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  • A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 3)

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    A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 3)

    Jerusalem Council

    After their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas went back to Antioch and told them of all that God had done. Some Jewish men came from Israel, though, and started teaching the people that the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) had to be circumcised and follow the laws of Moses. Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed. The church leaders in Antioch decided that Paul and Barnabas should go to Jerusalem and ask the apostles and elders whether this was true.
    The elders of the church met together and discussed the situation. Peter told them about the vision that God had given him, showing him that he was not to consider Gentiles to be unclean anymore; God had made them clean.

    Acts 11:5-10 (NASB)

    5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me,
    6 and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air.
    7 “I also heard a voice saying to me, Get up, Peter; kill and eat.
    8 “But I said, By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.
    9 “But a voice from heaven answered a second time, What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.
    10 “This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.

    There was much debate, because they had all been raised to believe that they were God’s only people. Jesus said in John 4:22, “salvation is from the Jews.” This meant that God’s salvation from sin and death came through the Jewish nation – Jesus. This did not mean that they were the only people who could be saved. It also did not mean that Gentiles (non-Jews) had to become Jews.

    Salvation for Everyone

    Eventually, they agreed to send this letter with Paul and Barnabas, along with some other men, back to Antioch.

    Acts 15:23-29 (NASB)

    23 and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.
    24 “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,
    25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
    26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    27 “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.
    28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:
    29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

    This was revolutionary thinking. They considered the Old Testament scriptures, what Jesus had said and accomplished by fulfilling those scriptures, as well as the testimonies from Peter, Paul, and Barnabas. After praying, it was obvious to them what God had done. There were still many people who disagreed with them – those who were unwilling to let go of the traditions of the past, but they saw that God was doing a new thing, and they did not want to stand in His way.
    After this, Paul became known as the apostle to the Gentiles (non-Jews).

    Romans 11:13 (NASB)

    13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

    Galatians 2:7-9 (NASB)

    7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised
    8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles),
    9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

    Second Missionary Journey

    Back then, they had no Internet, no phones, no television, no real mail service. The only way to get any news was either by word of mouth or a letter sent by a friend. Paul wanted to see how the new churches were doing that they had established earlier.

    Acts 15:36 (NASB)

    36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

    Barnabas agreed, but there was a problem.

    Acts 15:37-40 (NASB)

    37 Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.
    38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
    39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
    40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

    This was yet another very difficult thing for Paul. Barnabas was his mentor. He was the one who first vouched for him to the apostles and Christians in Jerusalem. Barnabas had gone to Tarsus and brought Paul to Antioch, so he could help with the new converts there. Paul owed him a lot. Still, he believed that John Mark was not ready to go on this journey with them.

    Notice how both of these men were godly men. They were both prophets and leaders in the church, yet they disagreed. We do see that they were reconciled later, and Paul even mentions John Mark as one of his assistants who was “useful to me for service” (2 Timothy 4:11). We need to learn how to disagree while still remaining brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said that others would know us by our love for one another (John 13:35).

    Notice also verse 40 says that Paul and Silas were “committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.” It does not say that about Barnabas and John Mark, though.

    Growing Churches

    Acts 15:41-16:1a (NASB)

    41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
    1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra.

    Acts 16:4-5 (NASB)

    4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe.
    5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

    At first, Paul and Silas were going through Syria (where they started) and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Barnabas and John Mark went to Cyprus.
    It seemed everything was going great. People were being saved, the churches were growing, and lives were being strengthened in the Lord. Then, they came to Galatia and Phrygia.

    Forbidden to Preach

    When we think of someone forbidding people to preach, we might think of people in communist China being thrown in prison for telling people about Jesus, or a school saying you can’t have a Bible study there. This situation was totally different.

    Acts 16:6-8 (NASB)

    6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;
    7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;
    8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

    The scripture doesn’t say how the Holy Spirit forbade them to speak the word. It could have been through a prophetic word, a vision, or even a dream. It also doesn’t say why. God doesn’t always give us a why; sometimes, it’s just a where, or even a simple “Go.”
    They passed all the way through Galatia and Phrygia, areas where they had experienced persecution before, and Paul was even stoned. They went anyway. Since the Holy Spirit told them not to preach in Asia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but “the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them” (Acts 6:7), so they kept going, until they got to Troas.

    Traveling

    Paul knew that he was called to preach and teach the word. They had seen what God was doing in the churches in Syria and Cilicia. For some reason, though, they were traveling over 400 miles, and they were not allowed to speak at all. This probably took them at least a month or two, possibly more. Many people would be discouraged, but we see Paul and Silas continuing on, because they knew that they were called by God.
    When they arrived at Troas, which is a port city on the northwestern edge of ancient Asia, they stopped. I’m sure that they had been praying all this time, asking God for direction. After this lengthy dry spell, they finally got their marching orders from God.

    Macedonian Call

    Acts 16:9-10 (NASB)

    9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
    10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

    Paul did not try to explain away the dream as a bad bagel or cream cheese. He knew this was the voice of God. They immediately got on a ship and went to Macedonia. They continued on their journey, preaching the word of God to many people, and establishing churches.

    Philippi

    After they crossed the Aegean Sea, from Troas, they landed at Neapolis, then Philippi. There, they shared the Word of God with many people, and the church was growing. After Paul cast out a demon from a fortune-telling slave girl, her masters got angry, because their way of making money was now gone. They started a riot, and Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten with rods (more painful than whips), and thrown in jail. To make it even worse, their feet were locked up in stocks (Acts 16:24).

    Acts 16:23-24 (NASB)

    23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;
    24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

    So, they freed a slave girl from demon possession (a very good thing), were arrested for that good thing, beaten with rods, thrown in prison, and locked up in stocks, so they could not even move. All this, just because they did a good deed that was not illegal.
    We don’t see Paul and Silas, though, complaining to God or asking, “why me?” Instead, they were worshiping God.

    Acts 16:25 (NASB)

    25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

    A Shaking

    Acts 16:26 (NASB)

    26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

    God supernaturally opened all of the prison doors and released the chains. Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners could have easily escaped. They knew that meant the jailer would be tortured and killed, though.

    Acts 16:27-28 (NASB)

    27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
    28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”

    Salvation

    The jailer was devastated. He had been hearing Paul and Silas singing and praising God, in spite of their circumstances, then when they had the chance to escape, they didn’t. He probably had never seen anyone like them before.

    Acts 16:29-32 (NASB)

    29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,
    30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
    31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
    32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.

    The jailer, along with his whole family, got saved and baptized that night. He fed Paul and Silas, and washed their wounds.

    We never know who is watching and listening to us. When Paul and Silas decided to worship God instead of cursing God, they had no idea what God would do. Even if He had not moved in a miraculous way that night, they were still going to praise Him.

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  • A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 2)

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    A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 2)

    Taught by God

    It seems that after Saul’s conversion, he needed to get alone and meditate on what had just happened to him. He also needed to spend time with God, without any distractions.

    Galatians 1:15-17 (NASB)

    15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased
    16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,
    17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

    Discipleship

    Understandably, most people in Damascus were not believing that Saul had suddenly, completely changed. I’m sure they wanted to believe, but their lives were at risk if they were wrong. There was a godly, generous man in the church in Jerusalem, named Barnabas. He had even sold some land and given the proceeds to the apostles (Acts 4:36-37), so that they could distribute it to whomever had needs. This man met Saul and saw what God was doing in his life.
    Three years later, Saul went to Jerusalem.

    Acts 9:26-27 (NASB)

    26 When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
    27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

    Saul even met with Peter for fifteen days (Cephas is Peter).

    Galatians 1:18-19 (NASB)

    18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
    19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord s brother.

    Because of Barnabas, the Christians in Jerusalem were accepting and even embracing Saul. Some of the Jews, however, felt that Saul had betrayed them, and they plotted to kill him, so his fellow believers rescued him and sent him to Tarsus, where he had been born. He probably still had relatives there who could keep him safe.

    Syrian Antioch

    In the meantime, some believers had preached the gospel to people in the Syrian (Gentile) city of Antioch, so the apostles sent Barnabas to Antioch to establish the new church there. Barnabas saw what God was doing in Antioch, and he went to Tarsus to get Saul.

    Acts 11:25-26 (NASB)

    25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;
    26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

    By the way, this term, Christian, is only used three times in the New Testament: here, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16.
    During this time, Saul had established himself as a faithful servant of God. Some prophets had come and prophesied that there was going to be a worldwide famine. The Christians in Antioch wanted to send a contribution to the Christians in Jerusalem, because they were already going through persecution, including the loss of some of their homes and possessions. They trusted Barnabas and Saul to deliver this offering to the Jerusalem church.

    Back to Syrian Antioch

    Acts 12:25 (NASB)

    25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.

    After they came back from Jerusalem, Saul continued in the church in Antioch, where he grew in the Lord, and learned how to be a true disciple and leader in the body of Christ. Barnabas was one of the leaders in this church, as well as Saul.

    Acts 13:1 (NASB)

    1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

    Notice how Saul, at this point, was mentioned last. Many times in scripture, this indicates position or office. Saul was one of the teachers/prophets, but still learning. Little did he know that God was about to do much more in his life.

    Calling to Evangelize

    Acts 13:2-3 (NASB)

    2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
    3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

    Notice how there are many different ways that God calls us – to be saved, to different ministries, or other major life events. God is never boring, and He won’t be “put into a box.” Some people might say that they have one aspect of God figured out, and they come up with a “formula” to how He operates. That’s usually when God will do something totally different. God called Saul to salvation through a blinding light and a vision on the road to Damascus. He then calls him to this ministry during a prayer meeting. Many people were saved by the preaching of Peter on the Day of Pentecost. Every calling was legitimate, and they were all different.
    Now, Barnabas and Saul were called by God for a specific work. They left with the blessing, and probably assistance, of the church in Tarsus.

    First Missionary Journey

    Barnabas and Saul went to Seleucia, a port city close to Antioch. From there, they went to Cyprus. They went through the different towns and cities, telling the people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. When they arrived at the western end of the island, a magician by the name of Elymas was opposing their message. God used Saul to perform a miracle.

    Acts 13:9-11 (NASB)

    9 But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,
    10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?
    11 “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

    This is the first time that we see scripture referring to Saul (which means desired) as Paul (which means small or little). After this display, the leader (proconsul Paulus) believed and was saved. God used this miracle to confirm the words being spoken by Paul and Barnabas. It’s also after this point that we see Paul’s name being mentioned before Barnabas’s name. God was raising up Paul and making him into the man he needed to be.
    Unfortunately, John Mark left them after that incident. We don’t know the exact reason; perhaps he was overwhelmed by the enormity of what he had just seen. He did not go back to Antioch, from where they were called, but to Jerusalem, his hometown.
    Paul and Barnabas continued on through areas of modern-day Turkey, preaching the gospel and seeing a number of miracles.

    Lystra

    When they reached Lystra, they saw a man who had been “lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.” (Acts 14:8) While Paul was speaking, he looked at this man and saw that “he had faith to be made well.” (Acts 14:9) He told the man to “Stand upright on your feet.” The man leaped up and began to walk. The crowds were so amazed that they started calling Paul and Barnabas gods in their own language. They were about to sacrifice to them, but when Paul found out what they were doing, he stopped them and told them that they were only men. Then, the pendulum swung the other way.
    Jewish men from nearby towns were jealous of Paul and Barnabas, and they came to Iconium and managed to convince the crowd that Paul and Barnabas were not gods, but were somehow evil.

    Acts 13:19 (NASB)

    19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

    It is incredible how quickly public opinion can change. In the same day, the “mob mentality” went from considering Paul and Barnabas to be gods, to stoning Paul and leaving him for dead. Paul was not scared away, though.

    Acts 13:20 (NASB)

    20 But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.

    Throughout his ministry, Paul was persecuted many times.

    2 Corinthians 11:23-27 (NASB)

    23 Are they servants of Christ? – I speak as if insane – I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
    24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
    25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
    26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
    27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

    Return Trip

    After ministering in Derbe, Paul wanted to go back through all of the places where they had been, so they could encourage the believers to continue on in the faith. This included Iconium, where Paul was almost stoned to death. He knew that his life was in God’s hands, and what Jesus had done for him was worth far more than whatever suffering he might go through. This is what he wrote:

    Romans 8:18 (NASB)

    18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

    Opposition to Peter

    Men and women of God are not perfect. We all make mistakes, and we all need correction at times. This was also true of Peter.

    Galatians 2:11-13 (NASB)

    11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
    12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.
    13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

    Paul found himself in a position where he had to confront the leader of the church, Peter, as well as his mentor, Barnabas. It is not clear if this event happened before or after the Jerusalem council. Regardless, God had already shown Peter that Gentiles could be saved, the same as Jews (see Acts 10). Barnabas had seen God save many Gentiles in Antioch and during their first missionary journey, which was in Gentile countries.
    As Paul did, we need to make sure that we stay humble and know that we have heard from God before we oppose our spiritual leaders. At the same time, we can’t shy away from our calling to help each other walk this journey with purity and faithfulness to God.
    Paul is now being raised up by God in the eyes of the church people and the church leaders. They can see that God has called him to be an apostle.

    To be continued…

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