Acts 14 ( 47-48 AD)
GROWTH AND PERSECUTION IN ICONIUM

• As the blood dries on their backs, Paul and Barnabas travel 90 miles southeast to the frontier town of Iconium. (still modern Turkey).
• This is roughly a five-day walk.
• The two men take the Roman military road called the Via Sebaste (Sebastian Way), which will eventually lead them to Lystra and Derbe.[1]
• The Via Sebaste was built under Augustus in 6 BC. It connected six military colonies, including Antioch of Psidia.

1 In Iconium

• Greek city that speaks Greek & Phrygian.
• Some Romans had begun to settle here.

they entered the Jewish synagogue, as usual, and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they stayed there a long time and spoke boldly for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace by enabling them to do signs and wonders.

• Faith is not based on miracles.
• Miracles support faith.

4 But the people of the city were divided, some siding with the Jews and others with the apostles.

• As the apostles continued their witness, the city became more and more polarized into those who supported them and those who opposed them.
• It is noteworthy that Luke used the term “apostle” here to refer to Paul and Barnabas.
• Here and 14:14 are the only places where he applied the term to anyone other than the Twelve disciples.[2]

5 When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat and stone them,

• This was more a mob mentality rather than an official city decision by authorities like in Antioch.

6 they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside. 7 There they continued preaching the gospel.

• Another “church” was started in Iconium.

 
MISTAKEN FOR GODS IN LYSTRA

• Paul and Barnabas take the Via Sebaste and travel eighteen miles southwest to a Roman colony called Lystra.
• Lystra is a very primitive town that is built on a small hill.
• The old Lyconian language is still spoken here, as well as Greek.
• Since Lystra is a Roman colony, the language of the courts and the Roman soldiers is Latin.
• There is no synagogue, indicating there are hardly any Jews present.
• There is an old legend that says that the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes once visited Lystra (as told by the poet, Ovid).
• They appeared as humans looking for a place to stay.
• After they were rejected by the people, an elderly couple took the gods into their home.
• The gods turned their home into a palace.
• That palace became the temple of Zeus.[3]

8 In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth. 9 He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around.
11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes (herald, messenger of the gods), because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice.
14 The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting: 15 “People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way, 17 although he did not leave himself without a witness, since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” 18 Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.
19 Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.

• 2 Corinthians 11:24-25 - Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea.[4]

20 After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town.

• Timothy being one of those who watched and gathered.
• 2 Timothy 3:10-11 - But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance, 11 along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured—and yet the Lord rescued me from them all.[5]
• Timothy’s faith came through his mother Eunice and his Grandmother, Lois.
• 2 Timothy 1:5 - I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also. [6]
• These women are both Jews but Timothy’s Dad is Greek.
• Acts 16:1 - Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but his father was a Greek. [7]
• Paul was miraculously healed but deeply scarred.
• Galatians 6:17 - From now on, let no one cause me trouble, because I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.[8]​
• If the Bible says, “the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy.”, it doesn’t matter if it is referring to the Pharisees or the evil one.
• The intent is to “steal, kill and destroy” with the root of that evil coming from the evil one.
• Paul is doing all things good (sharing the Gospel) but comes to the edge of death.
• Miraculously he survives… but the scars remain.
• Ever been there?
• Do you have scars as a result of your goodness?
• Maybe you’re still in the midst of being wounded.
• Maybe you’re in the midst of healing.
• Don’t ever give up on your faith, your calling… your goodness that comes from the Lord.
• Near death… miraculously healed… got up and went and got their “stuff” and then…

The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

• Another “church” was started in Lystra.
• The two apostles head 60 miles southeast to a tiny frontier town called Derbe.

 
CHURCH PLANTING
21 After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples,

• A convert is made in the town whose name is Gaius. (mentioned in Acts 20:4)
• Another “church” was started in Derbe.
• After preaching the gospel in Derbe, Paul and Barnabas retrace their steps.
• Despite the fact that they have been driven out of these cities.

they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” 23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

• In each city, they meet with the church briefly to strengthen, encourage, and warn them of the trials that lie ahead.
• After prayer and fasting, the apostles identify the older men in each church that have matured the most.
• They acknowledge these men as “elders.”
• After commending each church to the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul and Barnabas depart.
•  If we take into account their travel time, Paul and Barnabas spend only three to five months planting each Galatian church.
• This is a pattern that holds throughout Paul’s entire ministry.
• He will spend a short amount of time laying a solid foundation for an infant church.
• Then he will abandon it for a long period of time without human headship or designated leadership.
• Two years will pass before Paul will return to see the Galatian believers.
• Most of the converts in South Galatia are heathen Gentiles.
• There are some God-fearers and some Jews among them.
• The new converts in South Galatia do not have any Bibles. The NT has not been written yet.
• Possibly a Jew in one of the four churches has one or two scrolls of some OT Book. But it is highly doubtful that any of the churches in South Galatia have a complete OT.
• Yet even if every convert had an entire Bible, it would profit them little. For only five to ten percent of the population in the Roman Empire are literate.
• Letter writers, stenographers, occasional poets, and legal scribes make up only four percent of the population at best.
• Those who can write become farsighted by the age of forty. Thus they will need a secretary that serves as a professional scribe to pen their letters.
• For this reason, Paul needed a scribe to write his epistles (e.g., Romans 16: 22). Yet with his own hand he would sign the last part of each letter to confirm its authenticity (Galatians 6: 11; 2 Thessalonians 3: 17; 1 Corinthians 16: 21).
• The average life expectancy for a male is 45. The average life expectancy for a female is 38. (Of all humans born in the Empire, half die before age five.)
• Women usually marry in their early teens and raise families until they have passed child-bearing age. Very little birth control is practiced.
• Twenty-five percent of babies do not survive their first year.
• Half do not live past the age of ten. Three of every ten Jewish children die before the age of eighteen.

24 They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 After they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.

• Now 49 AD

27 After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent a considerable time with the disciples. [9]

• Meanwhile, back in Rome, Emperor Claudius issues a decree expelling all the Jews from the “Eternal City” (Rome).
• According to the historian Seutonius, the Jews are rioting over their various views about Christ.
• Since Christianity is viewed as a sect of Judaism in the eyes of the Greeks and Romans, all Jews—including Christian and non-Christian—are forced to leave the city.
• Many of the banished Jews flee to the Greek city of Corinth.
• A Roman Jew named Aquila and his wife Priscilla are among them.
• Because Rome has expelled all Jews, Gentiles in all the Roman colonies throughout the Empire regard Jews with even greater suspicion and disfavor than they had before.

 

• For most of the population, first-century Galatia is a thankless, loveless, horrible place to live.
• This is the world into which two apostolic workers from Syrian Antioch come to establish the church of Jesus Christ.
• Keep in mind that these new Galatian churches are surrounded by Gentile immorality and idolatry. Also, there are Jews in their towns who hate the new faith.
• After their brief revisiting trip, the new Christians in Galatia will not see the hair of an apostle for almost two years.
• But the gospel that Paul and Barnabas preach will be rich and high enough to cause the Galatian churches to survive without any outside help.
• What Paul and Barnabas preach cause these once heathen, superstitious, selfish, miserable Gentiles to fall in love with one another, to sing, to smile, and to glow with the joy of Jesus Christ.
• Like the Twelve before them, they were called, trained, and sent.
• And they preach an indwelling Christ that will sustain them through the pressures of life.
• They eat together, work together, greet each other with a holy kiss, raise their children together, take care of one another, and bury one another.

It is this joy and love that the Galatian Christians have one for another that will shake the Roman Empire to its very foundations.[10]

[1] The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Gide to Understanding the New Testament, Frank Viola, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004. Chapter 9
[2] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 311). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3] The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Gide to Understanding the New Testament, Frank Viola, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004. Chapter 9
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (2 Co 11:24–25). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (2 Ti 3:10–11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (2 Ti 1:5). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 16:1). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ga 6:17). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 14:1–28). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[10] The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Gide to Understanding the New Testament, Frank Viola, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004. Chapter 9

Acts 12 (April 44 AD)
18 At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

• If a guard permitted a prisoner to escape, Roman law required that he receive the same punishment that the prisoner would have received, even if it was death (see Acts 16:27; 27:42).
• This law did not strictly apply in Herod’s jurisdiction, so the king was not forced to kill the guards; but, being a Herod, he did it anyway.
• Instead of killing one man to please the Jews, he killed four and perhaps hoped it would please them more.[1]
• Show Map of Caesarea

 
HEROD’S DEATH

• August 1, 44 AD

20 Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon (north of Caesarea). Together they presented themselves before him. After winning over Blastus, who was in charge of the king’s bedroom, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king’s country. 21 On an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a speech to them. 22 The assembled people began to shout, “It’s the voice of a god and not of a man!”

• The Jewish historian Josephus said that this scene took place during a festival honoring Claudius Caesar, and that the king wore a beautiful silver garment in honor of the occasion.
• We do not know what Herod said in his oration, but we do know why he said it: he wanted to impress the people.[2]

23 At once an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.

• As he speaks, the public utters out: “You are more than a mortal; you are a god!”
• Herod does not rebuke the people, but accepts their impious flattery. Immediately, the angel of the Lord strikes him down.
• According to Josephus’ account, Herod complains of intestinal pains and is removed from the crowds.
• He suffers with stomach pains for five days until he dies.
• The cause of death is intestinal worms that eat his insides.[3]
• The first 12 chapters of Acts are dominated by Peter. The remainder of Acts shifts to Paul.

24 But the word of God flourished and multiplied.

• At the beginning of Acts 12, Herod seemed to be in control and the church was losing the battle.
• But at the end of the chapter, Herod is dead and the church—very much alive—is growing rapidly!
• The secret? A praying church![4]

25 After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, taking along John who was called Mark.[5]

• This was the relief fund trip in Acts 11:27-30.
• According to Galatians 2:1, Paul also took Titus.
• Galatians 2:1 - Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also.[6]
• Titus was a Gentile representative of the Antioch Church.
• From Antioch to Jerusalem it is a good 250 miles.
• They handed over the relief funds to the elders in Jerusalem.
• Galatians 2:2-5 - 2 I went up according to a revelation and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those recognized as leaders (Peter, James & John). I wanted to be sure I was not running, and had not been running, in vain. 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us. 5 But we did not give up and submit to these people for even a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would be preserved for you.
• Now from those recognized as important (what they once were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was for the circumcised, 8 since the one at work in Peter for an apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in me for the Gentiles. 9 When James, Cephas, and John—those recognized as pillars—acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They asked only that we would remember the poor, which I had made every effort to do. [7]
• Saul, Barnabas, and Titus head back home to Antioch of Syria.
• They take with them Barnabas’ young cousin (Colossians 4:10), John Mark. (“John” is his Jewish name while “Mark” is his Roman name. He is the same Mark that authored the Gospel of Mark.)

 
PREPARING FOR THE MISSION FIELD
Acts 13
Spring 47

• Now the Church in Antioch is about 7 years old.

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger (Niger is his Latin surname indicating that he is of dark complexion. He is also known as Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus’ cross), Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch (an aristocrat and probably the foster brother of Herod Antipas who was the youngest song of Herod the Great), and Saul.
2 As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.

• Like the Twelve, they are now “sent ones”—apostles.
• But their sending has not been without preparation.
• Barnabas has lived in the experience of the church for seventeen years (ten years in Jerusalem and seven in Antioch).
• He was also trained by the Twelve.
• Saul has lived in the experience of the church in Antioch for five years.
• He was trained by Barnabas.
• The other three brothers lay hands on Barnabas and Saul on behalf of the Antioch church, sending them out to the work.[8]

 
THE MISSION TO CYPRUS
47-50 AD
Paul’s First Missionary Journey
Time: 2 years – 47-49 AD
1200 Miles traveled
Churches Planted: (4)

• Pisidian Antioch 3-4 months
• Iconium – 3-4 months
• Lystra – 3-4 months
• Derbe – 3-4 months
• Barnabas, Saul & John Mark with Barnabas taking the lead.
• Show map of Antioch to Cyprus

4 So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia (sixteen miles from Antioch), and from there they sailed to Cyprus (60 miles offshore from Antioch).

• Cyprus is where Barnabas is from.
• Cyprus belongs to the province of Cilicia.
• The principal export of Cyprus is copper, from which it derives its name. (Barnabas probably sold a copper field when he pooled his money to help the Jerusalem church seventeen years ago.)
• Cyprus stretches 140 miles from east to west.
• It is an island made up mostly of Greeks.
• Yet it has a large Jewish population.[9]

5 Arriving in Salamis (a town on Cyprus), they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.

• This became common for Saul to bring the Gospel to the Jews first, then the Gentiles.

They also had John as their assistant. 6 When they had traveled the whole island as far as Paphos (west side),

• Island tradition has it that Barnabas & Saul were tied to a pillar and whipped – receiving the “forty less one” beatings and imprisoned.
• Picture of the column
• 2 Corinthians 11:24 - Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews.[10]
• Over the next ten years.

they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul (governor), Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man (Sergius Paulus) summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas (also Bar-Jesus, bar translating to “son”) the sorcerer (that is the meaning of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

• He interrupted them in the middle of the Gospel.

9 But Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas 10 and said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, you son of the devil and enemy of all that is right. Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? 11 Now, look, the Lord’s hand is against you. You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

• A rebuking w/ a curse.

12 Then, when he saw what happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

• Sergius Paulus became Barnabas and Saul’s first Gentile convert.
• Sergius Paulus has relatives in Pisidia and most likely encourages them to go tell them the Gospel.

 
PAUL’S SERMON IN ANTIOCH OF PISIDIA
Summer of 47 AD
13 Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John (Mark) left them and went back to Jerusalem.

• Ten years later Paul will mention being involved in three shipwrecks and spending a night and a day in the open sea (2 Corinthians 11: 25).
• Luke mentions nine sea voyages and only one shipwreck, which occurred after Paul penned 2 Corinthians.
• Adding up all of Paul’s sea journeys, we discover that Paul traveled some 3,000 miles by sea.
• At this point. Luke begins to use Saul’s Greco-Roman name Paul (Paulos) instead of his Jewish name, Saul.
• It is significant to note that John Mark left them.
• Show map from Cypress to Perga.
• The journey from Paphos to Perga is accompanied by a shipwreck.
• The shipwreck, coupled with the bandits who haunted the Taurus Mountains, greatly discourage John Mark from continuing on the journey.
• He is also disturbed that Paul is now the leader of the apostolic mission, instead of his cousin Barnabas.
• Paul is prepared to preach outside the synagogue to Gentiles with greater freedom than Mark had anticipated.
• All this causes John Mark to get homesick, so he heads back to Jerusalem.
• Paul views John Mark’s departure as unfaithful abandonment.
• In addition to all these setbacks, Paul is sick.
• Galatians 4:13-14 - you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a weakness of the flesh. 14 You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus himself. [11]

14 They continued their journey from Perga and reached Pisidian Antioch.

• Show map from Perga to Psidia.
• Antioch of Pisidia is 3600 feet above sea level.
• The men must cross over the Taurus Mountains to get there.
• This is a very dangerous journey.
• The roads are not safe, and they abound with robbers.
• The rivers in this area are also known to overflow easily, causing many to drown.
• When Paul will write of “dangers from robbers and dangers from rivers” in 2 Corinthians, he is undoubtedly speaking of the journey from Perga to Pisidia.
• The ordinary rate of travel by foot in the first century is 20 miles a day.
• Therefore, the journey from Perga to Pisidia will take approximately ten days.
• Paul and Barnabas undoubtedly had to stop at the local tavern inns on their journey.
• Well-to-do Romans avoid these inns at all cost.
• Inns are noted for their filthy sleeping quarters, adulterated wine, extortionate innkeepers, gamblers, thieves, and prostitutes, not to mention their bug-infested beds.[12]
• Arriving in Psidian Antioch (today’s central Turkey), the civil and administrative center of Galatia, there are many Jews but only one synagogue.
• “Antioch near Pisidia” is still a Roman colony.

On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, you can speak.”
16 Paul stood up and motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites, and you who fear God, listen! 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, made the people prosper during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty arm. 18 And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness; 19 and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 This all took about 450 years. After this, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 After removing him, he raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my will.’
23 “From this man’s descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel the Savior, Jesus. 24 Before his coming to public attention, John had previously proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 Now as John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But one is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’
26 “Brothers and sisters, children of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent. 27 Since the residents of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him or the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they have fulfilled their words by condemning him. 28 Though they found no grounds for the death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him killed. 29 When they had carried out all that had been written about him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and he appeared for many days to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors. 33 God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:
You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
34 As to his raising him from the dead, never to return to decay, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure promises of David. 35 Therefore he also says in another passage, You will not let your Holy One see decay. 36 For David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and decayed, 37 but the one God raised up did not decay. 38 Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers and sisters, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you. 39 Everyone who believes is justified through him from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses. 40 So beware that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you:
41 Look, you scoffers,
marvel and vanish away,
because I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will never believe,
even if someone were to explain it to you.” (Habakkuk 1:5)

• This is the same message that Stephen preached and was stoned on the same day.
• Paul obviously heard it and retained.
• He knew the reaction he would get from the Jews because of what he saw happened to Stephen.

 
PAUL AND BARNABAS IN ANTIOCH
42 As they were leaving, the people urged them to speak about these matters the following Sabbath. 43 After the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.

• The audience is made up of Jews, Jewish proselytes and God-fearers.
• Jews are born Israelites and are circumcised on the 8th day after birth to show their covenant with God.
• Proselytes are Gentiles who have converted over to Judaism and been circumcised. They have become complete Jews.
• God-fearers are Gentiles who follow the God of Israel but they are not circumcised.
• Therefore, they are not full members of the synagogue.

44 The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him.
46 Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
I have made you
a light for the Gentiles
to bring salvation
to the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district.

• Associated Paul’s sickness with sin of preaching a false message.
• They are beaten with birch rods because it is part of the formal process of being banished from the city.

51 But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.[13]

• The Church is mostly Gentile.

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 455). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 455). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Gide to Understanding the New Testament, Frank Viola, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004. Chapter 8
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 455–456). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 11:19–12:25). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ga 2:1). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ga 2:2–10). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Gide to Understanding the New Testament, Frank Viola, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004. Chapter 8
[9] The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Gide to Understanding the New Testament, Frank Viola, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004. Chapter 9
[10] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (2 Co 11:24). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ga 4:13–14). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[12] The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Gide to Understanding the New Testament, Frank Viola, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004. Chapter 9
[13] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 13:1–52). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

THE CHURCH IN ANTIOCH
Acts 11

• Antioch Map
• 41 AD

19 Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except (Hellenistic/Grecian)Jews.

• Antioch of Syria is located on the Orontes River and sits 300 miles north of Jerusalem.
• According to Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 100), Antioch is the third largest city in the Roman Empire, following Rome and Alexandria.
• The city is known as “the queen of the East,” “Antioch the beautiful,” and “the third city of the Empire.”
• Antioch is the center of political, military, and commercial communication between Rome and the Persian frontier.
• It is a wealthy city and the only one that has streetlights at this time. Its main east-west street is paved with polished stone and there are colonnades on both sides.
• Antioch’s population is estimated between 300,000 and 500,000. The Jewish population is large and vigorous, standing between 22,000 and 50,000.
• In the years to come, Syrian Antioch will become the cradle of Gentile Christianity.

 

• Antioch of Syria is typical of all Greco-Roman cities of the first century. It is a pesthole of infectious disease. Sickness is highly visible on the streets.
• Swollen eyes, skin rashes, and lost limbs are readily seen in public.
• The city is populated with recent newcomers so it is peopled by strangers.
• The city is filled with misery, danger, despair, fear, and hatred.
• The average family lives in filthy and crowded quarters.
• At least half the children die at birth or during infancy.
• Most children lose one parent before reaching maturity.
• There is intense ethnic antagonism which breeds hatred and fear. This problem is worsened by the constant influx of foreigners.
• Crime is rampant, and the streets are unsafe at night.
• What Christianity will bring to this city and all others is a new culture capable of making life in Greco-Roman cities more tolerable.
• The community of Jesus Christ—the church—will bring joy, hope, charity, a sense of family, and social solidarity to such cruel conditions.[1]
• There were at least sixteen Antiochs in the ancient world, but this one was the greatest.
• Antioch was a wicked city, perhaps second only to Corinth.[2]

20 But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.

• Acts 21:16 - Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.[3]

21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

• The church in Antioch is quickly becoming a church full of Law-free Gentiles.

22 News about them reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas (originally from Cyprus) to travel as far as Antioch.

• Although this could certainly be seen as a sort of “supervision” by Jerusalem, in each instance the Christians of Jerusalem enthusiastically endorsed the new work and gave it their stamp of approval.
• The church leaders in Jerusalem had a responsibility to “shepherd” the scattered flock, which now included Gentile congregations as far away as Syria.
• Apparently the Apostles were ministering away from Jerusalem at the time, so the elders commissioned Barnabas to go to Antioch to find out what was going on among the Gentiles.
• This proved to be a wise choice, for Barnabas lived up to his nickname, “son of encouragement”[4]
• The Church in Jerusalem has great confidence in Barnabas.

23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord.

• Barnabas had a natural relationship with the Hellenists.
• As a native of Cyprus, he most likely was fluent in Greek.
• On the other hand, he did not seem to have originally belonged to their group but rather to have had ties from the beginning with the non-Hellenist church in Jerusalem and particularly with the apostles.
• He participated in exemplary fashion in the church’s practice of sharing (4:36f.).
• Barnabas was a “bridge-builder,” one who was able to see the positive aspects in both sides of an issue and to mediate between perspectives. [5]

 

• 42 AD

25 Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.

• Why not send to Jerusalem and ask the deacon Nicolas who was from Antioch? (Acts 6:5)
• Because Barnabas knew that God had commissioned Saul to minister to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; 22:21; 26:17).
• You recall that Barnabas befriended Saul in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26–27), and no doubt the two of them often talked about Saul’s special call from God.
• In Antioch, Saul lives with Simon of Cyrene (also called Simeon), his wife, and his two sons, Rufus and Alexander.
• Simon’s wife cares for Saul and acts like a mother to him. (Simon carried the cross of Christ.)
• The believers are first designated “Christians” (Christ’s people) in Antioch.
• They do not call themselves Christians, nor is this name given to them by the Jews (for the Jews do not believe that Jesus is the Christ—the Messiah).
• It is rather given to them by their Greek-speaking neighbors.
• The reason? The believers are constantly talking about their Lord, just as Jesus constantly talked about His Father.
• The Christians in Antioch are consumed with Jesus Christ, and out of the abundance of their hearts their mouths speak.
• The new movement is also called “The Way”—a term the Christians use for the way of salvation and the way of life.
• In Palestine, the Christians are known as “Nazarenes.”
• There are two men in the Antioch church who will play a key role in the story: Luke and Titus.
• Titus will one day become an apostolic worker (church planter), but only after he has had time to develop spiritually in the church.
• Luke is a Gentile itinerant (traveling) physician who plies his trade in places like Troas and Philippi.
• Titus is Luke’s younger brother.[6]

 

• What Barnabas did for Saul needs to be practiced in our churches today.
• Mature believers need to enlist others and encourage them in their service for the Lord.[7]

 
FAMINE RELIEF

• 43 AD

27 In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the reign of Claudius (Roman Emperor from 41-54 AD)

• In Jerusalem, King Herrod Agrippa, grandson of the Herod the Great, is ruler.

29 Each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers and sisters who lived in Judea. 30 They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul.

• Ancient writers mention at least four famines: two in Rome, one in Greece, and one in Judea.
• The famine in Judea was especially severe, and the Jewish historian Josephus records that many people died for lack of money to buy what little food was available.
• The pattern for Christian giving today is not Acts 2:44–45 and 4:31–35, but Acts 11:29, “every man according to his ability.”
• It is this pattern that Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 8–9.
• The practice of “Christian communism” was found only in Jerusalem and was a temporary measure while the message was going “to the Jew first.”
• Like God’s care of the Jews in the wilderness, it was a living exhibition of the blessings God would bestow if the nation would repent and believe.
• The word elders in Acts 11:30 has not been used before in Acts, except to refer to the Jewish leaders (Acts 4:5, 23; 6:12).
• In the church, the elders were mature believers who had the spiritual oversight of the ministry (1 Peter 5:1; 2 John 1).[8]

 
JAMES MARTYRED AND PETER JAILED

• April, 44 AD

12 About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church,

• This evil man was the grandson of Herod the Great, who ordered the Bethlehem children to be murdered, and the nephew of Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist beheaded.
• His father, Aristobulus, had been executed in 7 b.c. by his grandfather for fear that he might usurp his throne.
• After his father’s death, while still a child, Agrippa was sent to Rome with his mother, where he was reared and educated along with the children of the Roman aristocracy.
• These childhood friendships eventually led to his ruling over a Jewish kingdom.
• In 37AD, the emperor Caligula gave him the title of king and made him ruler over the territories formerly ruled by his uncle Philip, lands in the Transjordan and the Ten Cities (Decapolis) north of Galilee.
• In 39AD, Caligula extended Agrippa’s rule by giving him Galilee and Perea, the territory of his uncle Antipas, who had been sent into exile.
• Finally, when his former schoolmate Claudius became emperor in 41AD, he was given rule of Judea and Samaria, which had been under Roman jurisdiction for thirty-five years.
• He was truly “king of the Jews” now, ruling over all of Judea, Samaria, Galilee, the Transjordan, and the Decapolis.
• Though king, Agrippa was hardly secure. Much of his good fortune was due to his friendship with Caligula, and Caligula had not been a popular emperor with the Romans.
• In fact, Agrippa could not count on always being in the good graces of Rome.
• It became all the more important for him to win the loyalty of his Jewish subjects in order to give him at least a firm footing at home.
• Everything Josephus said about Agrippa would indicate that he made every attempt to please the Jews, particularly currying the favor of the influential Pharisees.
• His “Jewishness,” however, seems to have been largely a face he put on when at home.
• When away, he lived in a thoroughly Roman fashion.
• Why persecution of the Christians was particularly pleasing to them at this time is not stated. Perhaps the acceptance of uncircumcised Gentiles as related in chap. 11 had something to do with their disfavor.[9]

2 and he executed James, John’s brother (sons of Zebedee), with the sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

• James is the first of the Twelve to be martyred.
• James and John, with their mother, had asked for thrones, but Jesus made it clear that there can be no glory apart from suffering.
• “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” He asked (Matt. 20:22).
• Their bold reply was, “We are able.”
• The martyrdom of James is told with the utmost brevity.
• Luke did not want to dwell on it but used the incident to set the stage for his main emphasis—God’s deliverance of Peter.[10]

4 After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

• Herod would not risk his favor with the Jews by executing Peter during this time, since that would be considered a desecration.[11]

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him.
 
PETER RESCUED
6 When Herod was about to bring him out for trial, that very night Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison.

• That Peter could sleep so soundly the night before his trial is perhaps indicative of his calm assurance that he was in God’s hands.[12]
• But the main cause of Peter’s peace was the knowledge that Herod could not kill him.
• Jesus had promised Peter that he would live to be an old man and end his life crucified on a Roman cross (John 21:18–19 - “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God.)[13]
• Peter simply laid hold of that promise and committed the entire situation to the Lord, and God gave him peace and rest.
• He did not know how or when God would deliver him, but he did know that deliverance was coming.[14]

7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 “Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.”

• This was the end of the Passover week.
• The Passover was a week long rememberance of how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt.
• Now God is delivering Peter from the hands of King Herod.

9 So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what the angel did was really happening, but he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 After they passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and suddenly the angel left him.
11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.” 12 As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying.

• Since it was the prayers of God’s people that had helped to set him free, Peter decided that the best place for him would be in that prayer meeting at Mary’s house.
• Furthermore, he wanted to report the good news that God had answered their prayers.

13 He knocked at the door of the outer gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14 She recognized Peter’s voice, and because of her joy, she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the outer gate.

• Rhoda had been praying for a week for Peter’s release but when it actually happened, she did not have enough faith to open the door.
• She couldn’t believe God answered their prayers.
• We must face the fact that even in the most fervent prayer meetings there is sometimes a spirit of doubt and unbelief.
• We are like the father who cried to Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
• These Jerusalem saints believed that God could answer their prayers, so they kept at it night and day.
• But, when the answer came right to their door, they refused to believe it.[15]

15 “You’re out of your mind!” they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true, and they said, “It’s his angel.” 16 Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
17 Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Tell these things to James and the brothers,” he said, and he left and went to another place.

• Where Peter went when he left the meeting, nobody knows to this day!
• It certainly was a well-kept secret.
• Except for a brief appearance in Acts 15, Peter walks off the pages of the Book of Acts to make room for Paul and the story of his ministry among the Gentiles.
  
• 1 Corinthians 9:5 tells us that Peter traveled in ministry with his wife, and 1 Corinthians 1:12 suggests that he visited Corinth.[16]

[1] The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Gide to Understanding the New Testament, Frank Viola, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004. Chapter 8
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 449). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 21:16). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 449). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 272). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[6] The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Gide to Understanding the New Testament, Frank Viola, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004. Chapter 8
[7] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 449). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[8] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 451). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[9] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 277–278). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[10] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 278–279). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[11] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 279). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[12] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 280). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[13] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jn 21:18). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[14] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 453). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[15] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 454). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[16] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 454). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.