Acts

Commissioned:  Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus Prays: My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:20-21  

When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him. Acts 28:16

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance! Acts 28:30-31

The book of Acts ends with Paul chained to a soldier in his own rented house in Rome. However, he was not prevented from teaching about Jesus Christ and proclaiming the kingdom of God to anyone and everyone who visited him. And the soldiers who rotated through as guards must have heard Paul’s message many times over. Philippians 1:13 mentions that the palace guard and everyone had learned that he was in chains for Christ. And people would be talking about Paul and coming to see him and hear the message and it would spread.

Looking back to Acts 2:5-11 we see that the people who heard about Jesus were from many parts of the known world. In Acts 2:41 we see that about 3,000 people believed and became disciples. From then until Stephen was stoned many more people joined the disciples, brought by both the preaching and teaching, and also by the life example of the apostles and other believers. Then, after Stephen was stoned and persecution broke out against the church, all but the apostles scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

And these believers took the message back, probably to the place they came from. And the gospel spread slowly, by word of mouth, by letters, by the writings that would become Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the letters from Paul, Peter, James, John and Jude and those who received them and the daily living of people through the centuries and now to us.

Most especially, Jesus was praying for each of us before his crucifixion and as the risen and ascended Christ, seated with his Father, he is praying for each of us by name now! Think about this! Jesus is praying for you! By name! Let the wonder of that wash over you, especially now as we head into the Advent season. Jesus, whose birth we will celebrate soon is with his Father, praying for you.

By Carolyn Schmitt

When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. Acts 27:1

The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. Acts 27:3-4

We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. Acts 27:8-12

Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” Acts 27:33-34

Acts 27 tells a story full of danger, faith, arrogance, selfishness, humility, prayer and terror in the midst of a storm. Sounds like a movie, right? Wrong! This story is true and there is much to observe, learn and discern in this chapter. Read through Acts 27. Now, go back and look at what Paul says in this chapter. Who told Paul what would happen if they set sail from Crete? Look at the decisions the Centurion made in this story. What kind of voyage did the ship have from the time they left Sidon?

What sort of advice does Paul give the Centurion in Acts 27:10? Whose advice does the Centurion listen to in Acts 27:11? Luke tells us in Acts 27:9 that, “it was after the Fast,” meaning it was after the Day of Atonement, which was usually in late September or October. Keep in mind sailing on the Mediterranean Sea was a difficult prospect after the middle of September and many considered it to be suicidal after the middle of November.

Fourteen days in hurricane force winds, being blown west, with no way to steer, no way to navigate, afraid the ship would fall apart and all would be drowned, had to be a terrifying experience for all 267 on board. Read Acts 27:21-24 again. Take note of Paul’s confidence in God and His provision. In Acts 27:31-32 a change has occurred in the Centurion, who now listens to Paul and follows his advice. Notice the attitude the Centurion has toward Paul in Acts 27:43. Did everything God said through his servant Paul occur? Compare how the soldiers, sailors and the Centurion made decisions when the shipwreck occurred.

Who was the Lord of this ship? Who is the Lord of your life? Take some time to think about the different areas in your life. Have you given all areas over to God’s control? Perhaps, it is hard to listen to God’s advice in certain areas of your life. Perhaps God’s way does not seem sensible, reasonable or even logical to you. The Centurion in Acts 27 learns, listens, and humbles himself to listen to the advice of one of his prisoners because his prediction – that God gave him – came true. Paul and God were proven to be trustworthy. God is trustworthy in our lives as well. Give God the opportunity to be Lord over all of your life.

By Grace Hunter

Read Acts 26

I will praise you to all my brothers; I will stand up before the congregation and testify of the wonderful things you have done. Psalm. 22:22

Acts 26 records the story of the Apostle Paul brought before King Agrippa to receive an official pronouncement of charges against him. If you’re reading from one of those red letter Bibles, you’ll notice Paul uses Jesus’ words as part of his defense. These words came from Paul’s supernatural revelation on the road to Damascus and Paul uses his humiliating and life-changing encounter with Jesus to testify to what happened when he had to answer to the God of the Universe. Here, Paul stands before the court of an earthly king and doesn’t hesitate to speak up on behalf of how the king of all kings intervened for his deliverance.

Paul’s influence from this moment on has shifted the way Christians define the noun “testimony.” Where once testimony was a formal statement given in the court of law, Christians now apply “testimony” as a spoken proclamation of what the Lord has done in their lives.

In a letter to his protege Timothy, Paul wrote, “never be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner.” (2 Timothy 1:8a) Similarly, the disciple John writes in his prophetic word to those in the last days, “They triumphed over [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11a)

Testimony triumphs. Speaking up on behalf of what God has done in our lives won’t necessarily rescue us from the hands of our earthly captors, but it will free us from our battle against the real enemy. When we speak aloud as God’s children, we agree with the King of all kings and take back our rightful authority overcoming the devil and his schemes. So, how have you personally experienced Jesus recently? Ask Jesus to arrange a moment for you to speak up on behalf of what God’s done in your life and intentionally take the opportunity he’s set before you today.

By Yvonne Biel

Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” Acts 25:10-12

There are many things about God’s economy that are counterintuitive. Things like “the first shall be last,” “love your enemies,” and “consider others more important than yourself.” It is counterintuitive because our fallen nature doesn’t naturally operate like that. God teaches us to operate differently from our nature; he, too, works differently than we expect. The final chapters of Acts give an example of that. What we find in these closing chapters are oppositions to Paul and his message.

Paul finds himself in multiple jail cells, standing before various judges, and ultimately shipped to Rome to be tried in the highest court. The unexpected part of all of this is how God uses each step to advance the message of salvation. Paul preaches to influential political leaders; he shipwrecks on an island of an unreached people group and preaches to them. Finally, he finds himself in prison in Rome but he preaches openly without hindrance (Acts 28:30-31). Read in isolation, these chapters don’t show us the pattern. But if you compare this to other texts, it seems that God delights in working this way. God seems to revel in the opportunity to advance his goodness despite and through opposition. When he does, he proves himself to be the King of Kings.

If you look at your circumstances and doubt that God could work through them, maybe that is when he wants: to work mightily. Listen to the song “Battle Belongs” By Phil Wickham and remember that God is at work beyond our weakness. He works beyond our capacity, and he moves beyond the barriers.

By Aaron Bjorklund

…these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin—unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’” (Acts 24:20(b)-21 NIV)

“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:15-18 NIV)

Some who study the prophetic warnings given to Paul prior to his final journey to Jerusalem believe Paul overrode God’s voice and plunged into unnecessary danger. Others believe Paul was more focused on reaching both Jews and Gentiles with the Gospel than risk management.
Whatever side of that argument you favor, Acts 24-28 pictures the accused and arrested Paul taking advantage of illuminated cracks shining through seemingly closed doors all the way from Jerusalem to Rome. The result was that he escaped certain death and continued preaching the resurrection of Jesus to the upper tiers of Jewish and Gentile power.

I know God’s ways are not our ways but my humanity is often uncomfortable with the idea that unjust accusations and imprisonment could be the best way to open doors for the Gospel. My first reaction to contemporary situations where the Gospel seems silenced by powerful opposition too often takes the form of hand-wringing or doom saying.

Paul’s mindset in Acts 24-28 encourages me to take another approach. His thoughts and words show conviction that the eternal presence of Jesus illuminates potentially disastrous situations. This mindset enabled him to be bold in every circumstance recorded in his last missionary journey.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:1-4).

John 1:1-4 reveals the immense power Jesus had shown to Paul, not only at his conversion, but in so many ways after. Meditate on these verses and ask to see the light of Jesus’ resurrection shining through a door you thought was closed or a circumstance you’ve thought was hopeless.

By Kathleen Petersen

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship —and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. Acts 17:22-27 NIV

If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I Corinthians 9:17-22 NIV

This sermon of Paul’s in Athens at the meeting of the Areopagus is unique in the book of Acts. Luke tells us Paul is waiting in Athens for Silas and Timothy to join him and that he has spoken to the Jews in the synagogue. Acts 17:16 informs us, “he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.” Paul considers his audience carefully, learns about the types of idols they are worshipping, then he uses this knowledge to present the gospel to members of the Areopagus.

Paul noticed, “an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD,” Acts 17:23. He uses this altar as a means of introducing the God of the universe to these people in Athens. I don’t think this was the only time he had done something like this, although this is the only example we have in Acts. Paul later wrote to the church at Colossae urging them to, “pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone,” Colossians 4:3-6.

I believe Paul took advantage of every opportunity to proclaim Christ as the Savior of the world to whomever he met, wherever he was. He encouraged the Colossians to do the same, but to do it with words that were, “always full of grace, seasoned with salt,” Colossians 4:6a. In I Corinthians 9:17-22 Paul talks of becoming like a Jew, or a Greek as needed in order to proclaim Christ to all. He concludes with, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some,” I Corinthians 9:22b.

How can we apply Paul’s example to ourselves? Perhaps we need to think carefully about the words we use, and treat each person with respect – when speaking to someone who does not have a relationship with Christ. An opening might be “How can I pray for you today, what needs do you have?” Most people feel loved, cared for and are willing to share if I offer to pray for them. Try this approach this week.

By Grace Hunter

When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. Acts 17:1-15

This chapter begins with a whirlwind of activity and it’s swarming with characters. Take a moment to observe all the characters in this first scene. We have leading characters like Paul and Silas bringing forth a message of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but also find many sideline characters such as the curious Jews, devout Greeks, leading ladies, jealous Jews, wicked men, swindler types, mean mobsters, as well as Jason and a few of his brothers. Not to mention the crowds and the city authorities who were quite disturbed by that day’s traumatic event.

Luke seems to highlight a stark contrast between the overwhelming number of “bad characters” (poneros) in Thessalonica with the number of “noble characters” (eugenes) in Berea. Berea was swarming with a whole different genre of characters. They were of nobility yet they were also noble-minded, ready to receive words of truth with eagerness and willing to examine new ideas with careful attention. And that day resulted in many Berean men and women filled with faith.

Good stories usually involve both heroic and villainous characters. In today’s reading, it’s interesting how those with good quality character are noble in all senses of the word while those society knows to be swindlers and of bad nature are called upon to create a scene resulting in bad qualities of disorder and dissension.

Where would you be in this story? If you heard new ideas about someone rising from the dead how would you have first responded? Spend some time sharing your thoughts with Jesus and ask him what he has to say about your character.

By Yvonne Biel

The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got–all those idols!  The city was a junkyard of idols!

He discussed it with the Jews and other like-minded people at their meeting place. And every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along. He got to know some of the Epicureans and Stoic intellectuals pretty well through these conversations. Some of them dismissed him with sarcasm: “What a moron!”  But others, listening to him go on about Jesus and the resurrection, were intrigued: “That’s a new slant on the gods. Tell us more.”   

These people got together and asked him to make a public presentation over at the Areopagus, where things were quieter. They said, “This is a new one on us. We’ve never heard anything quite like it. Where did you come up with this anyway?”  Explain it so we can understand.” Downtown Athens was a great place for gossip. The people hanging around, natives and tourists alike, waiting for the latest tidbit on most anything.

So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. “It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously.  When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, TO THE GOD NOBODY KNOWS. I’m here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you’re dealing with” Acts 17:16-23, The Message

This passage brings up different aspects of the culture in which the gospel was spreading through those who had come to believe in Jesus and live in the truth of the good news of the gospel. Paul had, by the time he got to Athens, been living and growing in his love of Jesus for around 16 years since his experience on the road to Damascus. In Athens, the culture expressed itself in idols and lots of conversations on philosophy about how to live and worship.

Culture, by simple definition, is a society’s way of life, customs, traditions, heritage, habits and values. Some of the cultural things that show up in this passage are not too different from now, such as ethnicity, worship styles and ideas about how to live life.

Paul’s attitude and actions may help us as we navigate similar situations in our own lives. For instance: Paul wasn’t angry at particular people. He was angry about the delusion that the idols represented. He went first to discuss it with the Jews and other, “like minded” people. He built a relationship with people he met as he walked around the city and agreed to present what he had to say in a basic and clear way. He acknowledged their commitment to religion and worship. He was courteous in his introduction of the true God and appealed to their intelligence. He didn’t nag or pass judgement on them if they disagreed.

How would you define the culture you live in and possibly prefer? Who do you know that has different, or very different ideas from yours? Are there people who can give you counsel about how to approach the situation or person? Pray about the situation, the people and your desire for Christ in their life.

By Carolyn Schmitt

‘For though I be free from all men , yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. ‘ 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

We continue in our series through the book of Acts, and this week we are focused on Acts 17, but the text from 1 Corinthians 9 helps us understand Paul’s sermon in Acts 17. The discourse in Acts 17 is a prime example of Paul contextualizing the message of Jesus to help his audience understand. At first, this seems entirely natural for most of us, but the question we must ask is, how far can we go to contextualize the message of Jesus before it loses its core truth?

I confess the title of this post makes me a bit nervous a. You see, the scriptures are so dear to me, which is true for most of us. After all, the scriptures are the reason we know anything about Jesus. The No Bible Sermon is a title that causes me anxiety because I would generally frown upon a sermon not anchored in the scriptures. If I were to hear about a preacher who doesn’t even directly reference a passage of scripture, I would seriously doubt their authority, but that is precisely what we find in Paul’s sermon here. Instead of quoting from the scriptures, Paul quotes several secular (pagan) poets and points out visual illustrations from around the city. What are we to do with this?

We don’t have the time to unpack an entire theology of the scriptures (bibliology). Instead, I point to the implications of our/my discomfort. There is a tendency in the evangelical stream of Christianity to worship the scripture more than or equal to God. The truth is, God seems quite comfortable using all sorts of things to draw people to himself. God uses broken people, secular poets, storms, and more to communicate to his creation. God uses Paul’s sermon in Acts 17 to accomplish his goal even with its lack of scriptural references. Let us not reduce the God we worship to paper and ink. The text is just a means to knowing him.

Take a moment to thank God for giving us his word but then ask him to teach you to hear his voice through other means as well. Ask him to use nature, poetry, secular music, the conversation with a friend, and any other means to help you hear and know him.

By Aaron Bjorklund

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) Acts 17:16-21

A short 16 years ago the social media giant Facebook went international. Since then, a plethora of social media platforms have sprung up to offer “free” memberships, almost unlimited personal expression, and opportunities to link to a myriad of new and long lost friends and relatives. They have drawn billions into a planet wide Areopagus of news and ideas that have power to both thrill and threaten us.

Like Paul and me, you are likely distressed by the false and deadly ideas so easily glamorized and disseminated to the gullible and impressionable. The social media Areopagus and its surrounding marketplace can be fickle, volatile, and dangerous.

As we read further in Acts 17, Paul delivered his famous Areopagus or “Mars Hill” speech. In that speech he skillfully gathered bits and pieces of ideas familiar to his pagan audience in order to relate the message of the resurrected Jesus. The reaction of most of the audience to the speech was either dismissal or a false promise to hear him “later”. Only a couple people responded positively.

If you posted your most thoughtful appeal on social media to help your friends see the resurrection of Jesus as the answer to all human suffering and confusion, would you be intimidated and discouraged by the kind of dismissive or weak response received by Paul in Athens? Are you frightened you might be pursued by a politically motivated or religious mob as Paul was in Thessalonica and other cities? Yes, all those things are possible, even probable.

The possibilities also scare me. I want others to think well of me. I want to be the “nice” Christian who is adorable…superior to all the rest of the Christian rabble through the ages. Sometimes I think if I remain uncontroversial many will trust in Jesus because of me. But, so far, being uncontroversial has proved unsuccessful in attracting outsiders to Jesus.

How does my approach need to change? Adhering to a political agenda or intentionally starting an argument about a controversial subject will likely turn heads in the wrong direction. I believe Jesus is who He says He is. I want others to know Him too. What should I do?

Here is an idea for those of us not as bold or clever as the Apostle Paul. Stories are time-honored in their power to carry a truth message. Would you join me in asking Jesus to help communicate His truth to social media friends using real-life stories we’ve observed or experienced? Let’s see what might happen.

By Kathleen Petersen