Acts 16 (Cont) - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Acts 16 (Cont)

3 17 15Slide2

Review of the end of Acts 15

Paul and Barnabas decided to return to visit the Churches in Galatia to give them the decision of the Council

A disagreement arose over whether to take John Mark with them resulting in Barnabas and John Mark going to Cyprus while Paul and Silas returned to GalatiaSlide3

Review of Acts

16

Paul and Silas travel overland to

Derbe

and

Lystra

where they meet the young Timothy who they invite to join them on this journey after Paul has him circumcised to avoid problems with the Jews and Jewish Christians

Their visit to the Churches in

Derbe

,

Lystra

,

Iconium

and Antioch of

Pisidia

proved successful leaving them strengthened in faith and increasing in numbers

Then they were called by the Holy Spirit not to enter Asia but instead go to the West toward Europe

Paul has a dream of a man calling them to

MassadoniaSlide4

Review of Acts 16 (Cont)

They arrive at

Neapolis

and then on to the Roman City of

Philippi

where they remained some days teaching some Jewish women by the river

There they met Lydia a women who sold purple cloth who opened her heart to Paul’s message and was baptized with her

entire family Slide5

St Luke

A Greek native of the Hellenistic city of Antioch in Syria

Was not a Jew

Had a great knowledge of the Septuagint and of things Jewish which he may have acquired as a Jewish proselyte or after he became a Christian through his close intercourse with the Apostles and disciples

Spoke Greek and had the opportunity to acquire Aramaic in Antioch

Author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of the Acts of the ApostlesSlide6

St Luke (Cont)

A physician demonstrating a use of medical language

May have studied medicine at the famous school in

Tarsas

which rivaled the schools in Alexandria and Athens

Was very knowledgeable of the eastern Mediterranean and may have been a doctor on board of a ship

A

disciple of St Paul

Believed to have been martyred Slide7

Acts

16

(Cont)

Acts 16:15-18

“she besought us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us. As we were going to the place of prayer, we were

met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination

and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying…. And it came out that very hour.”

We are not sure why Paul said this

This fortune-telling girl is a source of handsome profit to her owners

Paul

recognizes

she is possessed with

a demonic spirit

But why is the demon trying to befriend Paul when he knows that one does not mess with, make friends with or partner with such a spirit?Slide8

Acts 16 (Cont)

Perhaps the demon hopes to interfere with the trade in the Christian community after Paul leaves

In any event Paul recognizes that this is something not to mess with so he exercises this

demon in the name of Jesus Christ Slide9

Acts 16 (Cont)

Acts 16:19-21

“But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seize Paul and Silas and dragged

them

into the

market place

before the rulers; and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said ‘These man are Jews and they are disturbing our city. They advocate

customs

which is not lawful for us

Romans

to accept or practice.”

Not sure what customs they are talking about

The only thing that would have been against the Roman law was to proclaim another king but Caesar

Paul and his followers were proclaiming to the local Gentiles that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, which means king for the

J

ews

For the Romans there was only one king in the universe and that was CaesarSlide10

Acts 16 (Cont)

Acts 16:22-24

“The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave them orders to beat them with rods… and fastened their feet in the stocks

.”

The mob joined in because they thought Paul and Silas were rebels who were proclaiming another king

This is very serious stuff resulting in Paul and Silas being stripped, beaten with rods and thrown into prison without a trialSlide11

Acts 16

(Cont)

Acts 16:25-

30

“But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors opened and everyone’s fetters were unfastened. … ‘

Men what I must do to be saved?”

Why did the jailer say this?

Obviously he had been listening as Paul and Silas praying, singing hymns and preaching the gospel to the prisoners

This is reminiscent of the three young men in the fiery furnace in Dan 3

This also related to what happened to Peter when he was freed from the jail of Herod Agrippa in

Acts 12:19

 Slide12

Acts 16 (Cont)

But what did it mean “to be saved?”

It could be saved from death or from whatever cataclysmic event that might come from God’s judgment against the worldSlide13

Acts 16 (Cont)

Acts 16:31-33

“And they said, believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and

your household

. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds, and he was

baptized

at once, with all his family.”

We also saw this in

Acts 16:15

Keep focusing on the word “baptism”Slide14

Acts 16 (Cont)

Acts 16:34-35

“A he brought that up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, ‘let these men go.’”

Why did he say this?

Because they found out that Paul and Silas were Roman citizensSlide15

Acts 16 (Cont)

Acts 16:36-37

“And the jailer reported

the

words to Paul, saying, ‘The magistrates have sent

to

let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace.’ But Paul said to them, ‘They

have

beaten us publicly,

un-condemned

, men who are Roman citizens, and

have thrown

us into prison; and do they now cast us out secretly? ‘No! Let them

come

themselves and take us out

.’”

Here Paul pulls out his Ace in the hole (his Roman citizenship)

Once in awhile Paul flashes his citizen card to show others that he has certain rights that have to be respected

He only does this in rare occasions when it gives him a distinct advantage

The end result is the authorities apologizing and letting them go Slide16

Acts 16 (Cont)

Acts 16:40

“So they went out of the prison, and visited Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they exhorted them and departed

.”

Paul and Silas accept their request, but only after going to Lydia’s house to strengthen, console, and encourage the new Christians after

this traumatic

eventSlide17

Transition

Next we will look at Acts 17Slide18

Acts 17

3 17 15Slide19

Acts 17

Acts 17: 1-2

“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Appollonia they came to

Thessalonica

, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for

three weeks

he argued with them from the Scriptures

,”

Notice the continuing patter of Paul going where the Jews are to be found on the Sabbath

Obviously there was a Jewish synagogue in

Thessalonica

It looks like Paul spent 3 weeks with this group, however, he really only met with them for 3 Sabbaths

A better translation would have been that he was there for 3 Sabbaths where he made his persuasive arguments based on Scripture

Slide20

Acts 17 (Cont)

The patter

continues:

Paul arrives in a city

Waits until the Sabbath

Goes to the synagogue

Preaches the gospel

Gets kicked out of the

synagogue after 1, 2 or 3 Sabbaths

Goes to the market place and preaches the gospel to the Gentiles for a couple of days

Is run out of town

Thus, he takes from 5 to over 100 folks from the synagogue and the town to start a church Slide21

Acts

17

(Cont)

Acts

17:3

“

explaining and

proving that it was necessary

for the Christ to suffer and

to rise from the dead

, and saying, ‘This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.’”

Christ meant that he is the “King” (Messiah)

H

e was talking to Jews in Asia Minor who were expecting the arrival of the Messiah

If someone said this at least half the synagogue would have believed it

So when Paul makes this statement those in the synagogue might has then asked, “OK, so where is he?”Slide22

Acts 17 (Cont)

Paul responds that he is no longer here and that he has returned to the Father

His listeners would have said that that was not possible as the Messiah cannot die for he will establish the Kingdom of God and conquer the world

Then Paul says that he “rose from the dead”

Really Paul, are you serious?

Most of the Jews would not have had a problem with the concept of the resurrection as most were formed by the Pharisees (only the Sadducees in Jerusalem did not believe in life after death)Slide23

Acts 17 (Cont)

But the idea that the Messiah had to suffer and die would not have made any sense

Thus, Paul must prove to them that it was necessary for

Christ to suffer and rise from the dead

.

How did Paul do this?

Most likely he referenced one of the suffering servant psalms of

Isaiah

as his first and main text on this point

This is the text that the early Christians, and writers of the New Testament, used to prove that the Messiah was the “suffering servant” of

Is 52:13-53:12

and, therefore, will have to suffer and be persecuted for the sins of IsraelSlide24

Acts 17

(Cont)

Acts

17:4-6

“

And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women… attacked the house of Jason,

seeking

to bring them out to the people… ‘These men have turned

the world upside down

have

come here also,”

Jason’s house was apparently the place where Paul and Silas were staying

Does the “world upside down” mean that the big blue ball is upside down?

Obviously this is “hyperbole” which was widely used in the Scriptures Slide25

Acts 17 (Cont)

This passage is referring to the Roman Empire, the civilized world being turned into chaos, but not the “cosmos”

In

contrast to the “prominent women” who opened their hearts to the gospel, there were worthless men loitering in the public square who are recruited by some of the Jews to form a mob and set the city in

turmoil

When the mob could not find Paul and Silas they drag Jason and some other Christians before the authorities (the city magistrates –

politarches

- Greek for the “ruler of the city”)Slide26

Acts 17 (Cont)

Acts 17: 7

“

and Jason has received them; and they are all acting

against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus

.’”

Highlight the word “Christ,” “Caesar,” and “King” in

Acts 17:3

and

17:7

The mob continues by making the accusation that the Christians all act in opposition to the decrees of Caesar

Thus, they were calling into question the loyalty of both Jews and Christians to the state because of their unwillingness to participate in emperor worship and other civic pagan religious ceremonies

Their charge against the Christians is that they claim that there is another king - JesusSlide27

Acts 17 (Cont)

Acts

17: 8-9

“

And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard this. And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go

.”

It is interesting that this group does not overreact as did the group in Philippi but instead followed Roman legal procedure by demanding a surety payment or bail from Jason and the others before releasing them