Acts 16 (Cont)3 17 15

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 Galatia

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 Massadonia

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

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

Apostles

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

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?

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

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 Jews • For the Romans there was only one king in the universe and that was Caesar

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 trial

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

•

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 world

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”

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

citizens

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

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 event

Transition

• Next we will look at Acts 17

Acts 173 17 15

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

•

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

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)• He 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?”

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)

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 Israel

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

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”)

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 - Jesus

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