Acts 18:12-22 — Paul In Corinth Part II

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In Part I, we left Paul teaching the word of God in Corinth. As we pick back up, we find Paul still in Corinth and getting in trouble again, something that happened almost everywhere he went. When Paul wrote, Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, he was speaking from experience. According to Paul, if your Christianity does not get you in trouble at times, you are not doing it right.

Father, thank You for our trials. It is an honor and a blessing to suffer persecution for your Son. Fill us now with your Spirit and give us understanding as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 18:12-22
12 And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat [Gk bema],

Gallio was the older brother of Seneca, the famous Roman senator. Whether Gallio was a good statesman or a bad statesman has been a matter of debate among commentators. As a libertarian, I have mixed feelings about Gallio, and I will explain why.

13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.

Their charge was more or less true, from a certain point of view. They were still living by the Old Covenant, and had not considered that maybe it was time for the New Covenant Jeremiah prophesied. (Jer 31:31) These Jewish fanatics are telling the Roman proconsul that Paul is not teaching the Scriptures correctly. Imagine going to the governor’s office in your state capital and telling him there is a guy in town who does not teach the Bible the right way. I recall an instance where church leaders actually did this, ie asked a secular leader to solve their dispute with other church leaders, with the same results we have here in Acts. The secular leader did not care, nor should he have.

14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:
15 But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.

In this respect, I like Gallio. He knows how to stay in his lane. He does not want to get involved in disputes between religious leaders over doctrine — especially concerning a religion that he does not practice or know much about.

16 And he drave them from the judgment seat.
17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.

Weirsbe has a little different take on verse 17 than I do. He says that Sosthenes was beaten by the ‘Greeks’ as an act of antisemitism. The word for ‘Greeks’ in the Majority Text is the same word used for Greek proselytes in other places in Acts. (Aleph and B remove the word, so it just says ‘they all beat Sosthenes’.) So either ‘all the Greeks’ beat Sosthenes, or ‘all the Greek proselytes in the synagogue’ beat Sosthenes. In cases like this, where there is some ambiguity, we have to rely on the Holy Spirit to interpret the meaning for us.

It appears to me that Sosthenes was beaten by Greek proselytes for receiving Christ and hosting Paul. Sosthenes and Crispus (v 8) may even be one and the same person. Many of the people in the Bible have two names (eg Silas/ Silvanus, Timothy/ Timotheus, Priscilla/ Prisca, Saul/ Paulus). In any case, if Sothenes was a successor to Crispus, he became a believer and a fellowservant of Paul (I Cor 1:1), the same as Crispus (I Cor 1:14).

Gallio judged that Paul had not broken any Roman laws. I like that he did not want to get involved with the matter in any way. On the other hand, the way Gallio looked on in indifference as Sosthenes was beaten is more of a gray area. Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Essentially, Franklin was saying war was preferable to tyranny. There can come a point when a government’s powers are so overbearing that any benefits obtained thereby are just not worth it. So what is the proper balance between liberty and safety? I would say your liberty to wave your fists around stops where my nose starts, but without anyone to enforce that, my nose might end up getting in the way of your fist. So in the case of Sosthenes, Gallio took the liberty of the ‘Greeks’ a little too far. From a libertarian perspective, the primary duty of the government is to protect people’s individual rights.

All that remains of the bema seat today is part of the foundation.

Partial foundation of the bema seat viewed from the north side
Acrocorinth can be seen in the background.

The remaining foundation is only one component of the bema seat, which was only one component of the larger Rostra complex. The bema seat was made of marble and had pillars, benches, and other rooms. The Rostra complex was likewise made of marble with pillars and central shops. On the east end was a circular monument. On the west end was a temple to Hermes.

Reconstruction of the Rostra complex, with the bema seat at the center

In his second Letter to the Corinthians, Paul said we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. (II Cor 5:10) This will probably be the most solemn occasion we will ever experience. We are going to review our lives, and Jesus will judge them. (John 5:22) We will give an account of every idle word we have ever said. (Matt 12:36) We are going to weep for all our shortcomings, our missed opportunities, and all of the ways we have failed Christ. If we are trusting in Christ alone by faith alone, having the seal of the Holy Spirit (ie if we have oil in our lamps), Jesus is going to wipe the tears from our eyes and say [E]nter thou into the joy of thy lord.

I once heard a story about someone who stood before the bema seat, and he was given a box, but Jesus told him he should probably not look inside. Eventually, curiosity got the best of him, and when he opened the box, he started to weep, because the box contained all the things that Jesus wanted to give him but couldn’t, because of his disobedience. Most parents know what it is like to want to give their child a present, only to be stopped from giving it to the child when he is naughty; to have to put it away and hope for a more opportune time in the future.

18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

In our last post, we saw that Paul had already been in Corinth teaching them the word of God for a year and a half. Now, Paul tarries there yet a good while. Paul wrote more to the Corinthians than to any other church. His Letters to them are filled with personal comments about what was happening in the church. He was certainly close to the Corinthian Christians. 

I love the way Paul picks up fellow travelers to serve on his team wherever he goes. Priscilla and Aquila are traveling with him to Ephesus. The vow Paul took was the vow of the Nazarite (Num 6), which Paul had the freedom to do, as a Jewish man under the New Covenant. He also had the freedom not to take a vow. For whatever reason, Paul wanted to take the vow.

Cenchrea is on the south side of the isthmus where Corinth is. Paul and Co walked there from Corinth and took a ship from Cenchrea to Ephesus. It may have been at this time that the church in Cenchrea was planted, or maybe when Paul first met Phoebe. (Rom 16:1) Today, there is an Apostle Paul Blvd in Cenchrea.

19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them [Priscilla and Aquila] there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

Paul was headed for Ephesus at the beginning of this, his second mission trip, but was directed by the Spirit to go to Macedonia. He may have even wanted to go to Ephesus on his first mission trip, yet was hindered by his thorn in the flesh. (Gal 4:13; II Cor 12:2, 7) Now, at the end of his second mission trip, Paul is finally here in Ephesus, opening the door for him to come back again on his third. That visit may prove to be Paul’s most glorious experience in the mission field. Priscilla and Aquila will be busy in Ephesus while Paul is away, as we will see in our next post.

20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

This reference to God’s will is easy to pass over, but it shows Paul’s reliance on the sovereignty of God. An understanding of the sovereignty of God is a great sedative, and it’s free. When I consider the sovereignty of God, I say, Okay, I may not have gotten what I wanted, but God is not done yet. I can trust Him. He knows what He is doing. (Rom 8:28)

22 And when he had landed at Cæsarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch [of Syria].
Acts 18:12-22

‘Gone up’ means gone up to Jerusalem. You always ‘go up’ to Jerusalem. Paul went ‘up’ to Jerusalem, but he went down to Antioch, even though Antioch is north of Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, Paul saluted the church before going back to his home church in Antioch.

Thus ends Paul’s second missionary journey. I do not know about you, but studying the life of Paul makes me feel wholly inadequate as a Christian. I feel like I am going to have no other option at the bema seat but to throw myself on the mercy of the Court. C T Studd famously wrote, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” C T Studd was right. Most of what we build in this life is only wood, hay, and stubble. It’s going to burn.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
I Corinthians 3:11-15

In closing, meditate on this classic poem by brother Studd:

Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past
by C.T. Studd

Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its days I must fulfill.
living for self or in His will;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

__ extra stanza __

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

Acts 18:1-11 — Paul In Corinth Part I

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In Acts 17, Paul was in Athens, where he wrote his first Epistles: I Thessalonians and II Thessalonians. In this post, Paul will move on to Corinth.

Fill us with your Holy Spirit, Father, and give us understanding as we read your word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 18:1-11
1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

Before the Battle of Corinth in 146 BC, Corinth was a powerful city-state, with many Corinthian settlements extending far beyond the city walls. After being conquered by the Romans, however, the entire region became Roman public property. By the time Paul arrived, Corinth was a Roman colony, the capital of the Roman province of Achaia.

In Athens, it was Athena who looked out over the city from high atop the Acropolis. In Corinth, it is Aphrodite. Aphrodite was the patroness not just of Corinth, but also of the many prostitutes in the city. These prostitutes took an active role in the annual festival of Aphrodesia, a celebration held in honor of Aphrodite. The temple to Aphrodite was built on the highest point of the acropolis overlooking Corinth, called Acrocorinth. As a licentious and hedonistic city, the word ‘Corinthian’ has become synonymous with licentiousness and hedonism. Corinth was also a center of trade. Because of Corinth’s unique location, there were always travelers coming and going.

Road leading to Acrocorinth

Ruins of the church, then the mosque, built where the temple of Aphrodite was.


Map of Corinth in Paul’s day

2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

Rabbis in the first century generally supported themselves with a trade. The rabbis famously said, He who does not teach his son a trade teaches him to be a thief. Paul’s trade was tentmaking. Paul said he had power to live off the gospel, but he did not use it in Corinth. (I Cor 9:11f)

Pricilla and Aquila were a dynamic Christian couple. They became Paul’s fellowservants and even risked their lives to help Paul. (Rom 16:3) They went on to host a home church in their house in Asia (I Cor 16:19) and also later in Rome (Rom 16:5). They will be instrumental in discipling Apollos, a mighty leader in the early church (v 28).

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Although Paul was busy tentmaking to pay the bills, he was faithful to evangelize in the synagogue on the sabbath. Opportunities probably arose throughout his workweek as well.

5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

II Corinthians 11:9 says that Silas and Timothy brought a gift from the Christians in Macedonia, which was undoubtedly a great help to Paul. It probably allowed him to spend more time ministering the gospel and less time tentmaking. We are seeing a real team effort here: Paul’s friends back in Macedonia, Silas, Timothy, Priscilla and Aquila, plus more to come below (Justus, Crispus and his family, Apollos). This is among the most rewarding aspects of ministering the gospel, the friends and fellowservants who you meet who help you along the way.

6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

Paul also said this in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:46), yet he continued going to the synagogue whenever he went to a new town, and he will continue to do so. Paul did not mean he would go unto the Gentiles, period. He meant he would go unto the Gentiles in Corinth. When he goes to Ephesus in Acts 19, he will go to the synagogue as he always does.

7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.

Justus’ full name may have been Titus Justus, or possibly even Gaius Titus Justus. I will leave that for you to investigate further should you feel so inclined.

8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

This part of the narrative reminds me of an experience I had in Mudzimurema, Zimbabwe — a little town that was full of thieves. When my friends and I arrived there, we were not received warmly, and I was thinking about moving on to a different town, but one of my friends had a dream telling us there was fruit in the town that was ripe for picking. We ended up having great meetings, and the next night, people were knocking on our door to get saved. Some of the people who seemed least likely to get saved did get saved. We also found there were many others in the town besides the rough-looking guys we met when we first arrived. There were families and nice people there.

Corinth was a wicked city with a bad reputation, but there were lots of people there, and where there are people, there is a mission field. Verses 9 and 10 have spoken to me personally in many different cities I have visited throughout my travels. I have found that when I will just open my mouth and give out the gospel, people will almost always respond. I have never had a hair of my head harmed for doing so. I have been harassed in lots of different ways, but I have never been worse for wear. One guy tried to hit me once in Vasco Da Gama, but I slipped out of it, and he didn’t connect well enough to get me. I told him I wasn’t afraid of him, and he eventually left. He got his hand broken (or hurt badly) almost immediately after leaving us. I didn’t have any more trouble from him after that.

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Acts 18:1-11

I think Paul was discouraged after the opposition he met in verse 6, or else Jesus would not have had to encourage him in verses 9 and 10. Paul was encouraged, and he stayed to teach the word in Corinth for another year and a half. Paul did not give up; he persevered with some help from his friends.

Ajay Haridasse collapsed from exhaustion as he was approaching the finish line at the Boston Marathon last week, but he did not give up. He fell three more times and was getting ready to crawl when another runner, Aaron Beggs stopped to help him. This inspired a third runner, Robson De Oliveira to help as well. All three, from three different countries, and all dying of exhaustion, crossed the finish line together. Never give up, and when you see someone who needs help, be sure to help. (Matt 7:12) Paul could not have accomplished all he did without help.

Paul’s life illustrates the principle that the more you put into practice the truths that God reveals to you, the more He will continue to reveal. As Paul obediently went where God sent him, the going got harder and harder, but Paul kept going. As Paul continued in obedience, God continued to reveal more and more to him. He was given sign gifts and worked miracles. He spoke in tongues. He wrote beautiful Epistles that are still changing lives today. The fruit of Paul’s journeys was not just the souls that were saved, but the formation of the New Testament. Now that’s what I call a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In closing, let’s take a closer look at verse 2. Priscilla and Aquila had to leave Rome when Claudius Caesar kicked the Jews out of the city. Persecution because of antisemitism is something that we Gentiles do not think much about, but for a Jew, antisemitism is an ever-present danger, and it is drastically increasing in our day. The closer we get to the rapture, the more antisemitism we are seeing.

Antisemitism will not last forever. We even see a subtle allusion to this in Romans 16:3-5. Priscilla and Aquila eventually moved back to Rome. When Jesus returns, Jerusalem will be the capital of the world, and people from every country will annually flow to Israel to worship Messiah and keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Those who do not go up to Jerusalem during the millennium to worship Messiah and keep the Feast of Tabernacles will not receive rain. (Zec 14:16f)

Acts 17:15-34 – Paul In Athens

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

When we left off in our last post, the troublemakers from Thessalonica pursued Paul to Berea, causing him to flee once more. This persecution kept Paul moving and, in turn, spreading the gospel even more.

In Acts 17, we get a closer look at the world of the New Testament period. Before Christianity triumphed over paganism, the ancient world was a very bizarre place.

As our section opens, Paul is being conducted by sea to Athens, while Silas and Timothy stay behind in Berea and Thessalonica. This allowed them to minister to the new believers who needed discipleship.

Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit and open our understanding as we read your precious word. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 17:15-34
15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

After they drop Paul off in Athens, he gives them a message to take back to Silvanus and Timothy: Come to Athens as soon as possible. When they come, they have a list of questions from the Christians in Thessalonica. It was at this time that Paul wrote I Thessalonians. Then they returned with more questions, so Paul wrote II Thessalonians. Later, Timothy and Silas joined Paul again in Corinth to continue on the mission trip. (Acts 18:5)

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

The patroness of Athens was, of course, Athena. According to legend, Athena bested Poseidon in a contest for patronage of Athens by creating an olive tree. Her idol in the Parthenon atop the Acropolis was 39’ tall, 43’ tall including the base. Made of ivory and clothed in gold, the statue of Athena was a powerful idol, inasmuch as its aesthetic beauty made it very enticing.

For example, many in Southern India worship the folk deity, Muneeswarar, which is nothing more than an oval rock, about 15” long, painted orange, with a horizontal thick black line for a mouth and two X’s for eyes, also made with thick black lines.


AI-generated image

If people will worship that, how much more would they be enticed to worship the colossal image of Athena Parthenos, “Athena the Virgin”? I suspect this is why the Acropolis Museum in Athens does not have a replica. The museum has a small hologram that shows what the idol looked like:

    If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
    And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
    This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
Job 31:26-28

The Roman counterpart to Athena was Minerva. She was therefore worshiped in one form or another throughout the empire. Expanding on the teaching of the Old Testament, Paul wrote that behind every idol a devil is waiting to be worshiped (Deut 32:17; Ps 106:37; I Cor 10:20f), whether it be the sun, the moon, Athena, or Muneeswarar.

Athena was just one of the many idols worshiped in Athens. (More on that below.) Seeing how the city was wholly given to idolatry, a righteous indignation was stirred in Paul. If there is one sin that God really hates, it is idolatry—so much so that God forbade his people to even utter the names of the idols worshiped by the heathen nations. (Ex 23:13)

17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

What was it that Paul was disputing in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons? The Jews did not worship idols. The Babylonian captivity cured them of that, even unto today. Paul was disputing the same thing he preached everywhere he went, the resurrection of Christ.

In the market (Gk agora), Paul got the attention of the Epicureans, who were libertines, and the Stoics, who were ascetics.


The market, viewed from the north
(The Areopagus is directly behind the market, below the Acropolis.)

18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?


This screenshot shows where Paul started in the marketplace (the upper-left quarter of the image) before they took him to the Areopagus (lower-left quarter of the image).

20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

The Areopagus was dedicated to Ares, the god of war. His Roman counterpart was Mars. Dr Luke gives us the Greek name, Areopagus (lit Hill of Ares), as well as the Latin name in verse 22, Mars’ Hill. This is where the Areopagus Council met to judge cases of murder, sacrilege, and arson.


The summit of Mars’ Hill viewed from the Acropolis

The fact that they led Paul to Mars’ Hill shows that they were interested in hearing what he had to say. Paul had a captive audience, as they are very much into the art of oratory. Paul does not disappoint:

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

It is commonly said today that a better translation of ‘too superstitious’ would be ‘very religious’. Those who make this claim say that Paul would not start by rebuking the Athenians but would rather compliment them. I suppose these same folks would have John the Baptist beginning with ‘O generation of religious brethren, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come’. All kidding aside, Paul’s message is filled with rebukes against idolatry. It would not make much sense, therefore, for him to begin by commending them for it.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

The Athenians had an altar for every god, but if there was a god they did not know about, they did not want to offend him, so they made an altar for him, just in case. Paul is here to tell them about their UNKNOWN GOD.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Paul made this declaration in the midst of a city filled with temples—on Mars’ Hill, where there were many sanctuaries, including that of the Erinyes, or the Furies to the Romans. Directly above was the temple of Athena on the Acropolis.


The Acropolis viewed from Nymphs Hill at nightfall

25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

First Paul attacks their temples, then he attacks the idols inside their temples. Paul’s reference to ‘men’s hands’ was a direct reference to idoatry, ie the work of men’s hands. (Deut 4:28; II Kings 19;18; Ps 115:4; Ps 135;15; Isa 37:19) The Athenians felt their idols honored God, but Paul dispelled this idea. If for no other reason, you have to admire Paul for his bravery. Preaching against idolatry in Athens would be like preaching against basketball in the Crypto.com Arena. 

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

Because of their fine architecture, their famous philosophers, their theaters, and the arts, the Athenians thought they were a ‘cut above the rest’. Paul is rebuking their conceit. We have all been made of one blood (ie Adam). The ‘time before appointed’ in their day was the beginning of the church age following the first coming of Christ. In our day, the ‘time before appointed’ is the closing of the church age and the second coming of Christ. They owe their Greek pedigree, which they are so proud of, to God, as He set the bounds of their habitation.

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

The idea that you are closer to God when you go to a temple (or a church) is still widespread today. This was one of the tenets of the Reformation, and born-again Christians understand that one can be just as close to God in his garage or his basement as in a church.

Paul drives his point home by quoting a couple of their Greek poets, Aratus of Soli and Cleanthes. Both had written odes to Zeus, which said, ‘We are his offspring.” Paul does not put a fine point on it to clarify his meaning. They know what he means. Luke 3:38 says Adam was the son of God (cf Gen 2:7).

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

Again Paul strikes at their false gods, which were made of gold, silver, and stone.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

The age in which God closed his eyes to their idolatry was so brief from God’s perspective that it was just a wink, but now that Christ is risen, Paul says that all men everywhere need to repent.

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

The ancient Greeks, heavily influenced by Plato, saw bodily resurrection as a foolish idea. Nevertheless, whenever the gospel is given out, there are always those who respond.

33 So Paul departed from among them.

Paul drops his mic and walks away. But some of them follow after him:

34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Acts 17:15-34

To the west of the summit, Mars’ Hill sloped down toward the marketplace. On this slope was the Areopagus residential area, which belonged to the prestigious district of Melite. Dionysius lived there, which means he was a well-to-do individual. According to tradition, Dionysius was Athens’ first bishop, but I wonder who Damaris was? When I was in Athens last year, I noticed that the women were into health and beauty. Many of them could be described as chic. I like to think of Damaris as a Greek matron with style and grace.


Images of Greek matrons

There is no Epistle to the Athenians. Paul preached in the center of Greek philosophy and learning, but the message was not received as well as it was in Thessalonica and Berea. I think it was because they were too smart for their own good. (Pr 26:12; Luke 10:21; I Cor 1:26)

I believe another reason the gospel was not well received in Athens was because of their idolatry. I have never met anyone so blinded to spiritual truth as those who worship idols. There is something of a revival taking place in the Muslim world, but not among Hindus. My experience with them was similar to Paul’s in Athens. There were some who believed, but most were not open to the gospel.

15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.
Psalm 135:15-18

The Bible begins with a commandment not to worship idols (Ex 20:3-5), and ends with people worshiping the image of the beast. (Rev 13:14f) Then, as the canon of Scripture closes, those who worship idols are cast into the lake of fire. (Rev 21:8)

But before we are too quick to pass judgment on the Athenians in our text, let us take a look at ourselves. Concerning idolatry, the Bible says:

     For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
1 Samuel 15:23

Have you been resisting God’s will in a certain matter? According to the Bible, that is idolatry, and idolaters will not get into heaven. In I Corinthians 6:9, Paul says as much and gives a long list of other sins that will keep people out of heaven. But then he writes, And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (I Cor 6:11) In other words, our sins are forgiven. If you have not yet received Christ as your Saviour, do not delay. Repent of your sin, and abide in the word which will cleanse you of your sins. (Ps 119:9)

In closing, I do not think there is any question that AI is the Parthenon of our day. I used AI to generate an image for this post, which is a story in itself. First, it denied that such an idol as I described existed in India. Then, I used a more advanced version that conceded the idol existed, but said there are no images available on the web. So I had it generate one, which was laughable, as it made it look shiny and spiffy. After some more tries and Photoshoping it to make it look realistic, I asked the AI how it was able to generate the image if it could not find a picture to go by. It then denied generating the image. The amount of money and energy consumption being poured into AI is nothing short of obscene, but that is nothing compared to the effect it is having on society. It is all leading to the mark of the beast and the image of the beast in Revelation 13. Jesus is the way out. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Acts 17:1-14 – Amphipolis, Apollonia, Thessalonica, and Berea

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

As Chapter 16 concluded, Paul and Co (Silas, Timothy, and Dr Luke) were in the Roman colony, Philippi. As Acts 17 opens, they are continuing along the Via Egnatia. First through Amphipolis, north of the Strymonian Gulf; then on to Apollonia, south of Lake Volvi; then on to Thessalonica, on the northern tip of the Thermaic Gulf.

To us, this was the ancient world, but to Paul, it was the modern world. God was speaking again after 400 years of silence. Paul was travelling on a Roman road that stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Bosporus Straight, connecting several Roman colonies. Being fluent in the universal language of Greek served Paul the same as English serves us when we travel today.


Via Egnatia shown in maroon

Paul may have seen the Lion of Amphipolis on his way, an ancient artifact that was lost to time but recently rediscovered early in the 20th Century. There is a landmark in Apollonia called the Stand of the Apostle Paul, where, according to tradition, he taught. Other than the flat rock itself (the Stand), there is not much there except for some plaques and a couple of small shrines. We do not know what Paul’s ministry looked like as they travelled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, as Dr Luke does not tell us. 


The Stand of the Apostle Paul in Apollonia

Father, thank You for the ministry of the apostle Paul, and for keeping your promise to preserve his precious Epistles for us. (Ps 12:6f) Your word is more precious than the finest pearls, the most precious diamonds, or anything else this world has to offer. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and give us understanding as we read it, Father, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 17:1-14
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

Dr Luke notably uses ‘they’ here, indicating he stayed behind to pastor the new church in Philippi as Paul and Co continued without him. They will collect Dr Luke again when Paul returns to Philippi on his third mission trip with a new team. (Acts 20:6) The synagogue where Paul preached was probably on the south side of Thessalonica by the port. The Jewish quarter there was destroyed and later rebuilt, then destroyed again in the Fire of 1917.

According to the Jewish Museum of Thessalonica, Thessalonica had a Jewish community from before the time of Paul until the Holocaust. There is an extensive list of Thessalonian Jews who died in the Holocaust at the museum. Most of the survivors left Thessalonica when they returned after the war to find others living in their houses.


List of victims of the Holocaust from Thessalonica (on two opposing walls)

2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ [Messiah].
4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

Paul’s message is received well, but there’s a but:

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

We keep seeing this word believed in Acts. What did they believe? They believed that Jesus rose from the dead (v 3; Rom 10:9). Whenever the gospel was preached, some believed, but some believed not. Dr Luke does not usually record whether they were ‘good’ people or ‘bad’ people. What mattered was whether or not they believed. 

In Thessalonica, the Jews which believed not were moved with envy, for which cause they hired certain lewd fellows of the baser sort — whatever that means, it isn’t good — to stir up trouble and oppose the gospel. Envy, of course, is the same reason they crucified Jesus. (Pr 27:4; Mk 15:10)

6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

Paul and Co were getting quite well-known. While the enemies of the gospel said they turned the world upside down, I say they turned it right-side up. The rulers of the city that Jason and certain brethren were drawn before were probably in the Roman Forum, which was next to the Jewish Quarter. (Like the Lion of Amphipolis, the Roman Forum in Thessalonica was discovered fairly recently by accident in the 1960s.)


Ruins of the Roman Forum in Thessalonica

7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

This is the same accusation they levelled against Jesus, that He was contrary to the decrees of Caesar, and was setting Himself up as King. They accused Jesus of forbidding to give tribute to Caesar (Luke 23:2), which was a false accusation. (Mark 12:17) The title placed above Jesus, showing the accusation against him, said JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. (John 19:19)

8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

Jason and the other brethren who were arrested had to make bail, but were let go. According to Greek Orthodox tradition, the Vlatades Monastery is associated with the site of Jason’s house.


Entrance to the Vlatades Monastery compound

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

There is a very old synagogue in the Jewish Quarter in Berea that has not held services since World War II. The Jews never returned to Berea after the Holocaust.

12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
Acts 17:1-14

As our section ends, Paul is getting chased out of town again. My takeaway verse in this section is verse 11. The Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Verse 12 says Therefore many of them believed. Paul wrote that faith cometh by … the word of God (Rom 10:17), and we see this in the example of the Bereans.

What every Christian wants to hear at the end of his road is Well done, thou good and faithful servant. The Bereans are commended for believing the gospel and searching the Scriptures daily. That tells me this is a good place to start if I want to hear Jesus say Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

We are living in a time of changing ideas and slippery slopes. Accepted scientific ideas are continually being revised and updated. Accepted morals are in a constant state of flux. Yet the Bible has not changed since it was written. It doesn’t have to change because God got it right the first time. Times change, but Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Heb 13:8) 


Memorial to Paul in Berea

Prophecy Update: You may have noticed, as I have, that the same old line about UFOs, the same thing I have been hearing for the last thirty years, that some ‘big thing’ is about to be released, has recently ticked up. I believe the reason for this is that Satan does not know when the rapture will be, but he knows it is soon, the same as the rest of us. Therefore, he always wants to be ready to release his story at a moment’s notice. He has made plenty of preparations, with false prophets who say they can predict the day and the hour, with predictive programming in movies like Avengers: Infinity War, so people think aliens did it. The Bible says Satan is transformed into an angel of light (II Cor 11:14). The Bible says Satan is the prince of the power of the air. (Eph 2:2) If you are reading this after the rapture, do not take the bait. We are in heaven, and the alien deception is just that — deception. If you have not yet received Christ as your personal Saviour, pray this prayer: Father in heaven, I am a sinner. I receive your Son as my personal Saviour. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart. Thank You for the precious blood You shed for me on Calvary. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit and take control of my life. I pray this in your holy and precious name, the name above all names. Amen. If you prayed that, you probably already feel something different. That is the Holy Spirit. Jesus lives in your heart now. Read your Bible now and pray for Jesus to give you the next steps. If you do not want to pray that, then,

     Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
Acts 13:41

PS: If prophecy seems sensational or superfluous to you, consider that Paul started the Thessalonians on prophecy teaching (II Thess 2:5), and he only had three Sabbath days to work with. (Acts 17:2) Prophecy is not everything, but it’s something — something important enough that Paul taught it in his New Believers class. Do you love his appearing? (II Tim 4:8) The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Maranatha. 

Acts 17:1-3 – Christ Is Risen In Our Hearts!

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In this Resurrection Day post, we come to one of the many resurrection verses in the Book of Acts. Let us pray for God to open our hearts and minds to his word before we read it:

Father, thank You for the precious Bread that came down from heaven, which is more than our necessary food. Open our understanding as we read it, that it may renew and transform our minds, that we may be conformed into the image of your Son, that He may be pleased to dwell in our hearts, that we may know the power of his resurrection. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

1 Now when they [Paul and Co] had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
Acts 17:1-3

As we have been going through Acts, I have been thinking a lot about how to be led of the Spirit, how to be filled with the Spirit, and how to walk in the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. Yet I find that sometimes this is easier said than done.

I know that Christ is risen. I want the power of his resurrection in my life. But when I get behind the wheel to jockey for position in the rat race, my old man takes over. I then wonder, Why do I get defeated this way? In other words, if I am born again and raised with Christ in newness of life, why does my old man dominate as if I am still dead in my sins? For the believer, the resurrection ought to be an ever-present reality that powers us through each day, as the risen Christ now lives in our hearts in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

I recall reading an article in Car and Driver magazine, some 30+ years ago, titled “Snake Dance.” The author relayed her experience driving a Shelby Cobra 427 on a road trip, while her partner drove a Dodge Viper. At one point in the article, a guy on a beater motorcycle with a plastic milk crate bungeed behind the seat notices her and says, “That’s a Shelby Cobra 427,” to which she replies, “Yes, it is.” He then said, “That car should not be driven.” The author then wrote something like, Is it possible that I have just met the stupidest man alive? (1)

I think a lot of us are like the guy on the motorcycle. We have immeasurable power at our disposal through prayer, yet we do not pray. We have a supernatural Book at our fingertips, a Book that some people on this planet would do almost anything to obtain, yet we do not read it.

So we get defeated because we have forgotten the basics. The demands and pressures of life pull us away from our lifelines to God (prayer and the Bible). As we neglect prayer and the Bible, our old man asserts himself. Before long, instead of being raised with Christ in newness of life, we are slipping back into our crypt where the old man feels at home.

Recently, after calling unto God for help concerning this matter (Ps 86:7; Jer 33:3), I heard a preacher on the radio saying research shows that looking at your phone the first thing in the morning is about the worst thing you can do to start your day. That sounded to me like the answer to my prayer, so I made sure to take the preacher’s advice and spend 10 minutes praying with my Bible when I woke up the next day before I did anything else. The effect was nothing short of miraculous. I had a great day and felt 1000 times better than before. A couple of days later, I heard a DJ on the radio say the same thing. (II Cor 13:1)

The morning news feed is usually about death, but God is life and light. Our cellphones point us to the technocracy, which is fostering a dying culture of death, but prayer and the Bible link us to God, who is creating a living kingdom of everlasting life. The times in my life when I felt the most victorious and the most Spirit-filled were times when I was spending every spare moment either praying, reading the Bible, preaching, witnessing, or getting Bible instruction of some sort. When we live that way, the old man does not stand a chance. He is too weak to put up a fight because he has not had anything to eat.

Jesus is coming back soon. He is putting the finishing touches on the New Jerusalem, where we will live for eternity if we have received Him as our personal Saviour through faith alone. In the meantime, Jesus wants to be risen in our hearts and minds each day, that the world may see Him living in us; but they will not see Him in us unless we do our part.

    Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
    And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 11:25-26

If I believe this, I’m going to pray and read the Bible. When I pray and read the Bible, I start thinking like a Christian. When I start thinking like a Christian, I start feeling like a Christian. When I start feeling like a Christian, I start acting like a Christian. Then I see I do not just want to act like a Christian, I want Christ to live through me. And He will, when I focus on Him and not on the world.

In closing, we can either feed on the rotting fodder the world offers, or we can feed on the Bread that came down from heaven. We can stumble about like the living dead, or we can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit like the living stones that Christ has called us to be.

Lord Jesus, cleanse my heart with your perfect word, that You may feel at home in my heart, that You may be risen in my heart as King of my soul, a Light that shines brightly through me, lighting the way for myself and others each day as I follow You in all things. Amen.

1 Louise Ann Noeth, “Snake Dance,” Car and Driver, July 1992, 104-109.

PS: When you wake up tomorrow, remember to pick up your Bible and give God 10 minutes before anything else. Whatever it is, it can wait.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
I Corinthians 15:55-58

Acts 16:16-40 — Spiritual Warfare In Philippi – New Life In Christ

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

When we left off in our last post, Paul and Co (Silas, Timothy, and Dr Luke) were being hosted by a Christian family in Philippi — Lydia of Thyatira and her household, who were all baptized shortly after Paul arrived in Philippi. (Acts 16:15) The year is now circa 50 AD.

Philippi was an economic powerhouse, made rich by nearby gold mines. Shortly after the famous Battle of Philippi in 42 BC, a decisive engagement that changed the course of Western history, Philippi was made a Roman colony. Philippi was a walled city with an impressive Roman forum. Adjacent to the forum was a theater that was built in the 4th Century BC.

Aside from the imperial cult of the Roman emperor, Claudius, the standard pantheon of gods was worshiped in Philippi, along with other deities. By preaching Christ, Paul was declaring war on the order of the day, not just for the Romans, but the Greeks and the Jews as well. Paul was God’s CDO.

Fill us with your Holy Spirit, Father, and give us understanding as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 16:16-40
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

This is typical of demonic behavior I have witnessed myself firsthand. She is drawing attention to herself and away from Paul, making a mockery of his ministry. Satan is not happy with Paul’s preaching.

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Curious that even though the demon did not instantly come out, Paul did not continue with a lengthy deliverance session. Ostensibly, Paul trusted by faith that the demon would leave after his rebuke, and shortly thereafter, it did.

19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

The word translated as marketplace is agora, but most of the Philippians would have called it the forum, as Romans who spoke Latin.


The ruins of the agora in Philippi


Model of the agora in Philippi (2nd Century AD)

20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

The slavegirl’s masters think they can easily attack Paul because he is Jewish. There’s still a lot of that going on today. Antisemitism has been steadily increasing, particularly over the last few decades, but those who oppose the Jews bring a curse on themselves. (Gen 12:3; 27:29; Num 24:9) A guy named Haman comes to mind. (Esther 7:10) Someone may read this and protest, citing war crimes by Israel in Gaza, but in the end, God will deal with Israel the same way He will with all of us. (Ez 16:59-63) We are all a work in progress, but the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. (Ps 135:4)

21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

According to the Archaeological Museum of Philippi, this underground water reservoir was Paul’s prison cell. Later, it became a place of worship and was decorated with frescoes.


Interior of the prison cell

24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

God used the suffering of Paul and Silas as a witness to the other prisoners, the jailer, and his family. Everyone saw how these guys who were just beaten were singing praises to God. Then…

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

There was a Roman law that said if a prisoner escaped, the jailer would have to serve out his sentence. Philippi being a Roman colony, that law would have been in force. If all the prisoners escaped, the jailer would have multiple sentences stacked on him, probably including capital punishment. Yet not only are Paul and Silas still there, but the other prisoners as well.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The thought here is not a guarantee that your family will be saved if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but rather that they will be saved if they too believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, I cannot help but think that maybe Paul was giving the jailer a word of knowledge. (I Cor 12:7) Maybe Paul knew the family was going to follow.

The important thing to notice about verse 31 is that salvation is a free gift that was available to the jailer and his family if they would simply believe.

32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

They presented the gospel to the jailer’s family. I believe Dr Luke pointed this out to show that they had to make their own decisions for Christ for themselves.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

The same thing happened with Lydia’s family. They all followed her in her new faith and were baptized, believing on the gospel. Now the jailer and Lydia are brother and sister in Christ. Their families worship together at church meetings. (Pr 22:2)

The Philippian jailer is a perfect example of a transformed life. They say that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. When the Philippian jailer drew out his sword and looked at his life, he knew he was in trouble. He knew Paul had the truth. He wanted what Paul was offering through faith in Christ. He was immediately changed. He ministered to Paul and Silas in washing their stripes and feeding them. He and his family were rejoicing.

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

This is one of the things I like about Paul; he never ‘rolls over’ but always stands up for what is right. The easiest thing to do would have been to just leave, but Paul wants the magistrates to admit their wrongdoing.

38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

Because Paul stood up for himself, he now has some information that the magistrates know he can use against them. The magistrates thought Paul and his company were Jews — ‘nobodies’ whom Claudius had expelled from Rome. (Acts 18:2) When they learn that Paul is a Roman citizen, they realize they are in serious trouble. This works to the advantage of the new church just formed in Philippi. The magistrates come to Paul with their hats in their hands now, saying, Please, sir, can you move along, and can we put all this behind us?

40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
Acts 16:16-40

 

My takeaway from this section is the new life we have in Christ. Psychology tries to dig into one’s past to look for answers. Satan loves to remind us of our past. He tries to make us fixate on past mistakes. The Philippian jailer had a lot of mistakes in his past, no doubt, but looking backward is not the answer. As Christians, we are to look forward. Paul would later write to the Philippians:

   Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
   I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13, 14

The Philippian jailer is now with the in crowd, from a kingdom perspective. His future is in the New Jerusalem. I suspect that Christians in 1st Century Philippi were not the most respected people in the community, but Philippi was on the way out. Dying. Yesterday’s news. The New Jerusalem is where the future is. The jailer’s name is written in heaven now.

Father, thank You that your Son is making all things new. We pray You will send Him back soon to fetch us all home to meet You. In the meantime, fill us with your Holy Spirit day by day and give us the wisdom to make good decisions. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prophecy Update: A local teenager on Oahu, Sophia King, said what nobody else would say at a recent neighborhood meeting: The flooding was intentional. (Ps 8:2; Isa 11:6)

Fifteen-year-old Sophia’s name means Wisdom in Greek. They have had the technology to create storms or steer existing storms for decades now. The fact that they did not steer it away shows intent. It looks a lot like what happened in Lahaina on Maui. What comes around goes around, and Revelation 11:18 says that God is going to destroy them which destroy the earth. As the war in Iran continues to escalate, that day is fast approaching. Although wars in the Middle East are nothing new, this one in particular seems to be preparing the stage for the Magog scenario of Ezekiel 38 and 39, which takes place right around the time of the rapture. Of course, no man knows the day or the hour, but wisdom says it is time to prepare. (Matt 25:1-13)

Just as Philippi was on the way out, so is this world. The rich of this world think they can manipulate the future to their advantage. There is a name that appears nearly 12,000 times in the Epstein files: Rothschild. The rich think the future is in AI. They are pouring trillions into new data centers that, when completed, will make today’s AI look antiquated. They think they will be the victors in a technocratic future, but their future a house of cards. Dying. Yesterday’s news. Satan’s kingdom is fallen. (Matt 24:21f; Rev 18:2) The Bible says the great men of the earth are going to hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. They are going to cry, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The New Jerusalem is where the future is. Remember that if AI takes away your livelihood. Make no mistake, AI is changing things. Add 3D printing to the mix and we are looking a very different economy coming our way. I recommend you get ahead of what is coming and prepare accordingly. Here is an excerpt from the article linked above:

How fast this is actually moving
Let me make the pace of improvement concrete, because I think this is the part that’s hardest to believe if you’re not watching it closely.
In 2022, AI couldn’t do basic arithmetic reliably. It would confidently tell you that 7 × 8 = 54.
By 2023, it could pass the bar exam.
By 2024, it could write working software and explain graduate-level science.
By late 2025, some of the best engineers in the world said they had handed over most of their coding work to AI.
On February 5th, 2026, new models arrived that made everything before them feel like a different era.
If you haven’t tried AI in the last few months, what exists today would be unrecognizable to you.

By ‘getting ahead of what is coming’, what I mean is that if your job involves looking at a computer screen, you are going to have to learn to use AI or transition into a different profession. The trades are lucrative endeavors. You could probably make as much or more working for an oil company in Texas or as a welder in the Midwest, than you can as a professional working with computers. I make more as a truck driver than I ever did in printing management, which is a highly technical field.

In closing, through faith in Christ, we have new life in Christ, life everlasting. I do not need to fix the old Mike because he is dead. His sins are washed away. The new Mike is a new creation in Christ (II Cor 5:17) with a glorious future in the New Jerusalem. New Mike is still a work in progress as long as he is in his old body, but he is forgiven.

Our section began with a demon-possessed servant girl trying to disrupt Paul’s gospel presentations, but she was delivered. Our section ends with another family receiving the free gift of everlasting life through faith in Christ. Paul and Silas were thrown in jail, but they were delivered too. Everyone in this section was delivered. Paul will have to go to jail again. In fact, that is where he will be when he writes his letter to the Philippians (house arrest in Rome), but he will still be the Lord’s freeman.

Let me leave you with this, as we see the day approaching:

    Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Hebrews 12:14

Acts 16:1-15 — The Leading Of The Holy Spirit

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In our last post, Paul partnered with Silas and embarked on his second missionary journey. As we pick back up, Paul is going through Derbe and Lystra, just beyond his hometown of Tarsus. Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit, and give us understanding as we read your precious word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 16:1-15
1 Then came he [Paul] to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

Paul begins his second missionary journey where the first one ended. (Barnabas and Mark went back to where the first one started. Between them, they confirmed the churches in all the areas they evangelized before.)

In Lystra, Paul recruits Timothy for the ministry, who was not just a ministry partner but Paul’s son in the faith. (I Cor 4:17; I Tim 1:2; II Tim 1:2)

2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

In Acts 15, the issue was whether you have to become a Jewish proselyte to be saved. The answer was no, but that works in both directions. Neither do you have to stop being Jewish to become a Christian. Since Timothy was Jewish, Paul circumcised him to avoid controversy.

Incidentally, Titus was with Paul and Barnabas when they went to Jerusalem in Acts 15 (Gal 2:1-5), yet Paul did not compel Titus (the Gentile) to be circumcised. Timothy (the Jew) was different. To be an effective missionary, Timothy had to be all things to all men. (I Cor 9:19-23)

4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

The issue of circumcision from Acts 15 was not limited to the church in Antioch of Syria. This was a central issue for the church at large.

5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

In the New Testament context, faith does not simply mean believing. It is specific to what you believe in, ie, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who said I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Hence, Luke tells us the churches were established not in faith, but in the faith.

6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

Today, we know this area as NW Turkey, but before the Ottoman annexation, this was the center of Greek culture. (In fact, modern Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years until they gained independence in 1821.) As a fluent Greek speaker from Tarsus, Paul is well-equipped to evangelize them, but the Holy Spirit has something else in mind.

8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

When Paul wanted to go south to Asia, the Holy Spirit said No. When he wanted to go north to Bithynia, the Holy Spirit said No. (1) 

After trying different things, the Spirit intervenes with a dream telling Paul which direction to go. If you want to be used by God, you have to be in motion and listening to the voice of the Spirit. You can not steer a parked car, but once the car is moving, the driver can steer it. The Spirit steers Paul towards Macedonia.

We are not told who the man was who appeared to Paul in the vision at night (Jesus?); J Vernon McGee said the man was a woman, Lydia of Thyatira.

10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

This is the first ‘we’ and first ‘us’ in Acts, meaning Dr Luke joined the team in Troas. As we go through Acts, we will see the narrative switch to ‘they’ and back to ‘we’ again until we have three total ‘we’ sections. (Acts 16:10-17:1; 20:5-23:32; 27:1-28:16) Now we know why the Spirit did not send Paul straight to Macedonia. He had to get Dr Luke.

Do not make the mistake of thinking dreams and visions were limited to Bible times. When I was in Zimbabwe, my friends and I had several dreams from the Lord. On one occasion, we even saw a food multiplication like in John 6. When I was in Karnataka, we saw a gospel tract multiplication. I’ve seen miracles in my own country, too, but not nearly as many as when I was in the mission field.

11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

According to the Museum of Philippi, Neapolis is the small peninsula on the east side of the modern city of Kavala. It was the gateway between Asia Minor and Europe, the primary port on the Via Egnatia.


Neapolis today

12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.

To get from Neapolis to Philippi, Paul and his team took the Via Egnatia. The Via Egnatia was a 535-mile-long road built by the Romans in the Second Century BC.

Map of the Via Egnatia

Paul and Co will continue on the Via Egnatia until they reach Thessalonica.


A section of the Via Egnatia on the way from Neapolis to Philippi

13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
Acts 16:1-15

In verses 14 and 15, we see how the spread of the gospel is a group effort. Paul obediently brings the gospel to Lydia. God opens Lydia’s heart. Lydia responds in faith and is baptized. I believe God speaks to everyone. Everyone has to decide whether or not to listen. In I Kings 19, God was not in the earthquake, and He was not in the fire. God was in a still small voice. He still speaks to us in this way.

Today, the Saint Lydia Philippisia Sacred Baptistery is located where Lydia is believed to have been baptized in the Zigaktis River.


The traditional location where Lydia was baptized.

Just to the north of the bapistry is a village named after Lydia. There is a Greek Orthodox Church there.

Hence, we have the first European convert to Christianity, Lydia of Thyatira. Thyatira (today called Akhisar) does not appear on our map, but you may remember it from Jesus’ Letter to the church in Thyatira in the Revelation. It is located in Asia between Pergamos and Sardis. Before there was a Roman province called Asia, there was the kingdom of Lydia, hence Lydia’s name. I suspect she was a very classy lady, a real Proverbs 31 girl.

My takeaway from this section is how Paul and Silas were guided by the Holy Spirit as they collected Timothy and Luke, then went west to Macedonia. This is the key to a successful ministry. We are introduced to the Holy Spirit at the very beginning of the Bible:

1 In the beginning God [Heb: Elohim] created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2

In Genesis 1:1 the word used for God is plural. El is God in Hebrew. Elohim is literally ‘Gods’. In Genesis 1:2, we meet the second person in the Godhead, God the Holy Spirit. Later in the Torah, we see object lessons in the Book of Leviticus. Oil in the Bible is a type of the Holy Spirit, just as leaven is a type of sin and brass is a type of judgment. Oil is conspicuously missing in the sin offering:

     But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.
Leviticus 5:11

The sin offering points to the cross, where Jesus was temporarily forsaken. The Holy Spirit withdrew from Jesus at the cross. (Matt 27:46) Therefore, there is no oil in the sin offering. The meat offering points to something that we bring on our own. It does not point to the cross. (It does point to the resurrection and our new life in Christ, hence the frankincense.) Notice the difference:

1 And when any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
2 And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord:
3 And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.
4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
5 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.
6 Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.
7 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
Leviticus 2:1-7

When we do something for the Lord, we have to be filled with the Holy Spirit and led by the Holy Spirit, every step of the way. Oil is mentioned seven times in the instructions for the meat offering, the number of completion.

When a leper was cleansed (a picture of each of us being forgiven for our sin), the priest would sprinkle oil seven times before the Lord, then anoint the tip of the leper’s right ear with oil, anoint the thumb of his right hand with oil, then anoint the great toe of his right foot with oil. The priest would then pour oil on the leper’s head. (Lev 14:15-18) Likewise, we need to listen to the Holy Spirit, let Him empower our work, let Him direct our walk, and always be mindful of Him.

In the introduction to Acts, we saw how the Holy Spirit sent the apostles in all different directions. I suppose that someday, when we get to heaven, we will be able to read about the adventures of the other apostles. For now, it’s up to us to write our own chapters in Acts. May we be led of the Spirit as we do so. 

Father, fill us day by day with your Holy Spirit. We are leaky vessels. We need You to pour your Spirit into us each day. Immerse us in your Spirit, Father. Let it be overflowing in our bodies, our minds, and our spirits. Let your Spirit permeate every fiber of my being. Make me to hear the voice of the Spirit. Empower me through the Spirit in my work. Direct my path through the ministry of your Holy Sprit, that I may trust in You with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding as I acknowledge You in all my ways. We ask these things in Jesus’ name, the name above all names. Amen.

We will hear more about what happened in the Roman colony, Philippi, in our next post. Paul will have some serious opposition before his next major breakthrough.

Prophecy Update: Readers of this blog may remember my experience last summer with back pain and the role of HCQ in healing it. Recently, my back pain came back, with a vengeance. This time, it was not just a sore muscle on my right side, but whenever I moved, it felt like my back might go out. I was walking with a slight hunch. I did not have any HCQ, but I had a few ivermectin pills that I got in Idaho, where you can buy it without a prescription. I took 12 mg of ivermectin and 200 mg of zinc. The effect was immediate. After about an hour, the pain was gone.

My dad tells me that my grandfather used to take nitre for back pain. It was a one-and-done treatment that he took every once in a while when needed, without a prescription. I’m not sure exactly what he was taking, as there were two different compounds used back then: potassium nitrate (KNO₃), and ethyl nitrite (C₂H₅NO₂).


In any case, cheap and effective treatments have been ditched by the medical establishment to sell expensive pharmaceuticals. This is related to Bible prophecy, as John the Revelator tells us in Revelation 18:23 that MYSTERY BABYLON (the new world order) will deceive the world with drugs (Gk pharmakeia).

See, HCQ and ivermectin are not just good for back pain, but all sorts of things, including ‘COVID’, and I believe they will try it all again. A few days ago, the WHO convened a global session to ‘prepare’ for the next influenza pandemic. They probably feel it’s too soon to try their 2020 scam again, but I believe they will eventually. (They are doing all they can to stop RFK Jr’s efforts to free us from vaccines.) The takeaway here is to avoid Big Pharma at all costs. Take control of your own health by avoiding processed food, vaccines, getting proper nutrition, exercising, getting enough sunshine, and getting enough sleep. (And a little HCQ or ivermectin goes a long way.)

1 What the Spirit was really saying was, Not yet. Paul will hit Asia at the end of his second missionary journey, and again at the beginning of his third. (Acts 18:19-19:41) Presumably, others who heard Paul’s message went to Bithynia. This area would become populated with Christians. Peter addressed his First Epistle to them. (I Pet 1:1)

Acts 15:30-41 — Teaching And Preaching

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In our last post, the first church council decided the controversy in Antioch of Syria, whereby the Judaizers were attempting to bring the brethren into the bondage of the law. We learned the key to a pure heart (Ps 24:4; Pr 22:11; Matt 5:8; I Tim 1:5; II Tim 2:22; I Pet 1:22) is faith. Acts 15:9 says our hearts are purified by faith.

Before we move on, however, I want to revisit what I wrote about how Paul may have written to the Galatians by the time of the first church council in Acts 15. This agrees with contemporary conservative scholarship, but I got to thinking about whether we should be looking a little further back. For example, we find some interesting information in the postscripts that the KJV translators included in the Pauline Epistles:

Romans
¶ Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea.
I Corinthians
¶ The first epistle of the Corinthians was written from Philippi by Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Archaicus, and Timotheus.
II Corinthians
¶ The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.
Galatians
¶ Unto the Galatians written from Rome.
Ephesians
¶ Written from Rome unto the Ephesians by Tychicus.
Philippians
¶ It was written to the Philippians from Rome by Epaphroditus.
Colossians
Written from Rome to the Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus.
I Thessalonians
¶ The first epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.
II Thessalonians
¶ The second epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.
I Timothy
¶ The first to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana.
II Timothy
¶ The second epistle unto Timotheus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Ephesians, was written from Rome, when Paul was brought before Nero the second time.
Titus
¶ It was written to Titus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians, from Nicopolis of Macedonia.
Philemon
¶ Written from Rome to Philemon by Onesimus a servant.
Hebrews
¶ Written to the Hebrews from Italy by Timothy.

These postscripts were carried over from the Euthalian tradition, which the KJV translators considered to be authoritative. Modern commentators may scoff at this notion, but not so fast; some recent scholarship has shed new light on the subject.

In Volume 67 of New Testament Tools, Studies and Documents, leading academics compiled a catalogue of manuscripts containing the Euthalian tradition. When one considers the scope of this data, it becomes clear that the Euthalian tradition is a rich source of information. For example:

“The Euthalian system was the primary arbiter of most of the Greek New Testament’s works (everything except the gospels and the book of Revelation) for over a millennium, something that nearly every reader would have encountered, even if selectively.” (1)

Hundreds and hundreds of manuscripts still contain references from the Euthalian system. The references to the cities from which Paul wrote and his “co-authors” are preserved in dozens of extant manuscripts. (2)

In this post, we will be embarking on Paul’s second missionary journey. To make a thorough study of Acts, we should be reading Paul’s Epistles as we travel along with him to the areas where he planted churches. Based on the information available, here is a list of possible dates for Paul’s Epistles (and the rest of the New Testament):

1 James: 45–50 AD
2 I Thessalonians: 50–51 AD
3 II Thessalonians: 51–52 AD
4 I Corinthians: 53–55 AD
5 II Corinthians: 55–57 AD
6 Romans: 56–58 AD
7 Philemon: 60–62 AD
8 Galatians: 60–62 AD
9 Ephesians: 60–62 AD
10 Philippians: 61–63 AD
11 Colossians: 60–62 AD
12 I Timothy: 63–65 AD
13 II Timothy: 63–67 AD
14 Titus: 64–67 AD
15 Hebrews: 63–65 AD
16 Gospel of Matthew: 37–55 AD
17 Gospel of Mark: 63–70 AD
18 Gospel of Luke: 60–63 AD
19 Acts: 63–70 AD
20 Gospel of John: 85–90 AD
21 I John: 85–95 AD
22 II John: 85–95 AD
23 III John: 85–95 AD
24 I Peter: 64–67 AD
25 II Peter: 64–67 AD
26 Jude: 50–65 AD
27 Revelation: 94–96 AD

You may have noticed that I included Hebrews in the Pauline Epistles, bolded in the list above. Again, the KJV translators believed Paul wrote Hebrews. It seems plain to me that they had more insight than the translators of our day. The Euthalian postscript says it was written by Timothy, typical of Paul’s letters. Someone may protest, saying that the KJV translators included the Apocrypha in their version. However, in the original 1611 version, the Apocrypha was placed between the Old and New Testaments for historical references only. They did not consider the Apocrypha to be Scripture.

Hebrews makes 14 letters in total by Paul, the number of completion. As a Pharisee and the most successful missionary among the apostles, Paul would be the obvious choice to author Hebrews, as Paul had the gravitas required to address the Hebrews on the vital subject of New Covenant grace. His fingerprints can be seen in Hebrews 10:38, 11, 13:1 et al. Paul probably left the Epistle unsigned because of the controversy attached to his name among his fellow countrymen. Moreover, Paul understood that he was only an instrument; the real Author was the Holy Spirit.

Now we will pick up where we left off in our last post.

Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit and give us understanding as we read your precious word, which is more than our necessary food, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 15:30-41
30 So when they were dismissed, they [Paul, Barnabas, Judas Barsabas, and Silas] came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:

This is the Epistle which the apostles in Jerusalem sent back to Antioch (Acts 15:20), establishing the doctrine of New Covenant grace. The Gentiles would not have to be circumcised as the Judaizers were telling them.

31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

I would have rejoiced too! I have never been the sort of person who likes rules. Whenever I have gone looking for a job, if there were paragraphs of cold, detailed information in the job description, I kept scrolling until I found a simple job description with a friendly tone.

I feel the same way about churches. There are quite a few of them that still have not gotten the memo. (Acts 15:20, 29)

32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
33 And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.
34 Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.
35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Teaching and preaching are key components of the ministry. In many churches, you hear a lot of preaching, but very little teaching. A teaching ministry grows a church and makes it healthy. According to Paul, that is the reason for the church: to teach the saints and equip them for the ministry. (Eph 4:11f)

36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.

Paul has a shepherd’s heart. I confess that I have fallen short in this area. We should make the spiritual health of those we lead to Christ our top priority.

37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.

In some ways, Barnabas shows even more grace than Paul. Barnabas was willing to give his nephew a second chance. Paul, not so much. An argument ensued:

39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
40 And Paul chose Silas [aka Silvanus], and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
Acts 15:30-41

When Christians disagree with one another, often the result is the same as it was for Paul and Barnabas, which is good, in that it leads to multiplication. (Rom 8:28) Now their missionary efforts will be doubled. According to tradition, after Barnabas returned to his native Cyprus, he continued to Northern Africa and planted churches. We know John Mark from the Gospel he authored, so suffice it to say everything worked out after all. Paul eventually came around and received Mark as a fellowservant. (Col 4:10; II Tim 4:11; Philem 23f) We will not hear from Barnabas again in Acts, but there are a lot of adventures still to come. Paul and Silas are just getting started.

1 Garrick V. Allen, Kimberley A. Fowler, Emanuele Scieri, Maxim Venetskov, The Euthalian Tradition of the New Testament: A Catalogue of Greek Manuscripts (Leiden/ Boston: BRILL, 2025), p 1.
2. Ibid, p 352.

Acts 15:1-29 — Purifying Their Hearts By Faith

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

When we left off at the end of Chapter 14, Paul and Barnabas were on furlough at their home church in Antioch of Syria. This was a vibrant, Spirit-filled church in a truly magnificent city. All was going well, until …

Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit and give us understanding as we read your perfect word, so full of wisdom and comfort. When everything that can be shaken is shaken, your word will remain rock solid. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 15:1-29
1 And certain men which came down from Judæa taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

These certain men are often referred to as the ‘Judaizers’. Bob Dylan sang, “the times, they are a-changin’.” Brother Bob was certainly right in that assessment back in the sixties, and it could likewise be said about the time period here in Acts 15. With the church still in its infancy, ideas about exactly what the church was and what they were supposed to believe were still being hammered out. Yet certain men clung to the past and resisted the direction that the Holy Spirit was leading them. God was doing something new, something glorious, something full of freedom and liberty, but it had to be fought for.

The crux of the issue was, Do you have to be a Jewish proselyte to be saved? The Judaizers said yes. Paul and Barnabas said no.

When I was in Honolulu, I attended a church where the praise and worship time was led by hula dancers. They were fully clothed, but my point is that they did not have to stop being Hawaiian to be Christians. They simply had to believe on Christ.

2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

I feel for Paul. Paul is right. Paul knows he is right. Paul has already suffered immensely for the gospel. He was called by Jesus just like the other apostles. Yet this is what the church wants, so Paul plays along. He has no other choice. Since the New Testament had not yet been written, the apostles in Jerusalem were the de facto authority.

This is a challenge that evangelists still face today. It is not just about what you know, but convincing people that you know it. For example, David Livingstone said that when he went to a new village and built a house, he always made sure it was bigger than all the other houses. Otherwise, they would not respect him enough to receive his message. (Having a big house may have worked well for Livingstone, but it’s typically not the way to influence people. It’s been said, They will not care how much you know until they know how much you care.)

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

In the Bible, Phenice refers to two different places. In this case, it means Phonecia.

Great joy is a recurring theme in Acts. The gospel brings great joy.

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

Again, we see the Acts of the Holy Spirit here in the Book of Acts. Paul and Barnabas do not take credit for what God is doing. Christians should never say, Look what we did. They should say, Look what He did.

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

Here we have the first church council. Above, I said these ideas were being ‘hammered out’. Maybe it would be more accurate to say they were being chiseled out. Michelangelo said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” The doctrine of New Covenant grace was already there waiting for them. They just had to chisel away the law and set it free.

7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Peter points out that he was just as surprised as anyone to see that God was accepting the Gentiles who did nothing more than simply believe. This is the glorious truth that they are discovering: We are saved by faith alone. It has nothing to do with the law. This is Peter at his best.

It may seem odd that John is not mentioned here, but consider that John, being the youngest, was still probably considered the junior apostle by the others. He wrote all of his Books when he was an old man after everyone else was dead.

12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

Dr Luke does not go into the testimony of Barnabas and Paul, as we already have the history of it recorded in Chapters 13 and 14.

13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:

This is almost without question James the brother of Jesus, not James the son of Alphaeus. (James the son of Zebedee was killed by Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12.)

As the author of the General Epistle of James, which he may have already written at this point, James directly established his chops as a leading theologian. Paul may have written to the Galatians by this time, but this letter would not be known to the church in Jerusalem, making James the first New Testament author as far as the saints in Jerusalem were concerned. Growing up in the same house with Jesus bolstered his standing as well. Thus, James the Lord’s brother quickly assumed a top leadership role at the church in Jerusalem.

14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. [Amos 9:11f]
18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

James quotes Amos 9:11, 12, then declares that God knew all that He was going to do from the very beginning. Not only so, but He wrote it down for us. You may have noticed that there are a lot of commentators who seem very astute when it comes to political analysis of current events, but when the really big events happen — like the so-called pandemic or the war in Iran — they are totally out to lunch. It’s because they do not believe the Bible. When you trust in your Bible above all else, you are armed with divine intelligence reports that far surpass anything the world has to offer.

19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:

You can see the authority James has as he delivers the verdict. Nobody challenges him. His decision is final, but he is not done:

20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication [Gk porneia], and from things strangled, and from blood.

These are the rules for being a Christian. They are simple, straightforward, and easy to understand. There is nothing here about dancing, dresscode, or hair length. Paul will modify these rules in his Epistiles but the bottom line is that Christianity works above the law on a higher plane. Whatever the Spirit wants at any given moment is the right thing to do. When we fall short of that, we confess it, and we are forgiven. (I John 1:9)

21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication [Gk porneia]: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Acts 15:1-29

We have the declaration in verse 20 repeated in verse 29 for good measure. By the leading of the Holy Spirit, James wisely sends Judas and Silas back with Paul and Barnabas to add authority to the letter, especially since the letter agrees with what Paul and Barnabas said in the first place. Judas and Silas are witnesses that the letter is genuine. The letter reiterates that there are only a few simple rules for them to follow, not the 613 in the Torah — 248 positive rules and 365 negative rules.

In Acts 15, it was the Judaizers who were the bullies. That problem has been dealt with. Yet, ever since committing my life to Christ in 1996, I have always been amazed at the way Christians will still try to bully one another. They often come up with rules on the fly in real time as they go about their business. The next time somebody tries to set themselves or their church up as an authority to bully you, show them the checklist above and tell them they have no authority over you.

I love the Lord because He doesn’t bully me. Christians can hula dance if they want to. Or fill in the blank. The important thing is, do you love Jesus and his word? Are you trusting in Christ alone by faith alone? To add anything to Jesus and what He did for us on the cross at Calvary is an insult to God.

Prophecy Update: You may have heard that certain officers, supposedly evangelical Christians, in the US military have been telling the troops that what they were doing in Iran was ‘God’s will’ and will ‘accelerate the return of Jesus’. My first thought upon hearing this was that it was just plain embarrassing. Jesus did not say, If you want Me to come back, drop bombs on people. On the other hand, these complaints are being logged by a guy who has been on a crusade for decades to make Christians in the military shut up. How do we really know that the commanders in question framed their comments this way? People who have not yet received Christ as their Saviour often gripe about us pesky Christians and our attempts to evangelize them.

Jesus is coming back at a time of his choosing. Many signs point to this happening soon, including the war in Iran. If you do not believe that it is because you do not believe the Bible:

Ezekiel 37            Israel becomes a nation again.
Ezekiel 38, 39      Russia, Iran, and other nations attack Israel.
Ezekiel 40-48       Millennial Temple, Kingdom of Christ.

Do you suppose that maybe, after recent US and Israeli actions against Russia and Iran, they might want to attack Israel if millions of Americans suddenly disappeared? You better believe it.

Soldiers have been told that God is on their side from time immemorial. (This is usually told to them by non-Christians. I remember seeing a clip of Donald Rumsfeld say exactly this to troops in Iraq.) Bob Dylan sang that if God is on our side, He will stop the next war. Well, brother Bob is not much of a theologian, but overall, his song makes a salient point. See, God is on our side; that is, the side of all people everywhere — everybody. (John 3:16) No matter who you are or what you have done, God is on your side if you will receive his Son and his free gift of everlasting life. (Rom 5:15-18) If you reject his Son, not so much. (John 3:36)

Acts 14:8-28 — And It Came To Pass In Iconium Part II

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

When we left off in our last post, Paul and Barnabas were still preaching the gospel in Southern Galatia, after fleeing for their lives from Iconium. Galatia was a difficult mission field for various reasons. First of all, because of the hardened pagan beliefs of the Gauls who lived there. People who worship idols are the hardest to reach. You become like your God, which is an unspeakable gift for Christians (II Cor 3:18), but not so much when your god has eyes that do not see. (Ps 115:4-8) The most populated area on the Joshua Project map showing unreached people groups is Northern India. Not because missionaries have never gone there, but because they repeatedly rejected the gospel. Just like the Gauls in our narrative, they are blinded by their idols.

Paul will visit the Galatians more often than any of the other people groups he evangelized, as they required the most attention. The Epistle to the Galatians contains the strongest rebuke of all Paul’s letters.

Give us understanding and fill us with your Holy Spirit, Father, as we read your word. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 14:8-28
8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:
9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

This is not as uncommon as one might think. When I was in India, more than once, someone attempted to worship me, and for the same reason. When I would pray for God to heal someone, and He did, they would take me for a deity of sorts. When I explained to them that Jesus is the one who healed them, they would not be swayed. They would say, “To me, you are Jesus.” I eventually stopped praying for people to be healed.

12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

The KJV translators opted to use the Roman names of the pagan deities that Barnabas and Paul were mistaken for. Being a Roman province, this may indeed be more accurate. Dr Luke was writing in Greek, but he may have meant Jupiter and Mecurius, not Zeus and Hermes, which would be the literal translation.

13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,

In hindsight, my reaction to the Indians who kowtowed to me was not strong enough. Although I did my best to explain that they must not worship me because I was an ordinary person like them, I should have reacted more like Paul and Barnabas. In the East, if you do not raise your voice and get animated, people tend to think you are not all that serious.

15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

An important point to remember when evangelizing is to relate to your target audience. Paul did not use the Old Testament to evangelize the Gauls because it gave them no point of reference. Paul did use the Old Testament when evangelizing Jews, because that is what they knew. Paul said I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. (I Cor 9:22b)

18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

Paul’s strong reaction worked, but just barely. He scarce restrained them from offering sacrifice. The Gauls must have taken it as an insult that Paul and Barnabas refused their worship, as they quickly turned on them when certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium showed up. This is the second reason Galatia was a tough mission field. These are the same ones who expelled Paul and Barnabas from their cities. Not content to see them leave, they felt they had to follow them around and stir up trouble:

19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

Dr Luke is a bit ambiguous about what exactly happened here. It says they ‘supposed’ Paul was dead. This may have been what we today call a NDE (near-death experience). This may be the instance Paul was referring to when he said he was caught up to heaven. (II Cor 12:2-4) Whether or not Paul stopped breathing, it was a miracle that he stood up and was able to travel the next day after getting stoned.

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

If you had enemies that followed you around and convinced people to stone you, would you go straight back to where you made these enemies in the first place? After they kicked you out of their cities? Paul did. His concern for his flock outweighed any second thoughts he had about his own safety.

22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

When Paul said that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God, he knew what he was talking about. (II Cor 11:23-28)

23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

There are several different words translated as ordained in the New Testament. According to Wiersbe, the word in verse 23 above literally means ‘to elect by a show of hands’. There was no ‘show of hands’ for Paul, however, or any of the other apostles. True ordinations come from God. If a card is given, it is only an acknowledgment of agreement with God. If God does not do the ordaining, the card is worthless.

24 And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25 And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia:
26 And thence sailed to Antioch [of Syria], from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.

27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
28 And there they abode long time with the disciples.
Acts 14:8-28

Thus concludes Paul’s first missionary journey. When Paul and Barnabas meet with their home church, Dr Luke points out that it was by the grace of God that they were originally sent out from thence, grace being at the heart of the gospel. This was the lesson that Paul had to drill into the Gauls when they were deceived by legalistic false brethren. (Gal 2-5) At the missions conference in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas emphasize faith (not works), which is the door to obtaining the gift of grace. The law is bondage. Grace is liberty and peace.

     Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:16

Paul and Barnabas give the glory to God for all God had done on their journey. They then take a good, long rest in Antioch of Syria. However, their peaceful repose will be interrupted by more legalistic troublemakers. In our next post, we will see what happens and how Paul handles it.

Prophecy Update: What we are witnessing with all of the recent disruptions is, in fact, the larger agenda of the Great Reset. Yet if we take a step back, we see that these things are only unmasking what has been simmering beneath the surface for quite some time. For example, around 15 years ago, I was told in church (where you always learn the most important things) that the cartels had created what amounted to a civil war taking place in Mexico, and 50,000 people had been killed so far. This situation continued with little media attention until recently. According to the NYT,

“Over the next decade [following 2015], at least 400,000 people were killed or disappeared in Mexico, according to conservative estimates. Analysts say Mr. Oseguera’s [El Mencho’s] cartel may have killed more of those people than any other group.”

From Venezuela to Mexico to the Ukraine to Gaza to Iran, we continue to see that the only thing we can reliably expect to continue without changing is change itself. Several other variables in the mix likewise guarantee more disruption is coming.

One of the clearest signs of positioning for the fulfillment of Bible prophecy is the war in Iran. When the rapture finally happens, and it will, a coalition of nations led by Russia and Iran is going to descend on Israel, just like the Bible always said would happen. (Ez 38, 39) It is not going to go well for the belligerents on the Russian side.