In Chap. 13 we see the spread of Christianity from Judea into other regions of the Roman Empire, first to the Jew and then to the Greek (as Gentiles were referred to). There is a lot of background information in chapter 13; so, not to make this chapter too long, it is being divided into two weeks. 

As we see in v.2, the Holy Spirit is a Person, not a force. Laying on of hands is a sign of being set apart for a specific service. We will take a closer look at these disciples who played a significant role in spreading the Gospel message beyond Judea.

In Acts 9:27, when Saul returned to Jerusalem, Barnabas is the one that brought him to the apostles because they were fearful of Saul who had set out to destroy “the Way” considering it a heresy. Barnabas also defended Gentile converts against Judaizes who insisted that they be circumcised in the same way as converts to Judaism had been. In Acts 15, Paul & Barnabas have a fallen out and part company (to be discussed then--so stay tuned). 

Niger was the Latin name given to Simeon as described on the slide, especially when dealing with the Gentile, Roman world. 

As shown on the map, the Niger river in Africa (yellow arrow) runs through the country of Nigeria (star). The river was the basis for naming the country Nigeria. 

As noted on the slide, Lucius of Cyrene was one of the founders of the Church in Antioch, Syria. When we think of Christianity in general, we tend to think of Europe. But northern Africa played a significant role in the early church. Both there and the Middle East constituted the cradle of Christianity. Origen of Alexandria (184-253 AD) was a noted church historian.

Essenes were zealots believed responsible for copying the Dead Sea scrolls to preserve them.  When Herod died his kingdom was divided between his 4 sons. Herod Antipas was to whom Pontius Pilot sent Jesus—because He was a Galilean—to stand trial.  Map shows how Herod’s kingdom was divided between his 4 sons. 

Barnabas and Saul’s missionary journey began as directed by the Holy Spirit in v.2, which began by ship to the Island of Cyprus as shown on the next slide.

Saul, a.k.a. Paul set out on his first missionary journey, shown on the map on the next slide. The John noted in v.5 was John Mark, the son of a well-to-do Christian woman in Jerusalem, whose house appears to have been the resort of the brethren as early as the period of Peter’s miraculous deliverance from prison described in chap. 12.

The cities of Salamis (v.5) and Paphos (v.6) are on the isle of Cyprus as shown. Paul and Barnabas’ journey began at the port city of Seleucia, about 16 miles south of Antioch, Syria. The distance from Seleucia to Salamis is about 130 miles by sea in the type of ship shown on the previous slide. 

Shaded area on map is the Mediterranean Sea; white area is land. Map shows Paul’s first missionary journey which is covered in chapters 13 & 14, starting at Isle of Cyprus, then over into Roman Asia (currently Asia Minor in modern day Turkey)—their departure and return was the port city of Seleucia just south of Antioch in Syria. 

This expanded map puts Paul’s first missionary journey into perspective with what constituted the Eastern Roman Empire (later referred to as the Byzantine Empire), that collapsed in 1453 AD when invaded by the Islamic Ottoman Turks. The western portion of the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD due to internal decline. No longer capable of defending itself, it fell to Germanic tribes from the north. The Roman Empire then, provided safe travel on land and sea, which provided fertile ground for spreading the Gospel. 

The Roman Empire, and its established order (Pax Romana: established law and order that preserved peace between the different ethnic groups within the Empire, thus providing protection on both land and sea), and a common language of Koine Greek due to the conquest of Alexander the Great, both of which opened that part of the world for spreading the Gospel. Law and Order and a common language laid the groundwork for Paul and Barnabas’ travels by God's sovereign grace.

Photo shows ruins of ancient Paphos. Paul and Barnabas met two sorcerers, Bar-Jesus and Elymas. Sorcery is the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits especially for divining. The name Jesus is said to have been popular in first-century Judea. For this reason, our Lord was often called “Jesus of Nazareth,” distinguishing Him by His childhood home, the town of Nazareth in Galilee. Bar-Jesus means “son-of-Jesus”, a translation of “son-of-Joshua”. 

In addition to what’s noted, what does it mean to be “a child of the devil” as stated in v.10? Next slide…

Both socerers, Elymas and Bar-Jesus, had an influence on the Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was either the governor or military leader of the city/region. Paul’s comments certainly would have had an impact. 

Was the blindness that came over Elymas—the Sorcerer and False Prophet—the work of the Holy Spirit? The obvious answer has to be “yes”. Why? What made it significant? It must have impacted Sergius Paulus, a Roman official who recognized power, and who was under the influencer of Elymas and Bar-Jesus.  

This highlights the power of Paul for sharing God’s Word. From here forward, Saul is better known as Paul, which is the Roman (i.e., Latin) form of the Hebrew name, Saul. 

From Paphos they traveled to Antioch in Pisidia. A region that passed into Roman hands in 25 B.C. during rein of Augustus Caesar, who transformed the region into a Roman colony and transplanted large numbers of Roman citizens and a substantial minority of Jewish inhabitants, many of whom were merchants and shop keepers. 

Synagogue worship services on the Sabbath included reading of the Law (exposition) and the Prophets (application), concluding with a benediction. The verses don’t tell us why they invited Paul and Barnabas to come and speak to them. Perhaps they heard about Jesus, who was a Jew, many professed to be the long awaited Messiah, and wanted to understand what Paul’s message was all about. Perhaps Paul had already introduced himself to the leadership; having been educated as a Pharisee may have piqued their interest. 

Pisidia Antioch (an ancient Greek city before Rome) is about 100 miles north of Perga, and 3,600 feet above sea level. So it was an uphill trek. To distinguish it from Antioch in Syria, it was called “Antioch in Pisidia” or “Pisidia Antioch”. Its ruins are near the current city of Antakya, in modern day Turkey. Today, that entire region is Islamic, which will be part of a future study on how the then Christian world succumbed to Islam.

Remnants of the once prosperous and flourishing ancient Roman/Greek city of Pisidia Antioch. A once great empire brought to destruction as other great empires before it. A reason why we need to pray for the United States of America. Our current Foundations GPS study in Heritage Lounge, Sunday at 9:00 A,M., is on the “Power of Prayer”, and how to pray accordingly. 

Pray that the Holy Spirit may awaken those in authority, including the U.S. Congress, the Presidential Administration, state and local elected officials, and the American people. Pray for wisdom and protection for our Pastor, his family and our church. 

What does it take to be a fully committed disciple of Jesus Christ? Adrian Rogers’ 34-minute message: How to Be a Fully Committed Disciple of Jesus, provides insight. 

https://youtu.be/0DimGAL9TS4

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End of
The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 13 (part 1)

I was reminded that “six weeks is the average attention span for any topic”, including the Book of Acts, which contains 28 chapters. So, we will take a brief intermission. Our previous interlude followed Acts chapter 7. We’ll return with chapter 13, as it moves away from Judea and turns its focus toward the Gentile world, including the people and regions of the ancient Roman Empire.

In Psalm 139 King David, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, provides insight into our relationship with God. An awesome, all-wise and all-knowing God, who not only sees, but understands every aspect of who we are, including our inner most thoughts and deepest secrets.

God has perfect knowledge of man—past, present and future. Psalm 139 is considered one of the most excellent of the Psalms of David, inspired as a pious devout meditation upon the doctrine of God's omniscience! God is not out there somewhere, but right here, right now. Nothing we do is hidden from His sight. It encourages us to form a closer relationship in our daily walk with Him. 

Time itself, every second of each year, encompassing all of history, is laid out before God like a tapestry. We are told in Isa 46:10, I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 

God knows each beat of our heart and every inner most thought. We have a unique relationship with Him that’s not possible with any other. In the Bible, King David is referred to as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22). A relationship made possible for us in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—there is no other way to bridge the gap that separated us from God.

God not only sees our every action, but He foresees our every thought, even before we do. God sees every future occurrence that will touch our life, even before they occur. He is all knowing, all wise, all powerful, and yes, all merciful. 

He knows what we will do even before we do it. He sees every occurrence before they happen, including our inner most thoughts and unspoken words before they are formed. With our mind and heart turned toward Him, He guides us in all our ways, as a loving and caring Father, watchful over every moment of our life.

No matter where we are and where we go in our walk with Him we are literally secure in His hands. Even in the best and the worst of times. V.6 reminds us that such knowledge is beyond our understanding, especially during difficult times, when we wonder, “Where is God?”. But, as we are told in v.5, He has not abandoned nor forsaken us.

God is everywhere present. He knows all—what was, what is, and what is yet to come. Like a tapestry, all of time and history are laid out before Him. He is everywhere present and there is nowhere we can flee from His presence. When we place our faith and trust in Him, His hand will guide us and we will be secure in His presence. His Holy Spirit abides with us. 

There is no escape from His presence—in both good times and bad, He is there. He is preparing our eternal destiny. He created us for a reason; shaping and molding who we will be, preparing a place for us in the new heaven and new earth—a joy and blessing we could never imagine. 

We cannot hide from His presence at any moment or in any situation. Even in sin, He sees us, and calls for repentance and return to fellowship. We cannot escape His presence, nor should we want to. Cling to fellowship with Him always and everywhere, even at this very moment. He has not forsaken us, nor should we turn away from Him. 

Think about what the words are telling us in v.13-14, that He knitted us together in our mother’s womb from the very moment of conception; creating us as a distinct individual. We are carefully crafted, with every cell woven together; one of a kind, distinct from every human ever born or yet to be born, even in our final eternal destiny with Him we will be unique in and of Christ Jesus. 

Even before we were conceived, He knew each of us in a personal way. There are no clones, only unique individuals. 

His thoughts provide a sense of comfort and pleasure in our soul, to fill us with a pleasant admiration of God. Taking comfort each day of our life; aware of our special relationship with God the Father, in faith through His Son Jesus Christ, being “born again” through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

V.19-20 are a reminder that sin and wickedness are a stumbling blocks to our relationship with a Holy and just God, and offer encouragement to separate ourselves from any sinful pleasure that may distract our attention away from our walk with Him. 

We are told not to embrace sin, nor encourage sinful actions, or walk in the ways of sinful pleasure. 

Standing before Him with a holy and joyful satisfaction through the merits of Jesus Christ, through whom we may appeal to God in every aspect of our life. 

David’s words served as a prayerful meditation for him, just as they can for us. 

Amen!

Stay mindful of this truth, that God's plan for our life, exceed all daily circumstances, no matter what they may be. May God bless you and yours today, tomorrow, and always! 

End of Reflections on Psalm 139

Chapter 12 opens with the Apostle Peter on trial. 

God sends an angel to rescue Peter, which also serves as a lesson in prayer. 

Herod Agrippa, noted here, saw those who professed Christ, as a threat and had James the brother of John—one of the 12 apostles—put to death (AD 44). Since it pleased the Jewish leaders, he decided to take it a step further by arresting Peter. Herod Agrippa was the son of Herod Antipas who killed John the Baptist. 

Herod placed extra guards as an additional precaution, to ensure that Peter could not escape.

Additional precautions were taken, and Peter was bound with chains between two soldiers—that’s how determined Herod was to put Peter on trial. But God had other plans. An angel of the Lord appeared (v.7) and foiled Herod's evil plot.

Peter was woken up by the angel; the vision was almost like a dream to him, especially being chained to two prison guards, who slept through it all, nor did they wake up when Peter’s chains dropped away. Even the two soldiers standing guard at the prison’s entrance, were not alerted; they most likely dozed off—a capital offense in and of itself. 

The angel continued to escort Peter out of the jail—past both squads of soldiers. It also gave Peter the confidence to leave without fear. Once on the outside, the angel left him. 

Peter’s fear and apprehension vanished, when he realized the angelic rescue was real, and that God sent an angel to lead him out of jail; and perhaps told him to go to Mary's house where they were praying for him. 

So, Peter went directly to Mary’s house, where believers had gathered to pray for his safety, and perhaps even his release. Of course no one anticipated or even suspected that an angel would release Peter from prison. 

When the servant girl went to the door in response to Peter’s knocking, she was so excited that she ran back into the house to tell them that Peter was at the door. Why didn’t she just open the door? The next slide helps to explain. 

We saw back in v.5 that the disciples were earnestly praying for Peter, yet when the servant girl told them Peter was at the door, they doubted it—even thinking it could possibly be his guardian angel. They prayed for something to happen, yet had difficulty believing it actually happened. Q. Have you every prayer fervently for something and yet were astonished when God answered that prayer? Perhaps, even the healing of a friend or loved one? Never be surprised at the power of prayer, which we will study beginning Sunday, June 29th 9:00 A.M. in Heritage Lounge.

We can be certain that the power of prayer became a reality for them. Peter only stayed long enough to explain how he was released by the angel. Perhaps he was directed by the angel to do so to show them that their prayers were not in vain. 

Not knowing what happened regarding Peter’s disappearance, Herod had ordered a search for him. This tells us that the guards had no idea of the angelic visit—and their inability to explain Peter’s escape cost them their lives. Only Peter saw the angel. Did you ever see or hear an angel? Some of us did, really. 

Here Herod quarrels with the people of Tyre and Sidon. These cities (marked by a star on the map) were high-traffic Phoenician port cities, and not agricultural areas, as such they imported their food from Herod. 

Wanting to stay on Herod's good side, they praised him as a god. Herod accepted their praise, a common practice across much of the known world at the time, even in Rome itself, where the emperor was proclaimed a god. Accepting the praise for himself as a god, he was truck down by an angel. Two angels are noted in this chapter, showing the interaction of angels with man. The mid-2020 posting on this blog included a study of angels dated 05/31-06/07. 

At the end of chapter 12, God’s word began to spread to the Gentile world. The first 12 chapters of Acts were focused on Judea & Samaria. Beginning in chapter 13, Acts reaches out to other areas of the Roman world, with the Gospel being spread by Barnabas and Saul, including a mention of John Mark. Who exactly was John Mark?

Barnabas and Mark were cousins. John Mark is noted as the author of the Gospel of Mark. Some commentators speculate that John Mark did not write the Gospel of Mark, that Peter did. But the mainstream of biblical scholars believe he is the author of the Gospel of Mark. Because of their close association, Peter is believed to have been the primary source of information for Mark's Gospel—I’ll stick with that one. Somehow Peter did not come across as an author, even under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As an example, 1st and 2nd Peter are relatively short letters compared to Paul’s epistles (letters). 

Since the focus of Acts is shifting from Judea to across the Roman Empire, we will close this chapter with a brief outline of events, as shown on the slide, of the Book of Acts.

One of the principal messages in this chapter, is Peter being released from prison by an angel. An angel appears twice in chapter 12 which clearly tells us that angels do interact with man, even when they are unseen. And I can’t help but think of the power of prayer since Peter first went directly to those praying for him. 

Christianity began spreading across the Gentile world in Acts 13, by word of mouth, since no one had a written Bible at the time. Was the theology being spread always 100% correct? Paul's letters to the churches, often served to correct their beliefs and practices. How can we spot false Christianity in today's church? Does just professing Jesus make one a Christian? Adrian Rogers’ 44-miunute message on "Counterfeit Christianity" explains. We’re you born again? Is it a question you may even be pondering? His message is definitely worth listening too. 

https://youtu.be/JnxeRR9c44U

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For the glory of God, that our Nation and its leaders may turn back to Him in their thoughts, decisions and policies. Pray for our church, our congregation, our Pastor and his family, that God’s glory may prevail. I offer my prayers for everyone viewing this blog, today, yesterday and tomorrow. Amen! 

End of

The Acts of the Apostles

Chapter 12