Author Archives: Phillip

Acts chapter 16 v 6-12:

V6:  They travel on, through the provinces of Phrygia and Galatia ( no details given of their ministry there ) – and then clearly intend to preach in the major province of Asia too -but this is stopped by the Holy Spirit! What form this intervention took, we do not know, but it was definitely seen as a door God had closed ( though note,only to these men at this time, in His Sovereign will.)

God does at times close doors – and we need to recognise and accept where this is so.

V7:  Next they seek to turn another way, into the province of Bithynia ( it would be helpful to consult a map of this area ) and again the Holy Spirit ( called, we note the “Spirit of Jesus” – the Oneness of the Triune God is shown here.) prevents them. They accept this , as we all must do when God says ” No “, even to some dearly conceived project of our own.)

V8:  Unsure of what God’s will is, but clearly open to it, they carry on following the direct route before them ( always a good principle until directed otherwise ) and come to Troas – the coastal port for direct sailings to Macedonia.

V9:  And God now makes His purpose clear, sending Paul a vision  of ” a man of Macedonia “ begging him to come over to that land and ” help them” – in other words, bring the Gospel to them. So, God will make His will known to those who seek it in faith and obedience when He reveals it.

V10:  They all agree this is of God, and seek at once to take ship for Macedonia. Truly, if God closes one door, He WILL open another as we look to Him. The ” we” indicates that Luke, the writer of Acts has now joined them – no other details are given, and characteristically, he does not draw attention to himself.

V11:  So, they sail to Macedonia, via the island of Samothrace, where the ship would put in overnight, and the next day reach the port of Neapolis on the Macedonian coast. So, God has directly acted to bring the gospel into Europe for the first time – the ever-widening circles of Acts 1 v 8 continue.

V12:  They travel inland to Philippi, the leading city of Macedonia, and one with the coveted status of ” a Roman colony “, which granted various rights and privileges where bestowed, but also a very direct answerability to Rome.

Acts chapter 16:1-5:

V1:  Paul ( with Silas ) revisits Derbe and Lystra, where he knew both blessing and tribulation on his first journey ( ch 14.) Here Timothy joins him – we presume a convert from that previous visit. He is the son of a ” mixed marriage “, his mother being a Jewess who is now a believer in Jesus, and a Greek father. Timothy will become a dearly beloved protege of Paul, to whom he would write the 2 NT letters which bear his name.

V2:  Timothy is well-regarded by the believers, not only in Lystra but in Iconium too – clearly there was some contact and fellowship between churches in a wider area.

V3:  Paul adds Timothy to his team, first circumcising him so as not to offend Jewish believers since his mother is Jewish, so he would be seen as such himself. Paul would always argue against imposing circumcision on ” full ” Gentiles, of course.

V4:  Still Paul and his companions relay to every church they visit the outcome of the ” Jerusalem council”, and what was agreed there to be required of Gentile converts.

V5: They also exercise a wider ministry of encouragement to strengthen the believers, and of Gospel preaching – so, the daily growth of the churches.,

Acts chapter 15 v 36-41:

V36:  Some time later, Paul speaks to Barnabas of revisiting the churches founded on their previous journey, to see how they are and encourage them. In this we see a real concern for their continuing spiritual welfare and growth.

V37:  Barnabas, ever the great encourager, wants to take John Mark with them again.

V38:  Paul rejects this, because Mark left them on that first journey – as this verse clearly suggests, when things became difficult and perhaps dangerous. So Paul feels he is not to be trusted with such ministry again.

V39:  This becomes such a cause of dissention between Paul and Barnabas that they separate – no longer, it seems able to work amicably together! This seems amazing – 2 such men of God, who have worked together to such blessing. Bible commentators ( and preachers ) disagree about who was right and who was wrong – but whatever we conclude, let us be on our guard. Satan loves to divide believers, to split churches and disrupt the work. If it could happen to 2 such men, let us ever beware of causes of division ( Remember 1 Corinthians 10 v12.) Barnabas now takes Mark with him to his homeland of Cyprus. Some point out we hear no more of him in the NT. Was he wrong then to take Mark’s part? Was it coloured by the fact that Mark was related to him, as we learn in Colossians 4 v10?  But consider Paul’s own words in 2 Timothy 4 v11 – at the end of his life he has come to value Mark highly, and wants to see him again. To me this is more evidence of Barnabas’ ministry of encouragement bearing fruit. He looked through a young man’s failure to what the Lord could and would do with him in time to come, and was surely instrumental in this.

V40-41:  For all Satan’s efforts to disrupt, God’s work goes on, His kingdom advances. ( Matthew 16 v 18.)  Paul now chooses Silas,( surely ” v34″ is valid in explaining this.) They set off together on what will be the second great NT missionary journey, commended by the Antioch church. First, they revisit  the churches of the first journey, but soon they will break new and significant ground, as God directs their ministry.

Acts chapter 15 v 30-35:

V30-31:  So they come to Antioch, and deliver the letter to the church there, who are greatly encouraged and rejoice in this clarity. It emphasises that the church is One in Christ – there are not to be separate and distinct ” Jewish and Gentile” groups, or terms of faith.

V32:  Judas and Silas remain a while and teach and encourage the believers at Antioch, when they are called ” prophets”, it surely has its “ongoing meaning”, not so much foretelling the future, as declaring God’s Word with God-given power and authority.

V33:  Then the Antioch church send them back to Jerusalem,  with their blessing and in the peace of the Lord. Is there, then, an inconsistency with v40, where Silas becomes Paul’s new missionary companion?

V34: If you read either the ESV or the NIV, this verse is not printed in the main text, as it is in the AV and NKJV, but printed as a footnote. It says ” But it seemed good to Silas to remain there”. and as it stands certainly removes the problem of v40. There are 2 slightly different textual traditions of the NT, and theESV/NIV follow the one where the verse does not appear. But surely, it’s content explains v 40, whether in the original text or not, and suggests it is valid.

V35:  Paul and Barnabas remain a while at Antioch, still active together in ministry, along with ” many others “. All this speaks of a steadily growing church, under God’s continued blessing.

Acts chapter 15 v 23-29:

V23:  They bear a letter from the church, with the authority of the Apostles and Elders, welcoming the Gentile believers in Antioch and the other churches planted as brothers ( and sisters ) in  Christ, and greeting them warmly.

V24:  It emphasises that those men who came to Antioch and demanded legalistic burdens for the Gentiles ( v1.) did not come with the authority of the Jerusalem church, nor were sent by them.

V25-26:  So, they have sent Judas and Silas back with Paul and Barnabas ( who are spoken of as ” beloved” in Christ. ) It is not entirely clear if the reference to ” men who have risked their lives” for Christ’s sake refers to Judas  and Silas, or Paul and Barnabas – but probably the latter, as we know was the case on their missionary journey.

V27:  And Judas and Silas will endorse  by word of mouth all that the letter says.

V28-29:  The terms of the letter are repeated ( but specifically said to be the Holy Spirit’s revealed will ) The repetition again emphasises the importance of what is being said – how the Gentiles do not need to ” become like Jews” to be saved – Indeed, Jews like Gentiles are saved only by God’s grace, through faith in Christ ( Ephesians 2 v8-9.) We must realise what a major step this was for the early church, and how God is making His will and purpose clear, through His dealings with both Peter and Paul, and His revealed  Word in the OT. Yet the issue will raise it’s head again, as some of Paul’s letters show. Do we sometimes resist what the Lord is saying to us?

Acts chapter 15 v 19-22:

V19-20:  So James, clearly as led by the Holy Spirit, gives his judgement. Gentiles who trust in Christ are not to be burdened with the demands of the Law, but are exhorted to put away any trace of their pagan background, it’s idolatry and lifestyle, and also to avoid eating what would give offence to their Jewish brothers. This is not to impose OT Laws on them, but to to urge them to be mindful of Jewish scruples. Nor are we to see this as an ongoing “rule of life” for non-Jewish believers, but as an act of Christian love for that day, when the church was still primarily composed of Jewish people.

V21:  In this, they show regard for the OT Law, read every Sabbath in the synagogues ( from which many of these early Gentile converts have come, as previous ” God-fearers.”

 V22:  Now the Apostles, Elders and the whole Jerusalem church decide to send chosen men from among them to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch, no doubt to affirm the decision of the church personally. The 2 chosen men are Judas Barsabbas, of whom we learn little more, and Silas, who will become significant in the next round of Gospel expansion, alongside Paul.

Acts chapter 15 v 12-18:

V12:  All fall silent, as Barnabas and Paul ( an unusual return to the ” original order” in which they were first linked together ) tell how God has blessed and sealed their ministry to many Gentiles.

V13-14:  After they speak, James, as leader of the Jerusalem church, sums up what they have all heard, repeating how Simeon ( Peter’s Jewish name in its full form ) has told them of God’s undoubted saving choice of Gentiles.

V15-18:  He emphasises how this accords with, and was foretold in OT Scripture, quoting from Amos 9 v11-12. The quotation is slightly different from how those verses appear in our English versions of Amos, because he is quoting from the Greek version of the OT commonly in use even among the Jews at this time ( the Septuagint ) but there is no change of meaning – God declared through Amos how he would one day redeem not only Israel but chosen Gentiles too.

Acts chapter 15 v5-11:

V5:  Despite the general welcome from the Jerusalem church, Paul and Barnabas now face critical opposition from ” some believers …of the party of the Pharisees.” They are called believers, but they are still caught up in their legalistic background, and say that Gentile converts need to accept circumcision and the full weight of the law of Moses. Paul would later write of how he was set free from such legalism by God’s grace. ( Philippians 3 v5-9.)

V6-7:  The Apostles and Elders gather to consider this – clearly it is still a point of contention for some, but Peter reminds them how God has already sent him to the Gentiles ( the household of Cornelius, inch 10.) and brought them to saving faith.

V8-9:  And how the Holy Spirit sealed their conversion, and taught Peter that there was no difference between Jew and Gentile in the matter of faith – all is by God’s grace, through faith in Christ, with no other conditions.

V10-11:  How then can any seek to oppose God’s will, and lay the burden of the Law on Gentile converts, when the Jews themselves could never keep it or be saved through it? ( Compare Galatians 2 v15-16.)

Acts chapter 15 v1-4:

V1:  The issue of how Gentiles are to be received and accepted by the ( original ) Jewish believers remained a contentious one.Some Jews from Judea arrive in Antioch, telling the Gentiles there that they must become “Jewish” to be saved, receiving circumcision and coming under the Jewish laws. This was, of course, a denial of the true Gospel. Verse 24 will make it clear that they did not come with the authority of the Jerusalem church, or of James, it’s leader.

V2:  Paul and Barnabas at once take issue with them, and the Antioch church send them, with some others, to Jerusalem to clarify this whole issue with the Elders and Apostles there, for it is vital for the truth of the Gospel – Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. ( Ephesians 2 v 8-9.)

V3:  As they travel through Phoenicia and Samaria, they visit the churches there and report how God has indeed brought many Gentiles to faith, which these churches receive with no doubts or qualms, but with  great joy.

V4:   Arriving in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas are welcomed warmly by the “mother church”, including the Elders and Apostles, and again they speak of what the Lord has done through them. Notice the consistent emphasis not on what Paul and Barnabas have done, but what God has done through them, by His grace and to His own glory

Acts chapter 14 v 24-28:

V24:  They return then through Pisidia and Pamphilia. The encouragement of the believers in Antioch must actually have taken place at this stage, though summed up with the other churches in the previous verses.

V25-26:  They preach in Perga, though nothing is recorded of the outcome of their ministry there, then take ship from the port of Attalia and sail back to their sending church, Antioch in Syria.They are sure they have completed the work they have been set apart for at this stage, according to God’s will, and by His enabling grace alone.

V27:  They give a full report back to their sending church – reminding us that missionaries are answerable to the church they are sent by. If even Paul knew this was so, clearly it should be a lasting principle in Christian service. One man has said ” the NT knows nothing of “lone ranger missionaries”. They emphasise in their report the reality of God’s grace to the Gentiles, and their salvation through faith in Christ.

V28:  After this, Paul and Barnabas stay in Antioch for an unspecified length of time, settling back into their home church, and perhaps resuming their ministries there.