Acts 21:1-16

¹After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. ²There we boarded a ship sailing for the Syrian province of Phoenicia. ³We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload. ⁴We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These disciples prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. ⁵When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including wives and children, came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, ⁶and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home.
⁷The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters but stayed only one day. ⁸Then we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. ⁹He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
¹⁰During our stay of several days, a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. ¹¹When he visited us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, `So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Romans.’ “¹²When we heard this, we who were traveling with him, as well as the local believers, begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
¹³But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! For I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but also to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The will of the Lord be done.”
¹⁵Shortly afterward we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. ¹⁶Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.

Points of Interest:

• ‘These disciples prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem’—in yesterday’s passage, Paul says that he is ‘drawn [to Jerusalem] irresistibly by the Holy Spirit.’ But in this passage, it is prophesied that Paul should not go there. Is the Holy Spirit contradicting himself? It’s often said that it is easier to hear a word from God than to interpret what it means. Perhaps this is an example of that principle. The prophecy of Agabus clearly indicates that Paul will be imprisoned in Jerusalem. Paul also, while feeling compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, heard from God that suffering and imprisonment awaited him there. Perhaps the prophets in Tyre hear the same message as Paul—that he would suffer in Jerusalem—but they interpreted it differently, understandably assuming that it means he shouldn’t go. The Tyrians may not even be aware that they’re interpreting it. Because interpretation of prophecies can often be tricky, it can be a good idea to do what they do with Agabus’ prophecy: they discuss it; then they leave the final decision about how to respond in the hands of the person to whom the prophecy is given. Paul acknowledges that it is true that he will suffer, but he believes that it is suffering with a purpose for the sake of Jesus.

Taking it home:

• Through you: In this passage, we get to see Philip, the Greek-speaker who brought Jesus’ message to the Samaritans and the Ethiopian eunuch, again; and we learn that he has four daughters with the gift of prophecy. Philip was able to raise up his family into God’s mission, and to encourage them in a gift of the Spirit different from his own. Pray that God would give you the opportunity to pass your love for Jesus on to the next generation—especially if you have children of your own—and that God would equip you to encourage them in their own gifts and ministry.
• Through your six: the Holy Spirit speaks to Paul, to guide him and to prepare him for what is coming. Because the Holy Spirit has prepared him, he won’t be surprised when his time in Jerusalem is difficult. Ask God to speak by the Holy Spirit to your six, guiding them into the future or warning them about the future.
• Through our church: Pray for prophecy in our church. Ask the Holy Spirit to give us words of prophecy for the help and encouragement of others, and also the wisdom and discernment to interpret those prophecies well.

 

Acts 20:7-38

⁷On the first day of the week, we gathered to observe the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching; and since he was leaving the next day, he talked until midnight. ⁸The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. ⁹As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he sank into a deep sleep and fell three stories to his death below. ¹⁰Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” ¹¹Then they all went back upstairs and ate the Lord’s Supper together. And Paul continued talking to them until dawn; then he left. ¹²Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved.
¹³Paul went by land to Assos, where he had arranged for us to join him, and we went on ahead by ship. ¹⁴He joined us there and we sailed together to Mitylene. ¹⁵The next day we passed the island of Kios. The following day, we crossed to the island of Samos. And a day later we arrived at Miletus.
¹⁶Paul had decided against stopping at Ephesus this time because he didn’t want to spend further time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, for the Festival of Pentecost. ¹⁷But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come down to meet him.
¹⁸When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now ¹⁹I have done the Lord’s work humbly–yes, and with tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. ²⁰Yet I never shrank from telling you the truth, either publicly or in your homes. ²¹I have had one message for Jews and Gentiles alike–the necessity of turning from sin and turning to God, and of faith in our Lord Jesus.
²²“And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me, ²³except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. ²⁴But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus–the work of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love.
²⁵“And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶Let me say plainly that I have been faithful. No one’s damnation can be blamed on me, ²⁷for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants for you.
²⁸“And now beware! Be sure that you feed and shepherd God’s flock–his church, purchased with his blood–over whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders. ²⁹I know full well that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Even some of you will distort the truth in order to draw a following. ³¹Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you–my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.
³²“And now I entrust you to God and the word of his grace–his message that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.
³³“I have never coveted anyone’s money or fine clothing. ³⁴You know that these hands of mine have worked to pay my own way, and I have even supplied the needs of those who were with me. ³⁵And I have been a constant example of how you can help the poor by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ “
³⁶When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. ³⁷They wept aloud as they embraced him in farewell, ³⁸sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they accompanied him down to the ship.

Points of Interest:

• ‘continued talking to them until dawn’—Paul is really trying to make the most of his time on this final evening. He doesn’t even let the fact that someone falls asleep, falls to his death, and has to be revived stop him from finishing what he has to say.
• ‘But my life is worth nothing’—Paul has found something more valuable even than life itself: the mission Jesus has given him of telling others good news.
• ‘the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love’—Paul has only one message, about the necessity of turning from sin, but he doesn’t speak this message out of a desire to judge or condemn. It’s a message of wonderful kindness and love, focusing on God’s abundant mercy and goodwill.
• ‘Be sure that you feed and shepherd God’s flock’—Paul has been a faithful shepherd of this flock. He is leaving now and officially placing the responsibility for the flock in the hands of the elders. It’s their flock now.
• ‘Watch out!’—Paul, at great cost to himself, has faithfully led the people of Ephesus toward Jesus; but not everyone has such pure intentions. Even the Ephesian elders themselves will be tempted to preach a message that draws people to themselves rather than Jesus. If the elders are going to continue the good shepherding of Paul, they need to keep a watch on their own heart and on the motivations and intentions of other teachers who come along.
• ‘They wept aloud’—Paul preached to them with tears, and they say good-bye to him with tears. Paul and the Ephesian elders have let one another into their hearts.

Taking it home:

• Through you: One of the fruits of Paul’s decision to devote his life to bringing Jesus’ message to others is deep, heart-felt connection with others. As you give yourself to Jesus’ purposes, ask Jesus to bless you with the best friendships you have ever had.
• Through your six: Paul had a clear conscience concerning his relationship with the Ephesians. He knew that he had faithfully passed on to them the whole message God had for them. Has God given you any message for your six that you have been holding back on delivering? Ask God to give you the boldness and the opportunity to pass along everything he wants for your six.
• Through our church: Paul here tells the elders that it is a very real temptation to become a wolf rather than a shepherd. Pray that God would protect us from ever changing Jesus’ message to gain something for ourselves. Pray that God would keep us from selfishness and that we would always remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

 

Acts 19:21- 20:6

²¹Afterward Paul felt impelled by the Holy Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before returning to Jerusalem. “And after that,” he said, “I must go on to Rome!” ²²He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, on ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.
²³But about that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. ²⁴It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. ²⁵He called the craftsmen together, along with others employed in related trades, and addressed them as follows:
“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. ²⁶As you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t gods at all. And this is happening not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! ²⁷Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis–this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world–will be robbed of her prestige!”
²⁸At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹A crowd began to gather, and soon the city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. ³⁰Paul wanted to go in, but the believers wouldn’t let him. ³¹Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.
³²Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there. ³³Alexander was thrust forward by some of the Jews, who encouraged him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak in defense. ³⁴But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
³⁵At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. ³⁶Since this is an indisputable fact, you shouldn’t be disturbed, no matter what is said. Don’t do anything rash. ³⁷You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess. ³⁸If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the judges can take the case at once. Let them go through legal channels. ³⁹And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.” ⁴¹Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.
¹When it was all over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. ²Along the way, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, ³where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia.
⁴Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus, who were from the province of Asia. ⁵They went ahead and waited for us at Troas. ⁶As soon as the Passover season ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later arrived in Troas, where we stayed a week.

 

 

Points of Interest:

• ‘this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia’—Ephesus was indeed the world capital of worship of Artemis, one of the major Greek goddesses.
• ‘also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence’—just like in Jerusalem, the followers of Jesus in Ephesus encounter widespread, violent opposition when the temple is threatened. When worship of Jesus begins to grow in a city, the existing religious institutions are threatened, and they lash out. In the case of both Jerusalem and Ephesus, the people who gain power, prestige, and wealth through these religious institutions naturally fight back to protect their interests. But perhaps there is more to the story than simply a human response. In Paul’s later letter to the Ephesians, he says, ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 6:12, NIV). Perhaps there is a spiritual power behind the Artemis cult in Ephesus which is actively fighting against Jesus, his message, and his people, trying to maintain control over this city.
• ‘whose image fell down to us from heaven’—it is thought that the main image of Artemis at the temple in Ephesus was a comet.
• ‘Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them’—Paul, who was an accuser in the Jerusalem persecution, is now an encourager. The temptation to scatter and lay low must be very strong, but Paul wisely gathers them together: ‘A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken’ (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
• ‘he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed’—Paul probably did many things as he passed through these towns: taught, corrected, selected leaders. But Luke chooses to focus on Paul’s role as an encourager. The biggest threat to their life in Jesus is that they would lose heart. Paul goes back through these cities, reminding the believers there of the goodness of following Jesus, and telling them that it is worth it to keep following, and that they are able to keep following.
• ‘he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life’—Syria is the province in which the controversy that led to the Council of Jerusalem began. Apparently, Paul’s role in approving that people do not have to become Jews to follow Jesus has earned him enough hatred that some Jewish radicals (it is unclear whether or not they claim to be followers of Jesus) are willing to murder him. Paul’s life is in danger twice in this passage, and his reactions are intriguing. In Ephesus, he has to be convinced not to go into the amphitheater, but here he avoids an entire province because of a death threat. Paul doesn’t seem to be too afraid of danger, but he also doesn’t ignore it. In both of the instances in this passage, he ends up deciding that the situation is not worth risking his life.
• ‘Several men were traveling with him’—the spotlight of this story is frequently on Paul, but it is significant to notice that Paul does not pursue his work alone: he has an entire team who work with him in his church-planting mission.

Taking it home:

• Through you: Most big ideas are best pursued in teams. Has God given you a big idea recently? It could be starting a new church–like it was for Paul–or a neighborhood outreach program, or some way to serve your friends or family, or something to improve work life for your colleagues at your job, or an exciting new business idea, or who knows what. Ask God to give you partners in your plan, and keep your eyes open. If you don’t particularly have a big idea of your own right now, could you help someone else further theirs? Ask God to show you a team you could join.
• Through your six: Have any of your six taken steps toward Jesus, or just toward more good in their lives, recently? Look for an opportunity to offer an encouraging word to them. Frequent, well-timed encouragement can make a huge difference as a person tries to follow Jesus.
• Through our church: Hopefully, as we prayed yesterday, God will allow us to play a part in revolutionizing Cambridge and Boston with Jesus’ good news. If we do, we are certain to threaten the religious and spiritual powers that have been used to being in charge. Pray that God would protect us from these spiritual forces, and that God would give us the power by the Holy Spirit to withstand any opposition that comes.

Acts 19:8-20

⁸Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. ⁹But some rejected his message and publicly spoke against the Way, so Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he began preaching daily at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia–both Jews and Greeks–heard the Lord’s message.
¹¹God gave Paul the power to do unusual miracles, ¹²so that even when handkerchiefs or cloths that had touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and any evil spirits within them came out.
¹³A team of Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus. The incantation they used was this: “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” ¹⁴Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. ¹⁵But when they tried it on a man possessed by an evil spirit, the spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul. But who are you?” ¹⁶And he leaped on them and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and badly injured.
¹⁷The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. ¹⁸Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. ¹⁹A number of them who had been practicing magic brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. ²⁰So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.

 

Points of Interest:

• ‘so Paul left the synagogue’—as we’ve discussed, it is always Paul’s custom to go to the synagogue first. But just because the synagogue refuses to hear the message here doesn’t mean the message is stopped.
• ‘power to do unusual miracles’—earlier, the Holy Spirit filled Peter so powerfully that his shadow was causing miracles. Similarly, Paul’s handkerchiefs are causing miracles here. The Holy Spirit is using Paul to reach Ephesus and Asia just as he used Peter to reach Jerusalem and Judea.
• ‘But who are you?’—Jesus’ name is powerful, but it’s not a magic incantation. The sons of Sceva learn the hard way that you need legitimate authority and real power to cast out demons by the name of Jesus. Fortunately, Jesus is very generous with his authority and his power. To receive his authority, all you have to do is follow him. To receive his power, you only have to be filled with his Spirit. In chapter 2, Peter says that Jesus desires everyone to receive this power. The Holy Spirit is available to the sons of Sceva, but they haven’t turned toward Jesus and received it.
• ‘burned them at a public bonfire’—it seems like the people of Ephesus learn two very important lessons from the sons of Sceva: they learn just how big a difference it makes to be filled with the Holy Spirit; and they learn that evil spirits are not to be toyed with. In response to these lessons, they turn to Jesus, and they firmly and permanently reject forms of spiritual power that come from a source other than the Holy Spirit.

Taking it home:

• Through you: The Holy Spirit had already given Paul the power to perform miracles, but here he takes it to a whole new level. Ask God to bring you to a whole new level in hearing God’s voice, in praying for healing, in sharing words from God with others, or in any way you have already experienced his power before.
• Through your six: Are any of your six seeking spiritual power apart from a source other than Jesus? Ask the Holy Spirit to preserve them from being harmed like the sons of Sceva, and to draw them toward the spiritual blessings found in Jesus instead.
• Through our church: Peter experienced an outbreak of the Holy Spirit that totally changed Jerusalem, and Paul saw Ephesus transformed by the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray that we would have the chance of seeing such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit here in Boston.

 

Acts 18:18-19:7

¹⁸ Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that and then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and sailed for the coast of Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. (Earlier, at Cenchrea, Paul had shaved his head according to Jewish custom, for he had taken a vow.) ¹⁹ When they arrived at the port of Ephesus, Paul left the others behind. But while he was there, he went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews. ²⁰ They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. ²¹ So he left, saying, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch.

²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back to Galatia and Phrygia, visiting all the believers, encouraging them and helping them to grow in the Lord.

²⁴ Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had just arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. ²⁵ He had been taught the way of the Lord and talked to others with great enthusiasm and accuracy about Jesus. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. ²⁶ When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately.

²⁷ Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him in this. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. ²⁸ He refuted all the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them, “The Messiah you are looking for is Jesus.”

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces. Finally, he came to Ephesus, where he found several believers. ² “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.

“No,” they replied, “we don’t know what you mean. We haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.

And they replied, “The baptism of John.”

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God. John himself told the people to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later.”

⁵ As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

Points of Interest:

• ‘they arrived at the port of Ephesus’—Ephesus was the largest and most important city in the province of Asia (present-day Turkey), with a large commercial port. Perhaps as many as 300,000 people lived in Ephesus.
• ‘Paul left the others behind’—Ephesus is a new city for Paul. It may have been where he was trying to go when God gave him a vision to direct him toward Macedonia instead. This time, he’s just stopping through on his way to Antioch and Jerusalem, but apparently he is intending return; so, while he continues his trip, the rest of his team stays in Ephesus, either to prepare the way for Paul or simply because the trip to Jerusalem doesn’t involve them.
• ‘visited the church at Jerusalem’—the type of vow Paul has taken, called a Nazirite vow, required a trip to Jerusalem at its completion. The Nazirite vow was a spiritual act of thanksgiving to God.
• ‘explained the way of God more accurately’—Apollos seems to have heard about the good news from the teachings of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin who was a very popular preacher just before Jesus. John the Baptist served as a sort of opening act for Jesus; their messages had a lot of overlap, but John the Baptist died before he got to see the end of Jesus’ story–not to speak of teaching about it. So, the story Apollos has heard is incomplete. He is acting on and teaching everything he knows, persuasively leading people toward Jesus even though he knows little of Jesus’ actual ministry. Aquila and Priscilla fill in the blanks for him. Aquila and Priscilla could have looked down on Apollos because of his ignorance; but instead they use their greater knowledge to equip him for even more powerful ministry.
• ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’—to Paul, it’s not enough to believe the story of Jesus. He wants them to experience the benefits of having the Holy Spirit fill them.
• ‘The baptism of John’—perhaps these are people who had learned from Apollos before Aquila and Priscilla told him about Jesus, or perhaps they had heard the teachings of John independently. John the Baptist had only ever preached in Judea, but his words have apparently spread far and wide, preparing the way for Jesus’ message among several of the first people Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila meet in distant Ephesus.

Taking it home:

• Through you: John the Baptist had a tremendous impact with his ministry. Many years after his death, and hundreds of miles away from where he preached, his message was still leading people toward Jesus. You too can have such a lasting impact. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the gift of John the Baptist, the ability to influence people you have never even met for the better.
• Through your six: Apparently, Apollos was a more gifted speaker than Priscilla and Aquila; but he needed Priscilla and Aquila to mentor him in order to reach his full potential in using his gifts for Jesus’ purposes. In what ways do you see that your six are more gifted than you? Look for ways to learn from them.
• Through our church: Paul doesn’t want people simply to believe in Jesus; he wants them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ask God to make us into a church that brings people the filling of the Holy Spirit.

 

Week 5 Optional Family Activities

At home:

• With younger kids: In this week’s readings (Acts 22), Paul recounts his experience on the Damascus road to a crowd in Jerusalem. He will retell his story one more time before King Agrippa in Acts 26. Younger kids might enjoy the challenge of retelling this part of Paul’s story using the pictures they made of the story during week one.
• With older kids: Continue your mapping of the events from this week’s Acts readings. By now the focus is on Paul and his travels, particularly his return to Jerusalem.

• Conversation topics with older kids might include: Think together about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in this country. You might compare the rights of U.S. citizens with those of Roman citizens. Draw from this discussion topic what you will. It is not meant to make a political statement but offered only as a conversation starter.

Acts 18:1-17

¹Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.² There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had been expelled from Italy as a result of Claudius Caesar’s order to deport all Jews from Rome. ³ Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
⁴Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. ⁵And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent his full time preaching and testifying to the Jews, telling them, “The Messiah you are looking for is Jesus.” ⁶But when the Jews opposed him and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his robe and said, “Your blood be upon your own heads–I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
⁷After that he stayed with Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. ⁸Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and all his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also became believers and were baptized.
⁹One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! ¹⁰For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me.” ¹¹So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.
¹²But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose in concerted action against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. ¹³They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law.” ¹⁴But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would be obliged to listen to you. ¹⁵But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish laws, you take care of it. I refuse to judge such matters.” ¹⁶And he drove them out of the courtroom. ¹⁷The mob had grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and had beaten him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention.

Points of Interest:

• ‘they were tentmakers just as he was.’—it’s clear by now that Paul’s main aim in life is to spread the word about the great life benefits available from Jesus. But apparently doing that doesn’t totally pay the bills; so, Paul spends some time making tents on the side. Here, he finds new partners in his Jesus-work at the tent-making office.
• ‘From now on I will go to the Gentiles’—just as in other cities, Paul goes to the synagogue and to his fellow Jews first. As always, he ends up moving on to also talk with interested non-Jews. But here the transition seems more swift and dramatic. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with the synagogue anymore.
• ‘Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and all his household believed in the Lord.’—ironically, after Paul breaks his ties with this synagogue, the leader of it starts to follow Jesus.
• ‘One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid!”‘—you’d think that Paul would by now be used to being opposed, and even driven out of a city. But apparently he stills needs God’s comfort and encouragement to sign himself up for it again and again.
• ‘Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said . . . I refuse to judge such matters’—these fierce religious tensions between two Jewish sects–as far as he sees it–don’t really matter to Gallio in the least. In fact, he doesn’t even understand what all of them are talking about. Matters of life and death to these Jews are just a bunch of gobbledy-gook to this Roman governor.

Taking it home:

• Through you: Paul has a day job making tents, and then teaches about Jesus at night. Paul definitely seems to care more about spreading Jesus’ good news than he does about tents; and yet we also see Jesus at work in both of Paul’s venues. How do your life passions and your job with a paycheck interact with one another? How do you see Jesus at work in either place?
• Through your six: Paul is quick to accept hospitality, partnership, and other help from the people around him. It builds his relationships with them, and draws them all closer to God. What are things that your six have to offer you that through accepting you might deepen your relationship with them?
• Through our church: There’s a big communication gap in this passage between the group of Jews and Gallio. Either these Jews are truly not focusing on something that’s at all significant to Gallio, or at the very least they’re not very effective at communicating why it is. Pray for our church, that we would not have the same problem. Pray that we would focus on what is important, and that we’d be able to communicate with others outside our community why it is, in fact, so important.

 

Acts 17:16-34

¹⁶While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. ¹⁷He went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
¹⁸He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “This babbler has picked up some strange ideas.” Others said, “He’s pushing some foreign religion.”
¹⁹Then they took him to the Council of Philosophers. “Come and tell us more about this new religion,” they said. ²⁰“You are saying some rather startling things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” ²¹(It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
²²So Paul, standing before the Council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious, ²³for as I was walking along I saw your many altars. And one of them had this inscription on it–`To an Unknown God.’ You have been worshiping him without knowing who he is, and now I wish to tell you about him.
<sup>24</sup>“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, <sup>25</sup>and human hands can’t serve his needs–for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need there is. <sup>26</sup>From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
<sup>27</sup>“His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him–though he is not far from any one of us. <sup>28</sup>For in him we live and move and exist. As one of your own poets says, `We are his offspring.’ ²⁹And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. ³⁰God overlooked people’s former ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him. ³¹For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
³²When they heard Paul speak of the resurrection of a person who had been dead, some laughed, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” ³³ That ended Paul’s discussion with them, ³⁴but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Council, a woman named Damaris, and others.

 

 

 

Points of Interest:

• ‘he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city’–in his many travels in non-Jewish areas, Paul is no stranger to the idea that people would worship idols. But Athens remains eye-popping. The Athenians have an overwhelming number of spiritual options, and yet for some reason none of it seems to truly be satisfying their spiritual desires.
• ‘He went to the synagogue to debate’—in every other account of Paul going to a synagogue there is a report of Jews and God-fearers believing in Jesus. Here the record is silent. Apparently, the spiritual atmosphere here is such that even where Paul might expect an eager audience he gets a tough crowd.
• ‘he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.’—Paul tries new approaches but to little avail. It’s also interesting to note that Paul often performs miracles to accompany his message, but here it seems to just be words.
• ‘we want to know what it’s all about’—the council of philosophers initially appear interested in hearing about Jesus. As it turns out, their eagerness is for the most part not a particular interest in Jesus, but just a voraciousness for new ideas to discuss–and, in some cases, to mock.
• ‘When they heard Paul speak of the resurrection of a person who had been dead, some laughed’—talking abstract philosophy is one thing and talking about a God who acted miraculously in history is quite another. Paul is openly mocked and leaves with only a couple of converts. There is no talk of starting a church in Athens and we never hear Paul refer to any work of God here. Like Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth there seem to be some places where the timing is just not right.

Taking it home:

• Through you: Failure! No one likes this word but we all face it. Even the great apostle Paul faced failure. I’m sure Paul was disappointed to have his work flop in Athens, and that he didn’t enjoy being laughed at. But he didn’t try to force success. When he realizes that things just aren’t working out in Athens, he simply leaves. Sometimes the best thing we can do with failure is move on. Is there failure in your past you are still living in? What will it mean for you to just leave it behind.
• Through your six: Paul tells the Athenians, ‘we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.’ Something we make with our own hands can’t really give us what we want out of a relationship with God. Pray that your six would not go down the dead end of pinning their hopes on something that, in the end, is smaller than them.
• Through our church: Our church is made up of lots of smart people, as may be inevitable in a town with so many institutions of higher learning. You could say that Boston is the modern day equivalent to Athens. Soberingly, Athens is the least receptive place to Jesus that Paul has yet encountered. Pray that our smarts would not get in the way of our church being a place where people are seeking and finding a genuine relationship with a living God.

 

Acts 17:1-15

¹Now Paul and Silas traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ²As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he interpreted the Scriptures to the people. ³He was explaining and proving the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah and his rising from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” ⁴Some who listened were persuaded and became converts, including a large number of godly Greek men and also many important women of the city.
⁵But the Jewish leaders were jealous, so they gathered some worthless fellows from the streets to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. ⁶Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and now they are here disturbing our city,” they shouted. ⁷“And Jason has let them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, Jesus.”
⁸The people of the city, as well as the city officials, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. ⁹But the officials released Jason and the other believers after they had posted bail.

¹⁰That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the synagogue. ¹¹And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth. ¹²As a result, many Jews believed, as did some of the prominent Greek women and many men.
¹³But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. ¹⁴The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. ¹⁵Those escorting Paul went with him to Athens; then they returned to Berea with a message for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.

Points of Interest:

• ‘Paul and Silas traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue’—once again, Paul makes a beeline for a synagogue, where he has so often found a receptive audience, particularly among God-fearing non-Jews.
• ‘including a large number of godly Greek men and also many important women of the city’–once again Paul’s strategy hits paydirt. There are indeed a bunch of God-fearers eager to hear what he has to say.
• ‘They are all guilty of treason against Caesar’—of course, just as often as Paul finds an eager audience of God-fearers, he also finds a hostile audience of synagogue leaders who are uninterested in his message and jealous of his sudden influence.
• ‘That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea.’—Paul and Silas seem to be getting better at avoiding jail. Paul and Silas rejoiced and praised God when they were imprisoned in Philippi, but that doesn’t mean that they’re interested in running headlong into trouble the next time around.
• ‘They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth’—the Bereans were are Jews and God-fearers who know a lot about the Jewish Scriptures already. Their interaction with Paul and Silas around the scripture seems to come from a genuine openness and desire for truth rather than cynical questioning. They’re humble and hard-working in trying to really understand what the Bible is saying to them. I hope the same can be said about me.

Taking it home:

• Through you: Over time, Paul began to get a feel for who was interested in hearing more about what he had to say about Jesus and who was not; and perhaps not surprisingly he increasingly began to focus more of his attention on people who were truly interested. Think about the people in your life. Are there people who, if you’re honest, have probably had their fill of talking about spiritual things with you? How about people who may, in fact, want to hear more? What would it take and what would it mean for you to let that first group go, and to have more spiritual discussions with the second group?
• Through your six: Pray that God would give your six curiosity and humility as they approach their questions of faith, just like the Bereans had in this passage. Pray that it would bring a new vibrancy to their entire life.
• Through our church: In many ways the synagogues were centers of learning in their cities and attracted people interested in the search for truth. Pray for the many institutions of learning in our city. Pray that people at those institutions would find the truth and meaning they are looking for.

 

Acts 16:25-40

²⁵Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. ²⁶Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! ²⁷The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. ²⁸But Paul shouted to him, “Don’t do it! We are all here!”
²⁹Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down before Paul and Silas. ³⁰He brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
³¹They replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household.” ³²Then they shared the word of the Lord with him and all who lived in his household. ³³That same hour the jailer washed their wounds, and he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. ³⁴Then he brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
³⁵The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” ³⁶So the jailer told Paul, “You and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.”
³⁷But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without trial and jailed us–and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!”
³⁸When the police made their report, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. ³⁹They came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. ⁴⁰Paul and Silas then returned to the home of Lydia, where they met with the believers and encouraged them once more before leaving town.

Points of Interest:

• ‘Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God’—I think Paul and Silas have every reason to complain, but instead they choose to praise God. And that praise not only unlocks their chains but also changes the lives of an entire jail–guard included–for the better. It’s hard to overstate the power of praising God in all circumstances.
• ‘Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights’—at  first, the jailor is afraid of what the authorities will do to him for letting the prisoners escape. Then, he’s even more afraid of whoever it is who can seemingly cause an earthquake at will. When he sees that Paul and Silas mean him no harm, but in fact have good news for him, his fear quickly changes to relief, joy, and faith.
• ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household.’—as in Lydia’s case the jailor’s whole household follow his decision to believe in Jesus. I think it’s easy to think of faith as an individualistic thing. But we affect one another more than we think. What happens to this jailer has an impact on his family and friends too.

Taking it home:

• Through you: What has been getting you down lately? Often we are tempted to believe that God or life will always give us second best. Praise is a great antidote to self-pity. It reminds us, deep down to the core, that God is not just theoretically good, but actually good to us personally. Practice praising God today for the good things–and even in the hard things–in your life.
• Through your six: Pray that your six would have earth-shattering experiences of God’s goodness toward them, just like the Philippian jailer.
• Through our church: At the end of this passage, Paul and Silas hand off responsibility for this still rather new work of God to the Philippians, give them a hearty encouragement, and move on. Pray for good transfers of leadership in our church. Pray for successful hand-offs, filled with an abundance of cheerful encouragement.