A group may take a name for themselves, but the name that sticks is
usually the one that others call them. Other people saw that these Christians had a different life-style. They were
characterized not by self-centeredness but by love and acceptance and understanding and tolerance. There was something
about them that reminded them of Jesus, who was Himself "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." So they dubbed His
followers "those belonging to the Way."

Beyond the Border

The third significant thing in this paragraph is that it was not until Saul was outside the borders of his homeland--brought
there by the Lord Jesus--that he was converted. This was because Saul was scheduled to become the mighty apostle to the
Gentiles. Until this time the gospel had gone out only within the bounds of Israel. But now, in calling the man who is to
carry it further, God takes Saul out of his land to convert him. This is the wonderfully graphic symbolism by which God
underlines His truth.

In the next section we have the story of how the hands of Jesus closed in on the soul of Saul of Tarsus:

Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he fell to
the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" And he said, "Who are you,
Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what
you are to do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul
arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and
brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank (Acts 9:3-9).

Although there have been many scholarly attempts to explain what happened here on a purely natural level, Paul himself
is utterly consistent throughout his whole life as to just what he heard and saw on this occasion. He says he saw the Lord
Jesus. Paul based his claim to apostleship upon the fact that he had seen Jesus Christ. He heard His voice and he knew
what it said, and what it said had great effect on him. This was not a lightning stroke or an epileptic seizure, as has been
suggested; this was the appearance of Jesus Christ to the man who was to be the mighty apostle to the Gentiles.

Exposure and Development

The first words that Jesus speaks to Saul are very significant. He says to him, "Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" What
are your reasons? What do you hope to accomplish? I'm sure that in the hours of darkness that followed, young Saul
debated this question many, many times. Why? What was it that had driven him like this? What was it that led to such
violent activity against the program of God? In answering this question Saul would come to a great understanding of
himself and of human life.

Next, Jesus says, "Arise and enter the city, and there you will be told what to do." This indicated a tremendous reversal of
Saul's whole approach to life. He is now experiencing for the first time the life-style which belongs to a Christian.
Conversion is a revolutionary change of government, resulting in a radical change in behavior. That is what happened to
Paul. No longer would he be giving the orders; no longer would he be directing men and sending them where he wanted
them to go in order to do what he wanted them to do; now he would be told what he was to do.

It has always seemed to me that in the conversion of Saul there is a striking parallel to the process of photography. At this
moment God printed a picture of Jesus Christ upon the soul of this young man. From that moment on, anyone who
looked at Paul the Apostle never saw Paul; he saw Jesus Christ. The fundamental principle of photography is to take
light-sensitive salts spread them on a film, and then keep them in total darkness until the precise moment when what you
want recorded is exposed to it.

Saul was a young man who was very sensitive to the things of God, but he was kept in darkness until this moment of
exposure. In that blinding light the image of Jesus Christ was printed indelibly on his soul. After exposure to light, film is
always kept in darkness to develop while it is placed into dark and bitter waters for awhile. Here the newest apostle was
led by the hand into the city of Damascus, where for three days and nights he neither ate nor drank, while the image to
which he was exposed was developed and imbedded unforgettably in his heart. Saul of Tarsus was crucified, and Jesus
Christ was seen in his life from then on.

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Strength from the Body

Now we see the Lord Jesus moving further to reclaim this man from the worthlessness of his empty life and to set him on
the path to true value:

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said,
"Here I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of
Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying, and he has seen a man named Ananias come in and
lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about
this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to
bind a who call upon thy name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine..."(Acts 9:10-
15).

What is the first thing Paul experienced as a Christian? The life of the body of Christ. Two unknown, obscure Christians
are sent to him, and he is immediately helped by the strengthening that can come from the body. First there is a man
named Judas--that is all we know about him--to whose house Saul was led. While he is there a man named Ananias is
sent to minister to him.

There is a joyful, poetic irony in the Holy Spirit's choice of two names winch elsewhere in the New Testament are tainted:
Judas and Ananias. Judas Iscariot was the betrayer of our Lord, and Ananias was the first Christian to manifest the deceit
and hypocrisy of unreal life. Yet here are two people who bear these same two names are honored and used by God.

Ananias was understandably reluctant to come to the man who had been ready to drag people off to prison and put them
to death because they were Christians. Yet Saul of Tarsus begins to experience the joy of body life through these other
Christians

Gentiles First

After Paul is called he is given a specific ministry:

But the Lord said to him [Ananias], "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles
and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name" (Acts
9:15,16).

Paul was told two things about his ministry: first, where it would be manifested. It was to be to three groups. His primary
obligation was to go to the Gentiles, the non-Jewish nations of the world. Later he would call himself the Apostle to the
Gentiles.

His second area of ministry was to kings. He was to penetrate the power structures of his day, to speak to those at the top,
to minister to those who were in positions of authority and influence. Throughout the Book of Acts you will find the
record of Paul's repeated appearances before governors, procurators, kings, and finally even the Emperor himself.

Last on the list, Paul was to minister to the sons of Israel. Paul always wanted to put this first. He longed to be the
instrument by which Israel would be redeemed. But Paul wasn't running the program anymore; God was. Though Paul
had great impact on his own nation, the sons of Israel, he was primarily the minister to the Gentiles.

Then the Lord revealed how Paul was to make his impact. "I will show him," God said, "how much he must suffer for my
name's sake." Paul was called to suffer. This is a word we don't like--suffer. Yet the Christian life invariably involves
suffering. Why is that? Why is suffering a part of the normal Christian life? Because suffering is the activity of love. It is
love that bears hurt. It is love that takes the blame, that takes the hurt, that is willing to endure. Anyone who is called to
be a Christian must learn to suffer. Love is always hurt in the process of loving. That is why, in this fallen world, love
must always suffer.

The man Paul was called to enter into the sufferings of Jesus Christ because Jesus loves fallen men and wants to redeem
them.

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But he cannot redeem them without being hurt in return. So Paul as Jesus' servant was called to be hurt. What a
tremendously responsive instrument he became! How much he suffered in order that he might manifest the love of the
heart of God for lost and wicked world!

When we are called to follow Jesus Christ we are called to suffer. We have to forgive, and that hurts, doesn't it? We don't
like to forgive; we would rather hold a grudge and take vengeance. We want our ego to be fed and our pride to be
satisfied. But God has called us to suffer and forgive.

Filled and Enlightened

Paul is not called to do this in his own strength, but in the power of the Spirit.

So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who
appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the
Holy Spirit." And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and
was baptized, and took food and was strengthened (Acts 9:17-19).

No one can manifest the suffering of Christian love without being filled with the Holy Spirit. As Ananias laid his hands
on Paul he was filled with the Holy Spirit. There were no tongues, no sign, no manifestation; there was simply a quiet
infilling of the Holy Spirit, just as occurs today with anyone who believes in Jesus Christ.

The filling immediately changed Paul's vision; scales fell from his eyes. I think this is both literal and symbolic. All those
long, built-up prejudices of a Pharisee against Gentiles; all the bigotry, pride, and prejudice that twisted and distorted his
view of the Gentile world--all this disappeared in a moment. This man saw the whole world, Jews and Gentiles alike, as
men and women bearing the image of God and needing to be redeemed. As Paul later tells us in his own words, he
learned to judge no man according to the flesh, but to see in him only a potential subject for the kingdom of God.

Then Paul was baptized. He took his place as a Christian. He identified himself with those who bear the name of Jesus
Christ. God has now prepared his instrument to carry the gospel to all the nations of the world. Those of us who are not
Jews owe a great debt to Paul; without him we would not have believed and come to know our Lord Jesus. Paul's life and
ministry has made a great impact upon every one of us.

Chapter Seventeen
The Yoke of Christ
Acts 9:19-31

Paul became a Christian on the road to Damascus, but he didn't start living the Christian life in all its fullness and power
until a number of years later. He had many lessons to learn first. The simple fact of Saul's conversion did not by itself
account for the mighty influence which this man had throughout the rest of his life. Jesus had said to His disciples, "Come
to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Then he added, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn
from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:28,29). These two verses
indicate two separate stages in Christian development--two stages which Paul experienced, as does every believer who
wishes to walk in the footsteps of the Lord.

The simplest possible statement of the gospel is the three words of Jesus: "Come unto me." He does not add any
qualifications; just come as you are. That is His invitation, and he promises, "I will give you rest." Millions of people
through the centuries have come to Christ on these terms and found that He gives exactly what He Says He will--rest of
heart.

But then Jesus says something more: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me and you will find rest for your souls."
You become a Christian by coming to Christ, but you cannot really live the Christian life until you assume the yoke of
Christ. A yoke is a shaped piece of wood by which two draft animals are tied together to pull a load. To take on the yoke

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of Christ means to submit to Him, to His leadership, to his Lordship. And to do this is to discover what it means to live as
a Christian is really intended to live.

Because He Is Lord

Paul had to learn this. There was a definite period during which Paul was being taught how to take the yoke of Christ
upon himself. That is what we will see in this account, as a new paragraph begins:

For several days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And in the synagogues immediately he proclaimed Jesus,
saying, "He is the Son of God." And all who heard him were amazed, and "Is not this the man who made havoc in
Jerusalem of those who called on this name? And he has come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the
chief priests" (Acts 9:19-21).

These verses describe the initial witness of the Apostle after he became a Christian. He came into Damascus and stayed
there, blind, for three days and nights. Then Ananias came and prayed for him. Paul received his sight, was filled with the
Holy Spirit, and was baptized; he had all the basic equipment necessary for living the Christian life.

Then Paul immediately began to proclaim Jesus, saying, "He is the Son of God." In other words, Paul started proclaiming
the lordship of Jesus Christ, that He is the Lord of heaven and earth. This is fundamental to the new birth. You become a
Christian when you understand and accept in your own life the authority and lordship of Jesus. The idea that you become
a Christian when you accept Him as your Savior is not in the New Testament. You will find no verses in the New
Testament which offer the Lord Jesus as the Savior of the world; He is offered as Lord. When He is accepted as Lord, He
becomes Savior.

We have twisted this around and, unfortunately, millions of people have tried to accept the saviorhood of Jesus without
His lordship. As a result there is no change in their lives. It is understanding the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, that
Jesus is Lord, which produces the change of heart that allows the Holy Spirit to bring a person fully into the family of
God. Remember that this mighty Apostle, in writing to the Romans, says, "if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead [that he is a risen Lord, a living Lord], you will be saved"
(Rom. 10:9). That is when salvation occurs.

Into the Desert

The next verse immediately notes a different kind of testimony by the Apostle:

But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus
was the Christ [the Messiah] (Acts 9:22).

Paul proved from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. But he didn't do this at first. Luke is giving us a condensed
survey of what happened in the early church, and he leaves out certain events which we need to fill in from other
Scriptures. We learn from the Epistle to the Galatians that a period of many days--three years, in fact--comes between
verses 21 and 22. What happened during this time? In Paul's own account of his conversion he says,

But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his
Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not, confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go
up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to
Damascus (Gal 1:15-17).

Luke tells us that immediately after the Apostle was converted he began to tell everybody that Jesus is Lord. But after a
few days he found it necessary to somehow square this with all he had been taught in the Scriptures. And so, taking the
Scriptures under his arm, he went away into the desert.

As he began to read through the Old Testament again, he saw Jesus Christ on every page. Everywhere he turned, the Old
Testament was speaking of Jesus. In the Prophets, in the Psalms, in Moses and the Law--everywhere it pointed to Jesus.
Paul began to discover that the sacrifices and offerings were all pictures of Jesus. The very configuration of the Tabernacle
was a picture of the life of Jesus. Jesus was everywhere throughout the Old Testament.

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Paul's Plan

As Paul studied, a great yearning and conviction grew in his heart. He did what many of us have done; he tried to
second-guess what God was doing and what his part would be. He was still a young man. He had his whole life to live
before him. So he tried to figure why it was that Christ had arrested him in such dramatic fashion on the Damascus road.
He came up with this conviction (the Bible does not say this explicitly, but it is clearly implied in several places): God had
determined that Paul would be the person to reach the nation of Israel. This stubborn, obstinate nation of the Jews needed
someone who would convince them beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah.

Paul himself tells us in certain places in his Epistles that there was a great, eager hunger in his heart to reach his own
people. In Romans he says, "I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren,
my kinsmen by race" (Rom. 9:3). He hungers to reach them, and he thinks he sees what God is doing. He reasons, "I've got
all the equipment, all the background, all the training, all the ability necessary to reach this stubborn people."

So he came back to Damascus from Arabia confident, knowledgeable, eager, and able in the Scriptures, and he increased
all the more in strength in confounding the Jews by proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. Imagine what
Paul must have felt like. Here he is a seminary graduate with a D.D. degree (Doctor of the Desert), feeling called to go into
Damascus to wipe out all the opposition before him and to convince these stubborn Jews that Jesus is their Messiah. And
he does this. He is unbeatable in debate. He proves from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

His Greatest Moment

Paul wins all the battles but loses the war. He wins all the arguments, but he never wins a soul. In spite of his tremendous
dedication, in spite of the skillful and knowledgeable arguments he employs, in spite of the untiring, sincere effort of this
dedicated, zealous young man, the Jews remain locked in stubborn and obstinate unbelief. In fact, the situation gets much
worse. We read,

When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching
the gates day and night, to kill him; but his disciples took him by night and let him down over the wall, lowering
him in a basket (Acts 9:23-25).

What humiliation! Paul was going to show the world how much he could do for this new Master he had found. But
instead he finds himself humiliated and rejected. His own friends finally have to let him down over a wall by night. He
walks away into the darkness in utter, abject failure and defeat.

The amazing thing is, and it really is amazing, that many years later as Paul writes to the Corinthians he recounts this
episode: "The greatest event in my life was when they took me at night and let me down over the wall of Damascus in a
basket. That was the most meaningful experience I have ever had since the day I met Christ" (2 Cor. 11:30-33).

Why was this so? Because then and there the Apostle began to learn the truth which he tells us about in his Letter to the
Philippians: "Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss...because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord"
(Phil. 3:7,8). That is, "The night they let me down over the wall in a basket, I began to learn something. It took me a long
time to catch on, but there I began to learn that God didn't need my abilities; He needed only my availability. He just
needed me--not my background or my ancestry. He didn't even need my knowledge of Hebrew. In fact, God didn't have
any particular intention of using these things to reach the Jews; He was going to send me to the Gentiles." Though Paul
didn't fully understand it at the time, it was at this point that he began to assume the yoke of Christ and to enter the
school of the Spirit.

Jesus Himself tells us what the curriculum of this school is: "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart" Ambition and
pride must die. If you are depending on yourself, God evaluates all you do as worth nothing. This is what Paul began to
learn, and through this experience his pride began to die. Yet it died hard, and we find him still struggling:

And when he had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did
not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them
how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name

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 of Jesus. So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke
and disputed against the Hellenists; but they were seeking to kill him (Acts 9:26-29).

Here Paul comes to Jerusalem still aflame, determined to show the world how much he can do for Christ. Yet at first even
the disciples would have nothing to do with him. But after Barnabas swore that Paul was indeed a disciple, and that he
had been preaching in the name of Jesus, the other disciples listened to him.

Get Out of Town

From Galatians we learn that Paul's stay in Jerusalem was only fifteen days. But in this short time this zealous young
Christian bigot went into the synagogues and began to argue and dispute, again to prove that Jesus was the Christ. It had
the same effect as in Damascus: they tried to kill him. And another incident occurred which is not recorded in this part of
Acts but is found later in Paul's account of this same period:

When I had returned to Jerusalem [from Damascus] and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him
[Jesus] saying to me, "Make haste and get quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony
about me" (Acts 22:17,18).

Here the Lord appears to Paul and says, "You don't belong here in Jerusalem. I don't want you to be the apostle to Israel; I
want you to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Get out of this city. Nobody is going to listen to you here." Notice how Paul
argues with Jesus:

And I said, "Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in thee.
And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by and approving, and keeping the
garments of those who killed him" (Acts 22:19,20).

"Why, Lord," Paul says, "you don't seem to realize who I am. I'm the one who was persecuting the church with great
eagerness and malice; these Jews know how vigorously I opposed the church. And now that I know that those whom I
persecuted were right, the Jews will have to listen to me, Lord. You're throwing away your greatest opportunity here!
They can't help but believe when they hear it from me!" But listen to what the Lord replied:

And he said to me, "Depart; for I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (Acts 22:21).

"I have a different program for you, Paul. All you need is Me. Until you learn that, you will never be of any value to Me at
all. So I want you to leave town."

Back in Acts 9 we read,

And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus (Acts 9:30).

Then notice this beautiful last verse:

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and, walking in the fear of
the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it was multiplied (Acts 9:31).

It might seem strange that Luke would add here that the church had peace as soon as they got rid of Paul. But now that
we understand what is really happening here, from correlating these other Scriptures, it makes perfect sense.

So the believers sent Paul to Tarsus--the hardest place on earth to learn anything, and yet the best place to be, for it was
Paul's home. For a period of from seven to ten years nothing is heard of the Apostle Paul. He is home, learning the
essential lesson that God is trying to teach all of us--that all God needs is you and me the way we are, available to do
whatever He wants to do through us. The life of an eager, zealous Christian who is trying to serve God in the flesh is not a
Christian life at all. It is false Christianity, and it turns people away from Christ.

Remember how Peter tried to put his zeal into action, how in the Garden of Gethsemane he drew his sword and slashed
away. All he did was chop off the ear of the high priest's servant. And that is all we do when we try to serve God in the

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energy of the flesh--we go around chopping off peoples' ears! If it weren't for the healing grace of the Lord Jesus, who
picks up all those severed ears and puts them back in place, nobody would ever speak to us again!

Finally, after seven to ten years at home, the Spirit of God leads Barnabas to go down to Tarsus to find Paul and bring him
to Antioch, where there has been a spiritual awakening. Paul comes back chastened and broken-and available. And then
begins that mighty career in the power of the Holy Spirit, that unparalleled manifestation of the life of Jesus Christ that
changed the whole Roman Empire and the course of history. Paul had learned the essential lesson, "Apart from me you
can do nothing" (John 15:5) so he says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in
me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal.
2:20). It was on these terms that Paul shook the world for Christ.

Chapter Eighteen
Three Faces of Death
Acts 9:32-10:23

Death takes many forms. We begin to die long before we actually take our last breath; death seizes us in many areas of
our life other than the physical. Boredom is death. Despair is also death. Fear and worry are forms of death. Mental illness
is death, and so is bitterness of spirit. Death can rule over great areas of our lives long before we ever die; we know this
from experience. But the great Good News of Jesus Christ is that He has come to abolish death, whatever form it may
take.

The Apostle Peter, like all true Christians, was a channel of the power of Jesus Christ as he traveled around among the
churches of Judea and Samaria. Christ's power accomplished one great thing through Peter everywhere he went: it
abolished death. In the three incidents of this passage we will see how in each case the power of Jesus Christ abolished
death. The first incident is a picture of death's power to paralyze:

Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. There he
found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him,
"Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda
and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord (Acts 9:32-35).

The airport outside Tel Aviv is at the ancient town of Lydda, now known as Led. It was to this village that Peter came on
his way down from Jerusalem, as he visited the new churches of Judea and Samaria that had sprung up in all the villages.
In Lydda he finds a man who had been paralyzed for eight years. Peter says to him, "Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make
your bed."

Here we have a paralysis of the body. For eight years it had held this man impotent, unable to fulfill God's intention for
human life. But that can happen to the spirit as well. When it does, you experience a paralysis of the will. Perhaps there
are things you have been wanting to do, knowing that you ought to do them. But you never have, because you are
looking to your own resources; you are expecting some new sensation or feeling to motivate you to get moving. It is to
that kind of condition that this story makes its appeal. Jesus Christ says to you, "Rise and begin to live. Do what you
ought to do, in My name. Stand up and be strong, in My name. Rise and be well."

Interrupted Service

The next incident is even more remarkable, for here we find death in its most fearful form, the actual ending of life:

Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas or Gazelle. She was full of good works and acts of
charity. In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda
was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him entreating him, "Please come to us
without delay" (Acts 9:36-38).

Death's power to interrupt service is pictured for us in this account. The outstanding characteristic of this woman was
grace and selfless love. She helped others. Her very name meant Gazelle, an animal characterized by grace and charm.
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Suddenly, unexpectedly, her service was brought to an end. She fell sick as the power of the enemy struck hard and
viciously, and she was laid low and died. But now comes the sequel:

So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood
beside him weeping, and showing coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put
them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then, turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, rise." And she opened her
eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then, calling the saints and
widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And he
stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner (Acts 9:39-43).

This is a marvelous miracle--a restoration from the dead. Here is a woman whose ministry of love and selflessness was
interrupted by death. But now, by the hand of God and the power of Jesus Christ, the is restored to her ministry of good
works. Of course Dorcas later died again, because this incident is primarily a picture intended to teach us that this kind of
death can happen to the human spirit, too. Something can interrupt the progress of a spiritual life which is beginning to
flourish and bear fruit. Some circumstance, some event or experience, can interrupt and cause it to die. The person loses
his zeal and becomes cold, hard, and indifferent--bitter of spirit. He is literally like someone dead.

This kind of death can go on for years. Edwin Markham the great Christian poet, once entrusted a banker with the
settlement of an estate. The banker betrayed him, and Markham lost all his money and was rendered penniless. It made
him bitter, and for several years he could write no poetry. Then one day as he was trying to write, Markham sat at his
desk aimlessly scrawling circles. As he doodled the thought suddenly struck him of the great circle of God's love, and of
how it takes us in. He was struck with inspiration and wrote these words:

I drew a circle and shut him out;

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win;
We drew a circle that took him in.

Markham forgave the banker and was able to resume his ministry. After that came some of his greatest poems. That is
what Jesus Christ can do. He can heal the bitterness that may be in your life, rendering you cold and indifferent to the
needs of others.

Cornelius and the Angel

The third incident is most significant, for it concerns a healing in the spirit of the Apostle Peter himself. It begins with
another man who is living 27 miles up the coast from Joppa, in the Roman garrison headquarters at Caesarea:

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man
who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. About the
ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius." And he
stared at him in terror, and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended
as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and bring one Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging with
Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside." When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of
his servants and a devout soldier from among those that waited on him, and, having related everything to them, he
sent them to Joppa (Acts 10:1-8).

Here is a picture of a moral, upright, and generous man--but one who is not yet born again. The gift of God, eternal life in
Jesus Christ, is what this man needs, and God is moving to answer that need.

The great question which I am asked more frequently than any other, especially by non-Christians, is, "What about the
man who lives up to the light he has, and is faithful to what he knows, but has never heard of Jesus Christ? What happens
to him?" The story of Cornelius shows us what happens to a man like that. When he is obedient to the light he has, God
will take it upon Himself to give him more light and to lead him to the place where he can come to know Jesus Christ.
This is in line with what we read in Hebrews: "Without faith it is impossible to please [God]." It goes on to say, "For
whoever would draw near to God must have two qualifications--just two: he must believe that God exists, and he must

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believe that God rewards those who seek Him (Heb. 11:6). He must believe that God will meet his quest by giving him
more light along the way.

That was Cornelius' situation. He believed that God existed. He was tired of all the emptiness and sensuality that was
connected with Roman paganism. He was seeking God; he knew that God would help him. He was praying, asking God
to help him and God does help. Notice that God doesn't send an angel to preach the gospel to Cornelius; angels are not
commissioned to preach the gospel. God sends an angel to tell him where he can find a man who will preach the gospel,
who will tell him the truth about Jesus Christ.

When the angel appears, Cornelius is very frightened, as we would also be. But the angel tells him to send to Joppa for a
man named Peter, who is living in the house of Simon, a tanner. That was about as good an address as you could ask for,
since tanners prepare hides, and it is a smelly occupation. Once the messengers arrived in Joppa, they merely needed to
follow their noses in order to find Peter!

The Death of Prejudice

In the meantime God was working at the other end to prepare the meeting of these men:

The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray about
the sixth hour. And he became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a
trance and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the
earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, "Rise, Peter; kill
and eat." But Peter said, "No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice came
to him again, a second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common." This happened three times, and
the thing was taken up at once to heaven (Acts 10:9-16).

What a strange experience! Why did this happen to Peter? The answer is that God wanted to heal the death in Peter's
spirit--the death of prejudice, of bigotry and snobbishness. Here is an apostle who is born again and filled with the Holy
Spirit, but who has a great area of bigotry present in his life.

Choice, Not Exclusion

The Old Testament tells us that God separated the Jews from the rest of mankind. He did so not on the basis of their
superiority, but because He wanted them to demonstrate to all the other nations of the world the relationship which God
wants to have with mankind. Only in that sense were the Jews the chosen people.

But in typically human fashion, as we ourselves probably would have done, the Jews distorted that calling of God, that
pattern of the Old Testament. They began to believe that God was not interested in Gentiles, but that He only liked Jews.
This has given rise to anti-Semitism by the Gentiles, many of whom are saying, in that shortest of all poems,

How odd
Of God
To choose
The Jews!

And so Peter grew up with the attitude that God did not like Gentiles. Gentiles were a sort of animal, not quite human.
They were not even to be spoken to, let alone to be invited into your home. A good Jew, as Peter had been taught, would
have nothing to do with a Gentile. If he even touched one accidentally on the street he would go home and wash. This
bigotry was deeply embedded in the Apostle's heart. He had always thought that God's choice of the Jews also involved
His exclusion of the Gentiles.

God cures Peter by revealing the truth in graphic form. He sends a vision of a sheet full of animals which Peter had been
taught were unclean. But God's command is "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." Peter begins at once to argue with the Lord. He
says, in the King James Version, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." Obviously
you cannot be consistent and say, "Not so, Lord." If you say "Lord" then you must not say, "Not so." And if you say "Not
so" then He is not Lord!

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Notice also the marks of legalism here. Peter says, "Lord, I have never eaten anything common or unclean." That is the
language of legalism: "I have never done anything like that in all my life." A legalistic spirit is proud of the negative,
proud of "never having done" a particular thing. Of course, as a Christian led of the Spirit there are things we won't do--
things that are harmful, and which God has forbidden for our own protection. But what is wrong here is being proud of
the things we won't do. So God rebukes Peter for his legalism. God says to him immediately, "How dare you call unclean
what God has called clean!"

Sometimes we call ourselves unclean. People have said to me, "I just can't forgive myself. The things I've done are so bad
that even though I know God has forgiven me, I can't accept myself." It often helps if we can see that by this attitude we
are calling God a liar. We are calling unclean what God has called clean.

We read that this vision appeared to Peter three times. That may be because three is the stamp of the Trinity. God is
saying by this threefold occurrence, "Look, all of us--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--agree that we don't like this bigotry.
This is against the Spirit of God--this whole business of prejudice because of color or background or past or deeds or
circumstances or whatever." Even the mighty Apostle Peter had to be taught this lesson, not by the filling of the Holy
Spirit but by the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Setting Aside All Malice

While my daughter was at Wheaton College she wrote to me about a touching incident. At chapel one day, the president
of Wheaton College got up and shared with the entire student body a dilemma that he was facing. Many supporters of the
school were withholding funds because they were bothered by the many long-haired youths they had seen on their visits.
The president said the school was in a serious financial bind because of this; their whole operation was being threatened.
And the student body sat there, breathlessly anxious to learn what the administration's stand would be.

Then the president called out of the audience the young man who had the longest hair and beard in the whole student
body, and asked him to come up to the platform. Turning to him, he said, "You have long hair, and you have a long
beard. You represent the very thing that these supporters of the school are against. I want you to know that the
administration of this school does not feel as they do. We accept you, and we love you. We believe that you are here to
seek and to find the truth as it is in Jesus Christ." And he reached out and embraced him! The student body rose as one
man in a moment of acclaim for their president, for his expression of that kind of love and acceptance.

That is what God wants. The great lesson that God taught the Apostle Peter on this occasion was that these Gentiles were
to be his friends and were to be accepted by him.

Now Peter takes the first step toward this goal:

Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that
were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate and called out to ask whether
Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision the Spirit said to him,
"Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down, and accompany them without hesitation; for I have sent
them." And Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your
coming?" And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God fearing man, who is well spoken of by the
whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to hear what you have
to say." So he called them in to be his guests (Acts 10:17-23).

Ah, the barriers are crumbling; the walls are breaking down! Peter invites these Gentiles in to be his guests. That is the
first step. He had never done anything like this before. But that is the language of liberty. Legalism says, "I have never";
liberty in Christ says, "I open up, to accept and take these men in. In this story we can see clearly the character of the grace
of God-that He desires to remove all prejudice from the human heart and to make us see each other as we really are--
members together of one race, all equally in need of God's redeeming grace in Jesus Christ.

Chapter Nineteen
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Peter and Cornelius
Acts 10:23-11:18

It is often suggested that the Book of Acts ought to be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. I agree. Nowhere is the sovereign
superintendency of the Holy Spirit more in evidence than in this wonderful account of how He moved to open the door of
faith to the Gentiles. The Spirit's first step was to prepare the heart of a Gentile man, Cornelius, to receive the message of
life. He did this by awakening in Cornelius a sense of hunger which he expressed in prayers, in the giving of alms, and in
seeking after God. Next the Spirit gave Peter the vision of the sheet let down from heaven with various kinds of animals,
birds, and reptiles in it, and He told Peter pointedly that all of them were clean, thus removing the iceberg of prejudice in
Peter's heart. Then He brought Peter and Cornelius together. We resume the account as Peter and his accompanying
brothers in Christ leave the city of Joppa:

The next day he rose and went off with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And on the
following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his kinsmen and close
friends. When Peterman entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted
him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man." And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons
gathered; and he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone
of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. So when I was sent for,
I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me" (Acts 10:23-29).

Certain human reactions which Luke has recorded for us mark this incident as the authentic account of a real episode.
When Peter entered Cornelius' house, this proud Roman centurion fell down at his feet and worshiped Him. It is
remarkable that a member of the subjugating military garrison should fall at the feet of one of the subject people and
worship him! But so hungry was the heart of Cornelius, so anxious was he to find God, that he was actually willing to
worship a Jew.

Prepared for the Gospel

Peter, of course, is embarrassed. He lifts Cornelius up and says, "I'm just a man like you; don't worship me." Peter refuses
to accept the homage of this man, which is most interesting in view of the Roman Catholic claim that Peter was the first
Pope. Also, Peter is obviously still uneasy at entering the home of a Gentile, as we see from his explanation. As they go
into the house he says to Cornelius, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another
nation." Now this was not God's law; it was man's law. But Peter had been taught a lesson, and though he obviously
doesn't fully understand it yet, he says "God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean, and so I've
come. What do you want of me?" Cornelius now tells his side of the story:

And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and
behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel, saying, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have
been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the
house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.' So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now
therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord" (Acts
10:30-33).

This was one of the most strategic home Bible classes ever held. In a home Bible class a man opens his home, gathers his
friends, has some refreshments ready, and invites a teacher to come and present the gospel to his friends. It is a most
workable format, as it was on this occasion when Cornelius gathered his kinsmen and friends together. They are waiting
expectantly now for the word of the gospel.

Now we come to Peter's message--the purpose for which the Holy Spirit has maneuvered these men together. Here is the
great message that will set Cornelius free:

And Peter opened his mouth and said, "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone
who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:34,35).

Here we have the first formal preaching of the gospel--the first preaching of Jesus--to a Gentile audience. Peter makes
seven distinct points, and they comprise a marvelous unfolding of the Good News. The first point is that God shows no
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partiality. He receives anyone, anywhere, from any background or race, any social class, any station in life. It doesn't
make any difference to Him.

Do not misread what Peter says. The words "in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to
him" mean that God recognizes that such a man has an honest heart and a correctly receptive attitude. But Cornelius was
still unregenerate, without Christ. He still had no life within his heart. Yet he was acceptable to God because he was
honest. Anyone, in any circumstance, who comes to God with an honest heart will find an open door to the truth about
Jesus Christ. That is the first part of the gospel.

Man as God Intended

Then Peter goes on to make the second point:

You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), the
word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power...(Acts 10:36-38).

Immediately Peter moves to the first coming of Christ, to the incarnation. Notice how he puts it in human terms. Jesus
came as a Man through whom God worked in love and power. He did not come primarily to display His deity, to show
us how God behaves; He came to show us how man behaves as God intended him to be--indwelt by God. That is what it
takes to be a man.

The third point of Peter's message goes on from there:

...how he [Jesus] went about doing good and healing all at were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And
we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem (Acts 10:38,39).

The next great feature of the Good News is that when Jesus Christ arrived He destroyed the effects of evil everywhere He
went. He did this openly, before witnesses, where everyone could see. Everywhere Jesus went He set people free and
brought once more to human hearts the hope that there is a way out of the desperate bondage of fallen humanity.

I will never forget the experience of a young man who came into our congregation a few years ago. He was not
accustomed to attending church--he had not been raised in a church at all--but his heart was hungry. He came, not
knowing what the people would be like. He felt that Christians were super-snobbish and self-righteous--people who felt
they were better than others. As I was speaking, I read these verses: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit
the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor
thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of
you (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

For some reason that morning I stopped at that point and said, "How many in this congregation belong in this category?
How many of you have ever been guilty of some of these things?" All over the congregation hands began to rise. This
young man took a look around, saw the forest of hands, and said to himself, "These are my kind of people."

Such were some of you, set free. That is what Christ does. "He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed
by the devil" as a demonstration of what God is accomplishing in the work of redemption.

Peter's fourth point is sobering, and very briefly stated:

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree(Acts 10:39).

It is almost as though he does not want to dwell on it. All he says is, "They put him to death...Jesus was killed by the most
shameful means possible. Even the Romans recognized that. Cicero, the Roman orator, said, "The cross is so terrible that it
should not be mentioned in polite company." Yet by this means Jesus, the Man who went about doing good, was put to
death. Peter passes quickly to the fifth point:

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 ...But God raised him on the third day and made him manifest; not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by
God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead (Acts 10:40,41).

This is impressive, isn't it? Peter said, "I was one of those witnesses who saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. It was no
hallucination, because we ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. Only bodies can eat and drink, and there
He was." God's power was greater than man's, and He broke the barriers of death.

Every Man Must Choose

Peter then makes the sixth point:

And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the
living and the dead (Acts 10:42).

In other words, says Peter, Jesus commanded us to preach Him as a living person. He is not dead; He is alive and
available to all men everywhere. Not only that, but He is the ultimate crisis of all men. Jesus stands at the end of every
path down which men go, and He waits there as the One ordained by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead.

Finally Peter reaches the seventh point and the glorious climax to it all:

To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his
name (Acts 10:43).

Peter says, "You Romans may not appreciate this fully, but everything that Jesus did was predicted by the prophets long
before He ever came, all that He would be like and all that He would do was written down. Every prophet bore witness to
this one fact: the only way you can ever find forgiveness of sins is by believing in Him."

We are guilty people, and we know it. That is why we are so restless, why we often cannot stand to be alone with
ourselves. Our oppression because of our sense of guilt is overwhelming. So the prime need of our lives is to be forgiven,
to have nothing in the past to worry about, to have nothing which makes us uncertain of the future and nothing which
makes us unwilling to appear before God. Through Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven. All the future ones, as well as those
of the past, are forgiven in Jesus Christ.

God, therefore, has no quarrel with you; He loves you, He accepts you. Whatever you do, He will continue to love you
and accept you. If you have been born again you know that this is the greatest and most unending blessing of your life--to
wake up every morning and remember that you stand as a beloved child in God's presence. You are His, and for that
reason He will be with you in every circumstance, all day long.

Holy Interruption

Peter had more to say, but right at this point a most dramatic interruption occurred:

While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who
heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift
of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling
God. Then Peter declared, "Can anyone forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit
just as we have?" And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to
remain for some days (Acts 10:44-48).

The Holy Spirit interrupted Peter, just as He had on the Day of Pentecost, and what He did here is very significant. Peter
had just given these people something to believe, the death and resurrection of Jesus. Then he told them, "The prophets
bear witness that everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins." As soon as Peter's audience heard these
words they believed. And immediately upon believing they received the Holy Spirit, just Jesus said they would. He had
said,

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 If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink...Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water." Now this he said
about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive...(John 7:37-39).

As soon as they heard, they believed, and when they believed, they received. The Holy Spirit refused to wait until the
altar call!

As on the Day of Pentecost, the gift of tongues was the sign of the coming of the Holy Spirit, indicating to Peter and these
other Jews that the Gentiles were being received on the same basis as the Jews had been. Peter got the point. He said, "Can
anyone forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" Notice that the
baptism of the Holy Spirit does not do away with the baptism of water. One is a symbol of the other. These men were
baptized with water because they had been baptized with the Spirit.

An End to the Matter

The last part of the story shows us what happens when truth encounters deep-seated prejudice and tradition:

Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So
when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised
men and eat with them?" But Peter began and explained to them in order: "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in
a trance I saw a vision, something descending, like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came
down to me. Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I
heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' But I said, 'No, Lord: for nothing common or unclean has ever
entered my mouth.' But the voice answered a second time from heaven, 'What God has cleansed you must not call
common.' This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven." At that very moment three men
arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them without
hesitation. These six brethren also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. And he told us how he had
seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon called Peter; he will declare to you a
message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them
just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but
you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed
in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" When they heard this they were silenced. And they
glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:1-18).

That is the way to answer arguments. Just tell what God has done. Recount the actions of God. When these men saw how
God had acted, there was nothing further they could say. And so they ceased arguing and instead praised God, glorifying
Him for extending life outward to all men.

Chapter Twenty
Recognition of a Church
Acts 11:19-30

Animated discussion has been stimulated over the question of when the gospel was first brought to the Gentiles. Did the
first breakthrough take place at the meeting of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, in Acts 8, or was it when Peter came to
the house of Cornelius, in Acts 10? The following two verses in Acts 11 provide a clear answer to the question:

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and
Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and
Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus (Acts 11:19,20).

It was at the time of the persecution that broke out over Stephen, described in Acts 7, that the gospel began to penetrate
the Gentile world--In other words, it was almost from the very beginning of the church. The wonderful thing about this
gospel message is that it was carried by obscure, unknown men and women--Jews who had been converted to
Christianity. Some were Hebrew-speaking Jews who preached only to the Jews, and others were Greek-speaking Jews,

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men of Cyprus and Cyrene on the north coast of Africa. When they came to Antioch they began to preach to the Greek-
speaking Gentiles there. This soon led to a natural consequence, the beginning of a new church:

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. News of this came to
the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he
was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full
of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord (Acts 11:21-24).

The result of this first preaching was that a great many Gentile converts came to Christ. But the disciples at Jerusalem
never thought that God would move to reach the Gentile world, so they hardly knew what to make of it. Were these
people real Christians? Was it possible that Gentiles could actually come to Christ just as a Jew could?

Gentle Investigator

To settle the issue, the disciples sent Barnabas to Antioch. What a great choice they made! Great-hearted Barnabas didn't
try to control this new thrust by the Holy Spirit; he simply came down to investigate it, to see what God had been doing.
Barnabas was a Greek-speaking Jew, having come from Cyprus himself, so he could identify with the Christians from
Cyprus and Cyrene who did the preaching here.

Antioch was a strategic city, the third-largest in the Roman Empire. It was noted as a sports center--chariot races were a
specialty--and as a place of culture. Also, about five miles outside the city, in the temple of Daphne, sex was enthroned
and worshiped through priestesses who were really religious prostitutes. Yet this new church had arisen in the midst of
the city's corruption, and Barnabas was sent to discover what was going on.

Barnabas is characterized as a good man, full of the Spirit and full of faith. He was a good man--an easygoing, cheerful,
open-hearted, gracious individual full of the Holy Spirit. This, of course, is the supreme qualification. In other words,
Barnabas was a man to whom the wisdom, understanding, and love of God were continuously being imparted. Being full
of the Holy Spirit meant that the fruits of the Spirit were evident in his life: love, joy, longsuffering, patience, and
gentleness, because he was drawing upon the power of an indwelling Holy Spirit.

Expecting God to Work

Being a man of faith, Barnabas acted upon what God said. He didn't wait for his feelings. A man of faith simply believes
God and expects Him to act. He doesn't even think about how he feels. Many people think that unless they have a
tremendous sense of expectation or excitement within them, they have no faith. But faith is not a feeling. Rather, it is
simply believing that God will do what He has promised, and then acting on that basis.

When Barnabas came to Antioch he expected to be led of God, that God would give him the wisdom to handle whatever
developed. So it was no surprise to him that things began to work out immediately. When Barnabas arrived he found a
group of men and women who were undoubtedly Christians which is what he had been sent to discover. "When he came
and saw the grace of God, he was glad." What did he see that convinced him that these men and women were genuine?
Luke says that Barnabas saw the grace of God. Now how do you see grace? Grace means the goodness of God poured out
into a life--an invisible quality. How do you see that?

The word for grace here is the same word that the Apostle Paul employs in speaking about the gifts of the Holy Spirit:

But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift (Eph. 4:7).

In other words, grace is a gift of the Spirit, such as love, wisdom, knowledge, faith, discernment, prophecy, teaching, and
so forth. When Barnabas saw the gifts of the Holy Spirit at work he knew that these people were real Christians. In
Hebrews 2 we are told that the gospel was first declared by the Lord, was then preached by those who knew Him, and
was finally confirmed by signs and wonders and by the distribution of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Heb. 2:3,4).

To a Young Church

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Barnabas saw also that these people comprised a church, for they shared together the common life of Jesus Christ. And
since they were a church, this is the basis on which Barnabas spoke to them. He gave them a message designed for a new
church, with two important points. He exhorted them first to remain faithful to the Lord, He said, "In receiving the Lord,
you have received all there is; there is nothing more for Him to give you. It's true that you haven't yet laid hold of it all,
but through the years you will develop what you have. But there is nothing more to be added." As Peter puts it, "His
divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Pet. 1:3). So Barnabas says, "Remain faithful
to what you have. Don't go after anything else. You don't need anything new. In the Holy Spirit you have all that God
will give you."

But, second, do it intelligently and with purpose. "Remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose." The Greek here
means "according to a set plan." They were to remember that they needed to learn more of the Lord through His Word.
Already they had the Old Testament scriptures, which were full of Christ. And the New Testament Scriptures were
gradually beginning to come into being. They were to begin understanding what God was doing in Jesus Christ. They
were to seek, and read, and study, because the Scriptures reveal Christ.

Don't Look Down

So Barnabas exhorted these new believers to work intelligently at learning about Jesus, through reading the Scriptures,
seeking His face, and learning to pray all through the day in every situation. New Christians need to learn this more than
anything else, and many make a fatal mistake at this point. At first they have their faces fixed on Jesus, and it is
wonderful. They sense immediately the joy that fills their hearts as they come to know this glorious, living Lord. But
gradually their focus shifts. Instead of seeing Jesus they begin to look at themselves. They start feeling of their feelings.
And when they do that, they are like Peter walking on the water, who began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus and
put them on his circumstances. Many young Christians fail to concentrate on the Lord Himself, to find joy in Him and to
glory in His presence. In becoming occupied simply with the things the Lord does for them, they lose the sense of His
presence and fail to seek His face. That is why they sink and often disappear from Christian fellowship for awhile.

The immediate result of Barnabas' exhortation was that a large company was added to the Lord. When you get people
looking to the Lord and not to themselves, you will find that people are added to the Lord. And this is the way the church
increases; the true means of adding to the church is to add people to the Lord. If they belong to the Lord, they already
belong to the church. The phrase "a large company" leads to the next new thing that happened in Antioch:

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul (Acts 11:25).

The word "so" means "because of this large company." There were so many new people to teach, and such an
overwhelming number of new converts had come in, that Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul:

And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a
large company of people... (Acts 11:25,26).

In the ten years since Barnabas last saw him, Paul had not been entirely idle, as he tells us in Galatians. He preached the
Word throughout the regions of Syria and Cilicia, the area around Tarsus. Probably many of the visions and revelations
from the Lord which Paul mentions in several places occurred during this time. But he had learned one great secret--that
only his dependence upon Jesus at work in him made him an effective worker for Jesus Christ. When Paul had learned
this lesson, the Lord sent Barnabas over to Tarsus to find him, to bring him to Antioch, ready to begin his great
worldwide ministry.

In connection with this, we learn of another first:

...and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians (Acts 11:26).

It is clear from this brief statement that it was not the disciples who named themselves Christians, but the people of
Antioch. The word means "those belonging to Christ" or "Christ's men." As these Christians talked about Jesus to men
everywhere--Jesus the Christ, the Messiah--the Gentiles around them labeled them "Christ's men." (You can tell from this
that they didn't talk about the church; they talked about Jesus!)

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Although the people of Antioch used the term contemptuously, the disciples thought it was wonderful to be called
Christ's men, so they adopted the name and called themselves Christians. The people of Antioch, in a sense, called them
"Jesus freaks," and the disciples agreed. In current usage, to be a freak is to be deeply committed to something. So when
these believers were heard witnessing about Jesus, they were called Jesus freaks. But they were not in the least offended.
They counted it a joy to suffer reproach for His name's sake, so committed were they to the cause of Jesus Christ.

Plenty Meets Need

The last scene in this chapter brings to our attention another first-time ministry:

Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and
foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of
Claudius. And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in
Judea; and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:27-30).

Unfortunately, both the word "prophecy" and the gift of prophecy have become associated only with the ability to predict
the future. But the word primarily means "to cause to shine." Prophecy is the ability to illuminate the Word of God--to
make it shine. These prophets who came from Jerusalem were men who illuminated the darkness in people's lives with
the truth of God. Occasionally, as in this case, they were also able to illuminate the future.

On this specific occasion one of the prophets predicted that there would soon be a great famine throughout the world,
and this came true just a few months later. Not only does Josephus, the Jewish historian, record this famine, but two
Roman historians, Suetonius and Tacitus, both mention the great famine in the days of Claudius. We can positively date
this event at AD. 44 and 45 And we know that it was especially severe in Judea.

But the most important fact is that when these disciples heard from the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine,
they believed Him and began to prepare for it. The whole account is a beautiful picture of the concern of the body. They
didn't wait for heartrending appeals from the brethren in Judea: "We don't have anything to eat, and we don't have any
clothes to wear." The Christians anticipated the need in response to the Holy Spirit, and they had the gift all ready when
the effects of the famine struck. They sent the gift by their favorite teachers, Barnabas and Saul(Paul), who had been
teaching there in the church for a year.

What wonderful instruction in the Holy Spirit this church must have had under the leadership of these two men! How
clearly they understood the essential nature of the church--that it is a body in which one member shares life with another.
Notice that there is no sense of hierarchy here, no priesthood. There is no super-spiritual class of saints called the clergy.
There is just the body of Christians together, one group in Jerusalem and another in Antioch. One has need and the other
has plenty, so the body in Antioch sends to the body in Jerusalem the things required to meet their need and to share
together in the life that is in Jesus Christ.

The essential characteristics of a church are all here: the gifts of the Spirit, the shared life in Jesus, the proclamation of the
word, the teaching of Scripture, the sharing of the body. Every now and then, when men drift away from this pattern, the
Holy Spirit breaks out afresh and starts it all over again. Right now we are living in one of those times. God is again
renewing the church in our own time. How we ought to rejoice in that great fact!

Chapter Twenty-One
Let Us Pray
Acts 12:1-25
A moment ago we saw how the young church was being blessed as God's Spirit was moving in the city of Antioch to
enlarge the Christian enterprise and to thrust the gospel out to the Gentiles. That great city was being shaken by the
presence of the Christians in its midst. But now, coming back to Jerusalem, we discover that the enemy strikes a slashing
blow in retaliation against the church there. We may be twenty centuries away from these events, but we are not twenty
centuries away from the Book of Acts, because this is the account of the work of the timeless Spirit of God. He is the same
in every age, working today just as He did here in the Book of Acts.
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So far we have seen the body of Christ at work. Now let's look at three events which Luke puts together--events which at
first seem somewhat unrelated. But no event in the Word of God is ever without significance, so let's try to see why Luke,
guided by the Holy Spirit, has chosen these particular events for our instruction. The three events are the murder of the
Apostle James, the deliverance of Peter from prison by the intervention of an angel, and the death of Herod the King. First
is the murder of James:

About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the
brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was
during the days of Unleavened Bread (Acts 12:1-3).

This means that the murder and arrest took place during the Passover season, the same period of the year when Jesus
Himself was taken and crucified. But now the year is A.D. 44. We can date it very precisely because the date of Herod's
death, also recorded here, is well-known in ancient history. So these events occurred about twelve years after the
crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The church had been growing
and expanding during these twelve years, but now the enemy strikes hard by moving Herod the King to seize James the
brother of John and to behead him with the sword. (This Herod is not the one before whom Jesus appeared. This is his
brother, known as Herod Agrippa, the father of the Herod before whom Paul will later appear.)

This account indicates that James was an important leader in the church, although his name has not been mentioned
previously in the Book of Acts. James's brother was John. How often James and John appear together in the Gospel
accounts! These were the brothers whom Jesus very affectionately called "sons of thunder" because of theft swashbuckling
dispositions. They were filled with zeal, and it is interesting to watch how the Lord worked with these two young men.
John He particularly loved and drew close to Himself. But both were strong in Jesus' affections.

It was these two boys who came to Jesus with their mother, asking to be granted positions at the right and left hand of the
throne of glory when Jesus came into His kingdom. Jesus answered theft request with a question: "Are you able to drink
the cup that I am to drink?" By this He meant His violent death on the Cross. And with typical teenage enthusiasm and
ardor they said, "Yes, we're able!" Jesus told them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not
mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father" (Matt 20:22,23). In the words "You will
drink my cup" Jesus indicated that these men would die violent death. James was the first of the apostles so to die, and
John was the last. So the deaths of these brothers form a parenthesis within which all the apostles lived and labored and
eventually died.

No Automatic Deliverance

The church is evidently not too disturbed when James is taken captive. Undoubtedly they think that God will release him
from prison, perhaps by sending an angel, as He had done before. But imagine the shattering effect upon them when
James is be-headed--actually executed--and the sad news comes to the waiting church. The church is stunned, and when
Peter is arrested there is great concern:

And when he [Herod] had seized him [Peter] he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to
guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest
prayer for him was made to God by the church (Acts 12:4,5).

No more fun and games now; the church is very serious. They realize that they cannot count upon the automatic
deliverance of God. And so earnest prayer is made on behalf of Peter. You can see that Herod is afraid of something too,
because he takes special care to see that Peter is held securely. He details four squads--six-teen soldiers altogether--to
watch this one man. Peter is under the guard of four soldiers at all times--two chained to his wrists and two standing
guard at the door of his cell. But Peter is not afraid, for we read:

The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two
chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a
light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off
his hands. And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him,
"Wrap your mantle around you and follow me." And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was

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 done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second
guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and
passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him. And Peter came to himself, and said, "Now I am
sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people
were expecting" (Acts 12:6-11).

What a remarkable story! I think Peter really expected to be executed, but he slept nevertheless, obviously trusting that
God would glorify Himself either by his death or by delivering him so that he could live. Yet when the angel comes, Peter
is taken by surprise.

Seeing is Not Believing

As we read this account we can see what a supernatural deliverance this was. The angel takes no note of the guards
whatsoever, but simply strikes the chains from Peter's arms. The guards were evidently either confused or asleep. And
notice how bewildered Peter is. The angel has to tell him, "Now get up. Put on your shoes. Wrap your mantle around
you." He leads him by the hand out into the city streets. Peter is not sure what's happening, but when he gets outside and
sees the iron gate open of its own accord, he knows that God is at work. And the realization suddenly strikes him that
God has indeed set him free from prison.

Then we get this interesting and most human account of what happens when Peter comes to the church:

When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose other name was Mark, where many
were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a maid named Rhoda
came to answer. Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and told that Peter was
standing at the gate. They said to her, "You are mad." But the insisted that it was so. They said, "it is his angel!" But
Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his
hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell this to
James and to the brethren." Then he departed and went to another place (Acts 12:12-17).

Nothing is more humorous than this picture of Peter, valiantly pounding away at the door, while the girl is inside, having
forgotten to let him in, trying to explain to these Christians that God has answered their prayers. But they don't believe
her. At first they think she is insane, but finally she persuades them to come out--and then they see Peter, still banging
away. At this point they believe, but are amazed that God has answered their prayers! The account closes with the story
of the cruelty of Herod:

Now when day came, there was no small stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. And when Herod
had sought for him and could not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death
Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and remained there (Acts 12:18,19).

Four innocent soldiers die because of this man's stubborn unbelief. He will not believe that God has acted. As the soldiers
tell their tale, the only explanation he will accept is that these men had betrayed their trust and had somehow connived
with Peter's friends to release him. So he orders their deaths. Then he goes down to his headquarters in Caesarea, on the
coast. Here's
the final story of what happened to Herod:

Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and they came to him in a body, and having persuaded
Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food.
On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and made an oration to them. And
the people shouted, "The voice of a god, and not of man!" Immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he
did not give God the glory; and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied. And
Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John, whose
other name was Mark (Acts 12:20-25).

Josephus, the Jewish historian, also records the death of Herod. He describes this occasion when Herod met with the
people of Tyre and Sidon in what we now call Lebanon. These people were dependent upon Judea, and especially upon
Galilee, for food.

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So when the king came out, dressed in his royal robes, they flattered him. When he spoke to them they cried out, "Why,
this is a voice of a god, and not a man!" And this pompous, vain king believed them. It's almost incredible to imagine the
tragic, twisted mentality of a man like this, a man who could actually believe that he had so much power that he had
become a god. Luke tells us that Herod was immediately stricken by an angel of the Lord, and that he was eaten of worms
and died. I don't know what Luke's exact diagnosis is here (perhaps it was a stroke), but some sudden catastrophe befell
Herod and, as Josephus tells us, within two or three days he died.

What does this mean? This was God's way of demonstrating the ultimate folly of the idea that we have what it takes to
produce all that life requires, and that we do not need anyone or anything else--especially God. But God would remind us
that our very life, our very breath--all that we have and are--come from Him, and that we are fools to think that we have
some power of our own, apart from Him, on which to operate.

As we review the events of this chapter there are some questions that come to mind. Why did Luke choose to put these
three events together in this account? And, of course, the preeminent question is, "Why was James killed and Peter
delivered? Couldn't God have saved James as well?" Well, why didn't He? The only answer that this chapter suggests is
found in verse 5, the key to the chapter:

So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church (Acts 12:5).

The prayer made the difference. Peter was kept in prison, as was James. The difference lay in the word but. ("But" is
always a crisis word. It indicates a change in direction.) "But earnest prayer to God was made for Peter by the church,"
and as a result Peter was free. Perhaps you're thinking, "If God determined that James would die and Peter would be set
free, what difference did the prayer of the church make?"

Called to Participate

Let us never forget what James (not this James, but Jesus' brother, who wrote the Epistle of James) says: "You do not have
because you do not ask" (Jas. 4:2). In His wisdom God has arranged for His people to participate in the things He does. He
is impressing upon His people here in Acts that when danger threatens the program of God or the people of God, it is a
call to prayer. Prayer becomes a mighty, powerful thrust on the part of the people of God to change events. Basically,
prayer is the most natural and normal response of a heart that is dependent on God. The basic motive of prayer is a sense
of dependence. If you really think that God, and God alone, can work, and that there are elements of a situation which
only He can change--then you pray. This is what happened to the early church. When they realized that James had been
put to death, and that this vicious attack of the enemy could be successful, it suddenly crystallized in their minds that
they had a part to play in God's program. They were to go to God in earnest prayer that Peter might be delivered. And
God set him free in a wonderful way.

God works in the same way today as He did in those first-century days, and He will respond to our prayers in very much
the same way. This doesn't mean that everything we pray for will be granted. Sometimes God overrules our prayers. But
prayer does other things as well, even when the things for which we pray are not granted.

Releasing God's Mercy

First of all, prayer has the ability to postpone or delay the judgment of God--or the victory of Satan, as in this case. James
was killed, but Peter's execution was postponed to a later day. Prayer may not remove the threat entirely, but it can
change the time schedule. That is the consistent teaching of the Scriptures about prayer.

We are facing the imminent occurrence of the events predicted in the Bible for the last days. But there have been times in
the past when the world has approached the edge of the precipice of the last days. Threatening personalities have
appeared whom many people have mistakenly identified as the Antichrist. Yet each time, because of the grave dangers
present, God's people woke up and began to cry out to Him. A spiritual awakening followed, and the world moved back
from the brink of destruction.

Today we are perhaps further over the edge toward the ultimate disaster than we have ever been before. But once again
God's people are waking up, crying out to Him. This is the only hope in our day--that once more God will turn the clock

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back a bit, delay the schedule, bring us back from the brink, and allow perhaps another generation to grow up in relative
peace and liberty in order to know the glory of the gospel in its delivering power. It is my conviction that, in order for
God to allow the events of the last days to finally happen, He must remove His church from the earth. In order to take the
salt out of society He will remove the church and thus allow the final display of man's evil and enmity to come to full
fruition in the last days. But prayer can delay it.

A second thought about the prayers of the church is the clear implication that Peter was at peace even though he was in
prison. How could he sleep on the night of his execution? If you knew that you were to be executed tomorrow morning--
that your head was to be chopped off--would you have a good night's sleep tonight? Peter slept peacefully. But it was not
that he was such a great man of faith--Peter was like us, often weak and fearful--it was because the church was praying
for him. That is why God gave him peace of heart. Prayer does this for us when we undergo times of difficulty and
trouble.

Third, notice that prayer can produce sudden changes, like the death of Herod. I don't think the church was praying for
the king to die. We are not told in Scripture to pray in this way about those in authority. But the church was praying that
God would intervene, and as a result of their intercession God was "free" to act in unusual and remarkable ways. This
vicious, cruel tyrant, to whom human life meant nothing, was suddenly removed from the scene because of a people who
were responsive to God and dependent upon Him, and who cried out to Him for His help.

In Mysterious Ways

This is what Paul means when he says that we often do not; know how to pray as we ought to in complicated and
intricate situations. But as we pray, the Spirit of God helps us in our weakness and awakens deep longings and yearnings
in our hearts for which we cannot find words (Rom 8:26). And God the Father, who knows and reads our hearts, reads
there the mind and will of the Spirit, and He answers by sending the very events that are needed to work out the situation
according to His purpose. There is a mighty, mysterious element about prayer, an element which, as God's people gather
together and open their hearts and share their feelings with God, somehow creates an atmosphere for God to work in
sudden, remarkable ways.

One night at a Young Life camp, at about eleven o'clock, the camp trumpeter was practicing out by the creek, all by
himself. That, by the way, is where trumpeters should practice! When he finished, he put his trumpet away and came
back to camp. But suddenly he was seized with an urge to play his trumpet in the middle of the camp, he felt that the
urging was from God. So in obedience he took his trumpet out, put in the mute, and prepared to play. He thought, "What
should I play?" The thought immediately came, "Play Taps!" So he played Taps with the muted trumpet. Then an inner
voice seemed to suggest that he take the mute out and play it out louder. So he did. At 11:30 at night, in the middle of the
camp, he played Taps out loud on his trumpet, put his instrument away, and went to bed.

The next day yet another young man described the what had happened to him the night before. When he had first come
to camp he had been belligerent and rebellious. He was not a Christian, and he didn't like what was going on. He decided
he had had enough of it, and about 11:30 at night he walked out of camp and headed toward the highway to hitchhike
home. Suddenly he heard Taps being played on a trumpet. "I knew Taps was the song people played when somebody
died," he said, "so I thought to myself, 'Who died?' And then the thought hit me, "Well, I know who died; it was Jesus.
Jesus died, and He died for me.'" So he sat down by the road and received the Lord into his heart right on the spot. Surely
someone's prayers for that boy were being answered that night!

ACTS 13-20 GROWTH OF THE BODY

Contents

1 The Strategy of the Spirit

(Acts 13:1-13)
2 The Radical Word
(Acts 13:13-52)
3 Counterattack
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 (Acts /4:3-28)
4 Cause For Alarm
(Acts 35:1-21)
3 The Way God Guides
(Acts 15:22-16:10)
6 D-DAY at Philippi
(Acts 16:11-40)
7 Rabble and Nobles
(Acts 17:1-35)
8 Athens Versus Paul
(Acts 17:36-34)
9 The Cross in Corinth
(Acts 18:1-22)
10 Halfway Christians
(Acts 18.23-39:7)
11 Down With Witchcraft!
(Acts 19:8-20)
12 Christianity is Dangerous
(Acts 19:22-20:1)
13 Last Words
(Acts 20:2-38)

Introduction

God has always made the Middle East the focal point of history and of current events. With the intensification of
developments there since the Jews returned to Israel, events have now come full circle. This is where Christianity began,
where the explosion of the gospel first occurred. In the Book of Acts we have the joyful account of how this radical gospel
broke out on a decadent, pagan society, capturing the interest and the hearts of men, awakening hope in a hopeless
world, and changing lives by a fundamental transformation of behavior and outlook.

In its original form, this section was titled "The Pattern Setters," because this is the account of the missionary journeys of
the Apostle Paul, during which a pattern was laid down for Christian witness in any age. Through Luke's eyes we can
trace the establishment of the church in many places, but, equally important, we can see how the early Christians grew in
numbers and spread their influence throughout the world around them.

Various elements of truth appear again and again on these pages, and this repetition shows the importance of these truths
to the church today. The church is intended to live in the atmosphere of the Book of Acts and to manifest its
accomplishments throughout its whole history. Whenever the church has not done so, it has been because this pattern
was neglected. Surely nothing could be more important today than for the church to return to the blueprint of power
which the Book presents.

Ray C. Stedman

Chapter One
The Strategy of the Spirit
Acts 13:1-13
The thirteenth chapter of the Book of Acts is what Winston Churchill would have called a "hinge of history." It marks the
beginning of the third phase of our Lord's Great Commission. In the opening chapter of this book, before he ascended into
the heavens, Jesus had said to his disciples, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you
shall be my witnesses..." (Acts 1:8). Then he outlined geographically how that witness should proceed--beginning in

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Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and finally unto the uttermost parts of the earth. In Acts 13 we have the beginning
of the last phase, the going unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

This chapter also records the beginning of the apostleship of Paul. Although he was called to be an apostle when he was
first converted on the Damascus road, he had so far never acted as an apostle. Now, some eleven or twelve years after his
conversion, he begins to fulfill the ministry to which he was called as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

But perhaps the most important thing contained in this section is the revelation of the ways in which the Spirit of God
guides his people. The first three verses relate the call of the Holy Spirit:

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of
Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and
fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then
after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent then, off" (Acts 13:1-3).

Notice that the whole event begins with a group of Christians in the church at Antioch who are exercising the spiritual
gifts that were given to them. Certain prophets and teachers are mentioned--men who had the gift of prophecy, and
others who had the gift of teaching. In the Greek text it is clear that three of the men were prophets and two were
teachers.

The first three were prophets. Barnabas we know as the person who vouched for the newly converted Saul before the
skeptical and fearful disciples. Symeon (who was called Niger, a reference to the area of Africa now known as Nigeria,
indicating that perhaps this man was a black) was very likely the same Symeon (Simon) who was forced by the Romans
to bear the cross of Jesus when he fell under its weight on his way to the crucifixion. Lucius, from Cyrene (located in
Africa along the Mediterranean coast), was perhaps also black and was the third prophet.

Then there were two teachers, Manaen and Saul. Manaen was a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch. This is not the
Herod whose death is recorded in Chapter 12; this is the Herod before whom our Lord appeared, and at whose hands he
suffered. Manaen was one of the prophets. Or it may well have been that he was related to Herod as a foster brother and
was thus very close to the king. These men are a collection, then, of people from all walks of life: Symeon, a black man;
Lucius, perhaps also black; Barnabas, a man from the island of Cyprus; and Manaen, a nobleman from the aristocratic
class of society

With them was Saul of Tarsus. The amazing thing here is that he is listed only as a teacher. He is not called an apostle, nor
even a prophet; he is a teacher in the church at Antioch. At this point in his career the only gift that was visible in his life
was his wonderful ability to teach the Word of God.

Using Their Gifts

While these men were using their gifts, busy doing what God had equipped them to do in the church, the Spirit of God
spoke to them. I think this is very significant, because many people today are confused and uncertain about the
circumstances under which God will lead them. They think they must hole up in a cave or isolate themselves with nature
in order to hear God speak. Once they get away on a mountain somewhere they expect him to speak in some dramatic
fashion and send them hack with a great sense of personal calling. But God does not often call people in this way. Usually
his call comes when we are busy exercising our gift where we are, just as these men were. It was in the midst of their
activity that the call of the Spirit came.

We don't know exactly how the Spirit spoke to these men. It may have been in a prophetic utterance through one of the
prophets. Or it may well have been that he spoke as he speaks to many people today in what has been termed "insistent
unanimity," a deep conviction shared by everyone in the group that the Spirit of God desires a certain thing. This is often
the way God works. At any rate, he spoke to men who were already at work doing what they knew--that is the point You
can steer a ship or a car if it is moving, but it is very difficult to steer when it is sitting still.

Notice also two elements of the Spirit's sovereign choice. He chose the men, and he chose the work. He said, "Separate
unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." He didn't tell the church what that work
was(although He had told Barnabas and Said), and we don't find out what it was until we read on and see what they did.

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But the Spirit had spoken to these men and had laid on them a deep concern to reach out to the world around; then he
said to the church, "Now set them aside for this purpose." That is the way the call of God came in this initial thrusting out
toward the uttermost parts of the earth.

I want to comment on one other thing here, and that is that the believers were all fasting. This was not because they were
overweight; it was because they were concerned. In the Bible, fasting is always the mark of deep spiritual concern. It
means that a person is willing to set aside his normal demands of life in order to concentrate for a time on finding what
God wants, and to pray that what he wants will be accomplished. It is too bad that fasting has largely disappeared from
the Christian church, because it is a very helpful and very needed expression of spiritual awareness. As these men were
concerned about what God wanted to do, they met together, foregoing food for a time and exercising their gifts. When the
Spirit of God spoke to them, the whole church recognized it and identified themselves with these two men as they went
out.

Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

This means that the whole church was involved as one body, acting together to indicate to these men that they would
support them in prayer and provide whatever financial support they needed to fulfill their ministry. As they went out,
they had this expression of the unity and harmony of the whole church behind them. That is the body at work, and what
a beautiful picture it is.

Sovereignty and Responsibility

But we also see a wonderful blending of the sovereignty of the Spirit and the responsibility of men. Look at this next
section:

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they
arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist
them (Acts 13:4,5).

God's sovereign, authoritative choice is expressed in the sending out of these men by the Holy Spirit. It was the Spirit who
laid this on their hearts and created in them an intense desire to move out. But then the next phrase reads, "They went
down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus..." The Spirit did not tell them to go to Cyprus; that was the choice
of Saul and Barnabas. The Spirit told them to move out, but the men decided where to go.

This is perfectly proper. Paul and Barnabas were acting in confidence that the Spirit was not only thrusting them out, but
was also working in them to decide where to go. As Paul wrote later to the Philippians, "Work out your own salvation
[solutions] with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil.
2:12,13). When they thought over the situation they decided that Cyprus would be the logical place to start. They didn't
wait for the Spirit to point it out on the map; they decided on the basis of the natural contacts they had. Barnabas was
from Cyprus, and so were the men who started the church at Antioch. They undoubtedly had many contacts there, so that
is where they started. But they went with the confidence that God was in their choice.

This is the way to be led of the Spirit. The Spirit may lay on your heart some need, some ministry, some opportunity that
is before you, so that you feel impressed to do it, and perhaps others will join you in it. But if you don't know quite how
to get started, begin with what looks like the most natural thing, being confident that God is in you to govern and lead
you in your choice, and to bring out of it what he wants.

Note also that when Paul and Barnabas arrived at Salamis, they began in the synagogues. Why did they start there? Was
it because they were Jews and they knew that other Jews who had the Scriptures would listen to them? Was it simply the
most natural place to start? Yes, that is true, but I don't think this is the whole reason. We are not told as much in this text,
but in the Epistle to the Romans we learn that it was revealed to Paul that the gospel was first to go to the Jews and then
to the Gentiles. Everywhere he went, Paul began with the Jews. Again we see the combination of natural reasons and the
specific and precise command of the Holy Spirit. Paul always followed this pattern: he went to the Jews first, and when
they rejected the message he went to the Gentiles.

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On this journey Paul and Barnabas took an intern with them, a young man whose name was John Mark. Mark was not
commanded of the Lord to go with them, but Saul and Barnabas chose him, and in their choice we see the human element
once more. Mark had a rich mother who could aid in their financial expense, and he was also Barnabas' cousin. So they
simply followed natural lines of choice in their decision to take young John Mark, the one who later wrote the Gospel
according to Mark.

Expecting the Unexpected

As the men preached on Cyprus they obviously expected God to be with them and to open doors everywhere they went.
This is the way the Holy Spirit commonly operates; we are not to wait for orders concerning everything we do. Young
Christians often get the idea that they are to be like robots, automatons, ruled by computer-impulses which come from the
Spirit, and that they must sit and wait until such an impulse comes. While I was a student at Dallas Seminary I remember
a young man who thought this was the way the Spirit worked. He would stop at the foot of a staircase and ask God to
show him whether he should go up the right side or the left. He would pray about whether to put his hat on in the
morning, or not.

If God ran our lives like that we would be nothing more than mechanical beings. Animals are controlled in that way, by
their instincts, but not men. God wants us to understand that he lives within us. He will direct us precisely at times, and
when he does we must not ignore his direction. But when he doesn't we are to move out where we are with the confident
expectation that God is with us and will open the doors to make a way for us. When we follow that pattern, life becomes
exciting. God is infinitely creative, always doing something surprising, unexpected.

You cannot improve upon the strategy of the Holy Spirit. No one could anticipate the right way to approach these
Cyprian cities. One of the problems with the church in the twentieth century is that we are forever calling conventions,
councils, retreats, and conferences to try to decide where we ought to go next. We devise programs, structuring and
organizing God's work along carefully planned lines, as though the whole thing depended on us. This is one reason the
church is faltering in so many places, and why it has lost its note of excitement. The strategy belongs to the Holy Spirit.
He is the only one who knows how to reach a city or a county or a nation. As Paul and Barnabas discovered, he already
had men planted here and there, ready to respond whenever his people go out to proclaim the truth.

I heard a wonderful example recently of how the Holy Spirit works along this line. A friend told me that the Christian
World Liberation Front was trying to do something about the topless and bottomless bars in San Francisco. They
organized a protest and started walking up and down in front of some of these lewd, lurid places, carrying signs--rather
ironic signs--such as, THURSDAY NIGHT IS FAMILY NIGHT...BRING THE CHILDREN TO EL CONDOR. Customers
became so embarrassed by these signs that they stopped entering the bars.

Finally the management, angered by the marked decrease in attendance, sent out a bouncer to order the Christians off the
sidewalk. But these Christians, knowing they had a right to orderly protest, refused to leave. One night the bouncer got
very angry and hit one of the leaders right in the mouth. But the Christians were back again the next night, not knowing
how to proceed, but counting on the Lord.

This time the bouncer came out and ordered them to go, but they said they wouldn't leave unless they could go in and
pray for the people first. Surprisingly, the management agreed and invited them in. The place was
absolutely dead silent as these Christians stood up on the stage, surrounded by naked girls, and led the whole place in
prayer. One fellow said he peeked while the rest were praying and saw the bouncer going around quietly closing all the
doors so they wouldn't be disturbed by any noise from the street. They had a tremendous opportunity to speak the truth
to these people, who became utterly different in their demeanor when they were confronted with this kind of a contrast
between the right and the wrong.

We find this kind of radicalism of the Holy Spirit all through the Book of Acts. We are co-laborers with God, and when
we work together with him in this way he produces exciting situations and climactic circumstances which almost always
open the door for a fruitful ministry.

Luke doesn't tell us everything Paul and Barnabas did as they went through the island of Cyprus in this way. They must
have had a very effective ministry, however, because Christian churches were established in Cyprus right from the
beginning. The one incident in Cyprus that is recorded for us is given for a special reason. Luke tells us that Paul and

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Barnabas worked their way across the island from east to west, probably visiting all the cities along the way. After
perhaps two or three months they finally arrived at Paphos, the capital of the island on the western shore, where an
unusual event took place:

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false
prophet, named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned
Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his
name) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith (Acts 13:6-8).

Here is a remarkable example of how the Holy Spirit works. Paul and Barnabas had no idea that they would be able to
speak to the governor of the island, the proconsul. This man had been placed there by the Roman senate and was
responsible for the control and governance of the whole island. But this proconsul, prompted by the Holy Spirit even
though he was a pagan Roman, sent for Paul and Barnabas and asked them to speak to him the words of truth. So Paul
and Barnabas came and began to preach to the governor.

It is interesting that archeology has confirmed Luke's report. Inscriptions bearing the name of this very governor, Sergius
Paulus, have been found in Cyprus. Furthermore, Sir William Ramsey had uncovered evidence that he was a Christian
and that his whole family became Christians and were very prominent in Christian circles after this event.

Crooked Paths

When Paul and Barnabas began to teach Sergius Paulus, they were opposed by a Jewish magician whose professional
name was Elymas, which means "magician." His name in Hebrew was Bar-Jesus, and from this we get a hint of what this
man was doing. Bar-Jesus means "the son of Jesus." In the Hebrew culture, to call yourself a son of someone was to
designate yourself his follower. When this man called himself Bar-Jesus, therefore, he was claiming to he a follower of
Jesus, but what he taught was absolutely contrary to the teachings of Jesus. He was, in other words, the first in a long line
of Christian cultists who seize upon the name of Jesus and the name of Christianity as a guise for utterly unchristian
teaching. Many have followed him, so that today we have Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and many new sects which
claim the name of Christianity but teach the most unchristian doctrines.

Because this man was such a fraud, he very greatly provoked the spirit of Paul:

But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "You son of the devil,
you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of
the Lord?" (Acts 13:9,10).

Do you see what was happening? Paul was declaring the straight paths of Jesus, but this man was teaching deviations,
thus misleading this proconsul. So Paul said, in these rather blunt and direct words, "You son of the devil, you enemy of
all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, you had better stop what you're doing, perverting the straight paths of the
Lord."

First Sign of Apostleship

Then he did a very significant thing:

"And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and unable to see the sun for a time."
Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the
proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord (Acts
13:11,12).

Why was this event selected out of the ministry at Cyprus and recorded for us as the one significant occurrence of that
ministry? It is because it was here that Paul began to act as an apostle: "filled with the Holy Spirit," he began for the first
time to fulfill his apostolic calling. This is the first of those "signs of an apostle" which Paul fulfilled in order to indicate
that he was selected by the Lord Jesus to be a founder of the church, empowered to lay the foundation of faith and
become a writer of Scriptures. Note that Paul speaks to Elymas with the same authority that Peter manifested when
Ananias and Sapphira attempted to pose as pious frauds, as recorded in the fifth chapter of Acts. In both cases

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there was an immediate judgment. Only the apostles had the power to bring about such immediate judgments; this is not
something which just any Christian can do.

Paul has now become an apostle, and the leadership shifts immediately from Barnabas to Paul. From here on it is no
longer Barnabas and Saul but Paul and Barnabas, as verse 13 confirms:

Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia.

This event, then, is the beginning of the great ministry of the Apostle Paul, and the primary characteristic of that ministry
was his power in teaching. What impressed this consul was not the miracle, for this simply confirmed what he had heard.
What impressed him and made him believe was the teaching of the Lord, the remarkable, radical doctrine of Christianity:
Jesus Christ the Son of God has become man and is prepared to live his life again in every human being who will receive
him.

Dear Father, make us obedient followers of the strategy of the Spirit and careful teachers of this most revolutionary truth.
Our age needs this as desperately as did the first century. Make us faithful imitators of Paul as he was of Christ. In
Christ's name, Amen.

Chapter Two
The Radical Word
Acts 13:13-52
The Apostle Paul has changed the course of world history by the power of his ministry in the Spirit of Christ. He did so
by the preaching of the Word of truth, and in the latter part of Acts 13 we have a good example of how he did it. Paul had
preached many times before, but this powerful and shattering message is the first of which we have a record. It was given
in a synagogue on a sabbath morning and it shook a whole city--so much so that in verse 44 of this account we read, "The
next sabbath almost the whole city gathered together to hear the word of God."

We need to examine Paul's message in some detail to see why it made such an impact then, and what elements make it
radical and revolutionary even today. This message is not preached as widely as it needs to be today, perhaps because
people do not often want to hear the gospel presented as it is given in the Scriptures.

John Mark Turns Back

We left Paul, Barnabas, and young John Mark on the island of Cyprus at Paphos, the capital city. They were about to sail
across the arm of the Mediterranean to Asia Minor, and Luke now resumes the account for us at verse island of Cyprus at
Paphos, the capital city. They were about to sail across the arm of the Mediterranean to Asia Minor, and Luke now
resumes he account for us at verse 13:

Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned
to Jerusalem; but they passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into
the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them,
saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it" (Acts 13:13-15).

As we have already pointed out, the subtle shift from "Barnabas and Saul" to "Paul and his company" marks the
beginning of the apostleship of Paul, and of his leadership of this missionary journey. It may also suggest at least one
reason why, as Luke records in the next sentence, young John Mark left them and went back to Jerusalem. As the cousin
of Barnabas, Mark may well have resented this change in leadership. There is some indication in the Scriptures that he
and Paul did not get along too well, at least at first. Later on Paul will write from prison in Rome and ask that Mark be
sent to him, as he is of great profit to him by then.

But now there seems to be a great deal of friction. John Mark was the son of a wealthy widow, raised in luxury. There is
some evidence that he was the rich young ruler who refused to follow Jesus because he had many possessions. If that is
so, he has by this time returned and become a follower of Jesus. But some scholars feel that he was afraid of the hardships
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that were developing on this journey. The three men were coming into the rugged mainland where paganism was
rampant, where robbers and other dangers were on every hand, and where they faced increasing opposition from
religious leaders. Mark may well have weakened at this point and, resenting the leadership of Paul, returned to
Jerusalem.

So Paul and Barnabas went on to Antioch. This is not the Antioch in Syria, which they left to go to Cyprus, but another
Antioch in the region of Pisidia, which was part of the ancient Roman province of Galatia. When you read Paul's Letter to
the Galatians, you are reading a letter written to the Christians in the cities which were reached on this first missionary
journey: Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.

They came into the synagogue, according to the pattern which Paul always followed. It was the custom in the synagogue
for strangers to be invited to speak, and what these Jews heard from Paul was of very great importance. This speech falls
into three simple divisions which we will look at very carefully so as to understand the power of this mighty word.

So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: "Men of Israel, and you that fear God, listen. The God of this
people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted
arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he bore with them in the wilderness. And when he had
destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance, for about four hundred
and fifty years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king; and God
gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he
raised up David to be their king; of whom he testified and said, 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after
my heart, who will do all my will.' Of this man's posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.
Before his coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing
his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but after me one is coming, the sandals of
whose feet I am not worthy to untie'" (Acts 13:16-25).

Perhaps you have noticed that the introduction is in the same style as Stephen's great message recorded in the seventh
chapter of Acts. Stephen had stood before the Sanhedrin, of which Saul of Tarsus was a member, and had recounted the
history of Israel in order to try to awaken these stubborn Jews to an understanding of God's love and concern, and of his
sovereign direction of their nation. Paul never forgot the power of that message. It had reached to his own heart, had cut
through all the bigotry and egotism, and had planted a seed of faith in his heart which was ultimately to result in his
conversion. So here he is following the same tactics as Stephen.

True History

But notice that though this introduction is history, it is not history as we usually read it. Most of the history books I have
read center upon certain men--men who have done various deeds, either great or foul. Men like Adolf Hitler, or George
Washington, or Winston Churchill--outstanding personalities--men with what the world calls "charisma," who leave their
mark upon an age. But you will notice that this history centers on God; it is God who is working. This is history as it
ought to be written, because it is history as it really was. The apostle points out eleven different instances of God's work in
history: God chose the fathers, made the people great, led them out of Egypt, bore with them in the wilderness, destroyed
seven nations in the land of Canaan, gave them their land, gave them judges, gave them Saul for a king, removed Saul,
raised up David, and finally, "God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised." It all culminates in the coming of
the Lord Jesus himself.

Then Paul cites John's testimony to the greatness of Jesus. This was a telling blow because out in the provinces, away from
Jerusalem, John the Baptist was regarded as a great prophet. So here Paul quotes his testimony to the fact that the person
who was coming after him was so great that John himself said he was not worthy to untie his shoe. That is the
introduction.

In the second division of Paul's message we have the timeless facts of the gospel: the ministry, the crucifixion, and the
resurrection of Jesus:

Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message of this
salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the
utterances of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning him. Though they could

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 charge him with nothing deserving death, yet they asked Pilate to have him killed. And when they had fulfilled all
that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the
dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his
witnesses to the people (Acts 13:26-31).

I recently read an article by a very prominent liberal theologian of our day, in which he said it was almost impossible to
define the gospel clearly. But Paul did not have any such trouble; to him the gospel was very clear. It consisted of the
great acts of God in history, the coming of the Lord Jesus, his ministry among men, his crucifixion because of the sins of
men, and his resurrection as the Scriptures had promised. In First Corinthians he puts it this way:

Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel For I delivered to you as of first
importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1,3,4).

This is the Good News, the basis for everything God does, and here Paul makes that very, very clear indeed.

If Jesus Was Messiah...

Here also, Paul gives us the answer to a question that many people are still asking today: how is it, if Jesus was the
Messiah predicted by the Old Testament Scriptures, and if he fulfilled these when he came, that the Jews did not
recognize him? Paul says there were two reasons. First, they did not really see Jesus. They were misled by superficialities
about him. They looked at his trade and his background and saw that he was only a carpenter's son. They saw that he had
no money or influence or standing in society. They saw that he had no prestige-- he had never been to school, had never
been taught at a great scholar's feet--so they wrote him off and paid no attention to him. They didn't hear his words, and
they didn't see his miracles--or if they did, they immediately forgot them. Jesus lived the most magnificent life that had
ever been lived before men, but his contemporaries never saw it; "they didn't recognize him."

A lot of people are blind in this way today, like the Jews, because of the second reason: they did not understand the
Scriptures. Here were people who had heard the utterances of the Prophets read to them every Saturday in the
synagogue. They knew many of them by heart, but they didn't understand them. The reason they didn't understand is
that they never asked any questions. They didn't take the Scriptures seriously. The reading of the Scriptures had become
just a religious rite, a perfunctory performance. People went and did their thing in synagogue, and then went home again.
Because of this they missed the coming of the Son of God and failed to recognize him as the Messiah. And so, as Paul
says, they fulfilled the prophecies by condemning Jesus and turning him over to Pilate.

The Promises Fulfilled

In the third division of his message, Paul takes the two great truths of the ministry of Jesus and his resurrection and nails
them down for these Jews by quoting the Scriptures to them:

And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by
raising Jesus (Acts 13:32, 33a).

(This does not mean raising him from the dead. It is an expression very much like the one in verse 22, "he raised up
David," which does not mean that David was resurrected but that he was brought into office. God also raised up Jesus,
that is, brought him into humanity.)

...as also it is written in the second psalm, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee" (Acts 13:33b).

The promise in Psalm 2 was that the Son of God would be begotten as a man and would come into humanity. Then the
second fact:

And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he spoke in this way, "I will
give you the holy and sure blessings of David." Therefore he says also in another psalm, "Thou wilt not let thy Holy
One see corruption (Acts 13:34,35).

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Psalm 16 clearly predicted the coming of a man who would never see corruption, whose body would not decay, would
not disintegrate in the grave. Regarding psalms of this type, certain skeptics say, "These psalms don't refer to Jesus; they
are just referring to experiences in David's life. David wrote this psalm; therefore it pertains to him. We just don't have the
record of it, but he is talking about some unknown experience of his own." Many of the prophetic psalms are discounted
on that basis. Psalm 22, which so beautifully describes the crucifixion, and which even opens with the words of Jesus on
the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" is often minimized as being but an experience of David. But
here Paul answers that type of argument before it can even be raised. He says,

For David, after he had served the counsel of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers,
and saw corruption; but he whom God raised up saw no corruption (Acts 13:36,37).

In other words, you cannot apply Psalm 16 to David, for it points to someone who would come later, of the lineage of
David, who would never see corruption when he died. Witnesses saw Jesus alive after he died; he saw no corruption.
Thus Paul confirms the fact of Christ's resurrection.

Now we come to the heart of the message; here is the hammer blow of this word:

Let it be known to you therefore, brethren, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by
him every one that believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses (Acts
13:38,39).

This was a shattering statement. Here were men who honored the law of Moses, who thought the Ten Commandments
were the greatest word that God had ever given to men. They were trying their best to live up to them in one way or
another, and many of them realized they were failing. But they still thought the way to God was to obey the Ten
Commandments, to try their best to be good. But now Paul comes to declare to them that they will never find acceptance
with God in that way. You cannot be accepted by God on the basis of trying to be good. The Ten Commandments will not
help you a bit; they will condemn you, because you will not fulfill them, no matter how hard you try!

What the Law Could Not Do

Rather, Paul tells the people, God has found a way to accept mankind even though man cannot be good enough in
himself, and that way is through this man, Jesus Christ. Today we are accustomed to hearing this; it doesn't shake us. But
perhaps you can imagine how it shook these people. They had never heard anything like this before, this amazing news
that God would accept them. Unfortunately, our version somewhat diminishes its impact because it uses the term "freed."
Paul really says, "Every one that believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of
Moses." This is the first recorded occasion of Paul's use of that great word which is so frequent in the Book of Romans,
"justification by faith."

What does it mean to be justified? Most people think it means to have your sins forgiven, which is true, but it means a
great deal more than this. Justification means to have your sins forgiven in such a way that God's honor and integrity are
preserved. Let me use a term which explains this very well, although it is not theological. After serving in the Navy for
two years, I was honorably discharged. My being discharged meant that I was through. The Navy had no further claim on
me, nor I any relationship to them. But what I liked about this event was the word 'honorable." It was an honorable
discharge. I freely show my discharge papers to anyone. There was no blot or stain on my discharge. As far as the Navy
was concerned I had behaved well (there were some things they didn't know) and thus I was honorably discharged, But I
knew certain men in the Navy, because I worked in the legal office, who were dishonorably discharged. They were just as
separate from the Navy as I. The Navy was just as through with them as it was with me. But there was a blot on their
discharge; they did not like to show their discharge papers to anyone. In fact, their dishonorable discharge could even
affect their employment.

So what Paul is really saying here is this: If God forgave in the way most people think he does, if he were to say
concerning our sin, "Oh, forget about it, that's all right, don't worry about it; you're such a great fellow and I love you so
much that I'm just going to ignore it," then God's honor would be impugned. His character would be defiled by that kind
of forgiveness. He could no longer be regarded as the God of justice and truth; he would be a partaker in my sins and
yours.

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But God has found a way, through Jesus, to lay the guilt of our life and heart upon his own Son. Thus he has preserved
his honor and character and integrity, and at the same time he has been free to show his whole love to us. That is
justification. Because of the cross nobody will ever he able to point to God and say, "Aha! You let people off who are
guilty!" In the cross of Jesus God poured out all his judgment upon his Son. And in that cross, in the agony and the
anguish of it, the world can see a picture of how faithfully God obeys his own laws and carries out justice to the nth
degree. And yet, the wonder of it all is that God's love is therefore freed to be poured out to us, so that the result of
justification is full acceptance. If you accept the death of the Lord Jesus on your behalf, and his life is given to you, you are
justified from all things. Isn't this a great word? It means that God's unqualified love is poured out toward you. There is
no rejection whatsoever, for any cause. God's love begins to heal all your scars and hurt and anguish, and you start
becoming a whole person--all on the basis of being justified by faith.

This kind of love is incredible! Again and again I run across people who shake their heads and say, "That can't be; I've got
to do something. The only way God can find me acceptable is for me to make myself acceptable." But no one can ever
make himself acceptable to God by trying to live a good life. Many people find this truth difficult to accept, but that is the
radical character of this great concept!

A Moment of Crisis

Paul evidently saw some frowns as he spoke, because he immediately adds these words:

Beware, therefore, lest there come upon you what is said in the prophets: "Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and
perish; for I do a deed in your days, a deed you will never believe, if one declares it to you" (Acts 13:40,41).

I don't think these words were spoken in sharpness, but in sadness. The apostle is saying here that when you hear this
incredible word of grace--that God has found a way to love you without qualification--this is a moment of crisis in your
life. You can either accept it and live in the glory of that love, or you can reject it and turn away. But if you reject it, you
will find yourself in tremendous danger: you are in danger both of destroying yourself and of being destroyed, because
only God's love can rescue man!

This was sharply underlined for me a few years ago. Sitting in my church study one weekday morning I suddenly heard a
woman's voice shouting and crying out. I came out to see what was wrong, and I found a young married woman whom I
had talked with the week before, walking up and down in front of the cross above the platform. She was looking up at the
cross and crying, "Yes, there is a God; yes, there is a God and he will forgive me--I know he will! I know he will!" She was
in torment of spirit.

I didn't know what to make of it for a moment. I listened to her, and then I moved to speak to her. When she saw me she
just crumpled and fell on her face to the floor. I picked her up and helped her to a pew, and we talked together. The
previous week she told me that although she was married and although she professed to be a Christian, she was having
an affair with an older man. She had justified it, thinking it was something that would contribute to her happiness. I had
tried to help her gently and patiently and lovingly. I didn't condemn her, but sought to help her see what she was doing
to herself.

Then, this day, the man had called her and told her he was through. It shattered her, and, crushed with guilt, she came
trying to find release. Suddenly it had dawned on her what she had done to her family, what she had done to her
husband, what she had done to herself, how she had hurt everyone. She came trying to find forgiveness, crying out to
God. But I could see as I talked with her that she didn't really believe the forgiveness that was offered. I went through the
Scriptures with her, but she refused to accept God's forgiveness. She felt that somehow she must do something, she must
atone. She would not believe what God had said: that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, that he
would freely forgive and wash it all away, and that then, in the strength of his healing, wholeness would follow.

Finally she calmed down a bit. She called her husband and he came over. I talked with them, and then he took her home.
But she was still distressed, so her husband took her to the hospital. Two days later I received word that in her anguish of
mind she had thrown herself from the tenth floor of the hospital and her body was crushed on the pavement below. That
is the awful pressure of guilt. If you do not find a way to relieve it, it will destroy you! And that is why this message hit
with such power in this city. Paul laid out before them the fact that the only way, the only way, to be freed from guilt is to
accept the work of Another on your behalf. God's love is unqualifiedly poured out on that basis, and that alone.

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Either Faith or Jealousy

Now look at the results of this message:

As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next sabbath. And when the meeting of the
synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and
urged them to continue in the grace of God.

The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the
multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and reviled him. And Paul
and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since
you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the
Lord has commanded us, saying, 'I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the
uttermost parts of the earth.' And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God; and as
many as were ordained to eternal life believed (Acts 13:42-48).

Jesus had said to his disciples, "If they have receive me, they will receive you; and if they have rejected me, they will reject
you." Everywhere Paul went he found this to be true. The gospel is like a knife cutting its way through society, through
men's hearts. It awakens, it hits with impact, and it divides--men have to decide one way or the other. Some decide for,
some against. Some want God and cry out to him, and are relieved and delivered; others refuse, turn away, harden their
hearts, and destroy themselves. This is what we see here. Certain Jews and devout converts, i.e., Gentile converts to
Judaism, followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. But there were
also those who were filled with jealousy and hostility, who contradicted and reviled, and to them Paul proves, from the
Scriptures, that the Scriptures authorize them to turn from the Jews and go to the Gentiles if the Jews refuse this message.
He quotes Isaiah:

I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Then we are told:

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God; and as many as were ordained to
eternal life believed.

Now do not turn this around. The verse does not say, 'And as many as believed were ordained to eternal life." Paul began
this message by showing them that God is active, trying to reach out to men; it is not men who are trying to find God.
When men believe, they are simply responding to the activity of God, who is already reaching out to them. Here were
many who were ordained of God, and when they were thus ordained, they believed, they responded to God. You can
never get away from this wonderful, mysterious combination of divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

This, by the way, is the same word that Paul uses in Romans 13 when he says, "The powers that he are ordained of God."
In an election year we vote for men to he our governmental officials. Certain men, by their human will, decide to run for
office. Others decide to vote for them; the people put them into office. Yet the Scripture says it is God who puts them
there. I don't know how it works. God doesn't cancel out human responsibility, but underneath and above and all around
is the sovereignty of God, working his wonderful purposes in human life.

The final result of Paul's sermon is given in the closing verses:

And the word of the Lord spread throughout all the region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing
and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their
district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled
with joy and with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:49-52).

Paul and Barnabas were evidently at Antioch for an extended time, probably several weeks, during which the Word of
God went out into all the region around. But many of the Jews were disturbed by this and, as they could not prevail
openly, they went around behind the scenes and stirred up a Women's Liberation Front. They went to devout women of

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high standing and through them they reached the Roman authorities (the leading men of the city) and thus drove them
out of their district.

Dr. Luke, with his ability to deliver quick, precise summaries, does not give us all the details. Paul tells us that there were
three times in his life when he was beaten by rods, an official action of the Romans. Once was later in Philippi, and many
scholars feel that here was another occasion. Paul and Barnabas may have been brought before the Roman authorities and
beaten with rods and thus driven out of the district. In any event, they shook off the dust of their feet against them and
went to Iconium.

The last sentence is beautiful. The disciples who remained in this area were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. There
is no mention of the gift of tongues in connection with the filling of the Holy Spirit, but there is mention of the fruit of the
Spirit. They were filled with the joy of the Lord and the love of God. This is the great sign of the Spirit of God in the
human heart--it floods the heart with love and joy. If we are Christians our hearts cannot help but be moved at the mercy
of God toward us, who deserve nothing at his hands. Yet how much he has given!

Our heavenly Father, our hearts are stirred as we think again of the mercy that you show to us, this marvelous
justification by which all that has lain heavily on our hearts and our consciences has been washed away in the blood of
Jesus Christ our Lord. And his life is given to us so that by it we may live on a totally different basis than we ever lived
before. How wonderful this is, Lord! Teach us never to forget that we have been justified, and that whenever we fail or
falter, your justification is there again, ready to wash us and cleanse us, to free us and restore us. In his name we thank
you, Amen.

Chapter Three
Counterattack
Acts 14:1-28

In Acts 14 we will see Paul and Barnabas ministering in three different cities--Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. In two of these
cities they met with vicious and violent opposition. It is important for us to see how they handled this, because it is very
likely, in the days to come, that many of us will face the same kind of conditions--violence and physical opposition,
threatening us because of our faith.

Immediate Impact

We begin with the first verse of Chapter 14, as Paul and Barnabas come to the city of Iconium:

Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue, and so spoke that a great company believed, both
of Jews and of Greeks. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the
brethren. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace,
granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the
Jews, and some with the apostles (Acts 14:1-4).

Iconium, although a pagan Gentile city, had a strong colony of Jews who had a synagogue. As usual, Paul and Barnabas
went there first, and their preaching had an impact. We read that they "so spoke that a great company believed, both of
Jews and of Greeks." This was no bland, meaningless gospel; it was a gospel that hit like a ton of bricks. It shook people
and jolted them and made them sit up and take notice. Immediately a great crowd believed when they heard Paul and
Barnabas.

Since this was a synagogue it was a place where religious people had long gathered, going over the truth about God. A
great deal of truth was available to them there, but their hearts were empty. All their knowledge had not brought them to
peace and forgiveness and all the other great things for which they were searching the Scriptures. But when Paul and
Barnabas declared the grace of God in Jesus, these people believed, and it made a tremendous change! It doesn't make
any difference what your background has been--how dark or wrong, how smug or self-righteous or hypocritical. The
great word of the gospel is that Jesus Christ cleanses, sets free, fills with adequacy, and makes men able to be what God
intended them to be.
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Subtle Opposition

A further effect of a genuine gospel message is that it will arouse opposition. We read, "But the unbelieving Jews stirred
up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren" (v. 2). In any Jewish synagogue there were many Gentiles
trying to learn the truth about God. Luke says that certain of the Jews were unbelieving. Literally, the word is
"unpersuadable" They not only disbelieved the gospel but would not give it a chance or even consider it. These people
stirred up the Gentiles who were present and poisoned their minds against the brethren.

Just how they did this we are not told. There is a very interesting account in the New Testament Apocrypha (certain
books circulated in the early days with the claim that they were a part of Scripture, but which were never accepted as
such). Among them is a book called "The Acts of Paul and Thecla," the setting of which is Iconium. According to this story
the Apostle Paul fell in love with a young woman called Thecla, and their romance became so torrid that it broke up her
whole family and thus turned the city against them. I am sure this was not an actual event. The book is dated probably
two centuries or so after Paul lived. But it does perhaps reflect something of the methods these Jews used to
poison the minds of the Gentiles, by suggesting that the gospel being preached would destroy a family relationship.

At any rate, the apostles ran into subtle opposition. No one knows exactly how the enemy is going to strike back. Paul
says, "We are not ignorant of his devices"; that is, we know what schemes the devil uses against us. The devil has a
limited bag of tricks from which he can operate. But what we do not know is which one of them he is going to employ on
any given occasion. There is an element of surprise in the devil's work, and here is a clear case in point. These men were
not met with the outright, open opposition they faced in Antioch, but with subtle, whispering, deceitful, poisonous
propaganda, turning many people away from the truth. Luke, with characteristic brevity, does not give us all the details,
but it is evident that the apostles somehow overcame this opposition, for we read,

So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace granting
signs and wonders to be done by their hands. (Acts 14:3).

They were probably there for several months, possibly as long as six months. During this time, despite the subtle
propaganda against the gospel, a sweeping proclamation of the truth went forward. Many were turning to Christ, and
God worked with his apostles, confirming the Word with signs and wonders.

Supernatural Evidence

Here is another significant element which is always present when the true gospel is being preached. There is a baffling
quality about it; things happen which are beyond the ability of men to bring about. It is the supernatural evidence of the
truth of the gospel which makes it so attractive and compelling to the world. This strange confirmation does not always
involve physical miracles, although it did in those days, and it does in certain places again today. But these physical
miracles are simply parables for us of the spiritual freedom that God intends to give. The character of the miracles
occurring today is primarily that men and women are set free to be what they never could have been without Jesus Christ.
Some of them struggle for years to free themselves from habits, thoughts, and attitudes that are harmful and injurious to
them, but without success. When they come to Christ, however, he strikes off the shackles, and they are free. That baffling
supernatural element must be present in every single Christian. If there is not that quality about you as a Christian which
cannot be explained in terms of your personality, or your background or education, or your heredity, then you really have
nothing more to offer to your neighbors and friends than any other person would have. There must be that mysterious
element which makes people scratch their heads and say, "I don't understand him (or her). His attitude and reactions are
unaccountable. I don't understand his ability to show love. It's something quite different from what I'm used to." That is
God at work.

The Sword of Division

The last mark of the gospel given in this section is that of division:

But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles (Acts 14:5-7).

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The gospel is like a ferment turned loose in society. It is not intended to bring peace, except to the individual heart; it is
intended to be divisive. Jesus said, "Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No. I have come to bring a sword."
He certainly did not mean the sword of warfare and physical violence. He made that very clear. He meant that the
message he proclaimed was intended to divide men. One of the marks of true evangelism is always that those who are
being affected by it are divided. They are either for it or against it. No neutrality is possible when the gospel is preached
in the power of the Holy Spirit. If there is a church in a city and that city is not divided, then there is something wrong
with the church, because it is not preaching the gospel as it ought to be preached. There ought to be a clear-cut division
among people as the gospel comes in.

Before we move on, notice one other interesting thing here. For the first time in the Book of Acts both Barnabas and Paul
are called apostles (in verses 4 and 14), showing that other men besides the twelve and Paul were called apostles.

Eventually the animosity of the apostles' opponents intensified dangerously. But, as usual, this by no means prevented a
wider preaching of the gospel.

When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to molest them and to stone them, they
learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country; and there they
preached the gospel (Acts 14:4).

Thus we come to the second city in this chapter, the Gentile city of Lystra, where there was no Jewish synagogue. With no
obvious place to begin, what will they do now? Let's see what happens:

Now at Lystra there was a man sitting, who could not use his feet; he was a cripple from birth, who had never
walked. He listened to Paul speaking; and Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well,
said in a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he sprang up and walked. And when the crowds saw what
Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of
men!" Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, because he was the chief speaker, they called Hermes. And the priest of
Zeus, whose temple was in front of the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice
with the people (Acts 14:8-13).

When Paul and Barnabas came into this city they had no idea what they were going to do. They didn't form a committee
and say, "Well, let's see if we can get the Chamber of Commerce report on the city's population distribution. Then we
could divide it into squares and evangelize in a systematic way." They had no plans other than to be there and to do what
God sent them to do--to preach. So they walked right into the marketplace and began, trusting the Lord to have prepared
certain people, to have men of his choosing ready to open the door to the city.

As they proclaimed the gospel, God began to work in an amazing way. Sitting in the marketplace was a man who had
been lame from his birth, who had never walked. He was evidently well-known throughout the city, having been there all
his life. As Paul preached, probably for several days in a row, this man listened and believed what Paul was declaring
about the power of Jesus, the mighty Son of God. One day Paul looked at him and saw in that man's eyes the faith to
believe. Suddenly, unquestionably led of the Spirit, he said to him, "Stand upright on your feet." And the lame man,
though he had never walked in his life, made the effort to obey. He had faith enough to try, and the moment he began to
obey, the power to obey was given.

The Christian life always works that way. It doesn't make any difference whether the problem is physical, emotional, or
spiritual; you are going to be held in its bondage until you begin to obey the Word of God about it. When you make the
effort to obey, God will set you free. But he will never move until you obey. That's the way faith works. Most people are
kept from seeing God at work in their lives because they keep waiting for God to do something in order for them to
believe. But God has already done all that he is going to do, and when you believe what he says, then he will give you the
power to be free.

This miracle is a mighty parable of the many people who have been spiritually lame, unable to take a step toward God,
but who have been set free to do so by the gospel. This miracle cracked the city wide open. The whole populace
immediately took note of Paul and Barnabas in their midst. Ordinarily the city would not have been open to the
preaching of the gospel, and God's full purpose would not have been accomplished there.

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Appeal to the Ego

But the enemy was also at work. Without wasting a moment, he managed to pervert the situation so that these people
would not hear the word. He twisted and distorted the people's perception just enough to lay groundwork for a further
attack against the apostles. We are told that these superstitious, pagan people cried out, "Why, the gods have come down
to us!" The Greek names they gave the apostles were Zeus and Hermes; the Roman names were Jupiter and Mercury.
Perhaps because Barnabas had a long beard and dignified bearing they called him Jupiter, or Zeus. Because Paul was
small and talked a lot he was called Mercury, or Hermes, the spokesman for the gods. What a subtle attack! Here was an
appeal to the ego of the apostles. Imagine going into a strange city and being welcomed as gods!

On a recent trip to Hawaii I visited the wax museum in Honolulu and saw the diorama depicting the landing of Captain
James Cook of the British Navy on the shores of Hawaii, at Kealakekua Bay. He was welcomed as the god Lono, and he
and his men were given anything and everything they wanted. They were attended to day and night. But one day as they
were about to launch their boats and return to their ship, a native who was angry with Captain Cook for some reason
grabbed hold of him, forgetting that he was supposedly a god. Captain Cook swung at him and knocked him down. The
native retaliated, hitting him on the head with a club, and the captain groaned. When the natives heard this, one of them
cried out, "He groans. He is not a god!" and they fell on him and killed him. You can see a memorial at the site today. In
Lystra, these apostles had a perfect opportunity to take over the city on their own terms! What a subtle attack this flattery
was. Sometimes popularity is the weapon Satan employs most successfully to ruin the presentation of the gospel. But
notice how Paul and Barnabas receive it:

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it [they didn't understand the native speech of these people, even
though Paul had the gift of tongues. The gift is not intended for preaching the gospel nor understanding another
language, so someone had to tell them what was happening], they tore their garments and rushed out among the
multitude, crying, "Men, why are you doing this? We also are men, of like nature with you, and bring you good
news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea
and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways; yet he did not leave
himself without witness, for He did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, satisfying your
hearts with food and gladness." With these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them
(Acts 14:14-18).

If you want to know how to reach your neighbors who are not interested in the gospel and who know nothing of
Scripture, who have not been to church and are not interested in it, the approach to take is through nature. When Paul
went to the Jews, he started with the Scriptures, the truth of God that they already knew. When he went to the Gentiles,
he started with nature, the truth of God which they already knew.

Paul points out three things that would have been very plain to his hearers if they had been thinking about their contact
with nature. First he shows that behind creation there is one living God, not a multitude of relatively powerless,
desperate, and divided pagan deities or idols. If Paul's hearers had really observed nature, they would have realized that
it is not controlled by a conglomerate of separate powers, all trying to compete with one another, as envisioned in the
pagan pantheon. According to the pagan system, everything had a god. There was a god of water, a god of trees, a god of
rocks. Even the processes of the body had gods: there was a god for speech, a god for sex, and a god for life. These gods,
like people, were in competition with one another. Paul is saying, 'You haven't really seen nature. You haven't noticed,
obviously, that nature is as one; it all ties together because it has been made by one God, who is a living God. It is
sustained and held together in harmony, and is constantly being renewed. So there is one living God," Paul declares to
them in no uncertain terms that nature has borne witness to God.

The second point he makes is that the one living God permits men free choice, and therefore allows evil. The problem of
evil among men forms the basis of constant arguments from humanists and others, who say, "If your God is such a loving
God, why does he permit suffering? Why does he allow evil, and injustice, and war?" These pagans were quite aware of
these arguments. They understood them and argued the same way as such people do today. Paul answers by saying,
"What you must know is that God, in generations past, allowed all the nations to walk in their own way." In other words,
he gave them free will. In order to permit free will, he must allow evil. That is Paul's argument, and it is unanswerable.

There are those today who say, "Why doesn't God stop all the wars and injustices?" Well, he could, But if he did, he
would take away your freedom of choice, and that is the one thing you don't want to surrender. The greatest dignity of

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humanity is the power to choose between two possible routes. God has given us that power, and he will not take it away.
Paul says that this is the reason God allows evil.

But third, he says, God will not allow evil to go too far. He does not allow evil to engulf humanity and wipe us off the face
of the earth, as human evil would surely do in a few months' time if it were unrestrained. God has restrained it. And right
in the midst of it, despite all the rejection and rebellion and blasphemy and hatred that is poured out against him by these
people whom he loves, God has shown his love by giving rain and fruit and harvest and gladness in the family circle and
joy and happiness throughout the various moments of life. That is the God whom Paul preached. What a marvelous
declaration of the gospel, that God had given all these things and thus had given witness to these people about himself!

The Marks of Jesus

So the first onslaught of the enemy falls back upon itself. The city is open to the gospel, and Paul is able to proclaim it in
power. But soon the devil's evil comes full cycle. Look at the next event:

But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium; and having persuaded the people, they stoned Paul and dragged
him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered
the city; and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe (Acts 14:19, 20).

Here is the counterattack of the enemy again, striking back to hinder the gospel as soon as its power is unleashed. This
time he falls back on his old reliable--violence. His spadework has created a climate in which the people can be persuaded
to condone the stoning of the person who would be their benefactor. This is the only time that Paul was stoned--not with
drugs, but with hard, sharp rocks which cut his body, bruised and crushed him, and left him lying in a crumpled heap on
the pavement. His enemies dragged him outside the city gates and threw him on the rubbish dump, thinking he was
dead. You can imagine Barnabas and the disciples gathered around him there, weeping over this beloved, faithful
preacher whom they too thought to be dead.

This may well be the time when Paul received those marks in his body to which he refers later in his Letter to the
Galatians, The church in Lystra was one of the Galatian churches. Paul writes," I bear on my body the marks of Jesus"
(Gal. 6:17). He may have received those marks when he was stoned at Lystra. In any case, as his friends are gathered
around him, weeping and lamenting his death, perhaps speaking of burial, the apostle suddenly sits up and says, "Hold
the undertaker! You're not going to bury Paul yet." And God restores him. Was he dead? This is a question many ask, but
Luke says no, he was not dead. "Supposing him to be dead, they dragged him out of the city." Luke can surely be trust in
this judgment. As he journeyed with Paul later he certainly must have questioned him closely about this event. As a
doctor, his medical interest would have been aroused, and he was satisfied that Paul had not died. But Paul was
miraculously restored, and the next day he went on to Derbe.

So far we have seen the pattern of approach to the religious crowd as well as the pattern of approach to the pagan crowd.
We have seen how to handle the various attacks of Satan by faithful obedience to the commission which God has given.
In the last part of the chapter we learn about another important feature which is basic to the gospel-body life:

When they had preached the gospel to that city [Derbe] and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and
to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and
saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for
them in every church, with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed (Acts 14:21-
23).

What tremendous evidence of courage! They had been expelled from Antioch of Pisidia, threatened in Iconium, and
actually stoned in Lystra, but when God raises Paul up they go right back into those same cities to strengthen the
disciples. This kind of courage comes only from trust in the living God; they were confident that God was going with
them. It was essential to the life of the church that they gather the disciples together and minister to them. The Christian
life is more than merely being converted; it is growing in Christ. It is going on to he what God intended you to be in
Christ, which involves certain provisions.

Provisions for Growth

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Notice three important things the apostles did. First, they taught the disciples. "They strengthened the souls of the
disciples." You do that by teaching the Word of God. The Word is what sets men free, but people must
know the truth before they can be set free. So they taught them by expounding the Word to them. Second, they exhorted
them to continue in the faith. This is usually done by an appeal to example. They went back over the Old Testament
record and pointed out how men and women of God had been living by faith for years, and how God had blessed and
strengthened them. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a mighty testimony of this sort. Third, they enlightened these new
believers as to the meaning of tribulation. They said, "You're going to go through trouble, but don't be surprised. This is
what will make a real, genuine man or woman out of you. It will make you grow. You need tribulation, so thank God for
it." In this way they taught them how to view hardship.

Not only did they teach the new disciples, but they also recognized the spiritual gifts that were present. They noted that
the Holy Spirit had equipped men and women for ministry in the church, and they appointed elders in every church,
with prayer and fasting.

Finally, they prayed and committed the people to the Lord. Thus, as they moved on, the church was able to grow and
expand and preach throughout the whole area (as we will see when the apostles come back later) because they were
solidly grounded. At last they were able to return to the church at Antioch, from which they had been sent out:

Then they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went
down to Attalia; and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the
work which they had fulfilled. And when they arrived, they gathered the church together and declared all that God
had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they remained no little time with
the disciples (Acts 14:24-28).

This was a missionary meeting, with a report of what has happened, much as churches have in our time.

Missionaries come to us periodically to tell us what is going on in the far reaches of the world as the gospel is penetrating
in power there today. What an exciting time it most have been for the people gathered together to hear the apostles speak,
as they saw the scars on Paul's body and heard the marvelous stories of the thousands who had come to Christ through
the ministry of these faithful men! By trusting God they had been able to turn back all the attacks of the enemy and could
therefore encourage the home church by their experience of God's faithfulness and power in the midst of opposition.

Our Father, we ask you to make us faithful followers of these mighty apostles, our brethren of the early centuries. Like
them, Lord, help us to trust in a living God who is changing men's hearts and delivering their minds from the grip and
power of the evil one. Help us to rejoice as we too see the power of the Word of God in our own day. We ask in your
name, Amen.

Chapter Four
Cause For Alarm
Acts 15:1-21

Paul and Barnabas and the other believers who proclaimed the truth of God in the first century met with bitter and
violent opposition everywhere they went, as we have just seen. Riots were created in cities where they preached, and
everywhere they preached they were confronted with such heavy opposition that their lives were threatened. But the
tactics of the enemy are not limited to external opposition; these men also met with treacherous betrayal from within.

In the fifteenth chapter of Acts we have the story of the worst of these inner betrayals of the gospel, the emergence of
what we can only call false Christianity. You will never understand Christianity or the church until you understand that
there are always present, in any so-called Christian gathering, manifestations and representatives of both true and false
Christianity. Unfortunately, false Christianity is believed by millions who think they have understood the truth. Therefore
their minds are closed to the truth when it comes. The characteristics of this kind of false Christianity, which is
unthinkingly accepted by millions of people today as the real thing, are described in this chapter. Luke gives us the
background in the opening verses:

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 But some men came down from Judea [to Antioch]and were teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised
according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and
debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles
and the elders about this question (Acts 15:1,2).

Here is another greatly condensed account of events which actually occurred over a period of several months. It all began
with the introduction of a very plausible and attractive heresy which came disguised as Christianity. Luke says that
certain Jewish brethren, who were ostensibly Christians, came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. They came among the
Gentile believers there, who had been, until just recently, devotees of the licentious and sexually immoral practices of the
pagan temples. These Gentiles had been hopeless in their outlook toward the future beyond this life and were sunken in
despair and darkness. But God had saved them, and they were now rejoicing in Christ.

But these Jewish brethren came to them and said, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you
cannot be saved." This introduced an issue which split the church at Antioch wide open. They were really saying, "In
order to become a Christian, you must first become a Jew. Unless you become a Jew you are a second-class Christian, if a
Christian at all." Thus they challenged the gospel of the grace of God as Paul and Barnabas had been proclaiming it.

Race and Ritual

The first really serious internal strife within the church was over race and ritual--over the question of Jews versus
Gentiles, and of circumcision as the sign of acceptance. This specific issue has long ago passed away as a concern to us,
but the principle behind it is very definitely still present today. The enemy has simply changed the players on the
program, substituting new issues on the same old divisive platform.

In many places today the issue is whether blacks are supposed to worship with whites. One of the largest churches in
Birmingham, Alabama, was split for weeks over the question of whether they ought to admit one lone black woman to
membership in a church which had never had a black member for 98 years!

More widely, this same principle is involved in the feelings of many Christians toward any group or individual who is
different from them in some way. At the height of the hippie movement one young man was working successfully within
the hippie culture in Los Angeles, bringing great crowds of them into the church he represented. He was finally dismissed
because, as the official board of that church put it, "He's bringing the riffraff off the streets into the church." That is the
kind of issue they had in Antioch.

I remember how shocked I was a few years ago at the reply a young couple gave to my suggestion that they visit another
couple who were newcomers to our church, They looked at me and said, "Oh, no, you don't want them. They're not our
kind of people." It was all I could do to restrain myself from tongue-lashing them on the spot, because that is a hateful
denial of the universality of the church and of its inclusion of all types and ages and backgrounds and races.

Rituals, as well as people, often become bones of contention today. Substitute baptism for circumcision and you bring the
issue right up to date. Some people insist that unless you undergo the ritual of a haircut, you cannot become a Christian.
Barbers have become the priests of our day! Others say that no one should be admitted to a church gathering unless he
has his shoes on. But I have searched the Scriptures and cannot find anything there which says you must wear shoes to
church. These external issues are the kinds of things that are splitting Christians apart today, even as the issue of
circumcision was in Antioch.

This issue had great power over these new Christians. They were relatively untaught, and the whole idea appeared very
plausible on several grounds. First of all, these men who came down from Jerusalem were evidently sincere. They were
not simply trying to cause trouble; they were deeply committed to the belief that unless a Gentile complied with the law
of Moses and was circumcised, he had no right to call himself a Christian. This whole concept struck with such
tremendous force because of the sincerity of these men.

Furthermore, the issue appeared to have a great deal Scriptural support. There are passages in the Old Testament which
say that ultimately Israel will rule over the Gentile nations, and that the Jews are chosen as God's own people, with a
peculiarly special relationship to him. These men went through the Scriptures and selected these verses, ignoring others

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that temper and balance them, and, like any good cultist today, they presented a tremendously appealing program that
seemed to be based solidly in Scripture. With it they shook the faith of these people in Antioch.

What they were doing was failing to allow God to reveal new truth. They were basing their position on the assumption
that all truth had already been given in that day. But the Scriptures were not yet completed; God was revealing new truth.
Remember that the Apostle Paul tells us very plainly that this whole truth about the Jews and the Gentiles becoming one
body in Jesus Christ was never mentioned in the Old Testament. He says it was a mystery hidden from previous
generations until it was revealed to the apostles and the prophets of the New Testament era. But for this reason it was
difficult indeed to prove that receiving uncircumcised believers into the church was not a violation of the Scriptures.

Third, the position of these men appeared to be supported by the church in Jerusalem. The views came from James, the
brother of our Lord Jesus himself, who had been raised with Jesus and could testify to the fact that Jesus obeyed the law
and was circumcised according to the law of Moses. By using these arguments they had great power in the preaching of
this heresy. Thus it is no wonder that Luke says, in a characteristic under statement, that they caused no small dissension
and debate!

Though we are not told so here, this is unquestionably the time when that incident occurred which the Apostle Paul
records in his Letter to the Galatians. The Apostle Peter had come clown to Antioch and at first had perfect freedom to eat
with the Gentiles. Peter enjoyed his first taste of a ham sandwich, and he had bacon and eggs every morning. He was
rejoicing in his freedom in Christ. But, Paul says, when certain men came down from James and began to preach that you
cannot be saved unless you are circumcised according to the law of Moses, Peter (think of it--Peter the Apostle!) was
carried away by this dissension. He went over to the kosher table for breakfast and no longer ate with the Gentiles. And
Barnabas (Barnabas, Paul's faithful co-laborer in the dissemination of the gospel!) was likewise carried away briefly, until
Paul straightened him out. Paul had to rebuke the Apostle Peter publicly for his inconsistency. You can see what Luke
means when he says this was no small debate. This was an issue which threatened to divide Christianity for the rest of the
time!

The church appointed Paul and Barnabas to go up to Jerusalem. Be careful not to read this as though Paul was uncertain
as to the truth and had to consult with the other apostles before it was settled. Paul never had a moment's doubt over this
issue. He tells us in Galatians that he went to Jerusalem by revelation; the Lord told him to go. Paul was prepared to defy
all twelve apostles and the whole church of Jerusalem if they should differ with him on this issue, because he knew what
the Lord Jesus had revealed to him directly. He did not get his gospel from the apostles; he got it from the Lord, So he
stood firm. For a while the whole fate of the gospel hung upon this one man's faithfulness.

First Ecumenical Council

Paul went to Jerusalem because this was the best way to silence these Judaizing teachers. If the church at Jerusalem would
repudiate this doctrine, then the Judaisers would be thwarted and their teaching would be discredited. Luke takes us to
this first ecumenical council:

When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared
all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up, and said,
"It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses." The apostles and the elders were
gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them,
"Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear
the word of the gospel and believe. And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit
just as he did to us; and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith. Now
therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers
nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they
will. And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and
wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles (Acts 15:4-12).

From this account alone it would seem as though only one great meeting took place in Jerusalem, but actually there were
three. First there was a body-life service when Paul and Barnabas arrived. This was the first time these men had appeared
in Jerusalem after their triumphant missionary journey through the Galatian cities, and so they were welcomed home.
What a grand occasion it must have been as Paul and Barnabas stood up and told about all that God had done! They told

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of how they had held street meetings in front of saloons in the various cities where they went, of how riots had started
over them, of how they had been kicked out of assemblies and driven out of towns. They told of how God had worked
with them through it all, confirming their words and changing the lives of many. The whole church in Jerusalem was
stirred as they heard this account.

The next day there was a private meeting which Paul mentions in Galatians 2, but which Luke does not record here. There
Paul and the other apostles and the elders sat down and together discussed Paul's theology. "At the end of that meeting,"
Paul says, It was quite apparent that these men who had lived and traveled with the Lord Jesus had absolutely nothing to
add to me," In other words, Paul had learned from the Lord directly what Jesus had taught the others through the whole
scope of his ministry. Paul's gospel was exactly the same as theirs. "And when they saw that," Paul says, "they extended to
me the right hand of fellowship and put their blessing upon my ministry. We realized that we were proclaiming exactly
the same truth."

Focus on Titus

On the next day was the great general meeting in which the leaders took up this very divisive issue of whether a person
had to be circumcised in order to be a Christian. Titus had come to Jerusalem with Paul on this occasion, and he now
became the focus of contention. The question was whether this young man, who was a Greek and not a Jew, had to be
circumcised or not. You can imagine how embarrassed poor Titus was, but Paul tells us in Galatians that this was the
issue. There was a great deal of debate, as Luke records; there always is in such a meeting. The issue must be thoroughly
aired, and there are always two kinds of speakers: those who have something to say, and those who have to say
something. So it went on and on.

Finally Peter stood up. It is important to note that Peter did not convene this council. If, as our Catholic friends tell us, he
had been the first pope, that would have been his responsibility. But he did not. James was the president of the council
and Peter was merely a spokesman. Notice also that they did not settle anything by majority vote. They were seeking the
mind of the Spirit, which would be expressed in a sense of unity they would all recognize. That is why the issues had to
be clearly aired.

Actually, I'm surprised that Peter kept silent as long as he did; he was always opening his mouth to change feet. But he
was probably chastened and humbled by the recent rebuke he had received from the Apostle Paul, and so, biding his time
and awaiting God's moment, finally rose to speak. He had three things to say: first he reminded the leaders that at the
very beginning of his ministry God had taught him a great lesson along this line, stripping him of all the ugly Jewish
prejudices he had retained even as a Christian. God made him face up to the fact that he loved and searched for and
wanted non-Jewish believers as much as Jews. Peter had told, in an earlier council in Jerusalem, of the struggle he went
through in this area. Now he reminds them again of how, in the home of Cornelius, he had learned something new about
the heart of God.

Then (and this is very significant, coming from a Jew) he admits to them publicly and openly--challenging them to deny
it--that the effort to obey the law by trying their hardest was nothing but a burdensome yoke upon their necks, and that it
always had been such a yoke, throughout Jewish history:

Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our
fathers nor we have been able to bear (Acts 15:10)?

Nobody ever came to God by trying to be good or by religious ritual. Never. No Jew, no Gentile, no one ever came to him
that way. In the effort to do so, people have that only been bowed down under such an intolerable weight that they have
often been crushed in despair. Peter's third point is a real blockbuster. He says to these Jews, "Look, I believe that we Jews
will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as those Gentiles will."

Notice that Peter does not say, "They will be saved, just as we will," as might be expected. In other words, the norm for
God's operation in saving men is more visible when he saves a Gentile than it is when he saves a Jew. The Jew often
confuses the issue by his efforts at self-righteousness. But the Gentile does not try that. He usually accepts the grace of
God because he has no other place to turn. So Peter says, "I have come to see that we Jews are on exactly the same basis as
these Gentiles, when it comes to being saved."

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This thought-provoking statement had the impressive effect of bringing silence to the whole assembly. Even the Judaizers
were stunned by this argument. They all stopped talking and started thinking. Then they listened as Barnabas and Paul
related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas seized the occasion
to confirm the words of Peter by showing that God was doing the very thing he said, not only in saving men but also in
confirming that these two men were apostles. They had the signs of an apostle to prove it, the signs and wonders that
God had done through them. (This is probably when Paul and Barnabas received the right hand of fellowship,
acknowledging that they were indeed authenticated apostles.)

At this point James, the chairman of the meeting, speaks, and this is the conclusion of the whole event:

After they finished speaking, James replied,

"Brethren, listen to me. Symeon [i.e., Peter] has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a
people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written, 'After this I will return, and I will
rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, that the rest of men may
seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who has made these things known
from of old.' Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should
write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity [literally, fornication] and from what is
strangled and from blood. For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is
read every sabbath in the synagogues" (Acts 15:13-21).

This is an extremely important statement. It is made by the man who was the flesh-and-blood brother of the Lord Jesus.
He had been raised in that home in Nazareth and had seen all that his older Brother had done all his life. He had not
believed in him until after the resurrection, but in the resurrection he saw confirmation of all the witness that the Spirit
had borne to his heart through those years, and he became a believer in Jesus Christ. He holds the utmost respect from all
factions in the church. He is called "James the Just" and "Old Camel-knees" because he prayed so long he wore holes in his
robe and raised calluses on his knees. He is a man of tremendous integrity.

He summarizes now, after listening to the mind of the Spirit. He says four things which are of extreme importance. First,
he comes squarely to terms with the activity of God. These Judaizers had been saying to the Gentiles, "Without
circumcision you cannot be saved." But they were ignoring one very stubborn fact: these Gentiles were already saved.
God had already been saying Gentiles without asking anybody's permission to do so, and he was doing it without any
ritual, or even any reference to the law of Moses. And with this point they could not argue. This was extremely important
because it forced them to take note of the direction of God's activity. They saw that God was already doing what they said
could not be done, and thus God was overruling them.

Be Sure It Is God

But now notice the second point. It is supremely important! The activity was accepted as the valid activity of God only as
it corresponded to the written Word of God. I wish I could get this point across to people today. There is so much activity
going on in our day which is being called the work of the Spirit of God, but which is not in line with what the Word of
God says. And people are accepting it naively, ingenuously, because it has some appearance of supernatural activity. It is
alright to note what God is doing, but we must be sure it is God who is doing it. Whatever does not correspond with the
Word of God is not the activity of God, no matter how good it may look.

There is so much occurring like this today. There are meetings where people break out into tongues, and everyone says,
"Oh, look at the restoration of the gift of tongues. God is at work. The Spirit is at work!" My question is, "Is it the Biblical
gift of tongues?" When you compare it with what the Bible says about the gift of tongues, there is scarcely any
resemblance at all. So I must say, "That is not God at work." Another example is healings. I certainly believe that God can
heal; I am not denying that. But each healing must be questioned in order to discern where it comes from. James accepted
this activity among the Gentiles as from God because he saw that it corresponded to the Word of God. He quoted one of
the prophets, Amos, who had predicted that there would come a time when the Gentiles would be reached. There are
certain scholars today who attempt to imply that James is giving here a sort of outline of future events. "After this [the
second coming] Jesus will return and restore Israel, rebuild the dwelling of David... And then the Gentiles who are called
by my name shall come to Christ...." But I honestly do not think he is doing that. James views this prediction by Amos as
referring to the first coming of Jesus. I do not question that there is a greater fulfillment awaiting us at the second coming.

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But here he is talking about the first coming, the coming of the Lord as the son of David to gather up all the crushed and
broken hopes of the Davidic line and to fulfill the promise made to David by God: "Thou shalt never lack a king to set
upon the throne..." The fact is that the gospel, by that first coming, began to go out to the Gentiles. In other words, James
is confirming by the prediction of the Word of God what Peter and Paul and Barnabas had declared. His point is that God
intends to save Gentiles and has already begun in the home of Cornelius.

Third, James gives three or four very practical suggestions for a letter to the Gentile believers, suggestions designed to lay
this controversy to rest. He says, "We should write to them to abstain from idolatry, from fornication [sexual immorality],
from eating that which is strangled, and from eating blood. For from early generations Moses has in every city those who
preach him [and who would therefore be offended]." Notice the classification here: two things in the moral realm
(idolatry and sexual immorality) and two things in the realm of Christian love, of sensitivity and understanding toward
others. If the Gentiles ate animals that were strangled, or if they ate blood, they would have great difficulty in
fellowshipping with Jewish believers in Christ, who still clung to some of the dietary laws. So James wisely suggests that
they should, in love, forego these practices in order to have fellowship in the body of Christ.

Denials of Faith

But notice that there is a footnote in the Revised Standard Version which suggests that the words "and from what is
strangled" are not in the better texts (here and also in verse 29, later in the chapter). I personally believe that this phrase
was not in the original text, and that James pointed out only three things: they were to abstain from idolatry, from
fornication, and from blood, which in this context means murder. I feel that this is the case not only because of the
manuscript support but also because these practices are direct denials of Christian faith in the areas of the spirit, the soul,
and the body of man. If you do these things, James is saying, you are denying by your actions what you affirm is your
faith.

The Scriptures support this reading. Paul says, 'You cannot eat at the table of idols and the table of the Lord." In the Spirit,
you can only worship one god. It is either God or a demon; one or the other. In the soul, you can only give your inner life
to one lord. If you give it away in sexual immorality, you are destroying yourself. Interestingly, Scripture everywhere
warns against this. Peter himself says, "Flee youthful passions, which war against the soul." In other words, sexual
immorality--fornication--is the most devastating thing you can do to yourself psychologically. It destroys your emotional
life. It breaks up the inner integrity of your humanity. This is why the Bible says that nations which give themselves to
widespread immorality are bringing upon themselves sure destruction, because they are undermining the whole
structure of society. And of course the third evil practice, against the body, is very evident. John says, "You know that no
murderer has eternal life abiding in him." You cannot, as an individual, take the life of another person in anger and still
claim that you really belong to Jesus Christ.

In the fourth point, the most important of all, James defines the supreme purpose of God today:

Peter has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

Here is the focus of history: during the entire history of human life the one thing God is doing is calling out a people for
his name. Everything that happens in history or current events relates somehow to this great program of God. God may
permit terrible catastrophes and awful persecutions and judgments to come upon a people in order to make them wake
up to reality and turn to him, that he will he able to call out a people for his name. He may isolate a nation for years,
perhaps centuries, in order to shut it off and allow it to sink into darkness and despair and hopelessness. Then, at the
right psychological moment, he can open the door and let the gospel in, and the people will respond in great numbers. I
believe that this is what God is doing in China today. Everything relates to this one great task of God.

According to the Bible, one of these days our great American cities are going to lie in ashes, crumbled to dust, destroyed,
perhaps in a great nuclear holocaust (1 Pet. 3:7,10). Civilization will be tremendously altered, with much of it destroyed.
Out of the crumbling chaos of those days one institution involving humans will survive, and only one: the church of the
Lord Jesus Christ, a people called out for his name's sake. Unless your life, and my life, finds a part in that program, it too
is worthless. Only what God does is worthwhile. And if we do not find a part in what God is doing, in reaching out to all
the nations and all the cultures and the tribes and peoples of earth, to call out from among them a people for his name, we
have no justification for having lived.

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Our Father, help us to take these words with utmost seriousness, as they were taken in the first century, so as to split the
world wide open in that day. Help us to do the same in our own day, realizing that your great purpose has gone forward
relentlessly. Throughout all the changing currents of human history, you are accomplishing what you set out to do. Grant
that we may have a part, giving ourselves to the Lord Jesus, that we may be instruments of his working. We pray in his
name, Amen.

Chapter Five
The Way God Guides
Acts 15:22-16:10

The most baffling and difficult problem with which young Christians often wrestle is how to determine the will of God.
In the first chapter of this book, we began to see something of the strategy of the Holy Spirit. We saw that if we simply go
about our business--that is, put into practice the truths we know, using the spiritual gifts we have been given--the Spirit
will open up opportunities and guide us faithfully to do the will of God. That is his responsibility. In the section before us
now, we have a further revelation on this vital matter-seven practical ways we can know God's will. The first way
appears in the paragraph describing the conclusion of the great council in Jerusalem, where the early church settled the
question of whether Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to become Christians.

Then it seemed good to the apostles to and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and
send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Jesus called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the
brethren, with the following letter: "The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the
Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons from us have troubled
you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us in
assembly to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives
for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same
things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than
these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is
strangled and from unchastity [or fornication]. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell" (Acts
15:22-29).

This is the way the council conveyed to the outlying churches the decision reached by the apostles and the elders. It is
vital to see that this early church settled a question of doctrine by first hearing everybody's viewpoint. Everyone had a
chance to say what he thought the Scriptures taught, and finally James summed it all up.

His two main points were, first, that God was already saving Gentiles without reference to any ritual or law of any kind,
and second, that this was the genuine activity of God because it agreed with the Word of God. So, as James put together
the actions of God and the Word of God, the council came to the unanimous conclusion that this was indeed the mind of
the Spirit. They realized that God was in their midst and that he could make his mind known to them. They understood
that when they reached unanimity of opinion, they had found the mind of the Spirit. The first principle of guidance from
God that is revealed here, especially in doctrinal matters, is that unanimous agreement in line with the Word marks the
mind of the Spirit.

Notice also that they conveyed this decision to the people in Antioch not only by letter, but also by appointing some men
to go down and explain the letter to them. I write that kind of letter too; they have to be explained when people receive
them! This letter, however, was perfectly clear; God was simply underscoring a very important lesson. People learn best
by having truth presented both through the avenue of the eye and of the ear. These men were sent to expound the letter
that was written, so as to make it perfectly clear to all. Some people learn better through reading, some through hearing.

Here we read of the beginning of a process for teaching in the church which is still God's method today. This is exactly
what he has done with us. He has written us a letter, the Bible; he has put his truth in writing. He has also appointed men
to come and explain it: teachers, gifted men who are able to expound the Scriptures. These include not only men who
have been to

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seminaries, but many others as well, who have gifts of exhorting and teaching and preaching. So these men came to
Antioch with this dual conveyance of the truth because they had discovered the mind of the Spirit through the principle
of unanimous agreement.

The Basic Activity

The second principle is set forth in the following paragraph:

So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they
delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. And Judas and Silas, who were
themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words and strengthened them. And after they had spent
some time, they were sent off in peace by the brethren to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained
in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also (Acts 15:30-35).

What a sigh of relief went up from these Gentile Christians when the letter arrived! They would not have to be subject to
any Jewish ritual. They had understood this already from the teaching of Paul, but now it was very apparent that the
whole church was in agreement. How delighted they were at this confirming exhortation!

But now notice how this paragraph focuses upon the activity of believers when there is no special guidance from the Holy
Spirit to do something new or unusual. Judas and Silas came down with Paul and Barnabas, and they spent their time
"exhorting the brethren with many words and strengthening them. "This is what you do between the occasions of
extraordinary activity in the Spirit-filled life. You give yourself to the most fundamental and basic activity of Christianity,
the knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, the learning of the Word. This is always in order, always in
season. So is the teaching and preaching of the Word, as you see in the last sentence: "But Paul and Barnabas remained in
Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord..." But don't miss the last four words: "with many others also." In
that congregation there were many, beside the four men mentioned here, who had gifts of teaching and preaching. They
exercised them there in Antioch and in all the area around.

The Way the Word Spreads

In every congregation or community of believers there are many people who have the gift of teaching and the gift of
preaching (proclaiming the truth, telling it abroad and appealing to the will--as opposed to teaching, which instructs the
mind). If you have these gifts, you should be exercising them, just as they did in Antioch. This is the secret of the
multiplication of the church. As they did this in Antioch, the word spread throughout the surrounding region. Several
years ago I had the privilege of being in a party which visited the ruins of Baalbek, located between the Lebanon ranges,
between Beirut and Damascus. In the valley between those high mountain ranges a strong civilization had developed in
these early centuries. At the foot of the valley, on the Orontes River, is Antioch, the very city we are reading about here. In
the first century, Christian communities sprang up all through that valley. I walked around the ruins of Baalbek and
noted how vast and extensive this complex is. It is one of the largest in the world, with a temple to Jupiter; a temple to
Bacchus, the god of wine; one to Venus, goddess of sex; and a number of temples to other gods, covering a huge area. I
asked the guide when these temples were at their height and was most interested in his reply. He said they were built by
the Romans in the first century A.D. to counteract the spread of Christianity through this area.

The Romans went to great expense and effort to build these huge pagan temples. They went down to Egypt and quarried
the stones for the columns, painfully moved them across the desert sands on rollers, floated them down the Nile river,
shipped the huge pillars across the Mediterranean, and dragged them up the valley or over the mountain ranges. It was a
tremendous, Herculean task. They did it desperation, to stop the spread of Christianity throughout that whole region.
And who was spreading it? The people were, as they exercised their gifts and were obedient to this second principle of
the Spirit's guidance: when you do not know what else to do, persist in learning and teaching the Word of God. That is
fundamental to everything else.

Responsible Concern

Now look at a third principle:

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 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Come, let us return and visit the brethren in every city where we
proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are" (Acts 15:36).

There is no vision here, no angelic call. There is no lightning, no special word of the Spirit in the inner heart. There is
simply the responsible concern of Paul and Barnabas for the people whom they had led to Christ. They remembered all
those Gentiles who had come to Christ in the cities of Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, and they said to one
another, "We have a responsibility to help them grow in grace. They do not yet know the whole counsel of God; there are
truths that they must understand, without which they will be lacking in their Christian experience. Let us go and see how
they are, and impart these truths to them.

This is a perfectly proper leading of the Holy Spirit. God does not want to give orders to you about everything you do, as
we saw illustrated in Acts 13. Once you discover the power by which to act--the life of Jesus within, ready to respond to
the choice of your will--then the initiative lies with you. You can do what lies on your heart to do. If you sense an
opportunity to show responsible concern for another person, move into it, and God will be with you in it.

There is a fourth principle in the next paragraph:

And Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had
withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp contention,
so that they separated from each other; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose
Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and
Cilicia, strengthening the churches (Acts 15:37-41).

This quarrel between Barnabas and Paul has fascinated many. These two men could not agree on whether to take young
John Mark with them again. Barnabas was Mark's cousin and wanted to give the young man another chance. But Paul did
not want to take the risk; the work was both important and dangerous, and he did not think it wise to take someone they
could not count on. So we read the sad note that "there arose a sharp contention between them." Many have said, "Which
of these men was right?" Disagreements have arisen over this question, so that many people have had "sharp contention"
between them over whether Paul or Barnabas was right!

Agree to Disagree

But this is really not the point. I believe that both of these men were right. One was looking at the work and the other at
the person. As Paul looked at the work he was perfectly right to say, "We don't want somebody who is apt to cop out on
us." And he probably quoted the words of Jesus, "If any man puts his hand to the plow and turns back, he is not worthy
of the kingdom of God." Christian service and ministry are demanding, and those who undertake them should be
prepared to go through with the work and stick with it to the end, for God's cause is injured by those who quit in the
middle.

On the other hand, Barnabas (though I'm sure he would have agreed as to the importance of the work) was looking at the
young man. He knew that Mark was gifted. Sure, he had failed, but who doesn't? Who of us does not need a second
chance, does not need to have a forgiving spirit exercised toward us, and the opportunity to try again? So Barnabas was
willing to give Mark a second chance.

This situation indicates a very normal and proper procedure by which we may know the mind of the Spirit. There are
times when there are differences of viewpoint which require a separation. The will of God was that Barnabas should take
Mark and go to Cyprus, because Cyprus, his birthplace, had not been visited since the churches there had been founded.
And it was equally the will of God for Paul to take Silas and go into Syria and Cilicia, because the churches there needed
his particular ministry. But it was not the will of God that they should be sharp in their contention. It was the will of God
to separate; it was not the will of God to quarrel. There are indeed times when the Spirit of God leads Christians to go
separate ways. But they should do so with joy and with an agreeable understanding that the mind of the Spirit has been
expressed in their divergent viewpoints. Still another principle, the fifth, is in Chapter 16, as we ignore the chapter
division and move right on:

And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was
a believer; but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted

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 Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those places, for
they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for
observance the decisions which had been reached by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. So the churches
were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily (Acts 16:1-5).

Paul is now back at Lystra, the city where he had been stoned, where he had encountered the most severe opposition of
his first missionary journey. On that first occasion he had led a young man to Christ, who was now still only a boy, about
sixteen years old. Paul thought he observed in him various gifts--gifts of ministry, perhaps of wisdom and knowledge in
the Scriptures, of teaching, and of preaching. He wanted to take Timothy with him, using that marvelous means of
discipling which has never been superseded. It was the process and method by
which Jesus himself trained men, taking them along with him and teaching them as they ministered together. So Paul
took Timothy as an intern on the rest of his
journey.

The Underlying Principle

But there was a bit of a problem. Timothy was half Jewish, half Greek. His father was a Greek but his mother was a Jew,
and according to the Jews this made him a Jew. The Jewish people had a very practical way of thinking about this: anyone
knows who a man's mother is, but you can't be as sure of his father. So they reckoned the line of descent through the
mother, and Timothy was therefore considered a Jew.

The amazing thing is that Paul circumcised Timothy, while earlier he had refused to do the same to Titus. Here is another
marvelous indication of how to know the mind and will of God. In any situation involving customs and rituals--cultural
matters--the governing rule is to find the great underlying principle at stake, and to act according to that principle. In the
case of Titus, it would have been devastating to have circumcised him. It would have meant yielding to the whole concept
of legalism, and of initiating circumcision of Gentiles as a Christian teaching. Titus was entirely Greek, but Timothy's
situation was different. Timothy was looked upon as a Jew, and in order not to offend the Jews among whom he must
labor, in order to open the door of acceptance by them, Paul submits to this Old Testament ritual and circumcises
Timothy. Here the governing principle, as expressed by Paul, is: "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all
means save [win] some" (1 Cor. 9:22). This approach may result in two seemingly contradictory actions, but all is
reconciled as you see the great principle underneath.

We have two more principles of guidance in the next paragraph:

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the
word in Asia. And when they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus
did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas (Acts 16:6-8).

What a remarkably helpful illustration this is! It links with what we said earlier--that the initiative lies with the Christian.
Paul did not wait for directions from God as to where he was to go; he went to the most logical place. He went to where it
appeared there was an open door, taking the next step on the path before him. But the Holy Spirit did not want him to go
there, and so he shut the door.

A Voice Behind You

I fully believe these words indicate that Paul was experiencing what we call the "inner witness of the Spirit." The Spirit of
God is willing to confirm to us, or deny to us, whether or not we have made a correct decision--but only after we make
the decision. That is important to note. Isaiah said, "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk
in it'" (Isa. 30:21). Behind you, after you have made the decision, after you have started out, then there will be a voice
which says, "Yes, this is right." That "voice" is usually a sense of peace, a great inner sense of the confirming peace of the
Holy Spirit which, after you have committed yourself, tells you it is right.

But suppose the decision is not correct. Well then, it is not wrong to try. Paul is not rebuked here because he tried to go
into Asia or Bithynia. That was perfectly all right. The Spirit simply said, "No, Paul, the time is not yet." Later Paul did go
into Asia, where Ephesus is located. But the Spirit's timing is not yet.

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So, not waiting for any particular directions but moving out, Paul is guided of the Spirit by the closing of doors, or by the
inner sense of denial from the Spirit, and thus he is led at last to the city of Troas. This is near the ancient city of Troy,
whose people fought the Trojan wars against the Greeks. Now look what happens to Paul in this ancient city:

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing beseeching him and saying, "Come
over to Macedonia and help us." And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia,
concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them (Acts 16:9,10).

God is sovereign, and he can choose the way he wants to direct you. Sometimes he will come through in such an
unmistakable way that you cannot help but know that God has spoken. Something like that occurred when I first became
pastor of Peninsula Bible Church. My name was suggested by three different sources, none of whom knew that the others
were writing. Each wrote independently and yet their letters all arrived in the same week. The men who had to decide
were not considering any other man at the time, and when they went to the mailbox they found these three letters
suggesting that they get in touch with a young man named Ray Stedman. That was a clear-cut moving of the Spirit of
God, and they took it as such.

So here is a vision from God. Notice that it is not a dream. The difference between a dream and a vision is that a dream
always has us in it--which may make it a nightmare! Psychologists tell us that dreams always involve ourselves. If you
dreamed last night of a long-eared mule, or a witch on a broomstick, or whatever, that was you. You were in the center of
the dream. But this is a vision: it is not of Paul, but another man, a Macedonian, calling out to him, "Come over and help
us." Paul knew it to be a vision. "And [I love this] immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God
had called us to preach the gospel to them." They make an immediate response. Do you see the quiet acting of faith here?
Paul expects God to lead him. He does not doubt it. He simply acts on the matters before him and expects God to correct
him if he is wrong. He is already moving out, but he determines his exact destination on the basis of the vision that he had
seen.

And notice something else interesting here. This is where Luke joins the party. Inverse 8 Luke says"...they went down to
Troas." But when you come to verse 10, it is "And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into
Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach...By that change in pronouns they to we, Luke indicates that he
has now joined the expedition. We don't know where he came from, or how he got there, or what contact he had with
Paul. Perhaps in one of these Greek cities along the way Luke had met the apostle. Now he joins him and is united with
Paul as they reach out toward Europe. In our next study, we will be looking at the way the gospel came into Europe and
thus changed all of Western civilization, vastly affecting our lives today.

These are some of the ways God guides. Let me review them briefly. In the understanding of doctrine he guides by
unanimous agreement. In those quiet periods of life, when there is no particular sense of direction from any source, he
expects us to manifest persistent obedience in learning, teaching, and exhorting in the Word. In relations with other
persons he expects us to show a responsible concern, which will often initiate action. In irreconcilable practical differences
of opinion he expects cordial separation, so that there is unity of spirit even though there is no longer union of endeavor.
In customs, rituals, and cultural matters he expects its to examine the important principle at stake and to act according to
that. Finally, in matters of geographical direction, we saw two ways that he guides: either by denying to us or confirming
to us by a sense of peace, the most obvious and legitimate action to take; or by a direct and obvious interposition of his
mind and will, made known through a vision or a call that is unmistakably from God.

Who knows how God will guide you? You can understand some of the possibilities from our study here. But the
important thing is that above all, whatever action you take, you do it on the basis of dependence upon his power in you,
his life in you. Whatsoever you do in "word or deed, do it all to the glory of the Lord." The only thing that glorifies God is
God at work. Only God can do God's work. Only God can glorify himself.

Please teach us heavenly Father, how to apply this practical help which the Scriptures so freely give us in our daily life.
May it be true of us that we are available instruments, ready to be used according to your mind and purpose, right where
we are--not waiting for anything dramatic but ready to move out, knowing that you will lead us and work through us, as
you have promised to do. We thank you in Jesus' name, Amen.

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Chapter Six
D-Day at Philippi
Acts 16:11-40

Now we come to an obscure and apparently minor event which, in the reckoning of hindsight, has turned out to be one of
the most significant and momentous occasions in human history. It is the story of the entrance of the gospel into Europe.
When the Apostle Paul and his small company crossed the Dardanelles, moving from Asia to Europe, they changed the
whole course of Western civilization. Perhaps no single event since the cross of Christ has so affected the world as Paul's
seemingly insignificant decision to cross a narrow neck of water. If the Emperor Claudius, who occupied the throne in
Rome at that time, had been asked to name the most significant event in his reign, I'm sure he would have dreamed of
suggesting (had he even known about it) that it was the occasion when an obscure little bald-headed Jew decided to leave
Asia for Europe. This is how little we understand the history we are living through! We don't know what the really great
events are.

The Apostle Paul, with his faithful friend Silas and his young follower Timothy, had joined by Dr. Luke in the city of
Troas. There Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia asking to come over and help, and the apostle never waited a
moment. Whenever he found a door open he tried to move through it. As Luke tells us what happened, we will see
unfolding once again the familiar pattern followed by these early Christians in planting the gospel in new places.

Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and
from there to Philippi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. We remained in
this city some days; and on the sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was
a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together (Acts 16:11-13).

Not a very impressive beginning, is it? Here are Paul and Silas and their company in this pagan city of Philippi. Luke is
careful to tell us that it was a Roman colony, because the Philippians prided themselves in this fact. About a century
earlier a great battle had been fought outside the walls of the city, in which Brutus and Cassius, the murderers of Julius
Caesar, had been defeated by the combined forces of Antony and Octavian, who later became the Emperor Augustus.
Because of the help they gave to Octavian's armies, Octavian granted Roman citizenship to these Philippians when he
became emperor. Therefore the city became a little bit of Rome transplanted to far-off Macedonia, The people had all the
rights of every Roman citizen and were governed in the same way as Rome. They were proud of their status as a Roman
colony located so far from the capital.

When Paul and Silas and the others came into the city they were faced with the problem of how to start a Christian work.
But this was no real problem to Paul. Everywhere he went he always began with the same activity--simply proclaiming
the revolutionary message about Jesus, the word about Christ.

Most Influential People

They did have to choose where to begin, however. Philippi was a pagan city, evidently with too few male Jews to have a
synagogue. The law was very specific: you had to have ten adult male Jews in order to have a synagogue. If there were
not that many, then the law provided that the Jewish people were to meet by a river and have a prayer meeting. That is
why Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke walked along the riverside on their first sabbath morning in Philippi--to see if they
could find a Jewish prayer meeting. To their delight they did. But, perhaps to their dismay, they found that the only
people present were women. It was through a women's club that the gospel entered Europe! Perhaps this doesn't seem to
be a very promising beginning. Most of us would feel that the way to start evangelizing a city is to gather the most
influential people together. But, as a matter of fact, that is exactly what they did! The most influential people in any
community are the women, and I'm not joking when I say that. They have a power to work behind the scenes that is
absolutely unparalleled. So Paul and Silas, led of God, found the opportunity to address these women by the riverside,
where they began to preach the gospel--as always, to the most available people.

The second principle they followed was immediately evident:

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a
worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul. And when she was baptized,

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 with her household, she besought us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house
and stay." And she prevailed upon us (Acts 16:14,15).

The next step after proclaiming the Word of God is always up to God. These disciples expected God to do something!
That, by the way, is the missing note among Christians in many places today. Many churches have given up expecting
God to do anything, for they expect to do everything. It is literally true, as someone has observed, that many churches
today are operating in such a way that, if the Holy Spirit were suddenly removed from their program, nobody would
notice the difference. They do not expect God to do anything, but these people did. They preached the Word and then
expected God to act.

Prepared by God

They could not tell what God would do--he, is always unpredictable. Philippi was a tough nut to crack, so God employed
four different methods to open that town. Although he is by no means limited to these four, they are ones he frequently
uses.

First, he prepared men and women in that city, people whose hearts were ready to respond to the gospel.

Such a woman was Lydia, who was already a worshiper of God. She was a business woman who sold purple goods,
dealing in the purple dye for cloth which was so valuable in those days. She made a good living and had her own home,
which was large enough to accommodate Paul and his party. Her heart was ready, having been prepared by God, and she
was led of God to be there and to hear.

When I have had the occasional privilege of speaking to groups of non-Christians, who have given me a cold and rather
hostile eye at times, and whose reactions I couldn't anticipate, it has been a great encouragement to my heart to realize
that there are unquestionably people in the group whom God has prepared. I never doubt it, for I have always found that
there are at least one or two. I talk to them and try to ignore the hostile reaction of the
others.

This is what happened here. Lydia was there and she did not get upset by the message. She did not view it as a challenge
to her Jewish faith, but immediately recognized that it was the fulfillment of all her Jewish hopes. So she opened her heart
and received the Lord. Then God employed another of his methods to crack open a city:

As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her
owner much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, "These men are servants of the Most High God,
who proclaim to you the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and
said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour (Acts
16:16-18).

One of the ways God arrests people's attention is by a spectacular deliverance like this. Sometimes it is in the realm of the
physical, as when Paul, preaching at Lystra, saw a man lame from birth and said to him, "Rise, stand upon your feet; Jesus
Christ makes you well." And sometimes, as in this case, it is in the realm of the spirit.

This teenage girl, a slave, whom today we would call a medium or even a witch, was possessed by an evil spirit who used
her as a channel to convey clairvoyant messages, interpreting various events of the day and predicting the future for
people. She was exploited for revenue by a group of unscrupulous owners. This girl followed Paul and the others around
and declared wherever they went: "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of
salvation."

Platform for Subversion

Actually this was a very dangerous, satanic attack upon the gospel. The devil knows the power of the Word of God, and
he knew what these men could do in Philippi if they got a chance. So he was already prepared to adopt his most powerful
tactic: to derail their proclamation right at the beginning by appearing to be in line with it, by attempting to form an
alliance and thus gaining a position from which eventually to subvert the whole program.

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The devil has only two basic approaches: either apparent alliance or outright attack--one or the other. Of the two, alliance
is by far the more dangerous because it appears to be so helpful. What this girl said was perfectly, absolutely true. These
men were indeed servants of the Most High God, and had indeed come to declare the way of salvation.

So, you might ask, why didn't they welcome this? For the same reason that Jesus never allowed a person possessed of an
evil spirit to give testimony to him. In the Gospels we are told that wherever Jesus went, the evil spirits would cry out,
"Thou art the Son of the Most High God!" And Jesus would always rebuke them, saying, "Hold your peace."

Why? For two reasons: first, if men were drawn to him on that basis, they would be coming with a wrong motive. Anyone
who deals with mediums, witches, astrology, or any aspect of the occult is always motivated by self-interest. They want to
use these forces to benefit themselves in some way. Second, it would not be very long before the truth, which was
originally proclaimed as bait to lead people on, would be mixed with error, and very serious error at that. Then people
would be sucked in so that they could no longer tell the difference between truth and error. That is the story of every cult
that bears the name of Christianity in the world today. They all began with a proclamation of truth, but soon error began
to be intermingled, and eventually people were led right off the track.

Someone once sent me a book titled Edgar Cayce's Story of Jesus. Perhaps you know who Edgar Cayce was; he lived
earlier in this century and was called "the sleeping prophet." He would go into a trance and pour out volumes of
information supposedly from the spirit world. He has been hailed as a leading prophet of our generation. Because some
of his predictions came true, he is regarded, even by some Christians (unfortunately) as an authoritative spokesman. His
followers have now published this book, in which he takes the facts of the New Testament and interweaves with them a
lot of spiritualistic revelations and clairvoyant readings. It is a mishmash of spiritism and Christianity, all designed to first
attract people with the truth and then lead them into error.

That is why Paul was annoyed. The word "annoyed" might seem to suggest that Paul was merely irritated by this woman
who kept following him around. But the word actually means "deeply troubled." Paul was deeply troubled because he
knew what would happen if he allowed or recognized her testimony. So finally, in the power of the Spirit of God, he
turned and said, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." The spirit came out that very hour, and the
girl was set free.

Violence Allowed

It must have been a tremendous blessing to her heart to be delivered from this evil thing. But, as always, the devil was
quick to twist everything to his own ends. That which was a blessing to this girl he immediately employed to awaken
serious opposition, just as he did after the healing of the lame man in Lystra. But remember that one of God's ways of
opening a community is to allow the devil to arouse violent opposition.

Look what happens now:

But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the
market place before the rulers; and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, "These men are Jews
and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them
with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to
keep them safely. Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks
(Acts 16:19-24).

God permitted this opposition in order to open a door for a church to be implanted in this city. This may appear to be a
self-contradictory statement, but think this through with me. When Paul and his men preached the message of truth in
Philippi, opposition mounted rapidly, soon erupting in outright violence. Why? This was a sure sign that one of the
enemy's strongholds was being attacked. Philippi was a place where evil was long-standing and deeply imbedded. The
enemy knew that when this stronghold fell, the whole surrounding area would be open to the gospel. "The weapons of
our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Cor. 10:4). That is why there was so much
opposition. But by allowing it to happen, God was laying the groundwork for further steps in his plan to deliver the city
of Philippi.

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The particular stronghold of evil at Philippi found its expression in the pride of the citizens in their status as a Roman
colony. Notice how clever the owners of this girl were. They immediately hauled Paul and Silas before the magistrates on
the charge that they were challenging the rights of Romans. "They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans
to accept or practice." Paul and Silas had touched their point of pride, and their reaction was no longer logical but
emotional. A lynch mob formed immediately over this emotional issue.

The crowd responded wildly, and, as calculated, the magistrates were swept off their feet, with the end result that Paul
and Silas were beaten. According to the official Roman punishment, their backs were bared and they were beaten with
rods as thick as a man's thumb until their backs were bloody and raw. Then the magistrates charged the jailer to put them
into the innermost cell of the dungeon. In the darkness and dampness he locked their feet in stocks so they couldn't even
turn over. This violent reaction shows how deeply the power of evil was entrenched in this town.

Singing at Midnight

But we have not yet come to the end of the story. The fourth method God uses here is dramatic intervention.

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to
them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and
immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's fetters were unfastened (Acts 10:25,26).

There is nothing unusual about an earthquake in this region; to this day earthquakes are common in northern Macedonia.
It was the timing of it that was supernatural. God released the earthquake, precipitating it precisely at the right moment
and thus setting Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners free. The most dramatic aspect of this story, though, is not the
earthquake, nor the fact that the prison was damaged and fetters unfastened, It is the singing of Paul and Silas at
midnight. Somebody has said that the gospel entered Europe through a sacred concert which was so successful that it
brought the house down!

Frankly, I am filled with admiration for these men. Imagine--they were praising God! (That is the meaning of the word
"praying" here.) They were not asking for anything; they were praising God and singing hymns. They were not faking
either, Their backs were raw and bloody, and they had suffered a great injustice. They were facing agonizing uncertainty,
with no way of knowing that this delivering earthquake was coming (since they had not requested it), but they exhibited
no self-pity or resentment.

All this is accentuated by the solemn words "at midnight." Everything--pain and heartache and disappointment--is always
the worst at midnight. But it was at midnight that they began praising God and singing hymns. I don't know what they
sang. I know what I would be singing: "Rescue the Perishing, Care for the Dying"! But they were probably singing "How
Great Thou Art!" Evidently they sang because they could see things that we in our poor, blinded condition seldom see.
These were men of faith, and I think I know some of what they saw. When you see it, you will no longer ask, "Why did
they sing?" but, "What else could they do but sing?"

They saw, first, that the enemy had panicked. Paul and Silas and all these other early Christians were always conscious of
what Paul describes in Ephesians 6: that we are battling not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers
and wicked spirits in high places. This is a spiritual battle which is tough and demanding, and where every inch of the
way will be contested. But they were delighted when they saw that the enemy had resorted to violence, because that
always means that he has already emptied his bag of tricks. He is down to the bottom of the barrel, and there is nothing
left. They knew they had won.

The second thing they saw was that God, in his resurrection power, was at work in the situation. Resurrection power
cannot be stopped. As Paul would later write to these Philippians, "What has happened to me has really served to
advance the gospel." All attempts to oppose the gospel, or to throw an obstacle in its path, are turned around and used as
opportunities for advancement. Paul and Silas knew this, and so they were assured that the work was established, that it
would continue, and that they had won. Resurrection power was at work.

The Privilege of Suffering

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The third thing they understood in all this was that suffering--physical, mental, and emotional suffering--is absolutely
necessary to Christian maturity. They themselves had been benefited by this experience. Again, Paul would write to these
same Philippians and say,

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his
sake (Phil. 1:29).

Suffering is part of the program. They knew this was so because it was part of the program for the Son of God. The writer
of the Letter to the Hebrews says,

Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the
source of eternal salvation to all who obey him (Heb. 5:8,9).

Suffering is an absolutely inescapable part of the curriculum. You will never grow up, you will never be what God wants
you to be, without some form of suffering. When you learn that, you will start rejoicing when you encounter suffering, as
these men rejoiced. They saw that the foe had been defeated, that the work was established, and that they personally had
benefited. So they began to rejoice and sing and thank God for what they saw. The heart of God was so blessed by this
that he said, "I just can't hold still; I'm going to shake the place up a bit!"

Now we see the next step in the pattern. According to their established routine they had come to town and proclaimed
the Word; they had expected God to do something, and then, when the results began to show, they started the operation
of body life--the life of the family of God. This is what happened:

When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all
here." And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and
brought them out and said, "Men, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you
will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his
house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with
all his family. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his
household that he had believed in God (Acts 16:27-34).

The result is that a church is formed right there. They had reached some women before, but a church must include both
men and women, as well as all classes of society. Here were the men--the jailer and his family and household, servants
and all.

They came because of the crisis in this jailer's life. There are some who read these words of the jailer, 'Men, what must I do
to be saved?" as though he were saying, "Men, how do I get out of this mess? How do I square myself with the
authorities?" But I am confident that this is not what he is asking, because the answer of Paul and Silas is, "If you believe
in the Lord Jesus, you will be saved, you and your household." The household was not in trouble with the magistrates;
the jailer was. So he must be talking about eternal things. If you refer to what had just happened to him, you can see why.
He thought his prisoners were free, and he knew that his own life would be taken if they got away. So, rather than allow
the authorities to take his life he was going to do it himself. He had drawn his sword and was ready to plunge it into his
breast. He was about to die when Paul stopped him with the dramatic words, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."

When men are about to die they start thinking about what lies beyond. That is what is behind the jailer's question. Paul
and Silas responded with the only possible answer: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your
household." The word "believe" governs the entire sentence. If his household believes, they too will be saved. They are not
saved because this man believed; they will be saved when they believe. Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him
and to all that were in his house. They all believed, so they were all saved, and that was the beginning of Gods family in
Philippi.

The immediate reaction of the jailer was to wash their wounds. What a beautiful picture! This man who just a few hours
before had thrown them in the cell and had brutally locked them in stocks was now washing their wounds, sponging
away all the blood and dirt and filth and tenderly taking care of the men to whom he had been joined in the family of
God. That is the beginning of body life--the immediate sharing of one another's problems, the bearing of one another's

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burdens. They also rejoiced together, which is another aspect of body life. In a great time of celebration they welcomed
each other into the family of God.

For the Sake of the Body

The last section continues the theme of the beginning of body life, and it must be read in that context in order to he
understood.

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go." And the jailer reported the words to
Paul, saying, "The magistrates have
sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace." But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly,
uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now do they cast us out secretly? No!
let them come themselves and take us out." The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid
when they heard that they were Roman citizens; so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked
them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison, and visited Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they
exhorted them and departed (Acts 16:35-40).

There is humor in Paul's response here. The police told Paul he could go, but he said, "No! We're not going. They beat us,
though uncondemned, breaking the law themselves. Now let them come down and ask us to leave." And so these
magistrates, who had just cast them into prison, came down, hats in hand, and apologized for their treatment of these
two, and begged them to leave town. Paul said, "Very well, we'll leave, but we'll take our time about it. We want to have
lunch with Lydia first, and then we'll visit some of the brethren."

Who are the brethren? This is the first mention of any male converts here in Philippi other than the jailer. One time, after I
had preached a message on this passage, a delightful college student came up to me and asked, "Who were these
brethren?" I told him I didn't know, and he said, "Do you know who I think they were? I think they were the prisoners
who had been listening to Paul and Silas sing at midnight." I think he was right. We are not told what happened to them,
but the prisoners were listening intently, and they too were freed by this event.

You might ask, "Why did Paul raise the issue of his Roman citizenship at this point?" Some think he was being a bit
prickly and difficult, somewhat vengeful for his own sake. But we must read this in the context of what he is doing with
the body of Christ here at Philippi. He could have invoked his status in his own defense much earlier. Had he mentioned
that he was a Roman citizen when they were about to beat him, he probably could have spared himself the beating. He
did not say a word then, but now he does, for the sake of the Christians in the city of Philippi. You can see what a
difference it made for these magistrates to come down to the prison and apologize to Paul and Silas, and to publicly
acknowledge their illegal treatment. This put the church on an entirely different standing within the community. So it is
clear that Paul did this for the sake of the body.

His final act is to gather the brethren together and to exhort them, teach them, and admonish them to go on in the Lord.
When you read the Letter to the Philippians, written from Paul's Roman prison--again in prison, still rejoicing--you can
see that this letter is full of triumph. He is still exhorting the believers to rejoice, still teaching them and ministering to the
body. That is a principle the early Christians always followed. The minute believers came together they began sharing one
another's burdens, praying for one another, rejoicing together, and living together the life of Jesus Christ. It is crucially
important for the church to recover this again in our own day.

Father, we pray that we will demonstrate the life of Christ not only in some outward, external fashion, but most of all in
the way we accept one another, pray for one another, seek to help one another, bear one another's burdens, and meet one
another's needs. Lord, help us to brighten the hearts and lives of lonely people around us by our warmth and willingness
to share something of the joy we have together. We ask it in Jesus' name, Amen.

Chapter Seven
Rabble and Nobles
Acts 17:1-15

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Once God had established a bridgehead in the midst of the entrenched evil of Philippi, he then moved Paul and Silas
westward, leaving Luke and Timothy behind in Philippi for the time being.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Appollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a
synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he argued with them from the
scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and
saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ," And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and
Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women (Acts 17:1-4).

Paul and Silas were following the famous Roman road called the Egyptian Way, which crossed Macedonia and connected
the Adriatic Sea with the Black Sea. The cities mentioned here all lie on that road. Here we see something of the apostle's
strategy as he was led of the Spirit to move into various cities, passing through some and stopping in others. He always
chose the most strategic center from which the gospel might reach out into the surrounding area.

In this particular region it was Thessalonica. I once visited that city, and as I stood on the old Roman wall which formed
the northern city limits I could see the old Via Egnatia winding down out of the hills into the city proper. In my mind's
eye I could picture Paul and Silas and the little band of Christian brethren coming down that road into the city. You might
get the impression from this account that this journey was a rather pleasant afternoon's stroll. But Amphipolis is 33 miles
from Philippi, a long day's journey on foot. Apollonia is some 30 miles from Amphipolis, another day's journey.
Thessalonica is 37 miles beyond Apollonia, and that is also a long day's journey. It must have taken Paul at least three
days to trudge from Philippi to Thessalonica, even though Luke dismisses this hundred-mile trek with just a sentence.

When they entered Thessalonica they first found a synagogue of the Jews, and for three sabbath mornings. Paul reasoned
with them out of the Scriptures. He was undoubtedly in the city much longer than three weeks, but he was limited to
three weeks' ministry within the synagogue itself. He was soon excluded from teaching further there, as we will see. If
you wonder what he was doing the rest of the week, he tells us in Second Thessalonians:

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, we did not eat any
one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you
(2 Thess. 3:7,8).

Paul made tents all through the week, but on Saturday he went into the synagogue and taught. Using the Scriptures, he
dealt with that great stumbling block to the Jews--the death and resurrection of Christ. These people, like Jews all over the
world at that time, were having a great struggle over Jesus of Nazareth. They could only accept him as the Messiah if they
were not confronted with the facts of his death. A suffering, crucified Messiah was a great offense to them.

Selective Reading

These Jews read their Scriptures much as we sometimes read ours. They picked out all the passages they liked and kept
reading these over and over. Eventually they thought that this was all the Scriptures said about the Messiah. They liked
the passages which dealt with the majesty of the Messiah, when he would come in his royal power and establish his
kingdom over all the world. They expected him to come and subdue all enemies, cause war and strife to cease, and reign
in triumphant splendor and glory.

But they ignored those passages which dealt with a suffering and crucified Messiah, and with the necessity for a
resurrection. Some of the Jewish rabbis had actually come up with the idea that there were two Messiahs. One they called
Messhiach ben David (that is, Messiah the son of David). This was the glorious, triumphant king. Another they called
Messhiach ben Joseph, from one Old Testament passage which some rabbis interpreted as teaching that the Messiah
would be the son of Joseph, and that he would be the suffering One. Very likely this teaching is what John the Baptist had
in mind when he was in prison. Discouraged, he sent word to Jesus, "Are you he who is to come, or should we look for
another?"

Paul showed them there is only one. "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ, the Messiah." I imagine he started
with Isaiah 53:

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 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that
made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to
his own way; and the Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:5,6).

What an impact he would have made with that passage! And perhaps he used Psalm 22, which opens with the words of
Jesus from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast then forsaken me?" This psalm goes on to describe the sufferings of his
death, the agony that he went through. Then Paul must have brought in the resurrection passages, like Psalm 16: "For
thou wilt not...permit thine Holy One to see corruption."

With passages such as these Paul reasoned with these Jews, proving that Jesus was the Christ. The account says, And
some of them were persuaded." Here we find three groups of people who responded to his message. The toughest nuts to
crack were these religious Jews. In any community, religious people are always the most resistant. They are the ones most
set in their ways, most prejudiced; they are the hardest to reach, because they think they know it all already. He reached
only a few of these.

But there was also a great band of unprejudiced Gentiles--Greeks who had tired of the emptiness of their and satisfying
glory about the gospel, and they pagan philosophies and had come to the synagogue hoping to hear the truth about the
living God. They had been attracted by the Jewish Scriptures. They knew there was something here, but they had not yet
become Jews and were not yet circumcised. As these Gentiles heard the word of the gospel they were tremendously
impressed, and many believed.

Appeal to Women

Among them, Luke is careful to point out, was a group of the leading women of the city. You find this emphasis in
several places in this book. This gospel had a particular appeal to women, especially to women of the upper classes, who
were prominent citizens of these Greek cities. The reason was that these educated women, instructed in the philosophies
of Greece, had found that the Greek philosophies were dead and empty, offering nothing for the heart or for the spirit
within. They instructed the mind but did nothing for the soul. And further, they were philosophies full of voluptuous and
degrading practices which left these women devastated and filled with self-loathing if they gave in to them. So they had
turned from their philosophies to Judaism, only to find themselves burdened with difficult and cumbersome regulations
which again left them empty.

Then the gospel came with the glad good news that in Jesus Christ there is neither male or female, bond nor free, black
nor white, nor any other distinction, that all the distinctions men make were broken down, all the middle walls of
partition removed. These women responded joyously! They found a liberating, fulfilling, and satisfying glory about the
gospel, and they responded to the grace of God in Jesus Christ, inviting the Lord Jesus to enter their hearts. So there was a
tremendous impact upon the city because of this conversion of a great band of Gentiles, including these leading women.

Rabble-Rousers

The devil, as you might expect by now, struck back immediately. The next section shows us what occurred when Paul
and Silas had reached these people in the city with their preaching:

But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked fellows of the rabble, they gathered a crowd, set the city in an
uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the people. And when they could not find
them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, "These men who have turned
the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them; and they are all acting against the decrees
of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when
they heard this. And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go (Acts 17:5-9).

We are told here that the Jews were jealous. They were unable to win against the power of the Scriptures and the logic of
the apostles, and so they revealed the lawlessness in their own hearts by turning, literally, to "the loafers of the
marketplace," young men who were what today we would call hoods or toughs--radicals who knew how to manipulate a
crowd.

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In this the Jews followed a classic pattern. They started a disturbance which attracted a crowd. When the crowd gathered
around them, they inflamed them with emotional words and propaganda until the crowd was brought to a fever pitch.
Then they gave them a victim to attack. They turned against Paul and Silas for no reason whatsoever. These Jews were
skilled manipulators who could incite the people to an unprovoked and groundless attack upon the apostles. Here, as at
Philippi, was another lynch mob.

But now notice how God works: he is fully in control, and just before the mob arrives he sends Paul and Silas out for a
cup of coffee or something; they simply are not there when the crowd arrives. So the mob had to be satisfied with
dragging Jason, the host, and some of the brethren, and bringing them before the city authorities.

The charges against Paul and Silas are very interesting. There is a germ of truth in them, but as a whole they are obviously
false. They were charged, first, with being notorious troublemakers. "These men who have turned the world upside down
have come here also." I don't know whether these authorities had heard about the trouble in Philippi or not. Perhaps they
simply recognized Paul and Silas as Jews and, since the Jews were in trouble in Rome at that very time, they may have
identified them with that trouble.

Whatever the reason, what they said was true: these were indeed men who had turned the world upside down. But what
they didn't realize was that the world was already upside down! When you turn something upside down which is
already upside down, you turn it right side up! The world was turned upside down at the fall of Adam, and it has been
operating in reverse ever since. That is why it never works right. In the final analysis everything seems to fall apart. In
spite of the best efforts of men, we are still struggling with the same problems men wrestled with in the days of Noah,
before the flood. No progress whatsoever has been made, because the world is upside down.

But now the gospel comes in and turns it right side up. As men and women respond to the gospel, God's original intent
for man begins to be worked out in their lives. Peace and tranquility and prosperity and progress and harmony and love
and grace--all these wonderful things begin to flow out of a community which is operating in the fullness of life provided
in Jesus Christ. So they were indeed men who turned the world upside down.

The second charge was that they were challenging Caesar's authority, that they were preaching another king--Jesus. Paul
had in fact been declaring the kingship of Jesus, the fact that all men relate to him in some way. His spiritual kingdom
encompasses the whole of humanity, and men live within that kingdom whether they like it or not. He is indeed Lord of
all things, and men have a relationship to him. But of course these men interpreted that as a challenge to the authority of
Caesar. They thought the apostles were political insurrectionists.

Paid to Leave Town

They finally settled the matter by taking security from Jason, which sounds as though Paul and Silas were released on
bail. But if that is the case, they became bail jumpers, because immediately they went away by night to Berea. It is
impossible to believe that Paul and Silas would try to cheat justice in this way. This must mean, then, that Jason had to
give a certain amount of money as a guarantee that Paul and Silas would leave Thessalonica and never return. That is
probably what Paul refers to in his First Letter to the Thessalonians:

But since we were bereft of you, brethren, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly
and with great desire to see you face to face; because we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, again and again--but Satan
hindered us (1 Thess. 2:17,18).

What hindered him was very likely this guarantee against his return. The next stop is the city of Berea:

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived they went into the
Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all
eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a
few Greek women of high standing as well as men (Acts 17:10-12).

Berea is a very pleasant little city lying in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains, about sixty miles southwest of
Thessalonica. Some time ago Dr. Dick Hillis and I had the privilege of standing on the steps of the synagogue where Paul
preached in Berea. This ancient synagogue has been excavated, and the fact has been established that this was the actual

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synagogue in which Paul preached. We took great joy in standing on those steps and trying to preach to each other! Later
I entered the evangelical church in Berea, and when I went to the pulpit and found the Greek Bible, I opened it to this
very text:

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all eagerness,
examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Luke draws a sharp contrast between the rabble in Thessalonica--with their unthinking, prejudiced minds, and their
emotional, impulsive actions--and these Jews in Berea, who were more noble. In what way were they noble? Their
nobility was that they not only received the word but also checked it out with the Scriptures. A noble person is one who
has both an open mind and a cautious heart.

The Scriptures are given to us as our guide, so that we can tell what is true and what is false, what is right and what is
wrong. Unless a Christian uses these Scriptures, he is lost in a sea of relativism; his mind becomes confused and blinded,
and he can be misled and easily manipulated, as the rabble manipulated the crowd in Thessalonica. These Jews, however,
had the nobility to find out whether what Paul said was confirmed by the Scriptures.

The value of this story to us, and the reason Luke includes it, is that we might learn the necessity of testing any man's
word. Don't listen to just one man's tapes, or read only one man's books or messages. This is a very dangerous practice.
You will be misled by his errors and you won't know how to recognize them. Never give yourself to following a single
man. Paul writes to the Corinthians, "You who do this are carnal. You follow Apollos or Cephas or Paul, but we are all
provided for your instruction. You need us all." Do not ever limit yourself to a single man's ministry, including mine.
Establish what the Word of God says; that is the authority.

To Establish the Church

The account concludes with a very familiar pattern:

But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came
there too, stirring up and inciting the crowds. Then the brethren immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but
Silas and Timothy remained there. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens and receiving a
command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed (Acts 17:13-15).

Here come the hounds of hell, panting down the road from Thessalonica. These Jews are not content to drive Paul out of
Thessalonica; they pursue him for sixty miles, and when they arrive, they employ the same familiar tactics. They move in
and stir up the thoughtless crowds, who in turn set upon Paul and Silas, so that poor Paul has to slip out of the city again
by night. (It seems like Paul never left a city by daylight!) Now he is on his way by sea to Athens, leaving Silas and
Timothy behind to establish the church. And of course this is the point of the whole story. Paul is free to leave because he
has left a church behind. God has implanted a believing community which will be a bridgehead in the midst of the evil of
that city, arresting its corruption and dispelling its darkness as they operate in the freedom and liberty of the body of
Christ. There may be a stiff battle for a while, but eventually the light will penetrate the darkness and men will be able to
think straight and act righteously, even though they are not yet Christians. The light of the gospel lifts the whole level of
community life. That is why Paul was so concerned that these young Christians left in Berea and Thessalonica would
grow in grace, understanding the power committed to them and exercising it to set these communities free.

When I was in Berea I found that the church which Paul had implanted has now become the persecutor. The Spirit has
had to break in afresh with a new body of believers who meet in secret places so as to avoid persecution and oppression.
The Greek Orthodox Church, lineal successor to the church that Paul started in Greece, has now become sunken in
apathy, liturgy, ritual, and dead orthodoxy, and is persecuting the fresh, alive, evangelical church of these areas. The
church I visited was deliberately built behind a group of buildings in a little compound, where it could be partially
hidden. The believers could not advertise their meetings and had to meet secretly, at unscheduled times. They could not
openly evangelize within the city, but had to meet from house to house. Yet a very fruitful work was going on in these
cities.

This should indicate to us that any group can become the instrument of evil as well as good if the life of the body in that
group is not kept fresh and vital. When a group does lose its savor and its light, it becomes an instrument of evil and

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darkness. Then God has to awaken a new body, pouring new wine into new wineskins so that the freshness and vitality
of the gospel will not be hindered.

Finally, brethren, farewell. Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of
love and peace will be with you...The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you
all (2 Cor. 13:11,14).

Chapter Eight
Athens Versus Paul
Acts 17:16-34

At the time of Paul's visit to Athens that city was no longer important as a political seat; Corinth was the commercial and
political center of Greece under the Roman Caesars. But Athens was still the university center of the world. It was the heir
of the great philosophers, the city of Pericles and Demosthenes, of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, and Euripides--
these men who established patterns of thought that have affected human learning for centuries. Almost all philosophies
follow, in some degree, the teachings of these men. But Athens was long past its zenith when Paul visited it. It was now
four hundred years after the golden age of Greece, and though Athens was still a center of art, beauty, culture, and
knowledge, the city had lost all political importance.

Paul came down from Berea with certain unnamed Christians and was left alone in Athens. He sent word back to Silas
and Timothy, whom he had left in Berea, to join him there. Evidently the apostle did not intend to stay long in Athens. He
was heading for Corinth, for Paul always focused upon those centers of commerce where the influence of a church would
be borne rapidly into the surrounding regions. He had decided to wait for Silas and Timothy in Athens, and Luke now
tells us what happened there:

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full
of idols. So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the market place every day
with those who chanced to be there. Some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers met him (Acts 17:16-18).

This section is a powerful revelation of why the gospel needs to be presented to every culture and every age of the world.
While Paul was waiting, he did what any tourist does in Athens: he went sightseeing. Athens is a striking city: it boasts
the great temples of the Acropolis, crowned by the Parthenon (now in a ruined state but nevertheless still one of the most
beautiful buildings in all the world), as well as many other theaters, temples, and marketplaces. As the apostle walked
around the city he saw the gods of Athens, the idols that were being worshipped. According to one contemporary source,
there were thirty thousand gods in Athens at this time! Petronius, one of the ancient historians, said that is was easier to
find a god in Athens than a man! Many of these statues have survived, and copies of them are widely displayed as
samples of ancient art. But Paul recognized that these were not merely objects of art, but actually idols whom the people
of Athens worshipped.

Provoked to Preach

Luke tells us that Paul's spirit was provoked when he saw this. This Greek word translated "provoked" is the basis for our
word "proxysm." Paul's spirit was gripped by an intense paroxysm, a storm within, as he saw the city given over to
idolatry. Although the idols revealed that these men and women of Athens had a great capacity for God, each idol also
revealed a distortion which sabotaged that capacity.

What Paul felt was very much akin to what must have moved a group of Christian students, some time ago, to run an ad
in their university newspaper, from which this paragraph is taken:

Why are we Christians willing to follow Jesus into suffering in order to accomplish his mission of liberation? Because
Jesus has changed our minds about a lot of things, and we can no longer tolerate the foolishness and futility that is
passed out as wisdom at this university. We are tired of the "enlightenment" of this age which is blindly ignorant of
its intellectual slavery to materialism and its contradictory obligation to ethical relativism. We are tired of seeing
people's lives wasted and unfulfilled because of their submission to the established world order.
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That expresses exactly what the apostle felt as he moved about and saw the cloud of idolatry that hung over this city,
blotting out the truth and plunging these people into the darkness of superstitution. So Paul began to preach. He could
not help it; he knew that the only message that could help people in this groups to whom he spoke. First, he went into the
synagogue and spoke to the religious people, the Jews and devout persons who where there. These Jews (and the Greeks
who were following Judaism) were opposed to the idolatry of the city but could do nothing to prevent it.

They themselves were delivered from idolatry, but they were powerless to deliver the city because they were focusing on
their own religious experience. To them Paul preached the gospel with seemingly little effect.

Then there were the common citizens of the city whom he met in the marketplace, the agora of ancient Greece--
tradesmen, people going about their business, commercial people coming in with their wares to the city square. Here
were people who were unthinking victims of the idolatry that held the city in its grip. They were sunken in superstition
and gripped by fear, uncertainty, dread of darkness, and inner tensions and turmoil-all results of following false gods.

Atheists and Pantheists

Then there was a third group, the philosophers. Although these men were free from the crass idolatry of the city, they
were offering the barren concepts of pagan philosophy as an alternative. Two kinds of philosophies are mentioned here,
epicureanism and stoicism, and these same systems of thought are very much in evidence today. The Epicureans were
atheists; they denied God's existence and a life after death. They were also materialists; they felt that since this life was the
only thing that really existed, men should therefore get the most out of it. To them, pleasure was the highest virtue and
pain was the greatest evil. Their motto (and it still persists to this day) was "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we
die." They were existentialists, living for the experience of the moment.

The Stoics, followers of the philosopher Zeno, were pantheists. They believed that everything is God and that he does not
exist as a separate entity. Rather, he is in the rocks and trees and every material thing. Their attitude toward life was one
of ultimate resignation, and they prided themselves on their ability to take whatever came. Their motto, in modern terms,
was "Grin and bear it." Also, they taught moderation; they urged their followers not to become overemotional, either
about tragedy or happiness. Apathy was regarded as the highest virtue of life. There are many people today who feel that
the best thing they can do is to take whatever comes and handle it the best they can. They are proud fatalists, just as these
Stoics were.

Contempt and Curiosity

Luke gives us the initial reaction of these two philosophical groups to Paul's teaching:

And some said, "What would this babbler say?"[Those were the Epicureans.] Others said, 'He seems to be a preacher
of foreign divinities"--[because he preached Jesus and the resurrection, [These were the Stoics.] And they took hold
of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you present? For
you bring some strange things to our ears; we wish to know therefore what these things mean. Now all the
Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new
(Acts 17:18-21).

The Epicureans, who were basically atheistic materialists, were contemptuous of what they heard from Paul. They treated
him with utter disdain. They said, "What would this babbler say?" The word "babbler" is literally "seed-pecker." They saw
Paul as one of the little birds in the marketplace going around pecking at seeds here and there. They regarded him as a
mere collector of fragments of truth, gathering a few choice words from philosophies that he had picked up along the way
and trying to impress people. They smiled and dismissed him contemptuously.

The Stoics, however, were more interested. But Luke is careful to tell us that their interest did not arise out of a genuine
desire to know and understand what Paul said, but out of a shallow curiosity. They were intrigued by the fact that he
seemed to present two new gods, one named Jesus and the other named Resurrection. This was not an unusual concept
for Athens; throughout the city you could find altars erected to various themes. There were altars to Shame, Reason,
Virtue, and various other concepts. When they heard Paul speak of resurrection, they thought this was the name of a god

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and that he was preaching two new deities. They pricked up their ears because, as Luke said, "All they lived for was to
hear something new."

Here in ancient Athens were all the classes of humanity that are still with us today. There were the religious oddballs,
remote from life and powerless to affect it; there were the thoughtless idolators, sunken in superstition, living lives of
quiet desperation, as do millions of people today; there were the atheistic existentialists; and there were the self-sufficient
fatalists. To all these the apostle presented one thing--the delivering word of Jesus, the word of the power of God unto
salvation.

In due course the people brought Paul before the Areopagus. If you visit Athens today you will be taken up a small rocky
hill without buildings, west of the Acropolis and told that this is the Mars Hill where Paul addressed the Athenian
philosophers. But although the word "Areopagus does mean Mars Hill, it was also the name given to a court of judges
who had the final authority in the city of Athens at this time. It is much more likely that it was this court before whom
Paul was brought. They no longer met on Mars Hill, although they had originally done so. By this time they were
probably meeting in one of the porches surrounding the marketplace. So it is before the court of the Areopagus that Paul
appeared.

Point of Contact

In the message Paul gave to them we have a splendid example of just how the gospel operates to deliver men. He began
with a most captivating introduction:

So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very
religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription,
'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you" (Acts 17:22,23).

A good introduction always begins where people are, and Paul began right where these Athenians were. He did not
denounce them, he did not attack their idolatry; in fact, he paid them a compliment as far as he could. He said to them,
"As I've been walking about your city, -fearers. But the word he chose for "god" was rather unusual. Instead of the
common word, theos, which means God I've noticed one thing about you: you are a very religious people." The expression
he used was literally "you are god in his greatness, he chose the word daimon, demon, by which he implied that the gods
they worshipped were lesser concepts than the great idea of God. They understood that he meant to compliment them
because they had a concept of and a capacity for God. They were very much involved with and interested in God.

Then he said he had come upon an altar to an unknown god. There were several of these in Athens. Many centuries
before, a plague had been arrested by turning loose a flock of sheep within the city. Wherever the sheep were found they
were slain and offered to a god. If slain near the altar of a recognized god they were they were dedicated to that god, but
if they were slain apart from any of these, an altar was erected and dedicated to an unknown god! Paul found one of these
and said, "This is the God I want to talk about. What you worship ignorantly I have come to declare to you." In this great
introduction the emptiness of paganism is revealed. If you do not worship the true God, there is no end to your search;
you will keep on going forever. The Athenians had thirty thousand gods, but even these were not enough; they had also
erected altars to an unknown god! How clearly this voices the agony of humanity, the cry for a God they know exists but
whom they cannot find.

Maker and Giver

In the rest of his message Paul first unfolds the truth about the living God which idolatry denied. Then he shows them the
corresponding truth about man, which followed as a logical result of the truth about God:

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by
man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and
breath and everything (Acts 17:24, 25).

What he is saying here is that God is the Maker and not the one who was made. God was not created by man; he is the
one who makes man and everything else that exists in all the universe. He is the originator of all things. We have not
moved very far from ancient idolatry. They used to take a piece of gold or silver or wood and carve or form an idol, thus

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worshipping the works of men's hands. Today we don't use images, but we still see men worshipping themselves,
projected to infinite proportions. Man simply thinks of himself, projects this into infinity, and worships that; that is his
god--and that is exactly what idolatry is. Paul points out that this is not in line with reality. God is not the projection of
man; God is greater than man; he is the Maker, and not the made.

Second, God is the Giver, and does not have any needs himself. "The God who made the world and everything in it is not
served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything."
Idolatry and paganism taught that men had to bring gifts to the gods, they had to do things for their gods, to propitiate
them and sacrifice to them and bring them all kinds of things. Today men are still doing the same thing. We are not
free from idolatry, for if a god is that which is the most important thing in a person's life, to which he gives his time and
effort and energy, that which occupies the primary place of importance to him, then men have many gods even today.
Money, fame, your children, yourself--all these and more can be your gods. You can even worship your country as your
god. I am appalled at the number of people today who worship America and enthrone it as the highest value in life, the
only thing which they would give their lives, the only thing worth living for. These false gods make continual demands
upon us; they do nothing for us, but we must work for them.

Paul cancels all this out. He says the real God is one who gives, who pours out. He does not need anything from you. He
does not live in temples made by man. I'm sure Paul must have pointed to the Parthenon as he said this, for it was
regarded as the home of Athene, the goddess for whom the city was named. God does not live in places like that, Paul
said, and there is nothing you can give him that he needs. Rather, he is continually giving himself to you.

Seekers Are Rewarded

The third great truth was to show how God draws men and does not seek to evade them. To the pagans the gods dwelt
on remote Mount Olympus. Men had to go through perilous and hazardous journeys in order to find and placate their
gods, while the gods hid themselves from men. But Paul's message is that the true God is not doing that:

And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods
and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find
him (Acts 17:26,27).

The true God is the God of history. He made man as one race, originating from one source. The interesting thing is that
today this statement is as scientifically sound as when it was first uttered. Science today admits that there is only one race
of men, one species, Homo sapiens. Despite the differences in skin color, body size, and facial features that exist around
the world there is only one race of men. They all come from one source. Furthermore, God has intervened to direct their
lives throughout the curse of history. He has determined where they will live and how long they will live there, as well as
how long it should take for a nation or an empire to rise and then fall again--not arbitrarily, but based upon their reaction
to the one great reason for which human beings exist, that they might find God, "that they might feel after him and find
him."

The events of human history have all served the one great purpose that men might be motivated to search for God.
Hebrews 11:6 says, For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek
him." In Jeremiah 29:13,14 we read, "When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you." God is urging men to
seek him. That is why catastrophes come, those tremendously difficult events--in order to show men that they are not
independent. It is ridiculous, absurd, and dishonest in the extreme to think that we can operate without God. Our very
life and breath come from him continually.

Man Is Not Nothing

The apostle concludes his address with a wonderful statement about man:

Yet he is not far from each one of us, for "In him we live and move and have our being"; as even some of your poets
have said, "For we are indeed his offspring." Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like
gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked,
but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in

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 righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from
the dead (Acts 17:27-31).

Paul begins with the fact of the dignity of man, recognizing that man is God's offspring. It is not Biblical to go around
telling people that man is nothing, that he is vile, that he is a worm. That is not the Biblical view of man as he was created.
I sometimes hear Christians talking as though they were nothing and God is everything. Although I understand what
they mean, the truth is that man is not a mere nothing. He can do nothing, but the Bible never says that he is nothing.
What the Bible says is that man is the image of God, and that he has a capacity to respond to God.

Everywhere you go, even among the most degraded and primitive of men, you will find this pattern of the image of God.
You will never find a man, woman, boy, or girl who does not have a passion for life, who does not want to live, who is
not in revolt against death and boredom and frustration and all the other negative qualities of life. They all want to seize
hold of life. And you will never find a man, woman, boy or girl who does not have a passion for dominion, who does not
want to succeed, who does not want to reach out and try something new and accomplish new objectives, to conquer new
territory. That is because man is made in the image of God. Further, you will never find a human being who does not
have some power to create, to invent; some ability to produce or fashion or make or shape. This is inherent in the heart of
man everywhere, and sets man apart and distinct from animals. These are all part of the image of God, and this image is
man's greatest dignity.

But right along with this the apostle mentions the tragedy of man. "Being God's offspring [which even your pagan poets
recognize is true], we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and
imagination of man." He is saying that if it is true that we are made with a capacity for God, if we know that we are made
to contain and reflect God, then it is not only insulting to God to make an idol of him, but it is also degrading to man. It is
saying that we can be satisfied with things that are less than ourselves. Wherever people act on that basis, the result is that
they return to childish actions. Idolatry of any kind makes a man act like an infant. In Edwin Markham's great poem, "The
Man with the Hoe," as he is thinking of man in his low estate, he asks,

Is this the thing the Lord God made, and gave

To have dominion over sea and land,
To trace the stars, and search the heavens for power
And feel the passion of eternity?

Even in that degraded estate a capacity for God is recognizable. The tragedy is that this capacity is being prostituted into
something less than the God for whom it was designed.

From Ignorance to Responsibility

The last thing Paul points out is man's responsibility, Men have lived, he says, in times of ignorance. Now these "times of
ignorance" need to he understood carefully. This phrase does not refer to a certain date on the calendar. It is not speaking
of Old Testament times as such, or of past dispensations before the present era. These "times of ignorance" are related
only to the individual; they refer to the time in our lives when we, as the offspring of God, were trying to satisfy ourselves
with things that were less than God. This is always a time of ignorance, when a man is operating on a level that reveals
his utter ignorance of reality. Paul declares that God overlooks these times. He does not wipe us out. He does not judge
us, he does not hate us and reject us, but he patiently waits while we live through these struggling times.

But the apostle further declares that when a man hears about Jesus, when he hears the good news that Jesus Christ is the
way to the heart of God, he then has a responsibility before God to change his mind, to stop acting as he did before. That
is what repentance means: a change of mind. You are responsible to change your mind and lay hold of that which God
has provided in Jesus Christ.

Paul gives us here three great facts which underscore the importance of repentance. First, there is an inescapable day
which God has fixed as the time when he will judge the world. Everyone knows this. A day is corning when our life will
be laid open before everyone, and all the value of it, or its lack of value, will be evident. On that day every life will be
evaluated. Second, there is an unchallengeable judge. The One who will do the evaluating will not be a god, remote upon
Mount Olympus, but he will be a Man, someone who has lived right here with us, who knows what human life is like,
who has felt everything we feel. He will be the One who passes judgment on that day. Third, God has made this evident

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to all by an irrefutable fact: he raised that Man from the dead. On that fact Christianity ultimately rests. If you can
disprove the resurrection of Jesus you can destroy Christianity in one blow. But as long as that fact remains
unshaken, undestroyed, Christianity is indestructible. The fact that God raised Jesus from the dead is the guarantee that
everything God says will happen will indeed take place. Luke gives us, in these closing words, the reaction of Athens to
Paul's message:

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We will hear you again about
this." So Paul went out from among them. But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the
Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them (Acts 17:32-34).

Some mocked, which means their pride was threatened. Mocking is always the defense of pride when it feels itself
attacked but has no logical defense; it resorts to ridicule. But Christianity ridiculed is always a sign of weakness, an
admission of defeat. Some others delayed their response, succumbing to the curse of the intellectual: academic
detachment. They viewed themselves as outside the system they were examining and thus detached from it. "Everyone
else is subject to this but us." So they said, "We will listen to you again on this; we need more evidence." Such are the
delaying tactics which many intellectuals are using today.

But some believed. That is the great word here. Some repented, changed their minds. This indicates that among these
intellectuals were some earnest, honest people who were trying to find the answers to life. Such a person was Dionysius
the Areopagite. He was one of the judges, an intellectual, a ruler of the city, but he became a Christian, and with him was
a woman named Damaris. There were others among them, though we don't know how many--perhaps just a few.
Because it was a university city, Athens was much more resistant to the gospel than any other city would be, but there
were nevertheless some who believed. Here then is a church planted in Athens. We never hear anything about it again,
although I suspect that the Letters to the Corinthians were also shared with the church in Athens, because the cities were
not very far apart. Paul addresses the Corinthian Letters to "all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord
Jesus." We do not know what happened to the church at Athens except that here in the midst of this darkness the light of
Jesus Christ began to shine, and a body was formed. From that body, power began to penetrate into the secluded areas
where evil sat entrenched, shaking men loose and setting them free from the chains of darkness.

Our Father, we pray for our own age, our own generation, our own world. We know how men have pursued the
emptiness of pagan philosophies in our day and how men are trying to satisfy the emptiness within with some lesser
concept than you. They can never do so and are therefore rendered restless and unhappy, never finding what they are
looking for. Others are resistant to this message, Lord, preening themselves in their intellectual pride, trying to find their
own way by the power of reason. Father, we pray that everywhere this great message may have its effect as it did on
Athens, and that our darkened society will be set free from its bondage to materialism and made to be what you intended
us to be: warm, whole, balanced, happy, excited, and alive. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Chapter Nine
The Cross in Corinth
Acts 18:1-22

From Athens, the intellectual capital of the Roman world, the Apostle Paul now travels to Corinth, the center of
sensuality. These two cities are symbols of the twin evils which, in every age and every generation, trap and enslave the
hearts of people: intellectual pride and sensual lust.

Corinth is about fifty miles west of Athens, and when Paul visited the city it was the capital of the Roman Province of
Greece, which they called Achaia. It was a center of commerce and trade, located on a narrow neck of land between the
Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea. The Greeks had built a skidway across that narrow isthmus, over which they actually
dragged small ships on greased skids. Corinth was a magnificent city filled with beautiful temples of all kinds and located
in a natural setting that I found breathtaking on my last visit there.

It was also the center of the worship of Aphrodite, the goddess of sex. There was a great temple of Aphrodite on the
Acrocorinth, the hill in back of the city, and every evening a thousand priestesses of the temple would come down into
the city streets to ply their trade as cult prostitutes, indulging in the worship of sex. Thus Corinth had gained a reputation
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throughout the whole Roman world as the center of sensuality. Whenever a citizen of Corinth was portrayed in a drama,
he would he a morally loose character, and usually a drunk. This is the city to which the apostle came, walking all alone
in the dust of the road.

Corinth was infested with certain stubborn strongholds of evil which the apostle describes in his First Letter to the
Corinthians. Sexual license and perversion were rampant. Racial discord was prominent. There were family feuds and
political tyranny. And of course spreading over everything was the emptiness and lack of purpose which paganism
always produces. Corinth was so very much like our own cities! We live in Corinthian conditions today, and if there is
any church in the New Testament with which we could particularly identify, this is the one.

Paul arrived in Corinth a total stranger; he had never been there before, and he knew no one. But he was confident that
God would open the door.

After this he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, lately come
from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see
them: and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them, and they worked, for by trade they were
tentmakers. And he argued in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks (Acts 18:1-4).

Paul always expected God to lead him to someone who would open the door to a city, and in, Corinth (probably in the
marketplace) he ran into a fellow Jew who, like himself, was a tentmaker. This was Aquila, who with his wife, Priscilla,
had just been driven out of Rome by the decree of Emperor Claudius. Paul and Aquila began to work together, and, as
you can well imagine, it was not very long before Paul led Aquila and Priscilla to Christ. These two are frequently
mentioned in the pages of Scripture as faithful workers and helpers of the apostle.

Notice in passing that Paul led them to Christ while he was at work. I hope this will encourage you to use your work
place as a place for getting to know people, getting to understand their needs, and as a normal place for evangelism--but
not on company time. Work I an excellent place to make contacts with people who are searching for answers in life.

Kicked Next Door

Now when Silas and Timothy rejoined the apostle, arriving in Thessalonica, Paul altered his procedure. We read,

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with preaching, testifying to the Jews that the
Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "You blood
be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." And he left there and went to the
house of a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the
ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians hearing
Paul believed and were baptized (Acts 18:5-8).

Here is the account of a great period of success in the opening weeks at Corinth. Paul taught in the Jewish synagogue, and
as usual it was not very long until the preaching of a crucified Christ aroused the hatred and he enmity of the Jews. In his
Letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of the fact that the word of the cross is to the Jews a stumbling block. It aroused
such enmity that they opposed and reviled him, openly attacking and sneering at him.

Finally Paul shook his garments against them in the Jewish gesture of detachment and said, "If you will not receive this
message I will go to the Gentiles." (This applied only to Corinth because the next place Paul visited he started in the
synagogue again.) But he didn't go very far; in fact, he went right next door. It is clear from the Greek text that the house
of Titus Justus wand the synagogue actually shared a common wall. So Paul still had access to the synagogue, and the
first thing we read about after his move is that Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, was won to Christ. He believed in the
Lord, together with all his household. Also among the other citizens of Corinth there was a tremendous response; may
who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

Although some people claim that Paul did not believe in baptism, it is important to note that everywhere he went his
converts were always baptized. As he says in his Letter to these Corinthians, he did not very often baptize himself
because he did not want people bragging that the apostle had baptized them. But obviously Silas and Timothy helped
him, and all of these converts were baptized.

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Fear and Trembling

The next section of this account reveals the inside story of Paul's reaction to the city of Corinth, which is very interesting:

And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you,
and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city." And he stayed a year and six months,
teaching the word of God among them (Acts 18:9-l1).

What the Lord literally said when he appeared to Paul in this night vision was "Stop being afraid but keep right on
speaking." This reveals that Paul was indeed becoming afraid. It is quite understandable that he would, for a very familiar
pattern was developing. He had seen it before many times. He had come to the synagogue and spoken to the Jews. They
had rejected his message. He turned to the Gentiles and there was immediate response, a great flood of people coming in.
This aroused the anger and hostility of the Jews, and Paul knew that the next step was Trouble, spelled with a capital T.
He anticipated that he would soon be ousted the city by either the aroused rabble or the authorities.

Paul's fear is so beautifully descriptive of the humanity of this man! We usually think of Paul as being bold and fearless,
yet he suffered just as we do from apprehensions, forebodings, and fears. In fact, in First Corinthians 2 he says, "When I
came to you...I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling..." He was very much afraid of what would
happen to him in Corinth. The entrenched powers of darkness were being shaken, and the life of the city was being
disrupted by the awakening which was spreading because of Paul's teaching.

But this is the only legitimate mark of the success of a church. Many churches today measure their success by what is
going on in the congregation. It is wonderful to have things happening within the congregation, but that is not the mark
of success. The church is successful only when things start happening in the city. The Lord Jesus said, "You are the salt of
the earth...you are the light of the world." it is the world that God is aiming at. Until something starts happening in the
community, the church is a failure. It bothers me greatly to come into a city and find it filled with church buildings on
every side, but to find that the city is locked into patterns of violence and hatred, riot and bloodshed. It tells me that there
is something seriously wrong with the churches of that city, for God always aims at the world, breaking down the
patterns of evil that lock men and women in bondage. As the apostle saw this beginning to happen he knew he was in for
trouble.

This is why the Lord appeared to his apostle. How gracious and reassuring are his words! He says, in effect, "Paul, don't
let your fears grip you! Stop being afraid from and don't keep silent. Keep right on preaching, because I am going to
protect you. No one is going to set upon you and hurt you, for I have a lot of work for you to do yet in this city. There are
many people here who haven't come to me yet, but they will--if you keep on preaching."

Pocket of Protection

I remember thinking one time when I read these words that a football quarterback is protected in this same way. His
teammates form a pocket around him and the quarterback drops back into the pocket. There he is protected so that he can
continue the assault. That is exactly what the Lord is saying to Paul. "Paul, don't worry. You see the hostility, you see the
opposition, you see it all coming, but I have built a pocket around you. You just keep on throwing that ball."

Some of the Lord's most encouraging words are these: "I have yet many people in this city." They were still pagans, they
had not yet become Christians--but the Lord knew they were there. There is nothing more encouraging to me in going
into any strange situation than to realize that there are people there whom God already knows will respond to what I say.
This gives me a great deal of support in preaching the truth. So it was with the apostle. He was greatly strengthened, and
for a year-and-a-half he continued in Corinth without being molested. He was able to preach the truth until there was a
great stirring in this city. The church at Corinth became a large church, with a powerful effect upon the life of the city.

It was also during this period that Paul wrote his First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians, perhaps the earliest of
Paul's letters that we have in our Bible. Paul undoubtedly wrote to other churches during this time, for the New
Testament mentions other letters which have not been preserved. But the Thessalonian Letters were preserved because
they contain the full-orbed teaching of the New Covenant, which is essential for us to know.

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When the attack against Paul finally does come, God's hand is still in control of the situation.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack upon Paul and brought him before the
tribunal, saying, "This man is persuading men to worship God contrary to the law." But when Paul was about to
open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "if it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, I should have reason to
bear with you, Jews; but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it
yourselves; I refuse to be a judge of these things," And he drove them from the tribunal. And they all seized
Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to this (Acts
18:12-17).

This tribunal has been excavated, and you can see it if you visit Corinth. It is called in Greek the bema, the scale--that is,
the judgment seat. When I was there I walked around in the bema and tried to visualize the apostle standing in front of
this well-known prosecutor and judge of Rome. Gallio is mentioned several times in the historical accounts of that day.
He was the older brother of the philosopher Seneca, who at this very time was busy tutoring the young Nero--who would
become the next emperor after Claudius. Gallio was said to be a very just man, with a gracious and mild disposition. Here
he appears to be very impartial.

The charge brought against Paul by these Jews was that he was violating the Roman law against beginning a new
religion. "This man is persuading men to worship God contrary to the law." They did not mean the Jewish law; they
meant the Roman law. Evidently these Jews supported their charged with arguments concerning Paul's preaching of
Christ. But Gallio was a very astute individual who furnishes us an example of how God often uses governmental
authorities to preserve the peace and to permit the gospel to go forth. Before Paul could open his mouth to defend
himself, the judge threw the case out of court. He refused jurisdiction. He said to the Jews, "Look, if this man had
committed a crime or had done something wrong, I would judge him. But it is obvious to me that all you are talking
about are some silly semantic distinctions between your own Jewish religious factions. Therefore it has nothing to do with
Roman law."

Freedom to Preach

That was a very important decision! It meant that Paul was now free to preach the gospel throughout the Roman empire
without being charged with breaking the Roman law. Gallio, in effect, said that Christianity, in the eyes of the Romans,
was officially a Jewish sect-it was a part of Judaism. And Judaism was an established, official religion within the empire.
This decision is what made it possible for Paul to preach in many Roman cities without any difficulty with the officials.

The Jews were so upset by this outcome that they seized their leader, Sosthenes, and beat him up in front of the tribunal,
venting their spite on him. When Crispus became a Christian he was no longer the ruler of the synagogue, so Sosthenes
took his place and led the attack against Paul. But when he mismanaged the affair so badly that the whole thing was
thrown out of court, the Jews beat him right in the presence of the Roman judge. All this left Gallio quite unconcerned.
(The King James Version says that the Greeks beat Sosthenes, but this reading is not supported by the best manuscripts.)

That beating did Sosthenes a lot of good. In the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians you will find a most interesting
item in the very first verse:

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes...

I would never consider beating as a method of Christian evangelism, but it certainly worked in this case! Evidently
Sosthenes' eyes were opened when these Jews turned against him, and he decided that maybe their cause was not so just
after all. He gave heed to the gospel and became a co-laborer with Paul in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. All this is
a beautiful picture of how God stands behind the scenes watching over his own. Do you remember that poem of James
Russell Lowell?

Truth forever on the scaffold.

Wrong forever on the throne.
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
and behind the dim unknown
Standeth God amid the shadows,

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 keeping watch above his own.

This was characteristic of Paul's ministry during these days! Paul's second missionary journey now comes to an end right
where it began, in Antioch:

After this Paul stayed many days longer, and then took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and with him
Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he cut his hair, for he had a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them
there; but he himself went into the synagogue and argued with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer
period, he declined; but on taking leave of them he said, "I will return to you if God wills," and he set sail from
Ephesus. When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch
(Acts 18:18-22).

Several things are worthy of notice in this paragraph. Paul stayed in Corinth a long time after Gallio dismissed his case.
The Christian faith was now legally accepted, so he had an open door and he used it to the full, preaching there for
perhaps as long as two full years. At last he took leave of the brethren and, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him, he sailed
to Cenchreae, one of the ports of Corinth.

We have the interesting comment from Luke that there "he cut his hair, for he had a vow." The kind of vow this refers to is
a religious vow; according to the law this was a way of expressing thanks. He had vowed that for thirty days he would
not cut his hair but would give thanks to God and worship him. He probably fasted during this period as well, refraining
from certain foods. At the end of the thirty days he cut his hair, having fulfilled his vow. It was simply a Jewish way of
giving thanks.

Some are disturbed by this, thinking it means that Paul was reverting to all the old, legalistic practices of Judaism. But
that is not the case at all; he was simply doing as he described in a letter to the Corinthians: "To the Jews I became a Jew;
to the Gentiles a Gentile." Since he was working with the Jewish community, he expressed in this Jewish way the
thankfulness of his heart for God's protection over him while he was at Corinth. It was a perfectly proper thing for him to
do. It does not mean that when Paul came to the Gentiles he was not perfectly free to lay aside all Jewish ritual and to live
as a Gentile. Paul was a man set free in Christ.

The voyage of Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila brought them to Ephesus in the Roman province of Asia. Earlier, Paul had been
forbidden by the Spirit to preach the word of the Lord in Ephesus, but now he was allowed to come in, although he
stayed only a brief time. As usual, he began at the synagogue. They received his message and asked him to stay longer,
but he was in a hurry to get back to Jerusalem. So, the account says, he left Aquila and Priscilla and went on, landing on
the coast of Palestine at Caesarea and "Going up to greet the church," i.e., the church at Jerusalem. He spent some time
there (we don't know how much), doubtless reporting on what God had done. Finally he came back to the church at
Antioch, from which he had begun his journey some two or three years earlier.

Power Pattern

What has God been saying to us in the account of this missionary journey of Paul? Over and over again we have seen the
pattern which these early Christians invariably followed whenever they came into a new city. From this form of approach
God always brought a new and creative program designed to meet the specific needs of the situation there. One of the
things this has taught me is that we make a great mistake by taking one fixed program and trying to apply it to every
situation. According to the New Testament the early Christians always began with the preaching of the Word. Then, as it
won people to Christ, they began to have body life--loving one another, praying for one another, understanding their
spiritual gifts, and putting them to work. As the body of Christ began to operate, the rich and varied innovations of the
Holy Spirit came into play and adapted the body and its activities to the specific situation. Thus the Word went out with
great power and began to shake up the surrounding community within a relatively short period of time.

We need desperately to return to this pattern today, and I believe God is moving the church back in this direction. I hope
we learn once and for all the lesson of this section of Acts: God is prepared to work to bring down the strongholds of evil,
to shake up a city, to shake up a neighborhood, and to set men free.

Think these things through and ask yourself, "Have I found my spiritual gift, and am I ministering with it as a member of
the Body of Christ? Am I part of the moving of the body of Christ in this area, to accomplish what God wants done?"

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Our heavenly Father, we thank you for this account which encourages us, for we know that you are at work today just as
you were then. This same sense of electric excitement can grasp and grip us as it did these early Christians. This same
mighty power can be turned loose in communities that are in the grip of strongholds of darkness and evil, and these can
become demoralized in our area as the body of Christ begins to function. Lord, help us who are members of that body to
take due note of where we are, and what we are doing, and whether we are fulfilling the task committed to us by the Lord
Jesus when he gave us spiritual gifts and the power of his resurrection, so that we may be working members of this body.
We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.

Chapter Ten
Halfway Christians
Acts 18:23-19:7

The Apostle Paul enjoyed a short but well-deserved rest in Antioch after being on the road for two to three years. But, as
Luke tells us, he didn't rest for long:

After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia,
strengthening all the disciples (Acts 18:23).

On his third missionary journey the apostle started out all alone; he had no Barnabas or Silas with him this time. But he
was heading out to familiar ground, to minister among dear friends whom he personally had led to Christ. His purpose
was to strengthen the churches. Paul loved to venture into new territories, but he never forgot the need to strengthen
those already won; he devoted this third journey to the strengthening of his converts.

This meant that Paul's ministry among the churches in Galatia and Phrygia was to teach them the Word of God, for it is
the Word that strengthens. In his Letter to the Galatians Paul recalls that he came among the believers telling them the
truth. Jesus also, in his high-priestly prayer recorded in John 17, says to the Father concerning his disciples, "Sanctify them
in the truth; thy word is truth." This is what builds Christians up--the knowledge of the Word of God, and obedience to
that Word! The Word is the instrument which produces maturity. You cannot grow as a Christian without a continually
increasing understanding of the Word. Furthermore, there is no chance for effective evangelism without laying the
groundwork of maturity. Although any Christian can witness from the very day he is born again, there can be no
effective, continuing evangelism without the spiritual growth which involves maturing in the understanding of the
Scriptures. So the apostle went back to the churches to teach them the Word of God.

The next section is a parenthesis which Luke inserts in this account of Paul's ministry to explain what happened when
Paul finally reached Ephesus, and to introduce us to Apollos. This story continues into the opening section of Chapter 19,
so we will disregard the chapter division.

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well versed in the
scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately
the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John (Acts 18:24,25).

This golden-voiced orator of the first century was not yet a Christian at this time; he was a Jew who had been trained in
the Jewish schools at Alexandria in Egypt. He had become a powerful speaker, well versed in the Scriptures--literally
"mighty" in the Scriptures. But of course he could go only to the limit of his own knowledge and understanding. No
preacher can ever lift his congregation above his own spiritual experience. Apollos knew only the baptism of John, which
was a great deal, for it was the truth about Jesus--but it was not the whole truth.

Wilderness Witness

This term "the baptism of John" means the message which John preached. When John the Baptist went out into the
wilderness of Judea and began to preach (about
six months before our Lord appeared), the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the cities of Judea went out into the desert to hear
him. This mighty preacher did not come to them--they went to him, indicating that his message was a startling one for his
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day. To us, who have the full presentation of Christianity, John's message does not seem particularly striking. But to the
people of his day it hit like a sledgehammer.

Basically John declared three great truths: first, he announced that forgiveness of sins is possible before God only on the
basis of repentance. Thus there was no real value in a sacrifice or offering. These Jews had been taught that the only way
they could have their sins forgiven was by means of an animal substitute whose blood was shed on their behalf. Thereby
God passed over their sins by accepting, at least temporarily, the blood of the animal on their behalf, thus forgiving their
sins. But John came with the startling word that what God really wanted was a repentant heart.

John had the people express their repentance in baptism, which was a symbolic act of cleansing. This too was something
new. In the Old Testament you can read in the law about certain cleansings which were to follow a sacrifice. These were
similar to baptism, but not quite the same. John was announcing that as people repented, changing their mind about their
sin and calling it what God called it and forsaking it, then God forgave their sins. The symbol of that forgiveness was the
washing of baptism. John insisted that their repentance must be real, and that they actually produce fruit that befitted
repentance. That is, their actions had to demonstrate that they really meant what they said and would indeed turn from
their evil. John met several different groups of people and told them specific things that they could do in order to indicate
that they had really judged themselves before God.

Third, John announced that One was coming who would complete the work he had begun. Repentance is just a beginning
with God. It is as far as we human beings can go by ourselves, but it does not give us life. Repentance would achieve
forgiveness of sins, but it would not give any positive ground of action, any power by which to live. That is what John
announced would be available when Jesus came. "There is coming one after me," he said, "who is mightier than I, whose
shoes I am not worthy to carry. I have baptized you with water, as a symbol of the forgiveness God gives. But he will go
further; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. He will put life into you, and give you power to live as God asks. That I
cannot do."

So Apollos knew this much, but he knew nothing of the cross or of the resurrection, and he did not know of the coming of
the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. His message was basically incomplete. He announced the word about Jesus but
said nothing about the three essentials which make it possible for the power of Jesus to be experienced in our life: his
death, his resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Luke now records what happened next:

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and expounded
to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him, and
wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for
he powerfully confuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus (Acts 18:26-28).

Aquila and Priscilla were Christians, so it is interesting to note that they still met on the sabbath day with the Jews in the
synagogue. They undoubtedly also had Christian meetings in their home (probably on Sunday, the first day of the week,
the day of resurrection), but here they are in the synagogue, where they hear Apollos preach Jesus. He preached the
things concerning Jesus very accurately, Luke tells us, and they were warmed and expectant because of this, but they
soon learned that there was something missing.

So they did a beautiful thing--they invited the preacher home to dinner with them and helped him with his problem. I
don't know whom to admire more in this situation, Aquila and Priscilla, or Apollos. These two dear Christians, not too
old in the Lord themselves (having been led to Christ by Paul in Corinth), do not scorn this young man for his incomplete
preaching. They do not write letters to the editor about him, or reject him or criticize him, but instead they invite him
home and lovingly and wisely expound to him the more accurate presentation of Christ. This means that they showed
him how the Old Testament Scriptures indicated the death and resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
They expounded to him so that his faith would rest not merely upon their testimony of the historic occurrences but also
on the predictions of the Old Testament.

Teachable Teacher

But I really don't know if they were greater in all this than Apollos, who was willing to sit under the teaching of members
of his congregation and listen humbly to them. What amazing news it must have been to Apollos that the message of John
had now been fulfilled, that the One whom John had baptized had gone on to fulfill all that God had ever predicted

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concerning the way of salvation for men. The implications of the cross, the resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit
were all explained to Apollos.

Naturally he needed time to digest these facts and to rethink everything. There is no indication here that he immediately
began to preach this new truth at Ephesus. Rather, he desired to go over to Corinth, probably because there was a
congregation of believers there who had been instructed by the Apostle Paul. Aquila and Priscilla, his teachers, had been
led to Christ by Paul in Corinth, and so Apollos wanted to go where he could learn more about what he had heard. The
brethren in Ephesus sent letters of recommendation with him so that the brethren in Corinth would receive him.

Apollos was a great help to the Corinthian brethren when he came. Here was a man who knew the Old Testament
Scriptures. "When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed," doing what he could do best,
answering the arguments of the Jews right in public, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. And how
much more could he do this now, armed with the new facts he had learned about the Lord Jesus! In his First Letter to the
Corinthians Paul
acknowledges the fact that he had planted, but Apollos had watered. Paul was grateful for the ministry of this mighty
man of the Scriptures who could confirm and strengthen the word that Paul had planted there.

Now Paul appears again:

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus. There he found some
disciples. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have
never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into
John's baptism" (Acts 19:1-3).

After visiting the churches of Galatia and Phrygia, Paul came to Ephesus, just as he had promised at the close of his
second journey. You remember that Luke tells us:

And they came to Ephesus, and he left them [Priscilla and Aquila] there; but he himself went into the synagogue and
argued with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined; but on taking leave of them he
said, "I will return to you if it is God's will," and he set sail from Ephesus (Acts 18:19-21).

Now Paul is fulfilling his promise by returning to Ephesus. Naturally he went to the synagogue where he had been
invited to stay, and when he came into the Jewish community he found certain disciples. We are not told whose disciples
they were, but it is clear from the previous account that these were disciples of Apollos. They were men and women
whom Apollos had told about Jesus, at least to the extent of the baptism of John. Paul heard them speaking about Jesus,
and he obviously thought they were Christians when he first met them. But as he watched them he observed that
something was missing, and I'm sure there was puzzlement in his voice when he finally said to them, "Did you receive
the Holy Spirit when you believed?"

This question indicates that the normal Christian pattern is that the Spirit is given immediately upon belief in Jesus Christ.
There is no suggestion here that the Spirit of God is given after a long period of belief in Christ. Jesus himself had
predicted that the giving would be immediate. In the seventh chapter of John we are told that on the great day of the feast
Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture
has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" John adds, "Now this he said about the Spirit, which those
who believed in him were to receive...(John 7:37-39). So it is belief in Jesus which brings the Holy Spirit.

These people whom Paul met in Ephesus knew something about Jesus. They appeared to be disciples of Jesus, but
something was missing. What it was we are not told. Perhaps Paul saw that there was no joy in their lives, or no peace or
certainty. Certainly there was no power. They were still under the domain of the law and had not yet been delivered into
the joy and peace of the full Christian message. So he asked them, "Did you receive the Spirit when you believed?"

The disciples answered that they had never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. This does not mean that they never
knew of the third Person in the Trinity, for John clearly taught the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had come
upon Jesus when John baptized him, and John knew this. They meant, "We have never heard that the Holy Spirit is now
given, that he has come, as John announced that he would." Paul, understanding that, asks them, "What were you
baptized into?" And they replied, "Into John's baptism." It was immediately clear to Paul what the problem was--they

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were halfway Christians. They had come as far as repentance and forgiveness of sins, but they knew nothing about the
work of the Holy Spirit. So he begins to instruct them:

And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to
come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul
had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. There
were about twelve of them in all (Acts 19:4-7).

Paul undoubtedly gave them full instruction in the truth about Jesus, which Luke simply gathers up in these brief
phrases. Paul went on to tell them about the death of Jesus, and what that accomplished with respect to the old life they
had been living; and then about the resurrection which made available to them a risen life, a different kind of life; and
then about the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would make all this real in their experience continuously, moment by
moment, day after day.

A Second Baptism

After Paul instructed these Ephesian believers in this way they were rebaptized in the name of Jesus. This is very
significant, for it indicates that the baptism which they had received with an incomplete knowledge of Jesus was really
not Christian baptism. I meet many people who have been baptized as babies, when they had no opportunity to
understand what the Christian message was all about and no opportunity to exercise faith in a risen Lord who could
indwell them and strengthen them by his Spirit. Sometimes they ask me, "Do you think I should be rebaptized, now that I
have really come to know a risen Lord?" On the basis of this text I say to them, "Yes, you should, because your baptism
did not represent your personal faith in a risen, abiding Lord."

When these people came to this understanding they were rebaptized by the Apostle Paul, who laid his hands upon them.
Please understand that he did not impart anything to them; that is never what the laying on of hands does. Rather, it
signifies identification. Paul is identifying these twelve people with the body of Christ, that new body formed by the Holy
Spirit when he came on the day of Pentecost. By laying his hands on them he is signifying their union with the family of
the Lord Jesus. The moment Paul performed this act of identification the Spirit came upon them, actually joining them to
the body of Christ. They believed on Jesus and the unifying Spirit came immediately.

Two Gifts

The mark of the Spirit's coming was the impartation of spiritual gifts. It is strange to me how often people read this
passage and note only that they spoke in tongues. They immediately think that this is another Pentecost. But there are two
gifts mentioned here. Whenever the Holy Spirit comes he always gives spiritual gifts. He did so when he came into your
life, and the whole aim and purpose of your redemption is to discover and put to work those spiritual gifts which were
given to you. And here, when the Spirit came, they began immediately to exercise two spiritual gifts, the first of which
was speaking in tongues. This is listed as one of the gifts of the Spirit in First Corinthians 12. It is very natural that this gift
would be given on this particular occasion, for, as Paul tells us in First Corinthians 14, the gift of tongues is designed
especially as a witness to unbelieving Jews.

These twelve disciples were Jews. They had sat under the teaching of Apollos, probably having heard him in the
synagogue at Ephesus. They lived in the Jewish community and were regarded as a sect or group of Jews, Now they have
become Christians, but their friends and those all around them are still Jews. Within this setting (if not actually in the
synagogue, then in the Jewish community), as they are now filled with the Holy Spirit they use the gift of tongues, in
which they praise God in languages they had never learned. They do so publicly (never privately) as a sign to unbelievers
that God is at work.

Remember that Paul tells us in First Corinthians 14 that this is the fulfillment of the prediction of the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah had said to the people of Israel in his day, "By men of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to
this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord. That is, "When you see and hear men coming to you
speaking with other tongues, then you will know that the hour has struck when God turns from Israel to the Gentile
world. The gospel is now to go out to the Gentiles as well." This was the sign, then, to the unbelieving Jews. This is the
Biblical gift of tongues, and it was perfectly proper that it should be exercised on this occasion, for this is the situation in
which it was designed to be used.

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Today there is an imitation gift of tongues, a psychological phenomenon which has been known among men for centuries.
Even Plato discusses it in some of his lectures to the Greeks in Athens, four hundred years before Christ. It is a
phenomenon frequently heard among all kinds and classes of people, but it does not measure up to the Biblical gift. Those
who fall into it by mistake are misled, entering eventually into a time of real weakness in faith in which they are
spiritually derailed for a while, until God in grace delivers them and sets them free to begin to grow again in faith in the
Lord.

I fully understand the appeal that this makes to many Christians. It seems to offer such a wonderful experience and a
shortcut to spirituality. It seems so desirable. I went through this very experience myself in my early Christian life, so I am
well aware of its attraction. But as you compare it with the Biblical description of the gift of tongues, it is not the same
thing. The Biblical gift is a proper one which will bless, encourage, and strengthen those who employ it. The false gift,
however, leads only to spiritual blindness.

Along with the gift of tongues at Ephesus was also given the gift of prophesying. This is the ability to open and expound
the Scriptures in power and truth. The word "prophet" comes from a compound Greek word: pro-phaino. Phaino means "to
cause to shine" or "to make shine," and pro means "before." So a prophet is who stands before the Word of God and causes
it to shine, who illuminates people's lives with the power and truth of the Scriptures. Peter uses it that way: We have a
more sure word of prophecy, which shines as a light in a dark place." These twelve new Christians of Ephesus began to
prophecy as the Spirit illumined their minds. They saw great truth in the Scriptures and began to declare it in power.

Note that one of these gifts was designed for unbelievers and the other for believers. The gift of tongues, Paul says in First
Corinthians 14, is for unbelievers, but the gift of prophecy is for believers. Here in the community in Ephesus both groups
were present: the unbelieving Jews who still refused to accept the truth of the Scriptures about Jesus, and those who had
become
Christians, who with Priscilla and Aquila were rejoicing in all that the Lord had given them and who needed this exercise
of the gift of prophecy. When these twelve people were filled, and the Holy Spirit had come upon them, they
demonstrated this fact by their expression of these gifts of the Spirit. No apostle would ever again need to ask them, "Did
you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" There was a difference about their lives. They obviously were now filled
with new power and strength which came when they believed in Jesus.

There are many people today who believe in Jesus and yet do not show much evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit. In
many churches where I am privileged to speak I have wanted to say to the people, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when
you believed?" Recently I was at a Christian college and spoke in chapel. As in most Christian colleges, though I found a
wonderful group of fine, growing young Christians on campus, the chapel service was so dull and dead that I could
hardly bear it. I sat on the platform looking out at this sea of sterility before me and thought to myself (I had been
working on this text), "If the Apostle Paul were here I think he would stand up and say, with puzzlement in his voice,
'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?'" Yet they told me that the chapel services were much better than
they had been!

Spirit of Expectancy

The Holy Spirit is given upon the exercise of belief in the Lord Jesus. This does not stop with one act of believing, and this
is where we tend to get confused. We are to keep on believing in the Lord Jesus and to manifest his power and vitality in
our lives. It is this continual act of believing which releases the freshness of the Spirit in our lives. Paul says to the
Colossians, "As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live ye in him..." As you received him by an act of believing, keep
on believing and walking and living in him, so that you might demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why,
when some Jews came to Jesus and asked, "What must we do to do the works of God?" he answered, "This is the work of
God, that you keep on believing in him Whom he has sent."

So what is wrong if, in our Christian lives, there is no evidence of the working of the Holy Spirit, none of the joy, none of
the grace, none of the power? It is because we are not believing in him. We believed in him once, maybe twenty or thirty
years ago, but that believing has ceased. There is now no sense of expectancy, no fresh anticipation of his working in our
lives today.

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If asked you, "Do you believe in Jesus?" you would probably say "Yes." Then I might ask, "Well, did you receive the Holy
Spirit when you believed? Are the signs of the Spirit of God in your life? Are his presence, his power, his working, his
freshness, his vitality, his enthusiasm, his excitement visible in your Christian life?" If not, you have ceased believing in
Jesus. He makes himself available to us continually, moment by moment, to fulfill every demand which life makes upon
us if we expect him to do so. This note of expectancy is the evidence or sign of faith which marks the difference between
the sterility of religiosity without the Spirit, and the freshness and power of a Spirit-filled life. Paul's question addressed
to those halfway Christians of long ago Ephesus still has meaning for us today as we understand the need for a continual
act of faith in the Lord Jesus.

Lord Jesus, how frequently we fail to understand the truth of your promise to us that you have come to live within us,
and that your life can he as visible in us today as it ever was in this first-century time. Grant to us anew, Lord, the faith to
lay hold of this promise and to make visible in our lives, moment by moment, this same sweet freshness and sovereign
moving of the Holy Spirit. Flame of God, we ask you to touch us, to burn away the dross and to set us afire with
that which manifests the character and the life of the Lord Jesus. We ask in his name, Amen.

Chapter Eleven
Down With Witchcraft!
Acts 19:8-20

The major problem in Ephesus was that it was a center for witchcraft. Superstition , demonism, and witchcraft held this
city in its thrall. A weird mixture of black arts, worship of demons, astrology, and occult practices of various kinds had
filled the city with priests, magicians, witches, warlocks, and quacks of every description. The inevitable consequence, as
always among people who are held in bondage by witchcraft, was that people lived in fear and darkness, indulging their
lusts in wicked, degrading practices, and were sunken in slavery, squalor, and drunken debauchery. Here indeed was a
stronghold of darkness which could only be overcome by the weapons of truth and love and righteousness and faith--the
weapons of our warfare.

Darkness Challenged

In this account we have another example of what can happen when a church begins to operate on the power that God has
put at it's disposal and functions in the way it was intended to function. Paul begins, as always, in the synagogue, as Luke
tells us in verse 8:

And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God;
but when some were stubborn and disbelieving, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew
from them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so
that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. And God did extraordinary miracles
by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left
them and the evil spirits came out of them (Acts 19:8-12).

What a remarkable account! Paul began, as he always did, with the weapon of truth. He spoke in synagogue concerning
the kingdom of God, which had come with the coming of Jesus Christ. The kingdom was opposed to the rule of Satan, the
powers of darkness which reigned in human affairs. Human history is the checkered account of man's struggles to be free
from that from which he cannot free himself. It is this rule of darkness, the authority of the kingdom of Satan, which the
kingdom of God in Christ challenges. This is what Paul was preaching in the synagogue.

The Jews here had made Paul welcome and had invited him to come back. He had returned as he promised, and for three
months, on every sabbath day, he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures about the kingdom of God. But when some of
the Jews understood that to submit to the rule and authority of the Lordship of Jesus involved confessing the emptiness of
their religious respectability, they opposed Paul. When they realized that they had to acknowledge that inwardly they
were just as desperately dark and evil as anyone else, they resisted him.

So these Jews made trouble for Paul, as they always did, and at last he decided to withdraw, taking the disciples with
him. They moved out of the synagogue into rented quarters, the hall of Tyrannus. This unquestionably was one of the
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lecture rooms which the Greek teachers employed to teach philosophy and various other subjects of the arts and culture
of the day. Paul rented it, according to some ancient authorities, from eleven o'clock in the morning till four in the
afternoon. The Revised Standard Version has a marginal note which says, "Other ancient authorities add, 'from the fifth
hour to the tenth,'" which, according to the Greek method of reckoning, was from eleven till four o'clock.

That was the time in Ephesus when all the people were taking a siesta. They closed up their shops, went home and had a
leisurely meal, took a nap, worked around the garden, etc. The working day began at about seven in the morning. The
shops closed at eleven and everyone went home until four, when the shops reopened and business went on until about
nine-thirty at night. This was their normal day. Evidently the Apostle Paul made tents during the morning hours to
support himself. But at eleven o'clock he came to the hall of Tyrannus and lectured for five hours every day for two years.

Relay Evangelism

Five hours a day, six days a week, fifty-two weeks a year for two years adds up to 3,120 hours of lecturing. This equals
130 days of lecturing continuously for twenty-four hours a day. The content of those lectures was the great truths that we
find in the epistles of Paul. Imagine the tremendous impact of this teaching! No wonder we read in verse 10 that "all the
residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." That was an entire province, an area larger than the
state of California, filled with many cities.

Of course it was not Paul himself who was teaching throughout this area. It was the Christians who heard him in the
lecture hail of Tyrannus and who, captivated and galvanized by these truths, began to spread the word throughout the
whole area. They formed churches in other cities, which evangelized in turn, so that in two years this whole province was
reached by the gospel of Christ.

It was during this time that the church of Colosse was begun by Epaphras and Philemon, who carried the gospel up the
Lycus Valley into the cities there. Others, perhaps Trophimus and Tychicus, young men from this province, were
involved in preaching to other cities of the region. They may have been the founders of the churches to which John later
wrote his letters in the Book of Revelation--Smyrna, Sardis, Thyatira, Pergamum, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. All of these
cities are in this area and were begun by these Christians, largely unnamed and unknown, who heard the Apostle Paul
proclaiming this fantastically revolutionary truth in the hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus. What power there is in the Word of
God! In addition, Luke tells us, the word was confirmed by signs:

And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from
his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

Underline the word "extraordinary." These miracles were unusual, of a different kind than previous miracles. What made
them unusual was that they were performed by carrying away these cloths from the body of Paul, so that the miracles
were accomplished at a distance from him.

No Magic in Sweatbands

There is nothing magic about this! There was no value inherent in the cloth. In fact, we can be misled greatly by the
translation here. It was very difficult for the translators to put this word in terms that would be meaningful to us in the
Western world, for these were not handkerchiefs or aprons in the usual sense. They were not little cloths that Paul used
for blowing his nose nor aprons that ladies wear in the kitchen.

The "handkerchiefs" were literally sweatbands, strips of cloth which Paul bound around his head as he worked at making
tents, to keep the sweat from running down into his eyes. They were, therefore, associated with the labor, the toil, that he
went through to make the gospel available. The aprons were made of leather, and he wore them while making tents, not
while fixing his meals. It was these that were used for these miracles. Again, this is not an attempt to support the practice
of many faith healers of today who anoint cloths and mail them around the country. That is superstition, hocus pocus, a
form of magic. That is not what Luke is talking about at all.

These are symbols which God chose to employ in order to underscore the characteristic of the apostle which made him a
channel of the power of God, in the same way that Moses' rod was a symbol. Cast on the ground, the rod became a
serpent; lifted over the waters, it rolled them hack. There was nothing magic about the rod itself; it was the symbol of

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something about Moses which God honored. So these sweatbands and trade aprons were symbols of the honest, dignified
labor of the apostle, his labor of love and humility of heart, his servant-character which manifested and released the
power of God. God means to teach by this that it is through a man whose heart is so utterly committed that he is ready to
invest hard, diligent labor in making the gospel available, willing to stoop to a lowly trade, that the power of God is
released.

Satan on the Bandwagon

The first sign of the crumbling of the stronghold of darkness in Ephesus was the attempt on the part of the powers of
darkness to make an alliance with the Christian cause. As we have seen before this is one of Satan's favorite tricks. He
tries to join the team:

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had
evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva
were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know: but who are you?" And the man
in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of
that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and fear
fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled (Acts 19:13-17).

These seven sons of Sceva knew a good thing when they saw it. They were sons of a Jewish high priest, and they
recognized that here was an opportunity to use religion, and the widespread interest in religion, to advance their own
cause. So they attempted to jump on the bandwagon and, employing these two names as though they were some kind of
magic formula, they tried to cast out evil spirits by saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."

This reveals something remarkable about people of this kind. We have many like them today, fortune-tellers and swamis
and yogis and gurus and mediums. They know enough about the occult to sound impressive, but basically they are
ignorant dupes, fooling around with powers they do not understand, and who have little control over what will happen
when they become involved with such powers.

Evil Routed by Evil

But what happened here in Ephesus was almost ludicrous. As Sceva's sons adjured the evil spirit by these names, the man
in whom the evil spirit dwelt (notice Luke's careful distinction, as a physician, between the man and the evil spirit who
possessed him) was under the control of that spirit. The spirit seized him and empowered him to challenge these seven
sons and to take them all on single-handed. You can imagine the scene as they tumbled out of doors and windows with
their clothes torn half off, bloody and wounded, driven out by this possessed man.

The evil spirit was angered by this use of the name of Jesus because his authority was threatened, and what he said in
response to this adjuration is interesting. He used two different words for "know." He said, "Jesus I know (using a word
that means "I know him with a deep, instinctive, innate knowledge") and "Paul I am acquainted with" (i.e., "I know his
name, I know who he is; I don't know him as well as I know Jesus, but I am acquainted with him") but "Who are you?"
That was the signal for attack upon them, resulting in their ridiculous exodus. This incident, no doubt because of the
humor involved, became known all over Ephesus, with both Jews and Greeks hearing about it. It was impressive. And the
result was that the name of Jesus was magnified. These people of Ephesus were impressed because here was a name of
power--power in the realm of the invisible world.

This is also the first sign of a crack in the stronghold of darkness that held the city in thralldom. As Jesus said, "When
Satan's kingdom is divided he can no longer stand." Here you see a kingdom divided. These Jewish exorcists, who were
the unwitting dupes of satanic philosophy, were attacked by an evil spirit who supposedly should have been on their
side. Already the kingdom is beginning to crumble under the attack of truth and love and righteousness and faith, these
weapons of the Christians' warfare.

The $10,000 Bonfire

This combined assault went on to yield a tremendous degree of success. Luke now gives us the next scene:

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 Many also of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those
who practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the
value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of God grew and prevailed mightily
(Acts 19:18-20).

There were two movements in this development. It started with the believers, the Christians, who began to clean up their
own lives, who came and divulged their hidden practices, confessing what they were doing in private. Obviously these
were relatively new Christians, who perhaps had never thought anything was wrong
with these practices. But as they sat under the teaching of the apostle, and saw the kingdom of God and how God longs to
set people free, they began to see that what they had been doing--the astrology, the reliance on horoscopes, the belief in
the influence of the stars, and all their other superstitious practices--had held them in bondage. Because of these practices
they were weak and fearful, upset and distressed within themselves. So they began to confess all this and thus become
freed from their bondage.

This in turn precipitated another movement. The pagans around them in the city began to take a second look at their own
practices. Many of them who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them when they became
Christians under the influence and power of the gospel, and thus they were set free from their deadly delusion. This is a
beautiful illustration of how light breaks forth through the church, which is the light of the world. When the church
begins to clean up its own life, then the world will begin to see itself as it is and be moved to start straightening up and
becoming free.

These people surrendered all their occult literature, and that was a costly thing to do. As they totaled up the value of these
books and the various paraphernalia that were brought to be burned, it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. This is
approximately ten thousand dollars, which was a tremendous sum in those days. It meant that these people were
forsaking their livelihood. They were actually changing the total pattern of their lives as they saw that they could no
longer practice the occult and live as Christians. It revealed how willing they were to be free from this terrible practice.

The Weapon of His Warfare

This account makes very clear the means by which witchcraft seizes hold of people. Human beings are not easily invaded
by demonic force. God has made man to be a king, and has built into us certain safeguards which operate naturally to
keep us independent, free from control by these demonic forces which are supernatural and present all around us. They
cannot force their way into a human life. They cannot simply overpower us and take possession, though they long to do
so. What they must do, therefore, is deceive us. They must find a way by which they can trick us into yielding our wills to
their influence and power. And when we voluntarily give way, then they move in, possess the mind, control the thoughts,
and dominate the whole life.

This was very sharply called to my attention a few years ago when I was teaching a home Bible class. Among those
attending were a number of people who had been involved with witchcraft, scientology, and various other practices of
this type. A girl took me aside after a class was over and said, "I want to ask you about something. I've been having some
strange experiences. They started about a year-and-a-half ago when I was a schoolteacher in Alaska. Another girl and I
roomed together, and during those long winter evenings, when there was nothing to do, we whiled away the time by
amusing ourselves with a Ouija board. We were getting various answers and messages by doing this and we thought of it
as nothing but a game.

"But soon I began to be aware of very strange thoughts in my mind when I'd go to bed at night. would seem to think of
certain words and strange things to say. At first I could put them out of my mind and go to sleep. But gradually they
became more and more insistent, until I finally found that I couldn't sleep unless I'd pay attention to them and think
about them. Then these inner voices began to suggest that I take a pencil and write these things down. At first I tried to
resist, but they became more and more insistent and I found that I couldn't go to sleep until I'd write down what they told
me. It was always filthy, obscene words.

"Then I talked with my roommate and found that she was going through the same experience. Shortly after that we came
down here to California. Now I can't go to sleep until I write out, sometimes for hours at a time, all the filthy things which
these voices insist that I say. Now," she said, "is this God?"

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I said, "No, you are becoming the victim of the powers of darkness. I turned to Deuteronomy and showed her what the
Word of God said there, warning the people of God against these things which are an abomination to the Lord. She was
tremendously helped by this. Then I showed her how to become a Christian, and she received the Lord. I told her to pray
and ask God for help whenever she felt this kind of influence. Several weeks later I saw her in a restaurant and she said,
"It's been so marvelous to be free from those voices. I've been doing what you suggested whenever they approach and I'm
finding that the Lord keeps them away."

This whole business of astrology and horoscopes, of Ouija boards and of scientology, of yoga and other practices of
Eastern philosophy--these are all means by which satanic forces trick us into opening our minds and yielding our wills to
them. The books on any of these subjects, if you read them, all suggest that you are going to discover a "hidden" power
that few people know about. A man writes me almost every week about some new book he has found in the back room of
some obscure bookstore, covered with dust and hidden in the back shelves, and which, he has now discovered, contains
the secrets of the universe. "Such tremendous truths it contains" He says that if I would just read one of these books my
eyes would be opened and I'd learn and understand so much that I don't know now. The trouble is that I do not see that
he knows any more than I do...or even as much. But this is the way these evil powers attempt to seize upon us.

Here in Ephesus Paul and the other Christians, by the power of the truth, broke through this deception. They assaulted
this stronghold of evil and cracked it wide open, so that Luke says, "The word of the Lord grew and prevailed mightily."

That is how a church ought to operate--in the power of the Spirit, and by the authority of the Word. There are strongholds
like this all around us today, bastions of darkness. Drugs is one, witchcraft another, homosexuality a third. There are a
hundred thousand homosexuals in San Francisco alone, deluded and trapped by a philosophy which urges them to
accept their condition and treat it as though it were normal and natural. This will lock them into a bondage they will
never be freed from. How desperately this situation needs the assault of truth and of light, as does the whole matter of
crime, terrorism, and revolution. God longs to deliver people from these strongholds, and he has given the church this
power.

Our heavenly Father, we thank you for the truth that is revealed here. We see similar powers of darkness holding people
enthralled today, locking them into misery and heartache, superstition and fear, hostility and emptiness. Lord, help us to
understand that this is a very strategic time to live, and that we must not waste our time, frittering it away in empty
activity. Help us to give ourselves to this exciting, glorious encounter against these powers of darkness. We ask it in
Christ's name, Amen.

Chapter Twelve
Christianity is Dangerous
Acts 19:21-20:1

A most descriptive definition of a Christian is that he is completely fearless, continually cheerful, and constantly in
trouble! Surely nothing could better describe the Apostle Paul in his ministry to the world of his day. He was--by faith,
not by nature--completely fearless, continually cheerful, and certainly constantly in trouble. This indicates an inherent
quality of Christian life. Christianity is a very dangerous faith. We are followers of one who said, "I have not come to
bring peace on earth but a sword, and to make a division among men" (Matt. 10:34 paraphrased) By that seemingly
paradoxical means Christ purposes to heal the warring of earth, to repair the brokenness of mankind, and to join men into
one great body, sharing life together. When Paul came to Ephesus he found the sordid powers of evil entrenched in a
stronghold over the city, holding it in bondage. Paul attacked that stronghold with the most powerful weapons ever
known, and within two years it was demolished.

It looked then as if Paul's work there were over, as if time Marines had landed and the situation was well in hand. So the
apostle evidently began to think of moving on.

Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem,
saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy
and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while (Acts 19:21,22).

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At this time three things occupied the apostle's heart and moved him to take this action. First was that which he said
weighed upon him daily: the care of the new Christians who had come to Christ in Macedonia and Greece--in
Thessalonica and Berea and Philippi, in Athens and Corinth. He longed to impart more truth to them so that they might
learn how to live their lives in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The second thing that moved Paul was an intense desire to penetrate to the very center of the Roman empire and culture
with the claims of Christ, to plant the gospel in the fullness of its power in the very capital, in Rome itself. "After I've been
to Jerusalem," he said, "I must see Rome." Dr. C. Campbell Morgan says, "That's not the 'must' of the tourist; that's the
'must' of the missionary." He longed to help the Christians who were already there and to instruct them. On the very
journey which he will soon commence, when he comes to Corinth, he will take time to write his great Epistle to these
Roman Christians, so as to help them even though he is hindered from getting there. But he also determines that at last he
will come to Rome.

Hungry Saints

The third thing, merely suggested here by Luke, is the concern and desire in his heart to help the famine-stricken saints of
the church at Jerusalem. Already a great famine had descended upon the land of Judea. The Christians in Jerusalem were
hungry, and Paul longed to help them. So he sent Timothy and Erastus into Macedonia. Here we are not told why, but
from one of Paul's letters we learn that Timothy and Erastus were sent to tell the churches there about the need of the
Christians in Jerusalem, and to collect an offering for them in advance. Then, when the apostle came he could send it or
take it to Jerusalem. We can read this in Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians:

Now concerning the contribution for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the
first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that
contributions need not be made when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to
carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me (1 Cor. 16:1-4).

He reminds these Corinthians,

I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay
with you or even spend the winter, so that you may speed me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see
you now just in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until
Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries (1 Cor. 16:5-9).

It was the apostle's plan to stay in Ephesus until the day of Pentecost, but his mind was soon changed. Luke tells us now
in Acts 19 what caused him to alter these plans:

About that time there arose no little stir concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made
silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen
of like occupation, and said, "Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that
not only at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable
company of people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of
ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may count for nothing, and that
she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship" (Acts 19:23-27).

The silversmiths at Ephesus had been organized into a trade union. And they found that they were being hit hard in the
most sensitive part of the human anatomy: the pocketbook. I heard a man say the other day that he saw a friend looking
very gloomy. He asked his friend, "What's the matter?" The friend said, "My wife has just made me a millionaire," He
said, "Well, what's wrong with that?" The friend answered, "I used to he a multimillionaire!" Anything that hits us in the
financial area always strikes home!

He Saw Red (Ink)

These silversmiths, who made little silver souvenirs of the goddess Artemis, found their business tremendously
diminished because so many people were becoming Christians that nobody wanted their idols anymore. Demetrius, the
president of the union, cared nothing for the real welfare of the hundreds who had become Christians and had found

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freedom and peace and joy in Christ. He saw only the red ink in the profit-and-loss columns of his books, and he was
very concerned about that. It is interesting that archeologists have found in the ruins of Ephesus an inscription bearing
the name of the man Demetrius.

The problem was, of course, that the vested interests in Ephesus were being threatened. In our day, many have charged
that the war in Vietnam continued for so long simply because there are men in this country who have vested interests in
making money by means of the military machine. There is a certain degree of justification for this charge, because there
have always been profiteers who care nothing for the fact that lives are lost and bodies smashed and mutilated, so long as
they make a fast buck, Profiteering is nothing new.

There is a profound revelation of mob psychology in the account Luke gives us. For, after all, you cannot arouse a mob to
defend your interests if all you can say is that you haven't been making as much profit as you used to, That may interest
you, but it doesn't interest other people. They don't care whether you make any money or not, The lack of revenue was
what stirred up these silversmiths, but since no one would defend them on this basis, Demetrius had to add another
charge, deliberately introduced and emotionally loaded, in order to arouse the citizenry.

The charge was that the religion of the city was being threatened--that Artemis, the goddess the city worshipped, was
being insulted by this loss of income and was in danger of losing her stature in the eyes of the world. Artemis, the
goddess whose temple was known as one of the seven great wonders of the world, was apparently fashioned from a
meteorite, because later on the town clerk reminds the people of the "sacred stone" that had fallen from the sky.
According to some of the copies that have been excavated she was the figure of a many-breasted woman, enshrined as the
goddess representing Mother. In attacking Artemis the Christians were attacking Mother, and when you attack Mother
and apple pie, you are really striking to the heart of a deep emotional issue! These riot engineers in Ephesus well knew
that they could stir up the whole city with this issue, for this was the season of the year when Ephesus gave itself over to a
whole month of feasting, revelry, and debauchery centering on the worship of Artemis. They called this festival the
"Artemision." It had the characteristics of the Mardis Gras in New Orleans, and the city was packed with people who had
come for this special occasion.

Unfounded Charges

There are two very interesting and revealing things about this speech by Demetrius First, he was evidently quite unaware
of how ridiculous his charge really sounded. If Artemis was so great that the whole world worshipped her, then why was
she not able to defend herself against this attack? If her power was so great that she commanded the worship of men, why
did she need the support of the city of Ephesus to defend her? No one ever seems to face this kind of question when
raising such an issue.

Second, Demetrius was obviously blind to the significance of the way by which his trade had been ruined It had not been
openly attacked by Christians. Paul had never said a thing against the religion of Ephesus. He had never denounced the
temple and had in no way tried to attack this pagan superstition. In fact, the town clerk will openly admit that These were
not blasphemers of the goddess, nor robbers of the temple."

Now this is most interesting; there was nothing negative about their approach. These early Christians did not go around
faulting paganism; rather, they introduced a positive new faith of such tremendous power and such fantastic reality that,
when anyone experienced it, the old way of life was wiped out. The old was devitalized by the appearance of the new,
and there was no need for attack. The Christians simply declared Jesus Christ and his availability to man. And men and
women lost in darkness and superstition and gripped by fear found him so loving, so genuine, so joyful that all their
empty paganism grew pale by comparison. It never seems to have dawned upon Demetrius that this was what had
happened and that therefore there was no possible way of defending against it. If the Christians had attacked this pagan
philosophy, then a defense could have been erected. But they said nothing about it. It was simply 'the expulsive power of
a new affection," to use Thomas Chalmers' marvelous term.

Assembly of Confusion

Luke continues his account of the mob and its actions in verse 28:

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 When they heard this they were enraged, and cried out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" So the city was filled
with the confusion; and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus,
Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel. Paul wished to go in among the crowd, but the disciples would
not let him; some of the Asiarchs also, who were friends of his, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the
theater. Now some cried one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not
know why they had come together (Acts 19:28-32).

That sounds familiar, doesn't it? How little human nature has changed in two thousand years! Here was a crowd, excited
by a false emotional issue, which surged together into the theater. If you visit the site in Ephesus today you will find that
this theater has been excavated. It is the only sizable part of the city which still stands. It was a huge theater, able to seat
about twenty thousand people, so this was a vast crowd. These people were very responsive to this appeal, although
there were many who did not know what it was all about.

Paul wanted to go in and speak to them. What an insight into the fearless bravery of this man of God, who did not
hesitate a moment to take on a crowd like this! But his friends recognized that the mood of the crowd was ugly. Even the
Asiarchs, the political rulers of the province of Asia who were responsible to the Romans, were concerned and sent word
to Paul not to venture into the theater. That is very revealing. Paul had made friends among these rulers, who understood
and were impressed by the message of Christ. Though Luke does not say they were Christians, they were nevertheless
favorably inclined and tried to protect Paul from this wild and raging mob.

Luke then goes on to show how impossible it would have been for Paul to do anything to quiet them:

Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand,
wishing to make a defense to the people. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all
with one voice cried out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" (Acts 19:33, 34)

Here is a wild mob that has no argument other than simply to chant, over and over again, this slogan which aroused their
pride and fed their egos and ministered to their emotions. The Jews were very concerned, doubtless because they had
lived in this city for many years and were known to be opposed to the worship of idols. They had a synagogue there and
had made it clear that they were not idol worshippers and did not approve the practice, but the Jews had no effect upon
the populace. They stood for the right cause, but without any power to affect others. Nevertheless, they were afraid they
might be implicated in this disturbance and so they prompted Alexander, one of their number, to stand up and explain
their attitude and to make clear that they were not the ones who had affected the business of selling idols.

This is very likely the same Alexander to whom Paul refers in his Letter to Timothy. Timothy had become, by the time
Paul wrote, a bishop of the church at Ephesus. Paul wrote, "Beware of Alexander the coppersmith, who did me great
harm." I remember years ago hearing a Baptist preacher comment on this text. He said that he too had been damaged by
Alexander the coppersmith, as he looked at the collection plate and saw all the pennies there!

But the crowd refuses to hear Alexander and drowns out his words with a chant which continues for more than two
hours, over and over monotonously, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" When a crowd gets to the point where its
emotions have been so aroused that its reasoning power is lost, it is in a very dangerous state. These Asiarchs were quite
correct in their concern for the apostle because, with but the slightest suggestion, this crowd could have been sent raging
through the streets, demolishing everything in its path.

No Need to Shout

The mob was finally quieted by the town clerk, whose office in those Greek cities corresponded to that of mayor. Luke
tells us what happened:

And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know
that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?
Seeing then that these things cannot be contradicted, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have
brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the
craftsmen with him have a complaint against any one, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring
charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. For we are

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 in danger of being charged with rioting today, there being no cause that we can give to justify this commotion." And
when he had said this, he dismissed the assembly (Acts 19:35-41).

This town clerk, whose name is not given to us, is an admirable politician and orator. He intervenes at precisely the right
psychological moment. The crowd, having exhausted itself with its senseless roaring of the slogan for two hours now, is
ready to listen at last. So he stands up to speak, setting forth three logical points. First he says, "Yes, Artemis is great;
therefore there is no need to shout. We can count on her to defend herself, so why worry? Nobody is going to be able to
overthrow a goddess as great as ours, so we don't need all this commotion."

Second, "The men that you are charging have really done nothing provocative. They have not blasphemed the goddess;
no such charge has been brought against them. They have not robbed the temple, nor been sacrilegious in any way. The
courts are open, and if that doesn't satisfy you, the legislature is available. The normal channels of protest are open to you,
so why don't you use them? Third, "We are seriously in danger of losing the freedom of this city as a result of this
indiscretion. For he well knew that the Romans would tolerate anything except civil disorder. If an unexplained riot
occurred they were in danger of losing their status as a free city, unencumbered by direct Roman rule.

This is the telling point. You can see that this town clerk has nothing more in mind than that which would normally
concern a politician--keeping the peace. He really doesn't care about the issues; he doesn't want to examine them. He only
wants to keep everything orderly, so he puts a suppressing hand upon the unruliness This is the way men think. Yet in all
this God was overruling the wildness of this mob, calming the emotional passions which were surging in the hearts of so
many people and were creating this uncontrollable situation. God quieted all this through the use of governmental
channels.

In the opening verse of Chapter 20, after another of these unbelievably misplaced chapter divisions, you have the final
sentence of the story:

After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and having exhorted them took leave of them and departed for
Macedonia (Acts 20:1).

Paul is anxious to explain this whole affair to the Christians. There is something about it he doesn't want them to miss, so
he calls them together and exhorts them before he leaves.

To Make Us Rely on God

Luke doesn't tell us what Paul's exhortation consisted of, but I believe Paul himself does. There is a passage in his Second
Letter to the Corinthians which refers to this very occasion. Some scholars doubt it, but in my judgment this is clearly a
reference to this occasion. Paul says:

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly,
unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself (2 Cor. 1:8).

Imagine yourself with the apostle in the midst of this tremendous uproar. It was a very threatening circumstance. It had
appeared for awhile that the gospel had so triumphed in Ephesus that Paul could think of leaving and going on to other
places. Then this riot suddenly occurred, seeming to the threaten the entire cause of Christ and putting Christians in
greater jeopardy and danger. Paul was crushed and very distressed. In fact, he said his very life was in danger. This
crowd was so wild, so uncontrollable, that for a few hours it looked as though they might just sweep through the city and
wipe out every Christian in Ephesus Paul expresses it in these terms:

...we were utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Why, we felt we had received the sentence of
death (2 Cor. 1:8b,9a).

Paul could not see any way out. It looked as if he had reached the end of the road.

...but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead ...(2 Cor. 1:9b).

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This is the very heart of the Christian message, as Paul will go on to explain in the Corinthian Letter. "Our sufficiency is
not of ourselves," he says. It is not as though anything is coming from us; our sufficiency is from God. God alone is able.
God without anything else, without reckoning on any human resources, is able. His explanation to these young converts
in Ephesus was unquestionably along this line. He was saying to them, God has sent this event, has allowed it to happen,
in order to teach us that he is able to handle things when they get far beyond the resources to which we ordinarily look.
God is able. And he has taught us this so that we will not rely on ourselves but upon him who raises the dead, who works
in us to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think according to the power at work within us."

He goes on in Corinthians to refer to this deliverance:

...he delivered us from so deadly a peril, and he will deliver us; on him we have set our hope that he will deliver us
again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in
answer to many prayers (2 Cor. 1:10,11).

What an awareness this apostle had of the fantastic strength of the body of Christ working together, praying together,
supporting one another, upholding each other in prayer and thus calling into action the mighty power of the God of
resurrection! He is the God who can work through the most unexpected instruments to quiet a situation, to hold a crowd
in restraint, to stop the surging emotionalism of people whose reasoning has been short-circuited, to hold them within
limits and bounds, and to bring the whole affair to nothing! This is the might of our God.

This is what Paul particularly wants us to learn from this situation, as we too come into times of danger and pressure and
trouble. The difficulties which strike suddenly in our lives, the pressures through which we must go, the sudden
catastrophes that come roaring in unexpectedly out of the blue--these are sent in order that we might rely not on
ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. So Paul sent for the disciples, and, having exhorted them, he took leave of
them and departed for Macedonia.

Father, thank you for this reminder. We live in days very much like these, when human emotions can rapidly get out of
control, when demonic powers seem to rise suddenly and sweep through whole communities, affecting people far
beyond what might be expected. Lord, these are dangerous times in which we live. We pray that we might not be so
fatuous as to think that we are going to return to the quiet and peace of a time long past. But grant that we may be ready,
Lord--confident, even eager, knowing that our faith does not rest upon human resources but in a God who raises the
dead. We thank you in Jesus' name, Amen.

Chapter Thirteen
Last Words
Acts 20:2-38

The good news about Jesus had changed the whole cultural pattern of the city of Ephesus and had destroyed the market
for the silversmiths' souvenirs of the temple of Artemis. Luke picks up the account of Paul's ministry as he goes from
Ephesus through Macedonia and into Greece:

When he had gone through these parts and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent
three months..."(Acts 20:2,3)

Paul moved through cities he had already visited, cities where he had founded churches--Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea--
and he probably spoke to the believers in Athens. Finally he came to Corinth, where he stayed for the three months
mentioned by Luke. It is amazing that Luke records so briefly a ministry which extended for a period of at least a year.
Many incidents in the life of Paul which we would like to know about are simply not recorded. For example, he visited
the region which today we call Albania and Yugoslavia. In those ancient times it was called Illyricum, and Paul refers to it
briefly in the Book of Romans, but we know nothing of what happened there. One day it will be exciting to hear from his
own lips about these forgotten parts of his ministry.

Traveling Seminary

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He went into these areas, as we have said, in order to encourage the believers Also, remember that Paul collected the
contributions which the saints in these Gentile churches had made toward relief of the famished and the poverty-stricken
believers in Jerusalem. Several men were appointed by each church to travel with him and take these gifts to Jerusalem.
Luke tells us who some of them were in the next section:

There [in Corinth] he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set
sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia. Sopater of Beroea, the of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and
of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and
Trophimus. These went on and were waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of
Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days (Acts 20:3-6).

Paul intended to sail directly from Corinth to Antioch and then on to Jerusalem, for he wanted to be there for the feast of
the Passover. But he heard rumors of a plot against him, apparently involving the ship on which he was to sail. Very
likely the Jews plotted that somewhere in the course of the voyage they would simply push him overboard and thus get
rid of this man who, in their judgment, was very troublesome. But God was always alert to keep the apostle informed of
these plots against him. So Paul changed his mind and went back through Macedonia, through Thessalonica and Philippi.
There Luke joined them--notice the change from "them" to "us" in verse 5--and they sailed on together to Troas.

At Troas were waiting these young men whose names are mentioned, some of whom had once been slaves. The man
whose name was Secundus, which means "the second," was obviously a slave. Slaves did not bother to name their
children; they just numbered them--the first, the second, the third, and so on. It may be that "number three," Tertius, who
wrote the Letter to the Romans as Paul's secretary, was this man's brother.

Paul insisted that these men go with him to Jerusalem in order to make sure that the funds were handled properly and
that no one would misuse them in any way. But also, "coincidentally," these were sharp, alert young men, especially
picked to travel with the apostle and to learn from him, So Paul had a traveling seminary and, as they went along by ship
and by road, he taught these young men from the Scriptures.

Asleep in the Window

In the next paragraph we have an intimate glimpse of a wonderful event which occurred in Troas;

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to
depart on the morrow; and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lights in the upper chamber
where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window. He sank into a deep sleep
as Paul talked still longer; and being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.
But Paul went down and bent over him, and embracing him said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him" (Acts
20:7-10).

There are several very interesting aspects of this story. This is the first mention we have of the worship of the believers on
the first day of the week. This early in the Christian era they had shifted from Saturday for their gathering, to Sunday, the
first day of the week, the day of our Lord's resurrection. They evidently had met here for a communion service, and the
apostle seized the occasion to teach them from the Scriptures. He loved to teach the Word because he knew it would
deliver these people. He had very little time to spend in Troas, but he did stay for a week to teach them the delivering
truth. In his last evening there, before they gathered at the Lord's table, he took time to teach them further from the
Scriptures. He went on at considerable length, prolonging his speech until midnight.

This has always been an encouraging passage to any pastor; even the Apostle Paul had people go to sleep on him!
Someone has said that the art of preaching is talking 'in other people's sleep! At any rate, Eutychus fought a losing battle
against falling asleep. Luke, with his physician's eye, is quick to make it as easy as possible on him. He tells us that there
were many lamps in the upper chamber and each, of course, was burning up the oxygen. So, with the loss of oxygen in
the atmosphere and the late hour and perhaps a long weeks work behind him--as well as Paul's long message--this young
man was unable to hold out. He was seated in the window and fell into a deep sleep--actually the Greek word is the one
from which we derive 'hypnosis"--and fell from the third floor.

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Some people question whether he actually died. But the issue is settled by a physician's testimony. It is Luke who says
that they took him up dead. So when Paul, going down and falling over him and embracing him, said, "Do not be
alarmed, for his life is in him," he did not mean he was still alive. He meant that his life had returned to him. Thus he was
really used of God in the great miracle of raising this young man from the dead.

Peter, of course, was involved in a similar miracle in the case of Dorcas, all the more remarkable because she had been
dead for several hours by the time he prayed for her. The ministries of these mighty apostles of God were confirmed by
unusual miracles, including this one of raising a young man from the dead.

We have another touching note at the close of the paragraph:

And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak,
and so departed. And they took the lad away alive, and were not a little comforted (Acts 20:11,12).

Evidently the communion service had been interrupted by this young man's "fall from grace," and when they had
restored him they went hack up and finished the Lord's supper. Then they enjoyed a wonderful time together in body life,
conversing with one another, fellowshipping in the Lord, and sharing each others' experiences. So wonderful was this
time that Paul could not tear himself away, even though he had a long walk ahead of him on the morrow. He stayed with
them fellowship all night, rejoicing at the restoring grace of God who had brought this young man back to life.

Now Luke continues the story:

But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for so he had arranged,
intending himself to go by land (Acts 20:13).

We are not told here why Paul chose this route. He sent them around a point that jutted into the sea, a voyage of about
forty miles, while he cut across the neck of the peninsula, a hike of about twenty-five miles. He walked alone, very likely
because he wanted to have time for meditation and prayer. He could walk and think and pray alone together with the
Lord. This was also the habit of the Lord Jesus himself, who used to draw aside for times of meditation.

And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. And sailing from there we came the
following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we came to Miletus. For Paul
had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at
Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of
the church (Acts 20:14-17).

It is evident that the apostle was trying to maintain a schedule. He had planned to be at Jerusalem for the Passover, but he
had missed that, and so now he was trying to make it for the day of Pentecost, that day on which the Holy Spirit had first
come to indwell the Christians many years before. He wanted to go there not only to be with the believers but to he with
the Jews as well, to help them in their celebration of the feast day of Pentecost. He had never forgotten his Jewish ancestry
and his love for the people of Israel, and he longed to reach them. And so, in order not to waste time, he sent to Ephesus
and asked the elders to join him at the port city of Miletus, about fifteen miles from Ephesus. They came, and Paul met
them with a great message about their ministry, which occupies the rest of this chapter.

Free to Make Plans

Some Christians are afraid to do any planning. They realize that God is in charge of their lives and they want to be
available to do his will, so they often go to the extreme of never doing any planning at all. But notice here that the apostle
does plan ahead, although he is ready for any change that God might make in his program. These early Christians
understood that God left choices up to them. They were to think and dream, to plan and program, but, as James tells us,
they were always to remember that God has the right to interrupt and to change those plans. This is where so many of us
get frustrated. It is right to plan, but it is also right to always remember that God can change that plan, and that his plan is
the important one. We are not to be frustrated or to feel that we are being imposed upon or mistreated because things do
not go as we planned. The apostle never seemed to object when God changed the plan.

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Now we come to Paul's great charge to the Ephesian elders. In it the apostle is describing and defending his ministry. It is
a beautiful passage, from which we get perhaps the most intimate glimpse anywhere in the scriptures of the heart of this
great apostle, of the character of his labors, and of his concern for those with whom he ministers. We will examine it in
sections, dividing it according to subject matter.

With Humility and Tears

The elders were what we would call the pastors of the churches there. In these ancient cities they did not meet together in
church as we do on a Sunday morning. There was no room suitable for them to do so because there were probably
thousands of Christians in Ephesus. They could not get together in one place, so they met in homes. In a letter to Corinth
Paul speaks of the church in Ephesus which met at the house of Aquila and Priscilla, and there were many other house
churches as well. The teachers of these various house-churches were the elders, those responsible for guiding and
directing and teaching and feeding the flock. These are the men whom Paul has summoned to meet him at Miletus. He
begins with a defense of his own ministry:

And when they came to him, he said to them: "You yourselves know how I lived among you all the time from the
first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which befell me
through the plots of the Jews..." (Acts 20:18,19).

Some people read Paul's message and feel that he is being very conceited about his own ministry, that he is speaking at
length of how he suffered but was faithful, and of how he preached the Word with power. They say he is very much
aware of his own success. But if you understand that by this time the apostle is under attack and that his ministry is being
threatened, you will know why he addresses a defense of his ministry to these people.

In what way is he being attacked? He says that he preached with humility and with tears and went through trials which
befell him through the plots of the Jews. This implies that his enemies were suggesting that he was proud, the opposite of
humble, and that he was insincere, superficial, and a troublemaker, stirring up dissension everywhere he went. But Paul
says, "No, I served the Lord with humility and with tears. This ministry meant everything to me. I wasn't insincere. And
the trouble was caused by the Jews, not by me."

In the next section we have the manner of his ministry--a wonderful glimpse of how he worked:

"...how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from
house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ"
(Acts 20:20,21).

Whenever Paul came into these cities, he always sought first to set forth the whole counsel of God. He tried to teach the
people the whole truth; he didn't want them to be shortchanged in any way. Sometimes Paul stayed up long hours in
order to cover all that God has said to man, because he knew and understood that it is the knowledge of the Word that
sets people free.

I wish I could make this clear to people who are struggling with problems and internal tensions and pressures and with
boredom, frustration, and a sense of restlessness--all the negative qualities of life. God has never intended for you to live
like that. That is why he has given you the Word. It is the Word of truth that sets you free. When you learn it and
understand it and operate on it, it will always set you free.

Walk and Words

This is why Paul emphasized this ministry so strongly. He was faithful in its delivery not only in public but also from
house to house, testifying of it everywhere. Also, see how practical it was. It could always be reduced to two concepts:
repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. There is the Christian message, summarized for us very
neatly in two words: repent and believe. These two basic steps relate not only to the beginning of the Christian life but
also to our walk throughout the Christian life. A walk is more than a single step. When faced with a situation, you should
take the first step and repent, think through the old way of life and say to yourself, "I've been going at this the wrong
way." But that is not yet a walk. You must take the next step and believe, have faith, trust in the work of God in you.
Then, on the next occasion that comes, you go through the same procedure over again--you repent, and then believe--

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repent and believe--repent and believe--and you are walking! That is what the Christian, life is all about. In every
circumstance, every situation, this is the twofold way by which the Christian lives in the power of a living God: repent
and believe.

Now the apostle goes on to give another characteristic of his ministry among them:

And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what shall befall me there, except that
the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life
of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from
the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that all you among whom I
have gone about preaching the kingdom will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am
innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:22-
27).

What a magnificent statement! Note how costly Paul's ministry is. He knows that he is facing danger, trial, hardship,
affliction. Everywhere he had gone, the Holy Spirit had witnessed to him through circumstances and through other
Christians that he was heading for trouble, and he knew it. But note also the commitment of his heart. He says that it does
not matter. Karl Marx wrote that Communists are dead men on furlough, i.e., they treat themselves as though they are as
good as dead. They have nothing to lose, so they are ready for anything. That characterizes even better what a Christian
is. He is really a dead man on furlough. He wants nothing for himself, but wants only to have God exalted, Christ
manifested. Paul says, "I do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself--I am not my own, but I am bought
with a price. And that purchase means that I am available to Another to work through me. My aim, my goal, my joy, my
desire in life is not that I should have anything for myself, but for my Lord. "What a wonderful statement of how
available he was as an instrument of God's working!

Then Paul makes very clear that he is aware that he has completed his ministry among them: "I testify to you that I am
innocent of the blood of all of you, for I have declared to you the whole counsel of God. I have not kept anything back. I
have given you the truth. You have listened to it, you have heard it, you know what God has toy You know the provision
for his working, you know the power available to you, you know how to live in a that will please God and will fulfill your
humanity. Now it is up to you; the decision is yours. Now move out upon the truth you know, because there is nothing
further that I can do."

The Authority of Obedience

In the final section Paul goes briefly into the responsibilities of these elders to the flock at Ephesus. There are three
considerations which the apostle wants to lay before them to govern them in their ministry, and the first is to feed the
flock:

Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians [or overseers, pastors],
to feed the church of the Lord which he obtained with his own blood (Acts 20:28).

The primary responsibility of a pastor is to teach the Scriptures, to feed the flock. If he is not doing that, he is miserably
failing in his job. If the Word, the Scripture, is not being taught, then people are not being changed. They are struggling on
in their own futile ways and nothing is being accomplished. So the primary job of pastors is to set the whole counsel of
God before the people.

They are to begin with themselves, however; that is, they are to obey the truth which they teach. This is where their
authority comes from; it is only as they are obedient to the truth which they teach that they have any right to say anything
to anyone else. Even the Lord Jesus operated on that basis. He said to his disciples on one occasion, "If I do not the works
of my father, then don't believe me." That is, if what I am doing is not in exact accord with what I am saying, then don't
believe me!" Would you dare say that to your children? Or to your Sunday school class? Or to others who observe you as
a Christian? "If what I am doing is not in line with what I teach, then don't believe me. I have no authority over you; I
have no power over you." But if your actions are in accord with your teaching then power is inherent in that obedience.

So these elders are to begin with themselves, and to teach the Word. Their responsibility is to the Holy Spirit, not to the
denomination or to the congregation. It is the Spirit who has set them in that office and has equipped them with gifts. He

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who reads the heart is judging their lives, so it doesn't make any difference what anybody else thinks. They are
responsible to follow the Holy Spirit in what he has given them to do.

Notice how Paul underscores the fact that theirs is a very precious ministry. It is to feed the church of the Lord. Nothing is
more precious to God in all the world than the people of Christ, the body of Christ. The most valuable thing on earth, in
God's sight, is his church. He gave himself for it, he loves it earnestly, "he obtained it with his own blood." Therefore it has
highest priority in his schedule and emphasis. What concerns the church is the most important thing in the world today. I
wish we could catch that picture as the apostle understood it.

The second thing Paul exhorts them to do is to watch for perils:

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your
own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them (Acts 20:29,30).

There will he two sources of danger, Paul says. The first is that impostors like wolves will come in among the believers.
Jesus said that too. Wolves in sheep's clothing, unregenerate men and women who talk and act like Christians and
perhaps even think they are Christians, but who are not born again, will come into the church. They will be religious but
will deny the power of true faith, and they will disturb and divide and ruin the church of God. These words have been
fulfilled throughout the centuries, many times over.

But also from within themselves, from among the elders, the leaders, will arise men who will teach distorted doctrines.
The danger, again, will be that they will divide people, separate them, form little cliques which gather around particular
leaders. Instead of uniting people in the fellowship of the body they will separate them out into special little groups which
follow one man's view and turn away from others. Through the centuries these are the things which have disturbed the
church of God.

Fire and Brimstone with Love

The third consideration which Paul lays before the Ephesian elders is to do all this in the spirit which he himself has
exemplified:

Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.
And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the
inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know
that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by
so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, "It is more blessed to give
than to receive (Acts 20:31-35).

The apostle himself has been their example. They are to perform this ministry in four ways. The first is by admonishing
with tears, or, as Paul writes later to the Ephesians, by speaking the truth in love. I heard the other day of a certain church
which had dismissed its pastor and gotten a new one. Someone asked why they had gotten rid of the old one. A
spokesman said, "Because he kept telling the people they were going to hell." The questioner asked, "What does the new
man say?" "Oh, he keeps telling them they're going to hell, too." "Well, what is the difference?" he was asked. He replied,
"The difference is that when the first one said it, he sounded as if he were glad of it. But when the second one says it, he
lets you know it is breaking his heart." That is the difference the apostle is talking about--admonishing with tears, not
with harshness, not with judgment but with concern and care and love, speaking the truth in love.

The second way is to use the Word, "I commend you to the Word,'' he said. 'You have all you need in that. It is able to do
what it was sent to do. It is able to build you up and give you the inheritance provided for you, the inheritance of the
saints in Jesus Christ--all that Christ is, made available to you."

And thirdly, Paul says, "Be selfless in your ministry. Do not be looking for something for yourself, do not be seeking glory
for yourself, or favor, or position, or eminence, or prominence, or material reward. Look at me," he says. "I have labored
among you and these hands have made tents to pay for my basic needs."

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Finally, "Remember that the Lord Jesus has said, 'It is better to give than to receive.' So labor hard in order that you may
he able to give and thus to receive the better reward." The last paragraph hardly needs comment. It describes the beautiful
farewell service of parting:

And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they all wept and embraced Paul and
kissed him, sorrowing most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And
they brought him to the ship (Acts 20:36-38).

I'm glad that Paul was wrong about this. They did see face again. In First Timothy we learn that he paid another visit to
Ephesus after this one. But he didn't know this at the time, so they all thought this was their last glimpse of their beloved
leader. What a touching scene this was as they fellowshipped together, facing the dangers that lay ahead but
strengthening one another in the Lord--undergirding, supporting, praying for one another, feeling the heartache of the
occasion and yet the joy of sharing together in the life of Jesus Christ.

Our heavenly Father, how grateful we are for your Word. How much it speaks to our hearts! How powerful is its ministry
to us! And, in the hands of the Spirit, how graciously it teaches us, especially through the other members of the body.
Unite us together, Lord, in love for one another. As we face the uncertainties, dangers, afflictions, hardships, and
possibilities of our lives, we pray, Lord, that we may do so with a sense of our need for each other, and of our need for
you above all else. We pray that you will sustain us and strengthen us and, as is your wont, that you will surprise us with
such moments of joy which it is your delight to give to us. We thank you in Jesus' name, Amen.

ACTS 21-28 TRIUMPHS OF THE BODY

Contents

1. Paul's Mistake
(Acts 21:1-26)
2. Trouble At Jerusalem
(Acts 21:27-22:29)
3. Love That Never Lets Go
(Acts 22:30-23:35)
4. The Discipline of Delay
(Acts 24:1-27)
5. The Gospel and King Agrippa
(Acts 25 & 26)
6. God and Shipwrecks
(Acts 27)
7. The End of the Beginning
(Acts 28)

Introduction

This present section completes the studies in the Book of Acts. Upon reading this third section some may object that it
does not relate to the theme of the Body of Christ as the first two sections did. It is true that this last section of Acts
focuses almost exclusively upon the trials and travels of the Apostle Paul, and very little mention is made of other
members of the Body. Some may feel, therefore, that the title Triumphs of the Body is not appropriate.

The point is well taken, though it does not seem to me of any great significance, especially in view of Paul's declaration
that he and the other apostles served as a pattern for other believers. His trials would be their trials, and his triumphs
would be their triumphs as well. "Be imitators of me, even as I am of Christ:"

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I have pointed out in this section that the Book of Acts is unfinished, ending abruptly with Paul's first visit to Rome. This
strongly implies that the Book is still being written, for each century unfolds new chapters in the story of Christ's Body on
earth. Surely, therefore, the record of Paul's trials and triumphs provides a vivid and helpful example of the means by
which we may prove to be more than conquerors in the trials of the Body today as well as rejoice with Paul in the
triumphs.

Ray C. Stedman

Chapter One
Paul's Mistake
Acts 21:1-26
The story of the last section of the Book of Acts is the story of Paul as a prisoner. Never before had the great apostle been
locked up for more than a few days. Yet here in these last chapters we find Paul languishing for two years in the prison at
Caesarea, and for three years (most scholars feel) as a prisoner in Rome. I have become convinced, however, that Paul
need never have gone to Rome as a prisoner. The whole long agony of chains was totally unnecessary.

I know that the Lord Jesus, when he first called to Paul on the Damascus road, said that he was to suffer great things--but
not necessarily as a prisoner. That prediction had been amply fulfilled in the hardships he had undergone in his journeys
around the Roman empire. Paul had been thrown in jail from time to time, but never for very long.

I know also that the Lord Jesus said that Paul would give his testimony before kings, and I know it was the fact that he
was a prisoner which finally brought him into royal courts. But again, it was not necessary that he come before kings in
chains. A little later in this account the apostle himself, standing before King Agrippa, says, "I would that everyone in this
room might be like I--except for these chains." That seems to be Paul's recognition that the chains were not a necessary
part of the process.

I know, further, that it was from this prison experience that Paul wrote some of the finest letters we have. And yet the
greatest letter from his pen, the letter to the Romans, was not written in prison at all. The prison letters--Colossians,
Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon, and others--are evidence of the salvaging grace of God, which takes even a man's
mistakes and uses them for blessing and to advance God's cause. This, I believe, is the reason behind Paul's Roman
imprisonment. It was a result of an action Paul took in the mistaken conviction that he was doing the right thing. One of
the most helpful sections we have in the entire Book of Acts is introduced by Luke's account of Paul's mistake. It opens
with the story of Paul's last journey to Jerusalem. The apostle and his friends left the Ephesian elders on the beach at
Miletus and boarded ship:

And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes,
and from there to Patara. And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard, and set sail. When we had
come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload
its cargo. And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not
to go on to Jerusalem. And when our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey; and they all,
with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were outside the city; and kneeling down on the beach we
prayed and bade one another farewell. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home (Acts 21:1-6).

As you can see, that is largely an itinerary of the progress of the vessel down the coast of Asia Minor and then across a
reach of the Mediterranean toward Jerusalem. It is obviously an eyewitness account. Luke was aboard and was recording
the details of their journey. During the voyage they came to the ancient city of Tyre, north of Palestine. There they looked
up certain disciples who, through the Spirit, told Paul that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

Hard to Believe

Many commentators have struggled with this passage. I suppose we are all reluctant to attribute any wrongful action to
the Apostle Paul. We recognize the strength of his character, the fervor of his spirit, the love and compassion that was
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always near the surface in this greathearted man, and we have come to love him. It is hard to believe that Paul would ever
deliberately disobey the Holy Spirit. And yet, taken at its face value, this sentence indicates a command of the Holy Spirit
which the apostle, for motives we shall examine, chose to ignore.

Many people soften the implications of this sentence and say that it was only another warning of trouble ahead. But the
apostle hardly needed any such warning. He well knew that trouble lay ahead of him. Back in chapter 20, verses 22 and
23, in his address to the Ephesian elders, he said,

And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what shall befall me there; except that the
Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

Paul already understood that he was heading into trouble if he went to Jerusalem, so it seems unlikely that he needed any
further warning.

Others say that Paul was right and that it was the disciples who were wrong, that they should not have tried to stop Paul,
since he was following an inner leading of the Spirit which they should have acknowledged. But that is to ignore three
crucial words: it was through the Spirit that they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

We must face the full implications of those words. They were recorded by Luke, who was Paul's friend. He wrote this
account several years later, and with the advantages of hindsight he looked back over all the events that followed. And
yet, led by the Holy Spirit in recording this inspired book, he wrote down at this juncture that it was through the Holy
Spirit that these disciples told Paul he was not to go up to Jerusalem.

The Greek is very strong here--much stronger than our English text. Literally they said, "Stop going up to Jerusalem!" And
verse 4, which in our version begins with "And" should really begin with "But," for Luke is recording a contrast here. He
says,

Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But when our days there were ended, we departed and
went on our journey...

Well, there is Paul's mistake. He did not follow the clear direction of the Holy Spirit. If we are to understand his action
and derive any meaning or benefit from it, we must see where it began. Back in chapter 19 we have a word about
the apostle's thoughts when he was still in Ephesus. In verse 21 Luke tells us,

Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem,
saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."

That was the beginning of Paul's resolve to go to Jerusalem. There was nothing wrong with that at all. Here also Luke
records. that this was done in the Spirit; in other words, it was perfectly proper for Paul to have decided to go up to
Jerusalem at this point. God does not always guide us with messages sent before we make a decision. He expects us to
make decisions and to step out on the basis of faith to do what looks like the right thing, and to change our minds only if
we are impressed by the Spirit or by the Word that a decision is wrong. So there was nothing wronging with Paul's
decision at this point.

A little later on, at the beginning of chapter 20, we read that he did go through Macedonia and down into Greece, where
he spent three months in the city of Corinth. It was during this three month period that the apostle wrote the great letter
to the Romans. In that letter he tells us what motivated his desire to be in Jerusalem at this time. Before we look at that
passage in Romans, we need to note verse 16 in chapter 20. Paul had come back near Ephesus,

...Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be
at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

Why did Paul want to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost? The answer is found in the letter to the Romans. In the
first part of chapter 9 Paul unfolds to us something of the agony of his heart concerning his people:

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 I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit [three times he
affirms the solemnity of what he says], that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish
that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen by race. They are
Israelites, and to them belong the son-ship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the
promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all be
blessed forever. Amen (Romans 9:1-5).

It is difficult for Gentiles to understand this emotion in the Apostle Paul. But he was a Jew, and as a Jew he loved his
nation. He loved their heritage, their background, and their possession of the promises of God. He loved all the ritual
but, Luke says, and ceremony which had been given to them to teach them about the coming of the One who would fulfill
the meaning of those observances. Paul longed to reach the Jews. His heart was broken as he saw their bitterness and
frustration, and the hostility and opposition to the cause of Christ which came from his own people. He knew that at
Pentecost there would be a gathering of Jews from all over the Roman empire, and there was born in his heart a great
hunger to be there.

Israel's Relationship to God

Something further is involved in this; we also know from Romans that Paul was a prophet. In chapter 11 he indicated that
he well knew that the welfare of the whole world hung ultimately on what happened to Israel. That is still true. The
world will never solve its problems until Israel is in a right relationship to God. And Paul, watching the developing signs
of the times in his day, felt that the day of Christ's return was drawing very near.

We must remember, living as we do two thousand years this side of the apostle's life, that Paul and his associates did not
anticipate that the period before the Lord's return would be anywhere near as long as it has been. They couldn't have, for
the time was not revealed. As Jesus said, the times and the seasons were not for them to know, just as they are not for us
to know. God has always expected his church, in every age, to keep looking for the return of Jesus.

But Paul seems to have made the mistake, as many do today, unfortunately, of reading the signs of the times in the
present indicative tense instead of holding them always in the subjunctive--of saying, "It is the time of our Lord's return,"
instead of, "It may be that this is the time." No one can be certain about the time. Personally, I feel that today could well be
the time of our Lord's return. I see many signs which indicate that we are drawing near to it. But no one can say precisely,
"This is the time." We need to see that even these apostles--as they neared the end of their lives and saw struggle and strife
breaking out in Israel, and knew that the Romans would soon be moving to destroy that nation (as indeed they did in
A.D. 70)--might well have thought, "This is the hour when the Lord Jesus is about to return."

Paul did think this, and he was determined to be involved in it. He longed to be an instrument to reach his people, and,
moved by the anguish of his heart, he began to plan to be in Jerusalem on that day when the Jews would be gathered
from all parts of the earth, so that he might have a part in proclaiming to them the kingship and lordship of Jesus Christ
over that nation.

Now there was nothing wrong with that part of his motive, absolutely nothing at all. But the account makes it clear that
God had chosen otherwise; that God, in his great wisdom, saw that it was not necessary to have Paul in Jerusalem at
this time. He had given him another ministry. Although Paul had a ministry to Israel and witnessed to them in every city
to which he went, his ministry was primarily to the far reaches of the Roman empire, to the Gentiles, and it is clear that
the Spirit of God did not want him in Jerusalem. Paul's mistake lay in insisting, out of mistaken zeal, upon doing what his
heart longed to do for the glory of Jesus Christ.

A Painful Scene

A second motive is revealed in the next section Luke records for us:

When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the brethren and stayed with
them for one day. On the morrow we departed and came to Caesarea; and we entered the house of Philip the
evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. And he had four un-married daughters, who
prophesied. While we were staying for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to
us he took Paul's girdle and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at

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 Jerusalem bind the man who owns this girdle and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" When we heard this,
we and the people there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping
and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the
Lord Jesus." And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, "The will of the Lord be done." After these
days we made ready and went up to Jerusalem. And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us
to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge (Acts 21:7-16).

Had Paul obeyed the Holy Spirit at Tyre, Luke undoubtedly would simply have recorded here what he once wrote about
another occasion in Paul's life: "We tried to go up to Jerusalem, but were forbidden of the Holy Spirit," just as once he
recorded that the apostle tried to go into Asia and Bithynia, but was forbidden by the Spirit.

But instead we have this rather painful scene. At Caesarea they came into the home of Philip the evangelist, whom we
have met before in Acts, the man who led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ. While he was there, Agabus, a well-known
prophet of the Lord whom we have also met before (Acts 11:28), came to speak to Paul. In that dramatic, visual way by
which Orientals illustrate truth, he took Paul's sash from around his waist and, binding his own feet and hands, said,
"This is what the Holy Spirit is saying to you, Paul. If you go on to Jerusalem, you will be delivered into the hands of the
Gentiles. They will bind you, and you'll be a prisoner."

When we connect this with the previous paragraph we can see clearly that this was the last effort the Holy Spirit made to
awaken the apostle to what he was doing. Agabus was joined in this by the whole body of believers. The whole family
present urged him not to go, including Luke; we read, "When we heard this, we and the people there begged him not to
go up to Jerusalem." So even his close associates recognized the voice of the Spirit, to which the apostle seemed strangely
deaf. He refused to listen.

In Paul's reply to them we can detect that, without quite realizing what has happened, he has succumbed to what today
we call a "martyr complex." His words are brave and sincere and earnest. He meant every word of them. He said,
"Why are you weeping, and breaking my heart? Why do you make it difficult for me? I'm determined to go on to
Jerusalem, and I'm ready to die there." We can find no fault with the bravery and courage expressed in those words. But it
was not necessary for him to go, and the Spirit had told him not to.

Here we see what can happen to a man of God when he is misled by an urgent hunger to accomplish a goal which God
has not given him to do. The flesh had deceived Paul. He apparently saw himself as doing what the Lord did in his final
journey up to Jerusalem. The Gospel accounts say that Jesus steadfastly set his face to go there, determined to go against
all the pleading and the warnings of his own disciples.

Paul must have seen himself in that role. But Jesus had the Spirit's witness within that this was the will of the Father for
him, while Paul had exactly the opposite. The Spirit had made it crystal clear that he was not to go to Jerusalem, had
finally put it in almost the same terms employed by the angel toward Balaam, who, riding upon his ass, was determined
to do his own will: "Stop going up to Jerusalem."

When Paul refused to be persuaded, his friends said, "Well, may the will of the Lord be done." That is what you say when
you have said all else there is to say. They are simply saying, "Lord, it is up to you. We can't stop this man. He has a
strong will and a mighty determination, and he's deluded into thinking that this is what you want. Therefore you will
have to handle it. May the will of the Lord be done." The will of the Lord was done, and that is what the rest of this
account will trace for us.

In the next section we learn of the welcome which Paul and his party received in Jerusalem. Here Luke makes clear what
Paul's mistake was not. Some scholars feel that perhaps his difficulty was created by a doctrinal error. But I think Luke
has been especially led of the Holy Spirit to record this next section in order to show us that Paul made no such error.

When we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. On the following day Paul went in with us to
James; and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done
among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, "You
see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed; they are all zealous for the
law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses,
telling them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs" (Acts 21:17-21).

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Many have misread this and concluded that Paul's mistake was that he did not boldly acknowledge that he did set aside
Moses and the law, that he did reject circumcision as of no value whatsoever, as you read in his letters to the Colossians
and the Galatians, for example. But the key phrase is, "that you teach all the Jews" to do so. That charge was totally false.
Paul never taught a Jew to abandon Moses, or not to circumcise his children. What he strongly taught was that the
Gentiles should not be made subject to these Jewish provisions. He would not allow them to come under the Jewish law,
and insisted that they did not have to follow any of these Jewish provisions.

Retelling the Story

But he did not set aside the ritual for the Jews. Rather, he pointed out to them that the ritual was all symbolic, a picture
pointing toward Christ. The very rituals they were performing and the sacrifices they were offering were all telling them
of Jesus. Jesus' coming had filled out the picture drawn by the Old Testament sacrifices. Thus in the process of carrying
them out the Jews were simply reminding themselves of the coming of the Lord Jesus. These observances were very much
like the Lord's table is for us today. In that ritual we know that we are dealing with symbols which are retelling the story
of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. Doing this does not give us any added spirituality. In itself it does not
make us any better, but it reminds us.

The function of these Jewish rituals, then, was to remind them of what the Lord Jesus had come to do, and had done. All
through the Book of Acts we see Jewish Christians going into the temple and performing ceremonies, just as the Lord
Himself had done. There is no suggestion that they should have stopped, or that it was wrong for them to do this, until
God took the rituals away.

The Jewish sacrifices ended when the temple was finally destroyed in A. D. 70, when the words of Jesus were fulfilled and
Roman armies came and laid siege to the city. His words of warning were, "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by
armies, then flee into the mountains, for then shall be fulfilled all that has been predicted." The city was taken and the
Jews were carried away captive, exactly as the Lord Jesus said. But that was still several years in the future from this point
in history. So Paul is not compromising when, as we read in this next section, he took upon himself certain Jewish
practices. James said to him,

"What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four
men who are under a vow; take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they
may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you but that you
yourself live in observance of the law. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our
judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled
and from unchastity." Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them and went into the
temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for every one of
them (Acts 21:22-26).

Here Paul was following his own announced practice. He wrote that when he was with the Jews, he became as a Jew;
when he was with the Gentiles, he became as a Gentile; and when he was with the weak, he limited himself and became
as weak as they--all in order that he might reach them on their level, through the medium and culture to which they were
accustomed. He was simply declaring again the freedom he had in Christ. He was free--free to live as a Gentile among the
Gentiles, free to live as a Jew among the Jews--free from the law, but free also to keep the law if there were certain
advantages to be gained for the sake of the gospel by so doing.

So Paul adopts this Jewish practice, willing to become as a Jew, along with these others, in order to clear up a
misunderstanding which had a totally false basis. As you read the account which follows of the trouble he met in
Jerusalem, you can see that not one bit of it was a consequence of his Jewish practices. The trouble that broke out, as we
will see in our next chapter, was due simply to his presence in Jerusalem, where he had no business being.

No Guarantee Against Failure

There is a deep lesson here for us, one which strikes particularly deep into my own heart. It is this: experience, even long--
continued Christian experience, along with spiritual insight and understanding of Scripture, are no guarantees against
failure--against missing the mind of God. That is why we often see men and women who have been greatly used of God

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for years and years, suddenly fail in some way and cast a blot upon their ministry. This again indicates to us the
deadliness of our enemy. The flesh can bide its time. It can wait out long periods of subjugation, or relative victory in
Christ, and then catch us off guard--especially by awakening a desire which seems to be right, seems to be exactly what
God would want done.

Now the Spirit of God is always faithful to warn us. We need not stumble blindly into this trap, any more than Paul
needed to. But what this great study shows us is that we must be very careful to be obedient to the Spirit's voice. When he
blocks our plans, clearly and unmistakably, we are to obey. Otherwise we simply open ourselves up to unnecessary
heartache, unnecessary limitation and restriction, as the apostle did here.

But God did not abandon or forsake Paul. He picked him up and used him powerfully, turning the mistake itself into
opportunities for the advance of his cause. But Paul himself had to undergo deprivation, heartache, and suffering
which he need not have endured if he had been obedient to the Holy Spirit. Through this experience God helps us to learn
that even a mighty apostle can fail in faith at times. May this serve as a lesson to us that only as we walk in obedience to
the voice of God and to the clear directions of the Word of God can we find our way through all the pitfalls that await us
in life.

Chapter Two
Trouble At Jerusalem
Acts 21:27-22:29

To allay the suspicions of the Jews about Paul's teaching, he had assumed the responsibility of going into the temple with
four young men who had taken a Nazarite vow, and of paying their expenses until they could complete the prescribed
rites and shave their heads. It was when this was nearly accomplished that trouble began. Luke continues the account,
beginning with verse 27:

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up all the
crowd, and laid hands on him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching men everywhere
against the people and the law and this place; moreover he also brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this
holy place." For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul
had brought him into the temple (Acts 21:27-29).

Notice who instigates this trouble. It is not the Jews in Jerusalem; it is those from Asia. The Capital of the Roman province
of Asia was Ephesus. So it was undoubtedly the same Jews who had caused the disturbance in Ephesus which resulted in
a riot that drove Paul out of the city. Here they are again, hot on his trail, these riot engineers traveling around from place
to place, deliberately stirring up trouble, determined to destroy the tremendous work of the apostle.

Naturally they were upset by what had happened in Ephesus. The liberating power of the gospel had hit that region with
such impact that it had demolished the structure of the superstitious pagan worship in that city. As a result, the trade of
the idol-making silversmiths fell off, and so they rioted, led by a man named Demetrius. And now here they are in
Jerusalem. Very likely Alexander the coppersmith, who had caused Paul so much trouble in Ephesus, is here as well.

It is quite evident that the Lord Jesus had wanted Paul to avoid this trouble. This is why he had said through the Spirit
that Paul was not to go to Jerusalem; he knew these troublemakers were there. He knew the volatile character of the
Jewish nation. He read, far more clearly than Paul, the stubborn resistance of the Jewish heart to the gospel, and he knew
that any attempt to reach this stubborn people would be hopeless at this time. But Paul could not see that.

The Lord would have allowed Paul to continue his great ministry throughout the Gentile regions, where he now had a
freedom he never experienced in the early part of his ministry. After the decision made by the Roman judge at Corinth,
Paul had access to every Roman city to preach the gospel, and he could have gone on proclaiming Christ in liberty. But
now his presence in Jerusalem makes him subject to attack and awakens the possibility of this riot.

Explosive Charges

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Notice the palpably false charge thrown against Paul. It is purely circumstantial, cooked up out of false evidence. He is
charged with being against the religion of Judaism. Further, the Jews invent the accusation that Paul has defiled the
temple by bringing Gentiles into it. Some years ago an archeologist exploring the ruins of Jerusalem dug up the actual
copper plaque which had been affixed to the wall that divided the court of the Gentiles from the inner temple courts
available only to Jews. It stated, both in Greek and Hebrew, that any Gentile daring to set foot beyond this wall was
subject immediately to the penalty of death. So the Jews were incensed at the very idea of any violation of the temple.
And, since they had seen Paul with a Greek in the streets of Jerusalem, they reasoned, "Well, if Paul would walk down the
street with a Gentile, he would also take him into the temple." That was enough to cause an immediate explosion.

Then all the city was aroused, and the people ran together; they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and
at once the gates were shut. And as they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all
Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them; and when they saw the
tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him, and ordered him to
be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing,
some another; and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the
barracks. And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the
crowd; for the mob of the people followed, crying "Away with him!" (Acts 21:30-36).

It is obvious that Luke is an eyewitness to this stirring and colorful scene. No description in the New Testament is more
dramatic that this one. A few years ago I stood in Jerusalem on the site of the Roman fortress of Antonia, overlooking the
temple courts. Looking down into that arena I tried to reproduce in my imagination this vivid, colorful, tumultuous
scene, as the whole area, packed with Jews gathered for the great day of the feast, had churned in turmoil, enraged by the
accusation that Paul had brought Greeks into the sacred temple courts. They seized him and began to beat him with their
fists and kick him with their feet, trying to knock him down so they could stamp the life out of him.

They were prevented only by the intervention of the Roman guards. The sentries on the wall, seeing the tumult, sent
word to their commander, the Roman tribune whose name, Claudius Lysias, is given a little later in Acts. Evidently the
governor was in the capital of Caesarea, down on the coast, and Claudius Lysias was in charge of Jerusalem. When the
word came he immediately took centurions (captains of hundreds) and gathered perhaps two or three hundred soldiers
and charged down into this crowd. They shouldered their way through the enraged mob, surrounded the apostle, and
picked him up and carried him out on their shoulders. The crowd was so enraged that they battled the soldiers all the
way. Even this large force could rescue the apostle only with the greatest difficulty. The Romans to the rescue! What a
tremendous scene this was! Paul was near death at this point. The mob had actually begun to beat him to death.

Bold Request

But next we have an amazing account which shows the courage of this great apostle. He makes a bold request of the
centurion:

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, "May I say something to you?" And he
said, "Do you know Greek? Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four
thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?" Paul replied, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of
no mean city; I beg you, let me speak to the people." And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the steps,
motioned with his hand to the people; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew
language...(Acts 21:37-40).

How remarkable that Paul would ask permission to speak to this enraged mob, which had just been ready to tear him
limb from limb! I am sure that if I had been in his shoes I would have been trying to get out of there as quickly as possible,
quite content to let the mob go. But Paul recognizes this as his opportunity. He has come to Jerusalem determined to
speak to his nation. Out of the urgency of his love for them he wants to be the instrument to reach this stubborn crowd. So
he seizes the only opportunity he has, hoping the Lord will give him success.

The tribune is very startled when Paul addresses him in Greek, because this rough Roman officer thought he knew who
Paul was. He thought he was that Egyptian who, according to Josephus, a year or so earlier had led a band of desperate
men out to the Mount of Olives, promising them that he had the power to cause the walls of Jerusalem to fall down at his

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command. Of course he was unable to deliver on his promise, and the Romans had made short work of the rebels, killing
most of them, except for the Egyptian leader, who had escaped.

But when this tribune heard the cultured accents of Greece he knew that Paul was no Assassin. (The rebels were called
that because they had concealed daggers in their cloaks, and as they mingled among the people they would strike without
warning, killing people at random in cold blood. They were utter terrorists, trying to strike dread into the Jewish
populace and thus to overthrow the Roman government.) And so, impressed by something about the apostle, the tribune
lets him speak to this crowd. Amazingly, when Paul indicates with his hand that he wants to speak, a great hush falls.

To Win a Hearing

Now we have Paul's defense, in chapter 22. We get the introduction in the first five verses:

"Brethren and fathers, hear the defense which I now make before you."

And when they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet. And he said: "I am
a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strict
manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death,
binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders bear me
witness. From them I received letters to the brethren, and I journeyed to Damascus to take those also who were there
and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished" (Acts 22:1-5).

Everything in this paragraph is cleverly yet earnestly designed to win a hearing for what the apostle has to say. He
reminds them that he him self is a Jew. He speaks to them in their own language, Aramaic, a dialect of Hebrew, which
was spoken throughout the city. He says he was born in the fine university city of Tarsus, and brings in the honored name
of Gamaliel, his great teacher. Gamaliel, who had died only a year or two before, was one of five Jewish rabbis regarded
as the greatest of all time. His nickname was "The Beauty of the Law," so highly was he honored by these Jews because of
his insight and understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul is trying to impress the people that he was tutored at
the feet of this godly man, in order to make them listen.

He goes on from there to tell them the simple story of his conversion:

As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me.
And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' And I answered,
'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.' Now those who were
with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. And I said, 'What shall I do,
Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you
to do.' And when I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were
with me, and came into Damascus" (Acts 22:6-11).

The apostle makes no attempt to preach to these people, but instead falls back upon what is basically the most powerful
form of witness--simple testimony as to what had happened to him. That is very solid ground. Whenever you give your
witness, your testimony of what Jesus Christ has done for you and of how he has changed your life, you are the world's
greatest authority on that subject. So Paul could speak with absolutely unassailable logic and conviction. He simply
recounts the story, doing his best to lay hold of the hearts of these stubborn Jews. He tells them that despite his hostility to
Christianity he was converted against his will. This is the testimony of a hostile witness, which in a court of law carries
greater weight than any other kind. What an arresting effect the story must have had upon this crowd, which had never
before heard it from his own lips! Then he recites his commission as an apostle:

"And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me
and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight'(Acts 26:12,13).

I have always been impressed with the courage of Ananias. How would you like to be sent to Public Enemy Number One,
to the head of the Mafia, to welcome him, put your arms around him, and call him "brother?" Paul goes on:

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 "And in that very hour I received my sight and saw him. And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you to
know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to all men of
what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling
on his name'" (Acts 26:13-16).

Notice how the details of this event are etched into the apostle's memory. Though it occurred thirty years before, he has
never forgotten a single detail. He recalls it all as vividly as if it had happened yesterday. This was the moment he was
chosen to be an apostle, and Ananias conveyed the commission to him. It had three parts, three aspects of ministry, as
Paul clearly details, the far regions of earth, performing his apostolic ministry.

Pattern Christian

First, he was chosen to know the will the God, and from that he obtained the power by which he was to minister. Paul
was sent out as a pattern Christian. That is what apostles are. They are not special people living at a high level of spiritual
life, to which none of us can ever expect to attain. They live at the very level we are to live on. The first thing that Paul
was taught was to know the will of God. That did not mean that Paul was to know where God wanted him to go, or what
God wanted him to do. What Paul had to learn was that the will of God is a relationship to his Son. When Paul
understood that, he had all the power he needed to do anything God asked him to do. That is the will of God.

I find that many Christians struggle at this point. They think that the will of God is some kind of itinerary they must
discover, that if they can just find where God wants them to go, and what He wants them to do next, then they can do
the will of God. No, the Scriptures make clear that the will of God is a relationship. It is your attitude of expectancy that
Jesus Christ, living in you, will work through you. When you expect him to do that, you are in the will of God. Do
anything you like, then, because it will be God's will, unless the Holy Spirit within you indicates otherwise, according to
His Word. That is what Paul learned--the power by which a Christian lives his life.

Then on that basis, he was to see the Just One, the Lord Jesus. Paul looks back and says, "This is what made me an apostle.
I have seen Jesus Christ many times. He has appeared to me, and talked to me. He told me, directly and personally, the
things that the other apostles learned when they were with Him as disciples. That is how I know them." And, motivated
by the love of Jesus Christ and an awareness of the majesty of his Person, Paul pushed on ceaselessly, out into the far
regions of the earth, performing his apostolic ministry.

Finally, Paul was to hear a voice from the Lord's mouth. That was his message--to declare what Jesus Christ had said to
him. It was the same message Jesus had given to the twelve, in the days of his flesh. That is how they knew that Paul was
a true apostle--because he knew what they knew. God has the same message for all of us today--the words of his mouth,
which Jesus had given to the Apostle Paul.

Confrontation at Jerusalem

In the next section Paul strangely includes the confrontation he had with Jesus in Jerusalem:

"When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw Him saying to me,
'Make haste and get quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' And I said,
'Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe in thee. And when
the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by and approving, and keeping the garments of those
who killed him.' And he said to me, 'Depart; for I will send you far away to the Gentiles'"(Acts 22:17-21).

It is strange that Paul should recount this episode on this occasion. Perhaps he is trying to explain why he ultimately went
to the Gentiles. But in a sense he is testifying against himself here. This episode had occurred some 27 years earlier, when,
three years after his conversion, he came back to Jerusalem to be the self-styled apostle to Israel and to preach to this
nation about Jesus Christ. In Damascus, convinced that he was equipped with all it took to reach Israel with the gospel, he
ended up having to escape the city by being let down over the walls in a basket. Though discouraged by that, he still
thought he would get somewhere in Jerusalem. He came there to preach to Israel, but even the Christians would not
receive him. The apostles would have nothing to do with him.

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Brokenhearted, he came into the temple to pray. There the Lord Jesus met him and said, "Get out of Jerusalem. 'Make
haste, get out! They will not accept your testimony!" The strange thing is that, 27 years later, here he is in Jerusalem again,
and Jesus is saying the very same thing to him: "Get out! They will not accept your testimony. You should not have gone
up to Jerusalem." Though Paul had been warned through the Spirit he had tried anyway, and now he has come to exactly
the same place. One word about going to the Gentiles, and the place explodes--blows up in his face:

Up to this word they listened to him; then they lifted up their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the
earth! For he ought not to live." And as they cried out and waved their garments and threw dust in the air, the
tribune commanded him to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by scourging, to find out
why they shouted thus against him (Acts 22:22-24).

This poor tribune has not understood a word that Paul has said to these people, because he has spoken in Aramaic. And
when the place all of a sudden erupts he does not know what to make of it. So he thinks, "We'll get the truth out of him --
we'll scourge it out of him!" This was a brutal and bloody process of beating a man on the bare back with leather thongs in
which were imbedded pieces of metal and bone. It would have torn Paul's back to a bloody pulp. That was the cruel
method the Romans used.

Distortion of the Divine Plan

But we are told here what had offended these Jews. The point of pride which Paul had touched was the idea that God
would even consider going to the Gentiles and bringing them into the same blessings the Jews had enjoyed. Their racist
rejection of this notion was complete. But what a twisting and distorting of the divine program that represented! The
nation Israel had been called of God to be the vehicle by which the nations should be reached! But instead of obeying that
call they had selfishly gathered it all to themselves and said, "God has chosen us; therefore we must be a superior people.
He doesn't have any interest in the rest of the world. Let all the Gentiles go to hell; we're the people of God, the chosen
instruments of God! And we don't like anybody who suggests that God is going to save those dirty dogs, the Gentiles, on
the same basis that he does us Jews!"

This was the rankest form of racial prejudice, on a par with the worst of the hatred of whites for blacks in our country
today. But what strikes me as I read this account is how closely it resembles much of the evangelical isolationism which
the church has been going through. To a great degree we have done the same thing. We have felt that God is not
interested in the world, that he wants only us, that we are the favored people of God. We have gathered our robes of self-
righteousness about ourselves and drawn into our Christian ghettos and said, "Let the world go to hell! We are going to
enjoy God's favor and blessing." And we have resisted the chance to reach out to the lost, fragmented humanity around
us.

But God always judges that. He is judging it in our day. He judges this self-righteous pride which says, "We are especially
favored," which refuses to recognize that we are nothing but guilty sinners like anybody else, and are just enjoying the
grace of God. That grace is as much available to anybody, anywhere, as it is to us. We have the responsibility to share it!
The last section shows the protection God provided for his apostle:

But when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you
to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned?" When the centurion heard that, he went to the
tribune and said to him, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen." So the tribune came and said
to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes." The tribune answered, "I bought this citizenship for a
large sum." Paul said, "But I was born a citizen." [A bit of one-upmanship here.] So those who were about to
examine him withdrew from him instantly; and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman
citizen and that he had bound him (Acts 22:25-29).

The law of Rome said explicitly that no Roman was to be bound without due process of law. Furthermore, they were not
to be beaten under any circumstances, even if convicted. The penalty for doing so was death. So this tribune knew he was
in trouble. He was very frightened when he learned that Paul was a citizen and realized that he had both bound Paul and
was on the very verge of beating him with the terrible, bloody scourge. Here God used the state to protect his apostle. The
state is also the instrument of God, and we must remember that. The powers that be are ordained of God, and God uses
them--as he did in this case to preserve the life of Paul.

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As we review this account I cannot help but think of the phrase Paul uses in his second letter to the Corinthians: "struck
down but not destroyed." God will sometimes let us stumble in our folly into disasters from which we must suffer,
sometimes for days and weeks and months and years. But he never abandons us. He never leaves us all alone. He finds a
way to work it all out and he brings us back. In our next study we will see how graciously the Lord Jesus restores his
mighty apostle. Though he must remain a prisoner of Caesar, in the hands of the Roman authorities, nevertheless he will
be permitted to carry on his great ministry in power and blessing, with renewed influence throughout the Roman empire.
God never abandons his people!

Chapter Three
Love That Never Lets Go
Acts 22:30-23:35

At the end of chapter 22, Paul is in the hands of a very puzzled Roman tribune who cannot figure out what to do with this
civilized, cultured man with the ability to speak in several languages, a Roman citizen from the honored university city of
Tarsus. Every time Paul comes in contact with the Jews there is an explosion. Like putting steel to a grinder, putting Paul
in the presence of these Jews makes sparks fly. The tribune does not understand this strange reaction, but he is going to
try again.

But on the morrow, desiring to know the real reason why the Jews accused him, he [the Roman tribune] unbound
him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before
them (Acts 22:30).

The tribune summons the high priests and the elders--the Sanhedrin--to the Roman fortress of Antonia. Then he brings
Paul down and sets him in their midst. And now Paul has an occasion to address the leaders of the nation, the
representatives of the people. We get his introduction at the beginning of chapter 23:

And Paul, looking intently at the council, said, "Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this
day." And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said
to him, "God shall strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet
contrary to the law you order me to be struck?" Those who stood by said, "Would you revile God's high priest?" And
Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler
of your people'" (Acts 23:1-5).

What a left-footed beginning! There is a noticeably reckless audacity about the apostle's introduction. He seems to be
careless, almost, of the consequences of what he says--like a man burning his bridges behind him. I rather suspect that he
is aware by now that he has blundered into a very untenable situation, so he is trying to bull his way through.

You will notice that he does not begin with his usual courtesy. The customary address to the Sanhedrin was a
standardized form which began, "Rulers of Israel, and elders of the people..." Paul does not employ that, as he normally
would, but instead puts himself right on a level with these rulers, doubtless because he was once one of them, and he
addresses them simply with the familiar term, "Brethren."

Now that was an offense to these Jews. It was true that Paul once belonged to them. Perhaps he knew many of them
personally. But it had been many years since he had ever sat with them. And he well knew, as they did, that a long-
standing enmity had arisen between them. And now to have him come and rather brashly address them as his equals was
offensive. In addition, he implies that there is no possible ground of complaint against him. He says, "I have lived in all
good conscience before God up to this day." This was certainly true. Yet it seemed to imply that there was no reason for
this meeting at all--that it was absurd and ridiculous to have called this council together.

Insult and Retort

So for this seeming impudence and impertinence, the high priest commands that Paul be slapped across the mouth. That
was an unusually degrading form of insult to an Israelite. The law commanded that no Israelite should ever be struck in
the face, and so this was certainly wrong. We Gentiles don't appreciate it very much either. Paul's anger flashes out at this
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offense. He whips back the caustic retort, "God shall strike you, you whitewashed wall!" That was a typically Judaistic
way of calling the high priest a bare-faced hypocrite. The only whitewashed walls in Israel were tombs. Jesus used this
figure when he said to the Pharisees, "You are like tombs, whitewashed on the outside, but within full of dead men's
bones." So the apostle is calling him a stinking hypocrite, and this is not lost upon the high priest. It certainly is not the
most tactful way for a prisoner to address a judge!

It is very likely that Paul recognized who Ananias was, but not what his position was. Paul knew that Ananias had a
reputation as a glutton, a thief, and a stool-pigeon to the Romans. So Paul is offended by the fact that this notorious
hypocrite would command him to be struck like this, contrary to the law. But what he did not know was that Ananias had
recently been appointed high priest. The council had been convened rather summarily and the priest had probably not
had time to dress in his robes.

The moment it is pointed out to him that Ananias is indeed the high priest, Paul is instantly repentant, for he recognizes
that he is in the wrong. He apologizes, for the law says that the office deserves respect, even if the man does not. But it is
too late; he has already blown his chance. We are accustomed to seeing Peter with his foot in his mouth, but it is rather
unusual to find Paul in this condition. But here he is. He has insulted the ruler of the tribunal, making it impossible to
receive anything approaching a fair trial.

And yet, it is only what we might have expected. We must bear in mind through this whole study that the apostle has
gone to Jerusalem in direct disobedience of a command of the Holy Spirit. He has thereby put himself in the position of
being mastered and controlled by the flesh, that principle of evil inherent in every one of us. Remember that the Apostle
Paul himself is the one who tells us, in his letter to the Romans, that if we yield ourselves as servants to the flesh, we
become the servant of that which we obey. In other words, if we give way to our insistence on our own stubborn will as
opposed to something God has made clear, no matter in what area, we have fallen victim to the flesh, and the flesh rules.
Then, even when we want to walk in the Spirit in other areas and relationships of our life, we cannot. As a result, the
manifestations of the flesh come out, unbidden and against our will. The flesh always carries us farther than we want to
go. It sits at the controls of our life and rules us, whether we like it or not. As Paul Says in another place, we thus give
Satan an advantage over us; no matter what we try to do, it all comes out fleshly.

Prideful Disdain

That is what is happening here. Though Paul is trying to walk in the Spirit he cannot, because the flesh is in command.
There are certain unmistakable marks of fleshliness which you see right here in this account. One is a certain prideful
disdain of others. Paul is usually the most sensitive of men to the requirement for normal courtesies. But here he sets that
aside as he roughly addresses the Sanhedrin. Ordinarily, recognizing that their position was given by God, he would
have used the courteous address their office demanded, as Jesus always did when he spoke to them. But now, with that
little touch of disdain, revealing that he obviously thinks of himself as the equal of these men, he addresses them as
brethren--much to the offense of these officials, who regard him as a prisoner awaiting judgment.

And there is his obvious testiness, his irritability and quick temper, the flash of anger with which he retorts. His reply is
not that of a man in control of his emotions. I well know from my own experience that this is a mark of the flesh in
control. There are times when I am resistant to the will of God but try to walk in the Spirit anyway, without settling the
matter. At such times I find myself quick of temper, impatient, and caustic. I do not want to be, but I am. That is how Paul
is here.

Then you notice that he relies now upon his own wits to get out of this dilemma instead of resting upon the wisdom of
God:

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council,
"Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial."
And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was
divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge
them all. Then a great clamor arose; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended, "We
find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?" And when the dissension became violent,
the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by
force from among them and bring him into the barracks (Acts 23:6-10).

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I do not think this attempt to divert the subject a deliberate trick by the apostle. It was not was some cunning stratagem
that he employed to get himself off the hook by dividing the assembly. He simply realized that he was in deeper than he
had intended and saw that his cause was lost. So, hoping for some support from the Pharisees, he cried out this way,
identifying himself with them.

The Pharisees represented at least some adherence to the letter and teaching of the law. The Sadducees, on the other hand,
were what we would call modernists, liberals. They denied the supernatural. They refused to recognize the existence of
angels or spirits, and certainly not the resurrection from the dead, whereas the Pharisees were more fundamental in their
understanding, recognizing that these things were realities. So they were ready to defend Paul on the ground
that, in his conversion, a spirit might have spoken to him, or an angel. They were not ready to acknowledge that it was
indeed the Lord Jesus, but they were at least willing to acknowledge that perhaps something supernatural had occurred.

Another Screaming Squabble

Paul is simply trying his best, using his wits to get out of his circumstance. But when the flesh is in control, things always
work out wrong. We try to take advantage of the situation as we see it. But we always get deeper and deeper into trouble.
Paul succeeds only in polarizing the council. His hopes for a testimony before the leaders of the nation fly out the
window, and he finds himself in the middle of another screaming squabble of Jews. They are yelling theological
arguments at one another and threatening to tear Paul apart as they literally pull and tug at him like a bone of contention.

Once again this puzzled Roman tribune must rescue Paul. Three times now he has pulled him out of the fire. He is getting
to be an expert at it, but it completely baffles him. What is it about this man that precipitates an explosion every time he
comes into contact with the Jews?

And poor Paul! I think that out of friendship for him Luke hides some of the painful details from us. But you can imagine
how Paul must have felt. He had his chance, and he blew it! Now he sits in his cell--utterly humiliated, dejected, defeated,
deflated, disenchanted. All his dreams of testimony to the Jews lie in ashes around his feet. Paul is utterly discouraged.

Now that is always God's hour. God waits for a man to arrive at that place. This is the way He heals us after we have
moved forward in the self-sufficiency of the flesh. He always lets it run its course until we find ourselves broken, deflated,
wallowing in an awful sense of shame and dejected--utterly bankrupt. That is God's hour.

Remember how Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount: "Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Happy are you when you arrive at personal, spiritual bankruptcy, when you do not have any resources left, when you
have come to the end of yourself. I have been there; haven't you? I have said to
God, "Lord, I quit! I'm not going to be a Christian anymore. I can't make it. I've tried. I've done everything I know how,
and I just can't make it. I'm going to quit." I didn't realize it at the time, but the Lord was standing there saying, "Great!
That's just where I wanted you to come, just what I've been waiting for. Now it's my turn."

Restored to Usefulness

That is what happens here. We have seen Paul before the council. Now we see him before the Lord:

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem,
so you must bear witness also at Rome" (Acts 23:11).

Literally, what the Lord Jesus says as he appears to him is, "Be of good cheer. Cheer up, Paul." That is certainly a
revelation of the state of Paul's heart at this time. He is anything but of good cheer. He is defeated and discouraged,
failure, but he is not abandoned. Isn't it wonderful that the Lord comes now to restore him to his ministry?

I am sure that, as in other places, Luke does not give us the full account of what transpired between Paul and his Lord on
that night. But there is enough here so that we can see what our Lord is after. He restores Paul to usefulness. He says to
him, "As you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome." Thus he promises Paul
success in the desire of his heart which was second only to his desire to win his kinsmen. He was to have his chance to
bear witness for Christ at the heart of the empire, the very capital of the Gentile world.

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And yet the very form of expression used by the Lord contains a hint of the limitation resulting from Paul's disobedience.
The Lord Jesus puts it this way: "As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome." In
other words, the emphasis here is upon the manner in which this witness will go forth. "In the way you bore witness to
me in Jerusalem, in that same way you must bear witness in Rome."

How had he testified in Jerusalem? As a prisoner--chained, bound, limited. If Paul had obeyed, he would yet have been
free to travel around the Roman world, preaching the gospel. But he disobeyed, so he was permitted to bear witness, but
only as a prisoner.

This encounter with the Lord Jesus must have been a wonderful moment in the apostle's experience. The Lord restored
him to spiritual health, as he often must do with us. Have you ever disobeyed God, knowing that you shouldn't have
but wanting something so badly that you've gone ahead anyway? How wonderful to have the Lord ready to restore us. I
have been there too, so I know how God can patiently, tenderly deal with us and bring us back to the place of
yieldedness.

After this Paul is his usual self again, and yet he is bound. Ahead of him, before he even comes to Rome, lies two years of
confinement in Caesarea. (Nothing is recorded of his ministry during this time, although I am sure he had one.) And after
he arrives at Rome he is a prisoner there at least another three years. And yet in this moment the power of Paul's ministry
is given back to him. From here on the things he says and does have that same wonderful infusion of the Spirit's power
which makes unusual things happen. And from Rome Paul is to write some of his greatest letters--letters filled with
power, letters which are still changing the history of the world. The joy of the Lord is back in Paul's heart; the glory
returns to his ministry. The love of Jesus Christ is filling him and flooding Paul, empowering and enriching him.

The Scar Remains

The limitation of chains is the resulting scar of sin, the consequence of Paul's disobedience. Young Christians often feel
that there is no great problem involved when they deliberately do something wrong. They feel that they can simply
confess and come back, and the Lord will forgive them and everything will be fine again. And this much is true: they can
be forgiven; they can come back immediately. God does not hold their sin against them; he does not deprive them of their
power or of the love, the joy, the fellowship, and the glory of their Christian life. He never wants us to look back upon our
past with guilt, in self-abnegation and shame. He wants us to accept the forgiving hand he offers us in the moment of
restoration.

That is the glory of being a Christian. You do not have to wait to be forgiven, and you do not have to pay for anything.
You do not have to go back and try to placate God in some way because of what you have done. You must make it right,
as far as you can, with any people you have wronged, but you can be forgiven and all the glory of your relationship with
the Lord restored.

But there is one thing you cannot do: you cannot take away--and God does not take away--the natural results which
follow evil. Certain limitations and weaknesses are there, and you must work within them from then on.

You can see this also in the story of Moses. Moses lost his temper in front of the children of Israel and spoke out hastily.
As a result God's cause was greatly damaged. And God said to him, "Because you have done this, you cannot enter the
land." Moses was forgiven. His heart was made strong in the Lord again, and the power of his ministry was given back to
him. But he was never permitted to enter the land. And even though Moses longed to do so, and asked
God to take that restriction away, yet God never rescinded that limitation. The same kind of thing happened to David.
David committed the twin sins of murder and adultery. He was awfully torn by this himself, and he damaged the whole
nation by this behavior. God came to David, forgiving and restoring him. He allowed him to keep his throne, and he gave
back his power, his joy, his peace, and his love. But God said to him, "David, because you have done this, you will never
again have peace in your household." And he never did. His family was fragmented from that moment on, and there was
unending trouble in the palace from then on--because of David's evil.

Yes, sin does leave scars. Paul's situation is another example of this truth. His disobedience means that he must be a
prisoner. And though he can exercise power and love and joy and peace again with all the fullness he ever had, it will be
within the limitation of being bound to a Roman soldier day and night for the next five years or more.

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Luke resumes the account and shows us how God's hand now starts to work out his purpose for his restored apostle. A
plot begins to develop:

When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed
Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. And they went to the chief priests and elders, and said,
"We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. You therefore, along with the
council, give notice now to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case
more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near" (Acts 23:12-15).

This certainly underscores the hopelessness of Paul's attempt to witness to these Jews. They are not only unwilling to
listen, they are intent upon killing him. So they concoct a plot by which they can get Paul away from the protection of the
Roman guardhouse and down into the streets of Jerusalem on his way to the high priest's palace. There, in the narrow,
tortuous alleyways of that old city, they have a band of forty men who have vowed never to eat or drink until they have
over-powered Paul's guards and put him to death. It looks as if the plot might work. But in the next section you see God's
protection of his apostle, first in private:

Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush; so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. And Paul
called one of the centurions and said, "Bring this young man to the tribune; for he has something to tell him." So he
took him and brought him to the tribune and said, "Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young
man to you, as he has something to say to you." The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him
privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?" And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to
the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. But do not yield to
them; for more than forty of their men lie in ambush for him, having bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor
drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you." So the tribune dismissed
the young man, charging him, "Tell no one that you have informed me of this" (Acts 23:16-22).

Notice that Paul knows nothing about the tribune's response. But that is all right; there is no need for him to be concerned.
The Lord Jesus is watching over him, and he has his man in the right place. The man happens to be Paul's nephew, and
"by accident," we might say, he is right there. "Coincidentally" he is at the right spot to overhear the plans being laid, and
he comes to the tribune with the story.

Small Army

Then you see how the protection of God extends into an open, public display:

Then he called two of the centurion and said, "At the third hour of the night get ready two hundred soldiers with
seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and
bring him safely to Felix the governor" (Acts 23:23,24).

Two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen--that is four hundred seventy armed men to
protect one Christian! That is a small army, and no band of Jewish zealots is going to attack any force like that. When the
plot was laid, God relied upon Paul's relative, his nephew, to help him. If you will permit a very bad pun, he was
"relatively" safe. But now Paul is absolutely secure in the midst of this force as he goes down to the coastline.

Letter of Acquittal

Now notice the preparation for Paul's appearance before the governor--again part of the protection of the Lord, provided
by the letter that the tribune wrote:

And he wrote a letter to this effect: "Claudius Lysias to his Excellency the governor Felix, greeting. This man was
seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him,
having learned that he was a Roman citizen. And desiring to know the charge on which they accused him, I brought
him down to their council. I found that he was accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing
deserving death or imprisonment. And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I
sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him" (Acts 23:25-30).

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It is obvious that this letter was designed to make the tribune look as good as possible in the eyes of the governor. He
handles the truth rather loosely. He implies that he rescued Paul because he learned that he was a Roman citizen. This
would certainly look good on his record. But actually, as we know, he rescued him because he was in danger, and then
learned that he was a citizen just before he was about to scourge him unlawfully. But he did not put that detail in; this is a
politician's letter.

But it is also virtually a letter of acquittal of any serious charge against the apostle. The garrison commander goes on
record in black and white that as far as he can determine Paul has done nothing that is worthy of death or even
imprisonment. And so he prepares the way for Paul to appear before the governor, laying the groundwork for careful
handling of this case. This is evidence of that marvelous, amazing hand of God, which can work through non-Christians,
nonbelievers, anyone, to accomplish His will and purpose without their even being aware that they are being used in any
way. He simply works through their normal reactions and feelings.

Finally we have Paul's presentation before the governor:

So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. And on the
morrow they returned to the barracks, leaving the horsemen to go on with him. When they came to Caesarea and
delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. On reading the letter, he asked to what
province he belonged. When he learned that he was from Cilicia he said, "I will hear you when your accusers arrive."
And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's praetorium (Acts 23:31-35).

It was sixty miles from Jerusalem to Caesarea. They covered the first forty by a rapid forced march. Fortunately it was
downhill almost all the way. But nevertheless it was a hard night's march to travel the forty miles to the fortress of
Antipatris. The next morning the horsemen brought Paul the remaining twenty miles to the governor's palace in
Caesarea.

Felix was Pilate's successor as governor of Judea. He had been in office several years now. When he reads the letter he is
obviously affected by it and kindly disposed toward Paul. All he asks, literally, is, "What kind of province does he come
from?"

There were two kinds of provinces in the Roman empire. There were those under the control of the Roman senate, and
those which reported to the emperor--the imperial provinces. He learns that Paul is from Cilicia, which, like Judea, is an
imperial province under the direct control of the emperor himself, responsible to him. And so the steps are being laid, as
God is operating behind the scenes to pave the way for bringing Paul and the emperor, Nero, face-to-
face. God will accomplish it his way.

Chapter Four
The Discipline of Delay
Acts 24:1-27

Felix is an interesting character. From secular history we know that he had been governor of the province of Judea for five
years by the time of the events recorded in this chapter, and that he had previously lived for two years in the city of
Samaria. He knew something about the Jews and their nation.

Felix had been born a slave, but his brother Pallas happened somehow to become a favorite of the emperor in Rome.
Through the influence of Pallas, Felix was freed from slavery and was somewhat later appointed governor of this
province. He was the first slave in history to become governor of a Roman province.

Felix had been married by this time to three different princesses. The first one we know nothing about, except that she
was a princess. His second wife was the granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra, whose names have been made famous
by Shakespeare and Hollywood. The third wife, Drusilla, appears with Felix in this account. She was a Jewess, the
daughter of Herod Agrippa, the king who had put the Apostle James to death. She had been the wife of the king of
Emesa, but Felix had seduced her and now she was living with him as his wife.
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This man was completely unscrupulous. He was known to hire thugs to eliminate people--even friends--who happened to
get in the way of his political ambitions. It is before such a judge that the Apostle Paul was to appear.

The first nine verses of chapter 24 set forth the charges that are leveled against this apostle. First Luke lists the participants
on this occasion:

And after five days the high priest Ananias came down [to Caesarea] with some elders and a spokesman, one
Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul; and when he was called, Tertullus began to accuse
him (Acts 24:1,2a).

Luke is careful to record that the high priest himself is here, because Ananias had been so mortally offended by the
apostle when Paul had unwittingly insulted him, not knowing that he was the high priest, that he is thirsting for revenge.
With him comes a delegation of elders, probably representing both the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and also an officious
little Latin lawyer named Tertullus. We know that he was short of stature because his name is the diminutive of Tertius. It
means "little Tertius." Can't you see him in your imagination?--short, fat, and pompous, busily strutting around the
courtroom, trying to establish the case.

The Charges

Luke gives us an eyewitness account; he captures the very atmosphere of this scene. He probably wrote the account from
notes he took on the spot. Here is the introduction to Tertullus' speech:

...Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: "Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your provision, most
excellent Felix, reforms are introduced on behalf of this nation, in every way and everywhere we accept this with all
gratitude. But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly" (Acts 24:2-4).

If you read between the lines you can see what is happening. The lawyer begins to praise the governor with fulsome
flattery. He starts out in this flowery way: "O most excellent Felix, we know that all these great things are happening in
our nation because of you..." Both he and Felix know that this is a bald-faced lie. The governor evidently indicates his
impatience, perhaps with a frown or gesture, so the lawyer suddenly changes his tactics. He says, "To detain
you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly." Then he gets down to the point and sets forth the charges
against Paul:

For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a
ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. By examining him
yourself you will be able to learn from him about everything of which we accuse him. The Jews also joined in the
charge, affirming that all this was so (Acts 24:5-9).

Undoubtedly Luke has given us merely a brief summary of what this man said. Yet it is clear that he leveled three
particular charges against Paul, charges particularly designed to arrest the Roman governor's attention and to arouse his
antipathy against the apostle.

The first charge was that Paul was a revolutionary pest, a troublemaker, stirring up difficulties and riots all through the
Empire. This lawyer knew that such an accusation would have an effect, because the Romans had a far-flung empire to
administer, and the one thing they dared not tolerate was civil disorder. Any uprising could be a spark that would light a
fire which would be very difficult to put out. The Romans dealt with any troublemaker with a heavy hand.

Second, Paul was labeled a religious radical, a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Of course Felix, having been
governor, had heard of the Nazarenes. Furthermore, he knew that there were a lot of false messiahs around who were
ready to catch this fanatically religious nation up in a wave of enthusiasm which could spell nothing but trouble for
Rome. Remember that this was just a few years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies under Titus.
And, as Jesus had predicted, a wave of false messiahs had come on the scene, false christs, who claimed to be the true one.
Tertullus was implying that Paul was one of these.

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The third charge leveled against Paul was that he was a sacrilegious fanatic who had tried to profane the temple, to defile
it by bringing in Gentiles. That again was something to which the Romans would pay attention. Do you remember
when, a few years ago, an Australian in a frenzy of religious fanaticism set fire to the Aqsah Mosque in the temple area of
Jerusalem? How the nations of the world trembled, lest that single act of desecration precipitate a holy war which
would embroil the Middle East, and perhaps the whole world, in conflict! That temple area was just as sensitive in the
days of Rome. The Romans knew that to the Jews it was such a sacred precinct that anything that happened to their
temple was apt to inflame the entire nation. So all these charges were particularly designed to be of intense concern to the
Roman administration. And yet there was not a word of truth in them. The Jews who came along simply affirmed them,
but they did not offer any proof; they couldn't.

The Defense

Now Luke gives us the apostle's masterful defense:

And when the governor had motioned to him to speak, Paul replied: "Realizing that for many years you have been
judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense" (Acts 24:10).

He begins, you see, with the only nice statement an honest man could make about Felix. "You've been governor here for a
number of years." That is about all he could say. "I know you've been around a long time. You know this nation, and I
hope you'll listen to me." And he proceeds from there. With that careful, methodical logic which we have come to expect
from the apostle, he answers these charges one by one.

To the first charge, that he was a revolutionary troublemaker, Paul says,

As you may ascertain, it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem; and they did not find
me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues, or in the city. Neither
can they prove to you what they now bring up against me (Acts 24:11-13).

Paul's arguments are simple: "First, I have had no time to incite a riot. It is only twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem,
and I've been absent from the province for years before that. You can't get a riot going in twelve days. Second, I made
absolutely no effort to do so. I've never even been seen disputing with anybody, either in the temple or in the synagogues
or in the city. I've made no attempt anywhere to stir up any difficulty, to arouse a crowd or incite emotions in any way.
And third, no proof whatsoever has been offered for any of the claims made against me. You have merely the affirmations
of these Jews that I did these things. But no evidence has been advanced at all." And so he completely demolishes this
charge, exposing its emptiness. Next he moves to the charge of being a religious radical. To this he answers:

But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing
everything laid down by the law or written in the prophets, having a hope in God which these themselves accept,
that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience
toward God and toward men (Acts 24:14-16).

To the second charge he pleads guilty. "But," he says, "I want to point out that though I am indeed a follower of this Way,
a member of what they call a sect, nevertheless it is most interesting to note that this 'sect' accepts the law and the
prophets, just as these members of the Sanhedrin do. Furthermore, it stresses the hope which the Old Testament teaches,
that of the resurrection of the dead, both just and unjust, and many of these Jews standing here believe it just as I do. And
third, it results in a conscientious life, a life lived in good conscience before God and man. Now what can be so wrong
with that?" He continues, "I admit I'm a member of this 'sect,' but so what? It simply agrees with all that these people
themselves affirm to be the truth. What violation of Roman law is involved in becoming a member of this Christian
group?" And with that he again demolishes the accusation against him.

The third charge was that of profaning the temple. To this the apostle replies:

Now after some years I came to bring to my nation alms and offerings. As I was doing this, they found me purified in
the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia--they ought to be here before you and to make an
accusation, if they have anything against me. Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found

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 when I stood before the council, except this one thing which I cried out while standing among them, "With respect to
the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you this day" (Acts 24:17-21).

His argument is very simple. "Rather than defiling the temple," he said, "I was bringing gifts of money and offerings to
my people." Remember the collection for the saints at Jerusalem that he had brought there from Macedonia? "And," he
says, "I also went into the temple and I worshiped there, as any Jew should. That is where they found me. But I wasn't
disturbing anyone or profaning the temple. I was fulfilling its purpose."

"Furthermore," he points out, "the men who accuse me are not even present here. Certain Jews from Asia are the ones
who brought the charges against me, and they're not even here." He waxes a little indignant. Here you can see how
careful Luke has been in recording this. Paul's syntax gets a little mixed up. He starts out talking about the Jews from Asia
but loses the thread of his thought, and ends up simply pointing out that they ought to be there to make an accusation. He
never completes his sentence.

Finally he sums it all up, saying, "The most that I have done, the very most that can be charged against me, is that when I
stood before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem I said something that divided them among themselves. I cried out to
them, 'With respect to the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you this day.' Now if that is wrong then that is
what I am guilty of." You can see how marvelously and completely he has dismissed these unfounded charges against
him. What a masterful defense this is, made in a relatively few words, and how unanswerable are his arguments. He
completely exonerates himself before the governor.

Unaccountable Delay

There is no question but that at this point the apostle legally should be released. But he is not, and as we go on to see, a
strange and almost unaccountable delay occurs. This is where the story reaches out to include us. This is an account of
one of God's inscrutable delays, which often afflict us as well. We think that something we want to happen is just around
the corner. Then as we move toward it we find that it seems to recede from us, eluding our grasp. Sometimes it takes us
months or years to reach a point which we thought was imminent. These circumstances raise questions in our minds and
hearts, as they did with the apostle. Here we begin to see God's discipline of delay. In the remaining section it is brought
before us by Luke:

But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the tribune comes
down, I will decide your case." Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but should
have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs (Acts 24:22,23).

Felix really does not need to have Lysias come down, for he has already received a letter from him exonerating Paul. But
Felix uses this as an excuse, in order to hear something more from the apostle. Felix's curiosity has been awakened, and,
as Luke tells us, he had "a rather accurate knowledge of the Way." He knows something about Christianity and wants to
hear more. So he retains Paul in custody, even though he has every legal reason to set him free.

Now do not blame Felix unduly, for he is being used as an instrument to carry out God's purposes with Paul. The first
evidence of that is Paul's continuing opportunity for witness to the governor:

After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess; and he sent for Paul and heard him speak
upon faith in Christ Jesus. And as hesitantly unveiling before men the purpose of argued about justice and self-
control and future judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, "Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity I
will summon you." At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and
conversed with him (Acts 24:24-26).

Paul is under "house arrest," the term we would use today, with access to friends and with some liberty. But he is still in
the custody of the Romans and unable to go about freely. After a few days the governor sends for him. You can see the
Spirit of God working in this man's life.

A Terrified Governor

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Paul's message had a profound effect upon Felix. As the governor listened he was literally "terrified"; he trembled. He felt
the impact of the logic of the apostle's presentation. Paul reasoned with him of righteousness (not justice; the word should
be righteousness), of self-control, and of future judgment, judgment to come. When he finished, Felix trembled. Let's take
a good look at what Paul said, basing our discussion on Luke's summary. He began, first, to talk to Felix about
righteousness--that is, about God's expectation of humanity, his rightful demand upon us. Here he is dealing, basically,
with the purpose of life. Why are you here? What has God put you into the world to do? All through the Gospels you find
Jesus constantly unveiling before men the purpose of human life: it is to produce true manhood and womanhood, the
righteousness of God, the proper behavior expected of mankind. Men were designed to behave in love and
understanding, with tolerance and forgiveness, with all the characteristics that we instinctively know belong to manhood
and to womanhood.

But the problem is that man is behaving unrighteously. Ask anybody on the street, "What's the matter with life today?
What do we lack?" Everyone will say, "It's because other people don't behave as they should." They seldom point to
themselves; it is the fault of "other people." Everybody blames everyone else. That is the lack of righteousness! And Paul,
with his keen perception of human life, laid all this before the governor.

Then he went on to talk about self-control. This word appears only one other time in Paul's letters--in the listing of the
fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. If the Holy Spirit is in us, then he is producing the life of Christ in us, and we will be
characterized by love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. That is the word used
here. So when Paul talked with Felix about self-control he was talking about the fruit of the Spirit, and of the provision
which God makes to meet the demand for righteousness. In other words, God not only asks men to behave rightly, but he
also gives the power to do so.

Hidden Secrets

Finally, Paul told Felix about the judgment to come. A time is coming when every life will be evaluated, when each
human being without exception will suddenly find himself standing naked before God, with all his life laid out for
everyone to see. Then the value of that life, or the lack of it, will be evident to all. That is the judgment to come.

Jesus spoke of a time to come when whatever is spoken in secret will be shouted from the housetops, and whatever is
hidden will be revealed. All the secrets of the heart, and everything done in secret, will be openly displayed. Undoubtedly
Paul pointed out to Felix that God is aware of the hearts of men. He does not merely read the outside. We seem to be
content if we can fool people by the exterior of our lives. If we look all right to them, that satisfies us. But Paul
laid before the governor the fact that he was dealing with a God who reads the heart.

I have often said to audiences, "Wouldn't it be interesting if we had a television camera which could record thoughts?
Suppose that as you came in this morning the camera was working on you, and all the thoughts you have had running
through your mind this last hour were recorded on videotape. What would you think if we announced a public screening
of that tape?"

That is exactly what is coming someday for us all--a time when everyone will see the life of everyone else, exactly as it
was, with nothing hidden, nothing covered over. Then the great question will be: "In the face of God's demand for
what did you do about the provision he made to grant it? What did you do with Jesus Christ?"

When Paul reasoned this way before the governor, he trembled. And well he might! It all came to him. The logic of it hit
him right between the eyes. But his response was: "Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity, I will summon
you." He procrastinated because he had a problem. The fact that he delayed Paul's release, and then sent for him and even
brought his wife to hear him, indicates that this man had a hunger for God. But, Luke says, he also wanted money from
Paul.

Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all other things shall be added to you." But you
can't put them on the same level of priority. You can't want God and money. That is what destroys men. That is what
blinded this man so that he could not see the exceeding importance of this moment.

Think of it! Felix had one of the most unusual opportunities ever afforded a human being--to spend hours with the
Apostle Paul, to hear the clarity of his revelation of the nature of reality, of the way things really are, and to understand

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the truth as it is in Jesus. But Felix passed it by, turned his back and walked away. "Go away," he said, "until I have a more
convenient season, a better opportunity." Do you know anything sadder, more pathetic, than those words? And though
Felix called Paul to him and talked with him often, he never trembled again. That is the danger that men face when they
are confronted with the reality of Jesus Christ and do nothing about it: their hearts are hardened.

The last sentence sums it all up for us: But when two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and
desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison (Acts 24:27).

There was absolutely no legal reason for this delay; it was only political expediency. Felix desired to do the Jews a favor,
but it wasn't because of his love for them. Rather, as history tells us, he went too far once too often. We know from other
records that at this time there was a clash in Caesarea between the Jews and the Greeks who lived there over the question
of whether Caesarea was a Jewish or a Gentile city. The Jews won the encounter, and Felix therefore sent in troops to aid
the Greeks. These Roman soldiers fell upon the Jews, killed thousands of them, looted the homes of the Jewish leaders,
and burned them to the ground. As a result, the Jews complained to Nero, and Felix was relieved as governor and
summoned back to Rome to answer for his conduct. He prepared for this as best he could, and, in order to retain as much
favor among the Jews as possible, he left Paul in prison.

A Time to Learn

That was a tough situation for Paul to accept. Here is the apostle, eager to get on with his ministry, and yet he is in jail
through no fault of his own. Legally, he ought to have been set free. But remember that Paul had chosen this course, and
God is simply fulfilling that choice. Now Paul must accept delay in the fulfillment of his hope to get to Rome.

Yet God's delays are always times of learning. Though we are not told any more about what happened to the apostle here,
we can nevertheless surmise that out of this time came many of the great truths which are reflected in Paul's letters. His
letters to the Ephesians, to the Colossians, to the Philippians, and to Philemon were all written after this time. And in
Philippians there is a passage which I think grew out of this situation. In the fourth chapter the apostle says,

Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I
know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secrets of facing plenty and hunger,
abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:11-13).

That is what you learn in a time of waiting. Dr. F.B. Meyer has written these words:

So often we mistake God, and interpret his delays as denials. What a chapter might be written of God's delays. It is
the mystery of the art of educating human spirits to the finest temper of which they are capable. What searchings of
heart, what analyzings of motives, what testings of the Word of God, what upliftings of the soul, "searching what, or
what manner of time the Spirit of God signified." All these are associated with these weary days of waiting which
are, nevertheless, big with spiritual destiny. But such delays are not God's final answer to the soul that trusts him.

Are you in prison right now? Do you find yourself locked into circumstances which you are helpless to change? Are you,
by your own folly perhaps, in a situation you cannot get out of? It may be ill health, or a bad job. It may be a poor
marriage, or low finances, or something else. Remember, God has given that you in order that you might learn the secret
which Paul learned: "I can do all things in him who strengthens me."

Chapter Five
The Gospel and King Agrippa
Acts 25&26
The Apostle Paul is about to fulfill the great prediction which Jesus himself made about him when he called him to be an
apostle. The Lord had said to Ananias, whom he had sent to Paul to pray with him and welcome him into the Christian
family, "[This man is] a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel"
(Acts 9:15). In Acts chapters 25 and 26, we will see that prophecy fulfilled.

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First Paul appears before another pagan Roman governor. This part of the story serves as an introduction to Paul's
appearance before King Agrippa, Luke's major focus in this section.

Now when Festus had come into his province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief
priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they urged him, asking as a favor to have
the man sent to Jerusalem, planning an ambush to kill him on the way. Festus replied that Paul was being kept at
Caesarea, and that he himself intended to go there shortly. "So," said he, "let the men of authority among you go
down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him" (Acts 25:1-5).

We do not know much about Porcius Festus from secular history, except that most historians record him as a just man.
But it is noteworthy that the Jewish authorities waste no time when Festus takes office. They immediately meet with him
and propose that he bring Paul up to Jerusalem, laying a plot to assassinate him on the way. It seems almost as if this is
where we came in, does it not? That is exactly what was happening when Paul was taken down from Jerusalem to
Caesarea, back in chapter 23.

I have often wondered what happened to those forty men who vowed, some 2 1/2 years earlier, neither to eat nor drink
until they had killed Paul. Either the ranks of Paul's enemies were reduced considerably, or they found some sneaky way
to get out of their vow! I suppose the latter is true, for they are probably among this group who again plot to ambush
Paul.

The Same Old Charges

But Festus is a Roman, and he is determined to carry out Roman justice. So he refuses to bring Paul up without at least
having had a chance to talk with the prisoner himself. Luke now tells us about that hearing:

When he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and the next day he
took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. And when he had come, the Jews who had gone down
from Jerusalem stood about him, bringing against him many serious charges which they could not prove. Paul said
in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended at all."
But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem, and there be tried on
these charges before me?" But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried; to the
Jews I have done no wrong, as you know very well. If then I am a wrongdoer, and have committed anything for
which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death; but if there is nothing in their charges against me, no one can
give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar." Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, "You have
appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go" (Acts 25:6-12).

Luke obviously gives us a very condensed description of this second trial. Evidently the arguments were all the same, the
charges as unfounded as in the original trial, and Luke simply gathers it all up in two brief sentences. But still that
politician's phrase creeps in here, not only with Felix but with Festus as well: "wishing to do the Jews a favor..." It is
evident that Paul had become a political pawn, bandied about for political purposes between two ideologically divided
parties.

Surely Paul has been hoping, all through these two long, weary years, that God would open the door to set him free. Yet
he could not help but remember the Holy Spirit's words about what would happen if he went up to Jerusalem. Here we
see the faithfulness of God in carrying out this limitation. Even though the apostle's heart and soul is one with the Lord
once again, and there is nothing blocking the power of his ministry, nevertheless that ministry must be exercised only
within the limitation of this otherwise-inexplicable inability to secure his freedom.

But now, I suspect, Paul is fed up with provincial justice. He knows that he will never stand a chance for justice in
Jerusalem at the hands of the Jews. Nor has he ever forgotten that the Lord Jesus had appeared to him and told him he
would go to Rome. So at last, reluctantly I think, Paul says, "I appeal to Caesar." Perhaps he felt that this would be the
way God would work out his promise to bring him to Rome. Festus has no choice, according to Roman law, but to send
him there to the emperor. Thus the fine hand of God is visible in the background of these events, carrying out his
purposes. Paul is going to go to Rome, and God will take him there.

At this point an interesting development occurs. A Jewish king comes onto the scene:

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 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. And as they
stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man left prisoner by Felix; and
when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews gave information about him, asking for sentence
against him. I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the
accusers face-to-face, and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. When
therefore they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the
man to be brought in. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed..."
(Acts 25:13-18).

You can see that the Roman governor is troubled here. He thought that certain political charges would be leveled against
Paul, since he was a political prisoner. But the accusations were of an entirely different nature. As he says,

"...but they had certain points of dispute with him about their own superstition and about one Jesus, who was dead,
but whom Paul asserted to be alive. Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wished to
go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the
decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be held until I could send him to Caesar." And Agrippa said to Festus,
"I should like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," said he, "you shall hear him" (Acts 25:19-22).

Entertainment for the King

Thus the foundation is laid for Paul to appear before King Agrippa. We must realize, as we read this account, that this is
not really another trial. It is more like an entertainment planned for Agrippa and Bernice. They had come to pay their
respects to the Roman governor, to visit him at his capital city of Caesarea. It was the custom in those days, whenever a
king arrived, to drum up a great deal of pomp, ceremony, and entertainment. In that spirit, Festus arranged to bring Paul
before the king. The Roman governor, knowing Agrippa's religious background, suspected that he would be intrigued by
the apostle's case.

King Agrippa was the last of the Herods. The Herodian kings belonged to the Jewish faith, although they were not exactly
Jews, but Edomites, descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. The first of the line was Herod the Great, who killed
the babies in Bethlehem when our Lord was born, in an attempt to slay the Messiah, whom he regarded as a rival to his
throne. His son, Herod Antipas, had John the Baptist beheaded in prison. His grandson, Herod Agrippa I, put the Apostle
James to death with the sword. Now his great-grandson, Agrippa II, has been appointed the high priest in Jerusalem, and
to administer the temple. He was a Roman vassal, but all Jewish and Roman historians agree that he was a man of great
mental acumen, expert in the affairs of the Jews.

With him was his wife Bernice. She was the sister of Drusilla, the wife of the previous Roman governor, Felix, and was
also her own husband's sister. Agrippa and Bernice were full brother and sister! And yet, contrary to every law of the
Jews, they were living in incest together as man and wife. It is before this morally profligate couple, enslaved by their
own lust and passion, that the Apostle Paul is to appear--the enthroned prisoner appearing before the enslaved king.

Last Chance

As Luke goes on to paint this highly dramatic scene for us, we will see that there is a dawning hunger in Paul's heart to
reach this king for Christ, despite his dark past. This is Paul's last chance to reach Israel, and he hopes against hope that
perhaps the king will turn, so that the nation might follow.

So on the morrow Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military
tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then by command of Festus Paul was brought in. And Festus said,
"King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned
me, both at Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. But I found that he had done nothing
deserving death; and as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to send him. But I have nothing definite to
write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that
after we have examined him, I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner,
not to indicate the charges against him" (Acts 25:23-27).

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Paul continually puzzled these Roman officials. Festus is particularly on the spot here because, by Roman law, he has the
responsibility of sending Paul to the emperor to answer for charges. But he does not know what to write, for all the
political charges have long since been disproved, as Paul has recently reminded him: "You know very well that I have
done nothing against the Jews." And yet he has to say something, because if he sends a prisoner without a charge he
himself will be criticized for governing ineptly. So he has elicited the aid of King Agrippa to find something that will hold
water before the emperor.

Now Paul is brought in, chained to a Roman guard, and given the opportunity to make his defense:

Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his
defense: "I think myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the
accusations of the Jews, because you are especially familiar with all customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore
I beg you to listen to me patiently.

"My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, is known by
all the Jews. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our
religion I have lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial for hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,
to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused
by Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in
Jerusalem; I not only shut up many of the saints in prison, by authority from the chief priests, but when they were
put to death I cast my vote against them, And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them
blaspheme; and in raging fury against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities" (Acts 26:1-11).

The substance of the apostle's argument before King Agrippa is that he stands condemned because he was a good Jew. He
is trying to appeal to the Jewish background and the Jewish sympathies of this king, in order to help him understand that
there are no grounds of accusation against him and to use this as a way of reaching the soul of the king himself. Notice
how neatly he does it.

First he points out that even the Jews present could testify to his Pharisaic background, to the fact that he was raised
according to the strictest sect of the Jews. And second, he states that he believes nothing now, basically, that he did not
believe then. He has not changed his faith at all--he is still a good Jew. He points out that the Jews were looking for the
Messiah--that is the "promise made by God to our fathers"--and so was he.

Furthermore, the Jews believe in a resurrection. "And for this hope," he says, "I am accused by Jews, O king!" And then,
addressing himself to the whole court, he says, "Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?"
That is a good question! Certainly a Jew should not think it incredible, because God had said he would do this. Even
Gentiles should hardly question the power of a Creator who brought forth life in the beginning to restore it if he wants to.
It is perfectly unreasonable for man to think of raising the dead. Nobody has ever been able to achieve that. But it surely
ought not to be unreasonable to expect God to be able to do so. You see how earnestly he is trying to appeal to the
intelligence, the rationality, and the Jewish understanding of this king.

His third argument is that he demonstrated how sincere he was in his commitment to his beliefs by the way he persecuted
the church. All this is to show Agrippa that he is a true Jewish believer in every sense of the word, that basically
he has changed none of his fundamental beliefs, except with regard to the character of the Christians that he persecuted.
The only thing that he concedes was wrong is that he was persecuting people whom he ought not to have persecuted.

The Citadel Assaulted

Now he marshals his forces and moves on to assault the citadel of Agrippa's will by telling him about his own conversion:

"Thus I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on
the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. And when
we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads'" (Acts 26:12-14).

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Goads were sharp spikes often mounted on the front of chariots. If a horse kicked back he would hurt himself against
them. The Lord said, "That is what is happening to you, Paul. You're kicking against the spikes, resisting the moving
of the Holy Spirit." Paul continues,

"And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon
your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in
which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people [the Israelites]
and from the Gentiles--to whom I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from
the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by
faith in me'"(Acts 26:15-18).

Here is the heart of Paul's message--his own transforming experience with Jesus Christ. Notice that in verse 18 he lays the
Good News out before the king in a nutshell. What a marvelous declaration of the gospel! Here from the words of Jesus
himself, as Paul recalls hearing them on the Damascus road, is an accurate analysis of the problem with humanity. Here is
his description of humanity in its lost, broken, fragmented condition. What is the matter with people? "They are blind,"
Jesus says, "blind and living in darkness."

And then the Lord Jesus analyzes why men are blind. "Because," he says, "they are under the power of Satan." Behind the
darkness is the great enemy of mankind, who is twisting and distorting the thinking of men, clouding their eyes, and
spreading abroad widespread delusions. He has loosed into this world a great flood of lying propaganda. And
everywhere today men and women have believed these delusions and lies.

You hear them on every side. All the commonly accepted philosophies of our day reflect the basic satanic lie that we are
capable, adequate, and independent--able to run our own affairs. You also hear that if you live for yourself, take care of
"number one," you will find advancement and fulfillment in life. And you hear that material things can satisfy you, that if
you get enough money you will be happy. All these lies permeate our society. That is the power and blindness of Satan.

But the power of the gospel is to turn men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to the power of God. The
gospel is the good news that God has found a way to forgive men's sins, to wipe out all guilt from the mistakes of the
past, from all that they have done in their ignorance and enslavement to the lying propaganda of Satan, and to give them
a resource from which they may live in fulfillment and strength. That is what Jesus means by "an inheritance among those
who are sanctified." And how do you get this? Jesus says precisely: "By faith in me."

This is why Christians insist that it is only through Jesus that men must find God. Why can't they find him through
Buddhism, or Hinduism, or Islam, or some of the other great religions of the earth? Why aren't these equally acceptable?
Their adherents are devout, sincere, religious people. Why do Christians insistently maintain that Jesus is the only way?

Jesus Says So

The answer is, that is what Jesus himself says. If we are to be Christians, we must follow him. We believe that he knows
what he's talking about. We believe it because he has demonstrated that he understands life better than anyone else who
has ever lived. The supreme proof of the fact is that he rose from the dead. He has solved the problem of death. He has
unscrambled the great riddle with which we constantly struggle, this mystery of death. And, until I find someone else
who has solved that problem and who has those credentials, I personally am going to follow Jesus.

If we are Christians, we believe him when he says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man can come unto the Father
but by me." We Christians have no other choice, because it was Jesus himself who said that all this happens "by faith in
me," And of course, through the course of the centuries, wherever men have turned to him, they have indeed turned from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to the power of God.

Now the apostle continues by stating that his ministry consisted in declaring this great liberating truth, but that thereby
he has evoked the wrath of the Jews and they have tried to kill him for this reason. He also stresses again the two essential
facts of the gospel--the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

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 "Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus,
then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn
to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to
kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so stand here testifying both to small and great,
saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer, and that, by
being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:19-23).

The Sober Truth

At this point there is an interruption. We read, And as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you
are mad; your great learning is turning you mad." But Paul said, "I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking
the sober truth. For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these
things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that
you believe." And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time you think to make me a Christian!" And Paul said, "Whether
short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am--except for
these chains."

Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them; and when they had
withdrawn, they said to one another, "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment." And Agrippa
said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar" (Acts 26:24-32).

Isn't it remarkable that Paul seldom ever got to finish a sermon? He was usually interrupted. In this case, Festus the
skeptic, Festus the rationalist, could not take it when Paul referred to the resurrection. This was more than his Roman
materialism could stand, so he said, "Paul, you're mad, you're crazy! Talking about raising the dead!" But Paul answered,
"Most excellent Festus, I am telling you the cold, sober truth. That is what Christianity is all about. That is the tremendous,
stupendous declaration which is at the heart of Christianity! Christ has solved the problem of death! It seems absolutely
incredible perhaps, but it is true! God has broken through death and in Jesus Christ he has made life available to men
once again, as God intended life to be."

Then he turns and looks at Agrippa. You can see that he is longing to reach this man, for this is his last chance, and he
knows it, to reach the Jewish people as a whole. He says, "I am persuaded that none of these things have escaped King
Agrippa's notice, for this was not done in a corner." That is, "Everything is open, nothing is hidden. The Lord preached
and taught, lived and died, right out in the open before everyone, and I know the king knows the story."

And then, speaking directly to Agrippa, he says, "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe."
He is saying, "You know the historical facts of Jesus' life. And you believe the prophets. So put the two together. What did
the prophets say the Messiah would do? Where does that lead you? Jesus fulfilled what the prophets wrote." At this point
this enslaved king, mastered by his own lusts, living with his own sister, is faced right into the issue. You can see him
squirming there on his seat. Unfortunately, his answer is to turn his back on what Paul says.

It is a little difficult to understand exactly what he replied, because the Greek is a bit obscure. Certainly he did not say
what we have in our King James Version: "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." He is not saying, "You've almost
got me, Paul. You almost have me convinced." Many a message has been preached on that theme, as though Agrippa had
come to the point of becoming a Christian.

It is much more likely that he said what is recorded in the Revised Standard Version. With almost sneering sarcasm he
says, "Do you really think, Paul, that in this short a time you're going to make me a Christian? You've got to do a lot
more than that if you're going to make me a Christian."

But Paul's reply is magnificent. With a heavy heart he says, "King Agrippa, whether I had to spend a short time or a long
time with you, I just want you to know that the hunger of my heart is that not only you, on your throne with your wife
beside you, but that everyone in this room could be like I am--except for these chains." Paul's answer is hardly that of a
prisoner. As he stands there he says, "I wish you could be like I am. I wish you had the peace, the liberty, the power, the
joy, the gladness of my heart and life." What an appeal out of a great heart! What a revelation of the greatness of the
gospel! It can rise above very circumstance, every situation, and fill the heart with joy.

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But remember that Agrippa is a Herod. He is an Edomite, a descendant of Esau, and he is true to his heritage. God had
said through the prophet Malachi, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Esau stands throughout Scripture as a
mark of that independent spirit which refuses help from God. It turns its back upon all the love of God poured out to
reach us, and in independent arrogance refuses the proffered hand of God's grace. That is what this king does. So now he
fades from history; he is the last of the line of the Herods.

But Paul's great words ring in our ears down through the centuries. There is nothing like the liberty of Jesus Christ. No
external condition of wealth or prestige or power is worth a snap of a finger compared with the freedom and power and
joy and gladness that a man can find in Jesus Christ.

Chapter Six
God and Shipwrecks
Acts 27

If you are a sailor or lover of the sea, I know you will be particularly interested in this passage. Acts 27 is a fascinating
account of Paul's voyage to Rome and of the shipwreck that occurred on the way. Luke was not a sailor; he was a
landsman, and yet he was such a careful historian that the details he gives in this chapter about ancient methods of sailing
afford more insight into sailing practices on the Mediterranean in the first century than all other ancient manuscripts put
together.

The chapter divides itself readily into four major movements. The first one reads almost like a page out of a ship's log. It
gives us the list of the important passengers on this voyage and also explains some of the problems they faced as they
began to sail from Caesarea to Rome. Thus the story begins on a note which is characteristic of the entire voyage. There
are difficulties and delays all the way through.

Paul is now on his way to Rome to appear before the emperor, Nero. Paul is still a prisoner, still in the custody of the
military, still chained for much of the time to a Roman guard. Luke tells us:

And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion
of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the
ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next
day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for (Acts
27:1-3).

Here are the major personalities we will meet in this chapter. Paul, of course, is central in all of the latter portion of Acts.
He is delivered to the charge of a centurion named Julius, whom we have not met previously. Julius appears to be a very
kindhearted individual who treats Paul with great courtesy and respect throughout this voyage. He obviously does not
regard Paul as a common criminal but as a political prisoner worthy of consideration.

The centurion belonged to the Augustan Cohort of the Roman military establishment. This was a very prestigious unit, a
picked body of soldiers responsible directly to the emperor himself. As such, the centurion had considerable authority.
With them traveled Dr. Luke, who as Paul's personal physician was permitted to go along. Many scholars have felt that
this fact confirms the theory that the apostle was suffering from physical difficulty and needed a physician with him.

The other person Luke mentions is Aristarchus, a young man whom Paul had met in Thessalonica on his second
missionary journey and who now faithfully accompanies the apostle wherever he goes. The interesting thing about his
presence here is that because Paul was a prisoner it was necessary, most scholars feel, for Aristarachus to be Paul's slave
in order to accompany him on this voyage. So great was his love for Paul and so strong was his desire to minister to his
needs that he volunteered to serve in that capacity.

Against the Wind

Their little vessel is beating its way up the coast of Palestine toward what we call Asia Minor, or Turkey. The voyage
continues as they sail from Sidon:
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 And putting to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. And when we
had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a
ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days, and arrived with
difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go on, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone.
Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea (Acts 27:4-
8)

At this particular time of year the winds usually blew from the northeast, which would have helped them on their way to
Rome. But for some reason this time they met nothing but a constant, strong northwest wind, making it necessary for
them to duck behind the island of Cypress and to hug the Asian coast, tacking against the wind.

They finally arrive at the Lycian port of Myra, where they find a much larger vessel, probably 120 feet long or more--fairly
large even by modern standards. This was a grain ship carrying wheat from Egypt, the granary of the Roman Empire.
Driven also by the contrary winds, it had been forced to put into port here on this coast. The centurion evidently leases
the vessel, because he is in charge of it for the rest of the voyage.

But once again they run into contrary winds, and with great difficulty they make slow progress, having to tack back and
forth, zigzagging in their course. After several days of sailing they have come only a couple hundred miles and must
slide down under the lee of the island of Crete in order to make any headway at all.

The difficulty they met raises a question which becomes increasingly pertinent as we go through this chapter: why would
the apostle experience such grave difficulty from natural forces when he is obviously in the center of the will of God, on
the way to Rome, where the Lord wants him to be? Paul is not being disobedient; he is moving right in God's purpose.
Nevertheless, the winds are contrary and everything else seems to go wrong on this voyage. God, who controls the winds
and the waves, could surely have made it easy for Paul to get to Rome. We all face this question from time to time. Even
when we are doing what we take to be God's will for us, why do we often still have such great difficulty in accomplishing
it?

We will face the implications of that before we get to the end of the chapter, but there is still a lot more difficulty ahead.

The second major movement takes us through verse 20 and tells us of the divisions and dangers that they encounter on
the voyage:

As much time had been lost, and the voyage was already dangerous because the fast had already gone by, Paul
advised them, saying, "Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and
the ship, but also of our lives." But the centurion paid more attention to the captain and to the owner of the ship than
to what Paul said. And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to put to sea from
there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, looking northeast and southeast, and
winter there (Acts 27:9-12).

You notice that even though Paul is a prisoner he is given considerable freedom. In fact, when he gives some advice about
the voyage he is heard very courteously. His counsel is based not upon an exercise of the gift of prophecy but simply
upon basic common sense. He says that it is too late in the year to try to make it to Rome. The fast he mentions is the great
fast on the Day of Atonement of the Jews, which means that it is early October. They are soon to face the blast of late fall
and winter, when sailing on the Mediterranean is very dangerous indeed. Sudden storms can rise without warning and
can sometimes last for days. Paul, knowing this, advises that they winter in the little port where they are.

A Boring Place

But he is met immediately with a difference of opinion. The captain and the owner of the ship, as well as the majority of
the crew, differ with him. Luke is careful to record the reason why. They had taken one look around at the dinky little
town of Fair Haven and had decided that this was a boring place to spend a winter. They would have no way of amusing
themselves, so they want to get out of there and into a more exciting place. They obviously have their own comfort and
convenience at heart rather than the safety of the ship. So they prevail upon the centurion, who evidently has the last

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word, to head for the city of Phoenix, a harbor about fifty miles up the coast of Crete. But as the modern song reminds us,
a lot of things can happen before you get to Phoenix. The next section brings us the account of the storm that arose:

And when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and
sailed along Crete, close inshore. But soon a tempestuous wind, called the north-easter, struck down from the land;
and when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. And running under
the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the boat; after hoisting it up, they took
measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they should run on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were
driven. As we were violently storm-tossed, they began next day to throw the cargo overboard; and the third day
they cast out with their own hands the tackle of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many a day,
and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned (Acts 27:13-20).

What a tremendous gale! And yet it had all begun so encouragingly with the south wind blowing softly. You can see that
human nature has not changed one bit. As soon as these sailors found a fair day they immediately cast all caution to the
winds and believed what they wanted to believe. How many times we have been similarly fooled by seemingly favorable
circumstances.

They had no sooner sailed outside the limits of the harbor than a tremendous tempest blew in, a northeaster blowing
away from the land, one of the sudden storms that spring up in the late fall on the Mediterranean even to this day. The
violence of the storm is underscored by Luke's account. The wind was so strong right from the beginning that they could
not sail against it and get back to the island even though they were still close to shore. So they had to let the ship be
driven before the wind.

Then they had a hard time hoisting the lifeboat into the ship. They didn't carry them aboard in those days, but pulled
them behind until a storm came up. But the sea was so violent that they could not secure it. It was only when they ran
under the lee of a small island and got out of the wind a bit that they were able to do so, and even then only with great
difficulty. They even found it necessary to take cables and slide them under the ship and tie it up like a package in order
to hold it together. The weight of the grain, shifting in the wildness of the storm, threatened to tear the ship apart, and
without this undergirding they never would have survived as long as they did. Finally, Luke tells us, they lowered all the
sails so that the wind would have as little purchase as possible, and in this way they tried to ride out the storm.

But they were still afraid that they would be driven onto the great sand banks called the Syrtis, which lined the coast of
north Africa, where the ship would be marooned miles out from shore. This was one of the most feared hazards of sailing
on the Mediterranean. As the storm increased in fury their despair began to grow. They threw overboard much of the
cargo and then even the mainsail and its tackle.

They Gave Up Hope

As Luke tells us, "when neither sun nor stars appeared for many a day," they gave up hope. The absence of the sun and
stars was a terrible handicap to them because these ancient navigators had no compass or any other instrument. The only
way they could guide the ship was by the sun and stars. When they could not see them for many days they lost all
knowledge of their whereabouts. They were driven helplessly before a howling gale in the midst of a turbulent sea with
no idea where they were headed. And so at last they gave up all hope of being saved.

Luke's account suggests that even the Apostle Paul gave up hope of surviving this voyage--at least on this ship. Along
with the rest of them he despaired of avoiding shipwreck, although of course he knew that he would get to Rome in
some way or other because God had promised him that. But it was a perilous situation.

Again we must ask, Why all this difficulty when the apostle is fulfilling the will of God? The situation gets worse and
worse as it goes along! What is happening? Why do these discouraging circumstances keep piling up? Well, the third
movement will answer this, at least in part. Here we have the sudden interjection of encouragement and promise:

As they had been long without food, Paul then came forward among them and said, "Men, you should have listened
to me, and should not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. I now bid you take heart; for there
will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood by me an angel of the God to
whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and lo, God

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 has granted you all those who sail with you.' So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I
have been told. But we shall have to run on some island" (Acts 27:21-26).

Luke has taken note of the distress of these men. They had for many days been so upset and anxious over the outcome of
this voyage that fear had destroyed their appetites and they had not eaten. In the midst of that, our version says, the
apostle came forward. But in Greek the words are literally "he stood forth"--he stood out among them, with a different
attitude and point of view.

A Startling Message

When Paul stands before these men and says, "You should have listened to me," he is not merely indulging in an "I told
you so." He is trying to awaken them to the obvious evidence that what he had said before was right, and thus he is
encouraging them to pay attention to what he says now, because it is a very startling message. Despite all the contrary
evidence around them on every side, Paul announced with absolute conviction, "There will be no loss of life among you,
but only of the ship."

His reason for saying so, he says, is that an angel had come to him just the night before and had encouraged him with the
message that he was going to stand before Caesar and that he was not to be afraid. This indicates that fear had begun to
creep even into the apostle's heart. But he is reassured by the angelic messenger.

Furthermore the angel said, "God has granted you all those who sail with you." In the phrase "God has granted you," you
can see what Paul has been doing. He has been praying for these others, praying that the sailors and soldiers
accompanying him would be spared as well as that his own object would be accomplished on this trip. God heard his
prayer and granted him their lives.

This incident is given to us to show us the tremendous power that a man of faith exercises. I wish I could get this across to
people today. I have a feeling that none of us, myself included, has any idea of the power God has committed to us in the
instrument of prayer. He does mighty things if we will only ask him. Remember that James says, "You have not because
you ask not." God stands ready to grant us much more than we have ever dreamed about.

The church is really the secret government of earth, for it has power to control the current events which happen around
us, the events reported in our newspapers. We sometimes feel that we are only helpless pilgrims drifting through this age,
waiting to get to heaven someday. But the Scriptures never portray a Christian that way. He is intimately related to the
events happening around him, and he has great control over them.

That is why James also says, "The prayer of a righteous man [literally] releases great power." Here God granted this one
man, because of his prayer, the lives of the 275 individuals who sailed with him. They were spared because Paul prayed
for them. What a revelation of the power of prayer!

Secret Help

Notice also the secret help given to the believer in time of distress. Paul was exposed to the same peril as these other men,
and yet God strengthened him with a word of encouragement in the midst of the trial. He didn't take him away from it;
the storm was no less severe for Paul than it was for anyone else. The danger was just as evident, the waves were just as
high, the darkness as just as intense, the apparent hope was just as absent from the circumstances for him as it was for
them. Everything was exactly the same except that God granted to Paul an encouraging word, a secret knowledge that the
others did not possess. He did not lessen the pressure but he gave an inward reassurance that enabled Paul to stand out
from the rest of them and be different.

That is what the Christian faith is all about. It is a way of discovering hidden resources, secret resources which others do
not know about, which make it possible for you to live and act and react differently from those around you. That is the
characteristic of Christianity; that is what it is supposed to be like all the time.

Some time ago I was at Fuller Theological Seminary and heard Mr. Bill Pannell, a black evangelist associated with Tom
Skinner, speak at the chapel. He reminded us all that Christianity does not operate on the same principles upon which the
world lives. He illustrated this by the remarkable event in our Lord's life which we call the "triumphal entry." This was

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the day during our Lord's last week when he entered Jerusalem. Mr. Pannell said that if he had been in charge it would
have looked much more like the Rose Parade. He would have brought Jesus in on a white horse with a beautiful silver-
mounted saddle, accompanied by a long retinue. And there would have been a band, perhaps even a Scottish bagpipe
band, to go before him and introduce him.

But our Lord did not choose that kind of ceremony. His method was to ride into town on a jackass. He did it that way to
illustrate that he operates on a totally different basis. The values which the world places upon something are rejected by
God. Luke tells us in his Gospel that Jesus once said, "The things which are highly esteemed among men are an
abomination in the sight of God."

The Christian lives by a different principle. In the midst of circumstances which would panic others, the Christian is
expected to be calm. We are not to reflect the panic, the anxiety, and the troubled countenance which others display when
they get into difficulty. As Rudyard Kipling describes it in his famous poem, "If you can keep your head when all about
you men are losing theirs and blaming it on you..." then that is true manhood; a resource is granted to Christians which
others know nothing about.

I am afraid that today too many Christians follow the modern version of that line: "If you can keep your head when others
are losing theirs...you just don't understand the situation!" But Paul understood the situation, yet still kept
his head and stood out among them, distinctive because of his faith. Notice his confident word: "So take heart, for I have
faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told." That is faith.

The remainder of the chapter gives us the story of the disaster that occurred and the deliverance which followed:

When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors
suspected that they were nearing land. So they sounded and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they sounded
again and found fifteen fathoms. And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let out four anchors from the
stern, and prayed for day to come. And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the boat
into the sea, under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless
these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved." Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it go (Acts
27:27-32).

Things seem to get worse and worse as this story goes on. Not only do they face the terrible dangers of the storm, but as
they drift on through the blackness of night they hear the frightening roar of breakers in the distance. They do not know
where they are nor what kind of strange land they might be coming upon nor what kind of shore it will have. (We know
today that they were approaching the island of Malta, but they did not know that.) As they hear the breakers pounding
against the rocks they are that afraid the ship will be broken to pieces and all their lives will be lost. So they cast out some
anchors from the stern to slow the drift of the ship and pray that they will hold it offshore at least until daybreak, when
they can see the kind of peril they are coming upon.

Then, to make matters worse, the sailors hatch a little plot to abandon ship and save their own skins, leaving the rest to
get by as best they can. They decide that they will get into the boat, and, under the pretense of letting out more anchors,
they will simply row ashore and leave the ship to its fate. We are not told how, but somehow (again, God's man in the
right place at the right time) Paul learns of this plot and says to the centurion, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you
cannot be saved." He knows that the ship cannot be beached properly unless the sailors who know how to handle it are
there. And, military man that he is, the centurion acts promptly. He commands the soldiers to cut the rope and let the
boat drift off. So they all remained in the same ship together.

Man's Activity Included

The interesting thing about this is that God had promised Paul that every life would be spared. Yet Paul could say to the
centurion, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you will not be saved." God's promise includes man's activity. Man's actions
are the means by which God works out his promises, for God's announced purpose never cancels out man's activity.

The fact that God announces the end result does not mean that men are permitted to fold their hands and say, "Well, it's
all going to work out some way or another." He intends for us to exercise considerable understanding of a situation and to

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act in line with common sense in carrying out his purpose. Paul knows that he must work toward that end and that the
decisions along the way are part of God's means of accomplishing it. So he insists that the sailors stay aboard the ship.

In the next section we read of still another danger:

As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you
have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food; it will
give you strength, since not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you." And when he had said this, he took
bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. Then they all were encouraged
and ate some food themselves (We were in all two hundred and seventy-six persons in the ship.) And when they
had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea (Acts 27:33-38).

Fourteen days without any food! That is quite a diet. It had reduced this ship's company to a state of physical weakness
bordering on helplessness. We saw earlier that they had lost their appetite through fear. They were so frantic about their
situation that they had no desire for food. Their physical condition was due to spiritual despair.

This is an interesting revelation of the tie between the physical and the spiritual within us. Because the physical weakness
is due to spiritual despair, it is therefore a spiritual cure which permits them to eat. Paul reminds them of the promise of
God. He encourages their faith, saying, "Not a hair is going to perish from the head of any of you." And, suiting actions to
words, he takes bread himself, gives thanks, then breaks and eats it in front of them. This encourages them all to eat and
strengthen their lives.

Here again is the action of the man of faith. In the midst of discouraging circumstances and discouraged people, he acts
on a different basis than they. The result is that they are all encouraged. One man with hope in his heart and
encouragement on his lips was able to change the attitude of 275 other people, so that they ate and were physically
prepared for the rigors that lay immediately ahead. That again is the power of faith.

In the last section we see the final threats from nature and from man:

Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned
if possible to bring the ship ashore. So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening
the ropes that tied the rudders; then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. But striking a shoal
they ran the vessel aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was broken up by the surf. The
soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape; but the centurion, wishing to save
Paul, kept them from carrying out their purpose. He ordered those who could swim to throw themselves overboard
first and make for the land, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all escaped to land
(Acts 27:39-44).

The bay that they saw when dawn finally came under the heavy skies is now called St. Paul's Bay on the island of Malta.
They decided that it was there or nowhere, and that their only chance was to beach the ship in this little harbor. So they
threw overboard everything that would hinder the ship from going in as far as possible, and, hoisting the foresail to the
wind, they made for the beach.

But another natural obstacle looms when they run aground in a shallow area where two seas meet. The boat is stuck some
distance from shore and begins to break up in the surf. They have to abandon ship and jump overboard, those who can
swim going first, and the others making it on planks and other pieces of the ship.

But that still is not the last peril, especially to the prisoners, for the soldiers decide to kill them all. This is understandable
in view of the Roman law, which said that any soldier who allowed a prisoner to escape was himself subjected to the
same penalty the prisoner would have received. These soldiers were not willing to take that risk, and it was customary to
kill prisoners if there was no longer any possibility of guarding them properly.

But once again it is Paul who indirectly saves the situation. The centurion--kindhearted, authoritative Julius--because he
had come to respect Paul takes the entire responsibility upon himself, countermands the plans of the soldiers, and thus
saves the lives of these prisoners, Paul included.

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Finally, through the storm and the surf and everything else, they make their way to shore. And, as Paul had been told by
God, not a single life is lost. Verse 44 reads almost as a sigh of relief at the end of this chapter: "And so it was that all
escaped to the land." We can heave that sigh along with them.

Now we have to answer the question, Why do shipwrecks come to us in the midst of doing the will of God? Why is it that
Christians face this kind of difficulty? I recently talked with a man who shared with me from his own experience the
shipwreck that had occurred in his first marriage. He told me how he had begun it with deep high hopes and dreams and
deep commitment to God for its success. And yet it had broken, foundered, and been shipwrecked. He shared with me
how this tore him, how he did not know what to make of it, how it shattered his faith and challenged his concepts. What
searchings of heart this brought to him! What painful re-evaluation it had meant! I could empathize with him as he
unfolded to me the bitterness and resentment that stirred in his heart as he struggled with the question which all of us
must face at times: "Why do these difficulties come when we are doing the right thing? We could understand it if they hit
us when we were doing wrong, but why when we are doing right?"

Satanic Opposition

The Scriptures give several answers. First of all, these difficulties are clearly the result of satanic opposition. In Paul's
letter to the Romans he said that he had tried many times to go to Rome and had been prevented, hindered. Paul always
said it was Satan who had put those hindrances in his path. The enemy did not want Paul in Rome, for that was the
strategic center of the empire and also the very headquarters of evil. Satan did not want this mighty apostle, coming in the
strength and power of a risen Lord, to move into this city and start breaking down the strongholds of darkness by which
Satan held in grip the entire civilized world. So Satan delayed Paul every way he could, fighting every step of the way. He
sent the contrary winds, the storm, and all the other difficulties that this chapter recites for us.

And yet, having said that, it is also well to remember that God had permitted all this. God is greater and stronger than
Satan. His might and power could have canceled out this opposition. He could have made the winds blow in the right
direction. He could have said to Satan, "This far and no farther. Take your hands off. Stop this hindrance!" But he
deliberately did not do it.

Again, Scripture suggests some reasons why God sometimes does not intervene to prevent Satan's work. One is that there
were lessons in this for the others who sailed with Paul. Imagine what they learned of a different way of life as they
watched this man of faith in the midst of the same perils they were facing. His reaction was so different from theirs. There
was a baffling element guiding and guarding this man, keeping him stable in the midst of these circumstances. Those
watching were impressed by it. And how encouraging Paul could be, how reassuring he was to others. Again and again
he was the man in the critical moment who saved the day. They owed their lives to him time and time again before the
voyage was over. He showed them that there is a new way of life, different from that by which the world lives.

There were also lessons for Paul in this. He too grew in faith as he learned how faithful God could be and how he could
move in so that things would go only so are, and then at the critical moment a line would be drawn. Paul tells us that
God's strength is made perfect in man's weakness. "So," he says, "I glory in my infirmity." He grew to understand more
about the love and grace of God as he went through these dangerous times.

Any Questions?

Finally, of course, the great story of the Book of Job shows us that even when there is seemingly no explanation at all, in
terms of this life, for the shipwrecks and disasters which believers go through, there is still that unseen victory in realms
far beyond the visible, which honors and glorifies God and makes possible great progress and advance in the kingdom of
God. You remember that in the Book of Job, Satan and God and Job are all there at the beginning. But at the end there are
just God and Job. And God says to Job, "I'm responsible for all of this. Do you have any questions?"

How are we ever going to understand what is happening to us unless we accept our circumstances in the light of the
reality which Scripture reveals? As I read this account a verse of Scripture from the Psalms rings over and over in my
mind. It is from Psalm 34, verse 19:

Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

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That is the story of life, isn't it? We must expect these shipwrecks. But the Lord delivers us out of them all. The next verse
in that psalm is a prophecy of the crucifixion. It says of Jesus,

He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Even through the disaster and shipwreck of the Cross, God's forestalling hand was there, allowing it to go only so far,
limiting it, controlling it, permitting much darkness and disaster, agony and bloodshed, but nevertheless solidly in
control, undergirding and carrying Jesus through. So, as we look at this story of the shipwreck of Paul, and at the voyage
of life which all of us are taking, we have to say, as many of us have learned to say through the years, "Everything went
wrong, but it all turned out right."

Chapter Seven
The End of the Beginning
Acts 28

We have arrived at the last page of the first chapter of church history--the last chapter of the Book of Acts. Luke's
unfinished book introduces us to the whole record of the history of the church which continues to this day. In this
chapter the suspenseful account of Paul's voyage to Rome continues:

After we had escaped, we then learned that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual
kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. Paul had gathered
a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, when a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.
When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a
murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live." He, however, shook off the
creature into the fire and suffered no harm. They waited, expecting him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead; but
when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he
was a god (Acts 28:1-6).

They spent some three months on Malta waiting for the winter to pass so that navigation could resume. The impressive
thing about their stay is that it was a time characterized by healing. It began with this amazing healing of the apostle
himself from the bite of a poisonous snake.

Notice that this event occurred in the midst of what we would call a rather primitive, uncivilized society. The word
translated "natives" in our nation today is not that we are returning to version is really the word "barbarians" in Greek.
The Greeks called anybody who spoke in a tongue other than Greek a barbarian. That is because any other language
sounded to them like a cacophony of sounds. They could distinguish no words. We have all had the experience of
listening to a language utterly foreign to us and wondering how anybody can understand anything in it. It sounds to us
like an unintelligible jumble of syllables. The Greeks thought the noises they made sounded like "bar-bar," or meaningless
syllables. To them "bar-bar" was the mark of someone who had not yet learned to speak the civilized language, Greek, so
they called them "barbarians."

But these were not naked savages. Primitive societies are often more complex and advanced in their own way than what
we fondly (or unfondly) call civilization. These natives treated their guests with unusual kindness and courtesy. Literally,
in Greek, it was "kindness more than ordinary." This indicates that the Holy Spirit was preparing the hearts of these
barbarians, these pagans, to hear the gospel. Here was a people prepared to receive the message of God, disposed by the
effect of the Spirit upon their hearts to be open and receptive.

That is almost always characteristic of paganism. Pagans are what C.S. Lewis calls "pre-Christians"; that is, they are very
open to the gospel. They have been prepared for it by the emptiness of their pagan faith. Our problem as a nation today is
not that we are returning to paganism but that we are going beyond it to a more deadly peril--the setting aside of light.
We are not returning to paganistic darkness but going on into even more profound darkness. But the courtesy which
these people showed is an indication of the work of the Holy Spirit in preparing them to hear the word that Paul
preached.

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Paul's witness began with the remarkable incident involving the viper. It is noteworthy that the Apostle Paul was
gathering sticks along with everyone else in this ship's company. He did not draw himself up and (as some might be
inclined to do today) say, "I beg your pardon! I'm a man of the cloth. This kind of work is beneath me. While you work I'll
direct the activity."

Paul took up a bundle of sticks in which, unknown to him, was a snake torpid with cold. When he laid the bundle on the
fire the snake suddenly came to life and bit him on the hand. Luke describes it very vividly. He says that the snake was
dangling from Paul's hand. It is clear that it was a severe bite which punctured the skin and allowed the poison to enter
Paul's body.

Theological Explanation

The natives immediately recognized the snake as a poisonous viper. They expected to see Paul soon fall over dead or at
least to swell up--the normal results of snakebite. Of course they had a theological explanation for why he was bitten.
These were religious people, as all primitive men are, and they believed that calamity is always proof of evil. So they
surmised that this man was a murderer; that must be why he was a prisoner. He had escaped from the sea, but justice, in
the hands of the invisible fates, had not allowed him to escape. Now it had laid hold of him and he was bound to die. But
as they watched and saw no harm coming, they changed their minds and decided that he was a god.

What should we make of this? Why did this incident occur on this occasion? No doubt here we have one of the "signs of
an apostle" which Paul refers to in Second Corinthians 12. This links very clearly with the passage at the close of Mark's
Gospel, which appears as a footnote in the Revised Standard Version. The Lord Jesus, appearing to his disciples after his
resurrection, said to them:

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their
hands on the sick, and they will recover (Mark 16:17,18).

In this last chapter of Acts we have two of those signs manifested by the Apostle Paul: he picked up a serpent and it did
not harm him, and he laid hands on the sick, as we will see in a moment, and they recovered. Many have misread
that passage in Mark and have taken it to mean that this series of miraculous wonders ought to accompany anyone who
believes in the gospel. But that is to read it without careful recognition of the context. The passage begins with our
Lord, risen from the dead, rebuking these disciples because of their unbelief, specifically their unbelief in his resurrection.
It is a great commentary on the power of unbelief that these men were gathered around with the Lord standing there in
front of them and yet some of them were still troubled about the resurrection. Isn't that amazing? The Lord rebuked them
because they would not believe the evidence so clearly set before them.

Then he added these words: "These signs will accompany those who believe...", i.e., "...those among you who believe in
my resurrection..." He means this group immediately before him. These signs will accompany them as confirmation that
they have believed in a risen Lord and will confirm the message that they speak. It was necessary for the apostles to
preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus in resurrection power. Therefore it was necessary first that they really believe in his
resurrection. And so our Lord indicated, these signs would confirm it to those among them who believed. Mark
concludes the account by saying,

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of
God. And they went forth [who? These disciples who heard him] and preached everywhere [in obedience to the
great commission], while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it (Mark
16:19,20).

So we have here what Paul calls the signs of an apostle. They established his right and authority to speak to these people,
and he demonstrated two of these signs on this occasion. The second is recorded in the next section--the healing of
Publius' father:

Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who us
and entertained us hospitably for three days. It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and
dysentery; and Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him (Acts 28:7,8).

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"They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." So this again was one of the signs of an apostle which was to
accompany those who had seen the risen Lord and who believed that he was indeed risen from the dead. It may also be a
manifestation of the gift of healing which Paul mentions in First Corinthians 12. It is a clear-cut case of the instantaneous
healing of an individual by prayer and the laying on of hands.

Luke tells us that Publius was the "chief man" of the island. That was not merely a description of his standing in society; it
was an official title given him as the head of the Roman government on Malta, and the title should perhaps be capitalized:
"Chief Man." Publius owned certain lands near where the shipwreck occurred. It is likely that Julius told this Roman
governor what kind of man Paul was, and so Publius welcomed the apostle and his party into his home with kindness.
Wherever you find kindness demonstrated, the grace of God is always behind it, so Publius also shows evidence that the
Spirit had prepared his heart.

While there, Paul learns that Publius' father is ill. Luke, as a physician, diagnoses the case. He says he was sick with fever
and dysentery, which sounds very much like the common symptoms of the flu today. So Paul went in to see him and
received prayed with him. Then he laid his hands on him as an act of identity, and he was instantaneously healed. Notice
that this is very similar to the case we read of in Mark's Gospel in which the Lord Jesus went to see Peter and found his
mother-in-law sick with fever. And taking her by the hand he raised her up and healed her instantaneously. The healing
of Publius' father confirms that Paul is an accredited servant of the same Lord Jesus.

Gradual Cures

In the next section we have a most interesting corollary to this. We read of the healing of many on the island:

And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.
They presented many gifts to us; and when we sailed, they put on board whatever we needed (Acts 28:9,10).

There is a very interesting use of words here. When Luke says that Publius' father was healed, he uses a Greek word
which means instantaneous healing. But when he says that these people were cured, he uses another Greek word which
refers to a more gradual cure. It is an entirely different word. Not all of them were instantaneously healed.

Therefore many scholars have felt that we have here a unique combination of medical skill and divine healing, that Luke
was involved as a physician in these cures which took place during their three-month stay on the island. There is a
beautiful blending, without any contradiction, of these two gifts of God: the skill of medicine in curing, and the divine
power of God at work in direct healing. The two stem from the same wisdom and power of God and can work together
beautifully, as we see in this account. At any rate, many were cured, and as a result, when they came to leave, the people
gave them, literally, many "honorariums." The people expressed their gratitude by stocking the ship with supplies.

Now we read of the remainder of the journey to Rome:

After three months we set sail in a ship which had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the Twin
Brothers as figurehead. Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. And from there we made a circuit and
arrived at Rhegium; and after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. There we
found brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days (Acts 28:11-14a).

With characteristic attention to detail, Luke gives us a description of the ship. It had as its figurehead carved images of the
Twin Brothers, Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Zeus, or Jupiter. Thus it was obviously a ship dedicated to a pagan
deity. They traveled in this ship from Malta some eighty miles north to the Island of Sicily, where they put in at the port
of Syracuse. They stayed there for three days and then sailed across the Straits of Messina to Rhegium, which is at the
very tip of the toe of the Italian boot. Then, a south wind blowing them directly north, they made their way quickly up the
coast and landed at Puteoli, the great port in which all the ships unloaded as they brought grain from Egypt to Rome. It
was 130 miles from Rome, near the present city of Naples. There Paul disembarked and began the final stage of his
journey.

Here we get a wonderful note: at Puteoli he was met by Christians. This is a remarkable evidence of the spread of
Christianity even this early, probably about A.D. 60. Paul had never been to Italy before. Nor, to our knowledge, had any

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of the other apostles. And yet there were Christians in many of the cities of Italy as well as in Rome itself. Here are some
who are waiting to greet Paul when he lands, still 130 miles from Rome.

And so we came to Rome. And the brethren there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and
Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them Paul thanked God and took courage. And when we came into Rome, Paul
was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him (Acts 28:14b-16).

Rome at last! And two companies of Christians came out from Rome to meet him: one came as far as the Forum of
Appius, which was forty miles from Rome; another came thirty miles out to the Three Taverns. If you want to walk in the
footsteps of Paul you can go to Rome and walk this same road. The Appian Way is still there, and you can see these very
places.

What an event this must have been! And what a delightful note is added by the way the body of believers met Paul and
encouraged his heart. As he approached the city he evidently felt some fear and trepidation. He did not know what was
going to happen to him when he appeared before Nero. He must have been very uncertain as to whether he would ever
again be free from imprisonment. But what a comfort it was that these early Christians eagerly welcomed Paul and
prayed with him and strengthened him, thus encouraging his heart as he came at last to Rome. When he arrived in Rome
he could see God's hand still at work in the fact that he was given courteous and lenient treatment and was allowed to
stay by himself in his own house, with the soldiers who guarded him.

Last Appeal to the Jews

The last major episode of this account occurs now in the final section. In his letter to the Romans Paul said, "I am not
ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek." Paul always maintained that it was his responsibility to go to the Jew first and then to the Greek. Here we have
the last account in Scripture of that process and priority:

After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews; and when they had gathered, he said to them,
"Brethren, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered prisoner
from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty,
because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal
to Caesar--though I had no charge to bring against my nation (Acts 28:17-19).

As Paul had always done, he began with the Jews. He invited the local Jewish leaders to come and see him. He could not
go to them, because he was bound to a Roman guard. It is interesting that they responded. They did not know him,
though perhaps they had heard of him. But because he had been a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish colony was at
least willing to listen to him. He simply explained his predicament, pointing out that he was an innocent victim of this
strange hostility of the Jews toward him. He had done nothing against his nation. He himself was a Jew who longed to
bless his people and help them. But he found them strangely hostile. Even the Romans, when the Jews turned him over to
them, wanted to let him go because they could find no cause of death in him. But the Jews objected. And Paul makes clear
that it was the Jews who were against him, not he against them. He had no charge to bring against his nation.

How amazing! How gracious is his forgiving spirit! As we read this book we have seen how Jewish zealots had hounded
him and caused trouble for him in every city. They had aroused the populace against him, had beaten and caused him to
be scourged and stoned. But he speaks not one word of resentment against these people, not one word of indictment or
vindictiveness. He freely absolves them of any charge.

Because of the Hope

He then points out the real reason why the Jews so consistently opposed him:

For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I
am bound with this chain (Acts 28:20).

He means by that phrase the promised coming of the Messiah. Now, almost two thousand years later, this is still the
crucial issue in Israel--the promise of the Messiah. This issue has never been settled and never can be. It remains a

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constant thorn in the side of any Jewish community. If you want to cause disturbance and arouse argument, to evoke
resentment and curiosity, you merely have to raise the issue of the Messiah and you will find the same kind of reaction
that Paul experienced. Jews immediately become deeply concerned and involved. Many, as Paul did, are turning to Christ
these days, as they re-examine this question. Now we get the response:

And they said to him, "We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brethren coming here
has reported or spoken any evil about you. But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for with regard to
this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against" (Acts 28:21,22).

It is rather revealing that these Jews in Rome had received no word about the apostle. It is possible, of course, that they
could not have received word before this any more than Paul could have reached Rome before this. The news may have
been delayed. But it is much more likely that the Jews in Jerusalem had given up trying to trap Paul by legal means, by
Roman authority. And perhaps the reason he was detained as a prisoner in Rome for two more years was that the
Romans were waiting for some kind of accusation to come from Jerusalem. This situation left his case undecided--no one
knew what to do. But the Jews in Rome were eager to hear his views. Their curiosity had been aroused because they had
heard that this strange sect which had gathered around Jesus of Nazareth was spoken against everywhere in the Jewish
communities. So they appointed a day:

When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in great numbers. And he expounded the
matter to them from morning till evening, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus
both from the law of Moses and from the prophets (Acts 28:23).

What a magnificent Bible study this must have been! What an opportunity these Jews in Rome had as this mighty apostle
began to go systematically through the Scriptures. Obviously their curiosity was greatly aroused and they gathered in
large numbers. They set aside an ample period of time, taking the whole day from morning till evening to debate and
discuss and examine the Scriptures. And they certainly had a competent teacher. Who could have interpreted these Old
Testament passages better or known them more thoroughly than this former Pharisee, trained as a scholar, who knew the
Old Testament almost by heart?

And they had a most fascinating subject--Jesus in the Old Testament. Paul spoke to them about the kingdom of God, that
is, God's rule over all the earth, and about Jesus, the way to the heart of God. He tried desperately, by patiently
expounding to them many of the great passages in the law and the prophets, to convince them that Jesus was indeed the
Messiah. Nothing is more fascinating than to see how these amazing predictions of the Old Testament focus upon one
Person in all of history and upon the events of his 33 1/2 years of life on earth. He is the fulfillment of prophecies
stretched over hundreds and hundreds of years of previous history. The writings of the prophets center around this
one brief moment in history when a Man should be born in Bethlehem, live in Nazareth, tread the hills of Judea, do
mighty works, and finally die on a cross as predicted, but then be raised again from the dead exactly as predicted.

Discouraging Results

We can guess some of the passages Paul must have used on this occasion. How vivid and clear they are! How many
people yet today are still arrested by the accuracy of these great Old Testament predictions! What tremendous,
compelling proof he set before these people. And yet look at the discouraging results:

And some were convinced by what he said, while others disbelieved. So, as they disagreed among themselves, they
departed, after Paul had made one statement: "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the
prophet: 'Go to this people, and say, you shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never
perceive'"(Acts 28:24-26).

Why? The passage goes on to tell us why:

"For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they
should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal
them'" (Acts 28:27).

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The perversity of human nature! This passage predicts that people would deliberately close their minds because they did
not want to hear the ultimate message. Many of us have done this. We have anticipated, at the gut level, where it was all
going to come out, and it has been different than what we have wanted, and so we have shut our ears and eyes and
minds, and have not listened. And Paul says that is what happened here, as Isaiah had predicted. The amazing thing is
that he uses this passage from Isaiah in exactly the same way that Jesus himself had used it in his last encounter with the
Jews. In the twelfth chapter of John's Gospel we read:

When Jesus had said this, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, yet
they did not believe in him; it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

"Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

Therefore they could not believe. For Isaiah again said,

"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and receive with their heart,
and turn for me to heal them" (John 12:36-40).

And then John adds this amazing word:

Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him [i.e., of Jesus] (John 12:41).

And if we read the sixth chapter of Isaiah, from which that quotation comes, we find that it is the passage in which Isaiah
said,

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high
and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim...And one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:1-3).

Thus John says that Isaiah saw Jesus and beheld his glory and spoke of him. And yet Paul must say to these Jewish
leaders:

Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen (Acts 28:28).

With sad hearts the apostle and his friends saw these Jews turn away once again. This is the last time in Scripture in
which you find the appeal of the gospel officially set before the Jewish people. One of the great mysteries of all time is
Jewish unbelief. How can this people miss these tremendous passages, this clear-cut delineation of their Messiah? And yet
what happened here as recorded in this passage is nothing other than what is happening in much of the church today.
What was the reason these people refused to move? As you analyze the account you can see that it was because it meant
change. They had worked out a comfortable theological explanation of who the Messiah would be. When God moved in
ways different from what they had expected, even though he had predicted it, they refused to move with him. They hung
back and clung to their tradition and refused to be disturbed in the comfort of their lives. They did not want to be
changed.

And that is the problem today. Many Christians are doing the same thing. Having misunderstood much of Scripture and
applied it in ways that are not warranted, and having developed a very comfortable pattern of life--when the Spirit of
God moves in fresh and vital ways, we do not want to change and will not follow. We resist anything that disturbs the
tranquility of an accepted and commonly practiced tradition. We want to cling to the comfortable dead rags of the past
even though the Word of God has always marked out the pathway by which the Spirit works. What a lesson this ought to
be to us! As God bypassed the Jews, so he bypasses any who continually refuse to move with the creative power of the
Spirit of God. And so we come to the last two verses:

And he lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, preaching the kingdom
of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered (Acts 28:30,31).

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This is what I like to call the end of the beginning. The Book of Acts is just the beginning of the record of the operation of
the body of Christ at work in the world since his resurrection and ascension. It is just the first chapter. We have come now
to the last page of that chapter. The rest of the record is being written as history unfolds. Fresh and wonderful chapters
are now being written in our own day, ultimately to be incorporated into this account. It is a tremendous privilege and joy
to be a part of this divine record.

The Gospel Unhindered

One of the most impressive things about this last section is the last word. Do you notice how the Book of Acts ends? With
the word "unhindered." That word describes the freedom of the gospel. You see, Paul was hindered. He could not go
about the city. He was still chained day and night to a Roman guard. But he could welcome friends in. And he could walk
around his house and yard and he could minister and teach there. Paul never chafed under this restraint. His letters from
this period are filled with joy and rejoicing. He never fretted about his condition, but instead welcomed all who came, and
sent letters back with them--letters that have changed the world. It was during this time that Paul wrote Philippians,
Ephesians, Colossians, and the letter to Philemon. What tremendous truths are set forth in these letters which he had time
to write because he could no longer travel abroad! You and I can be grateful that God kept Paul still long enough to write
them; otherwise we might have been deprived of these great messages which have changed the history of man time and
time again.

Still, Paul had yet to appear before the emperor. In the next year or so a great persecution broke out under the vicious
emperor Nero, one of the greatest persecutions that Christians have ever experienced. But the Word was not hindered. No
matter what the condition of the church, the Word of God is never bound. We must remember that.

Tradition and other Scripture suggest to us that at the end of this two-year period, which brings us up to the time Luke
wrote this book, the apostle was released. Apparently he did appear before the Emperor and his case was dismissed. He
went back to the Island of Crete, where he left Titus in charge, as the letter to Titus tells us. And he probably visited
Ephesus once again, even though he had said to them as he left, "You'll never see my face again." It is very likely that Paul
did come back, and that he left Timothy in charge there. It is also very likely that he went to Spain, as he hungered to do.
And some scholars feel that Paul may even have visited Britain and preached there.

In any case, it is clear that Paul was eventually arrested again. This time, instead of being allowed to live in a hired home,
he was thrown into that dark and slimy dungeon called the Mammertime Prison, which you can still visit in Rome. There
he wrote his second letter to Timothy, which reflects the conditions of that confinement--cold and dank, lonely and
isolated. And finally, according to tradition, Paul was led out one day in the early spring and taken outside the walls of
Rome. There he knelt down and a sword flashed in the sun. His head was cut off and the apostle went home to be with
the Lord.

If we will be obedient to what is set forth in such clear language in the Book of Acts, God will supply all the power and
vitality we need. And the sweeping changes made possible by the life of Christ in his body can occur among us today just
as they occurred in that first century. The principles by which the church is to operate are declared here. The power
available to us is exactly the same. The conditions of the world in which we live are exactly the same. Therefore nothing
needs to be changed in the record of the Book of Acts. The life of the body of Christ is to go on in this twentieth century
exactly as it was lived in the first. May God grant that we will be men and women of faith, with vigor and vision, willing
to move with the creative, innovative Spirit in our day and age, so that we might share in the triumphs of the gospel.

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