Acts 15.. The development of the first churches... Conflict and Resolution (continued)- Sunday Notes - 3-7-21
ACTS 15
Continuation from last Sunday
Beginning last week we entered a chapter, Acts 15, where there is conflict and resolution of the conflict, only followed by more conflict. We will continue to look at a conflict that cannot be resolved here, except through extreme measures, between two mature men of God. We will look at the conflict, and we will see unity in the same chapter. We will see God’s hand in it as the ministry, God’s work , brotherhood and conflict intertwine to become the tapestry of Christianity that we see today.. Remember many spiritual people disagree and the apostles were no exception..
Now think for a moment, if the Judaizers would have had their way in Jerusalem and Antioch. How it would have affected Christianity even today….
The dispute was as follows: Does a believer, either Gentile or Jew need to keep the Law old Moses even if he follows the teachings of Christ or not. This is a big issue and could not be effectively decided in Antioch and had to be referred to the head church in Jerusalem . so….
Now verse 6, Acts 15, "The apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. "When there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them, men and brethren, you know that a good while ago, God chose among us that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe."
What's he referring to? He's referring to Acts chapter 10 when he went down to Caesarea and there was this centurion named Cornelius. A God-fearer. A Gentile, but he's interested in Judaism, the God of the Jews.
But he's received a revelation to go get Peter. Peter tells him about Jesus. This Gentile God-fearer comes into a personal relationship with Christ. The door has been opened to Cornelius and his family by Peter's mouth.
Then verse 8, "So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us. And he made no distinction between us--" Jewish believers-- "and them--" Gentile believers-- "purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore…… Peter shows conviction here..
Because you know, Peter wasn't always like this. If you know your book of Galatians, you know that Paul said that in Antioch, when Peter was up there for a while that Peter was two-faced, he would eat with Jewish people and pretend like he was kosher. But when he was with the Gentiles, he would pretend like he's full of grace. And so Paul had to rebuke Peter publicly to get him back on a course correction. This is interesting and you'll see why by the end of this week's message...
But now at this council in Jerusalem, Peter is standing up but he's got a right. And so he says, verse 10, "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"
The animal would often chafe under the yoke. And so you are laying a device, you are laying a yoke on the Gentiles, but he says-- it's interesting-- though you're telling them what to do to be saved, it's a yoke, this Jewish yoke is something we've never even kept.
We, the Jewish people, and our forefathers have never kept fully the law. He could have gone into the reason for the Babylonian Captivity, the Book of Judges, the Book of Joshua, on and on and on. He had a lot of historical record to justify his position…
Peter says...You're telling them to do something that nobody's done yet.
Beginning last week we entered a chapter, Acts 15, where there is conflict and resolution of the conflict, only followed by more conflict. We will continue to look at a conflict that cannot be resolved here, except through extreme measures, between two mature men of God. We will look at the conflict, and we will see unity in the same chapter. We will see God’s hand in it as the ministry, God’s work , brotherhood and conflict intertwine to become the tapestry of Christianity that we see today.. Remember many spiritual people disagree and the apostles were no exception..
Now think for a moment, if the Judaizers would have had their way in Jerusalem and Antioch. How it would have affected Christianity even today….
The dispute was as follows: Does a believer, either Gentile or Jew need to keep the Law old Moses even if he follows the teachings of Christ or not. This is a big issue and could not be effectively decided in Antioch and had to be referred to the head church in Jerusalem . so….
Now verse 6, Acts 15, "The apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. "When there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them, men and brethren, you know that a good while ago, God chose among us that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe."
What's he referring to? He's referring to Acts chapter 10 when he went down to Caesarea and there was this centurion named Cornelius. A God-fearer. A Gentile, but he's interested in Judaism, the God of the Jews.
But he's received a revelation to go get Peter. Peter tells him about Jesus. This Gentile God-fearer comes into a personal relationship with Christ. The door has been opened to Cornelius and his family by Peter's mouth.
Then verse 8, "So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us. And he made no distinction between us--" Jewish believers-- "and them--" Gentile believers-- "purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore…… Peter shows conviction here..
Because you know, Peter wasn't always like this. If you know your book of Galatians, you know that Paul said that in Antioch, when Peter was up there for a while that Peter was two-faced, he would eat with Jewish people and pretend like he was kosher. But when he was with the Gentiles, he would pretend like he's full of grace. And so Paul had to rebuke Peter publicly to get him back on a course correction. This is interesting and you'll see why by the end of this week's message...
But now at this council in Jerusalem, Peter is standing up but he's got a right. And so he says, verse 10, "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"
The animal would often chafe under the yoke. And so you are laying a device, you are laying a yoke on the Gentiles, but he says-- it's interesting-- though you're telling them what to do to be saved, it's a yoke, this Jewish yoke is something we've never even kept.
We, the Jewish people, and our forefathers have never kept fully the law. He could have gone into the reason for the Babylonian Captivity, the Book of Judges, the Book of Joshua, on and on and on. He had a lot of historical record to justify his position…
Peter says...You're telling them to do something that nobody's done yet.
Jesus said of the Pharisees, by the way, they bind heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they don't pick up that burden with one finger. They don't do anything to fix it. Peter is basically saying the same thing.
Why?
Why?
Well, by this time, Judaism didn't just have the Old Testament, they had the oral law. They didn't just have the Ten Commandments, the rabbis said, oh, no, there are more than 10, there are 613 commandments. And you have got to keep them all.
Now The Seven Laws of Noah include prohibitions against worshipping idols, cursing God, murder, adultery and sexual immorality, theft, eating flesh torn from a living animal, as well as the obligation to establish courts of justice.
The Torah is considered by Jews to be the holiest part of the Tenakh and was given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Now The Seven Laws of Noah include prohibitions against worshipping idols, cursing God, murder, adultery and sexual immorality, theft, eating flesh torn from a living animal, as well as the obligation to establish courts of justice.
The Torah is considered by Jews to be the holiest part of the Tenakh and was given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
The Hebrew word Torah is traditionally translated as 'law', which in this context means teaching, instruction or guidance.
The most well-known of these laws are the Ten Commandments, but the Torah actually contains a total of 613 commandments or mitzvah covering many aspects of daily life, including family, personal hygiene and diet.
613 commandments, divided up into two groups, positive and negative, 248 positive, 365 negative, 365 to 248. 365 prohibitions, one “thou shalt not” for every day of the year. That was their mentality, that's how they lived their life. 613 commandments broken by those who espoused to keep them, and now trying to lay it on other people. There are actually 24 chapters on how to keep the Sabbath.
Imagine, 24 separate chapters on how to keep the Sabbath laws, down to, can you carry a fig on the Sabbath? Can you carry a comb in your hair on the Sabbath? And then the disputes back and forth, how much weight can you carry? How far can you go? Down to the craziest detail.
So Peter stood up and gave that testimony. "But we," verse 11, "but we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus, we shall be saved--" and I like this-- "in the same manner as they." He didn't say, they can be saved like we are, he says, we can be saved like they are. We Jews can only be saved by faith in Jesus, just like them. "Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles."
Now they get up and go through their first missionary journey.
I'm sure he started in Cyprus and talked about Sergius Paulus, the intelligent man who was interested in the gospel. But Elymas, the Sorcerer came and withstood him, and so Paul said, you're going to be blind. And he was, that was a miracle. Then he gets to Iconium, and we read that many signs and wonders were done at the hands of the apostles.
And they said, then we got to Lystra, and there was a guy who had been blind from birth, but he had faith to be healed, and I knew it. And by the power of God, stretched out my hand, and the man was healed. But then it got really weird because they thought that we were their gods come down from heaven, Zeus and Hermes, and they started to worship us. And so I told them, not to. And they didn't do it. Instead they took me ( Paul ) out and threw stones at me. They brought Paul out and stoned him until they thought he was dead. Their intention was to kill him.. And they thought I was dead, he said, but then when I got back up again, I went back into the city and I started talking again. What a great, great, great message this must have been. Sorry, it's not recorded.
They thought he was dead. And some believe that it was at this point, in that state while he was on the ground that God did something to him and for him that changed his whole ministry, and gave him a focus and an impetus like nothing else.
And that is something that is recorded in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 where he says, "It is doubtless, not profitable for me to boast, but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago, whether in the body, I do not know, or whether out of the body, I do not know, God knows. Such a one was caught up into the third heaven--" the word is harpadzo, the same word as rapture. He was immediately taken up into heaven, the third heaven. "And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows, how he was caught into the paradise and he heard inexpressible words which is not lawful for a man to utter, of such a one, I will boast."
In other words, Paul is saying, I'm the guy that I know. I've been speaking about me all along in the third person, but now I'm just saying, I'm the guy. I had an experience.
I couldn't tell you if I was in the body or if I had actually died and gone to heaven. But I was caught up in the third heaven. That's the abode of God.
The first heaven is the atmosphere, birds and clouds. The second heaven is the celestial realm of interplanetary stars, et cetera. Beyond that somewhere is the heaven of heavens where God is. He was caught up there, and he saw paradise. He saw a vision of heaven.
And it could be from that stoning experience that he developed what he calls a thorn in the flesh, also in this chapter. An impairment could have been an eye disease. It could have been epileptic seizures of some kind after that experience. We don't know.
But it could be that he was taken up into heaven. He had this vision, but then he says, and it was just so amazing, you know, it's not even lawful, it would be like a crime for me to even try to describe it. So I won't.....Because words wouldn't do it justice.
I always found that fascinating because I've heard of people who claim to have left Earth and gone to heaven. And they write very extensive books about it. And for $25 they'll tell you what it was like. But it's interesting, the biblical descriptions of heaven are very sparse.
Now, we can examine them and get some information, but it's very little information. So it could be that during this time is when he was caught up into the third heaven, couldn't be sure, but many believe so. So he goes through his speech in Jerusalem about what happened on that first trip, how God worked among the Gentiles.
Verse 13, "And after they had become silent, James answered saying--" and you go, what do you mean, James, I thought he was killed. He was. This is another James. The James that was murdered, killed, beheaded, was James the brother of John. This is James, the half-brother of Jesus.
After Jesus was born by a virgin birth, Joseph and Mary had normal husband or wife relations, had many children. One of them was James. So James is the half-brother of Jesus. Also James, this James is the author of the Book of James.
He is known as, in history, James, the Just, or James the Righteous. If you've ever read the Book of James, it's very fitting because it's a very righteous-oriented book. And he was also, because of his prayer life, known as James the Camel-kneed because the stories say he spent so much time physically on his knees in prayer that he developed these gnarly looking calluses like camels do. This is that James.
Now, James stands up after hearing the testimony of Peter and Barnabas and Saul, and he is going to make the final deliberation. Why is this important? Because it shows you that historically, biblically, Peter was not the first leader of the church, James was.
So if you try to say, well, we have a Papacy that is based on historical evidence that goes all the way back to the first Pope named Peter, you have a real problem with Acts chapter 15. Because Peter is not calling the shots, Peter is being sent out and dispatched by James, the half-brother of Jesus, who is the first leader in charge of the Church of Jerusalem.
So James stands up, not Peter, and he speaks and notice what he says in verse 14. "Simon has declared how God at first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name."
613 commandments, divided up into two groups, positive and negative, 248 positive, 365 negative, 365 to 248. 365 prohibitions, one “thou shalt not” for every day of the year. That was their mentality, that's how they lived their life. 613 commandments broken by those who espoused to keep them, and now trying to lay it on other people. There are actually 24 chapters on how to keep the Sabbath.
Imagine, 24 separate chapters on how to keep the Sabbath laws, down to, can you carry a fig on the Sabbath? Can you carry a comb in your hair on the Sabbath? And then the disputes back and forth, how much weight can you carry? How far can you go? Down to the craziest detail.
So Peter stood up and gave that testimony. "But we," verse 11, "but we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus, we shall be saved--" and I like this-- "in the same manner as they." He didn't say, they can be saved like we are, he says, we can be saved like they are. We Jews can only be saved by faith in Jesus, just like them. "Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles."
Now they get up and go through their first missionary journey.
I'm sure he started in Cyprus and talked about Sergius Paulus, the intelligent man who was interested in the gospel. But Elymas, the Sorcerer came and withstood him, and so Paul said, you're going to be blind. And he was, that was a miracle. Then he gets to Iconium, and we read that many signs and wonders were done at the hands of the apostles.
And they said, then we got to Lystra, and there was a guy who had been blind from birth, but he had faith to be healed, and I knew it. And by the power of God, stretched out my hand, and the man was healed. But then it got really weird because they thought that we were their gods come down from heaven, Zeus and Hermes, and they started to worship us. And so I told them, not to. And they didn't do it. Instead they took me ( Paul ) out and threw stones at me. They brought Paul out and stoned him until they thought he was dead. Their intention was to kill him.. And they thought I was dead, he said, but then when I got back up again, I went back into the city and I started talking again. What a great, great, great message this must have been. Sorry, it's not recorded.
They thought he was dead. And some believe that it was at this point, in that state while he was on the ground that God did something to him and for him that changed his whole ministry, and gave him a focus and an impetus like nothing else.
And that is something that is recorded in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 where he says, "It is doubtless, not profitable for me to boast, but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago, whether in the body, I do not know, or whether out of the body, I do not know, God knows. Such a one was caught up into the third heaven--" the word is harpadzo, the same word as rapture. He was immediately taken up into heaven, the third heaven. "And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows, how he was caught into the paradise and he heard inexpressible words which is not lawful for a man to utter, of such a one, I will boast."
In other words, Paul is saying, I'm the guy that I know. I've been speaking about me all along in the third person, but now I'm just saying, I'm the guy. I had an experience.
I couldn't tell you if I was in the body or if I had actually died and gone to heaven. But I was caught up in the third heaven. That's the abode of God.
The first heaven is the atmosphere, birds and clouds. The second heaven is the celestial realm of interplanetary stars, et cetera. Beyond that somewhere is the heaven of heavens where God is. He was caught up there, and he saw paradise. He saw a vision of heaven.
And it could be from that stoning experience that he developed what he calls a thorn in the flesh, also in this chapter. An impairment could have been an eye disease. It could have been epileptic seizures of some kind after that experience. We don't know.
But it could be that he was taken up into heaven. He had this vision, but then he says, and it was just so amazing, you know, it's not even lawful, it would be like a crime for me to even try to describe it. So I won't.....Because words wouldn't do it justice.
I always found that fascinating because I've heard of people who claim to have left Earth and gone to heaven. And they write very extensive books about it. And for $25 they'll tell you what it was like. But it's interesting, the biblical descriptions of heaven are very sparse.
Now, we can examine them and get some information, but it's very little information. So it could be that during this time is when he was caught up into the third heaven, couldn't be sure, but many believe so. So he goes through his speech in Jerusalem about what happened on that first trip, how God worked among the Gentiles.
Verse 13, "And after they had become silent, James answered saying--" and you go, what do you mean, James, I thought he was killed. He was. This is another James. The James that was murdered, killed, beheaded, was James the brother of John. This is James, the half-brother of Jesus.
After Jesus was born by a virgin birth, Joseph and Mary had normal husband or wife relations, had many children. One of them was James. So James is the half-brother of Jesus. Also James, this James is the author of the Book of James.
He is known as, in history, James, the Just, or James the Righteous. If you've ever read the Book of James, it's very fitting because it's a very righteous-oriented book. And he was also, because of his prayer life, known as James the Camel-kneed because the stories say he spent so much time physically on his knees in prayer that he developed these gnarly looking calluses like camels do. This is that James.
Now, James stands up after hearing the testimony of Peter and Barnabas and Saul, and he is going to make the final deliberation. Why is this important? Because it shows you that historically, biblically, Peter was not the first leader of the church, James was.
So if you try to say, well, we have a Papacy that is based on historical evidence that goes all the way back to the first Pope named Peter, you have a real problem with Acts chapter 15. Because Peter is not calling the shots, Peter is being sent out and dispatched by James, the half-brother of Jesus, who is the first leader in charge of the Church of Jerusalem.
So James stands up, not Peter, and he speaks and notice what he says in verse 14. "Simon has declared how God at first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name."
When he says Simon, who is he referring to?
Peter, but why didn't he say Peter?
The issue he's dealing with is a Jewish issue, a Hebrew-oriented issue. So he uses his Jewish name, not Peter, not the new name Jesus gave him, but the birth name, Hebrew birth name, Simon, Shimon. So he uses that name because it's a Jewish issue.
And verse 15, "with this--" what he just said. What Peter said, what Simon said, "and with this, the words of the prophets agree just as it is written." Now he's going to quote Amos chapter 9. "After this I will return and rebuild the Tabernacle of David, which has fallen down."The book of Amos is a prophetic book in the Hebrew Bible….
The Tabernacle of David refers to the House of David. The House of David has been busted up because of the sins of the nation. You may remember that? Because of the sins of the nation they were taken into captivity.
The bloodline, the royal bloodline stopped at Jeconiah. The bloodline was cursed after that. There is absolutely no hope for the Messiah to come since the royal blood line of David has been cursed. The only fix to that bloodline curse could be a virgin birth.
Which is why Jesus was born of a virgin, and why one geological record traces the ancestry of Jesus back to David through Solomon, the line that was cursed. That's Joseph's genealogy, and traces Jesus' bloodline back to David through another son of David named Nathan, not Solomon. So the blood line is cursed on Joseph's side, but it gives Jesus the legal right to reign, but the blood line is cursed. That's OK, God got around his curse by having Jesus born of a virgin in Mary's womb.
So the Tabernacle has been broken down. The House of David is the promise of the Messiah through the lineage of David that's fulfilled in Christ. That's why he's quoting this. "I will rebuild his ruins and set it up. So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord--" now watch this-- "so that the rest of mankind--" not just Jewish people-- "may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord who does all these things."
Now, he's rooting his decision in Scripture. He's quoting Amos chapter 9. And he's showing them, oh, by the way, Amos says nothing about them first becoming Jewish proselytes and then they're admitted into the kingdom. It says that all the Gentiles may come to this knowledge. Verse 18, "Known to God--" verse 18-- "known to God from eternity are all his works."
"Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues every Sabbath. Then it pleased the apostles and the elders--" probably not some of those Pharisees-- "with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas, who is also named Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men of the brethren."
So a two-fold decision is to the faith of non-Jewish people. Don't make them become Jews first. That's what they were saying, you have to become a Jew before you can be a Christian. So to the Legalist he is saying, be inclusive, lighten formulated by James. For the Legalists, he's saying, be inclusive. Be inclusive you Legalists. Don't add man-made rules and man made regulations up, don't add your own man-made regulations.
To the converts, he's saying, be sensitive. You need to realize that these people with this background, this baggage of religious law have certain sensitivities that's going to drive them up a wall if you do certain things. So when he says-- and he gives three restrictions one of them is moral, two of them are sensitive, just kind of conscious sensitive, Jewish sensitive. "That you abstain from--" verse 20-- "things polluted by idols."
In those days, they would take animals and sacrifice them in the altars, the pagan altars, and sell the meat in the butcher shop of the pagan temple. So it had been sacrificed to idols and then purchased in the butcher shop, taken home and eaten.
In addition when he says, things polluted by idols, that's what he's referring to. "From sexual immorality--" it doesn't just mean laying around or sleeping around together. That wasn't as big of an issue as it is in our day. The idea is associated with worship.
The pagan worship was very sensually oriented, and sexual acts were often undertaken during pagan worship. So it's avoiding a pagan worship system altogether. Buying meat that has been sacrificed to an idle in a temple butcher shop, and from blood.
Because of the restriction in Leviticus that says, "The life of the flesh is in the blood." So everything had to be bled according to kosher law for it to be suitable to eat. So he's saying, you need to be sensitive. Things that have been sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality, refrain from that, and from blood.
It pleased the whole multitude, and then he's going to write a letter to them. And the letter says as much. So I love this. He's saying look, we believe you're saved by faith. Just be careful morally and sensitivity issues with Jewish believers.
There might have been 613 things I have to memorize. No just remember these three, just do that. You're saved by faith, now in your practice, do these three things, or stay away from these three things. These are the restrictions.
And I love this because Jesus said, my yoke is easy, man, my burden is light. He didn't say, my yoke is very hard and my burden, it will crush you. It's light, and they all agreed.
So they wrote a letter, "The apostles, the elders, the brethren to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words--" now you know what troubled means from Galatians 1-- "unsettling your souls saying, you must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no such commandment, it seemed good to us being assembled with one accord to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas-- this is a different Judas, not Iscariot, of course, he's long dead-- who will also report the same things by word of mouth--" report the same things by word of mouth-- "for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things, that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you do well, farewell."
So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. When they had gathered the multitude together and delivered the letter, when they read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. Man the burden was lifted. Peter said, you're trying to lay on them a burden, a yoke, which neither we nor our fathers have ever been able to bear. They're hearing these Judaizers come from Jerusalem into their church, saying no, no, no, no, you have to do these things.
And so they've been weighed under that. Now comes the letter saying, you don't have to do those things. Just refrain from these things, farewell. It was like, a sigh of relief, heavy sigh.
"Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets, also exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles. However it seemed good to Silas to remain there. Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also.
Conflict resolved, but now there's another conflict that goes unresolved. In fact, whereas the first conflict is reconciled, the second one makes them part company with each other. It's a conflict between two men, two ministers, two brothers, two friends who don't see eye to eye on something that's not even substantive.
It's not a doctrinal issue, they all agree on that. It's not a biblical issue, they all agree on the scriptures. It's a methodological issue of how we're going to go on the next missionary journey, who's going to be on that team.
Verse 36, "Then after some days, Paul said to--" Barnabas-- "let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord." Let's see how they're doing.
Now why would they need to do this? Well, they were gone from Antioch and everything was going good when they left Antioch, but they came back and it was already divided. It doesn't take long. The cat's away, the mice will play.
Paul had started in 10 year churches in 4 roman provinces..Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia of the ancient world… Now after being away preaching throughout the region Paul feels that its time to go back and check on the churches to see how their doing… When he was last in Antioch the church was divided on issues of the old Law and Christianity.. Now that this had been resolved Paul left to minister in varies other cities.. But given his last experience upon returning to Antioch Paul’s concern was well founded. So he talks with his brother in Christ.. One who had been by his side…Barnibas…So they both agreed. They agreed on the mission.. But the composition of the team they did not agree on…The problem was over the cousin of Barnibas by the name of John Mark… When they were at perga of Pamphylia , John Mark departed from them and went back to Jerusalem….Paul did not take kindly to his returning home…He saw it as a failure..He saw it as a weakness.. Barnabas did not however…Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark…Paul insisted that this should not be given his history with them…He never finished the work that they had set out to do in the first trip…Then in verse 39 the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another…So barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cypris…Paul choose Silas and departed being commended by the brothern to the grace of God..and he went to the area if Syria and Cilicia , strengthening the churches..So we see here a split… Not in ideology but actually something far less important… the question we ask ourselves on this issue is who was right,, We like to say Paul.. He is always right…. He is the apostle Paul ! My view is that they were both right.. The positive side of this is now God has 2 teams not one… Yes they disagreed nad they went separate way but with the same mind and mission. At the end of Pauls life Paul wrote , in a letter to Timothy 2nd Timothy, chapter 4..He said..Only Luke stood with me . Demus hath forsaken me , having loved this present world. When you come bring Mark with you also for he is useful to me for the ministry…Now at the end of Paul’s journey he admits how useful John Mark has been to him in doing the ministry over time… The split occurred basicly because you have 2 different leadership styles going on.. Paul much tougher.. Barnibas more willing to extend a second chance… Its not so much that one is bad the other good..there just both different…You see paul looked at a person And he asked a question..
What can this person do for the work of God.??? Barnibas , on the other hand, when he looked at a person said What can the work of God do for that person…. Barnabas was a rehabilitator, He was the son of encouragement..Thats how he got his name…He had this personality of finding people who were broken and made a mistake..and he would stick up for them and stand up for them and get them going again..And Paul thought ..ok thank you for doing that for me and that was ok then but on these missionary journeys I can’t afford that..We have a task to do and a higher calling..What can this person do for the work of God?....For Paul church wasn’t a parking lot ..It was a launching pad..For Barnabas church was more of a parking lot.. rehabilitation…get these people whole.. Pick them up..get them going..give them a second chance…All of those ideas are correct.. it just depends on the task at hand…
Ironically Paul heads to Derby and Lystra.. You remember this is were Paul was stoned and left for dead…But it is ironic because it is there that Paul connects with a certain Timothy who became Pauls ,partner, student… his protégé…. Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman who believed…But his father was a Greek… His mother’s name was Lois…So he came from a mixed marriage.. A believing mother and unbelieving Greek father… Paul wanted to take him and did so.. But first Paul had Timothy circumcised.. I asked why since this issue had been resolved already.. But Paul did it so that they could freely speak with the Jewish population without circumcision becoming and issue… It was not to save Timothy but pave the way for his acceptance and ability to communicate to an overwhelming Jewish people who knew his father was Greek….
So a seeming contradiction was only a logistical decision made by Paul to maximize Timothy’s acceptance…And as they travelled through the cities they delivered the decrees to keep which were delivered unto them by the apostles in Jerusalem…And so the churches were strengthened in faith and increased in number daily…
Paul said I become all things to all men that I might by all means save some…to the Jew I become a Jew to the Greek I become as a Greek… So Paul now takes Timothy on his second missionary journey…Which begins at this time…He was called by Paul my true son in the faith… timothy became the one who Paul looked to to carry on the ministry when Paul is unable…
This journey becomes a journey of extreme faith as God directs its direction every step of the way by closing some doors and opening others. A very significant result is that the gospel is spread to what is now Europe. Through many trials and tribulations the first churches have been born and shaped and now The gospel of Jesus Christ reaches out to the world at large…
Let us pray..
We understand Lord that disagreements need not culminate in hatred. Which is the devil’s work.. We understand that “Faith” in your word and in your daily direction is necessary for us to have peace. Peace in our hearts and quiet in our minds. We pray for peace today that comes from knowing your word and living it..We are thankful for all that you have allowed us to learn and all that you have given us. We ask for contentment that comes only by and through your grace.
We pray for our brethren who are sick today . We ask that you touch their lives. We are thankful for our brothers and sisters who quietly do good works , those who help the under privileged, the hungry and spiritually deprived. Who assist in the name of Jesus… Direct their efforts Lord no matter how small …We are grateful for our humble gathering today and we ask for your continued blessings upon us..
We ask these things in Jesus’ name..
Amen
The issue he's dealing with is a Jewish issue, a Hebrew-oriented issue. So he uses his Jewish name, not Peter, not the new name Jesus gave him, but the birth name, Hebrew birth name, Simon, Shimon. So he uses that name because it's a Jewish issue.
And verse 15, "with this--" what he just said. What Peter said, what Simon said, "and with this, the words of the prophets agree just as it is written." Now he's going to quote Amos chapter 9. "After this I will return and rebuild the Tabernacle of David, which has fallen down."The book of Amos is a prophetic book in the Hebrew Bible….
The Tabernacle of David refers to the House of David. The House of David has been busted up because of the sins of the nation. You may remember that? Because of the sins of the nation they were taken into captivity.
The bloodline, the royal bloodline stopped at Jeconiah. The bloodline was cursed after that. There is absolutely no hope for the Messiah to come since the royal blood line of David has been cursed. The only fix to that bloodline curse could be a virgin birth.
Which is why Jesus was born of a virgin, and why one geological record traces the ancestry of Jesus back to David through Solomon, the line that was cursed. That's Joseph's genealogy, and traces Jesus' bloodline back to David through another son of David named Nathan, not Solomon. So the blood line is cursed on Joseph's side, but it gives Jesus the legal right to reign, but the blood line is cursed. That's OK, God got around his curse by having Jesus born of a virgin in Mary's womb.
So the Tabernacle has been broken down. The House of David is the promise of the Messiah through the lineage of David that's fulfilled in Christ. That's why he's quoting this. "I will rebuild his ruins and set it up. So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord--" now watch this-- "so that the rest of mankind--" not just Jewish people-- "may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord who does all these things."
Now, he's rooting his decision in Scripture. He's quoting Amos chapter 9. And he's showing them, oh, by the way, Amos says nothing about them first becoming Jewish proselytes and then they're admitted into the kingdom. It says that all the Gentiles may come to this knowledge. Verse 18, "Known to God--" verse 18-- "known to God from eternity are all his works."
"Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues every Sabbath. Then it pleased the apostles and the elders--" probably not some of those Pharisees-- "with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas, who is also named Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men of the brethren."
So a two-fold decision is to the faith of non-Jewish people. Don't make them become Jews first. That's what they were saying, you have to become a Jew before you can be a Christian. So to the Legalist he is saying, be inclusive, lighten formulated by James. For the Legalists, he's saying, be inclusive. Be inclusive you Legalists. Don't add man-made rules and man made regulations up, don't add your own man-made regulations.
To the converts, he's saying, be sensitive. You need to realize that these people with this background, this baggage of religious law have certain sensitivities that's going to drive them up a wall if you do certain things. So when he says-- and he gives three restrictions one of them is moral, two of them are sensitive, just kind of conscious sensitive, Jewish sensitive. "That you abstain from--" verse 20-- "things polluted by idols."
In those days, they would take animals and sacrifice them in the altars, the pagan altars, and sell the meat in the butcher shop of the pagan temple. So it had been sacrificed to idols and then purchased in the butcher shop, taken home and eaten.
In addition when he says, things polluted by idols, that's what he's referring to. "From sexual immorality--" it doesn't just mean laying around or sleeping around together. That wasn't as big of an issue as it is in our day. The idea is associated with worship.
The pagan worship was very sensually oriented, and sexual acts were often undertaken during pagan worship. So it's avoiding a pagan worship system altogether. Buying meat that has been sacrificed to an idle in a temple butcher shop, and from blood.
Because of the restriction in Leviticus that says, "The life of the flesh is in the blood." So everything had to be bled according to kosher law for it to be suitable to eat. So he's saying, you need to be sensitive. Things that have been sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality, refrain from that, and from blood.
It pleased the whole multitude, and then he's going to write a letter to them. And the letter says as much. So I love this. He's saying look, we believe you're saved by faith. Just be careful morally and sensitivity issues with Jewish believers.
There might have been 613 things I have to memorize. No just remember these three, just do that. You're saved by faith, now in your practice, do these three things, or stay away from these three things. These are the restrictions.
And I love this because Jesus said, my yoke is easy, man, my burden is light. He didn't say, my yoke is very hard and my burden, it will crush you. It's light, and they all agreed.
The Resolution
So they wrote a letter, "The apostles, the elders, the brethren to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words--" now you know what troubled means from Galatians 1-- "unsettling your souls saying, you must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no such commandment, it seemed good to us being assembled with one accord to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas-- this is a different Judas, not Iscariot, of course, he's long dead-- who will also report the same things by word of mouth--" report the same things by word of mouth-- "for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things, that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you do well, farewell."
So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. When they had gathered the multitude together and delivered the letter, when they read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. Man the burden was lifted. Peter said, you're trying to lay on them a burden, a yoke, which neither we nor our fathers have ever been able to bear. They're hearing these Judaizers come from Jerusalem into their church, saying no, no, no, no, you have to do these things.
And so they've been weighed under that. Now comes the letter saying, you don't have to do those things. Just refrain from these things, farewell. It was like, a sigh of relief, heavy sigh.
"Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets, also exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles. However it seemed good to Silas to remain there. Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also.
Conflict resolved, but now there's another conflict that goes unresolved. In fact, whereas the first conflict is reconciled, the second one makes them part company with each other. It's a conflict between two men, two ministers, two brothers, two friends who don't see eye to eye on something that's not even substantive.
It's not a doctrinal issue, they all agree on that. It's not a biblical issue, they all agree on the scriptures. It's a methodological issue of how we're going to go on the next missionary journey, who's going to be on that team.
Verse 36, "Then after some days, Paul said to--" Barnabas-- "let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord." Let's see how they're doing.
Now why would they need to do this? Well, they were gone from Antioch and everything was going good when they left Antioch, but they came back and it was already divided. It doesn't take long. The cat's away, the mice will play.
Paul had started in 10 year churches in 4 roman provinces..Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia of the ancient world… Now after being away preaching throughout the region Paul feels that its time to go back and check on the churches to see how their doing… When he was last in Antioch the church was divided on issues of the old Law and Christianity.. Now that this had been resolved Paul left to minister in varies other cities.. But given his last experience upon returning to Antioch Paul’s concern was well founded. So he talks with his brother in Christ.. One who had been by his side…Barnibas…So they both agreed. They agreed on the mission.. But the composition of the team they did not agree on…The problem was over the cousin of Barnibas by the name of John Mark… When they were at perga of Pamphylia , John Mark departed from them and went back to Jerusalem….Paul did not take kindly to his returning home…He saw it as a failure..He saw it as a weakness.. Barnabas did not however…Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark…Paul insisted that this should not be given his history with them…He never finished the work that they had set out to do in the first trip…Then in verse 39 the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another…So barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cypris…Paul choose Silas and departed being commended by the brothern to the grace of God..and he went to the area if Syria and Cilicia , strengthening the churches..So we see here a split… Not in ideology but actually something far less important… the question we ask ourselves on this issue is who was right,, We like to say Paul.. He is always right…. He is the apostle Paul ! My view is that they were both right.. The positive side of this is now God has 2 teams not one… Yes they disagreed nad they went separate way but with the same mind and mission. At the end of Pauls life Paul wrote , in a letter to Timothy 2nd Timothy, chapter 4..He said..Only Luke stood with me . Demus hath forsaken me , having loved this present world. When you come bring Mark with you also for he is useful to me for the ministry…Now at the end of Paul’s journey he admits how useful John Mark has been to him in doing the ministry over time… The split occurred basicly because you have 2 different leadership styles going on.. Paul much tougher.. Barnibas more willing to extend a second chance… Its not so much that one is bad the other good..there just both different…You see paul looked at a person And he asked a question..
What can this person do for the work of God.??? Barnibas , on the other hand, when he looked at a person said What can the work of God do for that person…. Barnabas was a rehabilitator, He was the son of encouragement..Thats how he got his name…He had this personality of finding people who were broken and made a mistake..and he would stick up for them and stand up for them and get them going again..And Paul thought ..ok thank you for doing that for me and that was ok then but on these missionary journeys I can’t afford that..We have a task to do and a higher calling..What can this person do for the work of God?....For Paul church wasn’t a parking lot ..It was a launching pad..For Barnabas church was more of a parking lot.. rehabilitation…get these people whole.. Pick them up..get them going..give them a second chance…All of those ideas are correct.. it just depends on the task at hand…
Ironically Paul heads to Derby and Lystra.. You remember this is were Paul was stoned and left for dead…But it is ironic because it is there that Paul connects with a certain Timothy who became Pauls ,partner, student… his protégé…. Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman who believed…But his father was a Greek… His mother’s name was Lois…So he came from a mixed marriage.. A believing mother and unbelieving Greek father… Paul wanted to take him and did so.. But first Paul had Timothy circumcised.. I asked why since this issue had been resolved already.. But Paul did it so that they could freely speak with the Jewish population without circumcision becoming and issue… It was not to save Timothy but pave the way for his acceptance and ability to communicate to an overwhelming Jewish people who knew his father was Greek….
So a seeming contradiction was only a logistical decision made by Paul to maximize Timothy’s acceptance…And as they travelled through the cities they delivered the decrees to keep which were delivered unto them by the apostles in Jerusalem…And so the churches were strengthened in faith and increased in number daily…
Paul said I become all things to all men that I might by all means save some…to the Jew I become a Jew to the Greek I become as a Greek… So Paul now takes Timothy on his second missionary journey…Which begins at this time…He was called by Paul my true son in the faith… timothy became the one who Paul looked to to carry on the ministry when Paul is unable…
This journey becomes a journey of extreme faith as God directs its direction every step of the way by closing some doors and opening others. A very significant result is that the gospel is spread to what is now Europe. Through many trials and tribulations the first churches have been born and shaped and now The gospel of Jesus Christ reaches out to the world at large…
Let us pray..
We understand Lord that disagreements need not culminate in hatred. Which is the devil’s work.. We understand that “Faith” in your word and in your daily direction is necessary for us to have peace. Peace in our hearts and quiet in our minds. We pray for peace today that comes from knowing your word and living it..We are thankful for all that you have allowed us to learn and all that you have given us. We ask for contentment that comes only by and through your grace.
We pray for our brethren who are sick today . We ask that you touch their lives. We are thankful for our brothers and sisters who quietly do good works , those who help the under privileged, the hungry and spiritually deprived. Who assist in the name of Jesus… Direct their efforts Lord no matter how small …We are grateful for our humble gathering today and we ask for your continued blessings upon us..
We ask these things in Jesus’ name..
Amen
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