ACTS

INTRODUCTION
This lesson, and lessons 9 and 10 are devoted to what most identify as Paul's three missionary journeys.
Lesson 8 will examine the great Jerusalem Meeting which followed the dramatic events of this Paul's first missionary journey.
The role these three missionary journeys play in Luke's scheme is to demonstrate how the gospel preaching which began in Jerusalem and spread out from there to Judea and Samaria, spread out throughout the then known Roman world. Acts closes with Paul having reached Rome, although as a prisoner, and preaching in the "capital of the world"!

We will see the Gospel Message reaching out to all nations!

The Church in Antioch (Acts 13:1-3)
We noticed the spread of the Gospel Message to Antioch in Acts 12:19-26.
It might be good to go back and re-read Acts 12:19-26.
Although the church in Jerusalem was by this time large and strong, persecutions spread the Christians in Jerusalem out into new areas. On of these, Antioch, was to become one of the strong points of missionary effort in the early days of the church. After AD70 and the destruction of Jerusalem, Antioch became a center of the Christian faith.
In Acts 13 we find Paul and Barnabas in Antioch along with certain prophets and teachers such as Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen. Luke mentions them because they were most likely well known in the early church.
The Holy Spirit, working through the church in Antioch, set Barnabas and Saul (Paul) apart (selected or commissioned) for the preaching of the word. After prayer and fasting the church laid hands (a Jewish custom signifying association with, or commissioning for a purpose) on Barnabas and Saul and sent them off.
We should note here the role of the Holy Spirit in selecting Barnabas and Saul and sending hem off, and then later the role of the Holy Spirit in Paul's ministry. Luke makes significant emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of the Apostles and other evangelists. His purpose is to demonstrate that the preaching of the Gospel and spread of the faith to the Gentiles was according to the will of God. Remember, it was the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius that got Peter's attention, and that of the Jerusalem church.

The Ministry on Cyprus (Acts 13:4-12)
Being sent out by the Holy Spirit Barnabas ands Saul sail for Cyprus.
It became a firm policy of Paul's to begin his ministry in new places by going first to the Synagogue.
There are two reasons for this:
1). The Gospel was for the Jew first and then the Gentile (Rom 1:16). This did not mean that God favored the Jew above the Gentile, but the Gospel sprang from the fountain of Judaism and God's working with and through Israel.
2). In the Synagogue would be found those who understood the Law and the preaching of God's Word. the preaching of Paul sprang directly from the Old Testament as Paul demonstrated that the faith in Christ had its roots in, and was the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Furthermore, there would also be Gentiles in the Synagogue who had become believers in God (the New Testament calls these Gentile believers in God "worshippers of God" or "devout Greeks". the Greek word for them was sebomenoi - sebomenoi. See Acts 13:43, 50; 16:14; 17:4; 18:7).
In Cyprus, at Paphos, Saul encountered a Jewish false prophet and magician known as Bar-Jesus of Elymas who was hindering Saul as he preached to Sergius Paulus, the proconsul. By the power of the Holy Spirit Saul struck the man blind for hindering the Word of God.
The proconsul believed the preaching of Saul, implying that he became a believing Christian. Luke does not tell us all that occurred in his conversion, only emphasizing that the Gentile proconsul believed the preaching of Saul.

An interesting point here is that it is at Paphos that Luke begins to call Saul, Paul; Acts 13:9 being the first time Paul is mentioned in Acts. Prior to this he is called by his Jewish name, Saul or Saulos. From this point on Luke refers to him as Paul.

The Ministry at Perga and Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:13-52)
Paul and company sail from the Island of Cyprus to Perga in Pamphylia.
Click here to go to a map of the region that indicates Paul's first missionary journey.
John Mark left Paul and Barnabas at this point, returning to Jerusalem. We have no information as to why Mark left them, but later (Acts16:36-41) we learn that this led to a difference of opinion between Paul and Barnabas.

As was Paul's developing tradition he went to the Synagogue on the Sabbath and after the reading of the law and the prophets (the traditional practice in the Synagogue) Paul was invited to give an exhortation to the people.

Paul's message was to trace God's working in behalf of Israel through the centuries, emphasizing God's saving activity promised by the prophets. Paul demonstrated that God's plan had reached fulfillment in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus; the powerful resurrection of Jesus demonstrated God's approval of Jesus. many of the Jews and worshippers of God (Gentile converts) believed and followed Paul.

The Jewish leaders, however, were disturbed that many followed Paul and believed in Jesus, and became jealous. Paul argued that God had given the Jews an opportunity to believe and fulfill his plan, but now that they had rejected God's plan, God had turned to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were pleased to hear that God had accepted them and many believed.

The Jews stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of the region.

The disciples, however, were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

The Ministry at Iconium (Acts 14:1-7)
Again, Paul and Barnabas preach in the Synagogue and many, both Jews and Gentiles, believe. The Jews, however, again oppose Paul and stir up persecution among the citizens.

We note an important point here regarding the working of miracles in the New Testament.
The Lord bore witness to Paul's preaching with miraculous signs.
We noted Paul's ability at Paphos to strike Elymas blind in Acts 13:10,11. Elymas was a false prophet who opposed Paul's preaching and the Word of the Lord. The miraculous power exercised by Paul confirmed his word against that of the false prophet, Elymas.
In Mk 16:20 that Mark records "And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it."
The purpose of the miraculous gifts in the New Testament was not to make a person feel good or important, or to make them feel more spiritual. it was to confirm the word spoken by the evangelists and Apostles. Spiritual gifts were to enable Christians to be of service to others in the ministry of Christ, but fundamentally, they were signs confirming the word or ministry of the evangelists. This is especially notable in Acts 2:1-12 when the Holy Spirit fell on the Apostles confirming their ministry and apostleship, and in Acts 10 and 11 where the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and his family, confirming the message of salvation to Gentiles and that God had granted them repentance.
We note also that in the New Testament those who claimed to be apostles, or to speak with apostolic authority, or to be able to perform apostolic type miracles, were challenged and required to confirm their claim with appropriate signs (see Rev 2:2; 2 Cor 11, 12, but especially 11:5, 12,13 and 12:11,12; and 1 John 4:1).
In the same vein, today, those who claim to be able to perform miracles and speak in tongues ought to be required and able to confirm their claim with suitable signs.

The Ministry at Lystra and Derbe (Acts 14:8-21)
At Lystra Paul healed a man crippled from birth. The Pagan Gentiles were impressed by their work and called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes because he was the chief speaker. When Paul and Barnabas refused to be identified with Pagan Gods, and preached the Word to the citizens of Lystra. Jews from Antioch in Pisidia and from Iconium followed Paul and Barnabas to Lystra and again stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, causing Paul to be stoned and dragged out of the city. The disciples gathered around Paul (indicating that there were some converts in Lystra) and took him back into the city. Paul and Barnabas then went to the city of Derbe where they made many disciples.

The Return to Antioch in Palestine (Acts 14:21-28)
Paul and Barnabas retrace their journey through Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. As they go they preach and strengthen the disciples, appointing elders in every city. they warned the disciples that they would face tribulation and persecution, but explained that this is what would result in turning to God and his kingdom. Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles would understand and appreciate the meaning of the kingdom of God.

A Short Note on Elders in the Church:
We learn from this text that it must have been important for New Testament churches to have elders. As we progressively work through Acts we will notice the important role that elders played in the life of the local congregations.
We find elders mentioned for the first time in Acts in Acts 11:30.
In the New Testament local congregations were under the leadership of elders who we will learn in Acts 17 were also called shepherds (pastors) and overseers (bishops).
The responsibility of the elders was to teach, nurture, protect, and guard the congregation from outside intrusion.
The elders were the leaders of the local congregations.
Elders and bishops were not appointed in New Testament churches over synods or area churches. They served in local congregations only.
In passages such as 1 Tim 3:1-7, Titus 1:5, and 1 peter 5:1-3 we learn that there were certain spiritual requirements for being selected as elders.

We learn from other scriptures (1 Tim 3:8 and Phil 1:1) that local churches also had deacons who were special servants designated by the congregation to serve in specific ministries. Not much is said in the NT about the ministry of deacons. Apparently, the seven men chosen for the ministry of taking care of the widows in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-7) were deacons selected by the church in Jerusalem.

When Paul and Barnabas arrived back in Antioch in Palestine they reported to the church all that had happened to them on this first missionary journey. The church in Antioch was encouraged by the fact that God had opened doors to the Gentiles.

	1.	Barnabas and Saul (Paul the Apostle) were chosen by the church in Antioch, working under the instruction of the Holy Spirit, to go out on the first missionary journey to the Gentile world.
	2.	Beginning most times in the Synagogue because this is where a "sympathetic" audience would be found, both Jews and Gentile worshippers of God, Paul and Barnabas preached in the cities of Paphos, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, making many converts or disciples from among both the Jews and Gentiles.
	3.	The Jews were opposed to Paul's preaching and stirred up opposition and persecution in each place Paul and Barnabas preached.
	4.	Paul and Barnabas retraced their journey from Derbe to Antioch in Palestine, confirming and strengthening the disciples, and appointing elders in every city.
	5.	We noted that miraculous sings performed by the power of the Holy Spirit were for the purpose of confirming the ministry and message of Paul and Barnabas.

Summary and Discussion

1) Summarize in your own words the thrust of this first missionary Journey?

2) Where did Paul most often go to begin his missionary activity in a new city? Why was this his
     normal practice?

3) What was the central thrust to, or core of Paul's preaching? To what did he tie his sermon
     when preaching in the Synagogue?

4) What did many of those who heard Paul and believed his message?

5) What kind of opposition did Paul run into as a result of his preaching? Why do you think this
     occurred?

6) After completing the missionary journey, or had reached Derbe, what did Paul and Barnabas
    do?

7) What role did the miracles of Paul play in his ministry? How does this relate to Mark 16:20?