Teaching (no posting) The Acts of The Apostles

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 18, 2019

Peter Delivered From Prison
Act 12:6-17

Kefa (Peter) is now chained between two guards and there are two guards guarding the prison door. I find it curious as to why he was chained and guarded so heavily. Harod must be remembering the last time he jailed Peter and Peter escaped (Act 5:17-21).

Herod's plan was to bring Peter out of prison that night to probably kill him but before Herod could do that an angel appeared in Peter's cell. The light from the angel was quite bright but Peter was sound asleep. So sound that the angel had to hit him in his side. The angel stood him on his feet and said, "Get up". LOL I'm kinda like that in the mornings, I'm in a stupor for a while before I can think clearly. I think though, that if I were in prison and about to be killed I would not be sound asleep. I'd probably be stressed and unable to sleep, but Peter wasn't. He was sound asleep. Peter's chains fall off and the angle is telling him step by step what to do, "Put your belt on, put your sandals on, put your cloak on and follow me". Peter thought he was having a vision, he did not realize it was real.

The angel led him past the first guard, then the second guard all the way to the iron gate that leads to the city. The gate opened on its own, they went through the gate and out and down one street then the angel left him.

Peter finely came to himself and realized it all had really happened. He said to himself, "Now I know that the Lord has come and delivered me from the plans of Herod and the Jewish leaders". Peter came to the house of Miriam, the mother of Yochanan (John Mark) where the believers were gathered together praying.

He knocks on the gate and the maid, Rhoda, comes to open it. When she heard Peter's voice, she recognized it and became so excited that she did not open the gate but with joy and great excitement ran to where the people were gathered and excitedly told them that, "Peter's outside the gate". They didn't believe her though. They told her she was crazy. She was so insistent that then they said, "Maybe it's his angel".

It is his guardian angel. The concept of guardian or ministering angels is also found at Mt 18:10, but it is not exclusively a New Testament idea. "For he will give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11). And from the Talmud (Soncino Edition): "On entering a bathroom one should say: 'Be honored, you honored and holy ones who minister to the Most High.... Wait for me until I enter, take care of my needs and return to you.'"(B'rakhot 60b) (cont at KIFA)

In the meantime, Peter continues knocking at the gate, so they all go to see who it is and thay are amazed to see Peter standing there. The lesson in this is to "expect God to answer your prayers with 'sure thing'". Sometimes, God may not answer in the way we want, but often He does. So don't doubt.

There was a lot of excitement as they let Peter in. I'm sure they were shouting and rejoicing, so loudly that Peter had to quiet them in order to tell them what had happened. He then told them to go tell some other brothers and he left to go to another place.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 20, 2019

The Death of Herod
Act 12:18-23

When daylight came and the soldiers who had been guarding Peter awoke, there was quite a bit chaos. The soldiers still had chains attached to them, but there was no one on the other end of the chains. Peter was nowhere in the prison to be found. Herod questioned the guards, "How could he get away while chained between the two of you?" "Then, how did he get through a locked door and past two guards?" The guards were led away to be punished. Herod then left Judea and went to Caesarea to spend some time there. It was in Caesarea that Herod met his fate.

Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They got together and sought to have a meeting with him. According to Josephus, he met with them wearing a robe that was made of silver and it was a resplendent sight to the people. Herod began his speech and the people began to say "he is like a god" and they gave him glory and he accepted it. Herod accepted all the praise and it says that an angel of the Lord struck him down and he was eaten by worms. It apparently did not all happen right there as he spoke but took about five days.

Josephus Account of Agrippa's Death The account of King Agrippa’s death is told by Flavius Josephus:

"Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Caesarea [...] There he exhibited shows in honor of the emperor [...] On the second day of the festival, Herod put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a truly wonderful contexture, and came into the theater early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment was illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun's rays upon it. It shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him. At that moment, his flatterers cried out [...] that he was a god; and they added, 'Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.'

Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery. But as he presently afterward looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the messenger of ill tidings, as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; and he fell into the deepest sorrow. A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, 'I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But I am bound to accept of what Providence allots, as it pleases God; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner.'

After he said this, his pain was become violent. Accordingly he was carried into the palace, and the rumor went abroad that he would certainly die in a little time. But the multitude presently sat in sackcloth, with their wives and children, after the law of their country, and besought God for the king's recovery. All places were also full of mourning and lamentation. Now the king rested in a high chamber, and as he saw them below lying prostrate on the ground, he could not himself forbear weeping. And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign." (Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 19.343-350).

I like this run-down by Got-Questions too.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 22, 2019

Barnabas and Saul
Act 12:24-13:3

The message of God continued to grow and spread. Barnabas and Saul accomplished their mission (taking supplies from Antioch to Jerusalem) to minister to the needs of the believers there and returned to Antioch. John Mark went with them.

In the congregation in Antioch, there were prophets and teachers. There was Barnabas, Simon (the one called Black or Niger "pronounced 'nee jer"), Luke the Cyrene, Menachem (a childhood companion of Herod), and Saul. One day while they were fasting and praying, the Holy Spirit told them to separate Barnabas and Saul for a special work that they had been called to. They continued to fast and pray and when they were finished they laid hands on Barnabas and Saul and then Barnabas and Saul left.

It does not give a time period but there are particular days in Judaism that are designated as fast days, The fasting mentioned here may be a time period they set up for themselves to seek God or if it was one of these fast days.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 23, 2019

Barnabas and Saul and John (John Mark) in Cyprus
Act 13:1-12

Barnabas and Paul have been commissioned to spread the word of the Lord and by the direction of the Holy Spirit they went down into Selucia. John Mark was with them as an assistant. The name Mark is not in the text but he's known from Act 12:25)

From there they sailed to Cyprus, they got off the boat in Salamis and from there they apparently walked, preaching the word of God along the way. To the Jews first then to the Gentiles. Many churches today remove anything Jewish and pretty much ignore the Jews, telling them their Messiah erased everything that God said to them and tells them none of it applies anymore...and then we wonder why they reject the gospel of Yeshua. Actually, it's not the gospel of Yeshua that is rejected by the Jews, it's the Gentile rendition of it that is. Contrary to popular opinion, Yeshua did not come to start a new religion, he made the old one better.

Every town they went into they would enter the Synagogue as was their custom They would teach from Torah, like every other teacher and they would show how the prophecies all pointed to Yeshua and what they had witnessed. I'm sure Saul told the story of his encounter with Yeshua on the road to Damascus many times and how he now understood all the scripture prophesies regarding Yeshua the Messiah.

When they had gone throughout the whole island as far as Paphos they encountered a Jewish sorcerer (See scriptures on sorcery) and a false prophet (see scriptures on false prophets). A false prophet is someone who says something in the name of God that God did not say. God strictly forbids it as well as sorcery. See Deut 18:9-14.

This false prophet and sorcerer was known as Bar-Yeshua (son of Yeshua). Not sure if he attached that name to himself or what. He was also called Elymas. He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who is described in Acts as intelligent. He had called for Barnabas and Saul to come and talk with him and he anticipated being able to hear their message.

But the sorcerer opposed them, doing his best to turn the governor away from the faith. Then Sha'ul, also known as Paul:

Sha'ul, also known as Paul. In this verse we are given Sha'ul s Roman name, and from this point on (except at 22:7,13 and 26:14, where he recounts the incident that led him to faith) the New Testament always speaks of him as Paul (Greek Pavlos), undoubtedly because his ministry was primarily among Gentiles. The name "Paul" appears 132 times in Acts 13-28, 30 times in his 13 letters and once at 2 Ke 3:15. However, except in the present verse, the JNT uses "Sha'ul" for all of them, to highlight the Jewishness of the New Testament and its major figures. I choose by this means to remind the reader that Sha'ul/Paul remained a Jew all his life, indeed, an observant Jew (16:3, 17:2, 18:18, 20:16, 21:23-27, 25:8. 28:17; and see 2I:21N), even a Pharisee (23:6, Pp 3:5), while nevertheless sparing no effort to bring to Gentiles the Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah.

Some object to my decision on the ground that at this point, they claim, Sha'ul gave up his old Jewish name and took on a new Christian name, which he kept for the rest of his life in order to identify himself henceforth as no longer a Jew but a Christian. But, as explained above, he did no such thing. Rather, Sha'ul, like "Yochanan surnamed Mark" (12:12, 25), like "Hadassah, that is, Esther" (Esther 2:7), and like many Jews today in the Diaspora, had two names all his life — a Hebrew name and a name in the local language. Lutheran commentator R. C. H. Lenski is correct in writing {ad loc), 'The child had both names from infancy." But it does not necessarily follow that the names were used as suggested in his next sentence, "When his father called him he shouted, 'Saul, Saul!' but when the Greek boys with whom he played called him they shouted, 'Paul, Paul!"'

I see no theological or spiritual significance in the New Testament's calling Sha'ul "Paul" from this verse onward. There is only the practical value, at the time the New Testament was written, of calling the emissary to the Gentiles by the name he used with them. For the JNT, with its very different audience and purpose, this value is, in my opinion, outweighed by the value of reinforcing the reader's perception of Sha'ul's Jewishness. See Section V of the Introduction to the JNT on "Translation Issues." Also see Lk 23:33N and Ac I2:4N for two instances where the KJV, with far less reason or logic, renders a Greek name by an English name completely unrelated to it. ~Jewish New Testament Commentary~

Then Saul, full of the Holy Spirit stared straight at him and said, "You son of Satan, full of fraud and evil! You enemy of everything good! Won’t you ever stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? (see Prov 10:9) So now, look! The hand of the Lord is upon you; and for a while you will be blind, unable to see the sun.”

Immediately the sorcerer and false prophet went blind and was stumbling around trying to find someone to lead him by the hand. On seeing this, the governor was astounded and put his trust in the word spoken by Barnabas and Saul.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 26, 2019

Paul’s and Barnabas leave Cyprus
Acts 13:13-15

After spending a few years spreading the gospel in Cyprus, Paul and Company are leaving. They sail from Paphos, Cyprus to Perga of Pamphylia. When they arrived in Perga, it says that John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem where his mother Mary (the Mary whose house everyone was praying at when Peter was in Prison) lived. Luke is very discreet and does not say in the text here why John Mark returned to Jerusalem, just that he did.

We see a leadership change here too. In the beginning, when they were sent out to go to Cyprus, Barnabas, his name is listed first, showing that he is the leader. Paul is learning from Barnabas. In this part of the text, the names are switched and Barnabas has handed the reigns to Paul for Paul to lead the way. Paul did not strong-arm the reigns away from Barnabas, nor did Barnabas just do-it-all because he could.

Paul and Barnabas continued on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath, they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the Torah and the Prophets (The Circle of Torah), the leaders of the Synagogue invited them to speak a word of encouragement to the people.

They did not just march up to the front and take over the service. They joined in with the Sabbath prayers and songs and readings, then, they were invited up to the bema to speak.
Just this week, Torah scrolls all over the world were rewound and the word of God was celebrated. It's called Simchat Torah.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 27, 2019

Paul's Word of Encouragement at Antioch of Pisidian
Act 13:16-41

I'm not sure if the leaders of the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidian knew of Paul and Barnabas and what was happening in Synagogues all over the isle of Cyprus or not, but obviously, they trusted them. I'm sure, as visitors to their synagogue, the leaders watched them closely as they participated in the Synagogue rituals and found them satisfactory in order to have brought them up to the bema to share.

It says that Paul went to the front and signaled with his hand. Not sure what the signal was but most likely to make sure that he had everyone's attention. Paul begins by addressing, "Jews and God-fearers". He gave a brief reminder of the Jewish history starting with Moses to David, a man after God's own heart who would do His word. (1 Sam 16:12-13; Is 44:28; Ps 89:21)

Paul continued with how from David's seed, as God had promised, a Savior came...and that was Yeshua. Paul spoke about how before Yeshua came, John the Immerser proclaimed an immersion of repentance to all Israel. John declared that he himself was not the Messiah, but another would come, another to whom he was not worthy to even untie his sandals.

"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham and God-fearers" it is to us that the message of salvation has come. Those living in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him or the sayings of the prophets regarding him. Though there was no charge against him that required death they convinced Pilate to have him executed. When it was all said and done, and every prophecy concerning it had played out they took him down and put him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead. For many days he appeared to those who had come from the Galilee to Jerusalem and they are now his witnesses to the people.

"We proclaim to you, Good News - The promise that was made by God to our fathers has arrived. God has fulfilled His promise to us by raising up His son Yeshua, , as it is written in Ps 2 and he quotes Ps 2:7." Yeshua is no longer in the grave, subject to decay and his body has and will never decay. God promised that He would give us the sure mercies of David (Is 55:3). Then he refers to another Psalm in Ps 16:10.

"Therefore brothers, let it be made known to you that removal of ALL sins is found through Yeshua, even those sins which could not be set right through what God gave through Moses. Everyone who believes and continues to trust in Yeshua, the one whom God sent, is made righteous.

The Jewish understanding of "believe" required a change in behavior as evidence. ~One New Man Bible~

"Be careful then that what is spoken by the prophts may not come upon you", and he ends with quoting Hab 1:5.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 28, 2019

Paul and Barnabas Are Asked to Return The Next Sabbath
Act 13:42-43

So I'm seeing three groups here in the synagogue. The Jews, the Proselytes (non-Jews who have converted to Judaism), and the God-Fearers (those desiring to know and serve the true God and living as Jews, but have remained uncircumcised).

Paul's sermon aroused a lot of interest. He did not attack or alienate any of them. He did not tell them they were following a man-made religion. He reminded them of God's promises, and how God fulfilled those promises through Yeshua Messiah and how the grace of God was for "all" and upon repentance and turning and trusting in Yeshua Messiah and what he accomplished on the cross for the removal of sins, they were made righteous before God, both Jew and Gentile.

Interest was aroused and after the Synagogue service was finished and as Paul and Barnabas were leaving the people followed them out and they were begging them to return the next Sabbath and teach more on these things. Paul and Barnabas urged the people who "in the past had held fast to the love and kindness of God to continue doing so. Doing so, of course, then as well as now, implied accepting the Good News of Yeshua the Messiah". ~Jewesh New Testament Commentary~

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 29, 2019

A Light to The Heathen
Act 13:44-47

It is now seven days later...the next Sabbath and almost the entire city of Antioch of Pisidian has shown up at the Synagogue to hear the word of the Lord. You'd think this would have excited the leaders of the Synagogue, but it didn't. They were jealous. "That many don't show up to hear me speak", and "look at all the Gentiles" Horror of horrors. So instead of being joyful of possible converts, they were jealous and they began to stir up trouble for Paul and Barnabas. They spoke blasphemous things against them. Twisting the word of God that they spoke around and making it sound evil".

According to vs 43 in the previous portion, it was not ALL of the Jews who were jealous but the leadership, and it was their jealousy of the crowds drawn by Paul and Barnabas and not a rejection of what Paul and Barnabas were saying. The leaders were arguing against God's word and what it said, things they believed, yet they argued against, due to jealously. Jealousy will work all kinds of evil in us and when we see it rise up within us, we are to "nip it" immediately. Get before God and repent and seek His help at overcoming such evil. We all have to deal with it at some time or another.

Paul and Barnabas did not argue with them, they simply replied that the Jewish leaders had judged themselves unfit for salvation (that particular leadership, not all Jewish leadership) and since they were jealous of the presence of the Goyim they (Paul and Barnabas) would now be taking the message of God to the Goyim as well (which they were already doing anyway). They quoted Is 49:6 (see also Mt 28:19-20; Is 42:26) to support what they said.

Is 60:1-3 shows that the goyim (Gentile) will walk in the light of the Lord too. "The Light that has come is Yeshua, the light of the world" (Jn 8:12). ~Jewish New Testament Commentary~

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 30, 2019

Good News to The Gentiles
Act 13:48-52

Upon hearing the word of God that salvation from the debt of their sins was for them too, the Gentiles began to rejoice. As many as believed on the name of Yeshua were being set free and were being set into eternal life.

The Jewish leaders began to spread malicious lies and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas. A minority (the leaders) were able to get some of the majority to work with them against Paul and Barnabas. That is not all that unusual. We see that today in many situations of politics and religion. Just a few people can cause a peaceful gathering to turn into a riotous mob within minutes, even though the one's actually rioting are the minority.

The message of Yeshua continued to spread though, which is common with persecution. History shows that persecution often increases their joy in the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas were expelled from the region. They shook the dust off their feet and went to Iconium and the disciples (all who believed on the name of Yeshua) were being filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Here is a video I came across recently that is off the study of Acts a bit, yet shows the persecution of Christians in Iran and how they persever and are growing in great numbers.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 31, 2019

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium
Act 14:1-7

Paul and Barnabas are now in Iconium. They do the same thing that they did in Pisidian Antioch. They entered the synagogue on Sabbath, did the prayers, the readings, and the songs and when they were given the opportunity, they spoke the word of the Lord. It says that a great number of the congregation of Jews and Greeks (God-Fearers) came to believe on the name of Yeshua. However, the unbelieving Jewish people aroused and angered the minds of the Gentiles against them.

As long as it remained non-violent, Paul and Barnabas continue on with their preaching the Word. The Holy Spirit confirmed what Paul and Barnabas was saying with signs that follow. (Mrk 16:20) "They show themselves to be prudent and single-minded in spreading the Good News while the division among the people of the city good for the Gospel". ~Jewish New Testament Commentary~

Then the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles along with the rulers made a plan to abuse them and stone them. Paul and Barnabas found out about it though and they fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding countryside. They didn't seem to skip a beat...they continued preaching the Word of the Lord wherever they went.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Oct 31, 2019

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra
Act 14:8-20

In Lystra, it says that a man was sitting who had never walked. It does not say if he was at the gate begging or where he was just that he was sitting and He hears Paul speaking. Paul and Barnabas might have just been walking by and talking or they might have been in a small group where people were listening, but the man could hear what Paul was saying. At some point, Paul looked over at him and could see that he had faith to be healed. He spoke loudly to the man commanding him to get up and the man did.

The Greek heathen in the city saw this and became quite excited saying that the gods had become men and had come down to them. They called Barnabas, Zeus and Paul Hermes, because Paul was the speaker. The people began worshipping them. At the same time, the priest for Zeus came down to offer bulls and garlands as a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas.

Of course, this upset Paul and Barnabas and they ran into the crowd tearing their clothes and yelling that they were just men not gods. They were there to proclaim the Good News telling them to turn from these worthless things that have no power to create anything and turn to God. The God that made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. In the past, God has allowed the nations to do their own thing. He gave you rain, causing your fields to bear fruit, He filled your hearts with joy and gladness.

Even while saying these things, they could barely keep the people from sacrificing to them.

Then unbelieving Jews from Antioch and Iconium showed up and they got the crowd calmed down from sacrificing to them but turned them against Paul and they stoned him. They drug him out of the city thinking he was dead and just left him. The believers that were among them surrounded him and he got up and went back into the city.

It is not clear whether Paul was actually dead or not, but either way, there was a miracle. Certainty, under normal conditions, he would not have been able to walk back into the city. And why did he go back? Perhaps to prove that he could not be intimidated and he would leave when he was darn good and ready.

The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Nov 2, 2019

Prayer Request

SpiritPsalmist · Nov 8, 2019

Please continue to pray

SpiritPsalmist · Nov 17, 2019

The Return to the Congregations in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch
Act 14:21-23

They went to Derbe and after they had preached there they decided to circle back and return to the cities where they had been persecuted. They wanted to check on the congregations that had started in each city and make sure that all was well. While in each city they hand-picked elders for them and encouraged them in the faith and telling them that persecution was a necessary event in a believer's life. As it might be said today, "It builds Godly character." We don't go looking for persecution, however, if we are preaching the Kingdom of God it will come, in one form or another. We are not to shine and cry about it but rejoice that we are on the same ground as Yeshua was and that we suffer for His glory.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Nov 18, 2019

The Return to the Congregations in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch
Act 14:21-23 Part 2

wanted to touch a bit more on yesterday's portion. My eye is still giving me trouble so I kept it short. In doubling back over to the congregations that had started in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch Paul and Barnabus wanted to make sure that the new believers were growing in the Lord as they should. They strengthened them in the Word, which at that time was Torah. As is noted further in Acts the new believing Jews continued, as they were allowed by any persecutors, to attend Sabbath Services and the new believing Gentiles, started attending. They continued to study together and grow and encourage each other in the faith and the application of Torah according to Yeshua.

Apparently, these new believers were in such a number that leaders were needed.The qualifications for this duty is found in 1 Tim 3:1-7 and 1 Peter 5:1-4. This responsibility was not taken nor handed out lightly or based on a popularity contest nor on how great motivational speakers they were. They did not just hand them a pocket Torah saying "here, read the book of John, and you'll be fine" First because there was no pocket Torah and there was no Book of John. LOL. I think you get the idea. Baul and Barnabas wanted to make sure the new believers were trained and trained correctly. The men doing the training had to have been well trained in the Word of God as well.

Anyway, I think the congregations today could learn some things. Many leaders don't know the Word of God themselves and I'm not just talking about "details" of scripture but actually having a relationship with the God of the Scriptures so that we can properly understand what is written and not just accept whatever our denominations teach.

Forgive me for any typos. I try to catch them, but with my eyes messing up quite a few probably get past me.

Questions and Comments

SpiritPsalmist · Nov 20, 2019

Study Side Trip

Apparently, due to all the time and energy that Paul and Barnabus spent "building up the brethren in the faith", it was an extremely important part of being a follower of Yeshua. Why is it important to know the Word of God?

I personally think there are many reasons. It's not the committing to memory a bunch of details but it's a means of getting to know God. In His scriptures to us, God shows his hopes and dreams, His heart, His desires, His willingness to negotiate and reconsider with humans when the human comes to him in purity and honesty and respect.

We see God's love and care of animals and the desire that they do not suffer. He does not want the humans He created to suffer either. We see that His laws are perfect and are in place to guide and comfort us. When we study His Word and get to know Him, we are not so easily swayed by every wind of doctrine that is flowing from many a pulpit today.

Studying God's Word so as to know Him is what lights our path so that we don't stumble. It's extremely important and Paul and Barnabus were not leaving the scene without knowing and being assured that the new believers were trained properly. They studied the Tenach and all the promises that God had made and kept throughout time. They came to know Him as a God of love and One whom they could put their whole trust in.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Nov 21, 2019

The Return To Antioch in Syria
Act 14:24-28

From Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabus pass through Pisidia and came to Pamphyllia. After speaking the gospel in Perga they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, from where they had been commissioned and sent out.

When they arrived in Antioch the congregation gathered together to hear their report of all that God had performed through them and the many Gentiles who had also come to faith in Yeshua.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Nov 28, 2019

SpiritPsalmist · Dec 6, 2019

The Issue of Circumcision
Act 15:1-5

Some of the brothers from Judea came to Jerusalem and were teaching that one had to be circumcised in the manner of Moses in order to be saved and forgiven of your sins. Paul and Barnabas had a big debate with them and the brethren appointed Paul and Barnabas to go up to Jerusalem to deal with the issue.

They were sent on their way by the Antioch community.

They were passing through Phonicia and Samaria telling the brethren in each place all that God had done for the Gentiles and how full of joy they were. When they arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed and they began to tell of all that God had done with the Gentiles.

Some of the believing Pharisees though stood and began to argue with them that circumcision was required.

Comments and Questions

SpiritPsalmist · Dec 16, 2019

The Issue of Circumcision (Cont)
Act 15:6-21

The apostles and the elders were in attendance at this debate on circumcision. Men who had not been authorized by the apostles were teaching that the Gentiles needed to be instructed to follow the laws via Moses to the full extent and become Jews by being circumcised. They insisted that the Gentiles were not truly "saved" from their sins by faith alone. The Tenakh itself does not even require circumcision of a Gentile and Peter testifies to that and reminds them of Jl 3:5 that "all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved". He reminds them of his encounter at the house of Cornelious and how God filled the Gentiles with the Holy Spirit just as He had the Jew and how many signs and wonders had been done through them and that was done despite the fact that they were uncircumcised.

Then Paul and Barnabus began to also tell all the signs and wonders that God performed through their ministry and how God had filled the Gentiles with the Holy Spirit.

After they had finished speaking, Jacob reminded everyone of what was written in Amo 9:11-12 and proposed the idea that they should not burden the Gentiles with the rules and regulations of Judaism other than to abstain from the contamination of idols, and from sexual immorality, to not eat animals that have been strangled, and to not eat or drink the animals' blood (Lev 17:10). All the other instructions from God via Moses of how they should conduct themselves they would learn on Sabbath in the synagogue where it was taught on a weekly basis.

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Teaching (no posting) The Acts of The Apostles

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