Category Missional Living

Yesterday (at some point in 2017) my boys President and Chancellor came into my room with earrings. Over the years they have often asked if I am willing to pierce my ears; the answer has always been No. And the reasons have always been the same. However, this time they were able to convince me that earrings would look good on me. And so, after a few moments I did it. And then, to the surprise of my wife, I posted pictures on Facebook.

Before the day ended the post got a few likes, I got a few compliments, and a few emojis indicating that my decision was unexpected. But there were a number of my friends that were completely silent. Perhaps some were wondering what I was thinking and how I could transgress clearly stated commands not to have piercings. Some believers are outspoken in being against a Christian man having a pierced ear. That say that it is a sign of slavery based on passages like Deuteronomy 15:16-17 and Exodus 21:5-6. (These passages are laws concerning what to do when a slave who is free to leave decides to stay with their master; in each passage the ear is pierced with an awl as part of a public decision to stay.) And then there are some who are just against the idea of a man wearing what has commonly been associated with women’s apparel. They say that an earring is effeminate and therefore wrong. They have verses to go with their position as well (e.g., Deuteronomy 22:5). Finally, there are more than a few people who just don’t think it is right. They don’t have any biblical support for their cantankerously expressed convictions. But it “jus’ ain’t right!”

In response I would like to point out a few things. First, Christians are not under the old covenant. We are, by the Spirit, in Christ and thus not under the law (Galatians 3:10; 4:21; 5:18). The commands concerning piercings were part of the old covenant; those commands have been superseded by a better covenant based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). Second, there is no Old Testament prohibition on men wearing earrings. It was actually common for both men and women:

• The Household and Company Wear Earrings (Genesis 35:1-4)
• The Sons Wear Earrings (Exodus 32:1-2)
• Men and Women Bring Earrings (Exodus 35:20-22)
• Ishmaelites Wear Earrings (Judges 8:24-25)

earring – An ornament worn on the earlobe by Israelite men, women, and even “sons and daughters” (Exod. 32:2–3). (Myers, 1987, p. 298)

earring, ērʹring: An ornamental pendant of some kind hanging from the ears has been worn by both sexes in oriental lands from the earliest times. Among the Greeks and Romans, as with western peoples in general, its use was confined to females. The ears in the statue of the Medicean Venus are pierced and probably were originally ornamented with earrings. It is clear, however, that among the Hebrews and related oriental peoples earrings were worn by both sexes. Abraham’s servant “put the earring upon [Rebekah’s] face, and the bracelets upon her hands” (Gen 24:47 AV ), in accordance with custom, evidently, but it is implied that it was customary for men also to wear earrings, in that the relatives and friends of Job “every one [gave him] an earring of gold” (Job 42:11 AV ). (Eager, 1915, p. 887)

There are numerous modern Christians projecting their own cultural biases on the masses and trying to pass it off as part of Christianity. But the old has passed away and a new covenant of grace based on the work of Christ has replaced it. Third, I am not a Jew; I am a Gentile. (Although, based on words from my father I am of Jewish decent, I cannot be regarded as a Jew since my mother is not a Jewess.) As a Gentile I am under no obligation to be circumcised or to go back to the vast array of laws given by Moses. [When the question of what is required to be right with God became a dispute the church in Antioch sent a delegation to Jerusalem to get a verdict. The decision rendered by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem says that I am to stay away from idols, from blood, from things strangled, from sexual immorality, and from things offered to idols (Acts 15:23-29). They never mentioned piercings. It says that if I do that I “will do well.”] Fourth, the day the picture was taken was 1 April 2017. Get it?

While I am free to get an earring… I did not get my ear pierced and do not plan to. My reasons are logical and biblical. First, why pierce my ear if I can get the same effect with magnets. The earring seen in the picture is being held in place by a magnet on the other side of my earlobe. Second, while I have the right to do this I cannot let my rights become an impediment to being a witness. All things are permissible for me. But not all things are profitable. Is it lawful for me to wear an earring? Yes! I have the right to wear an earring. But is it following Jesus to claim that right at the expense of being effective in sharing the gospel (Acts 1:8)? Should wearing the earring be placed above having credibility with those who don’t really understand the issue. Paul says no!

²³ All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24, NKJV)

In this letter to the church in Corinth Paul says that believers should not get caught up in their own cares, absorbed in their own agenda, or preoccupied with their own priorities. “Let no one seek his own.” Instead, Paul says that they should “seek” or look for ways to care for others and that they should work for the well-being of others. “[B]ut each one [seek] the other’s well-being.” Before that he says, using himself as an example, it is not a matter of what is lawful. “All things are lawful for me.” Christ’s work has moved us out from under the law. But not everything that is lawful for him will be found to be helpful in loving his brethren and leading others to him. “[N]ot all things are helpful.”

It is parochial and perhaps legalistic to only look at whether or not something is lawful. Such a perspective on relating to Christ and His people puts my focus on what I can get away with and not how to honor Him and help others.

I do not sport tattoos and I do not have piercings. But my decision to refrain from these body modifications is not based on a conviction rooted in some old covenant command. Even though it might be cool with some it would limit my ability to preach Christ among some groups. Wearing the earring does not promote the coming of the kingdom (1 Corinthians 10:23) and would definitely make it difficult if not impossible to share life-changing truth with some people. While I may be able to defend my position I cannot defend the decision to place my rights above the welfare of those who don’t know the Lord and the scruples of weaker brethren that do (Romans 14:1-3).

More important than my rights is a right regard for those Christ has redeemed. More important than my rights is the mission to make Him known and love His people.

In the endeavor to effectively promote the gospel it is of paramount importance that the promoter not prioritize his or her own preferences above the needs of the people being reached. When we can, we must aim to accommodate the audience in order that at last they might accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. This may mean living meager, avoiding meat, or not having an earring. At times it may mean letting go of things we like so that that we are better suited to lead people to Jesus.

¹⁹ For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; ²⁰ and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; ²¹ to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; ²² to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. ²³ Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. (1 Corinthians 9:19–23, NKJV)

It seems that the vast majority of people in the United States are chiefly concerned with their own rights. Sometimes it seems that everyone is ready to claim the promises made to them in the Bill of Rights. And they have no problem expressing their disdain for anyone or anything that would limit their rights. At the time this post is being created our nation is beset by all-about-me thinking. Meanwhile, when have we heard people or leaders talk seriously about their responsibilities and the citizen’s obligation to live sacrificially for the good of the nation? What about the Bill of Responsibilities? We currently live in a nation of unprecedented freedoms. Those freedoms were purchased with the blood of people who were willing to set aside their own interests for the good of all. As the nation reels with the consequences of egocentricity the church falters with the same problem: people are more concerned with their rights in Christ than their responsibilities to Him and others. Jesus followers are increasingly focused on finding their own happiness and fighting for their personal rights. Community has become merely a word added to the name of a local church to make it more socially appealing. True concern for Christ and His community evaporates quickly when we don’t like the preaching style, the praise band, the condescending comments of a legalist in the fellowship, or the push to help with youth or finances. But listen to Paul, friends. Listen seriously to someone who has served effectively! He says, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more” (1 Corinthians 9:19). He knows his rights. But he has imposed limitations on himself in order to help people with what matters most – faith in Jesus. What would my church look like if, instead of focusing on my rights, I took on the mind of Christ and gave my undivided attention to my responsibilities both to the Lord Himself and to His people.

The Bill of Responsibilities

We, the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, confess that we have been redeemed by grace, bought with a price, and called not to live for ourselves but for Him who died for us and rose again. We affirm that Christian freedom from the law is the outworking of being baptized into the One who who born under the Law but lives thus no longer. We affirm that Christian freedom does not find its purpose in self-indulgence. It is given that we might gladly serve God, love His people, seek the good of our neighbor, deny ourselves, and advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. We therefore resolve not to ask merely, What are my rights in Christ? but rather, What am I responsible to do as a disciple of Jesus Christ? The following articles state with supporting Scripture our responsibilities as Jesus followers.

Article I. Responsibility to Love the Lord Our God

We are responsible to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are not our own. We belong to Christ. Therefore we must worship Him, trust Him, obey Him, thank Him, fear Him, and order our lives under His lordship (Matthew 28:18-20). Key Scriptures: Matthew 22:37; Romans 12:1–2; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Colossians 3:17

Article II. Responsibility to Abide in Christ

As we are called upon to bear fruit both in season and out of season, we are responsible to remain or abide in Christ through faith, prayer, obedience, meditation on His word, and moment-by-moment dependence on the Holy Spirit. Fruitfulness is not produced by self-will, but by abiding fellowship with the Savior. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Key Scriptures: John 15:1–8; Psalm 1:1–3; Galatians 5:16, 22–25; Colossians 3:16

Article III. Responsibility to Pursue Holiness

We are responsible to put away sin, crucify the flesh, flee impurity, and pursue holiness without which no one will see the Lord. We must not make peace with what Christ died to destroy. Key Scriptures: Romans 6:11–14; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:14–16

Article IV. Responsibility to Deny Ourselves

We are responsible to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. The Christian life is not a life of self-assertion, but of surrendered obedience. We must not enthrone personal comfort, preference, reputation, or appetite. Key Scriptures: Matthew 16:24–25; Luke 9:23; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:3–8

Article V. Responsibility to Love the Brethren

We are responsible to love the family of God earnestly, practically, and sacrificially. We must bear burdens, forgive one another, encourage one another, serve one another, and refuse the cold individualism that weakens the church. Key Scriptures: John 13:34–35; Romans 12:10; Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 4:1–3, 32; 1 Peter 1:22

Article VI. Responsibility to Seek the Good of Others

We are responsible not merely to seek our own advantage, but the good, strengthening, and welfare of others. Christian maturity is seen in the willingness to restrain oneself for the profit of another. Key Scriptures: Romans 15:1–3; 1 Corinthians 10:23–24; Philippians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Article VII. Responsibility to Guard Our Liberty

We are responsible to use Christian liberty wisely and humbly. We must never turn freedom into an occasion for the flesh, a stumbling block to the weak, or an obstacle to the gospel. Not everything lawful is helpful; not everything permissible is profitable for the mission of promoting Christ and growth in other Jesus followers. Key Scriptures: Galatians 5:13; 1 Corinthians 8:9–13; 1 Corinthians 10:23–24, 31–33; Romans 14:13–21

Article VIII. Responsibility to Live for the Edification of the Church

We are responsible to build up the body of Christ by our words, conduct, gifts, prayers, giving, and service. We must not live as consumers of church life, but as contributors to the strength, purity, and unity of Christ’s people. Key Scriptures: Romans 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–7; 14:12, 26; Ephesians 4:11–16; Hebrews 10:24–25

Article IX. Responsibility to Speak Truth

We are responsible to speak the truth in love, to reject gossip, slander, deceit, and corrupt speech, and to use our tongues to bless, heal, instruct, and encourage. Key Scriptures: Ephesians 4:15, 25, 29; Colossians 4:6; James 1:26; 3:1–12

Article X. Responsibility to Serve Rather Than Be Served

We are responsible to take the posture of a servant, following the example of Christ, who did not come to be served but to serve. Honor in the kingdom is found not in demanding place, but in taking the towel. Key Scriptures: Mark 10:42–45; John 13:12–17; Romans 12:11; Galatians 5:13

Article XI. Responsibility to Steward Our Household Well

We are responsible to honor marriage, nurture children, respect parents, and manage our households in a way that displays the wisdom and beauty of God. The home is one of the first places where discipleship is tested. Key Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6:6–9; Ephesians 5:22–33; 6:1–4; 1 Timothy 3:4–5; Titus 2:1–8

Article XII. Responsibility to Work Faithfully

We are responsible to labor diligently, with sincerity and thankfulness, as those serving the Lord Christ. Idleness, entitlement, and careless stewardship are not fitting for disciples of Jesus. Key Scriptures: Proverbs 6:6–11; Colossians 3:23–24; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12

Article XIII. Responsibility to Bear Witness to Christ

We are responsible to confess Christ before men, to make disciples, to commend the gospel with courage and gentleness, and to live in a manner worthy of the message we proclaim. Key Scriptures: Matthew 5:13–16; 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; Philippians 1:27; 1 Peter 3:15–16

Article XIV. Responsibility to Endure for Christ

We are responsible to remain faithful in hardship, to endure reproach, to accept sacrifice, and to persevere when obedience is costly. A disciple is not above his Master. Key Scriptures: Matthew 10:24–28; Acts 14:22; Romans 5:3–5; 2 Timothy 2:3–12; James 1:2–4

Article XV. Responsibility to Live Missionally

We are responsible to order our lives in such a way that others may come to know Jesus Christ. We must not cling to rights, preferences, customs, or liberties in a manner that hinders the gospel, weakens our witness, or places needless barriers before those we are trying to reach. Like Paul, we must be willing to become a servant to all, to adapt where obedience permits, and to surrender what we may rightly enjoy for the sake of winning more people to Christ. This is the heart of your post’s appeal to 1 Corinthians 9 and 10: the gospel must take precedence over self-assertion. Key Scriptures: Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 9:19–23; 10:31–33; 2 Corinthians 5:14–21; Colossians 4:2–6

Closing Affirmation

Therefore, we reject a discipleship that is dominated by preference, self-protection, and the constant defense of personal rights. We embrace instead the mind of Christ: humility, holiness, service, sacrifice, love, and gospel purpose. We will ask not merely what we may do, but what best honors Christ, strengthens His church, serves our neighbor, and helps bring others to saving faith in Him.

In His grip by His grace,
Roderick Barnes

⁵⁴ When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; ⁵⁸ and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:55-60 See also Zechariah 4:6)

God is pleased to accomplish His work in this world through men and women who are yielded to Him. Again and again in Scripture, when the Lord purposes to build, guide, strengthen, confront, comfort, or advance His saving mission. He does so by filling surrendered vessels with His Spirit. Zechariah 4:6 over a list like this one below giving it summary: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. The names below remind us that the progress of God’s kingdom does not rest finally on natural talent, human energy, or earthly strength. The Spirit of God, working through those who are willing to be used by Him, is the means by which His ministry moves.

On this list, Stephen shines as one of the clearest examples of what Spirit-filled surrender looks like. He was full of faith, full of power, and full of the Holy Spirit in life. When the hour of his death came, he remained full of the Holy Spirit still. Even as he was opposed, falsely accused, and finally killed, Stephen stood as a surrendered vessel through whom Christ was put on display. In him we see that to be filled with the Spirit is not merely to be useful in moments of visible ministry, but to belong so wholly to God that one may bear witness to Christ faithfully even unto death. Stephen, therefore, does not merely appear on this list; he epitomizes the very meaning of being surrendered and used by the Spirit of God.

• Bezalel was filled for craftsmanship, tabernacle work, and teaching (Exodus 31:2–5; 35:31-34)
• Seventy elders of Israel were filled and enabled to help bear leadership (Numbers 11:16–17, 25)
• Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom for leadership (Deuteronomy 34:9)
• Othniel was a man upon whom the Spirit for judgment and deliverance for oppressed people (Judges 3:9–10)
• Gideon was also a judge; the Spirit clothed him for leadership in battle (Judges 6:34)
• Jephthah was a judge; the Spirit came upon him for conflict and deliverance (Judges 11:29)
• Samson was empowered by the Spirit to help God’s oppressed people (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14)
• Saul was anointed by the Spirit and for a while served with extraordinary good character and courage (1 Samuel 10:6, 10)
• David was anointed and used by the Spirit to lead God’s people as Israel’s second king (1 Samuel 16:13)
• Micah was full of power by the Spirit to confront sin (Micah 3:8)
• John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb (Luke 1:15)
• Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke blessing (Luke 1:41–45)
• Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied (Luke 1:67–79)
• Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and ministered in the Spirit’s power (Luke 4:1, 14, 18)
• The believers at Pentecost were all filled and spoke as the Spirit gave utterance (Acts 2:4)
• Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit for bold witness (Acts 4:8–12)
• The gathered church was filled and spoke the word boldly (Acts 4:31)
• Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, did wonders, and remained full of the Spirit at his death (Acts 6:5, 8; 7:55–60)
• Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit and faith, with fruitful ministry (Acts 11:24)
• Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit in powerful confrontation and ministry (Acts 9:17; 13:9–11)

^15:1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. (Acts 15:1-2)

The conference of apostles and elders was convened to consider the question of what was required for Gentile salvation (Acts 15:1-2, 5-6). But was that all it was about? No! The news of how the church was changing has come to the attention of believers with a nasty penchant for nationalism, jealousy for their God, and an evil envy (Acts 13:45) toward those who were entering the kingdom without the rigmarole of trying to keep the law.

The push for Gentile circumcision and adopting the Law was a effort in a larger stratagem aimed at hindering the entrance of so many non-Jewish people (Acts 23:13) and forcing a conformity on outsiders. The conformity would make strict Jews feel more comfortable. Especially as it regards the Pharisees, this effort is a remnant tendency from their life before Christ (Matthew 23:13); they had a habit of hindering people as they were endeavoring to enter the kingdom of heaven.

^23:13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13)

Legalists neither lean on saving grace nor allow others to enjoy the gifts of God’s unmatched goodness.

It is still happening today. That is, today there is still an effort to bottleneck the way to God through additional religious requirements, rigid demands decorated as piety, and seemingly sacred rituals. The way to God, though, is just Jesus. What is the way? Again, just Jesus. He is the Way (John 14:6). He is the ladder leading to the Father, the only avenue to the Almighty, and the exclusive means by which we must be saved. Pharisees both then and now are going to keep trying to mess with the message of reconciliation. They had to be stopped then. They have to be stopped now.

Even when the evidence has been mounting the legalist’s habit of hampering others coming to God with rules persists. In the context of the passage we are considering, this is a settled matter that legalists keep bringing up. That is, even though the issue has already been settled through the prior experience of Peter and other Jews with the commander of an Italian regiment, the tendency to try to bring everyone into legalism will not die. It is for many a hard habit to break. Look with me at what had happened before and after the incident recorded in Acts 15:1-2.

• Acts 10:1 — Cornelius, centurion of the Italian Regiment

• Acts 10:44–48 — Holy Spirit falls on Gentiles

• Acts 11:15–18 — Peter recounts the event

• Acts 15:1–2 — dispute brought to apostles and elders (we are here)

• Acts 15:7–11 — Peter uses the earlier Gentile conversion as evidence

Later Peter (Acts 15:7-11) will refer back to how God chose that Gentiles should hear the gospel through his mouth, and how God gave them the Holy Spirit without first making them Jews. His references clearly points back to Cornelius and his household. What does this mean? It means that the Jews that came from Jerusalem have already seen that God accepts Gentiles that believe in Christ without circumcision. But they cannot let it go. They are on their own mission to stop the spread of a gospel that does not require circumcision. The mission of the church comes after their own mission to make everyone like themselves.

Both then and now there has to be a Spirit-led focus on the mission of the church. This is what led the Christian Jewish leadership in Jerusalem to write a letter that released Gentiles from circumcision. They saw the stifling effect of demanding adherence to the law on non-Jews who were ready to receive Christ. Serious about serving God well in their traditions, they could also see beyond their preferences and prejudices. They put Christ and His mission of reaching the nations before their own desires for uniformity and cultural comfort. Polhill says it well:

[T]he Jewish Christian leadership showed a concern for the world mission of the church that overshadowed their own special interests. They took a step that was absolutely essential if the Gentile mission was to be a success. To have required circumcision and the Torah would have severely limited the appeal to Gentiles, perhaps even killed it. Yet the Jewish Christians only stood to lose by not requiring Jewish proselyte procedure of the Gentile converts. It was bound to create problems with nonbelieving Jews. That it indeed did so is indicated in a later passage in Acts (21:20–22). If the Jerusalem leadership had only been concerned about the effectiveness of their own witness among the Jews, they would never have taken such a step. That it did so is testimony of their concern for the total mission of the church. Their vision stretched beyond their own bailiwick—indeed, to the ends of the earth. (Polhill, 1992, pp. 337-338)

People who are missional in their thinking are capable of getting out of the way and letting go of their wants. In the love of God that has been poured out into their hearts (Romans 5:5) they have the capacity to both see the truth of how the command to love others applies and then execute. In the early church it is seen in Jewish leaders that are willing to let their Gentile brethren be themselves insofar as it did not displease the Lord Jesus. Instead of bending Scripture to suit their goal of manipulating believers, they bent themselves to accept differences and promote a world with more people following Christ.

In His grip by His grace,
Roderick L. Barnes, Sr.

References

Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 337–338). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^12:22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. ²³ And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” ²⁴ Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” (Matthew 12:22-24)

Jesus did a great work in the life of a man who had been blind, unable to speak (mute), and demon-possessed. The rabbi from Nazareth healed the man thoroughly. When He was done the same man had the ability to see, to speak, and live free from the controlling presence of evil spirits. People familiar with the man were amazed (ἐξέστησαν – verb, imperfect, middle, indicative, third person, plural). The word translated amazed, where it is used in other places, carries the connotation of the person or persons being astonished and moved to ask questions. Here below are some examples:

• • Forgive Sins? (Mark 2:12) – In response to hearing Jesus claim to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-6) and then support that claim by healing a paralytic (Mark 2:8-10), the surrounding scribes and crowd declared that this was unprecedented. They were struggling to handle the assertion that the Son of Man had power on earth to forgive sin; but they could not deny the supporting proof. Their amazement was a mix of astonishment and wonder about who this Man is and what is possible. The work of the Spirit through Jesus left them asking questions and scratching their heads.
  • Are These Not Galileans? (Acts 2:7) – Galileans speak with a very distinctive accent (Matthew 26:73). That accent was still present when speaking in another language. (People from Texas speak with a drawl. When they speak in French or Spanish, they still speak with a drawl. An accent is not a language. It’s a phonetic overlay; it is how my vocal system has been trained to form sounds. Growing up in a region like Texas, my vowel shapes, consonant timing, stress patterns, and intonation curves become neurologically wired. When I speak another language, unless I am trained to mask my natural speaking tendencies, I will typically carry those patterns with me.) When a crowd constituted of people from many language backgrounds hears Galileans speaking fluently in other languages, they are both astonished and now have questions. “These are obviously Galileans. Right? How are they doing this?” They crowd is wowed and wondering what is going on. The work of the Spirit through them has the crowd confused and asking questions.
  • How Can I Do This? (Acts 8:13) – There was a Simon that was a practitioner of witchcraft in the region of Samaria. (He is not to be confused with the Simon Peter the apostle or Simon the tanner.) When the Spirit of God began working through the deacon Philip to heal disease and cast out demons (Acts 8:4-8), Simon the sorcerer was convinced that the power was great (Acts 8:13) and he wanted wield it himself (Acts 8:18-19) to regain control of the people. He was both amazed by the work of the Spirit and move into asking questions. The work and gift of the Spirit through the saints made Simon think and inquire.
  • Is This Not Him? (Acts 9:21) – Saul has been changed. Prior to his encounter with Jesus of Nazareth on the road to Damascus, he was a violent and insolent persecutor of the church; enroute to Damascus he was breathing threats and murder against Jesus followers that he would find in the city. Whether it was a man or woman, if they would not denounce faith in Christ, he supported their execution. He was the leading adversary of the church. Now he is preaching Christ to the Jews in Damascus. The change is confusing. What the Jews are seeing is completely contrary to what they had heard about Saul. The work of the Spirit has washed, regenerated, and equipped Saul to preach Christ (Titus 3:5); that work has amazed onlookers and the results are raising questions.

Persecution Type	Passage	What it reveals
Historical action	Acts 8:3	He imprisoned believers
Violent intent	Acts 9:1	Threats and murder
Self-confession	Galatians 1:13	Tried to destroy the church
Personal description	1 Timothy 1:13	Blasphemer, persecutor, violent
Zeal	Philippians 3:6	Saw persecution as religious duty
Participation in executions	Acts 26:10	Approved deaths
Christ’s rebuke	Acts 9:4	Persecuting believers = persecuting Christ

Table 1: Paul’s Record of Persecuting the Church

• Can Anyone Forbid Water? (Acts 10:45) – The Jewish brethren that had accompanied Peter to the house of Cornelius the centurion were not expecting much. That is, they did not expect their leader’s preaching to lead to saving faith in the Gentiles that would be validated by a response from heaven. “These Gentiles, upon hearing and receiving the message of the gospel, have been baptized by Jesus… just like us.” The Jewish observers were amazed and asked “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” (Acts 10:45–47).

In each of the verses where amazed (ἐξίστημι – lemma) is used, the astonished persons ask questions. Why? That is, why do they ask questions? Because their thinking is being challenged. They are prompted to ask why their expectations are not met, why their model of the world did not predict or accommodate reality, and why they did not see the outcome coming. In most cases that is the point of the work performed, the mission of the miracle, and the goal of that particular work of God: challenge and change our thinking.

When the perspectives of the multitudes were challenged they questioned their own understanding. But when the Pharisees were faced with the disquieting power of Jesus to do what they could not, they protected their faulty models and egos by attributing the work of the Son of Man to an alliance with Satan (Matthew 12:24). Rather than ask if there was something about Jesus that needed to be considered, they asserted that there was something evil about Jesus that should be openly condemned. This is the way of religious folk who love to be in control. When faced with the genuine power of the Spirit and the prospect or promise of becoming less important, they strike at the work or worker to reduce credibility. The work of the Spirit through a surrendered vessel exposes them and causes them to lose their controlling hold on people. Because the Spirit, the person led by the Spirit, and the work of the Spirit cannot be controlled, it must be condemned. They are threats to those who want to hold sway in the life of God’s people. If it cannot be utilized for selfish purposes it will be criticized and people will be counseled to characterize it as evil. But don’t look down on the Pharisees. I can get more out this passage by prayerfully considering ways in which I am guilty of the same thing. And I hereby admit that sometimes I am guilty of a pettiness that criticizes others because of my own insecurities or threatened ego. Lord, have mercy.

Questions for Self Examination

1. When in close proximity to great works of God through others, do I reflexively ask questions that guard my assumptions, or do I open my heart to reconsider what I think I know in the light of Scripture?

2. Do I ever label the work of others as “evil” or “wrong” simply because it challenges my expectations, my thoughts on excellence, or personal worth?

3. How do I respond when the work of another person exposes pride or control in my own ministry? Do I resist or repent?

4. In what ways might I have criticized the work of others instead of praying for discernment and humility?

5. Before judging another minister’s gift or calling, do I first examine my own heart for bias, insecurity, or fear? Do I evidence a willingness to help or a wanton desire to undermine the work of other ministers.

 

¹ Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ² Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” ⁴ And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

Why the synagogue? That is, why does Paul have such a fixation on finding and preaching in the synagogue of the cities he visits? There are at least two reasons. First, it was a matter of readiness. The synagogue was the center of Jewish life. In its walls Paul would find Jews and God-fearing Gentiles especially suited to become witnesses. Jews and God-fearing Gentiles alike in the synagogue had been prepared to believe and bear fruit by their spiritual tutors (Galatians 3:24-25; John 5:39; 2 Timothy 3:15). More than anyone else the synagogue attendees would have been readied to receive the gospel; the Christ would be for them the sought after salvation from sins (Matthew 1:21), the long-awaited Son of David (Matthew 12:23; 21:9; 22:42), and relief from oppression (Acts 1:7). In the synagogue, conditioned by the reading of the law and the teachings of the rabbis, the Jew is readied to receive the Redeemer.

Second, and following from the first reason, it was a precedent established by Christ in His conduct (Luke 4:16; Matthew 9:35; 13:54; Mark 1:21, 39) and His commandments and counsel to the disciples (Matthew 10:5; John 16:2). Even when the church age had come priority was given to the synagogue (Acts 1:8). The lesson of the Lord’s focus and order would not have been lost on Paul. He is following Jesus in going first to the lost sheep of Israel and then the Gentiles (Romans 1:16; Acts 3:26).

Why the synagogue? In both Jesus and Paul missional thinking is determining their methods. The Jew is saved first in order that he might be sent first to help the nations. God had always intended Israel to be His witnesses (Isaiah 43:10, 12; 44:8). It was to this end that a relatively insignificant people were called out, saved, and then sent (Deuteronomy 7:7; 10:22). Look at those Old Testament Scriptures again and see that the Lord has designed Israel’s culture to cultivate in them unparalleled fitness for declaring the gospel. They will, as many as are willing, be the basis and beginning of His salvation program for the world. Salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22)! Why the synagogue? Paul sees and understands the importance of starting with a people especially prepared to preach Christ.

Look at Jesus and his apostle, friend. It is not foolish to focus on reaching the reachers. With the goal of going out with the gospel we do well to prayerfully consider who to reach first.

In His grip by His grace,
Roderick L. Barnes, Sr.

Questions for Discussion

1. What does preparedness for the gospel really look like in your community? Where are the “synagogues” in your context. These would be places where people already have some spiritual openness or Scriptural engagement?
2. Paul wasn’t winging it. He was following the missional example Jesus set (e.g., Jesus’ own synagogue ministry and the command to first go to “the lost sheep of Israel”). As you look at reaching people, what principles of ministry have been given to you by Jesus? E.g., Jesus said that when you go somewhere on a mission and are given a place to stay, unless you are cast out, stay in the place that first received you (Luke 10:7; Matthew 10:11; Mark 6:10).

 

¹⁶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she did for many days.

We pick up our story with Paul and his company going to join new converts (Acts 16:14-15) in something non-negotiable — prayer. Among the things that did not change for Jesus followers after (a) the birth of the church on Pentecost or (b) the decision to come to Christ, was the practice of going to prayer (Acts 3:1; 16:3). Before they met Paul and his company, Lydia (Acts 16:13) and Cornelius (Acts 10:1-3; 30-31) were regularly retreating to call on God. After making a decision to trust Christ (Acts 16:14-15) they are found continuing in the practice with support from an apostle and his missionary band.

We are often found saying that we would like to see more of the spectacular work of the Spirit mentioned in the gospels and Acts in our own day. “Where is this work of Jesus in our church and our community?” But we cannot overlook the fact that in the ministry of Jesus (Luke 5:16), His apostles (Acts 1:14; 3:1), and people who experienced exceptional grace (Cornelius – Acts 10:1-3; 30-31; Lydia – Acts 16:13) that prayer is conspicuously present.

For those of us who would earnestly desire to see God move now like He did then the counsel is clear:

To see the hand of God move in our lives in ways similar to what we see in the Scriptures importunate prayer, individual and corporate, must be made primary and continuous.

We can see this in the example, exhortation, and explanations of Jesus.

• The Example of Jesus (Luke 5:16; Matt. 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12; 9:18; 11:1) — So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. (Luke 5:16)
• The Exhortation of Jesus (Luke 11:5-11; Luke 18:1) — Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart… (Luke 18:1)
• The Explanation of Jesus for Dealing with Exceptional Problems (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29) — However, this kind does not go out except by prayer [and fasting]^α. (Mark 9:29) Jesus made it clear that the power of the one he sends is derivative and borrowed; it is like the fading glory of Moses. The ability to cast out a demon was not based on an inherent authority of the exorcist but on the name and authority of Jesus Himself. In prayer the one asking acknowledges their inability to solve the problem on their own and their great need for help. Apart from this humbling of self and asking for help it will not be possible to command unclean spirits to come out of their victim.
• The Apostolic Admonitions (Acts 16:16; Acts 1:14; 3:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2; Romans 12:12) — The apostles have a special ministry of clarifying the commands of Jesus, unpacking His precepts, exemplifying His edicts. Through them we learn that the Lord, as He Himself demonstrated, would have us continuous and fervent in praying.

We will not see God work like He did until we are willing to make supplication like the Son, to appeal to for help like His apostles did, and charge the throne of grace like the early church. But how, you ask, do we do that? The likelihood of getting into the regular practice goes up with better planning. Here are three things needed if we are going to become people of prayer:

• An Established Time (Daniel 6:10) — Our time for prayer should be scheduled. Putting it on the calendar is evidence that we are being intentional. A goal without a date is a dream. Including others in the plan helps us become accountable. For those in leadership, delegating the role of leading prayer time helps to ensure that it is not vulnerable to our personal vicissitudes.
• A Particular Place (Luke 21:38; 22:39-40) — Jesus regularly retreated to pray. When in Jerusalem He had a custom of going to the Mount of Olives; He would, at times, be there all night in prayer. Why Olivet? It was removed from the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem but near enough to be a practical retreat from day-to-day teaching in the temple. The distance between temple and the Mount of Olives was a Sabbath’s journey (Acts 1:12). How far is that? It would be 2,000 cubits or 0.57 miles.
• A Clear Purpose — Prayer, if it is not focused on what matters to God, can become a thing of (1) pride and (2) a dead ritual. Our prayers should have as their goal getting from God what we need to do His will; this is good praying (Luke 10:2; Mark 14:38; Luke 22:42; Matthew 6:10).

Questions for Discussion

1. What Paul’s commitment to prayer shape the way you personally approach spiritual conflict? Paul and his companions were on their way to prayer when this confrontation began (Acts 16:16). This post highlights that prayer wasn’t incidental to their mission — it was non-negotiable and continuous. Reflection: When challenges or spiritual opposition arise in your life, do you go to prayer first or to other solutions? What would it look like to make prayer the default response to every struggle?
2. What does this passage teach about discerning between true spiritual work and false testimonies? Reflection: Are there influences in your life (voices, opinions, habits) that sound spiritual but don’t align with the heart of Christ or God’s ways of prayer and obedience? How can prayer help you discern truth from distraction?
3. In what ways does prayer prepare you for the conflicts you face in everyday life? Reflection: Are there influences in your life (voices, opinions, habits) that sound spiritual but don’t align with the heart of Christ or God’s ways of prayer and obedience? How can prayer help you discern truth from distraction?

 

Passage: Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26

Jesus Makes the Most of His Moments (Matthew 9:1; Mark 2:1-2) — Jesus has recently been asked to leave a place where He has delivered two men from demon-possession (Matthew 8:33-34). What does He do when asked to leave? He leaves. That is, Jesus departs from the country of the Gergesenes, gets into a boat, crosses the sea of Galilee, and came to His own city (καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν).

 

Figure 1 — Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee to leave Gergesa and come home to Capernaum.

 

His own city is no longer Nazareth; Jesus has been ousted from there (Luke 4:16, 28-30) and now resides in Capernaum (Mark 2:1). Outside of Nazareth Jesus is regarded favorably and news of His presence draws a crowd. In the crowd are Pharisees and teachers of the law; they have come from the regions of Galilee, Judea, and the city of Jerusalem (Luke 5:17). And the moment is seized; He preached the word to them (Mark 2:2). His time is short and He does not want to waste a second of it. His agency is used to help people; His urgency leads him to use His moments for the long run and with a view toward eternity. Jesus is an opportunist; He uses the gathering to advance the understanding of the people that have come to Him in matters of the kingdom of God and living effectively.

 

Question: Am I Jesus to the people that come to me? That is, am I using my free will and my limited time to make the most of my moments with others? Do I share what I can about the kingdom of God and spiritual truths so that people can live effectively in the service of the Lord and others?

 

Bringing People to Jesus (Matthew 9:2) — Matthew says, “Look at this, reader! They brought to Jesus a paralytic lying on a bed.” The behold (ἰδού) calls the reader to look at what is being said with the intent of looking seriously and how it matters in two things: (1) the argument of the writer and (2) the application of what is being said to the reader’s life. In Matthew’s attempt to convince the reader that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah-King, he draws attention to the fact that some people had already come to the conclusion that with Jesus there is hope for people otherwise considered hopeless. Four men have come to regard their paralyzed friend as having a chance of being whole. We learn from Mark that they are not daunted by the fact that they cannot get through the crowd. These uncouth men of faith will not be denied; they tear a whole in the tiling of the roof of the home and let their paralyzed man down through the hole (Mark 2:3-4; Luke 5:18-19).

 

Questions: Do I regard my friends as having real hope in Christ? What am I bringing them to? How determined am I to bring them to Jesus? Will I stop trying if it becomes inconvenient?

 

Jesus, seeing their faith, is moved to deal with the problems of the paralytic. Here is where things get interesting. The healing they are seeking is temporary. Where there is genuine faith Jesus is more concerned with the more serious matter of unforgiven sin. Paralysis as a problem pales compared to the lack of forgiveness. The wages of sin is death (Romans 3:23). Our value system is often most concerned with the inconvenience of ill health, the setback of sickness, or the pain caused by disease in our body or relationships. But in the economy of God my biggest problem is not failing health but my need for forgiveness and reconciliation to Himself. Failing health is an inevitable consequence of being human in this world; if it is fixed by Jesus… it is going to fail again. But forgiveness and favor with God benefits me now and for all eternity. Jesus deals with the biggest problem that man faces – sin (Matthew 1:21). Jesus says that the paralytic can be of good cheer or encouraged because his sins are forgiven him.

 

The Authority of Jesus (Matthew 9:3; Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21) — Matthew calls to the reader’s attention the inner dialogue of the scribes. And he does it again with behold (ἰδού). (It is unfortunate that the NKJV translates this as at once. ESV and KJV are consistent in this regard and render the underlying text as behold. The NET Bible and NLT do not translate it at all.) By using this word Matthew says that his argument about who Jesus is advanced; it is seen why this helps his argument when we put verse 3 with 4. I believe that the passage should read like this:

 

³ And behold some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

 

What did they say to themselves? They said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” Matthew would have me to know that the statement of Jesus drew a very critical reaction from religious experts. Why?

 

Sin is first and foremost against God. Even when it immediately hurts others, it is a work against the God who made the others for Himself. David says as much when he summarily describes his sin against Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba the wife of Uriah, and the people that he had conscripted to help with his trespass (2 Samuel 12:13).

 

⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight—

That You may be found just when You speak,

And blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:4)

 

It stands to reason that forgiveness of sin against God can only be granted by God. That is, it is not logical that someone other than God Himself could grant me forgiveness for the ways that I have wronged God Himself. With this in mind, Jesus’ statement is outrageous. If He is merely a man this is beyond arrogance. It is blasphemy — a bold disrespect and disregard for who God is and the difference between the domain of man and the domain of God!

 

⁶ And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:6-7)

 

They are not wrong theologically? That is, their rhetorical question is the right one; it points up the fact that a mere man cannot pardon a person for sin against God. The problem is in their failure to realize who Jesus is. He is going to deal with that now.

 

The Powers of Perception of the King (Matthew 9:4; Psalm 139:2; 1 Samuel 16:7; John 2:23-25) — In their hearts they reacted immediately. In their hearts they reacted critically. In their hearts they started with the assumption that Jesus did not have the authority to forgive sin. This was an outworking of their prior unwillingness to accept the testimony and ministry of John (Matthew 21:23-25). Their failure to receive the full import of what had been said by John (John 1:15,29-34) was now manifest in a way-too-low view of Jesus.

 

But let us think for a moment on the statement itself. First, we are looking at a bold statement. Second, let us note that it is in the passive voice: your sins are forgiven you. Third, we should take into account that this statement was made by a Jew to other Jews; that means it was said in Hebrew. Putting these three things together

 

statement: your sins are forgiven you + passive voice + Hebrew

 

We have a statement that was familiar to the scribes. Fruchtenbaum helps us here:

 

The Hebrew form of the passive, your sins are forgiven you, is used only in one section of the entire Hebrew Bible: in Leviticus 4-6. The context of these chapters is atonement, as they detail the blood sacrifices necessary for the forgiveness of sins. The statement of forgiveness in a passive voice followed the sacrifice (e.g., Lev. 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7). …[T]he Hebrew word for “forgiveness,” salach (סָלַח), is used of God. The passive means that God is doing the forgiving. Being Pharisees, these people knew both the Torah and Hebrew, and they caught the connection He was making. He was claiming the authority that God asserted for Himself in Leviticus 4-6: that by means of blood atonement, God had forgiven their sins. … Yeshua was, therefore, speaking as if He were God. (Fruchtenbaum, 2017, p. 186)

 

Jesus begins having conversation with His critics about the meditations of their hearts (John 2:23-25; Psalm 19:14).

 

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

 

The Pharisees started with the assumption that Jesus was sinning. Their theology was correct. Their problem, though, was a small view of Messiah and failure to accept the testimony of John the Baptist (Matthew 21:23-25).

 

Question: Are there truths or testimonies that I have refused to receive that are making it hard for me to accept what God is showing me?

 

The Proof of the King (Matthew 9:5-6) — Jesus knows their thoughts and addresses their concern. He does this with an argument a fortiori. That is, he proves His claim that the sins are forgiven by demonstrating something that can be seen. We are apt to separate the say from the fulfillment; that was not the case with the people in this narrative (Ezekiel 12:28; Numbers 23:19). To them the saying and the fulfillment are one and the same. Thus, the easier thing to say, because it is does not require immediate validation, is “Your sins are forgiven you?” So then, Jesus takes on the harder thing as proof that the easier thing has been accomplished. It would have been to them immediate proof that the easier thing to say was true and that the man’s sins were forgiven.

 

All of this was done that they would “know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.” By using the phrase Son of Man the Rabbi from Nazareth is claiming to be the figure of Daniel’s prophecy:

 

¹³ “I was watching in the night visions,

And behold, One like the Son of Man,

Coming with the clouds of heaven!

He came to the Ancient of Days,

And they brought Him near before Him.

¹⁴ Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,

That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

Which shall not pass away,

And His kingdom the one

Which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:13-14, approximately 550 BC

 

This is not an emphasis of His humanity but His deity; the Son of Man in Daniel’s vision receives worship (Daniel 7:14). When Jesus refers to Himself using this phrase He is claiming to be the enigmatic character that Daniel saw receiving glory, a kingdom, and worship with the approval of the Ancient of Days. Jesus then gives the command to the man to “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house?”

 

Who is Going to Fix This Roof (Matthew 9:7) — The man did just as Jesus directed him. He departed to his own house glorifying God (Luke 5:25). We can imagine the looks on the faces of the people as the man who came in through a whole in the roof with the aid of four men left through the door carrying his own bed. But let us not miss the meaning of the walking man. His walking was working to advance the more important point – his sins were forgiven.

 

When the Walk Wins People Over (Matthew 9:8) — Jesus had proven His claim. The paralytic was gone; in his place was a man that could carry his own bed. His walk was winning people over. Thus, they now know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. This was the conclusion of the multitudes: God had given such power to men.

 

Question: Do I accept that Jesus has the authority to forgive me and free me from the power of indwelling sin (John 8:36)? Do I regard myself as forgiven of the sins of the past? Or am I still trying to work off my debt? Is my perspective that I am free from the power of sin, or am I living in a stalemate with behaviors and ways of thinking that are contrary to the will of God?

 

Our walk matters more than we are willing to accept. In our walk we become witnesses to the work of God in our lives. The change in us is a sign that says He saves. (In our walk is evidence that either confirms or denies my convictions about Christ.) A changed walk confirms that I am convinced that I am free from the power of indwelling sin and called to live for Him that died for me. A lack of change indicates either that I am not convinced or that I am not converted. After receiving Christ I will not be sinless; but I should begin sinning less as I learn to walk in my (1) healing, (2) freedom, and (3) what it means to follow Jesus.

 

Calling the Outcast (Matthew 9:9) — Jesus has just finished fixing a man both physically and spiritually. With a word the Son of Man (Matthew 9:6; Daniel 7:13-14) restored a paralytic to wholeness. So well was the man that he walked carrying his bed out of a room that he moments ago had to be lowered into. More importantly, Jesus set the man right with God (Matthew 9:2); that is why He came (Matthew 1:21). It was outlandish and outstanding at the same time. Outlandish that a Man would have the audacity to tell someone that his sins were forgiven. Outstanding that He could actually do it (Matthew 9:6,8). The rabble rousing Rabbi passed on from there (Matthew 9:9). As He does He passes the tax office or place of the toll (τὸ τελώνιον) and notices a man named Matthew sitting there.

 

Figure 1 – Jesus passing the tax office and noticing Levi.

 

Matthew also goes by the name Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). We commonly refer to him as a publican (from the Latin publicanus) or tax collector. However, there are two types of publicans. One collects taxes on income. The other collects taxes or tolls on people traveling through ports or official travel routs. Matthew is a tax collector of the sort that collects money on boats going across the lake outside of Hero’s territory or from people going from Damascus to the coast (Robertson, 1933).

 

Although Matthew is a Jew, he is hated by Jewish society because he is regarded as a sellout and collaborator with the nation’s oppressors — the Romans. Tax collectors had military support in the collection of taxes from the Jews; they had the help of soldiers in making a great living from their Jewish brethren. Everything that a tax collector could collect above what was due was his own.

 

Tax collectors earned a profit by demanding a higher tax from the people than they had prepaid to the Roman government. This system led to widespread greed and corruption. The tax-collecting profession was saturated with unscrupulous people who overtaxed others to maximize their personal gain. According to Adams, “The toll-collectors were in a profession that was open to dishonesty and oppression of their neighbor” (Adams, The Sinner in Luke). Since the Jews considered themselves victims of Roman oppression, Jewish tax collectors who overtaxed their fellow countrymen were especially despised. Jews viewed such favor for Rome as betrayal and equal to treason against God. Rabbinic sources consistently align Jewish tax collectors with robbers. (Miller, 2016)

 

The profession, although held in low regard by religious leadership, was not inherently wrong. When tax collectors came to John the Baptist for baptism, the voice in the wilderness did not direct them to abandon their work. They were told to do their work without the wickedness of getting more than what was right:

 

¹² Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” ¹³ And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” (Luke 3:12-13)

 

Notice that Jesus’ call on Matthew was not complicated (Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 19:21; John 1:43; 12:26; 21:22). There is no ceremony and no formalities. Lacking in the call of Jesus, when compared to modern methods of getting people into ministry today, was sophistication or contracts. We have often added too much. The call to follow Jesus was just that – a call to follow Jesus. Faith is all that was required. What kind of faith? The kind that believes that everything is going to be okay when leaving everything behind (Luke 5:28). That kind of faith, beloved.

 

Let us marvel at Matthew’s response; it is remarkable. Although he was regarded as a wretched human being, given the opportunity, he was ready to leave everything behind to be with Jesus (Luke 5:28).

 

The call was simple. It was not to a formal membership class, not to a denomination, or an ascetic lifestyle. It was a call by the Savior to Himself. Jesus summoned a sinner that everyone loved to hate into fellowship with Himself. The decision to follow Jesus is first, foremost, and forever a personal call to just Jesus.

 

𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 ℕ𝕖𝕖𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝔹𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝔼𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕚𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡

① Sanctification of the Caller (John 17:9) – The person calling has to be willing to let things go in order to become an effective mentor. In addition to a commitment to a consecrated life (holiness), there must be a willingness to eliminate people and things that distract us from discipleship. The person that is going to call others to Christ, to be maximally effective, must cut away everything that hinders in the work of helping others to walk with Jesus.

② Simplification of the Call (Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 19:21; John 1:43; 12:26; 21:19, 22; Luke 9:59) – The call cannot be complicated. It is not a call to circumcision, a certain style of worship, joining an organization, or accepting a title. Effective discipleship occurs when we focus on calling people to follow Jesus. That is all! When we add other qualifications, although well-meaning, we weigh people down with traditions and man-made religion.

③ Nurture and Nourish the Called (John 21:17; 1 Peter 2:2) – The person being called may have the faith to follow. But they will certainly lack almost everything else. Effective discipleship happens when we are longsuffering like Jesus in nurturing followers into maturity. It is painstaking work that involves discouraging setbacks, conflict, and the need to persevere through big problems. It is spiritual work. Feed them the word and help them see how it relates to the relationship with Jesus.

 

The Consequence of Calling the Outcast (Matthew 9:10) — In humility Matthew does not make mention of who owned the house. We have to look at parallel accounts to discover that the dwelling belongs to the tax collector (Mark 2:15; Luke 5:29) and that the feast, a party that included his friends, was thrown by Matthew for Jesus. In his recounting of the event for the reader Matthew calls to the readers attention the kind of people that came and sat down with [Jesus] and His disciples — many tax collectors and sinners (καὶ ἰδοὺ πολλοὶ τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ). Look at this, says Matthew. It was shocking to see someone considered to be righteous and a teacher sitting with people hated and not allowed into normal fellowship. They were not at the door but they were sitting down with Jesus and His disciples.

 

The consequence of calling Matthew matters to us as we attempt to make disciples today. In this particular event is a timeless principle and strategy for reaching those who need Christ most: those who would be good fishers of men must see that the well-loved outcast is a lure for lost men of the same kind.

 

This was the plan all along: use somebody to reach others.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRgFeZa_I48

 

The Reaction of the Religious (Matthew 9:11) — Notice the reaction of religious people. They are unable to understand Jesus. He is outside. Of what? Outside of their model of unhealthy ministry, their puritanical focus on rules, and their condescending attitude toward people who need help. They are looking at what Jesus is doing but cannot make sense of it. Why?

 

Pharisees don’t see. They don’t see the value of people that have lost their way. They don’t grieve over the great tragedy of a soul that rejects God’s right to reign. Pharisees, both then and now, are beset by a blindness that makes that unable to understand the undertaking of showing mercy and kindness in the mission of promoting reconciliation to God.

The Pharisee in you and me is all too ready to be rid of what we don’t like regardless of what God wants.

Answering the Critics (Matthew 9:12) — They put the question to the disciples. Jesus heard (ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας) and put the answer to the critics themselves. He is not running from the question or using intermediaries to answer His critics; Jesus is not afraid of them. He is saying more than one thing with this statement. First, those who are well are the spiritually healthy. Those who are well are those who are walking with God and enjoying fellowship with Him and His people. Jesus did not come to merely high five the holy folk, recline with the righteous, and sing songs with the sanctified.

Jesus indicates His intentions by initiating fellowship with someone that everyone would say is not worth saving. I am here for him… and them!

The Teacher Gives Homework (Matthew 9:13) — What Jesus says next is a rebuke. It is an assignment to learn something about God that they should have already known. He says you are confused about my conduct because you don’t know my concerns, my character, and my call. You cannot make sense of me because you do not know my Father; I look just like Him (John 14:8-9).

• Knowing Me is More Important than Religious Activity (Hosea 6:6)
• Saving Them is the Heart of God (Ezekiel 33:11)

References

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. (2017). Yeshua: The Life of Messiah from a Messianic Jewish Perspective, Vol. 2. Ariel Ministries.

Miller, J. E. (2016). Tax Collector. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, L. Wentz, E. Ritzema, & W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.

Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Mt 9:9). Broadman Press.

Missions Business Intelligence

U.S. Missionary Sending Overview

• Missionary Count: U.S. churches support approximately 127,000 of the estimated 430,000 full-time missionaries serving worldwide. Union Baptist Association
• Global Leadership: The United States remains the leading sender of missionaries globally, followed by Brazil, South Korea, the Philippines, and Nigeria. Christianity Today

Missionary Focus and Distribution

• Reached vs. Unreached: About 97% of missionaries serve in regions where the gospel is already accessible, while only 3% focus on unreached people groups. Christianity Today
• Unreached Engagement: Only 1 in every 41,707 Protestant Christians becomes a missionary to unreached populations. The Traveling Team

Financial Commitment to Missions

• Giving Patterns: For every $100,000 earned by Christians, an average of $107 is donated to world missions. Of this, only about 1% supports efforts among the 3.1 billion people in unreached groups. missionaryportal.webflow.io

Missionary Tenure and Challenges

• Service Duration: Nearly 50% of missionaries serve for 5 years or less. Common reasons for early departure include financial constraints, lack of support, and burnout. Nations Outreach+1The Salt Lake Tribune+1

Domestic Mission Field

• Church Reproduction: In the U.S., less than 5% of churches are actively reproducing or planting new congregations. ABWE

Trends and Observations

• Global Shift: The center of Christianity is moving towards the Global South, with countries like Brazil, South Korea, and Nigeria becoming significant missionary-sending nations. THE OTHER CHEEK+2Union Baptist Association+2Christianity Today+2
• Missionary Allocation: Despite the vast number of unreached people groups, a disproportionate number of missionaries are sent to already evangelized regions.

Introduction
Barnabas and Saul have been called and sent out by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2,4) from the church in Antioch for missionary work. In their company is the young man John Mark. He is unprepared for the changes that will take place in their team and the challenges they face; but taking him along is a key part of keeping the command to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). The trio will boldly go where men have gone before; they are different from earlier people that went out because they go with a particular sending out of a local church by the Holy Spirit. Earlier in Luke’s account it was the scattering of Jewish believers after the persecution that arose over Stephen (Acts 8:1,4) that saw Jesus followers going to Cyprus preaching the word (Acts 11:19).

Figure 1: The First Missionary Journey of Paul and Barnabas

As they step out into this new work they have a curious practice of preaching the word of God in the synagogues before going to the Gentiles (Acts 13:5). Wait. Wasn’t Saul called to reach the Gentiles? (Acts 9:11-16) Isn’t this preaching to the choir? Not really. Although the Jews had been prepared for the coming of Messiah by the tutelage of the Law (Galatians 3:23-24), many do not realize that He has come in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. By going to the Jews first Barnabas and Saul (Romans 1:16; 2:9; 2:10) are making the most of two opportunities: (i) a season of harvest and (ii) securing help.

The genuine or true prophet speaks on God’s behalf.

• Deuteronomy 18:18-19
• Jeremiah 1:9
• Amos 3:7
• 2 Peter 1:20-21

The false prophet claims to speak for God but does not.

• Deuteronomy 18:20-22
• Jeremiah 14:14; 23:16
• Ezekiel 13:3
• Matthew 7:15-16
• 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Samuel 12:14
• 1 John 4:1-3; Titus 1:16

The Lord Jesus Christ does not begin his ministry with large revivals. In relative obscurity he recruits a few Jewish men to just be with him (Mark 3:14). They were ready to be recruited because of the preparation by John the Baptist. (It had always been God’s desire to use the Jews to reach and change the world. See Genesis 12:1-3.) Going to the synagogues first, then, was in keeping with an ancient plan to get the help of a people specially prepared to promote the gospel.
Are you a missionary? Are you an evangelist? Do not miss the timeless principles presented in the examples of Barnabas and Saul.
Missions Assessment

• First, always look for people that can become helps with the harvest (Matthew 9:37). That might mean visiting with local churches in the region you are reaching before trying enter a culture with the gospel. Key Question: Who has God been preparing to participate in this work?
• Second, do not miss your Mark; there may be people willing to help you as you go. As they go with you there are lessons being caught through your conduct and conversation. Key Question: Who does God want with me as I work?
• Third, work your way out. Before going to the ends of the earth trying going to the end of the block, the neighborhood, and the city that you are in. Key Question: Have we reached our own region before going remote?

The Spirit Works Through Saul Called Paul (Acts 13:9)
As a Roman citizen, Paul would have had three names —praenomen, nomen gentile, and cognomen. Paulos (Παῦλος) was his cognomen. The apostle’s praenomen and nomen gentile names have, unfortunately, not been preserved; the nomen gentile would have indicated the circumstances in which his family acquired Roman citizenship (Acts 22:25-29; 23:27). (Acts 13:8-10; John 16:7-11) The sorcerer thinks he is opposing a competing cult leader. Actually he is taking on the Holy Spirit; when Paul speaks to the opposition Luke says he was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:9).

• The Spirit Uses Jesus Followers to Convict the World ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:7–11, NKJV)
• The Spirit Uses Jesus Followers to Disclose Deception and Deal with the Devil ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ⁴ While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” ⁵ Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. (Acts 5:3–5, NKJV)
• The Cause of Condemnation – Recognizing and Rejecting the Truth (Acts 13:11; John 3:19-20; 9:39) ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. (John 3:19–20, NKJV)
• How He Handles Haters ³⁹ And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” (John 9:39, NKJV)

Making the Most of a Moment (Acts 13:12)
Three things have come together for the conversion of the proconsul Sergius Paullus – (1) the problem of a false prophet, (2) the miraculous handling of the issue, and (3) the teaching of the Lord. This is a pattern in the narrative. Earlier the apostles Peter and John came across a lame beggar; the handicap of the beggar was the problem. Peter looked intently at the man and released the miracle of healing him (Acts 3:1-9); that was the miraculous handling of the issue. The miracle amazed the crowds (Acts 3:11). Back then the gathering of astounded people was a platform for preaching and teaching that led many to faith (Acts 4:4). It is happening again with Paul and Barnabas on the island of Cyprus. Do you see it? There are three parts in the pattern. Let us look at them.

The Problem of the False Prophet (Acts 13:8)
The proconsul had called for Barnabas and Paul seeking to hear the word of God (ἐπεζήτησεν ἀκοῦσαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ). In the act of answering the call the missionaries encountered opposition – a false prophet connected to the proconsul. Barnabas and Paul had been sent by the Spirit and called by the Roman official. However, Elymas the sorcerer withstood them.
The Miraculous Handling of the Issue (Acts 13:9-11)
And then there is the attention grabber. In the rebuke of the false prophet Paul gets the attention of the proconsul (Acts 13:9-11). The sorcerer and deceiver Elymas had opposed the work of the Spirit (Acts 13:8). Now the false prophet was being used by the Spirit to show that the faith being presented by Paul is

(i) Excellent – The God and power in Paul is greater than what was being presented by the false prophet.

(ii) Exclusive (1 Samuel 5:1-5) – There is no peace or fellowship with Christianity and the mystics of this world, and

(iii) Extended – that Paul should be heard while there is a chance.

Teaching Time (Acts 13:12)
That brings us to the next part in the pattern. It is the teaching time. Paul did not waste what he had been given – the undivided attention of the Roman official. What did Paul do? He taught the proconsul. The teaching of Paul amazed the student. It changed him. How much? That brings us to the final part in the pattern. There is conversion. (This does not always happen.) As it is presented in the text the belief happened as a result of (1) the attention grabber and (2) the teaching time. It was all used by the Spirit to bring about faith in Jesus.
Is there a timeless principle and probing question here? I see at least one of each. The Spirit of the Lord works through moments both good and bad to get the attention of people. The same Spirit then works through the missionary to explain the gospel and exhort people to make a decision. Finally, the Spirit of the Lord causes the listening person to believe in Jesus. Paul and Barnabas have been called away from the comfort of fellowship in Antioch to a mission of making Jesus known. Along the way amazing moments, good and bad, are being used to get the attention of the people they will meet. As effective missionaries they use such moments to make Christ known. The question is, on my missionary journey what am I doing with my moments?

Here is a small action plan for making the most of your moments:

• Pray (Acts 13:3) – Ask God to show you how to make the most of your moments, to reveal the nature of your missionary journey, to lead your travels, and to help you deal with your own fears.
• Prepare (Acts 10:38) – Moments good and bad come upon us. But some of them can be made. Consider making some good moments and then using them as a platform to present Christ. In this time also spend time with Jesus learning the gospel so that you can share it effectively.
• Present (Acts 13:12) – When the moment comes turn the attention to Jesus. Present the gospel – the good news – to the person while you have their attention. Let the Lord do the rest.

Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:1,7; 11:30; 12:25)
Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:42, 46)
Paul and His Companions (Acts 13:13)
In His grip by His grace,
Roderick L. Barnes

References

Christianity Today. (2024, September). Lausanne Report: Most Missionaries Are Reaching the Reached. Retrieved from https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/09/lausanne-missions-state-great-commission-christianity-polycentrism/

The Traveling Team. (n.d.). Missions Statistics. Retrieved April 23, 2025, from https://www.thetravelingteam.org/stats

Productivity Requirement – Perseverance (Acts 13:13-15)

Barnabas and Paul had been working together in the first mission of the church at Antioch on the Orontes. Because of God’s favor on their work they will have much success. But between the embarking and the successes there will be setbacks. For those of us who would be successful in the work that God has called us to there is much to learn from the mission trip of these two men.

Although they had met some resistance on the island of Cyprus, the word of God in Pamphylia was being received and people were making decisions to follow Christ (Acts 13:49-52). In the midst of this a young man, John Mark from Jerusalem (Acts 12:12, 25), is being mentored. Unfortunately the disciple has had enough of on-the-road discipleship. Mark makes for the door (Acts 13:13).

Scripture does not tell us what Paul said or did in the moment that Mark took leave of the mission. And Luke is silent as to why their protégé packed his stuff and went home. We know from the contention that developed between Paul and Barnabas that Paul was not happy about the young man’s departure; he regarded Mark’s return to Jerusalem as an unwillingness to endure the difficulties that come with the call to go to the nations with the gospel (Acts 15:37- 38).

Luke does not say why John Mark left Barnabas and Paul at Perga and returned home. He indicates at a later point in his narrative (15:38) that Paul regarded his departure as desertion. Perhaps he was unprepared for the increasing rigors which evangelization in Asia Minor would involve; perhaps he resented the way in which his cousin Barnabas was falling into second place. When the expedition sets out from Syria, Luke speaks of “Barnabas and Saul”; by the time they leave Cyprus, it is “Paul and his company.”

Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 250–251). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

J.B. Polhill puts it this way

At Perga, John Mark decided to leave them, and he returned home to Jerusalem. Just why he did so has long been a fruitful subject for speculation. Was he intimidated by the prospect of the arduous and dangerous task of crossing the Taurus mountains to reach Antioch? Was he angered that Paul was assuming more and more authority and forcing his cousin Barnabas to a lesser role? Did he contract malaria in the Pamphylian lowlands? Did he disagree with Paul’s concept of a law-free mission to the Gentiles? All of these have been suggested; none can be substantiated. Luke was simply silent on the reason. He did clarify that it was a serious matter for Paul, serious enough to create a falling out with Barnabas on a subsequent occasion (cf. 15:37f.)

Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 296–297). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Paul prospered in ministry. The Holy Spirit called him out of great fellowship in Antioch to fields of unreached peoples. Why? He was called to the harvest-mission of making disciples unto Jesus among the Gentiles. And he succeeded. But those who set out hoping to see similar success must not overlook the role of a Spirit-enabled superpower that Paul used in his work – perseverance. Before there were conversions there were conflicts with crazy sorcerers (Acts 13:6-12), contentions with jealous Jewish brethren (Acts 13:44-45), and evil campaigns to have him cast out of town (Acts 13:49-52). Before there were disciples there were desertions and departures from within his own meager company of missionaries. Do we really want to prosper in ministry like Paul? Then let us, like Paul, recognize and utilize a primary Spirit-enabled superpower – perseverance. Let us continue by confidence in Christ in the mission of making disciples unto Jesus… especially when it gets bad.

Introduction (Acts 13:44)

In our prior time in the word we saw that almost a whole city of Gentiles came out together to hear the word of God (Acts 13:44). They were invited by their Gentile friends and family that had shared something about the message of the prior sabbath. We said last time that we were going to look at what was shared. This will take us back to Acts 13:13.

The Changes and the Departure (Acts 13:13-14; 15:38-39; 2 Timothy 4:11) “Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 12:25; 13:2, 7) has become “Paul and his party” in the narrative. The story then relates that John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), took leave of the group (Acts 13:13). Why? While no reason is given it is not unreasonable to think that the combination of changes and challenges were too much for John Mark.

• The Changes – (i) Saul now goes by Paul (Acts 13:9), (ii) beyond just work among the Jews (Acts 13:5) the Gentiles are requesting and getting an audience with the evangelists (Acts 13:7), and (iii) Paul becomes primary in the undertaking (Acts 13:13).
  • Barnabas Before Saul (Acts 12:25) – Notice the order of these saints in this mention of their return from Jerusalem.
  • Barnabas and Saul are Bookends of Prophets and Teachers (Acts 13:1) – If the listing of roles and names provided in Acts 13:1 is an indicator of their positions, Barnabas is a leader as a prophet and Saul is a leader as a teacher.
  • Barnabas and Saul are Summoned (Acts 13:7) – Notice the order of their names in this mention of their being summoned. Barnabas is first.
  • Saul Becomes Paul (Acts 13:9) – As they interact with the Gentile leader Sergius Paulus (Σεργίῳ Παύλῳ) the last leverages his cultural understanding and Saul becomes Paul (Παῦλος). He is a Roman citizen and a Jew; he has a type of dual citizenship and uses it for the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:22).
  • Paul and His Party (Acts 13:13) – The traveling missionary fellowship is now regarded as being led by Paul. He is formally at the fore and will remain in the front until they return and recount their journeys to the church in Jerusalem; notice that in Acts 15:2 Paul is listed first but when they speak before the church, Barnabas is listed first (Acts 15:12).
• The Challenges – (i) Jewish sorcerers are opposing the efforts to make Christ known (Acts 13:8-11) and (ii) there is a lot more unknown going forward.

Are we willing to examine ourselves in the light of this passage? It is asking us questions:

• Are my reasons for involvement in the mission aligned with the goals of the group?
• In the mission of my group what would it take to make me leave?
• Are there disappointments, discomforts, or dangers that would precipitate my departure from the work?
• What do I tend to do when things do not go my way or when I do not like the person in charge?

 

My resolve to stay with the mission is weak and beggarly if it requires comfort, if it demands that I get the leader that I prefer, or that I have the role that I want when I want it. A rugged resolve is based on calling, rooted in convictions, power by the Spirit, and guided by Scripture.

 

The Petition to Preach (Acts 13:15; Luke 4:16-27) The team, minus one John Mark, left Perga and came to Pisidian Antioch. According to their custom and philosophy of ministry (Acts 3:26; Romans 1:16) they start with the Jews of the region and, thus, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. After a customary reading from the Law and the Prophets the rulers of the synagogue inquired about whether their guests had for their gathering a word of exhortation: “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

I grew up in the church. In fact, a large part of my parenting came from my grandfather – an old Methodist preacher. When visiting churches it was not uncommon for a visiting minister of the gospel to be asked to sit with the other pastors and preachers. And it was altogether possible that the visiting preacher would be asked to deliver the message of the morning service — even if the congregation’s pastor had previously planned to do so. This was the custom of our Methodist churches in the South. This passage, then, seems oddly familiar to me at this point. My grandfather would says that the visiting preacher must always be ready to deliver the message on that morning. The passage is asking us questions again:

• In our mission activities are we going to places where we can explain our mission and exhort others to take up the task of believing and being witnesses?
• Are we ready to bring the word when we arrive in a new place?
  • The God of this people Israel chose our fathers.
    • Not Because of Israel’s Greatness (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)
    • Not Because of Israel’s Goodness (Deuteronomy 9:4-6)
  • Exalted the People when they dwelt as Strangers in Egypt (Exodus 14:8)
  • Put Up with the People 40 Years (Deuteronomy 1:31; Exodus 16:35; Numbers 14:34; Acts 7:36).
  • Destroyed Seven Nations in the Land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1): Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
  • When the people were in a cycle of sin, God Raised up Judges to deliver and lead them (Acts 13:20; Judges 2:16; 1 Samuel 4:18; 7:15).
  • When the people longed to look like the nations around them, they asked for a king (Acts 13:21; 1 Samuel 8:5). Their rejection of judges was actually a rejection of a theocracy; they did not want to be led by the Lord.
  • God gave them Saul the Son of Kish for forty years (1 Samuel 10:20-24). Saul was not serious about glorifying God and keeping his commandments; he would not obey. In that period of 40 years God proved that the person chosen to lead could not be selected based on worldly criteria (1 Samuel 16:7).
  • God Removed Saul as King (Acts 13:22; 1 Sam. 15:23, 26, 28) and God Replaced Saul with David (1 Sam. 16:1, 12, 13). To be sure, there would be disobedience in both leaders. Some would even say that the sin of Saul was more serious that the disobedience of David. However, in the former sin was explained, rationalized, and excused. In the latter case it was owned without question and there was no blaming of others. The first became last and the last became first.
  • David Was Built Different (Acts 13:22; 1 Samuel 13:14) – The difference was in the most important part of the person – his heart; he was zealous for the will of God and to see Him glorified. God describes David as a man after his own heart. The aim, objective, and goal of the shepherd boy was to get and give glory to God.
  • God Promised that David’s Seed would be Savior (Acts 13:22; Psalm 89; 132:11; Isaiah 11:1).
  • God raised up the Savior in Jesus (Ezekiel 21:27; Matthew 1:21). Like His father David the final King would desire to do God’s will (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:16; Hebrews 1:8-10; Matthew 4:1-11).
  • John Came Preparing for the Coming of the King (Matthew 3:1; Luke 3:3) and Pointing to Him (John 1:20, 27). Notice that there was a closure of what John was called to do; and John knew it. He recognized that he was finishing his course (John 3:30).

 

In the story that Luke shares the visiting preacher named Paul was ready. What follows in the story is the message he was eager and prepared to preach.

Paul Preaches Christ Part 1

Addressing the Crowd (Acts 13:16) Although they have been asked if they have a word to share, not everyone in the synagogue realizes that Paul and his party are going to bring a word of exhortation. Paul uses his hands to indicate that he should be given their undivided attention. In his address the apostle to the Gentiles names two groups – (i) the Men of Israel and (ii) the you who fear God among them (Acts 13:16, 26); they are Jews and Gentiles respectively. Do not overlook the fact that Paul does not overlook the diversity of the gathering. In his address he notices and speaks to both his Jewish brethren and people that have become God-fearing or worshipers of the one true God.

Recognizing and respecting social and ethnic distinctions is an indicator of high social intelligence, a sign of spiritual sensitivity, and prominent predictor that a ministry will prosper when placed in diverse settings.

The Historical Review Part 1 – From Bondage to Being in Charge (Acts 13:17-19) From Bondage in Egypt to Destroying the Enemies in Canaan (Acts 13:17-19)

The Historical Review Part 2 – From Judges to Kings (Acts 13:20-22)

The Historical Review Part 3 – From King David to King Jesus (Acts 13:23-25)

• The Condemnation and Crucifixion of the Christ (Acts 13:26-29)
  • Out of inexcusable and inveterate ignorance (Luke 23:34) the residents and rulers of Jerusalem condemned the Christ (Acts 13:27).
  • Without cause they hated the Christ and asked Pilate to put Jesus to death (Matthew 27:22-23; Acts 3:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15).
  • Having fulfilled the prophecies (Luke 18:31) they laid him in a tomb (Mark 15:42-47).
• The Resurrection of the Christ is the Most Important Part of the Gospel (Acts 13:30-31)
  • God Raised Jesus from the dead (Matt. 12:39, 40; 28:6).
  • Many people for many days saw the resurrected Jesus (Acts 1:3, 11; 1 Cor. 15:5–8).
  • The Good News / Glad Tidings – This is Proof that the Promise made to the fathers has been kept and confirmed (Genesis 3:15; Deuteronomy 18:15).

 

The Resurrection in Paul’s Preaching (Acts 13:32-37)

First Mention (Acts 13:30) The ruling was reversed, the condemnation was condemned, and Jesus was crowned king.

Second Mention (Acts 13:33) This is how the promises have been fulfilled to His people.

Third Mention (Acts 13:34) The resurrection was better than the sign seen in Lazarus.

Fourth Mention (Acts 13:37) The words of David did not apply to David; they were about the Son of David – Jesus.

Fifth Mention (Acts 13:41) This is the work that, if it is rejected, those who will not believe will perish.

The resurrection is the melody, chorus, and refrain of the gospel. It is the means by which the gift of God is given meaning. We need to make more of the resurrection.

 

• Christ Firstborn from the Dead unto God (Acts 13:32-37)
  • The raising from the dead was unto the newness of life and His role and Messiah and Deliverer unto God His Father (Psalm 2:7; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5).
  • The Raising from the Dead was unto the Throne of David (Isaiah 55:3).

The Appeal to Accept the Offer (Acts 13:38-41; Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:21) Having concluded the presentation of Christ as Messiah the apostle now makes his entreaty. He is calling them to forgiveness of sins all of them. Paul makes a point of mentioning the fact that the law cannot justify a person; some sins could only be handled by capital punishment.

He is also warning them against the wickedness of treating the truth with contempt (Habakkuk 1:5; Acts 13:40-41). The excuse of not knowing has been taken away. What is left is the opportunity for conversion or condemnation.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:16–19, NKJV)

 

¹ Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ² And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. ³ As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. ⁴ Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. ⁵ Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. ⁶ And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city.

Introduction

What are you going to do when the consequences of keeping company with Christ come home? We cannot be so naive as to think that periods of peace will last always. Indeed, it is not wise to ignore the advisories and admonitions of Scripture regarding persecution:

• Positive Perspectives on Persecution (Matthew 5:11-12 – part of the profile of a prize winner) ¹¹ “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

persecution is an indicator of imminent great reward

• Promises of Persecution (2 Timothy 3:12 – more than a high probability) Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

persecution is an indispensable part of godly living

• Purposes of Persecution (1 Peter 4:14-16 – promotion of God’s glory; Romans 5:1-5; James 1:1-2 – purifying of character) ¹⁴ If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

persecution is an instigation of glory for God

All of these words from Scripture are helpful insofar as they keep me from falling into despair. But what are we to do when it is our day to pay for following Jesus? If you think this question is little more than the rhetoric required for opening this message consider the following:

• Sang-chul: North Korea – The Story of Pastor Han, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGqEgxkF7I8)
• BBC News, Christian Persecution at Near Genocide Levels (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48146305)
• The Guardian, In China, They’re Closing Churches, Jailing Pastors, and Event Rewriting Scriptures (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/13/china-christians-religious-persecution-translation-bible)
• Persecution, Pastor Left Hospitalized After Attack by Religious Fanatics in Northern India (https://www.persecution.org/2020/10/08/pastor-left-hospitalized-attack-religious-fanatics-northern-india/)
• The Gospel Coalition, Is There Really Anti-Christian Discrimination in America? (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/anti-christian-discrimination-america/)

Do not be deceived into thinking that modern persecution of Jesus followers is fiction, or that it is random, or that it is seldom, or that it is remote. The opposition to following Christ is real, it is frequent, it is progressing, and it is local. What should we do? Thank God for the Bible! His word is telling us the perspective to have and the plan to execute when adversity arrives; the precedents and guidance are found in the history of our faith as recorded in Acts. Specifically, we need to study the writings of Luke in Acts; there are principles for us in this book. Concerning the situation in Jerusalem, J. B. Polhill writes

The opposition to the Christians had been gaining momentum throughout chaps. 4–6. It came first from the Jewish officials in the arrest of the apostles and the two hearings before the Sanhedrin. The first resulted in a warning (4:21); the second, in a flogging (5:40). With the Hellenist Stephen came a third Sanhedrin trial, and this one resulted in death for the Christian witness (7:58–60). The new factor was that this time the officials had the backing of the people (6:12). (Polhill, 1992, p.211)

In Acts 8 we are reading about the intolerance that was heaped on the early Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) because of their grand view of God and their promotion of Jesus. They insist that God is global in His concerns and that the true temple of God is not a location on earth (Isaiah 66:1-2) but the moving body of Christ. They have the audacity to say that the purpose of the law in preparing for the coming of the Christ has been fulfilled (Galatians 3:24) in Jesus of Nazareth and that now the relationship between Jew (or Gentile) and God will not be based on the law of Moses. The former things had become items of pride for many Jews; the idea that the law and temple were no longer needed was threatening to the egos, empires, and economies of people who had learned to use the law and the temple for self-promotion.

The Hellenist vision of an “unbounded God” was intolerable, particularly for the “Zionists” of the Diaspora-Jewish synagogues; and they unleashed their fury on these Greek-speaking Christian “radicals” in their midst. (Polhill, 1992, p. 211)

These new perspectives coming out of the Jesus community were threatening to people who used the religion to ruthlessly control others, stay in power, feed their appetites for vain glory, and line their pockets. They saw no choice but to rid their communities of the new sect of Jesus followers.

Questions for Consideration

1. How have you experienced persecution for your devotion to Christ, for being godly, or being truthful? Are you willing to accept that it is part of the promises of God (2 Timothy 3:12) and consequence of keeping company with Christ (1 Peter 4:14-16)?
2. The command and approved response to being mistreated for serving Jesus is worship (Matthew 5:11-12; 1 Peter 4:16) and giving thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18). What are you doing with this command from Christ?
3. You have been counted worthy! Of what? Read all of these verses and then answer the question (Matthew 5:11-12; Acts 5:40-41).

Your persecution is your participation in the suffering that was once directed at the head. Now the body of Christ is suffering. To be included in that suffering is confirmation that you are His and that He is yours. Rejoice that you have been counted worthy to suffer shameful treatment for His name.
Acts 8:1 Saul (Σαῦλος) was consenting to the death of Stephen (Acts 7:60). The word translated consenting comes from the verb συνευδοκέω; it can mean either approval and support (Luke 11:48; Romans 1:32) or merely a willingness to accept (1 Corinthians 7:12, 13). When Saul, years later, recounts this event to his Jewish brethren he sheds additional light on what his consenting meant:

¹⁹ So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. ²⁰ And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ (Acts 22:19-20, NKJV)

In his own words Saul says that consenting was more than a passive acceptance of what was being done to Stephen. His approving attitude toward the martyrdom of Stephen was accompanied by the action of assisting Stephen’s executioners. In order to be unhindered in stoning Stephen, the high priests and the well-dressed of the sanhedrin disrobed. Some of the expensive items they were wearing would have been stolen if not for the role that Saul played. In this way, working as a guard over the clothes, the young Saul aided in the murder of the Lord’s servant Stephen (7:58). While the Sanhedrin unjustly executed a godly man, Saul made sure that they were able to do so without fear of someone stealing the clothing that they had taken off; elaborate robes and costly religious garb were guarded for the stone-throwing mob by the young Pharisee.
The martyrdom of Stephen was the beginning of an outbreak: At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem. Literally the text reads, “There, also, arose in that day a great persecution came upon the church” (Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ διωγμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν). The conjunction after the verb (δὲ) shows either contrast or continuation. In this case it is continuation; what began with Stephen expands into an all out assault on the church in Jerusalem. Hell broke loose!
Am I being crass by saying “Hell broke loose?” No. The church, empowered by Jesus and led by an ignorant and untrained fisherman, has been assaulting the gates of hell… and winning.

¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18, NKJV)

Indeed, it is more appropriate to say that the Savior has been using surrendered souls as soldiers in a siege on dead religion, hypocrisy, and in His mission to set captives free. Crucifixion did not stop Jesus; but He was just One. Threatening Peter and John did not stop Jesus; they were two. Arresting and beating the apostles did not stop Jesus; they were twelve. This persecution could have been predicted as the anxious response to a growing number of Jesus followers; there are thousands of them.
On account of this great persecution on the church the believers were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Yes! This is a good thing. Why? Once again the enemy is exploited to execute the plan. Let me say that again. The enemy of God is being exploited in the plan of God. Look back to the beginning of Acts.

⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NKJV)

Where were the people scattered? They were scattered to the places that the Lord wanted to Go! The persecution was being used to push the people of God into the places that Jesus had already said they would go.
Persecution is used by God to further His own plan. The attempts of the enemy to hurt saints and hinder the church will actually help with what God is doing to sanctify His people and advance His own agenda. The setbacks intended by the enemy are setups for springing forward.

Are there people persecuting you because your light interferes with their evil plan? God is going to use the persecution to further his plan and your faith (Genesis 50:20) and reveal that you are in His will. Abide in Him and do not believe for a moment that this is not going to be used for the Lord’s glory, the Lord’s goals, and your good (Romans 8:28).

Questions for Consideration

1. Is persecution pushing you in a certain direction or to a different place? Is it possible that the persecution is being used by God to promote a plan that He has already revealed and to move a saint into another place needing your light?
2. When was the last time you sat with the Lord to review what He has revealed as His plan for you? Are you afraid that persecution will stop His plan from coming true? Talk with Him about your fear and make sure that you are not trying to make His plan happen. He will.

² And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. ³ As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
The vile and violent victory of the liars and haters that killed Stephen was the start of an uprising against Greek-speaking Jesus followers in Jerusalem. But in the midst of all the growing animosity toward the first Christians, some people took time to feel. Although it was inconvenient and more than a little dangerous, devout men took time to say “I love you, Stephen” and saw to the burial of his broken body. And they wept greatly for their fallen brother.
The decision to mourn our martyrs matters. In the time intentionally set aside to be sorrowful we recognize the loss, reflect on their light, and thereby also become reinforced in our resolve to live more like them (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4).
Taking time to mourn our fallen heroes, good friends, and light-bearing leaders is part of (1) respecting them, (2) thanking God for their contribution to our lives, and (3) beginning the process of good changes in the heart, and (4) picking up where they left off. As we embrace the loss and think on their legacy, we can be led into deeper commitments, repentance, and revival. For those of us who want to move in the direction of being better persons, good grieving is key. Consider the words of Solomon on the matter:

² Better to go to the house of mourning

Than to go to the house of feasting,

For that is the end of all men;

And the living will take it to heart.

³ Sorrow is better than laughter,

For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.

⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

The house of mourning, in the passage above, is the place and time dedicated to grieving the loss of someone. We go to that house when we choose to mourn our dead. This is better than trying to cope with their loss through escapes into pleasure or the decision to go to places dedicated to feeding the flesh (house of feasting). Why? Solomon goes on to explain that the dead we mourn have gone where we too are going: “For that is the end of all men,” he says. While we are still alive, we can be fundamentally changed for the better if we will intentionally go look upon the fact that our time is short and that we cannot escape death. When the living look intentionally at the loss of life it affects them profoundly… they taken to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:2).
The decision to mourn the loss of Stephen was a decision to become better men through grief. Their faces and voices visibly expressed the excruciating pain of parting ways with a beloved brother. The text says they made great lamentation over him (Acts 8:2). But notices what Solomon says about this:

³ Sorrow is better than laughter,

For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.

In this moment the mourners are being made better. They are facing facts and their hearts, the place from which spring our words, work (Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45), and the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23), are being refined.

Questions for Consideration

1. Are you taking time to mourn the losses of loved one and important relationships? Why would you intentionally enter the sadness of thinking over someone’s life and the loss? (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
2. Can you think of someone that you have loss that had a trait that you admired or work that you appreciated? What would it look like for you to embrace the pain of their departure, think soberly about your eventually end on earth, and then prayerfully consider how you might continue their work?

It was an act of real courage to take time to mourn the loss of Stephen. Jewish law forbade funeral observances for condemned criminals; Stephen had been the victim of mob violence and those who stoned him viewed him as a blasphemer and law breaker. They will look for his friends, associates, and family. The courage of these devout men is a reminder of the similar valor shown by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus in the burial of Jesus (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:38).

The Leading Persecutor of the Church (Acts 8:3; 26:9-11; Galatians 1:13)

Saul, is at work fanning this flame into a blaze. He leads the charge against the Jesus followers by going methodically from home to home, and from synagogue to synagogue to persecute them. The description of his activities is called havoc in Acts 8:3. It carries the meaning of the damage caused by a wild animal. He reflects on his violence toward the church later in life:
And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. (Acts 26:11, NKJV)
Leading the work of hurting the church was the young man who had stood with the clothes of those who stoned Stephen. He was not content to support Stephen’s death; he obtained permission to pursue people that tried to run away while continuing to promote faith in Jesus:

The prime agent in the repressive campaign was Saul of Tarsus, who now carried into more effective action the attitude to the new movement which he had displayed at the stoning of Stephen. Armed with the necessary authority from the chief-priestly leaders of the Sanhedrin, he harried the church, arresting its members in their own homes and sending them off to prison. A zealot for the ancestral traditions of his nation, he saw that the new faith menaced those traditions. Drastic action was called for: these people, he thought, were not merely misguided enthusiasts whose sincere embracing of error called for patient enlightenment; they were deliberate impostors, proclaiming that God had raised from the tomb to be Lord and Messiah a man whose manner of death was sufficient to show that the divine curse rested on him. (Bruce, 1988, p. 163)

From his perspective the Jesus followers had to be stopped. And he was going to do it.

Moving On with the Message (Acts 8:4)

⁴ Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
The consequence of the persecution is a scattering of the believers (Acts 8:2, 4). With their scattering the word of God is also scattered. The gospel of Jesus Christ is now being preached everywhere. In particular it is now being proclaimed in those places (Judea and Samaria) that Jesus wanted to reach (Acts 1:8).
They were scattered like one scatters seed. But scattered seeds grow, Christian. See the irony! The persecution and scattering of the Christians only led to the growing of the movement. With the dispersal of the Hellenist Christians, the fulfillment of the second phase of Jesus’ commission began—the witness to all Judea and Samaria (8:1b; cf. 1:8).
Learn to look at life through the lens of the Lord’s program. In that view nothing is wasted and the things that seem like setbacks are actually used to spring forward in doing His will (Romans 5:1-5; 8:28).

The Principle of Persisting (Acts 8:4)

The nation of Israel had been dispersed among the Gentiles (James 1:1). Through that scattering of God’s people other nations came to know about God’s plan to bring them salvation through the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-2; John 4:19, 25). Now the new people of God are being dispersed among the nations. But what will they do among the nations? Be witnesses, of course!
The church had grown extensively; it was to grow more than ever, but now by being spread abroad. Luke’s figures and further notes about the growth make the estimate of 25,000 believers in and near Jerusalem at the time of Stephen’s martyrdom seem conservative. The persecution aimed to destroy the infant church; in the providence of God it did the very opposite. It started a great number of new congregations especially in all of Palestine, each becoming a living center from which the gospel radiated into new territory even as Jesus had traced its course by adding after Jerusalem “all Judea and Samaria” (1:8). (Lenski, 1961, p. 311)
Over the nearly two years since Pentecost (33 AD) thousands of Jesus followers have been trained by the apostles to pursue holiness, present the gospel, and mentor others in following Jesus. They have been empowered, equipped, and educated in evangelism and discipleship. It is time for the highly trained church to be deployed. Luke says that the response of the church was logical; Therefore (οὖν) those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:4). What else could they do? Witnessing, for the Christian, is not activity; it is an essential identity (Acts 1:8; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:12; 44:8). When they could not be accepted for who they are, they go elsewhere in their new identity.
How would you respond? Before you answer, consider what Jesus means by giving the Holy Spirit. It was not to simply facilitate activity; he baptized the new believers of Jerusalem into Himself to give them a new essential identity:

• Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV)
• For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. (Galatians 6:15, NKJV)

That identity is not a function of location. They are new creations wherever they go. And so the new creation of God has just been scattered abroad. This is what Jesus wanted (Matthew 10:23). The setback of persecution was a setup to spring forward in the mission of taking the gospel to the world.

Questions for Consideration

• Am I regularly taking time to think about what Christ did for me?
• Can I see God’s hand in moving me from one place to another?
• How can I bring the message to the places He has moved me?

References

Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.
Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 211). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.