Week 33
Monday,
August 11
Acts
15:1-35
Commentary
Today’s passage is one of the most
important in the Bible, narrating what is often called “the Jerusalem council.”
Now that Gentiles are integrating into the church, believers are wondering
about the place of the law in the day-to-day lives of Gentile Christians. The
Judaizers claimed that Gentiles had to keep the law to be saved, such as by
circumcision and strict Sabbath-keeping. Paul and Barnabas have a serious
discussion with the Judaizers and the Antioch church sends them and other
representatives to Jerusalem to discuss this issue with the apostles. Along
their way to Jerusalem, they share the news of the Gentile’s entry into the
church with the churches in Phoenicia and Samaria.
In Jerusalem, the apostles and the
pastor gather to consider the matter of Gentiles keeping the law. Peter,
Barnabas, and Paul share their experiences of God saving Gentiles. Peter
emphasized that, just like Jewish Christians, the Gentile Christians will be
saved by faith, not works. James notes that God had already said he would
accept the Gentiles into his kingdom through Amos. Gentiles believers, James
argues, should keep the moral requirements of the law, namely sexual purity,
and should associate with anything that “pollute” them in the eyes of their
stricter Jewish brothers so that both groups could fellowship together. All the
apostles and elders, along with the Jerusalem church, agree with James. God was
surely working in the hearts and minds of his people. This clarification on the
place of the law allowed the church to continue to evangelize with great joy
and flourishing.
Application/Discussion
1. The
church had hardly started before it was faced with false teaching and
theological controversies. How can we safeguard ourselves and our church
against such falsehoods?
2.
Notice that the apostles sought the input of the elders, and even ran their
decision by the Jerusalem church. What does this suggest about the importance
of multiple elders and the input of the congregation in church decisions?
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for his gracious uniting of Jew and Gentile into his family.
Confession:
Ask for God’s forgiveness for any disobeying of his commands.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for helping the early church to know what to teach about the law and
salvation.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom for your pastors and your congregation as a
whole.
Tuesday,
August 12
Acts
15:36-16:24
Commentary
We
see the beginning of Paul’s second missionary trip in this reading. The journey
before this missions journey took him through the cities of the first missions
trek in reverse order. Through God’s providence, a disagreement between Paul
and Barnabas results in two missionary teams, led by the best missionaries in
church history, with two proteges, Silas and Mark. Paul’s journey also led him
to Timothy, who would become like a son to Paul. Timothy was the son of a
Jewish woman, but his father was Greek and would have prevented his
circumcision. Paul circumcises Timothy to avoid unnecessarily offending the
Jews they are going to evangelize. Paul’s band of merry men go back to the
churches he and Barnabas had planted to give the council’s message about
Gentile believers. The churches are strengthened and continue to grow, showing
God’s approval and providence.
Next,
after being providentially hindered from going to Asia, Paul sees a vision of a
man in Macedonia and immediately goes to preach the gospel there. Luke’s
narration now begins to include “we” and “us,” suggesting this is the point at
which Luke became a traveling companion of Paul. They travel to Philippi and
visit its equivalent of a synagogue. In cities without synagogues, worshippers
would meet outside and near bodies of water so that they could be found by
others easily. The Lord opened Lydia’s heart; she could not come to salvation
on her own. God continually draws the lost to himself, believers must simply be
faithful to share the gospel and trust God with the results. The mission team
then encounters a demon-possessed slave girl who continually interrupts them,
so Paul casts the demon out. The girl’s owners, angry at their loss of income,
bring Paul and Silas to the magistrates for practicing anti-Roman religion and
they are arrested. At some point around this time, Timothy and Luke depart from
Paul and Silas. This arrest was another divine appointment, for God had others
in Philippi whose hearts he would soon open to the gospel.
Application/Discussion
1. When
your plans go awry, do not fret! God may be sending you to a Macedonia instead
of an Asia. How can stories like this one help us remember that God’s plans are
better than our plans?
2. Note
the reference to the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus in 16:6-7. Since the
Father sent the Spirit in Jesus’ name, the Spirit of Jesus is simply another
name for the Holy Spirit.
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for convicting and converting his enemies into his servants.
Confession:
Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in following God no matter the cost.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for the privilege of knowing and serving him.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s conviction and enlightenment of a lost person you
know.
Wednesday,
August 13
Acts
16:25-17:9
Commentary
Today’s reading picks up with Paul and
Silas in prison. Despite their bodies being hurt so seriously and the poor
conditions of their lodging, the men begin singing and praying! They are glad
to serve and talk to God wherever they are, and in so doing, they witness about
God to all the other prisoners. Suddenly, an earthquake strikes and breaks open
the cell doors. The jailer, thinking the prisoners will escape and he will be executed
for failing his duty, tries to kill himself. He is interrupted by Paul’s
assurance that all the prisoners are there and asks them what he must do to be
saved. The jailer seemingly brings the two men to his home to share the gospel
with his family as well, and the whole family comes to believe. Paul and Silas
share the gospel with all of them even before getting their wounds tended.
Paul and Silas return to jail at some
point, but are released in the morning. Paul insists on telling the authorities
they are Roman citizens and were treated against Roman custom. John Polhill
noted, “Paul may have seemed a bit huffy in his demand for a formal apology
from the magistrates, but that is not the point. It was essential that the
young Christian community have a good reputation among the authorities if its
witness was to flourish. Christians broke none of the Roman laws. Luke was at
pains to show this.”[1] Next,
the two men travel to Thessalonica and preach in the synagogue. They have some
success in persuading people, but as is the custom by now, they are driven out
of town by angry Jews. Still, whether others around them did anything right,
Paul and Silas walked above reproach, honoring God and adorning the gospel.
Application/Discussion
1. Why
would Paul and Silas not escape from the jail when they jailed unjustly?
2. How
does Paul and Silas’ singing and praying in prison inspire you to respond in
seasons of suffering?
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for his sovereign power over nature and human hearts.
Confession:
Ask God’s forgiveness for any ways you have fallen short of his goodness today.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for his wonderful salvation.
Supplication:
Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help for your church members to lovingly live out and
boldly witness for the gospel in your community.
Thursday,
August 14
Acts
17:10-34
Commentary
Today’s
reading introduces us to the Bereans, who honorably examined what Paul was
saying with the Scriptures rather than immediately reject it, like so many had.
Many Bereans believed the gospel, including some of the city’s most influential
men and women. However, a mob from Thessalonica drives Paul to Athens while
Silas and Timothy remain to minister in the Berea. Perhaps because Paul was the
more prominent and controversial teacher, Silas and Timothy could have stayed
in Berea without being bothered too much.
Paul
then goes to Athens, where he is distraught at their great idolatry. Paul
immediately finds ways to witness to the Athenians, both the Jews and Greeks.
Many seem interested in Paul’s message, but Paul clarifies that what he is
proclaiming is not simply the next hot fad in philosophy or one god out of a
pantheon. Instead, he is proclaiming the one true path to salvation through the
one true Savior. Rather than use the Scriptures, which they would have had
little familiarity with, he appealed to how nature suggests a divine Creator.
The one Creator cannot be confined by or represented by human images and the
day he will give each his due is approaching. While some scoffed at Paul’s
message, others wanted to keep hearing it, and Paul kept sharing faithfully.
Application/Discussion
1. When
you hear people mention God or the Bible, do you examine what they say with the
Scriptures, or take their word for it?
2. What
is different about Paul’s address to the Athenians compared to his addresses to
more Jewish audiences? How does Paul both build common ground and clearly state
differences when witnessing to the Athenians?
3.
What does Paul’s habit of repeatedly reasoning with unbelievers suggest about
how we should witness?
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for showing his glory in creation and in Christ.
Confession:
Ask for God to help you gladly submit to his lordship in every part of your
life.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for the paradise that awaits believers because of the work of Christ.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s conviction and enlightenment to those who follow
other religions and the Holy Spirit’s strengthening of missionaries across the
world.
Friday,
August 15
Acts
18
Commentary
In
today’s reading, Paul goes to Corinth. He supports himself there by making
tents, not relying on the financial kindness of others to get by. Paul meets a
couple who become recurring side characters of the New Testament, Aquilla and
Priscilla. He stayed and worked with them, enjoying kinship in the same
profession, while continuing to build relationships and teach. Eventually, many
people come to know Christ. Paul settles down for a year and a half serving the
city. Later, a Jewish opponent tries to get Paul in trouble with the Roman
authorities for practicing another religion, but the governor refuses to get
involved with what, to him, seemed like their personal, kooky religious
matters. Paul lived such an exemplary life, even when someone tried to stick a
crime to him, nothing would stay on.
Paul
sets off once again, now on his third missionary journey, traveling several
places and finally reaching Ephesus. We are introduced to another apostolic
sidekick here, Apollos. He was an eloquent and brilliant man, passionate about
the gospel, but was limited in his understanding. Apollos only knew of the
message of John the Baptist and, seemingly, whatever hearsay about Jesus was
available to him. Priscilla and Aquilla took him aside to set some things
straight and Apollos continued to point people to Christ.
Application/Discussion
1. What
might be some advantages of having a tent-making (bivocational) pastor or
missionary? What might be some disadvantages?
2. Skill
alone is not sufficient for spiritual service, we must have ready hearts and
minds. Apollos had an aptitude for teaching and debating, but he still had to
learn to utilize that gift for the kingdom for the most effectiveness.
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for his loving, forgiving, redeeming grace and mercy.
Confession:
Ask God’s help in making the gospel the greatest priority in your
relationships.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for his perfect, complete Word and his guiding, encouraging Spirit.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and wisdom for your church’s pastors and
teachers.
Saturday,
August 16
Acts
19:1-27
Commentary
In
today’s reading, we have the final instance in Acts of a new group receiving
the Holy Spirit. Similar to Apollos, many in Ephesus had only heard the message
of John, and just knowing the Christ had already come at some point cannot save
you from your sins. The Jews received the Spirit, the Samaritans received the
Spirit, the Gentiles received the Spirit, and now those who have only heard of
John. Paul spent over two years investing in the believers in Ephesus. Church
tradition tells us that this church would later be pastored by Timothy and
John, so it has quite a pedigree when we think of it now. However, it started
with a man who simply faithfully proclaimed God’s Word to a small amount of
saints and watched the church grow.
The
public preaching and miracle working is influential, that many people decided
to burn their witchcraft items, for lack of better words. Paul finally makes it
to Asia for a bit; meanwhile, Demetrius gathers men to oppose Paul so that they
do not lose their idol business. Kenneth Gangel explained, “Let’s not miss
Luke’s cursory handling of this unusual activity. Miracles never form the
center of evangelism; they only serve as a means to the end of proclaiming
faith in Christ. That held true in the ministry of Jesus and certainly
throughout Acts. That such a passage as this should form a basis for people
seeking healing through sending cloths through the mail or touching television
sets at a certain time is indicative of how like Ephesus our dark and superstitious
culture has become.”[2]
Application/Discussion
1. Why
would Luke show these four different groups receiving the Holy Spirit?
2. Why
is John the Baptist’s message inadequate on its own.
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for his great grace, mercy, and love, as displayed in the work of
Christ.
Confession:
Ask for God’s help in proclaiming the gospel to everyone around you.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for the instruction of his Word.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s conviction and enlightenment of lost person you know
well and for opportunities to witness.
Sunday,
August 17
Acts
19:28-20:6
Commentary
Demitrius
from yesterday’s reading has gone much farther than you would expect for a few
verses. He riles up all the people in support of Artemis and against the
church, but again, the Christians cannot be charged with any wrongdoing. Paul
was deep in pagan territory, yet he was as bold for the gospel as ever. Even
when opposition arose and even when he seemed he could be trapped, he kept on
in faith. Paul then returns to Macedonia, completing his missions circuit, at
least for now, and begins a sooner journey soon after.
Application/Discussion
1. What
themes or patterns have you noticed in our study of Acts that really stand out
to you?
2.
Did Paul have a hard life? Was it worth it at the end? Of course! Use your life
just as passionate and just as much for kingdom!
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
How can you praise God based on what you just read?
Confession:
Is there unconfessed sin in your heart today?
Thanksgiving:
How can you thank God based on what you just read?
Supplication:
What can you ask for God’s help with based on what you just read?
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